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IRI Releases Survey of Cuban Public Opinion
“Overall the findings of the survey suggest that while Cubans desire economic opportunity and private property ownership, they closely tie these economic changes to political change in the form of free elections, free expression, access to information and the right to dissent,” said Lorne W. Craner, President of IRI.
While international news media continue to report on promised reforms by the Cuban regime – including the highly publicized pledge to permit home sales – IRI’s survey shows that 52 percent of Cubans have yet to see any tangible examples of implemented changes.
“There are a lot of headlines here in the U.S. about changes coming to Cuba, but IRI’s survey shows that the Cuban people themselves are not necessarily seeing it so far. They remain skeptical that the Cuban government can improve their lives,” said Craner.
The survey was conducted in 14 Cuban provinces and has a margin of error of +/- four percent, and a 95 percent level of confidence. This survey was the sixth of its kind conducted by IRI on the island since 2007.
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, IRI advances freedom and democracy worldwide by developing political parties, civic institutions, open elections, democratic governance and the rule of law. | <urn:uuid:577cc1cf-734e-410c-b374-dea6b5d80d08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iri.org/news-events-press-center/news/iri-releases-survey-cuban-public-opinion-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952569 | 263 | 1.804688 | 2 |
He pulled open a drawer, revealing dozens of cans of Red Bull, a free finals-week gift from the energy company's on-campus promoters. He snapped a photo, posted it on Facebook, and tweeted: "Is this real life?"
Within minutes last week, McMillan's phone blew up with texts from friends wanting to know where the stash was. Soon, the library's tables and study rooms were dotted with Red Bull's slim trademark cans.
With finals season in full swing this month, weary students are looking for anything that can help them endure late-night study sessions. Energy drink companies, whose products are already popular on college campuses, are increasingly looking to replace coffee as a student's go-to answer for a stamina boost during finals - and then for late nights after graduation. As one Red Bull advertisement states: "Nobody ever wishes they'd slept more during college."
But this biannual marketing blitz comes amid renewed calls from lawmakers and health activists in recent months for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate such beverages more strictly, in the aftermath of several deaths that could be connected to energy drinks.
"We wouldn't survive nursing school without caffeine," said Kelsey Sipe, 22, a senior at JMU who mostly drinks coffee,
A 2008 study of undergraduates at a large public university found that 39 percent of students had consumed at least one energy drink in the past month, with considerably higher rates for males and white students. The study, funded with a National Institute on Drug Abuse grant, noted that energy drink marketing tactics are "similar to those used to sell tobacco and alcohol to youths."
Fifteen years ago, energy drinks barely existed. Now it's a booming industry that continues to grow. In the past year, U.S. energy drink sales totaled more than $8 billion, up more than 15 percent from a year ago, according to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm.
In that time nationwide, Red Bull sold more than a billion cans and Monster sold more than 1.2 billion, a total that would equate to more than seven cans per American. And that's just for those two leading brands.
Red Bull, which hit the country in the late 1990s, is credited with creating this industry using a Thai recipe. Today there are hundreds of energy drinks on the market, ranging from 1.93-ounce 5-Hour Energy shots to 32-ounce cans of Monster. Even Starbucks has gotten into the game, producing sparkling energy drinks and canned espresso beverages.
That proliferation has intensified debate about a long-standing question: Are energy drinks safe?
The focus of that question is often one of the main ingredients: caffeine. Energy drinks contain from 2.5 to 35.7 milligrams of caffeine per ounce; energy shots may have as much as 170 milligrams of caffeine per ounce, according to researchers. Energy drink companies often say their products contain about the same amount of caffeine, if not less, than strongly brewed coffee. Estimates for the amount of caffeine in coffee can go as high as 30 milligrams per ounce.
The FDA limits the amount of caffeine in soft drinks to about 71 milligrams for a 12-ounce can. Energy drinks and shots are usually sold as dietary supplements or food products, which don't have a caffeine limit. And other ingredients in energy drinks touted for purported benefits - such as taurine and ginseng - aren't regulated by the FDA.
Studies have set different limits for the amount of caffeine an adult can handle safely, ranging from 2oo to 400 milligrams a day. Consumption of more than 500 to 600 milligrams can lead to "caffeine intoxication," which can cause insomnia, anxiety, irritability, upset stomach, increased heart rate or muscle tremors. In rare cases, caffeine can contribute to a person's death, but experts say the stimulant alone usually isn't enough to kill healthy adults.
But for children and adolescents, more than 200 milligrams of caffeine can be dangerous, and the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against giving children energy drinks.
In December 2011, a 14-year-old girl in Hagerstown, Md., drank two 24-ounce Monster drinks she bought at a mall. The two cans combined contained at least 480 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola or two very strong cups of coffee.
Within hours of finishing the second can, Anais Fournier went into cardiac arrest and later died. Fournier had a preexisting condition that was complicated by the change in her heartbeat caused by the caffeine, according to a lawsuit her parents filed in October.
In response to the lawsuit, Monster Beverage said in a statement: "Neither the science nor the facts support the allegations that have been made. Monster reiterates that its products are and have always been safe."
Fournier's death last year prompted two senators and a host of health activists to urge further FDA investigation into energy drinks. This fall the FDA disclosed that it is investigating more than 100 reports filed during the past five years of "adverse events" possibly tied to energy drinks or shots, including at least 18 deaths.
Companies that make the drinks and supplements maintain that their products are safe.
The increased focus on energy drinks this fall has also become the topic du jour for parental lectures.
Nicholas Marsilio, a junior history major at James Madison, said his mother frequently asks whether he's drinking energy drinks - and urges him to find a natural energy jolt from exercise or sleep.
"My parents never had energy drinks. They don't get it," said Marsilio, 21. "Their energy drinks were coffee at two in the morning. . . . That's definitely a generation switch."
Marsilio said he started drinking Monster when he was in high school so he could stay up late playing video games. Then he enrolled at James Madison, a public university about two hours southwest of Washington in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. At first, Marsilio would buy cases of energy drinks. Now, he buys them one at a time from a campus dining facility, which has a contract with Coca-Cola and sells the company's energy drink brand, NOS.
"I like it," Marsilio said, sipping a citrus-flavored NOS in James Madison's Carrier Library at 10 p.m. last week. "It's really the taste for me."
There are dangers for some: Experts say that chugging energy drinks, especially while working out, can reveal an unknown heart condition in an otherwise healthy young person. Low-calorie, sugar-free energy drinks are sometimes used by students with serious eating disorders. And then there's the sometimes deadly combination of energy drinks and alcohol.
In November 2010, the FDA deemed it unsafe to sell pre-mixed caffeinated alcoholic drinks, such as Four Loko, which has since removed caffeine from its products. Although drinking usually comes with the depressive effects of alcohol, energy drinks and caffeine can keep drinkers awake and alert, ready to drink more. Many bars stock energy drinks as mixers.
After the ban was imposed, a group of health researchers wrote to the FDA, telling officials that college students can still mix their own alcoholic energy drinks and urging further action.
"Energy drink use is highly prevalent," they wrote. "A trip to any college campus would reveal that energy drinks have become enmeshed in the subculture of partying on US college campuses."
Energy drinks were originally marketed primarily to college students, especially athletes. Red Bull and Monster sponsor extreme sports teams and hire outgoing students to promote their products on campuses and in clubs.
McMillan, the James Madison junior who found the Red Bull trove in the library, said finals week has become an extreme sport for him. This year he tried "this nocturnal thing" - sleeping during the day and studying through the night when distractions were few and Facebook was quiet. A string of Monsters and Red Bulls helped him do it.
"If I were to just stay at home and away from the library, I would probably get way more done," he said. "There is an ideal or an expectation that just because it's finals week, you go crazy. It's so hard not to get into it. It's almost fun. . . . You have to go to extreme measures to get stuff done." | <urn:uuid:3d7ae3a7-5d87-4dd0-ac7a-e7a0a10062e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.willitsnews.com/health/ci_22226789/students-reach-energy-drinks-despite-health-fears | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96866 | 1,728 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Charity copycats cash in on donors
Error message … a pink collection bag showing the word cancer from the website.
SECOND-HAND clothing exporters are taking millions of dollars away from big charities by mimicking their appeals and using donation bins and collections, only for the contents to be sold overseas for profit.
The appeals imply the goods will go to the poor or be recycled.
A Fairfax Media investigation has found the businesses have sophisticated networks of bins and mount slick campaigns by putting in letterboxes plastic bags featuring charity-style slogans or photos of children in Third World countries.
To stay within the law, some include a small-print declaration that they are commercial operators but charities fear consumers are tricked into donating because they do not read the fine print. Others use collection bags for fake charities.
They time campaigns to coincide with peak donation times such as before Christmas.
The donated clothing and shoes, often designer brands, is usually sorted outside Australia using cheap labour and sold in the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific and Asia.
This financial year 15,000 tonnes of used clothing were exported, raking in millions of dollars, according to international trade data seen by Fairfax.
Earnings are difficult to track but an unfair dismissal case involving one of the companies in Queensland in 2003 discussed a container of ''virgin stock'' clothing exported to Papua New Guinea as worth about $15,000.
Some of the trade originates from genuine charities onselling clothing they cannot give to the poor but it is now believed a big proportion is coming from commercial collectors.
''The losses to charities are in the tens of millions,'' said the chief executive of the National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations, Kerryn Caulfield. ''It's taking stock away from charities, it skews the lines of governance, puts doubt in the minds of the community and impacts on the employment opportunities for people with disabilities in these charities.''
This month Fairfax Media found a commercial operator putting pink plastic bags seeking clothing donations for ''low-income families'' or Papua New Guinea ''tribespeople'' in letterboxes in north-eastern NSW.
The bags were for a second-hand clothing exporter whose director has links to a big second-hand shop and an international operation in Victoria that exports to more than eight countries. The bags carried the words, ''We need your help'', and sought clothing donations.
The small print confirmed the bag was being used by a commercial recycler. Phone numbers on the bag rang through to the PNG Recycling Centre. A website noted on the bag, www.bringthepinkbagtoschool.com.au, offers to pay schools for used clothing. The website contains an image of a collection bag showing the word cancer.
The website is registered by PNG Recycled Clothing Centre, a private company in Brisbane. The directors and shareholders are George William Doonan and Chris Kopyoto.
Mr Doonan is listed in company records as a co-director of the second-hand clothing export business Supreme Textile.
In 2001 Consumer Affairs Victoria took Supreme Textile to court for breaching fund-raising appeals legislation for raising money for a charity without the charity's permission. A Consumer Affairs spokesman said Supreme Textile had been ordered to stop fund-raising and pay about $980 in costs.
Peter Higgins, the group operations manager of Lifeline Retail in the northern rivers, the area targeted by the pink bags, said commercial exporters were ''gobbling up the market at no benefit to the local community''.
Mr Doonan said his was a commercial operation that shipped all clothing to people in PNG, most of whom were on low incomes.
He said the use of the word cancer on the website had been put in by a website designer from another site and would be corrected.
He rejected the charities' criticism of his operation and said his business gave away 35 per cent of production and had made substantial donations to charities since 1991.
''Papua New Guineans are in need of clothes and only commercial operators such as ourselves fill this need. No charity ships clothing to PNG to give away,'' he said.
''There is a need in our society for responsible recyclers like ourselves. In many areas clothing recycling is not done and the goods end up at the tip.
''Most charities I know of run shops selling the best of the clothing and either dump the rest or sell it to private operators like ourselves.'' He said he did not recall the incident involving Supreme Textile and Victorian
Consumer Affairs. ''We definitely were not fined or given any penalty. Can you give me more information so I can respond.''
Mr Doonan said many operators needed to be exposed. ''You are only touching the tip of the iceberg.''
Fairfax Media has found examples of private businesses using either fraudulent means to collect free clothing or carefully worded appeals that imply donations will go to the needy. Examples of fraudulent bag collections were recorded in Victoria in August and, in Perth, consumer affairs authorities have cracked down on an operator who had more than 150 bins.
Do you know more? email@example.com | <urn:uuid:b60cb47f-f24d-4a0a-8b87-85f0e8dcfa80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/charity-copycats-cash-in-on-donors-20121223-2btkr.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959596 | 1,060 | 1.773438 | 2 |
I'm not an investment adviser. Don't take my advice. Do your own research and seek the advice of a professional. I'm not an expert. What I'm about to share with you is what I have learned trading in options and shouldn't be taken as the gospel truth until you have researched option trading for yourself. I'm a moron and I seek safe harbor.
One of my favorite strategies is selling put options. Investopedia defines a put option as:
An option contract giving the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell a specified amount of an underlying security at a specified price within a specified time. This is the opposite of a call option, which gives the holder the right to buy shares.
My more layman's term definition:
A put option gives the holder the right to force the person selling the put option to purchase the underlying stock for a predetermined price for a specified amount of time.
Here is how it works. When I sell a put option, I am basically writing an insurance policy for a stock. The stockholder that buys the put option I am selling wants insurance that will limit the loss on the underlying stock should the price fall.
Consider this scenario. Bob Stockholder buy's 1,000 shares of GE stock at $15. 9 months later, GE is trading for $23 a share. For whatever reason, Bob doesn't want to sell the stock and take his profit right now, but he's worried that the stock could fall and he could lose his gain.
Bob can buy a put option that will insure Bob's 1,000 shares of GE stock should the price fall. That's where I come in. Bob wants to "buy insurance" / put option on GE and I'm willing to collect a premium and "sell him the insurance" / put option.
Bob Stockholder can choose from three main variables when purchasing his option. Those variables are:
- strike price, expiration date, and number of contracts.
If Bob wants to insure his shares at $23 a share, then that will obviously cost Bob a higher premium than if he wanted to insure them for $20 a share. Why? Because the "more insurance" Bob wants, it might lower his risk, but it raises the risk of the person insuring the stock.
It is the same principle as home or car insurance. You'd obviously pay more to insure your home at $200K than you would if you wanted a policy for $150K. The value of Bob's insurance is known as the strike price. Bob can choose from a wide range of strike prices when buying his put option.
Bob can also choose what month he wants his put option to expire. Clearly, the longer the time period Bob wants to insure his stock, the more the option premium is going to cost him.
When you are looking at a chart of available strike prices and terms, most charts will only list the month the option expires. With the exception of "special options", most options expire the third Friday of the designated month. For instance, if I sell a put option and the quote charts have it listed as August 2013, the actual time the option will expire is August 16, 2013 at the close of the stock market.
Number of Contracts
When dealing with options, a contract represents 100 shares. If Bob buys 10 put contracts, he's buying insurance on 1000 shares. 10 contracts x 100 shares per contract = 1000 shares
Selling put options risky doesn't it? Well if you play it right, it isn't.
I only write put options on stocks I want to own or don't mind owning. If you follow my strategy, then by writing put options you are going to be paid for not buying a stock you want to own or you are going to be paid to purchase it at a price lower than it is trading for today.
One of the stocks that has made me the most money with put options is General Electric. GE closed at $23.67 today. If I think GE is a good price at $23.67, here are my options.
I could buy 1,000 shares of GE today for $23,670 not counting commission. I'll make or lose $10.00 every time the price moves by 1 cent. Why would I take this approach versus the alternative unless I have some psychic knowledge that GE stock is going through the roof in the near future. (I don't. Only insiders have that knowledge and it's illegal for them to profit from it.)
In my opinion, here is the better choice.
The $23 June 2013 Put Option for General Electric closed today at 69 cents per share. (Chart Below) I could have sold/written 10 June contracts, (Each contract represents 100 shares, so 10 contracts represents 1,000 shares.) for the General Electric $23 put option and collected $690 instantly for doing so. (1000 shares x Premium of 69 Cents a Share = $690)
How do I profit from put options and what are my risks?
If I would have written this option today, I would have immediately collected $690 for doing so. The June 2013 option expires on the third Friday in June. Anytime between now and then, the holder of the option can require me to purchase 1,000 shares of GE stock at $23 a share. As long as the stock stays above $23 a share, that will never happen! No one is going to make you buy a stock cheaper than they can sell it for in the open market.
So if the stock stays above $23 a share, it will expire worthless on June 21, 2013 and I'll keep the $690 premium. If the stock happens to fall below $23 a share, I'll still keep the premium, but I will be forced to buy the stock no matter how low it is trading.
Let's say I wrote this option today and the stock falls to $22 next week. The option holder could choose to exercise the option right away or wait closer to the expiration date. For our example, let's say they exercise the option immediately.
I would pay $23,000 for 1,000 shares of GE stock and I'd keep the $690 premium making my actual cost $22.31 per share. This is $1.36 per share less than I could have bought the stock for when I wrote the option. Provided you follow my rule of thumb and only write put options on stocks you want to own, in my opinion, this is the best method for profiting from those stocks.
I generally make 2 - 3 trades a month. Subscribe to my email list at the top right hand of the page to see what I'm trading and how I'm doing. Good luck with your trading!
More great information:
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! | <urn:uuid:2f0b0020-71dc-47a1-bce1-093b918d28b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brentcrouch.com/investing/making-money-with-naked-puts-beginners-guide/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961646 | 1,405 | 1.804688 | 2 |
9/11 Celebrations in Britain
British Muslims also celebrated and rejoiced on September 11, 2001; our media completely failed to inform us about any of this: The ‘British’ Muslim. (Hat tip: TS.)
Whilst the civilised west mourned with horror of the events of Sep11, Muslims in Britain celebrated.
Finsbury Park mosque. Pro-terror demonstrations, graffiti and anti-white posters. at Abu Hamsa’s terror camp
Forest Gate, East London. Local residents sickened by sounds of cheering and celebrations coming from Romford Road mosque on the evening of the slaughter. Muslims leaving the mosque drove off hooting their horns, shouting and waving.
Slough. Letter in Daily Telegraph to express disgust at having witnessed a class of 15-year-old British-born Pakistanis cheering, punching the air and mocking the tearful singing of the American national anthem.
Solihull, Land Rover Plant. Three workers suspended after mocking the three minute silence. Security staff had to escort them from the building to prevent them from being attacked.
Harrow. Fireworks let off during the three minutes silence on Friday.
Cardiff. Young Muslims celebrate in city centre with flags on the evening of the attack.
Birmingham, Small Heath. Celebrations inside and outside local mosque.
Birmingham, Aston. Serious tension in main Royal Mail sorting office after Muslim workers applaud the attacks.
Derby. Local residents disgusted as celebrations in a mosque spill out onto the street with flag waving and chants of triumph.
Oldham. Cheering inside and outside mosques. White workers in Littlewoods Call Centre appalled when Muslim co-workers respond to news of the attack by “jumping up and down with joy.” Schoolchildren celebrate at Grange School with further celebrations along Waterloo Street. Park Cake Bakery. 4 Muslims sacked after cheering during 3 minute silence. Waterloo Street. “Cheering and dancing in the street” after news of the attack broke.
Burnley. A would-be customer in a major shop in the town centre couldn’t find any staff to serve him on the afternoon of the attack. Walking through the shop he found the eight shop assistants - all of them obviously Muslims - crowded around a TV set at the back of the shop, laughing and shaking hands as they watched the footage of the mayhem. Fireworks let off on the evening of the attack in Stoneyholme.
It goes on and on; this isn’t even half of the list. | <urn:uuid:502fdab9-1f74-4baf-ae46-7c5a85aaa2b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/8153_9-11_Celebrations_in_Britain | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938231 | 522 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Beyond the World news headlines
Austrian far-right leader isolated over Israel stance
Senior figures from across Austria’s political spectrum have condemned the head of the far-right Freedom Party, Heinz-Christian Strache, over his party’s European election campaign directed against Israel and Turkey.
In an advertisement in the newspaper Kronen Zeitung, Freedom opposes the accession of Turkey and Israel to the European Union. Although Turkey is in EU accession talks, Israel is not.
Heinz-Christian Strache prepares for a TV discussion in Vienna, Sept. 17, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)
“What is the most distasteful and despicable is the style,” says Ernst Strasser, the conservatives’ candidate in next month’s elections for the European Parliament, referring to Strache’s campaign. “This style is abusive. He vilifies other religions and ethnicities.”
According to Chancellor Werner Faymann, Strache is “a hate monger, a disgrace”.
“It makes absolutely no sense for Israel to be mentioned. Israel is not a candidate for accession. There isn’t even an accession process. The only reason to mention Israel is to serve anti-Semitic prejudices. It is disgraceful.”
Strache, who denies he is preaching hatred, accuses Faymann of being a “rabble-rouser” and abusing his position as chancellor.
The dispute indicates more than just political opportunism in the run-up to the poll, although that is obviously playing a part.
Freedom, which polled 18 percent in September’s national election, has become a hard-right party since former dental technician Strache took the helm in 2005. It has also focused on religion. A recent rally where Strache waved a crucifix drew condemnation from politicians and religious leaders. Another campaign slogan, “The West in Christian hands”, was not well received, either.
The hard-right rhetoric, an eye-catching campaign aimed at the youth vote and dissatisfaction with the centre parties, appears to have given Freedom a boost. However, Strache’s line has at times been a bonus for the more moderate Alliance for Austria’s Future, the party of late far-right leader Joerg Haider, who used to lead Freedom.
A controversial European Union election campaign poster of Austrian far right Freedom party in Vienna May 11, 2009. Posterreads ” The West in Christian hands – Judgement day”. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler
The parties are often lumped together as “Austria’s far right”, such as when they polled almost a third of the vote last year. Together they could make a serious political force — they outpolled the conservatives and were just behind the Social Democrats in September. the Alliance has tried to use the dispute to portray itself as the more mature. “(Freedom) is using the only way to mobilise votes it has,” Alliance’s EU candidate Ewald Stadler says.
Freedom’s popularity has nevertheless affected mainstream policy, with centre parties loath to open up a flank to the far right. The conservatives and Social Democrats have spoken out against the EU asylum directive and oppose lifting labour market restrictions to the eight ex-communist countries that joined the EU in 2004. | <urn:uuid:3665f5b3-3609-41a7-895a-0aaa25534b96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/global/2009/05/20/austrian-far-right-leader-isolated-over-israel-stance/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947716 | 714 | 1.71875 | 2 |
The real St. GobnaitPosted: February 11, 2013
The St. Gobnait in Seraphina was inspired by a real Irish saint, whose church and sacred spring we visited years ago. Today (Feb. 11) is her holy day in Baile Bhuirne (Ballyvourney). Here’s an article mentioning Gobnait and some other ancient holy wells in Ireland. The Diocese of Kerry page has fewer pictures but is more informative. The last several paragraphs are in Irish, and are (according to my husband, my resident translator) a description of how to do the devotional tour. I will just bring your attention to a bit of Irish I understood, however:
If you do drink water at the well you take responsibility for your own well being!….. tá creideamh agus creideamh ann!
That is to say: there’s belief, and there’s belief! The well, as I recall, is at the bottom of a hillside full of cows. It was pouring rain when we were there. We didn’t sample it ourselves.
Beannachtaí Lá Gobnatan daoibh! | <urn:uuid:7d4a1072-fc0d-430c-9f7e-31a6682aeb0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rachelhartmanbooks.com/2013/02/11/the-real-st-gobnait/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948167 | 249 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Home plate umpire Ted Barrett seemed to have a wider than normal strike zone in last night's game five between the Tigers and the Yankees. Against left-handed batters, he appeared to be calling strikes on pitches well off the outside part of the plate.
Tigers' pitchers seemed to have benefited the most from the wide strike zone. Overall, Barrett called eleven strikes against Yankee batters that were outside of the strike zone, while only calling four against Tigers' batters. Granted, when you compare the two heat maps, you can see that Yankee pitchers didn't throw as frequently to the same outside location as Detroit pitchers. However, it is noteworthy that some of the areas do overlap showing a discrepancy in strike calls. | <urn:uuid:accd37fd-7e1a-4588-a2bf-9ebc6730c736> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.baseballanalytics.org/baseball-analytics-blog/tag/strike-zone | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984647 | 143 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Uh, what? Higher prices created less product not more? My Econ 101 professor is rolling over in his grave (I don't know if he is actually dead but go with it).
Remember in the fun days of 2008 when gasoline was heading toward $5 per gallon? Remember back even further when there were four gas stations on many corners in populous areas? You toddler traders with only 10 years experience are too young for that, I suppose.
But in 2008, I blogged Where Have All the Gas Stations Gone. It was hard to understand why they were disappearing especially when their products were soaring. Reader comments were awesome - basically saying that gas station profits were steady while inventory costs went up. Credit Card companies took a percentage leaving the station owner with a few cents revenue out of which they had to pay expenses and taxes. A big chunk for the oil company, a big chunk for Uncle Sam and a little chunk for Amex. Chaff for the station owner.
Lower profit margins and unfavorable cash flow (pay for inventory now, get paid by customers in 30 days or more). Result - Your local Esso station (toddlers?) is now a Walgreens. Your local Sinclair station is now a Wells Fargo.
The station density became inadequate to serve the population.
And then there's Maude, er, Sandy. Li'l Miss hurricane blew out a good chunk of the gas stations in the Northeast. Remember, the number was already low so this was -and still is - a big problem.
So, higher prices for gasoline in a fixed profit, not fixed profit percentage business and viola! Gas shortages.
Now, where is that hamster powered generator. Ain't no gas to fill up a real one to get the pumps working at gas stations sitting on thousands of gallons that they cannot pump. You cannot make this stuff up. | <urn:uuid:04592e51-a572-4b9e-988c-fa25a57781af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.istockanalyst.com/finance/story/6137416/blame-high-prices-for-the-gasoline-shortage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978294 | 379 | 1.625 | 2 |
Getting to know Monchique Municipality
Caldas de Monchique
Close to the blue sky and the green hills of the “serra” lies Caldas de Monchique, with its impressive collection of restored buildings and the only thermal spa in the Algarve. History tells us that that the Romans bathed in Monchique, benefiting from the excellent waters from the thermal springs. The sodic waters of Caldas de Monchique are rich in fluoride and bicarbonate, and are particularly suitable for the treatment of respiratory and muscular-skeletal conditions; in the field of beauty treatments they contain great powers of hydration.
A square shaded by trees and flanked by attractive buildings dating from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries epitomises the calm and relaxing atmosphere of Caldas de Monchique. It is well worth visiting the little glazed pavilion where the bubbling spring water gushes out, and the chapel of Santa Teresa (St. Theresa), which contains a series of 18th century tiled panels telling the story of the saint’s life.
The biggest attraction of Caldas de Monchique, however, is the extensive wooded park that rises up the hillside. Dappled patterns of light and shade, the gentle murmur of the river and trees that are hundreds of years old make the perfect backdrop for a gentle stroll or a picnic at the stone tables provided.
This charming village is made up of houses built in the style typical of the Algarve countryside. The medieval origins of the village church are evident in its ogival porch, its triumphal arch and the ribbed vault in its chancel. Nearby, on Cerro do Castelo, stand the ruins of a fortification with concentric walls that was probably built by the Romans.
The white of the low houses typical of the Algarve “serra” combines with many other colours including warm ochres. The country chapel of Santo António (St. Anthony) stands on a small elevation and there is a viewing point affording fine views of the surrounding countryside
A Tour in The Monchique Hills
Take the road up to Monchique and at almost every turn you encounter a stunning panorama of sea and mountains. For the broadest vistas, continue as far as Fóia, which at 902 metres is the highest point in the Algarve. From there the view stretches away on one side as far as Cape St. Vincent (and north to the Serra da Arrábida, near Lisbon), and on the other to Faro and a vast semi-circle of hills.
Picota is 774 metres high, but steeper, and has wide and perhaps even more beautiful views that take in a long sweep of the Algarve and the sea.
Such viewpoints make a good starting point for exploring this region of steep massifs cut through by valleys and ravines, of rivers and springs where all year round the sound of the cold water bubbling over the stones can be heard.
There are many routes to choose from. The road to Marmelete traverses a landscape of terraced slopes, fertile valleys and orchards, passing by the gigantic scar of the “foiaíto” quarries at Nave. The narrow tracks that wind into the Serra lead you to places like Romeiras, submerged in this sea of mountains, or surprise you with the sudden appearance of lakes like the one formed by the dam at Bravura. Serious fans of mountains, forests, magnificent scenery and splendid isolation will venture as far as Chirão, Chã de Casinha and Taipa. Possibly one of the most spectacular routes is the one that drops from Alferce to Fornalhas and Monchicão, crossing a landscape of hills, their tops lending a greyish hue to the horizon, the green of millions of trees covering valleys and slopes, and opening up vast panoramas.
The road that leads to Sabóia and the Alentejo passes through some of the most beautiful countryside in the Algarve, a region blessed with leafy woods and groves of fruit trees watered by fast-flowing streams. It is worth taking the turn off to Barranco dos Pisões where a recently restored water-mill can be found and a picnic site with the Ribeira de Seixe on one side, where the freshness of the running water, the tops of the green trees, a spring and an enormous plane tree combine to create an excellent spot for resting and taking in the natural surroundings.
Trees, Flowers and Birds
The temperature and rainfall of the Monchique hills are those of a subtropical maritime mountain type climate. The serra is like a marvellous botanical garden, with more than a thousand plant species, for many of which it constitutes the southwest European limit.
Despite forest fires and plantations of pine and eucalyptus, areas of differing sizes of oak, cork oak, chestnut and strawberry tree still persist, along with hundreds of types of colourful wild flowers, turning the hills into a paradise for amateur botanists. There is plenty for birdwatchers to see too. Among the dozens of species to he found are grey herons, goshawks, buzzards, golden and short-toed eagles, moorhens, woodpigeons, doves, cuckoos, owls, kingfishers, nightingales, wrens and tits.
A Rock Called “Foiaíto”
Many millennia ago, a mass of rock erupted through the schists of which all the hills of the Algarve are made, giving birth to the broken relief that lends the Serra de Monchique its charm.
The igneous rocks of which the serra is formed are known collectively as syenites. One of them, because of its specific qualities, has been named “Foiaíto” and is thus forever associated with Fóia, one of the places where it has been found. The other, larger outcrop is Cerro da Picota.
Flavours of The Serra de Monchique
Dishes made with rice and beans or chestnuts are not to be missed, nor are “papas moiras” made with maize flour, beans with meat and the “assadura” made with grilled pork. Equally tempting are the many home-made sausages, including “farinheiras”, “morcelas”, “chouriças” and “molhos”. Another local delicacy is the “presunto” (ham) cured using centuries-old methods, with its dark meat and unforgettable flavour.
Honey is an ingredient common to nearly all the cakes and desserts of the Monchique region, such as “bolo de tacho” and honey pudding. Monchique honey has a well-established reputation because of the many fragrances of the forest flowers: it has been produced and sold since the 16th century, and is today a certified product.
At the end of a meal nothing goes down like a glass of “medronho”, the heady spirit made in copper stills from the fruits of the strawberry tree, or of “melosa”, a mixture of brandy and honey.
A Land of Crafts
Handicrafts in Monchique are based on a wide range of activities which have stood the test of time and continue to develop in a traditional way. The knowhow is passed from generation to generation, and reflects a way of life as well as being an important aspect of the identity of the town. Wicker baskets, the making of wooden spoons, knives and other kitchenware, “scissor” chairs, ceramics, pottery, and weaving are some examples of this diversity, connected as much to specific economic activities as to popular art. | <urn:uuid:fc8bf443-0041-4b67-8bbd-72197b9f59b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://visitalgarve.pt/visitalgarve/vEN/DescubraARegiao/170/Concelhos/Monchique/Municipality/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942039 | 1,686 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Not driving your less-frugal friends crazy
A while back, I heard an interview with a guy who, troubled by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, decided the right response was to quit driving. The bit of the interview that stuck with me was the part where he talked about how surprised he was at the negative reactions. He wasn't telling anyone else that they shouldn't drive, but people were treating him as if he was a walking criticism of their lifestyle.
Eventually, he went on to say, he realized that they were right. He never said in so many words that they should quit driving, but just the way he lived his life amounted to perpetually criticizing the way they were living theirs.
Living a frugal life can be like that.
There's actually a long list of ways that choosing to live frugally can annoy your friends, neighbors, and relations.
- Maybe you can't (or won't) participate in group activities that exceed your budget. The guys you used to out to lunch with can be excused for finding your conversion confusing. You make as much money as they do, and they can afford to eat lunch out--why can't you? It can be tricky to explain that it's about prioritizing the things you care most deeply about (whether it's retiring early, starting your own business, putting your kids through college, or taking a fabulous vacation) without sounding like you're prioritizing whatever it is higher than your friendships with the lunch-time gang.
- Maybe you can't (or won't) contribute to joint expenses. Your cousins want to throw a huge party for the grandparent's 50th anniversary and get pissed that you don't want to kick in as much as they do. It's the only 50th anniversary your grandparents are going to have, they point out. What's the big deal? It can be tricky to explain that your share would be double your entire year's budget for entertaining.
- Maybe you don't spend as much on keeping your lawn weed-free. Yes, you take care of the mowing, but you're not hiring the company that sprays poison to kill the dandelions. Don't you care about property values? Answer: probably not, since they scarcely matter to someone who isn't trying to sell or refinance.
- Maybe you don't spend as much on your clothes as they do. You can hide this to a certain extent by developing a style built on classic items (and by shopping at thrift shops and vintage clothing places), but you're still going to look different. (Bad enough if it's just you. Woe to everyone if it's your kids looking out of fashion!)
Anybody who lives a frugal life comes up with strategies for dealing with things like this, but this can be one of the tricky parts of making the adjustment.
A few general tips:
- Make sure that what you do is about you and not about them. You're trying to get your spending aligned with your values. Their spending should, of course, be aligned with their values. Explaining this won't eliminate all tension, but it can help.
- Be careful zeroing out categories. Deciding to brown-bag your lunches is a great idea--healthy as well as thrifty--but if lunch-time socializing is important among your friends, keep a few dollars in your budget for an occasional lunch out.
- Know the value of the token gesture. Spend a couple of conspicuous days pulling dandelions (and dropping dark hints about cancer-causing herbicides) and suddenly you're just a friendly kook rather than an evil depreciator of home values.
- Choose a category to embrace. The guy who refuses to spend money on stuff everybody else spends money on is always something--often a miser or a skinflint. But there are lots of other possibilities. If it otherwise matches your inclinations, you could choose to be a bohemian, for example. Better yet, resist categorization based on what you don't spend money on. Try instead to embrace one based on what you do think is important in life--parent or bicyclist or gardener or RV enthusiast.
Like the guy who gave up driving, though, understand that living your life in accordance with your values isn't just going to seem like a steady stream of criticism of the way other people live their lives--in a very real sense it actually is a steady stream of criticism, even if you have no such intention. Telling people that you don't intend it that way doesn't help. (It just makes you sound like a pesky nine-year-old claiming that he isn't hitting you, he's just swinging his arms and you're the one standing too close.)
Just living your life makes you an advocate for your values. There's no avoiding it. All you can really do is make sure that the values that you're advocating are your true values--the ones that you would choose to advocate if that (rather than just living your life) was your goal. | <urn:uuid:7cd48c50-1353-43f6-9839-2cc392564078> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wisebread.com/not-driving-your-less-frugal-friends-crazy?quicktabs_2=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978401 | 1,040 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Black and White — It Isn’t That Simple!Sunday, August 1, 2010
Unfortunately everything isn’t just black and white or a simple decision of yes or no without anything in between. Although it would be a rather boring world that we live in if that was the case.
In this article decisions to be made are not just black and white. What was decided in this situation may not be the best decision in a different situation.
Let’s move on and talk about the case. We have a Tennant Model 8200 Sweeper/Scrubber. This machine has been in service since 1998 – 1999; about ten (10) years.
The operator was scrubbing when he ran into something or something ran into him. It doesn’t really matter. But what happened is that the solution tank was severely damaged. And, yes, it was beyond repair. There was a large hole in the tank and it no longer held the cleaning solution. This was a “big problem.”
So, decision time or as I like to say, “Crunch time.” Do we:
#1 Repair the machine to “pre-hole” condition.
#2 Look into renting or leasing the equipment.
#3 Just out right replace it with a new unit.
When I was contacted we were at the point when the damage had occurred and Tennant was contacted for their opinion. When I was told that Tennant has been contacted, my comment was, “They will want to sell you a new unit. This will be their number one goal and they are looking for you to be a customer for the next five to ten years.”” His replay was, “yes, that’s right.”
With #3 decision out of the way (because it is the easy decision, of course). Unfortunately, also the most expensive. Buying new would cost somewhere around $40,000 to $50,000.
Let’s look into the #1 solution of “Repairing the machine.” I want to look at everything and I need vital information to make a very good educated opinion. So far we have that the equipment is a Tennant Model 8200 around 10 years old. The solution tank is damaged and needs replaced. Let’s do a question/answer session to help us make a decision.
#1 Tennant Model 8200 that is 10 years old.
#2 3300 approximate hours. This is a lot but not enough to justify to “junk it.” I have seen these machines with 6000 hours.
#3 The cost of new solution tank is approximately $1,500.00 from Tennant, not installed.
#4 Size of operation was approximately 130,000 square feet.
#5 Type of operation was light manufacturing and warehouse, not an extreme environment.
#6 The machine usage was approximately two hours a day, 5 days a week.
#7 Previous and/or past care: I was aware that this could be a touchy question, but it is an important one. If this machine has been maintained on a regular schedule; that’s a good thing!
#8 The overall condition of the sweeper/scrubber (i.e. Components) had to be looked at. Each major component was important to make a decision on the machine’s condition.
a. Engine & components
b. Hydraulic system
c. Hopper & hopper associated parts
d. Condition of wheels, tires and brakes
All of these questions do not necessarily have to be in any order. There is no good or bad order. As long as these topics are discussed and looked at so a decision can be made. I have made hundreds through my thirty years experience.
It can become “a gut feeling” as well. What I look at to determine the practicality of repairing equipment are:
#1 Budget objective. Customer’s budget was $6,000.00 to $10,000.
#2 Life expectancy was three to five years (maybe more)
#3 General condition of the machine, as it was today seemed to be pretty good, except for the tank.
In my opinion, I would explore repairing this sweeper/scrubber. The key word is repairing not rebuilding because it doesn’t need to be rebuilt. Below are the steps I would perform:
#1 Replace solution tank
#2 Steam clean the entire unit.
#3 Replace high wear items such as:
b. hopper filter
c. hydraulic filter and strainers
#4 New spark plugs and wire set. Change oil, etc.
#5 Install a nice new seat for the operator. Things like that always goes a long way into the care.
#6 I would target my budget around $6,000 to $8,000.00.
#7 Life expectancy should be well into three to five years. Perhaps, at that time, he could look into a new machine.
I always appreciate a reader. So, if you have any questions or comments you can e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.org. I won’t know if you read my articles unless you tell me, so just e-mail and say “yes, I read yours articles.” | <urn:uuid:c34c20b9-e490-4c95-8299-7de3f5e3db72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mhnetwork.com/news/black-and-white-it-isn-t-that-simple/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971579 | 1,123 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Boise, Idaho and other cities in the region have adopted "percent for the arts" initiatives, and are looking to public art to reflect the region's 'maturity.'
Jan 2, 2009 The Idaho Statesman
Tax watchdogs in Idaho are challenging the state's redevelopment agencies, and opened up the question: are they city departments, or not? And if they are, shouldn't their decisions follow the will of the voters?
Aug 28, 2008 The Boise Weekly
Boise considers resurrecting their streetcar system after an 80 year absence.
Aug 15, 2008 The Boise Weekly
<p>Boise is hoping to follow on the coattails of Little Rock in bringing back a long de-commissioned trolley system to the city's downtown.</p>
Jun 10, 2008 The Idaho Statesman
<p>A 17-story condominium tower in Boise, Idaho is being built on a 32-foot-wide footprint. Workers talk about the challenges of constructing such a skinny building.</p>
Apr 23, 2008 The Idaho Statesman
<p>Motorists in Oregon, Washington and Idaho are using less gas per week than the average American. A recent report credits the region's public transit systems and land use policies for the reduction in fuel consumption.</p>
Apr 22, 2008 The Oregonian
<p>Idaho policymakers must make necessary investments and attract talent to succeed, according to a new report.</p>
Mar 5, 2008 Idaho Business Review
<p>Lawmakers in Idaho have proposed a bill that seeks to limit urban renewal district abuses.</p>
Feb 28, 2008 Idaho Business Review
<p>The cities of Vallejo, California, and McCall, Idaho, are considering filing for bankruptcy.</p>
Feb 26, 2008 Governing
<p>Boise State University's Centre for Creativity and Innovation has created and index of creative cities that's found Boise to be just about as creative as cities such as Portland and Seattle.</p>
Feb 13, 2008 Boise State University Focus Magazine | <urn:uuid:c3264a55-bc38-45bb-9db1-4bab861dc55b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.planetizen.com/us/id?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930035 | 421 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Texas hasn’t often played a big role in presidential campaigns — other than supplying several Texans to the sausage-grinder known as primary politics. But today is different and Texas is stepping up to the challenge. An estimated 60% of the 3.3 million expected ballots in Texas have already been cast in early voting, according to election officials. That’s likely a record in a state where most voting-age citizens never vote; it’s only about 25% of all registered voters.
Our nation was built on the notion that voting was the most essentially American act. But there is a small group of thoughtful Americans who deliberately don’t vote. Their reasons vary, but each believes he is as patriotic as anyone. These aren’t the majority lard-asses who can’t be bothered to get up off the couch, and the cultural retards who don’t even know there’s an election happening. These are smart people who’ve made a conscious decision to NOT cast a vote, and they have probably thought more about their decision than you have thought about yours.
“If I am of the view that politics is destroying our world – and let us not forget that politics managed to kill off some 200,000,000 of our fellow humans in the 20th century alone – am I prepared to direct my energies into such a destructive system?” asks non-voter Butler Shaffer, a former political operative who hasn’t voted in 44 years. “If I answer ‘yes,’ which I would do if I voted, then do my philosophic principles have any real-world meaning to them, or are they simply amusing ideas to be talked about, debated, or dispersed across cyberspace?”
Washington Post editor Len Downie Jr. doesn’t vote either.
“I decided to stop voting when I became the ultimate gatekeeper for what is published in the newspaper,” Downie says. “I wanted to keep a completely open mind about everything we covered and not make a decision, even in my own mind or the privacy of the voting booth, about who should be president or mayor, for example.”
If you were asked your opinion, would you prefer to remain silent? Is it more American to vote … or to refuse to vote?
Want to know more about the non-voting movement (if it could be called that)? Click here.
6 MORBID STORIES FOR TEXAS PRIMARY DAY
- Catholics exhume popular saint Padre Pio 40 years after his death.
- More dead dolphins wash ashore in Southeast Texas … the mystery continues
- Hell’s Angels failed in assassination attempt on Mick Jagger after 1969 concert at Altamont. They can’t get no … can’t get no … satisfaction
- Real headline: “Man drove car after being fatally shot”
- Fishhook, Mo., builds $3,500 monument to world’s 6th fattest man
- Life is slowly changing in Florida town for freaks and carnies | <urn:uuid:5e66ef09-cd36-4546-b0d9-0e95be149547> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.beaumontenterprise.com/bayou/2008/03/04/the-ayes-of-texas-todays-primary-offers-texans-a-chance-to-be-heard-or-not/?gta=commentlistpos | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961104 | 649 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Kirti Stambh, Chittorgarh
The thing i made is a Kirti Stambh or " Tower of Fame", Chittorgarh Rajasthan. The 22 metre high tower was built by a BagherwalJain merchant Jijaji Kathod in 12th century. The tower is built in the Solanki style. It is 30 feet at the base and narrows down to 15 feet at the top and is adorned with Jain sculptures on the outside. It is dated approximately around the 12th century AD.
This Jain tower has a complicated structure with carvings, niches and balconies. The carvings on the tower are the naked figures of various Jain teerthankars. The top most floor of the tower is an observation hall, which offers great views not only of the citadel but also of the surrounding area. Kirti Stambh is older than Vijay Stambha situated in Chittorgarh. | <urn:uuid:e4d68647-c77e-4c3d-bcd7-c3ee13206050> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artbreak.com/work/show/230092-kirti-stambh-chittorgarh-solanki20 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967302 | 206 | 1.742188 | 2 |
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- A Swedish artist whose drawing of the Prophet Muhammad offended Muslims said Wednesday he hopes to get another chance to deliver a lecture on free-speech that was interrupted by violent protests.
But officials at Uppsala University said they doubted they would invite Lars Vilks again after police used pepper spray and batons to help him escape a furious crowd Tuesday."It's nothing that we're discussing right now, but it's not very likely given how it turned out here," university spokeswoman Anneli Vaara said.
While Vilks escaped the incident with broken glasses and a degree of shock, he said it raised concerns about the freedom of expression at Sweden's oldest and most prestigious institute of higher learning.
"What you get is a mob deciding what can be discussed at the university," Vilks told The Associated Press, adding he was ready to repeat the lecture if re-invited.
"I'm ready to go up again," he said. "This must be carried through. You cannot allow it to be stopped."
The 53-year-old artist has faced numerous threats over his 2007 sketch of Muhammad with a dog's body. Earlier this year U.S. investigators said he was the target of an alleged murder plot involving Colleen LaRose, an American woman who dubbed herself "Jihad Jane," and who now faces life in prison. She has pleaded not guilty.
Witnesses said the violence broke out a few minutes into Vilks' lecture about the limits of artistic freedom, when he showed a film by an Iranian artist about Islam and homosexuality. A young man leaped from his front-row seat and tried to attack Vilks, police and the artist said.
Vilks initially believed he was head-butted by the man, but said he later understood he had collided with plainclothes police officers who intercepted the attacker and then briskly evacuated Vilks from the room.
"This was the first time I've experienced a physical assault," Vilks said. "It was a bit of a shock."
A video of the incident showed agitated police officers clashing with protesters at the front of the lecture hall. A female police officer used pepper spray to subdue a young man, and another youngster was wrestled to the ground. Some protesters were shouting "God is great" in Arabic.
Uppsala police spokesman Jonas Eronen said two officers sustained minor injuries.
The attacker was detained on suspicion of attempted assault but was later released, he said. Two others - a man and a woman - were also released after questioning and could face charges of using violence against police. All suspects were in their late teens, Eronen said.
Vaara, the university spokeswoman, said the lecture had been open to the public and the suspects were not believed to be students, though she added she wasn't sure about that.
The incident was condemned by Swedish newspaper editorials calling it an attack on the freedom of speech, and in more moderate terms by the Scandinavian country's leading politician.
"It shows that there are tensions in this discussion, which I've had to follow for years," Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told reporters in Stockholm. "I take it very seriously. There is a risk that tensions form between individuals and the Swedish society, which is something we don't want."
Helena Benauouda, the head of Sweden's Muslim Council, an umbrella group for Muslim organizations, declined comment, saying she didn't have enough information about the incident.
Vilks depicted Muhammad more than a year after 12 Danish newspaper cartoons of the prophet sparked furious protests in Muslim countries in 2006. Images of Muhammad, even favorable ones, are considered blasphemous by many Muslims.
A Swedish newspaper printed Vilks' drawing, leading to further protests, and revived a heated debate in the West and the Muslim world about religious sensitivities and the limits of free speech.
» "Cartoonist" Suddenly a Dangerous Profession [CHQR Radio]
» Fatwa Headbutt: Swedish “Roundabout Dog” Mohammed cartoonist Lars Vilks attacked [Pajamas Media]
» "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" Invites Artists to Defend Their Freedom of Speech [Comics Alliance] | <urn:uuid:4f9cbf32-1c2c-4359-bd3b-cc128b04968b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/muhammad_cartoonist_lars_vilks.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977899 | 868 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Description - The small town of Basalt lies at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and the Fryingpan Rivers. The nearest highway to Basalt is Colorado 82 which passes through the southern end of town.
Copyright: Zander Higbie-Interactive Outdoors, Inc.
Fryingpan River, between Basalt and Ruedi Reservoir
- Basalt lies at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Frying Pan Rivers. Following the waters of the Frying Pan River to the east will bring you to Ruedi Reservoir, an area of diverse recreation opportunities. Basalt is surrounded by the public lands of the White River National Forest.
Recreation - Winter recreation opportunities in the Basalt Area include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and backcountry skiing. The warmer months bring access to white water rafting, kayaking, hiking, backpacking, biking and horseback riding. The Ruedi Reservoir area supports six developed campgrounds and several picnic areas. Also around the lake visitors will find fishing and boating access. The Roaring Fork and Fryingpan Rivers offer world-class fly and cast fishing waters.
The Forest Service administers the area campgrounds which have varying levels of service and facilities. Backcountry and dispersed camping opportunities also exist in the Basalt area. When camping outside of designated campgrounds, be sure to follow the backcountry and dispersed camping regulations, and Leave No Trace principles to ensure the next visitor an equal experience.
The Eagle-Thomasville Road and Hagerman Pass both provide scenic drives. Hagerman Pass is a 4wd road; the Eagle-Thomasville road is passable in 2wd vehicles when dry. Neither road is maintained in the winter months and Hagerman Pass would often be impassable until well into July due to snow.
Popular winter recreation activities include cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The Tenth Mountain Hut System cuts across the eastern end of the area and provides a hut-to-hut trail system for cross-country skiing. Great snowmobiling exists in many of the non-wilderness portions of the area.
Climate - Elevations range from 6,500 feet around the town of Basalt, to over 13,000 feet in the Sawatch Range. Vegetation includes piñon and juniper forests, hay meadows and sagebrush at lower elevations; aspen and lodgepole pine at intermediate elevations; Engelmann spruce/subalpine fir forests above about 10,000 feet and alpine tundra at the highest elevations.
In the valley bottoms, summer high temperatures extend into the mid 80s, with cool evenings that can often dip into the 30s. Winter lows occasionally dip to minus 30 degrees, though daytime temperatures are often in the 20s to 30s. The relative humidity is quite low throughout the year. Most of the area and its recreation facilities lie at higher elevations where significantly lower temperatures and more precipitation can be expected. Afternoon summer thunderstorms are common. Snow is possible at any time of year in the highest elevations. The high elevation roads and trails are often not clear of snow until mid-July.
Basalt is located in the Roaring Fork Valley, between Aspen and Glenwood Springs. It is approximately 185 miles west of Denver, on Colorado Highway 82. The Basalt area includes a portion of the Roaring Fork Valley and the entire Frying Pan River drainage from Hagerman Pass west to Basalt. | <urn:uuid:762db038-6f04-43da-adf7-07293888f6ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://activities.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=COBSLT&CU_ID=171 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933721 | 720 | 1.625 | 2 |
On Monday 1 April CBeebies showed a very special version of Ugly Duckling presented by Mr Bloom. Look on the CBeebies website more features, makes and even learn how to dance like the ducklings!
Ugly Duckling is our first ballet especially for children and is the perfect opportunity to introduce your little ones to the magic of live ballet, music and theatre.
A poor duckling is lonely and fed-up, shunned by those around her who see her as too ugly to fit in. She tries to make friends with fellow ducklings as well as with frogs, cats and even a fox, but realising she is not like any of these animals, she is left sad and alone. Follow the duckling on her journey as she overcomes her troubles and turns into a beautiful swan, beginning a happy new life.
Our first performances of Ugly Duckling in Leeds were a sell-out success, so don't miss the opportunity to see this adorable production this spring.
These child friendly performances are just 45 minutes long.
Recommended for children aged 0-8 - and grown-ups too!
Please ask venues for babes-in-arms seating and policies on bringing the very young.
We are creating more new Short Ballets for Small People.
We’re looking for new titles too. Tell us what you think would be a great ballet to make!
Think about all the books, fairytales and bedtime stories you might have read at home, school or nursery. Which ones are you favourites?
Add your comment using your Facebook ID | <urn:uuid:e750ee69-9a50-42d2-bebd-832f7ae0560b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://northernballet.com/index.php?q=ugly-duckling | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961117 | 326 | 1.625 | 2 |
Romney and the rest of the Republican field support zeroing out foreign aid, even with our closest allies – including Israel. But in true Romney fashion, after he supported zeroing out aid to Israel, he flip flopped and said he wanted to increase it instead. And at tonight’s debate, he said his first foreign trip as president would be to Israel to demonstrate our strong relationship.
ROMNEY CALLED FOR STARTING AID TO ISRAEL AT ZERO…
Romney Agreed With Perry That All Foreign Aid Budgeting Should Start At Zero, Including Aid For Israel. “The leading Republican candidates said Saturday night that they'd begin their foreign aid budget as zero, and declined to commit to continuing the United States' massive funding for Israel -- not to mention Egypt and other countries. ‘Every country would start at zero,’ said Perry, who introduced the crowd-pleasing proposal in response to an unrelated question, and fielded a follow-up from Twitter. ‘Obviously, Israel is a special ally, and my bet is that we would be funding them.’ ‘I agree with Governor Perry. Start everything at zero,’ Romney chimed in, in response to a question about Pakistan.” [Politico, 11/12/11]
- Romney Agreed With Perry’s Proposal To Start All Foreign Aid – Including Israel’s – At Zero.“Speaking at the Republican presidential foreign policy debate over the weekend, Texas Governor Rick Perry said he would start all foreign aid – including Israel’s – at zero. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney agreed with Perry.” [Jerusalem Post, 11/16/11]
- Romney’s Insistence That He Would Exempt Israel From His Zero Aid Proposal “Didn’t Do Much To Assuage Pro-Israel Concerns” As Pro-Israel Figures “Emphasized They Prefer To See Israel Wrapped Into An Overall Foreign Policy Package And Not Tweaked Apart.”“Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, signed on immediately. … Romney, who has made clear that he disagrees with Perry on much else, in this case said he welcomed the idea, saying ‘You start everything at zero.’ … In fact, immediately following the debate, Romney’s spokesmen said he would exempt Israel from the policy -- but that didn’t do much to assuage pro-Israel concerns. Pro-Israel figures for years have emphasized that they prefer to see Israel wrapped into an overall foreign policy package and not tweaked apart, as some Republicans have proposed.” [Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 11/15/11]
…THEN HIS CAMPAIGN ADVISORS IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO WALK HIS COMMENTS BACK
Romney Campaign Later Claimed That When Romney Said, “Start Everything At Zero,” He Meant Aid For Pakistan, Not Israel.“‘I agree with Governor Perry. Start everything at zero,’ Romney chimed in, in response to a question about Pakistan. [‘Governor Romney was talking about Pakistan when he said the foreign aid each year should start at zero,’ Romney spokesman Ryan Williams tells me, adding that Romney does not think aid to Israel should start at zero.]” [Politico, 11/12/11]
After The Debate, Romney Campaign Said Romney Would “Increase Military Aid” To Israel.“A spokeswoman for Mr. Romney said Sunday that his support for starting at zero applied to Pakistan, and that Mr. Romney would ‘increase military aid’ to Israel.” [Wall Street Journal, 11/13/11]
Romney Called For Increased Military Aid To Israel A Day After He Backed Starting Their Aid Package At Zero.“Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to boost military help to Israel, his campaign said Sunday, a day after he seemed to back starting the ally's aid package at zero. ‘Mitt Romney firmly believes that the United States must continue supporting Israel and increase military aid to our strongest friend and ally,’ spokeswoman Andrea Saul told AFP by email.” [AFP, 11/13/11]
This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. | <urn:uuid:e3c713c9-574c-480c-8a10-81296a898e7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.democrats.org/news/january-19-GOP-debate/romney_flip_flopped_on_zero_based_budgeting_for_aid_to_israel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944441 | 907 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Welcoming the world to the International Conference
The presidents of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Jakob Kellenberger and Tadateru Konoé, warmly welcomed 1,714 delegates from around the world to the 31st International Conference on Monday. Both leaders acknowledged the changing nature of humanitarian response, affirmed the value of the Fundamental Principles, and emphasized the importance of addressing the main themes of the International Conference including strengthening international humanitarian law (IHL) and disaster laws. “Declarations of intent will never be sufficient to save lives and protect human dignity,” said Kellenberger in his speech. Konoé continued in his plenary address: “No government, no matter how strong, can hope to do everything. By strengthening its National Society, a government can make use of the resources mobilized by that Society so that more can be achieved, particularly in support of marginalized groups that can be difficult to reach through official means.”
Keynotes highlight the transformative power of humanitarian action
"My name is Najmuddin Helal and I am one of thousands of Afghans who have lost a leg to a landmine." Thus began the first keynote speaker to address the 31st International Conference as he spoke of his personal journey: from young man whose injury at age 18 threatened all hope of a normal life, to his work today as head of an ICRC orthopaedic center in Kabul. The second keynote speaker, Olivier Haringanji, volunteer youth coordinator for the Burundi Red Cross, spoke of the transformative power of volunteerism. “I became a volunteer while the country experienced its most violent social and political crisis,” he said, adding that the volunteer spirit helped rebuild his National Society and his nation’s solidarity after years of civil war.
Artistic performances a highlight of the opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 31st International Conference started with a musical performance by 25 members of the Alphorn Academy of Switzerland, followed by an interpretative ballet performance of the seven Fundamental Principles by dynamic young dancers from the Rudra Béjart School. The latter included the Fundamental Principles being expressed not only through dance, but also in 14 different languages. For the first time ever, the opening ceremony was live streamed online so members of the Movement worldwide could join in the celebration.
Youth as drivers of non-violence and peace
An event yesterday encouraged participants to sign a pledge committing to the promotion of a culture of non-violence and peace through education based on skills and humanitarian values. Speaking at the workshop, René Fasel of the International Olympic Committee said: “Sport is a powerful way to disseminate values to young people.” Alongside sport, music and art were proposed as effective ways to reach youth. Charlotte Tocchio, a youth trainer with the IFRC, said that the process of making art and generating new ideas and inspiration is as valuable as the end product. Chairing the session, IFRC vice president Jaslin Salmon, of the Jamacian Red Cross, said that the energy of young people must be harnessed to create a culture of non-violence and peace.
Philip Spoerri, director of the ICRC's Law and Cooperation Department, kicked off the afternoon plenary on strengthening IHL. He outlined ICRC's report drafted in the lead up to the conference. “IHL can respond to the challenges of armed conflict and propose legal solutions that will really make a difference to victims of armed conflict," said Spoerri. In the subsequent debate, over 35 delegates from National Societies and states took the floor, most expressing support for and agreement with the ICRC study. Some delegations underlined that IHL does not lack rules, but compliance and implementation mechanisms. Others pointed to perceived gaps in the current IHL texts.
Volunteers in action
Marie Yolande Bidi and Nobuko Nitta are among 265 volunteers who have worked more than 8,500 hours to provide vital support to delegates at the 2011 statutory meetings. Marie previously worked with the Red Cross Society of Côte d'Ivoire and knows the Movement well. Her colleague Nobuko is new to the Movement, and is using her skills in English and Japanese to serve a wide range of needs among delegation members. Volunteering for her National Society, the Bahrain Red Crescent Society, Maryam Meer is promoting their work in the exhibitions section of the Humanitarian Village. “We are a small country, and poverty is not widespread, but it does exist,” Maryam explains.
Throughout the course of the statutory meetings in Geneva, our communication team has been engaging online communities via social media. One of the questions we asked young people was what they thought most contributes to a culture of violence among youth. The top response was: unemployment, lack of self-esteem and purpose, chosen by 40 per cent of respondents. Other popular responses were: drugs and alcohol, education not based on humanitarian values and racial tension and discrimination. | <urn:uuid:77122a7f-a0fc-4de4-af53-4b9910a0e716> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/meetings-and-events/international-conference1/31st-international-conference-of-red-cross-and-red-crescent/daily/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948302 | 1,036 | 1.570313 | 2 |
VKernal Capacity Analyzer gets Hyper-V support
VKernel this week released a beta version of its Capacity Analyzer for Hyper-V.
This is the company's first foray beyond VMware environments. IT managers use the tool to identify how many additional virtual machines can be run on a given virtualization host, cluster or resource pool and to show current and future bottlenecks, according to SearchServerVirtualization.com.
This is just one data point showing that Microsoft Hyper-V is gaining momentum. New data from TheInfoPro shows that 47% of VMware shops are considering alternative server virtualization products going forward.
Report: Spammers were busy in 2009
Spam is on the rise, according to a new Symantec Corp. research report, which also suggests that criminals in the past year used the weak economy to their advantage in implementing cyber attacks. The annual average spam rate was 87.7%, 6.5% higher than the previous year's average, according to MessageLabs Intelligence 2009 Security Report issued by Symantec Hosted Services.
Botnets led the surge with in 2009, and Cutwail was the worst Botnet. Cutwail issued nearly a third (29%) of all spam messages for the year and facilitated the spread of the Bredolab Trojan, one of the biggest threats of the year.
CAPTCHA (completely automated public turing test to tell computers and humans apart) tools expedited the onslaught. Cyber criminals used them to create email accounts and social networking sites to act as bases for other attacks, according to the report. And, the much anticipatedConficker/Downadup worm made its presence felt. The worm lets its creators remotely install software on infected machines.
Apple posts strong October sales
Apple led the field in computer retail sales for October, according to NPD Group Inc.
The new 21-inch iMac was the best-selling desktop for the month, according to the market research firm. The 27-inch iMac also won a spot as the third most popular desktop for October.
The MacBook Pro, listing for $1,199, was the best-selling notebook for October, with other notebooks from Apple stealing three more spots in the list of the top 10 notebooks sold.
Although NPD factored in online and retail stores, it didn't include direct sales, and an official report on this data has yet to be released.
Check out last week's IT channel news in brief. | <urn:uuid:13e2c990-89c4-40c3-9b1b-5abeb5244b43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/news/1376408/VKernel-Capacity-Analyzer-reflects-Hyper-V-demand-other-news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952133 | 506 | 1.625 | 2 |
Perhaps overwhelmed by the holiday spirit, members of a fraternity at West Virginia University chopped down a 10-foot tree from a city park to call their own, the Daily Athenaeum reports. Unfortunately, the school and city weren't too pleased, and after the tree was deemed a fire hazard and "returned," officials asked the frat for $700 to $1,400 to pay for a new tree. On top of the fine, the frat could see some of its social privileges revoked, and the individuals involved could face criminal charges. "They said they wanted a Christmas tree," said a school official. "It would probably have been less expensive for them to go to Wal-Mart." Looks as if he's right: We couldn't find a real one online, but a fake 15-foot one is around $700. Plus, it lasts forever.
In other timber-related news, Louisiana State University was tired of student complaints and reneged on its recent politically correct gesture. The tree formally and briefly known as "holiday" will now return to its original moniker: "Christmas tree." | <urn:uuid:2eaca21b-e773-4d3e-b5fd-fd99519fd737> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/paper-trail/2007/11/30/o-christmasholidaycity-park-tree | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981113 | 224 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Roman Krznaric is a cultural thinker and founding faculty member of The School of Life in London, which offers instruction and inspiration on the important questions of everyday life. He advises organisations including Oxfam and the United Nations on using empathy and conversation to create social change, and has been named by The Observer as one of Britain’s leading lifestyle philosophers.
After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, he studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD. He has taught sociology and politics at Cambridge University and City University, London, and has done human rights work in Central America with refugees and indigenous people. For several years he was Project Director at The Oxford Muse, the avant-garde foundation to stimulate courage and invention in personal, professional and cultural life. He regularly speaks at public events on topics such as empathy, the history of love, the future of work, and the art of living. Recent appearances include the Edinburgh International Festival, the Latitude Arts Festival and the London Design Festival.
His latest book, The Wonderbox: Curious Histories of How to Live, explores what we can learn from the past about better living. He is the author of a book on what sport can teach us about life, The First Beautiful Game: Stories of Obsession in Real Tennis and, with the historian Theodore Zeldin, edited Guide to an Unknown University. His next book, How to Find Fulfilling Work, is part of a new practical philosophy series edited by Alain de Botton. His blog dedicated to empathy and the art of living, Outrospection, has been featured in the media around the world.
Roman is a fanatical real tennis player, has worked as a gardener, and has a passion for furniture making. His ambition is to found the world’s first empathy museum.
Recorded at Greenbelt 2012: Galilee, 25 Aug 2012, 3.30pm
Recorded at Greenbelt 2012: Jenin, 25 Aug 2012, 6.30pm
Recorded at Greenbelt 2009: 10:30 Saturday, Hebron
Recorded at Greenbelt 2009: 19:30 Sunday, Hebron
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|<<||Acts 9|| >>|| |
|International Standard Version|| |
Saul Becomes a Believer
1Meanwhile, still spewing death threats against the Lord’s disciples, Saul went to the high priest.
2He asked him for letters to take with hima
to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.
traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.
4He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”c
said, “I’m Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
6Now get up, go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
7Meanwhile, the men who were traveling with Saule
were standing speechless, for they heard the voice but didn’t see anyone.
8When Saul got up off the ground, he couldn’t see anything, even though his eyes were open. So his companionsf
took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.
9For three days he couldn’t see, and he didn’t eat or drink anything.
10Now in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called out to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”
11The Lord told him, “Get up, go to the street called Straight, and in the home of Judas look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. At this very moment he’s praying.
12He has seen in a visiong
a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so he would see again.”
13But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard many people tell how much evil this man has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
14He is here with authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call on your name.”
15But the Lord told him, “Go, because he’s my chosen instrument to carry my name to unbelievers,h
to their kings, and to the descendants of Israel.
16since I’m going to show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
Saul’s Sight is Restored
17So Ananias left and went to that house. He laid his hands on Sauli
and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were traveling, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18All at once something like scales fell from Saul’sj
eyes, and he could see again.
He got up and was baptized,
19and after eating some food, he felt strong again. For several days he stayed with the disciples in Damascus.
20He immediately started to preach about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This is the Son of God.”
21Everyone who heard him was astonished and said, “This is the man who harassed those who were calling on Jesus’k
name in Jerusalem, isn’t it? Didn’t he come here to bring them in chains to the high priests?”
22But Saul grew more and more persuasive, and continued to confound the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this man was the Messiah.l
23After several days had gone by, the Jewish leadersm
plotted to murder Saul,n
24but their plot became known to him.o
They were even watching the gates day and night to murder him,
25but his disciples took him one night and let him down through the city wall by lowering him in a basket.
arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they all were afraid of him because they wouldn’t believe he was a disciple.
27Barnabas, however, introduced Saulq
to the apostles, telling them how on the road Saulr
had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how courageously he had spoken in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
28So he freely circulateds
among them in Jerusalem, speaking courageously in the name of the Lord.
29He kept talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were bent on murdering him.
30When the brothers found out about the plot,t
they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.
31So the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace. As it continued to be built up and to live in the fear of the Lord, it kept increasing in numbers through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.
Aeneas is Healed
32Now when Peter was going around among all of the disciples,u
he also visited the saints living in Lydda.
33There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.
34Peter told him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Messiahv
is healing you. Get up and put away your mat!” At once he got up,
35and all the people who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
Tabitha is Healed
36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha,w
which in Greek is Dorcas.x
She was known for her good actions and acts of charity that she was always doing.
37At that time, she got sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room.
38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him and begged him, “Come here quickly!”
39So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him upstairs. All the widows gathered around Peter,y
crying and showing him all the shirts and coats Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40Peter made them all go outside. After kneeling down, he prayed, turned to the body, and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41He extended his hand and helped her get up. Then he called the saints, including the widows, and gave her back to them alive.
42What happened became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
stayed in Joppa for several days with Simon, a leatherworker.
a 9:2 The Gk. lacks to take with him
b 9:3 Lit. he
c 9:5 Or Sir
d 9:5 Lit. He
e 9:7 Lit. him
f 9:8 Lit. So they
g 9:12 Other mss. lack in a vision
h 9:15 Lit. gentiles ; i.e. unbelieving non-Jews
i 9:17 Lit. on him
j 9:18 Lit. his
k 9:21 Lit. his
l 9:22 Or Christ
m 9:23 i.e. Judean leaders; lit. the Jews
n 9:23 Lit. him
o 9:24 Lit. Saul
p 9:26 Lit. he
q 9:27 Lit. him
r 9:27 Lit. he
s 9:28 Lit. he went in and out
t 9:30 Lit. about it
u 9:32 Lit. all of them
v 9:34 Or Christ
w 9:36Tabitha is Aram. for gazelle.
x 9:36Dorcas is Gk. for gazelle.
y 9:39 Lit. him
z 9:43 Lit. he
<< Acts 9 >>
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1
Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.
Online Parallel Bible | <urn:uuid:ad9569e9-dd7a-4b2f-be0d-bd01a9d7546b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biblehub.com/isv/acts/9.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982679 | 1,764 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Cucumber is by far my least favorite thing in the Ruby ecosystem, and also the worst example of cargo cult programming. Cucumber has almost no practical benefit over acceptance testing in pure Ruby with Capybara. I understand the philosophical goals behind behavior driven development, but in the real world, Cucumber is a solution looking for a problem.
The fact that Cucumber has gained the popularity it has in the Ruby community is outright baffling to me. All the reasons to use it that people give are theoretical, and I have never seen them matter or be remotely applicable in the real world. Cucumber aims to bridge the gap between software developers and non-technical stakeholders, but the reality is that product managers don't really care about Gherkin. Their time is better spent brainstorming all the various use cases for a feature and communicating this either verbally or in free form text. Reading (and especially writing) Gherkin is a waste of their time, because Gherkin is not English. It's extremely inflexible Ruby disguised as English. The more naturally it reads, the more difficult it is to translate it into reusable code via step definitions.
There are basically two extremes of Cucumber:
- Writing Gherkin describing the feature at a very high level, and reusing few of the step definitions between features.
- Reusing step definitions, resulting in a level of detail described in the Gherkin which is not useful for any of the stakeholders.
Everything in between is just a bad compromise of one or the other.
Gherkin is really just glorified comments. If you simply write free form comments above Capybara scenarios, you can convey the same high level information about what the test is doing and what the acceptance criteria are, without any of the overhead, maintenance cost, and general technical debt of Cucumber. This doesn't allow for the real red-green-refactor cycle from the outside in of the BDD philosophy, but in my experience, developers tend to avoid the test-first approach with Cucumber simply because it's so painful to use. If you're not really following BDD practices, and your non-technical stakeholders are not reading or writing Gherkin, Cucumber is wasting your developers' time and bloating your test suite.
The one advantage Cucumber offers over simply commenting Capybara scenarios is that, by tying the "English" directly to the implementation, it's impossible for the "comment" to rot. This is certainly a danger, as a misleading comment is worse than no comment at all. However, this benefit comes at an extremly heavy cost. I would argue that it should simply be the discipline of developers to make sure that any time a Capybara scenario is updated, the corresponding comment is read through and updated as necessary.
Whenever someone writes a criticism of a particular piece of software, there is always a group of people who respond by saying, "It's just a tool. If it works for you, use it. If it doesn't, don't." While I agree in theory, this is where the effect of the cargo cult becomes real and damaging. Some guy somewhere came up with this idea that seemed great in theory, and everyone jumped on the bandwagon doing it because it sounded cool and it seemed like something they should do. After a while, people choose to use it just because it became the status quo. They don't see that all the reasons a tool like Cucumber seemed like a good idea, based on some blog post they read 3 years ago, are not in tune with the real, practical needs of their project or their organization. And once that choice has been made, everyone has to live with the increasing technical debt and slowed, painful development it creates. | <urn:uuid:09a9bd88-a2cb-4240-afea-5804cfdf3b39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jimmycuadra.com/posts/please-don-t-use-cucumber | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960173 | 775 | 1.742188 | 2 |
LED lighting solutions are taking over TV studios. And the increase in popularity of ETC LED products across France can be attributed to the meeting of two men: director of photography Jacques Audrain and Jean Louis Pernette, commercial director at ETC distributor Avab.
Pernette says: “Jacques was in charge of the lighting of a documentary for the Arte TV channel. He showed a lot of interest in the LED fixtures which we were demonstrating. He could see the fixtures’ potential and saw that they had a much better output than their regular RGB counterparts.”
As a man who professes himself artistically committed to improving the lighting in TV studios, Audrain is among those who believed in LED from its early days in entertainment technology. His faith in the technology was confirmed with the launch of ETC Selador® and its seven-color mixing system.
“From an artistic point of view,” says Audrain, “the richness of the mix of seven colors frees us from gels, guaranteeing we can work at color temperatures anywhere between 2700 and 6000°K. Those lighting solutions have allowed us to have some interesting colors for shows such as La Musicale or L’album de la semaine (The Album of the Week) — on the Canal+ channel.”
“We are also able to reduce our energy requirements when filming on location — making everything quicker, easier and cheaper. On the nature documentary Thalassa, we light a night time outside broadcast site with a small team and only two five-kilowatt generators. Conventional sources would have required some 30 kilowatts of power.”
Audrain’s lighting design for Le monde d’après (The World of After), a monthly economics show, combines video mapping for visual illustrations and a subtle combination of color temperatures for atmosphere. The set is entirely lit by ETC LED sources, including Source Four LED Lustr+™ fixtures.
“The sensors of the HD cameras love the Source Four LED,” says Audrain. “The lighting also benefits from easier installation and setup, thanks to the use of the RDM protocol and DMX HF controls.”
The 26 Source Four LED Lustr+ and 24 ETC Selador Desire Lustr+™ fixtures installed on Le monde d’après were supplied by Lumex and installed by Avab.
A version of this article appeared in the French magazine Sonovision Broadcast in March 2013.
Photo credit: Digital Deluxe | <urn:uuid:358a6c8e-c2fc-4a99-9983-4ca8dcfec724> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.etcconnect.com/news.aspx?environment=entertainment&ID=20475&lang=us®ion=5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932233 | 529 | 1.523438 | 2 |
NASA's Astronaut Health Care System--
Results of an Independent Review
Thursday, September 6, 2007
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
2318 Rayburn House Office Building
On Thursday, September 6, 2007 at 10:00 a.m., the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics will hold a hearing to examine the results of two reports on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) astronaut medical and behavioral health care system. The first, the report of the NASA Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee, provided an independent assessment of NASA's medical and behavioral health care system. The second, a Johnson Space Center internal review considered opportunities for lessons learned in light of the incident involving NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. The hearing will explore the findings and recommendations of these reports and any actions NASA plans to take in response to them.
Witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing include the following:
Col. Richard E. Bachmann, Jr., Chair, NASA Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee, Commander and Dean of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine
Dr. Richard S. Williams, Chief Health and Medical Officer, NASA
Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director, Flight Crew Operations, NASA Johnson Space Center
Mr. Bryan O'Connor, Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance, NASA
Dr. Michael Griffin, Administrator, NASA
The following are some of the potential issues that might be raised at the hearing:
In the wake of the arrest of astronaut Lisa Nowak, the NASA Administrator ordered an independent external review of NASA's astronaut health care system, focused on space medicine operations at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). It did not focus on the specifics of the Lisa Nowak incident. In addition, an internal review was undertaken by JSC management to determine "whether there were any indicators which could have prompted NASA to take actions that could have averted the sequence of events." As part of the JSC review, "astronaut selection and retention procedures were reviewed to see if there were any lessons learned that could be incorporated into the improved practice of behavioral medicine."
A. Report of the NASA Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee
In carrying out the NASA Administrator's directive, Dr. Richard Williams, the NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer (CHMO), prepared the task statement for the external review committee; selected the Chairman of the committee; selected the members of the committee, based on nominations from various federal agencies of "appropriately credentialed physicians and mental health professionals, employed by the federal government or on active duty in the military services, and experienced in medical and behavioral health support to organizations and personnel engaged in critical or hazardous operations"; and appointed two NASA employees as ex-officio members of the committee, one astronaut as a consultant, and one NASA employee as executive secretary. The chairman of the committee was Col. Richard Bachmann, Commander of the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine and specialist in aerospace medicine. A list of the committee members is included as Attachment 1 to this hearing charter.
Purpose of the Assessment
As stated in the report of the external review committee, the purpose of the assessment was as follows:
"To provide rapid objective assessment, problem identification, and recommendations for action or further study of the following specific areas to the Chief Health and Medical Officer and NASA Administrator:
1. Medical evaluation for acceptance to the Astronaut Corps, to include psychological testing
2. Annual medical examination and certification of astronauts for flight duty
3. Periodic medical and psychological evaluation and testing of astronauts
4. Astronaut certification for space flight, from a medical and behavioral health perspective
5. Professional qualifications of health care providers
6. Quality/adequacy of medical practice relative to expected standards of care and
7. Administrative considerations of health services, including:
a. Provider credentials and privileging
c. Communication and reporting
d. Disposition of aeromedical concerns; and
e. Privacy considerations
8. Behavioral health considerations within the context of the NASA Personnel Reliability Program (PRP)
These criteria were provided to the committee to help focus the review, but did not constrain or limit the review. During the first committee meeting, the CHMO asked the committee to provide opinions on the following additional questions:
9. To what extent are disorders of conduct indicative of underlying mental health pathology?
10. To what extent can regular psychological testing or psychiatric evaluation predict a disorder of conduct or 'act of passion'?
11. What systemic procedures could be put in place to predict disordered conduct?"
Approach and Schedule
The review committee was selected and appointed in late February 2007. The committee held three sets of meetings: in Washington, DC on March 28th, at JSC on April 23-26th, and in San Antonio on May 30-31st. During the JSC meeting, the committee members received briefings from and had meetings with NASA personnel. Following that, the committee members split up and held private interviews with astronauts, flight surgeons, and astronaut family members. Members interviewed 8 of 21 space medicine flight surgeons [who support flight crews], all of the clinic-assigned flight surgeons [who provide clinic services for astronauts and family members] and all of the behavioral health staff. The groups also reviewed the facilities, offices, and relevant documents for those functional areas.
The NASA astronaut office informed the astronaut corps of the opportunity to speak with the committee on a voluntary basis. Fourteen currently active
astronauts (all but one had flown in space) chose to speak to the members. Five astronaut family members also volunteered to speak to committee members. After the JSC visit, the committee had follow-up conversations/e- mail exchanges with a number of the interviewees. The interviews were intended to be anonymous and confidential, and Col. Bachmann cites that as the reason the committee's report does not "name names" or provide information that could identify specific individuals. There were no prepared sets of questions. Instead, the members conducted open-ended interviews to allow interviewees to offer whatever information they chose to share with the committee members.
The committee held its third and final meeting on May 30-31, 2007 at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine to consider draft findings that had been developed by the members and to write the report. As stated in the report: "The findings and recommendations expressed in this report represent the unanimous opinion of the committee." The option of doing minority reports was made available to the committee members but none saw the need to do so. The committee submitted its draft report on June 21, 2007 to the NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer "to allow NASA functional areas an opportunity to provide comments and correct factual errors or misstatements." Col. Bachmann and the members of the committee briefed the senior NASA management (including the NASA Administrator via teleconference) on July 16, 2007. NASA Headquarters released the report to the public and held a press conference on July 27, 2007.
Major Findings of the External Review
The external review committee's report identified a number of significant issues related to NASA culture, communication, and behavioral concerns. In conversations with staff, Col. Bachmann emphasized that the issues and concerns cited in the report, which are reflected in the report's findings, were raised by the interviewees in the course of the confidential interviews. For example, the committee members did not ask the interviewees about alcohol use by astronauts--the incidents cited in the report were volunteered by interviewees during the course of the interviews as specific examples of safety concerns. According to Col. Bachmann, various concerns referenced in the report were based on information provided by interviewees who were eyewitnesses, and did not represent second- or third-hand hearsay. Moreover, the types of concerns raised by interviewees were consistent
across a large proportion of the interviewees. As noted in the committee's report: "Although they do not represent a random or exhaustive sample of the larger population of astronauts and family members, the issues raised were remarkably consistent and compelling and deserve focused attention."
The following represent some of the most notable findings in the external review report [a complete set of findings and recommendations can be found in the external review committee's report, which has been provided to subcommittee members]:
Risky Behaviors--"Many anecdotes were related that involved risky behaviors by astronauts that were well known to the other astronauts and no apparent action was taken. Peers and staff fear ostracism if they identify their own or others' problems." JSC officials described to staff several mechanisms that are in place for peers or staff to bring forward concerns about astronaut behavior, performance, or concerns about flight safety. Those mechanisms include anonymous safety reporting systems, approaching flight surgeons, the chief of the astronaut office, the crew commander, or other management. In addition, astronauts have access to the behavioral health clinic, the Employee Assistance Program, and to flight surgeons. However, Col. Bachmann indicated to staff that the external review heard instances of concerns about personal behavior that could be embarrassing and substandard performance during training and on-orbit, that
could potentially impact a mission but for which no actions were taken. He noted that human factors issues were a consistent theme of the interviews, but that his committee was not equipped to determine how widespread those issues were across NASA and that determining the extent of the problem should be an important task for agency management.
Barriers to Communication--"Problems of communication were evident among the four areas addressed: flight medicine, behavioral health, flight medicine clinic, and the Astronaut Office. This theme recurred in a variety of venues during the committee's visit to JSC, and also extended to communication between these areas at JSC and Headquarters." JSC officials told staff that JSC is preparing an anonymous survey to explore the relationship between astronauts and flight surgeons and managers; to identify whether astronauts or flight surgeons have concerns in raising flight safety or crew suitability issues or whether barriers exist to doing so; and whether there are suggestions for changes to policies and procedures. A group from JSC Human Resources, including individuals with experience in survey design, is developing the survey and will analyze the results. The Flight Crew Operations Directorate and the Space Life Sciences Directorate, among others, are providing input on the questions to be included in the anonymous survey. (Staff has assembled a non-comprehensive list of the key NASA and JSC offices, and associated office responsibilities, involved in Astronaut Health Care and Safety that is provided as Attachment 2.) The Flight Crew Operations Directorate told staff that it will hold a Town Hall meeting with astronauts to discuss the results of the survey. JSC plans to issue the survey in mid-September. The results will be summarized in a report that will be delivered to the JSC Director. While supporting the idea of an anonymous survey, Col. Bachmann told staff that he thinks that it is very important that the questions be structured to avoid being overly narrow in focus; rather, the questions need to be open-ended to encourage anonymous comment, and the questions should be comprehensive enough to cover all of the issues raised in the report. In that regard, NASA might benefit from having its proposed survey reviewed by external survey experts.
Disregard of Flight Surgeon and Crew Opinions--Several senior flight surgeons expressed their belief that their medical opinions regarding astronaut fitness for duty, flight safety and mission accomplishment were
not valued by leadership other than to validate that all (medical) systems were "go" for on-time mission completion. Instances were described where major crew medical or behavioral problems were identified to astronaut leadership and the medical advice was disregarded. This disregard was described as "demoralizing" to the point where they said they are less likely to report concerns of performance decrement. Crew members raised concerns regarding substandard astronaut task performance which were similarly disregarded. JSC medical officials indicated that professional disagreements among flight surgeons and between flight surgeons and program officials could occur and were not suppressed. They described to staff several appeals mechanisms that flight surgeons can take should they choose to seek further consideration of a final medical decision that differs from the one they put forth. One official noted that he was unaware of cases where flight surgeons felt disregarded and was not aware of any cases in which a flight surgeon had made a medical decision that had been overruled by Shuttle or ISS program management. Col. Bachmann indicated that the interviewees themselves were the ones using the word "disregarded", and that it was a theme that recurred in the interviews. Mention of "flight safety" and "mission impact concerns came directly from the interviewees. He also noted that the committee heard from individuals who chose not to take concerns to the next level of management due to the "demoralizing" effects of being disregarded.
Use of Alcohol in Preflight Period--"Interviews with both flight surgeons and astronauts identified some episodes of heavy use of alcohol by astronauts in the immediate preflight period, which has led to flight safety concerns. Alcohol is freely used in crew quarters. Two specific instances were described where astronauts had been so intoxicated prior to flight that flight surgeons and/or fellow astronauts raised concerns to local on- scene leadership regarding flight safety. However, the individuals were still permitted to fly. The medical certification of astronauts for flight duty is not structured to detect such episodes, nor is any medical surveillance program by itself likely to detect them or change the pattern of alcohol use." As noted above, Col. Bachmann stressed that in its anonymous interviews the committee members did not use a prepared set of questions and did not ask about alcohol use. Instead the instances of alcohol use were offered up by the interviewees as examples of safety concerns they had witnessed. He later elaborated in the NASA press conference that one instance cited involved a T-38 aircraft and the other involved an ISS/Soyuz
launch opportunity. Further, during the NASA press conference that accompanied the public release of the external review report, Col. Bachmann stated that "the two specific incidents of alcohol use that we put into the report were specifically chosen to illustrate a larger problem, to call attention to the larger issue which is the role of the flight surgeon in protecting both the individual's health, flight safety, and mission completion, and the fact that the flight surgeons and other astronauts who described their role in these incidences and other which we did not obtain further details on were to say that they felt concerned that their professional input seemed to be disregarded, at least at the local level, and that they were demoralized by that disregard to the point that they felt like they would be less likely to report concerns or performance decrement in the future." Col. Bachmann indicated to staff that based on the information provided to the committee in the interviews, he considered the reports of alcohol use to be more credible than NASA's characterization of them as simply "allegations". NASA Safety and Mission Assurance chief Bryan O'Connor conducted an investigation of the reported instances of alcohol use and concluded that "within the scope and limitations of this review, I was unable to verify any case where a spaceflight crewmember was impaired on launch day, or where there was a disregard by managers of a flight surgeon or co- crewmember recommendation that a crew member not fly Shuttle or Soyuz."
B. NASA Response to Recommendations of External Review
According to a NASA "Fact Sheet on the Findings of the Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee," that accompanied public release of the review committee report on July 27, 2007, NASA reported the following steps to respond to the committee's recommendations:
During the press conference held on July 27, 2007, Ms. Shana Dale, NASA Deputy Administrator, stated that:
"NASA's existing T-38 Aircraft Alcohol Use policy that has historically been applied to space flight has been explicitly extended as an interim policy to flight on any space craft. This interim policy prohibits alcohol use for 12 hours prior to flight and further states that astronauts will neither be under the influence nor the effects of alcohol at the time of launch. A comprehensive review of alcohol use policy prior to aircraft use or space flight is already underway."
In addition, on July 26, 2007, the Deputy Administrator of NASA, requested an internal review of "reported allegations of heavy use of alcohol by astronauts in the immediate pre-(space) flight period." These incidences were identified in the report of the Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee. A summary of the selected issues, findings, and recommendations of the Space Flight Safety Review is provided below. NASA has indicated to staff that additional responses to the report and a recommendations implementation plan will be forthcoming later in the year.
Space Flight Safety Review
The safety review was conducted by the Chief of the Safety and Mission Assurance, Mr. Bryan O'Connor. According to the final report, which was released to the public on August 29, 2007, the scope of the review "focuses on the space flight safety implications of alcohol use or abuse...those things that could cause impairment during launch day flight preparation." The after effects of alcohol use, such as hangover, were included in the scope of the review. "The relevant question...was, 'Did we have a situation where a
crewmember presented on launch morning in an impaired state, was observed as such by flight surgeon or another crewmember, and was then cleared to fly by operational management over the objections of the flight surgeon (or other crewmember)?' Aircraft flying operations in general were out of scope."
According to the written report, the safety review involved inspection of crew quarters facilities at JSC and the Kennedy Space Center and a review of policies and procedures before launch. Records of JSC and space shuttle program hotlines, the NASA Safety Reporting System (NSRS), and NASA's close call and mishap reporting systems for "astronaut alcohol abuse and space or aircraft flight" were also examined. The review examined this data over the past 20 years. In addition, the review encompassed voluntary interviews, held on a non-confidential basis, with astronauts, flight surgeons, research and operations support nurses, shuttle-suit technicians, close-out-crew technicians, and the mangers and staff of flight crew quarters.
Selected Findings and Recommendations
The report includes reference to the T-38 policy on alcohol use per Aircraft Operations and Training Procedures: T-38 Operating Procedures, Volume 1. JSC Aircraft Operations Division, 2005:
"5.4.3 Alcohol A crew member is not qualified for flight (takeoff) within 12 hours of consuming alcoholic beverages. NASA aircrews are expected to conduct themselves in a common sense manner. Excessive drinking even prior to 12 hours, enough to cause a hangover, is outside the spirit of the regulations. The policy is that aircrews will neither be under the influence nor the effects of alcohol at the time of takeoff."
As noted above, the NASA Deputy Administrator has stated that this policy has been expanded to include space flight. According to NASA medical personnel, the medical basis for applying the 12-hour rule to spaceflight operations has not yet been determined.
C. Johnson Space Center (JSC) Internal Review Findings
As noted earlier in this hearing charter, "In response to the actions of astronaut Lisa Nowak...NASA JSC conducted an internal review of records and of the workplace. There were two purposes for the internal review. First, NASA JSC looked to determine whether there were any indicators which could have prompted NASA to take actions that could have averted the sequence of events. In addition, astronaut selection and retention procedures were reviewed to see if there were any lessons learned that could be incorporated into the improved practice of behavioral medicine."
The assessment considered 1) existing psychological screening for admittance into the astronaut corps and the nature of any ongoing psychological evaluations during an astronaut's career, 2) any indicators, including interactions with Lisa Nowak and other astronauts or NASA employees that may have raised concerns, and 3) recommended changes to practices or procedures and lessons learned for the future.
The review included the following recommendations:
D. Activities of Other Oversight and Advisory Bodies
The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) has not issued a position on either the internal or external report.
According a letter dated August 24, 2007 sent from the NASA Inspector General to the NASA Administrator, "In September 2007, we plan to initiate a review of NASA's actions taken in response to reports of astronauts' preflight use of alcohol.... Our review will evaluate the report of the Astronaut Health Care System Review Committee and the SMA [Safety and Mission Assurance] review, including their respective objectives and methodologies and determine whether additional work by our office is warranted."
External Review Committee Members
Chair - Richard E. Bachmann, Jr., Colonel, USAF, MC, CFS, Commander, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, specialist in aerospace medicine
Timothy W. Sowin, Colonel, USAF, MC, SFS, Chief, Aviation Neuropsychiatry Branch, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, specialist in psychiatry and aerospace medicine
James P. Bagian, Colonel, USAFR. MC, SFS, Chief Patient Safety Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, specialist in aerospace medicine and former NASA astronaut-physician
Mark S. Bauer, Professor of Psychiatry, Brown University & Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center
James R. Fraser, Captain, MC, USN (ret), Deputy Federal Air Surgeon, specialist in aerospace medicine
Sandra A. Yerkes, Captain, MC, USN (ret), Director, NAVMED Medical Accessions, psychiatrist
Elizabeth K. Holmes, Captain, MSC, USN (ret), Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership, clinical psychologist
Paul M. DeLaney, Captain, JAGC, USN, Chief of Staff, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Dept of the Navy, medico-legal advisor
Ex officio members:
James M. Duncan, NASA Chief of Space Medicine Operations at JSC
Wayne R. Frazier, NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance
Ellen S. Baker, current NASA astronaut physician
John R. Allen, NASA Program Executive, Crew Health and Safety | <urn:uuid:654ccabb-4121-4d8e-bdd7-4f93aa0abcb6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=25328 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960206 | 4,535 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" is the closest example to classic adventure escapism to be found in theaters today. The beautiful imagery, story, and the structure of presentation all work together to form an experience that resembles a lucid dream.
It shouldn't be hard to imagine why the film, which was adapted by David Magee from Yann Martel's acclaimed 2001 novel of the same name, would be presented in such as fantastic way. It would be hard to imagine a better presentation of the source material. Apparently Fox thought so, too.
Various directors have been attached to the project since the book's optioning back in 2002. They settled on the unpredictable Ang Lee who has jumped genre with nearly every film release, from 2000's gorgeous martial arts film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," 2003's terrible comic book adaptation "Hulk," to 2005's at-the-time controversial "Brokeback Mountain."
This story, which was told to a writer looking for a story that could make him believe in God, follows the life of Pi Patel from his beginnings in India, which was shot on location, to his adult years.
As a boy his full name, Piscine Molitor Patel - which was given to him because of the real life swimming pool his "honorary uncle" loves most in the world - caused bullying because when said aloud it makes for obvious toilet humor. He passed this first worldly trial by shortening his name to Pi, identifying with- and became a school legend because of - the mathematical symbol that is infinite in its decimal value.
Soon Pi learns of Christianity after being dared to rush into a church and drink its holy water. He asks questions and becomes passionate and devout in a way only a curious child could be. He later finds Islam and becomes equally enamored, though he maintains his Christian faith, the Hindu faith his mother raised him with, and the secular reasoning bestowed on him by his father. His father had lost his own faith as a boy when he came to the
Life of Pi
Director: Ang Lee;
(out of five stars)
realization that Eastern religion did not save him from polio, but Western medicine did, instead.
It's the contradictions of his childhood that created a child who wants "to love God" through every viewpoint available. Defending himself against the ribbing his family gives him - which in at least one scene made the audience erupt in laughter - to the disillusionment he goes through in adolescence after learning some of the harsher life lessons, Pi seems only to grow in his beliefs.
It isn't just spirituality that prepares Pi for what comes next, but also falling in love, and extensive and good reading. The reading materials, such as Jules Verne's "10,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and various novels by Camus in the original French (he did grow up in French India, after all) in childhood, and Dostoyevsky in his teen years.
It is after his own shipwreck, en route to Canada, that the real story begins, and the greatest test of his faiths and endurance will be found. His companion is a male Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The name is an in-joke on the part of writer Yann Martel, who took the name both from a real shipwreck that had tragic outcomes for its survivors, and also from a novel by Edgar Allen Poe, 1838's "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket," that foreshadowed the actual shipwreck and featured a character of the same name. Poe's novel also influenced many of the writers Pi reads early in the film.
Tribulations on the boat with Richard Parker make for some very funny, laugh-out-loud moments, but also some set-pieces that are truly some of the most beautiful in recent film memory. It takes a powerful actor to carry the vast majority of the film on his own shoulders alone, and Lee really lucked out with finding Suraj Sharma for this first role. Rumor has it that Sharma hadn't even auditioned for the role but was picked up while accompanying his brother to the audition.
The movie truly is carried by Sharma. The film is bookended by the beginning of an interview between the writer and an older Pi (as well as Pi's backstory) and the conclusion of the interview. The bookends to the film are masterful filmmaking on their own, but it is the middle section and the meat of the story that would appear to be unfilmable: a young man stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean with a tiger. This is where Lee makes his skills known.
Except for one moment in the film, which takes place after Pi asks Richard Parker what he sees one night on the boat, the fantasy and reality of being shipwrecked with no human company is enthralling. The aforementioned moment is really the only point when Lee may have been too heavy-handed with the illusory and fantasy elements of the spiritual awakening taking place under the threat of imminent death.
To say any more may take the charm away from a first viewing, but I saw it twice and enjoyed it both times. If the audience I watched it with is any indication, this film will make you laugh and will also remind of classic adventure stories.
The film is available in both 3D and traditional presentations. 3D has always suffered from darkness issues, but it is more apparent in the delicate and precise lighting used in certain sections of this film. Still, 3D is recommended because, although it is still a beautiful experience either way, the 3D is used exceptionally well and contributes to the lucid dream quality of the story.
(Flint McColgan is a staff writer for The Minot Daily News. His movie reviews will appear periodically in Thursday's Arts &?Entertainment section.) | <urn:uuid:5cb46684-edb9-4bf5-87ce-a4bcf1742019> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/571368/Director-Lee-masterfully-illustrates-Pi-s-lucid-dream-in--Life-of-Pi-.html?nav=5001 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981784 | 1,202 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Interviewee: Jack Kershaw
Interviewer: Ben Houston
Date: June 30, 2003
H: It is June 30, 2003, and I am in the house of Mr. Jack Kershaw. Sir, thank you for
meeting with me, I appreciate your time. Can we start off with asking when and
where you were born please?
K: I was born [on] October 12, 1913, in Carthage, Missouri.
H: How did you end up coming to Nashville, then?
K: Well, my family was in Missouri only temporarily. [It is] a Tennessee family.
H: Could you describe for me the Nashville of the 1950s, given that I'm an outsider
both to Nashville and the 1950s?
K: Nashville in the 1950s was in the process really of becoming a city after having
been a wartime town. In the 1950s, this was about a five hundred acre farm
where we sit, and as you can see when you drove up, it's solidly filled with
buildings and little houses and things. That's progress, they tell me; I'm not too
sure about that. There was, I think, a beginning flow toward the attitude of the
1960s, but it'd been in the South and in the American culture since the 1920s.
You remember the Roaring 1920s, and the 1920s rolled right on into the 1930s,
except there wasn't much money to spend in the 1930s. But people still went to
restaurants with coats and ties, even up until the 1950s. Now you go into a
restaurant and it looks like a collection of ragamuffins. Air travel, at the time,
speaking of dress, it was quite expected that you wore a coat and tie to travel on
an airplane, but now blue jeans alone is quite sufficient. It's also sort of a cultural
attitude that went along with dress-style changes. Everything became more
discussible. In the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, you just didn't hardly mention rape
in polite company. But there was oncoming influence, of course, of science. You
see, science brought in so much like Freud and absolutely unmentionable
activities between people of the same sex and all that. The scientific discussions
of such was, of course, carried on by educated people who were perhaps
familiar with Freud, or probably perhaps not, but they were familiar with second-
tier writing of Freud.
H: In terms of Nashville, did you see evidence of this progress occurring in the city,
or did it still retain a more rural feel, considering that it was such an outpost for
migration from the surrounding counties?
K: I think that the presence of the university here was a part of the scene, and it
certainly encouraged people to read the latest discoveries and discuss them all
and that sort of thing. There was certainly a difference between characteristic
conversations in Nashville, as opposed to a liberal conversation that you might
have in the farming and rural areas of the country, so far as manners and
sophistication and that sort of thing are a concern. The level of sophistication
and informed conversation and all that sort of thing is vastly spread, what with
schools sprinkled all over the state and radio stations and TV stations and that
sort of thing.
H: Could you recount how you came to join the Tennessee Federation for
K: I was instrumental in founding that organization, and we considered that it was a
very important question of the day. Our position briefly was that the government
was burgeoning large in an unhealthy way, and that if compulsory segregation
was wrong, then compulsory integration certainly is wrong, because both
positions involve freedom of association. The judiciary and the country as a
whole are still struggling with that problem today. It's called affirmative-action and
that sort of thing, and it amounts really to compulsory association, according to
people who consider themselves to be wiser than thee. So the Tennessee
Federation for Constitutional Government was really defined, in a large extent,
by title. We felt that government intervention to the extent of telling people with
whom they should associate was very dangerous to social development. Of
course, simply abolishing segregation would have been understandable perhaps,
but it was apparently ineffable that we went from compulsory segregation to
H: In other words, the forced mandate of integration as opposed to just making
K: The Little Rock integration scenes were symbolic and typical. Mr. Eisenhower
sent in the troops and he in effect had the troops take a little white kid and a little
black kid and bang their heads together; integration.
H: Can you talk about who else comprised the membership in the Tennessee
Federation for Constitutional Government? Who joined with you in banding
K: I really have very poor information on numbers. How many counties are in
Tennessee? I think [there's] ninety.
H: I think it's in the nineties.
K: I'd say that fifty of them had pretty good chapters. Fifty times fifty is what?
K: [I'd say we had] easily 2,500 [members].
H: In terms of Nashville, and not necessarily in numbers, what sort of folks were
joining the TFCG?
K: It was not a collection of rednecks, by any means, which is the charge leveled at
all Southern organizations. There were school teachers, writers, lawyers,
housewives and of course. At [a] Tennessee Federation for Constitutional
Government meeting, the discussion could be very illuminating and informed.
We are supposed to govern ourselves by adherence to the Constitution, but not
one in a hundred has ever read it and knows what it says, in the ordinary
populace, I'm sure. I'm sure Tennessee Federation for Constitutional
Government members have all familiarized themselves with the Constitution and
the Declaration [of Independence].
H: So how did the TFCG go about trying to make its efforts to forestall the
integration attempts of the 1950s, particularly in Nashville?
K: It was difficult to have a policy-planned program, because it was a proposition of
putting out fires, like the situation in Clinton, Tennessee, where our governor
[Frank Clement], sort of like Mr. Eisenhower in Little Rock, sent the state guard
up to Clinton, Tennessee. [He] didn't have the courage to really be as forthright
as Eisenhower, or as boneheaded either. I remember Clinton very well. I was
scheduled to make a speech in a public square on a certain night. Well, the night
came and the governor had ordered the state guard, with tanks and tear gas and
the works, into the town. I determined to go ahead with what I was supposed to
do. I was supposed to be in the courthouse, [but] I told everybody just gather
here by the front steps, [since] they've locked the courthouse [and] locked you
out, even though you're taxpayers, and made my speech. I still have a copy of, I
think, if you'd be interested in it.
H: I would be interested in it.
K: I made another similar speech at Chattanooga, and I also have copy of that. I
ran into them recently, so you can judge from that considerably. Plus, the
Tennessee Federation was most fortunate in having as its chairman Donald
Davidson, one of the distinguished scholars and writers of our time. He was a
professor at Vanderbilt [and] he was a member of the Southern Agrarians, whom
you've heard [of], I'm sure. The Southern Agrarian people were very active in the
Tennessee Constitutional Federation also. I was going to name a couple [of
people] but I can't, and I guess it'd be better not to anyway. That's, for a college
professor, something that might be frowned upon by the [presidents] of their
schools. But you asked what other things we did. We had several distinguished
lawyers in our group, and I was not a lawyer at the time, but I organized the law
defense for the Clinton Sixteen [sixteen Clintonians charged with violating a
federal injunction for keeping the peace] charged with blowing up the school [in
Clinton]. It was a difficult case, because it was a bunch of hardly intellectuals
who didn't have a very good reason [for] doing anything. We had a team of
lawyers, several from Nashville and Memphis and Birmingham, [that helped us].
Ross Barnett, I don't know whether he was governor of Mississippi at that time or
not, but he was a lawyer and he came up here. The attorney general of
Louisiana, I can't remember his name right now, came up. We made enough of
a defense that those people were not shanghaied and they never served any
time in jail or paid any fines. They were lectured, I guess, or something else. The
legalities of the event, I don't have it at my fingertips right at the moment, but I do
remember that much.
H: So would you characterize the TFCG's efforts as more grassroots initiatives or
more politically oriented?
K: Both. I think we were certainly interested in grassroots articulation, but that's just
the beginning of politics, and without it you don't have politics. We were
interested in preserving the constitutional rights of the people, and to do that, we
expounded those rights and tried to show where any form of compulsory
association was non-desirable in a democracy.
H: What was your relationship with John Kasper?
K: John Kasper was a strange situation. I really considered seriously the possibility
that he was [a] double-agent. His ideas were, in a word, based on a dictatorial
fascist sort of approach. He may have been well intentioned personally, [but] I
don't know, [because] I really never had any personal contact with him. I did
oppose his rabble-rousing in Clinton, the very best I could. I hustled back down
here to Nashville to see my friend, the mayor Ben West, and I said, Ben, you
better contrive some way or another of keeping Kasper out of town, [because]
he's going to make you trouble. [Ben West] didn't do anything and Kasper came
in and rabble-roused. There were aspects about John Kasper that were to be
admired. He was independent in his willingness to stand up for what he thought,
but he did not have a very generous attitude in what he thought. On the other
hand, he performed a certain service by arousing the citizens of Clinton to make
a noise, and the rank-and-file is oftentimes very useful in that field. All in all, he
was brought down by justified criticism; [he catered to] an element in the South
that was capable only of violence and nothing else.
H: What about the Parent School Preference Committee? Was that allied or linked
with the TFCG?
K: It was [linked to the TFCG]. I'd totally forgotten about it until you mentioned it.
The School Preference Committee was simply concerned with the fundamental
right of the parent to select a school to which his child should go, within reason,
preferably the closest school to his home. I think that plan is in operation today
[only in theory]. I think the school bus companies run the schools. Somehow it's
considered a great blessing to ship children by bus many miles in order to have a
certain racial proportion in the school. All this [is] in the name of the theory that
there's no such thing as race, which is a little bit contradictory.
H: What about organizations such as the Tennessee Society to Maintain
Segregation? What was the relationship between groups such as that and the
K: The Tennessee Society to Maintain Segregation was, I think, an East Tennessee
phenomenon, and I don't think it amounted anything. They wanted to do what
the title said. They had an animosity towards the blacks, whereas the Tennessee
Federation for Constitutional Government had no particular animosity towards
blacks. Really, we felt that the blacks were being denied a great opportunity to
perfect their own schools and education and leadership. All that, they've now
lost. The most ironic and amusing [thing], in a bitter sort of way [is that] the first
thing that the black groups did when the University of Wisconsin integrated [was
to say], well, integration is fine, but we want our own dormitory, and they were
getting their own dormitory.
H: Were there any African-American members of the TFCG?
K: Yes, there were one or two, not many.
H: Do you recall who off-hand? I don't know if you feel comfortable giving their
K: No, I don't, because they certainly didn't play an important part, but there were
blacks who understood what we were after. You ask about how Nashville was in
the 1950s as compared to now. Nashville in the 1930s and during the war, there
were black communities, like in all Southern cities, where blacks congregated
and lived. There [was] a thriving commercial area on what's known as Granny
White Pike, going into town; it becomes 12th Avenue when it gets downtown.
There [was] also a thriving black commercial development on Charlotte Avenue
on the north side of town. Both of those [free enterprise] developments have
been obliterated with housing projects and similar things. Housing projects
specifically on Granny White, [and] university expansion and other such things
on Charlotte. But the forced integration movement denied, in practical terms, the
development of a lot of black business leadership, [which was instead]
eliminated or given no opportunity. Of course, blacks have developed a position
through schooling now based largely on merit, I hope, but they're largely limited
to a certain level of development by position in companies, and above that, not
H: Would the TFCG have supported more resources for African American schools
and education under the auspices of being separate but equal, or did you feel
that they were equal?
K: Oh no. There were black schools that were understaffed. There were positive
good black teachers, positive good white teachers also, as far as that goes, but
there was no inclination at all in the Tennessee Federation for Constitutional
Government to make their schools second-rate. We wanted to make them just
as good as they could make them, and [allow them] to have enough money to do
so. We certainly advocated black leadership in that area, as well as other places.
H: I understand that you don't want to name the names of the African American
individuals who were members of the group, but can you tell me, for example,
what occupations they were? Do you recall off-hand?
K: No, I don't.
H: Would you consider the TFCG effective in accomplishing its goals?
K: Well, we failed utterly, of course. Compulsory integration did occur; we were
opposed to that. We were effective in bringing to the forefront reasonable
conversation, civilized exchange on the subject, and perhaps prevented some
more rabid folks from stirring things up unnecessarily.
H: Why do you think the TFCG was ineffective and failed to accomplish its goals?
K: Well, because the government had successfully integrated public schools, they
had successfully violated the idea of freedom of association. They have
successfully manipulated, by zoning and assignment and busing, a population in
most schools that they consider to be sociologically beautiful. They have
deliberately put schools on border-lines between white-folk community and
black-folk community so that the school will receive influx from each direction.
This all basically and absolutely flies in the face of the idea of freedom of
association. It's very unwise [in terms of] productive development, which is
continually resisted by both groups, to some extent. There are schools that are
supposed to be integrated, but they're not [because black and white students do
not mingle within the school they have separate clubs, etc.]. I'm not too familiar
with it, but I understand [that,] in many areas of the north, there are schools that
will be solid black. The few whites that go there are lost like wood chips on dark
H: I understand that Nashville had a reputation for being somewhat inhospitable to
segregationists and the TFCG in the sense of accepting their arguments and
carrying the banner of the TFCG. Can you talk about why that was the case? Do
K: First of all, let me think about what the relationship with the press, the media,
was. The media was cooperative. The only conflict we had with the Nashville
Bannerwas that Mr. Stahlman, the owner and editor of the Banner, thought that
he was Mr. Conservative and he didn't need any help from anybody else.
H: Why did he think that?
K: I don't know, pride. He didn't like me in the columns and he was Mr.
Conservative. Let's run with that fact, folks. [Laughing.] I'm sure that there was
some over-enlightened white folks that thought maybe we were antediluvian -
yes, yes, there was that sort, but they were generally, like you, from Ohio or New
York. You weren't tagged with opprobrium for the fact that you were a member of
the Tennessee Federation.
H: I guess I assumed that because you felt that you weren't successful in carrying
out your goals, that Nashville was not as supportive as they could have been.
K: Well, that's right, eventually. It was not able to defeat Washington. If President
Washington had been here, we wouldn't have had that problem.
H: Historians have talked about how violence that occurred in Nashville, for
example, the bombing of the Hattie Cotton School, was in the end a very costly
blow to the segregationist movement. Would you agree with that?
K: Yes, it was unforeseen, unnecessary, [and] uninformed, but you can't reach out
and control the masses. The Tennessee Federation for Constitutional
Government [had] no contacts to speak of with the alumni that generated and
produced this arson and destruction on the Hattie Cotton School.
H: Is the same true of the Jewish Community Center bombing a year later?
K: What happened with the Jewish Community [Center]?
H: There was [a] dynamite explosion and threats.
K: I don't know [anything about that].
H: In 1958, there was an explosion at the Jewish Community Center in Nashville.
K: The Jewish Community Center?
H: Yes sir.
K: [That was in] 1958?
H: Yes sir.
K: Well, that would be in the realm of another ballgame, you might say. The
Federation for Constitutional Government had no animus towards the Jews
whatsoever. I don't even recall the event.
H: Okay. Do you think that members of the TFCG would have been willing to close
the public schools rather than integrate?
K: Oh yeah.
H: Why is that?
K: Because public schools are basically opposed in theory to the whole attitude of
America; it is government intervention into something which is a family matter.
We didn't have public schools noticeably until after the War Between the States.
Education was desirable so far as the government was concerned, but not its
responsibility. No state universities could amount to anything at all, I don't think,
before the War Between the States. You had private schools [at] both [the]
college/university level and [the] academy [level]. That's the way it should be
today, naturally. I know that the public-school hierarchy would shudder to hear
me say that, and they will shudder to read it if they ever do, but the best thing in
the world that could happen in education today would be to abolish all public
schools. The faculty and the administrative people there may be very capable,
but they're hamstrung [by] remote and unfeeling orders from Washington
indirectly and from the state directly. So give them...you could set up a financial
structure that allowed a faculty of, say, West End School, or any school to
borrow the money to buy the school and run it as a private enterprise. Then we
would have true education. But separation of state and church is a desirable
situation, [and] by the same token, absolutely, separation of state and education.
It's desirable because the state may not be given the authority to influence the
little hearts and minds, as the jurist said, any more than having a state church. Of
course, that's all the Constitution ever anticipated. That's what the Constitution
talks about. Of course, in those days, they were state churches. The
congregation in Virginia was a state church supported by taxes, which is not a
good thing, in my opinion. So long as the state does not operate the church by
means of tax money, then we have freedom of religion.
H: Historians who have written about the TFCG comment on the respectability of
the organization and their restraint, especially as compared to other
segregationist organizations. Would you agree with that evaluation?
K: Who says this?
H: Historians who have written about the TFCG.
K: Yeah, that's correct. The temptation in having such a group anywhere is to excite
the masses, rabble-rouse, in other words, and the Tennessee Federation for
Constitutional Government avoided that approach. We kept the discussion at an
adult level, informed adult level. Yes, I think that's a correct analysis.
H: What was the relationship of the Tennessee Federation for Constitutional
Government with the south-wide Federation for Constitutional Government?
K: I know of no south-wide Federation to amount to anything.
H: This was the group that there was a meeting in Memphis in 1956.
K: That's right. Yes, and there was a strong federation, I believe, in Louisiana. It
was part- and-parcel and guided by the same objectives. Whether they were
successful in their local activities or not, I don't know, but the Tennessee
Federation for Constitutional Government was [sympathetic with] that group. In
fact, the south-wide [Federation]'s aims was consistent with Tennessee, but
there were other groups that were sprouting up all over the South that we didn't
know anything about much.
H: Are there any examples you recall?
K: Well, the Citizens' Councils in Mississippi was certainly a Mississippi
phenomenon, and they were very active in Alabama too, but generally we were
able to cooperate with the Citizens' Councils. Citizens' Councils were very well-
administered. I suppose that feelings ran higher the further south you got, that
was an element of course, but the Citizens' Council published a paper. They
were led by a very well-informed man and the movement was quite to be
H: So why, in an attitude of cooperation with the Citizen's Councils, did you not
have direct affiliation?
K: Oh there was, there was cooperation between the [two].
H: I know, but why that instead of not just becoming a Citizen's Council in
Tennessee? I mean cooperation implies two equals cooperating as opposed to a
merger of the two.
K: Actually, that did happen. When Dr. Davidson died, or became ill to the point of
he could not be active again, the Tennessee Federation for Constitutional
Government did join and become part of the Citizen's Council, because the two
were quite compatible in structure and attitude.
H: But wouldn't the TFCG perhaps have been strengthened if they had done that
earlier? Why didn't that occur?
K: No, I don't think so. They did all they could in Tennessee. The fact that they
joined the Citizen's Council didn't alter the degree of activity.
[end Side A, Tape 1]
H: It seems to me that there were a number of different causes that sort of
coalesced under the segregationist cause. For example, religious segregation
versus states' rights segregation as versus sometimes anti-Semitic folks, and
John Birch Society types. Is that an accurate understanding of the movement?
K: Well, as we were mentioning awhile ago, the umbrella of liberal and the umbrella
of conservatives spread wide. Some conservatives under the umbrella, some
conservatives would repudiate and even look down upon, and the same situation
occurs in the liberal camp, too, I'm sure; the militant masses would not be
embraced thoroughly, I think, by the intellectuals, so you have to be careful with
that sort of tent- spreading.
H: Were there tensions among the segregationist movement because there were
such diverse viewpoints?
K: We had to temporize a little bit with some of the folks, that we're not advocating
violence and you don't have to make this big to-do and cause mayhem in the
streets. Any organization has some disciplinary problems that need to be
corrected, but that's what you would expect. Part of the reason to have an
organization is to keep the wild man from being turned loose on the streets.
H: It seems like from the readings that I've done of the Tennessee Federation for
Constitutional Government that a constant refrain was warnings against violence
and the need to maintain law and order. Was that very high on your priority list?
K: Yes, we were insistent on the right of free speech and assembly, [and] that's the
reason we continued with our meeting in Clinton, despite a very grave opposition
and physical opposition by the National Guard. But I think you'll find that the
words that I used to the populace that night were the opposite from arousing the
rabble. I could have very easily swept that group into a charge on the National
Guard, but I did not think that that was the correct thing to do.
H: Did you see a difference between the TFCG before and after it was incorporated
into the Citizens' Councils movement?
K: No, I don't think so, very little.
H: The reason why I ask is because I saw in the early newspaper counts of the
early founding of the TFCG [that] it's often expressed that they're separate from
the Citizens' Councils. That was very much stressed.
K: Well, there was certain state pride and "we were first" [attitude] and that sort of
thing, I suppose. We had great sympathy for the people in Mississippi and
worked with them most of the time, I'm sure.
H: So you don't see a difference between groups like the TFCG and the Virginia
Defenders of State Sovereignty and Individual Liberties? You don't see a
difference between them and the Citizens' Councils?
K: I don't remember much discussion by the Virginia group. We knew about it and
read their literature, but it did not have the immediacy of association that we had
with Mississippi being a border to West Tennessee. Virginia was Virginia and we
figured they could take care of Virginia; we could leave that to them. The South
has always been characterized by certain antagonisms developing between this
group and that group and that hero and that hero. I think [there'd] probably be
good grounds for saying [that folks had differing opinions], that's why we lost the
War. State's righters running around, not realizing that we had to make a joint
effort, in a nutshell, and that's a weakness in the South. It may be that a new
secession movement might be very reasonable, [in order to] save civilization, if
you're going to be launched into [becoming] a world empire, created, really, by
President Lincoln, that movement [in] that direction. We entered the War
Between the States as a constitutional democracy; we emerged from it as a
centralized power with all the trappings and pains and activities, as it turned out,
of an empire. We conquered the Philippines and hooked the Spanish and all
that. Where we had, before that, the urge of the government generally, was to
keep us out of entangling alliances, as you'll recall Washington's phrase. There's
a great lesson there, but [President] Wilson managed to get us involved in the
European conflict [as a "world power."]
H: But many people argued that, especially in terms of the Philippines and such like
that, there was benefits to spreading Western culture and Western society to
K: Well, I think the Spanish people will be quite capable of attending to that chore;
they're a very rich culture. That's a little bit uppity of us, [to] go over and correct
the Spanish. [Laughing.]
H: There was an interesting quotation from you, I think it was in the Southern
School News and I wish that I brought it with me. This might sort of build on
something that you said earlier, but it was something to the effect that you felt
segregated schools were necessary for allowing African American culture to
flourish unimpeded and separate from white Southern culture.
H: Can you elaborate on that, please?
K: Sure. As we mentioned awhile ago, compulsory association is not conducive to
development of culture. It's conducive to the destruction of the culture of the
integers that you'd forcibly compel to associate with each other. The
development of black leadership, which we've mentioned before, was parallel
and part of the course of the development of black culture. In forcing blacks to
appear at schools and educational activities, we're depriving them of the very
desirable aim of developing their culture according to black integrities and black
attitudes. Of course, the "one world" philosophy would say that that was
inevitable, but the rich European cultures that we have are characterized most
distinctly and visibly by the fact that Italian painting is one thing and Spanish
sculpture and painting is another. [The] French, German, Hungarian, Polish,
Swedish, English, [and] Scottish, are the same way. It's European, but when you
get down to specific cathedrals, [you have the] English cathedral, French
cathedral, Spanish [cathedral], and so forth. There's a certain coherence to
people, and exactly how broad that is, I don't know. There even can be multi-
peopled [groups] in a way, like the Byzantium culture. It was distinct and
characteristic, but it had certain elements that seemed to be imported, but not
really. Where Byzantium stops and Russian begins is sometimes hard to tell. So,
in the name of a people's integrity, yes, very definitely, the blacks have been
deprived of the opportunity to develop their own culture in America. By this
modern development, they were well on their way to doing it, and [they] may still
get there; I'm not saying they won't. If there could have been a parallel
development of white and black, I think the results would have been much more
desirable. There is much of the black idea of art that just does not appeal to
whites. Think of their music, think of rap artists. Of course, I know there are one
or two white rappers, but there's always some oddballs around. [Laughing.] Folk
music today is thought of apparently by a lot of people as being one folk, but it's
not, [there is] white country folk and black folk. And there's of course a lot of
difference between some to the white folk music and the other white folk music.
Tragic ballads of the Appalachians have nothing whatever in common with the
hootin' and hollerin' of some white folk music that's boisterous and loud and fast
and stompin'. Folk music of the tragic ballads is another era entirely, [and the
same folk can have different moods].
H: Talk a little bit about Nashville's reputation as a moderate city. It got a lot of
approbation for its handling of the desegregation crisis and the Nashville Plan,
the sort of gradualistic integration of the schools. Talk a little bit about that, if you
would. Would you agree with that portrayal of Nashville?
K: I don't think Nashville had any great leadership or innovation. They succumbed
to the notion recommended, and demanded, in fact, by the centralized
government. I see nothing that should make Nashville stand out. Nashville
accepted federal aid to education, which meant federal controls. I remember
very well representing a group of parents in Giles County, where they had four or
five community high schools, and obviously they were part of the community. I
went to one, I remember, and we [could have] had lunch on the gymnasium
floor. The windows were not bare, they were hung in drapes by the Parent-
Teacher Association and so forth. All that has changed. They built a big
consolidated school successfully now. In the lawsuit, I remember negotiating with
my cousin, who was a lawyer for the state, and I proposed certain changes could
be made [and] we could develop a plan. He said, Jack, we run into rules in
Washington. I realized then that Washington was telling those people in Giles
County to build a big consolidated school, which bigness [alone] is something to
make you hesitate. Bigness for the sake of integrating the black part of the
school system was not educational, it was socialism of the worst sort, "we know
more than you do," and that sort of thing. I haven't checked on the fate of that big
fine school in the center of the county, but I understand that it's not good. You
may force mixing, but proper mixing is always voluntary. I don't think Nashville
should enjoy any kudos for a far-sighted and modern development solution to
the problem. I know too much about what goes on in various high schools, and
it's not good. There's a friction. Public education in Nashville is not any better
than it is anywhere else, generally, and public education is deteriorating, as we
know, all the time. It's closely related, throughout the South, of course, to the
creatures that existed in Giles County, where education and learning was made
secondary [to forced association].
H: This is a little bit of a side-step, but I would be interested in hearing your thoughts
about your artwork and how it represents some of your feelings and how it
incorporates your mentality about such things.
K: Well, I feel that art, properly expressed, is a part of a community, in a certain
sense. Art is the result of what is around us, and what is around "us" here is not
what is around "us" in New York City or Paris. There should be such a thing as
Southern art. Maybe not squeezed down to as close a thing as Tennessee art,
but it could be. I have never been able to feel surrounded by abstractions. Art
has very little to do with geometrics, if that's what's meant by abstractions. Of
course, a painting like that [referring to an abstract piece done by Mr. Kershaw],
which doesn't refer to any familiar object at all, is like a symphony. It's movement
and conflict and power symbolized, and symbol is the key. If the painting, even if
it is strictly representational, involves a similarization of attitude, then the fact that
it is also representational is minor. The portrait of my wife, at the end of the
room, I don't know whether you can see it or not, it is a Southern painting; you
would never see that in New York. The veranda overlooking the fields and the
dogs and so forth.
H: So its those symbols that make it quintessentially Southern, those
representations that are symbolically laden?
K: Well, like that [painting of a] nude lady sitting [there]. If you examine the painting
closely, the people in the painting hanging on the wall are discussing her, and
she is languidly listening for hoofbeats on the lane, for her lover to come, I think.
Well, this gets to be the atmosphere around select Southern mansions, you see.
I'm just working on repairing a painting of a "Tennessee Road Gang," which was
still in existence in the 1930s. If you've got in the Saturday night drunk tank
[meaning, jail], regardless of whether you were colored, you got given a shovel
and you were leg-chained and carried out to a road and you dug ditches as a
gentleman with a sawed-off shotgun standing by to increase your ardor.
[Laughing.] This applied whether you were white or black. It was a forward-
looking institution, it was integrated more or less voluntarily. [Laughing.] In that
you voluntarily got drunk, in other words. After that, there was a little bit of
shoving and nudging. [Laughing.] You'd be interested in seeing that, that's a
Southern painting, "Tennessee Road Gang." Of course, the church, religion are
inextricably interwoven, even tighter than that, genetically bound, into the culture
of our society. Religious urge and the aesthetic urge are close kin.
H: I understand that one piece of artwork out, off of 1-65, [referring to Mr. Kershaw's
sculpture of Nathan Bedford Forrest visible off of Interstate 65 south of Nashville]
particularly got a lot of attention.
K: Yeah, I was accused of being a racist and other things. The liberals, like my
friend John Seigenthaler [former Nashville Tennessean editor], I'm sure he
boiled at that sculpture. Forrest is unjustly maligned. How can you make a villain
out of a man who, as a slave trader, was known for never separating family, and
his slaves were well taken care of. For one reason, if they had whip marks on
their back, they brought less money, I'm sure. His personal bodyguards during
the war were black, I know the descendent of one; his quartermaster, in effect,
[was black]; and all these teamsters were black. They were his; they were his
slaves. He freed them before the war ended, [and] all of them but one remained
with him afterthe war. Is this the villain? Is this a nigger-hater? No. He was a
great leader and he was a great leader because he did understand that these
black men were men, [and] the white men he had were men too. Of course I
calculate that about twenty percent of the Confederate army was black, in spite
of the fact they never enlisted black soldiers until the very end. They did [enlist
black soldiers] at the end. There's a very amusing scene in Richard Taylor's
accounting of the war. He tells about how he'd ordered his body-servants to stay
behind and then he found himself on the hillside exchanging fire with the
Federal. All of a sudden he heard Joe [say], "look ova thah massa, look ova
thah, that's where they are!" He said, "Joe, I told you to go back." [And Joe
responded], "No sah, I'm right up heah, you need me to help you." Of course all
those servants ate in messes, I believe about eight men to a mess. Of that eight
men, apparently there was twenty percent [that was] 1/8 [black], they would have
a man-servant, and he's the body who went out and washed up the food and
cooked it. Of course another error that many people have about the War [is that]
they pictured all Confederates as having slaves, [and] maybe twenty percent of
[the Confederates] had slaves, and a lot of the times, [it was only] one, two,
three, or four. The big slave owners were as rare as the very rich.
H: In terms of the Forrest statue, when they accused this piece of art as being racist
or accused you of being racist, how do you react to that? How does that make
K: It doesn't bother me; I'm used to stupidity. I didn't get offended. I guess I'd be a
little bit disappointed if they didn't get a little bit outrageous and call me racist.
But yes, I can tell a difference between black and white. If you are such a racist
that you don't know the difference between black and white, you're insulting your
black brother, because he's different and he's proud of it and he wants to
develop that way. Let's not reply to a racist.
H: What's your sense of the rise of Black Power in the 1960s? I get the sense that
there's some sort of similarities between Black Power wanting to maintain their
own culture and wanting to remain separate from the whiter culture, which
somewhat echoes some of what some segregationists might argue.
K: That's right. Black power, like any other power, can be a dangerous
development, but so can proletariat power. We as a humankind have not
thoroughly solved the problems of proper leaders and the rights of the masses.
Some kings have done a marvelous job and some democracies have done
miserably. It's a very large human problem that's still with us and I think it'll be
here for quite awhile. There must be some balance, some solution, but looking
out over the world, I don't see much sign of it.
H: What haven't I asked you, that perhaps I should have asked you, in terms of
your view on Nashville and race relations in the 1950s and 1960s? Do you have
any particular memories or anecdotes?
K: I think the one thing that has been forgotten generally is that, when there was
great stratifying of the races, that a really warm relationship between the races
was widely experienced in pre-integration days. I'm talking now about the 1930s.
In countless ways, one of the events in our family, and my wife's family, was an
annual trek to Aunt Susan's grave to put flowers on it. I've had blacks working for
me that are trifling as you can get. I've had blacks working for me that I'd trust
with the entire house and family. I had one named Rufus, for instance, who
always chewed tobacco. I remember wrestling with myself, if something
happened to Rufus, and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was necessary, would I?
Yes. By God, I would. So the myth of rampant hard-hearted hard cruelty that
has occurred to some extent there are always some cruel people in the world,
but fortunately they're in the minority. That warm relationship between the races
did exist in times of slavery and in times of segregation. Segregation, by the way,
was a Northern invention. Did you know that?
H: How so?
K: In the North you had sun-down towns, antebellum. In the South, you didn't have
any sun-down towns; of course, you didn't need any such things, because they
were all over the town. But, after the War, the abolitionists performed, I think,
one of the cruelest things against suffering blacks by freeing them abruptly, with
no preparation [and] no concern for their [ability or lack of ability to make
responsible decisions as well-informed workers or citizens and voters]. [Note: Mr.
Kershaw added the following anecdote as an elaboration of what he said in the
original interview: When President Lincoln was confronted with the problem, he
told a story about an old farmer who planted a field in potatoes to feed his hogs.
He planned to turn the hogs into the potato field "come frost." His neighbor said
"what's gonna happen when the ground is frozen?" The old farmer answered,
"root, hog, or die." You remember Mr. Lincoln never wanted to merely free the
slaves; he wanted to transport them either back to Africa or to South America.
His attitude toward blacks was the same as the Illinois towns that imposed sun-
down curfews for blacks.] Segregation was adopted from those Northern sun-
down towns. A concept that applied to the Southern's War-ravaged society.
So, of course, the superficial accusation is made today that post-War
segregation was a wicked and cruel thing. It was a method of getting along. It's
like the young and the old having different rules. You're supposed to be a little bit
deferential to the older man, and he's supposed to be a little smarter than you
are, even though you think you're smarter. So I think that the sort of thing you're
doing, if it results in some sort of mediation and communication between the rigid
liberal and the hide-bound conservative, then maybe you're doing good in the
world. I'll show you that Road Gang painting and I'll show you what I'm working
on right now, when you're through. I don't mean to rush you or anything.
H: Do you have any concluding thoughts or memories that you'd like to share in
K: I haven't got anything wrapped up to go.
H: As you pointed out, a lot of the people that I've interviewed have been more of
the self- proclaimed liberal school. Is there anything that I need to know to
understand the other side of the equation, especially when talking about
Nashville of the 1950s?
K: Yes, I think you have to remember that a liberal is a dedicated reformer. He is a
do-gooder, and do-gooders can be not adopted wholeheartedly. You have to be
very careful about a person who assumes that he's able to distribute "goods." He
can do it, and it's been done, but you can also develop a harmful disease of self-
righteousness, holier-than-thou, and all that sort of thing. That's the problem. To
be concerned about the welfare of very disadvantaged people is perfectly
commendable. What's not commendable about it is to imagine that you're the
only one in the world that's concerned and that yours is the only solution.
H: So how would you characterize the other side of the equation then, in such terms
that you've characterized the liberals? How would you characterize the
conservative position, especially the racial conservative?
K: Well, I think you can have the cruel man, the arrogant man, quite likely call
himself a conservative. He's not conservative, in the best sense of the word, any
more than the self-serving idiot do-gooder is generally characterized as a liberal.
Cruel individuals exist, and they can be white or they can be black. The cruel
white, even if his activity is limited to a stupid arrogance of "I know more than
anybody else," he's still considered conservative. It's the reverse of the do-
gooder. He knows more than anybody else, and often times, the master of the
plantation is a fool. If he is, that's very unfortunate. People can go off to Europe
and leave a man to be an overseer from Ohio [laughing] who had a big whip. Or
he may be very civilized. There's certainly lots of things that we don't understand
yet, and the miserable part about it is that we're sure we understand everything.
H: Well, with that thought, we'll finish. I'm sure that once I leave here, I'll think of
fifty questions that I want to ask you.
K: Well, you can come out again.
H: All right, thank you. This concludes the interview.
[End of Interview.] | <urn:uuid:4ba9c827-b727-4728-81ea-0f8f4b5079cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00093233/00001 | 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 | 0.982 | 10,443 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The story, the centerpiece of “Ferreting out bin Laden,” a book by former spy Alexander Makowski that was published in Poland in June but isn’t yet available in English, offers previously unknown details about how the United States missed warning signs of the deadliest foreign attack ever on U.S. soil. It’s told from the perspective of an allied intelligence service whose specialty is human intelligence – recruiting and running agents – not the technological monitoring that’s considered the U.S.’s strength.
“They gave us the exact location of the houses where bin Laden would be staying in Kandahar, the route he would be taking between his living quarters, his meeting place, and what kind of transportation he would be using,” Makowski told McClatchy in a recent interview, referring to the city in southern Afghanistan that was the Taliban’s seat of power. The Afghans planned to use car bombs to kill the Saudi-born leader of al Qaida.
But on Oct. 14, 1999, a CIA officer whom Makowski identified as “Jim” flew to Warsaw with a response. “I would like everyone here to be absolutely clear on one thing: We do not have a license to kill,” “Jim” told top officials at the headquarters of Polish intelligence. Makowski, at the time a businessman, said he was at the meeting.
“We have to capture bin Laden safe and sound so that he can stand trial and be sentenced legally,” Makowski quotes the officer as saying. “Any other solution is out of the question. CIA operates within the American legal order.”
According to Makowski, the intelligence proved accurate: Bin Laden arrived in Kandahar as planned and stayed in the house as had been predicted. Could the Afghans have killed him? “I have no doubt,” he said.
Bin Laden’s death in 1999 could have changed the American role in the world today, particularly if his death had demoralized al Qaida enough that it abandoned its 9/11 plans. Both the war in Afghanistan, which continues to this day, and the war in Iraq, which claimed nearly 4,500 American troops, were outgrowths of the 9/11 attacks, as was the increase in anti-Americanism in much of the Muslim world. | <urn:uuid:8a6d0142-d023-47df-b328-b3aec57e44d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jammiewf.com/2012/cia-balked-at-chance-to-kill-bin-laden-in-99-polish-ex-spy-says/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982733 | 490 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Is it normal for a 30 week old baby for not teething yet?
Rather than a doctor, take him/her to a dentist. My kids pediatric dentist will see kids as young as 1. The dentist can do a quick Xray(if necessary) to see if there's a problem with the teeth coming in. Or they can just tell you to stop worrying. :)
Whats NORMAL anyway??? Of course its ok that your baby hasn't started teething. My oldest didnt start teething until he was a 1, and then my next 2 babies started at 4 months. My oldest lost his teeth "later" then most his peers, and my middle lost her first tooth at 4 years old. Its so different and unpredictable. Bless.
I would consult a dr. Some kids don't show any evidence of teething and then a tooth shows up. My daughter was like that. I would bring it up with thr dr though. | <urn:uuid:22a229d6-5ceb-4637-b02e-13763a9aff19> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.circleofmoms.com/question/normal-30-week-old-baby-teething-yet-1700977?respond=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97936 | 197 | 1.71875 | 2 |
|This overview provides the progress and status of the ACRP Project 11-03 "Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Problems." The Transportation Research Board is the organization charged with conducting the research. Individual studies for the project are managed by Gail R. Staba, AICP, Senior Program Officer.
Airport managers, engineers, and researchers face problems for which information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem is frequently not brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem.
There is information and experience on nearly every subject of concern to airport administrators and engineers. Much of it derives from research and much from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such useful information and making it available to the entire airport community, the Airport Cooperative Research Program authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study. This study, ACRP Project 11-03, “Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices,” searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an ACRP report series, Synthesis of Airport Practice.
THE SYNTHESIS PROJECT
This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems.
To develop these syntheses in a comprehensive manner and to ensure inclusion of significant knowledge, the Transportation Research Board hires a consultant with expertise in the topic area to collect and analyze available information assembled from numerous sources, including state departments of transportation, and write a summary report. A panel of experts in the subject area is established to guide the consultant and review the synthesis report.
For each topic the project objectives are (1) to locate and assemble documented information; (2) to learn what practice has been used for solving or alleviating the problems; (3) to identify all ongoing research; (4) to learn what problems remain largely unsolved; (5) to organize, evaluate, and document the useful information that is acquired; and (6) to disseminate the synthesis information to all who might benefit from it.
Each synthesis is an immediately useful document that records practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. New knowledge can be expected to be added to that which is now at hand and eventually the synthesis may need to be updated or redone. The readers and users of the syntheses are in the best position to know when this has occurred. Whenever you believe that a synthesis should be updated, it would be appreciated if you would contact TRB and propose a synthesis update. You may do this by clicking on the "Suggest an ACRP Topic" button on the Synthesis Home Page.
Selection of Topics
ACRP Project Committee 11-03 meets each year to select topics for study using funds from the upcoming fiscal year. Current funding allows for initiation of about seven to nine syntheses per year. This number, plus some alternate topics, is selected by the committee at its annual project meeting.
The following factors are considered in the selection process for synthesis topics:
Each year many more topics are suggested for the committee's consideration than can be programmed for study in ACRP Project 11-03. Nevertheless, the continued success of this project depends on a constant supply of worthy synthesis topics. The interest of those who have recommended topics is sincerely appreciated, and they are urged to continue. Candidate topics are suggested by members of the aviation community and ACRP oversight committee and by a variety of other airport and aviation sources, including airport operators, aviators, airlines, state department of transportation, and aviation division personnel; FAA, TSA, FHWA, FTA, and TRB committees; and other practitioners and researchers. They can be submitted via the Internet using the "Suggest an ACRP Topic" button provided on the Synthesis Home page.
- The topic should address a problem that is widespread enough to generate broad interest in the synthesis.
- The topic should be timely and critical for expediting delivery, improving the quality, or lowering the cost of airport programs.
- The topic is appropriate if current practice is non-uniform or inconsistent from agency to agency, or if the validity of some practices appears to be questionable.
- The quality and quantity of useful available information should indicate a need to organize and compress that which has already been learned and written on the topic.
- The topic should not be one where ongoing research or other activities in progress might be expected to render the synthesis obsolete shortly after completion.
Conduct of the Studies
Following the ACRP Project Committee 11-03 selection of topics, studies are initiated, usually in the order of priority assigned by the committee. A panel consisting of practitioners and researchers is formed for each topic. At its first meeting, this topic panel thoroughly discusses the topic, refines the tentative scope to its final form, suggests sources of information, and identifies and discusses potential topic consultants.
Following this meeting, a consultant is hired to gather information on the topic, synthesize it, and write a report. Typically, the agreement covers a period of no more than 7-12 months. Information gathering and preparation of the first draft of the synthesis report usually takes about 5 months. This draft is reviewed by the topic panel with the consultant, often at the second panel meeting. A revised draft is then prepared by the consultant. Subsequent drafts and meetings are scheduled if needed, although this rarely occurs.
After the staff is substantially satisfied with the report, a final draft is sent to the members of ACRP Project Committee 11-03 for their approval. At the same time, members of the topic panel have their last chance to review the report, which is usually published as an ACRP Synthesis of Airport Practice and disseminated widely to practitioners and interested parties.
New ACRP Synthesis Topics
Please send comments on the TRB ACRP Synthesis website to email@example.com.
Please send comments on the TRB Synthesis website to firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:4e6b3a3b-b48c-41a5-937b-c8feaa821398> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gulliver.trb.org/SynthesisPrograms/OverviewACRP.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935336 | 1,339 | 1.835938 | 2 |
On October 5, FDA sent a warning letter to Avon Products, Inc. ("Avon") concerning the cosmetic company's online promotion of its anti-aging skin care products. The letter, which FDA posted last week, objects to Avon's marketing claims for a variety of its anti-wrinkle products. Specifically, it warns that they "appear to be intended for uses that cause these products to be drugs under section 201(g)(1)(C) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act ['FD&C Act']."
The cited statutory provision (21 U.S.C. § 321(g)(1).) defines "drug" to include "articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals." FDA asserts that Avon's marketing claims indicate that the creams and serums listed in the letter are intended to affect the structure of human skin tissue, in which case they would fall under that definition. For example, the company's website describes that the Anew Clinical Advanced Wrinkle Corrector as "formulated to boost shock-absorbing proteins to help strengthen skin's support layers," and "start rebuilding collagen in just 48 hours." While it is not out of the ordinary for anti-wrinkle products to claim to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, FDA believes that Avon's statements go too far. According to the letter, the products are "not generally recognized among qualified experts as safe and effective for the above referenced uses" and are thus new drugs, requiring marketing approval.
Congress has prohibited the introduction of new drugs into interstate commerce without filing, and subsequent approval of, a new drug application ("NDA") as stated in 21 U.S.C. § 355(a). A new drug application ("NDA") must include, among other things, "full reports of investigations which have been made to show whether or not such drug is safe for use and whether such drug is effective in use." Id. at § 355(b)(1). Other requirements address labeling information and manufacturing controls. Id. The warning letter asks Avon to review its website and product labels and requests a response within 15 days of receipt (October 20) detailing the steps the company has taken to correct the alleged violations. At least some of the accused descriptions still seem to remain on Avon's website. | <urn:uuid:622b54ec-f956-4125-a349-3345aff0d765> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fdalawyersblog.com/human-drugs/over-the-counter-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945595 | 486 | 1.570313 | 2 |
POSTED: 02:12 p.m. HST, Dec 06, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 10:31 p.m. HST, Dec 06, 2012
WASHINGTON » North Korea's plan to fire a satellite into space is really intended to show the world its capability to build missiles, a top U.S. commander said today, as Pyongyang readied the launch of its long-range rocket and the U.S. moved extra ships toward the region.
Pacific forces commander Adm. Samuel Locklear said it was unclear whether North Korea has corrected the problems of a failed launch of a similar long-range rocket in April that drew U.N. condemnation. He said such a missile capability would be destabilizing to international security.
North Korea says it has only peaceful intentions. It says the launch will take place between Dec. 10 and Dec. 22.
In Seoul, a South Korean military intelligence official said Wednesday that North Korea has mounted the first and second stages of a three-stage rocket on the Sohae launch pad on its northwest coast. South Korean officials couldn't confirm media reports that all three stages of the rocket are in place.
North Korea has a long history of developing ballistic missiles, but in four attempts since 1998 has not successfully completed the launch of a three-stage rocket. It has also conducted two nuclear tests, intensifying concern over how its rocket technology could be used in the future, particularly if it masters how to attach a nuclear warhead to a missile.
Locklear told a Pentagon news conference that North Korea wants to "demonstrate to the world that they have the capacity to be able to build missiles and have the missile technology to be able to use it in ways of their choosing down the road."
"This would be very destabilizing not only to the region, but to the international security environment," he said.
Locklear said the U.S. is moving ships to the region to have the best "situational awareness" — and to reassure allies.
Two U.S. officials said Wednesday that no more than three or four ships, with ballistic missile defense capabilities, are being repositioned to the Western Pacific. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about ship movements.
In Tokyo, Lt. Gen. Salvatore Angelella, the commander of American troops in Japan said today that the situation ahead of the planned launch is "very dangerous." He said American troops are working closely with the Japanese to protect the country's citizens and territory, but declined to give details.
The U.S., Japan and South Korea say they'll seek U.N. Security Council action if the launch goes ahead in defiance of existing resolutions. Key to the world body's endorsing any further punishments will be winning the support of China, which is North Korea's main ally and economic partner, and Russia.
The council condemned April's launch and ordered seizure of assets of three North Korean state companies linked to financing, exporting and procuring weapons and missile technology.
Associated Press writers Pauline Jelinek and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:8d4110cc-fa5c-47f6-8b4f-e00fc5d34c5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/182456691.html | 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 | 0.962317 | 658 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Senate panel passes $30.8 billion homeland security bill
The bill would provide $389 million less than the Bush administration requested, primarily because it does not include language proposed by President Bush to raise airline ticket fees -- a move that would have given the Transportation Security Administration's budget a $1.6 billion boost. The panel approved the measure, 28-0.
Senate Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., accused Bush of putting the panel in a "difficult position" by proposing a $3 airline ticket fee hike in his budget. He said authorizers -- not appropriators -- must approve such a mandate. Byrd argued that it forced the panel to cut funding for grants to firefighters and police officers, rail security and federal aviation screeners.
"That was a non-starter," echoed Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H. He added that Senate Commerce Chairman Stevens, who oversees policy mandates for the Transportation Security Administration, is adamantly against the idea. The House appropriations and authorization committees also oppose the fee hike.
Gregg said the spending bill shifts funding around from Bush's budget proposal to focus funding on two priorities: weapons of mass destruction and border security.
To pay for increases in border security initiatives, the panel cut funding for police officers, firefighters and other first responders because states and communities have not spent $7 billion from previous years, said Gregg.
The House, which recently passed its version of the Homeland Security appropriations bill, met Bush's request of $3.6 billion for first responders. The Senate bill reduced the amount to $3.5 billion.
Border security programs would receive $600 million more than Bush requested, totaling $9.8 billion in funding next year. The panel directed the department to use the funding to hire 1,000 additional border agents to reach the goal of 10,000 more agents over the next 10 years. Gregg said the department would also spend the money on expanding training facilities, adding 2,200 more detention beds for illegal immigrants and increase the number of U.S. Customs and immigration enforcement officers.
Gregg said the bill requires the department to combine strengthened manpower with cutting-edge technology along the borders. "There is no point in having people all along the border when a lot can be done with technology," he said.
The panel also snipped funding from TSA's budget to bolster border security. Overall, TSA would receive $5 billion in fiscal 2006. The bill includes $7.9 billion for the Coast Guard, $6 billion for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection division, $3.8 billion for immigration and customs enforcement, and $1.4 billion for research and development. | <urn:uuid:5b83c56d-ff7b-4770-a86a-1e9bc1273b37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.govexec.com/defense/2005/06/senate-panel-passes-308-billion-homeland-security-bill/19468/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952857 | 549 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Innocent websites were blocked and labelled phishers on Wednesday following an apparent conflict between OpenDNS and Google's Content Delivery Network (CDN). OpenDNS - a popular domain name lookup service* - sparked the outage by blocking access to googleapis.com, Google's treasure trove of useful scripts and apps for web …
"..for the uninitiated.."
"DNS, for the uninitiated, is the vital system that points browsers at the correct servers.."
For heaven's sake, this is El Reg, not AOL. How many readers don't know what DNS is?
mmm well personally
I think El Reg could have made more of a point that this will ONLY effect those who have opted to use openDNS (or whose ISP pushes them out as the default servers).
To be fair...
...only yesterday a commenter here said that although he's not in the industry and not necessarily tech-literate, he does enjoy reading many of the articles and learning.
So although he could probably go off and Google "DNS", it's a nice touch for people like him, and totally harmless for people like you and I. Well, unless you feel threatened by a red-top appearing to talk down at you, that is. ;-)
You're a blogger ... right?
That struck me as odd as well.
But given the downvotes I guess we are in a minority.
I don't think the bootnote was particularly useful to the uninitiated anyway. But that's another discussion.
Those who pick it up on Google News because they are searching to find out why their favourite website isn't working?
The arrow affected the aardvark ...
... the effect was electric. (Borrowed)
But I do agree.
Although, I find it quite annoying when sites use the Google APIs since enabling them for a page (FF+NoScript) means 3rd party sites can use them too. It's particularly annoying on pages that use JS links for no good reason.
...or Computer Weekly ;-)
All the more reason
What cupid stucking funts are downvoting this point? I'm guessing crappy web developers who should never be allowed to work in the industry.
Ah Google. I've found that the latest version of Kaspersky (2012) doesn't like Chrome so it's not just OpenDNS that seem to have taken a disliking to them at the moment.
to be fair to Kaspersky, its entirely their faulty "sandbox" security implementation, Safe Run for X, under chrome and IE.
Firefox, it does work with. so if you're using Safe Run for internet banking / outlook, switch to firefox for your security stuff.
it's only under x64. it is on their site.... so it's just something they advertise,
then don't provide. Classy, but it's SOP for a $100+ product.
i.e. details from sandboxie, who have a working x64 sandbox, http://www.sandboxie.com/index.php?ExperimentalProtection
Safe Run for Applications, the component of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012, doesn’t work with Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / 7 x64.
Safe Run for Websites, the component of Kaspersky Internet Security 2012, doesn’t work with Microsoft Windows XP x64, and works with limitations on Microsoft Windows Vista x64 and Microsoft Windows 7 x64.
"OpenDNS is a globally available free DNS service"
According to OpenDNS
Apart from the obvious cheap crack that "you get what you pay for"
Did anyone who was not using OpenDNS suffer the same trouble?
google also has public DNS
188.8.131.52 or 184.108.40.206 for those who want to use it.
But then Google will KNOW about my DNS queries?? What about my privacy!?
Working properly then....
"The fact the issue popped up suddenly on Wednesday would suggest that engineers at Google had been fiddling with SSL certificates"
I wondered why a site I use went offline for a few hours...
So OpenDNS system saw the SSL certificates as potentially dodgy and took action to protect its users from sites using SSL certificates it didn't see as authentic? I'd call that proof that it is doing what it says on the tin and its one of the reasons I use OpenDNS.
Re: what it says on the tin
Perhaps. Of course, it isn't actually the job of a DNS server to decide whether the answer to your query is safe to use. If there is a problem with the certificates on the target site, it is the client's job to decide how to handle that. But if you've punted that responsibility to OpenDNS, then they are indeed doing what you ask.
Either way, if people are now migrating to the MS alternative, it looks like Google have paid the penalty regardless of whose fault it is.
>> it isn't actually the job of a DNS server to decide whether the answer to your query is safe to use <<
But for most of openDNS's users a major reason to use the service is the <b>optional, configurable</b> nuisance filters.
99% of the use of googleapi seems to be to serve Free and OSS libraries, that could easily reside on the primary sites host, without introducing unnecessary privacy intrusion and opening the visitor to potentially dangerousthird party scripts..
i.e. did google properly bugger it's certificates or is openDNS in need of some work? If Kaspersky is having issues as well I'd be more inclined to blame google
This is why you don't load your JS libraries remotely from Google!
That it is even possible
to load scripts from other domains is a security hole the size of the Blackwall Tunnel.
Does it really make sense to download the same piece of code, time and time again, from every site you visit? If everybody loads jQuery from one or two CDNs, then the chances are it will be in the browser's cache already. (I clear my cache on exit, but it's there.)
The issue here was not having a backup for Google.
"Because someone could go wrong with the supplier" is always a downside to using someone else's service. However "because they can provide the service faster and more reliably than you can" is still a more compelling upside, along with "without charging for it".
Given how often jQuery versions update, and how many are available, this effect is somewhat negated by the user having 1.5, 1.5.1, 1.6, 1.7 etc, but not 1.7.1. Unless you want to always bind to the latest version of an available library, which is asking for trouble when it updates.
I prefer to have a version of the code available on my site where it can't go away. The extra few millis to load the page are less important to me than it always working. Plus, I often implement code to bundle JS scripts together to save on requests, so the speed saving is negligible.
another nail in the coffin
..of sites that can't work without reference to a zillion bits of other peoples code.
I use NoScript, and I'm used to having to temporarily enable the domain that I'm using. But some sites are just awful and you end up going through seemingly endless domains just to load the damned content. There are some sites where virtually everything seems to rely on a remote script to load. Madness.
NoScript temporary enable.....
On NoScript: Options>General tab, you can allow top level domain temporary permission by default. This means you can open website.com and it will temporarily allow scripts from website.com for that session. It saved a bit of wear and tear on my fingertips when I found that out.
Trouble with that is if a site you use has been hacked and issues a redirect to a dodgy site then all the dodgy site's scripts get free reign.
STUPID WEBSITE DEVELOPERS
By that token, you could say that any website that relies on CSS to look good is not a website.
Your attitude is about ten years out of date.
Besides, here we're not talking about sites which ONLY work with JS. Whether you use JS to save page loading times, or to style elements, or to provide a full app experience, you will be equally hit by this problem.
Re: STUPID WEBSITE DEVELOPERS
Correct, it's a webapp.
Happy New Year! For 2008.
Grow up you arse. Years ago people said the same about CSS and images - time and life moves on. Many, many commercial developers are driven by strict requirements and guidelines and JS is neccessary. Just because some prick like yourself decides to disable functionality does not mean that the site should still work in all its glory.
For fu**s sake...
True, from a certain point of view
"Google site blocked. Google is a fraudulent attempt to get you to provide personal information under false pretenses."
Just because we were scrabbling around fixing sites doesn't mean those sites were crippled, just that they should have been working better.
That's a rather simplistic view
The rear-seat reading lights in my car have been out for, oh, seven years or so. Since they're there, they must be there to do a job. Since they're not functioning, the car is not working as intended. I suppose I'd better attend to that before driving it again!
Much software (including most user-facing applications for general-purpose computers) these days is loaded with features that a majority of its users never use and could not care less about. Often users are happier when such "features" are not functioning, in fact. Consider Clippy, for example. Or the recent complaints on the Reg about resizing ads, and accompanying expressions of glee from users who have script- and/or ad-blocking browsers.
Many web sites use scripting to accomplish nothing useful, or provide convenience features such as client-side form pre-validation (which is often done so poorly that it's worse than omitting it would have been) or prompting (which saves, what, a few seconds at best?). Since such sites should fall back gracefully in the event of script blocking, there shouldn't be any need to "scrabble around fixing" them.
For that matter, such simple functionality shouldn't be implemented with bloated, error-ridden scripting frameworks (like jQuery) written by people who can't be bothered to read the spec and throw a hissy fit when confronted with an implementation that conforms to it rather than to their preconceived notions (Reisig).
Are there web apps which are fundamentally built on client-side code, and so have to have working scripts in order to do anything useful? Yes (for various values of "useful"). But if those sites are really important to someone, they shouldn't depend on third-party-hosted code, as other people have already pointed out; and if they do, for some reason, then they should already be prepared to handle that failure mode.
I don't use OpenDNS...
...my DNS is provided by my DSL provider, so I haven't noticed any sites falling over owing to their inability to load scripts from googleapis.com. Of course, I have NoScipt set to Block Scripts Globally, and manually allow scripts as needed to provide any important functionality; last I checked, I had sites like googleapis and googleanalytics tagged as "untrusted" in NoScript, so I don't load them anyway. | <urn:uuid:2ad3890b-82a3-4d2d-a4bd-25c165b67028> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2012/01/05/google_opendns_clash/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953694 | 2,456 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Gov. Rick Perry says nearly all American combat veterans "come home bearing scars" and the government has a role in helping them.
The Republican presidential candidate spoke Saturday night during an event for the Lone Survivor Foundation, which provides therapeutic support to wounded veterans and their families.
Perry says he believes in making government as inconsequential as possible in peoples' lives, but says "we must take care" of veterans. He says no state helps returning veterans rejoin the workforce better than Texas, where 40,000 veterans have done so this year.
Lone Survivor Founder Marcus Luttrell was the only SEAL team member to survive a June 2005 firefight with the Taliban in Afghanistan. He detailed the experience in his book, "Lone Survivor," and was awarded the Navy Cross for combat heroism.
|Tracking Rick Perry:
For the latest on Rick Perry's run for the White House, click here to see our special Tracking Rick Perry section. View videos, photos, and stories on the Texas governor's presidential run. | <urn:uuid:9f33a530-1f94-415c-9939-6b47dce417e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/Perry-Govt-Must-Help-Returning-Combat-Veterans-130112838.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962029 | 209 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Creating a fairer Britain
The Government intends to remove the Default Retirement Age, and consulted on its phasing out. In October 2010 the Commission responded to that consultation.
The Commission welcomes the decisiveness of the move to phase out the Default Retirement Age and feels six months’ minimum notification period is an appropriate length of time. A longer transitional period could result in increased uncertainty for both employers and employees.
We agree that Schedule 6 of the Age Regulations (which deals with notifications of retirement and the ‘right to request’ to work past retirement age) should be removed, as it will no longer be required. However we expressed some concern about this in that Employers need to be mindful of the ‘fair reasons for dismissal’ under Section 98 Employment Rights Act 1996, which are capability, conduct, redundancy, illegality or ‘some other substantial reason’. Employers should be reminded of the ordinary unfair dismissal rules in any guidance that is produced.
Under the Equality Act 2006, the Commission has powers to produce guidance and statutory Codes of Practice on equality enactments; in relation to the Equality Act 2010, we have used these powers to produce a Code of Practice on Employment together with non-statutory guidance. After the abolition of the default retirement age, these publications will no longer accurately reflect the law on retirement. By the time the changes to the Default Retirement Age come into force we will have guidance in place. The revised Employment Code and non-statutory guidance would provide guidance on retirement discussions and be illustrated by case examples. We believe this guidance will be sufficient to support retirement discussions between employer and employee.
The Commission’s 'Working Better' project carried out a review of employment preferences, barriers and solutions in relation to older workers (ie those over 50). The review found that the majority of workers over 50 (62 per cent of women and 59 per cent of men) want to continue working beyond state pension age. Around 60 per cent would like to continue working after state pension age, but on a part-time basis and some 40 per cent would like to stay in their current jobs, but with greater flexibility in hours or days worked.
Many older workers remain ambitious and are seeking promotion and development opportunities. More than twice as many (11 per cent) over 50s want promotion as want to downshift (4 per cent).
Instead of being unfit to work due to ageing and ill health, 62 per cent of older workers describe themselves as feeling as fit as ever, with structural and attitudinal barriers thwarting their ability to stay involved. There is significant demand for greater flexibility in hours and location of work. Sixty-eight per cent of the over 50s unemployed below state pension age and 85 per cent of people inactive and over state pension age said that greater availability of flexible and part-time work would help them to find jobs.
Poor health is one of the main causes of premature retirement. Individuals who feel unable to perform their job as well as they did when younger are significantly more likely to be planning to retire before state pension age, with possibly serious financial implications for their later years. It is significant that one-third of older workers in poor health feel unable to approach their managers to discuss difficulties and request more manageable working arrangements
A majority of 63 per cent of over 50s say the main factor that would enable them to achieve their ideal jobs would be a more open attitude to recruitment among employers: There is concern about employers’ negative attitudes - real or perceived - towards people over 50. Other recent research shows that men over 50 are at greatest risk of long-term unemployment and need swift, intensive support to avoid becoming ‘a lost generation’.
Tackling barriers to the employment of older people requires taking action on a number of fronts: improving the quality and flexibility of jobs available to older workers; occupational health; retirement and pension policies; and attitudes and assumptions about the older generation. This will entail collaboration between government, employers, trade unions, occupational health experts and others.
Many older people are keen to carry on working or to embark on new careers, but they often face obstacles caused by stereotyping, inflexibility or simple lack of imagination about how work could be organised differently.
We need to look for practical solutions, help for businesses and age-management training for managers, flexible retirement, health support for older workers, combating ageist attitudes, better training and career development for the over 50s and the promotion of incentives such as enhanced state pensions for those choosing to keep working.
Our view is that the impact on insured benefits and share schemes should not be a barrier to the removal of the default retirement age (DRA). The balance of the impact on those who have access to these schemes, needs to be weighed against the number of people who could benefit from the removal of the DRA and ideally all employees should have access to any additional financial benefits on offer from their employer.
If an employer currently offers a package of benefits to their employees, then they may need to review in more detail exactly what is being offered to whom and at what age.
The choice to work longer, one that is being actively encouraged by government, should not automatically exclude people from the additional benefits of insurance or equivalent value of protection. It is also worth mentioning that there is a well established view that most work is good for people’s health and may in fact keep them healthier for longer and not in need of the benefits on offer by the employer.
However, employers and scheme providers need clear guidance as to what is legal practice, as it is the employer, not the financial services provider, who is responsible for non-discrimination in group insurance schemes.
Insurance coverage can also impact on the suitability of jobs for individuals working longer. We wish to ensure that insurance coverage should be available for all employees and to employers wishing to purchase policies that cover all ages of employee, to ensure that lack of insurance is not a barrier to employment (such as motor insurance for older workers wishing to undertaking roles that require driving) or a means to exclude older workers from such benefits.
We are currently awaiting details of the tailored exception for the use of age in financial services, which will appear in the draft Ministerial Order due to be published this autumn. | <urn:uuid:37c444c4-ebd5-43cc-803c-9abcecbfb0dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legal-and-policy/consultation-responses/response-to-consultation-on-phasing-out-the-default-retirement-age/?colr=yellow | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964696 | 1,276 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Brennan's CIA bid chance to strike back at criticsA Senate hearing on John Brennan's nomination to head the CIA could lay bare some parts of the secret war against al-Qaida: lethal drone strikes from covert bases against even American terror suspects, harsh interrogation methods and long detention of suspects without due process.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate hearing on John Brennan's nomination to head the CIA could lay bare some parts of the secret war against al-Qaida: lethal drone strikes from covert bases against even American terror suspects, harsh interrogation methods and long detention of suspects without due process.
Some of the practices produced revulsion among some in Congress and the public, but the outcry has been muted because Brennan and others say that these harsh and secretive methods have saved American lives.
Those issues will be front and center in the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Thursday for Brennan — a chance for him to answer criticism that he backed the detention and interrogation policy while he served at the CIA under President George W. Bush, charges that stymied his first attempt to head the intelligence agency in 2008.
In answers to questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee before the hearing, Brennan said he was "aware of the program but did not play a role in its creation, execution, or oversight," and added that he "had significant concerns and personal objections" to the interrogation techniques.
He wrote that he voiced those objections to colleagues at the agency privately.
Brennan also described how individuals are targeted for drone strikes, saying whether a suspect is deemed an imminent threat — and therefore appropriate for targeting — is made "on a case-by-case basis through a coordinated interagency process" involving intelligence, military, diplomatic and other agencies.
He defended the missile strikes by Predator or Reaper drones as a more humane form of war. Aides have portrayed him as cautious in their use, restraining others at the CIA or military who would use them more often, even though as the White House's counterterror czar he has presided over an explosion of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Less than 50 strikes took place during the Bush administration while more than 360 strikes have been launched under President Barack Obama, according to the website The Long War Journal, which tracks the casualties.
Administration officials say Brennan would further limit the use of drones by the CIA and leave the majority of strikes to the military.
The CIA's drone strikes primarily focus on al-Qaida and Taliban targets in the tribal regions of Pakistan, while the military has launched strikes against al-Qaida targets in Yemen and Somalia.
The CIA also carries out strikes in Yemen from a base in Saudi Arabia, including one that killed three American citizens: Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old-son and Samir Khan. Al-Awlaki was linked to the planning and execution of several attacks targeting U.S. and Western interests, including the attempt to down a Detroit-bound airliner in 2009 and the plot to bomb cargo planes in 2010. His son was killed in a separate strike on a suspected al-Qaida den. Khan was an al-Qaida propagandist.
The location of the drone base was first disclosed by The New York Times in a story that previewed Brennan's hearing, highlighting the sensitive issues that the hearings will bring into the open. The Associated Press first reported the construction of the base in June 2011 but withheld the exact location at the request of senior administration officials. Once it was disclosed, the AP considered the agreement to be no longer in place.
Democrats in Congress have begun to express stronger opposition to the use of drones, but on Wednesday Obama found an unlikely ally in Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who expressed his "100 percent" support of the use of drones against terror suspects.
Brennan will also face questions about charges that White House officials leaked details of the administration's national security policies, including its cyberattacks against Iran's nuclear infrastructure, to burnish Obama's standing as commander in chief ahead of last year's presidential election. Brennan himself has come under fire by Republican lawmakers who believe he gave the media too many details in news conferences after the 2011 killing of al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden.
The Obama White House launched a sweeping investigation led by two Justice Department lawyers in response to congressional ire over the leaks. But White House officials have defended briefings given by Brennan as authorized and backed by the president himself, who they say has the ultimate authority to declassify information.
Brennan told the Senate committee in his written answers that he was questioned as a voluntary witness in the leak investigation. He also said that in his current role, he is "vigilant about not disclosing classified intelligence matters with unauthorized persons, including reporters and media consultants."
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who has strongly criticized the administration's release of information on its national security programs, predicted "lots of questions about leaks and detention" at the Senate hearings, but he also predicted that Brennan would ultimately be confirmed.
When Brennan joined the White House as the top counterterrorism adviser in 2009, he publicly decried the interrogation practices, saying they backfired and produced more terrorists, leading him to urge the newly elected president to stop them.
That represented an evolution from earlier statements to the media.
In a CBS News interview in 2007, Brennan acknowledged that the practices came close to torture, but he seemed to defend them. "There has been a lot of information that has come out from these interrogation procedures that the agency has, in fact, used against the real hard-core terrorists," Brennan said. "It has saved lives."
Brennan told the committee in his written responses that "a lot of information, both accurate and inaccurate, came out of interrogation sessions conducted by (the) CIA," and that he believed the techniques were legal but "counterproductive."
"These techniques would not be used again by the CIA if I were the director," he wrote.
After 25 years at the CIA, Brennan moved from his job as deputy executive CIA director in 2003 to become director of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, and then interim director of its next incarnation, the National Counterterrorism Center. When Bush's second term began, Brennan left government to run The Analysis Corp., which provides counterterror analysis to government agencies, from 2005 to 2008. After Obama's election, he returned to the government payroll, in 2009, as the White House counterterror adviser.
Brennan was nominated to replace CIA director David Petraeus, who resigned late last year, citing an extramarital affair.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has signaled she will support Brennan's nomination, but congressional staffers say both she and her Republican counterparts will ask Brennan to explain publicly if he objected to the interrogation program, and whether he believes it produced any useful intelligence.
Feinstein's committee just produced a 6,000-page classified report on the interrogation program that says it did not. Congressional aides said she would seek Brennan's support in future, if the committee votes to declassify portions of it after the White House and CIA finish reviewing the document.
Feinstein and others will also keep pressing Brennan and the White House to show them the classified legal memo that outlines specifically when drones and other lethal strikes can be employed against al-Qaida. An unclassified Justice Department White Paper was made public this week, outlining America's authority to kill suspected terrorists with drones, even U.S. citizens, if a case can be made by the CIA or military that they are linked to al-Qaida and have taken part in plots against Americans. | <urn:uuid:c5643919-d49e-4a9a-a122-c8971e2b07a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/179208/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966635 | 1,551 | 1.75 | 2 |
For Fanny Mbewe
Mchinji, Malawi - In the hours after James Mbewe was laid to rest three years ago, in an unmarked grave not far from here, his 23-year-old wife, Fanny, neither mourned him nor accepted visits from sympathizers. Instead, she hid in his sister's hut, hoping that the rest of her in-laws would not find her.
But they hunted her down, she said, and insisted that if she refused to exorcise her dead husband's spirit, she would be blamed every time a villager died.
This is for you, Fanny, and all our sisters
whose spirits are wiped away
another patriarchy where women are pawns.
From his unmarked grave, even James approves
as they drag you from your sister's Malawi hut
for the final ritual in your husband's death: forced sex
with James' cousin. This they say will save the people of your village
from insanity, disease,
How did you feel, still nursing the wounds of widowhood,
to be submitted to this savagery you must
wear like bondage?
How would you have felt if you did not agree
and your countrymen dropped like flies?
Afterward, you washed your most private places, desperate
to ward off AIDS,
hoping to save your children from becoming orphans.
Today you look at me
from a front-page photo, 26 years old now, traditional garb, arms crossed,
feet firmly planted in dirt.
Now you are news
because a virus ravages your continent
not because your slavery is accepted as custom.
What are you asking me to do?
Linda Simone's poems have appeared in Midnight Mind, Westview and Potomac Review, and in anthologies including en(compass) and Essential Love. She was former poetry editor and managing editor for Inkwell, the literary journal of Manhattanville College and now serves as faculty advisor. Moon, A Poem, her first book for children, was published in 2002. | <urn:uuid:32a672ea-12f9-4540-a018-fd09083f6f05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newversenews.blogspot.com/2005/08/cleansing-sex.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969037 | 426 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Lounge Lizards, Weak Wastrels, & Forgetters
Pity the businessman who hires someone just out of school! Most graduating seniors have lived a lush life in college, after living a lazy life in high school, and a goof-off life before that.
Graduating seniors know all about credit cards, popular culture, web surfing, internet chat, and PC politics, but next to nothing about what used to be called the work ethic. In short, they are worse than useless to the world of commerce.
What follows is a primer in 500 words, easy rules for how new workers can go from worthless to super valuable with nothing other than a change of attitude.
The current job market is tight, which makes it look very much like most job markets in human history: workers are paid in proportion to what they contribute to the overall productivity of the firm.
It doesn't seem possible, but this is the #1 fact about work that new hires do not seem to understand. So let me repeat it: People are not paid because they finished school. They are not paid because they got through the job application process. They are not paid simply because they now enjoy a new job title. They are not paid so that the firm can enjoy the privilege of their presence.
People are not paid for any of these reasons, or, at least they are not paid for any of these reasons for very long. They are paid for only one reason: to make the firm more productive than it would be in their absence.
Moreover, if workers hope to keep their position and improve it, their contribution to the productivity of the firm must exceed the resources that the firm is putting into them.
I recall once when I was working in retail at the age of 16, the manager came by and told me and another employee to straighten up the some messy products on a shelf. After the manager walked on, my coworker turned to me and said: "I don't straighten shelves for minimum wage."
A few weeks later, of course, he wasn't getting minimum wage to do anything because he was tossed out on his ear. New workers need to understand that they are mostly overpaid, even vastly overpaid. The employer is making an investment in hopes that you will become more valuable over time. The point is that you must always strive to be worth more to the firm than you are paid to be.
Beyond understanding this elementary point, there are only five simple rules for getting by in the world of work. If you adhere to them, you will be an immense success in life, now and until the day you die. If you do not, you had better hope for a job in the government, join a union, or aspire to fulfill a quota.
Here they are:
- Listen carefully to instructions and never expect to be told anything a second time.
- Do a complete job, and do it better than your supervisor expects you to do it.
- Work diligently to the point of discomfort, and without interruption or complaint.
- Complete all tasks in a timely manner, meaning as soon as possible.
- If you run out of assigned tasks, look for other jobs to do that help others and the firm.
That's it: five rules to a happy, productive job, to a happy, productive life. Do these sound absurdly commonplace? Perhaps. Why, then, are most all new workers, and many old workers, unable to understand them, or unable to follow through with them? It seems that people can pass their 22nd birthday these days without ever having encountered a setting where these things are expected of them.
There are a few more "don'ts" too. Don't get involved in office politics. Don't overstep the bounds of your authority. Don't envy the pay or working conditions of others. Don't be a smart-aleck. But these are just the finer points. The main point is to learn to be valuable to others by listening and following through. It's on this simple point where so many fail.
I know a wise man who says there are three types of losers in the world: The Lounge Lizard, the Weak Wastrel, and the Forgetter. Adhere to the five great rules of work, and you will be none of these. You will be immensely valuable to a business and therefore to the world. You will be constantly on the march toward better and better jobs. You will be happy. You will be financially successful. You will be loved, appreciated, and admired.
In any case, you won't be a loser. If you turn out to be, blame no one but yourself. | <urn:uuid:d9b3e866-a505-4e83-a7ec-e2697aaadd8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mises.org/daily/3967/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976704 | 954 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Britain on brink of 'triple dip' recession
- Published: 25/01/2013 at 04:45 PM
- Online news:
Britain's economy shrank 0.3 percent in the final quarter of 2012 and recorded zero growth for the year as a whole, official data revealed on Friday, placing the country on the brink of a "triple dip" recession.
City workers walk over London Bridge in central London on August 18, 2011. Britain's economy shrank 0.3 percent in the final quarter of 2012, a year in which it recorded zero growth, official data revealed on Friday, placing the country on the brink of yet another recession.
British finance minister George Osborne said he was "determined to confront" the economic problems facing the country, which he claimed had been hit hard by the high debt inherited by the government and owing to eurozone strains.
"After growth of 0.9 percent in third quarter, the economy contracted by 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012," the Office for National Statistics said in a statement, adding that gross domestic product growth was flat over the year.
"GDP is estimated to have been flat between 2011 and 2012," the ONS said.
Should Britain's economy shrink also in the current first quarter, then the country will enter its third recession since the 2008 global financial crisis.
"Given that a technical recession requires two consecutive quarters of falling output, this is arguably not a true 'triple-dip' yet," noted Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at the Capital Economics research group.
"But there are no hard and fast definitions, and another contraction in Q1 is quite possible anyway, especially given the snow disruption."
Britain was hammered in particular by a 1.8-percent contraction in its production and manufacturing sector.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Osborne said the latest data was "a reminder today that Britain faces a very difficult economic situation."
He added: "A reminder that last year was particularly difficult, that we face problems at home because of the debts built up over many years and problems abroad with the eurozone, where we export most of our products, in recession.
"Now, we can either run away from those problems or we can confront them and I am determined to confront them so that we can go on creating jobs for the people of this country," Osborne said in a statement.
Britain is not a member of the eurozone but has been affected by the neighbouring bloc's ongoing financial crisis.
Activity has been hit hard also by deficit-slashing austerity measures from the nation's Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.
In recent weeks, major British retailers have either been forced to close completely or seek outside help to remain operational. DVD rental chain Blockbuster UK and music retailer HMV became the latest casualties last week, entering administration in a bid to stay alive.
Camera chain Jessops shut in early January after electrical firm Comet closed its 235 stores just before Christmas.
The IMF's chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, had urged Britain on Thursday to lessen the pace of its austerity programme because of the risk that it could fall back into recession this year.
Blanchard said Britain's annual budget statement due in March would be a good time for finance minister George Osborne to "take stock" of his programme of deep spending cuts and tax hikes.
As Britain suffers, Europe's top economy Germany appears to have put the worst of the region's debt crisis behind it, separate data showed on Friday, with business confidence rising to its highest level in seven months.
The German data, coupled with the Britain's GDP figures, pushed sterling to a 13-month low point against the European single currency in Friday trading.
"The silver lining for the UK's production industries could be the weak pound, which nose-dived after the GDP release, which may benefit UK exports in the coming months," said analyst Kathleen Brooks at trading group Forex.com.
Britain's economy contracted in the fourth quarter after expanding by 0.9 percent in the third quarter of last year, when the country also exited a double-dip recession.
However the third-quarter growth was boosted by one-off factors, including the London 2012 Olympic Games and rebounding activity after an extra public holiday for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
Britain sank into the first phase of a double-dip recession in 2008 amid the devastating global financial crisis that sparked a number of vast banking bailouts.
The economy rebounded in late 2009, but struggled before falling into a second downturn in late 2011, which lasted for three quarters as the eurozone crisis loomed large.
About the author
- Writer: AFP
Position: News agency | <urn:uuid:191f375b-c8e3-4ceb-a68f-b66b21248729> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/332633/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958662 | 964 | 1.65625 | 2 |
BEIRUT — Lebanon agreed to allow U.N. peacekeepers to deploy along its border with Israel this week, the United Nations said Monday, after the last of Israeli encroachments across the frontier ended.
Two months after Israel ended its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan informed the Security Council late Monday that the long-sought U.N. peacekeeper deployment would take place Wednesday.
He said the deployment by the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, would be "immediately followed" by that of Lebanese government units.
In his letter, Annan said all Israeli violations of the frontier had been removed and that Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Salim Hoss had agreed Monday to full U.N. deployment to the border.
Beirut had refused to allow the U.N. deployment or to move its own forces into the border region, because Israeli army posts, patrols and a border fence still encroached in places across the border drawn by the United Nations at the time of Israel's withdrawal.
Ahead of Annan's announcement, Lebanese and U.N. officers flew by helicopter along the border in a final check to verify that the Israeli violations had ended. The two sides have worked for weeks surveying on the border to resolve claims of violations.
The final Israeli border violation was rectified as Terje Roed-Larsen, Annan's special Middle East envoy, entered a meeting with Lahoud.
Lebanese and U.N. officials were to meet later to work out details of the UNIFIL deployment.
About 5,000 peacekeepers from 11 countries are already deployed along the border in southern Lebanon.
U.N. peacekeepers have been there since March 1978, when Israel first invaded Lebanon, and more were expected to arrive. Israel held the southern border zone, it said, to prevent cross-border attacks by anti-Israeli guerrillas. | <urn:uuid:a2c91a5b-d477-4eda-8b4e-42a0f31c7ba8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/2000/jul/25/news/mn-58538 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970139 | 415 | 1.734375 | 2 |
|<< Jeremiah 11 >>|
King James 2000 Bible
The Broken Covenant
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2Hear you the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
3And say you unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeys not the words of this covenant,
4Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall you be my people, and I will be your God:
5That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.
6Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear you the words of this covenant, and do them.
7For I earnestly warned your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and warning, saying, Obey my voice.
8Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked everyone in the imagination of his evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.
9And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
10They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
11Therefore thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.
12Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.
13For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have you set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.
14Therefore pray not you for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
15What has my beloved to do in my house, seeing she has worked lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from you? when you do evil, then you rejoice.
16The LORD called your name, A green olive tree, fair, and with good fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he has kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
17For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
A Plot Against Jeremiah
18And the LORD has given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then you showed me their doings.
19But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised plots against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
20But, O LORD of hosts, who judges righteously, who tests the mind and the heart, let me see your vengeance on them: for unto you have I revealed my cause.
21Therefore thus says the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek your life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that you die not by our hand:
22Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:
23And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their judgment. | <urn:uuid:c4c7ea87-9107-4533-a4dc-c30755bfad83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biblehub.com/kj2000/jeremiah/11.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965619 | 950 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Compliments are one of the nicest things anyone can do for another person. The business world is no exception. When happy customers share compliments about the service or products they are impressed with, that is one of the best advertising method around. Word of mouth gets more attention and positive consideration than any other advertising gimmick out there. Ad gimmicks and television spots only go so far, customers want real feedback. Compliments given to company representatives can be used as testimonials on the company website, just ask the customer if they mind being quoted and there you go.
Companies can capitalize on the positive remarks, testimonials and compliments that are made about their services and products. They can ask customers to post those comments on review websites or for permission to post the comments on the company’s website as positive testimonials. Compliments show that customers are pleased and other people see that satisfaction and will remember it next time they are in the market for a product or service that company can provide. Customers or potential business connections will remember the compliments in the future when their need for certain things comes up. That reference is the best advertising yet.
Compliments are a nice way to build relationships in many ways. The person or company being complimented is pleased, of course. The person giving the compliment is obviously pleased with the company and the product or service they are referring to. | <urn:uuid:755eddbf-fac2-422e-885d-efa254876020> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goodpickle.com/blog/index/2011-09/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960835 | 278 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Ali Abdullah Saleh, president of Yemen, has agreed to sign a Gulf peace deal calling for a transfer of power, but only if the United States, Europe and Gulf Arab states gave him unspecified guarantees.
"Now that the president has returned, they say there is no need for the vice president to sign. Fine, I am ready to sign," Saleh said in a broadcasted meeting with party leaders in the capital Sanaa on Wednesday.
"But provide guarantees to implement this initiative. We want Gulf guarantees, first, second, European guarantees and third American guarantees," he added.
Saleh's comments came after the five permanent members of the UN Security Council circulated a draft resolution to the full 15-nation body urging the swift signing and implementation of an agreement "on the basis of" the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) initiative.
Under the plan, Saleh would transfer power to his deputy until elections could be held and be immune from prosecution.
Despite promises to sign the initiative, Saleh has backed out three times - saying that he will only hand over power to "safe hands".
Violence in Yemen, where thousands have been demonstrating for months demanding that the president end his 33 years in power, has spiked since he returned from Saudi Arabia in September - where he received treatment for injuries sustained in an assassination attempt.
Questions of accountability
Western Security Council diplomats denied that the draft resolution was an endorsement of the GCC initiative, although one envoy referred to the deal as "the only game in town".
The draft resolution, obtained by Reuters news agency, would have the Security Council say that it "stresses that all those responsible for violence, human rights violations and abuses should be held accountable". It did not give any details on how accountability would be achieved.
Council diplomats said privately that they hoped the resolution would be voted on and approved next week.
Calling President Saleh a "war criminal", Yemeni Nobel peace laureate Tawakul Karman made an impassioned plea to the UN on Tuesday to reject the initiative because it would grant Saleh immunity,
She said that she plans to emphasize that point in a meeting with Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general, later on Wednesday.
Ban's spokesman said on Tuesday that there should be "no impunity" for rights violations in Yemen.
Referring to the dismantling of now-deceased Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's Baath party after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Saleh said the world has been pushing him to sign the GCC initiative without any assurances on the fate of members of his administration.
"They say sign without any conditions and then we will look into the mechanism of the timing," Saleh said. "First, you must show your goodwill, and then we are willing to sign the initiative," he added.
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Other articles in Middle East
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Clashes as Bahrain gears up for Grand Prix 19 April 2013
Brahimi gives grim report on Syria stalemate 19 April 2013
Concrete action call ahead of Syria meeting 19 April 2013
Dozens killed in Baghdad cafe explosion 18 April 2013
UN aid chief calls for cross-border Syria aid 18 April 2013
|Timothy V. Gatto| | <urn:uuid:ebe0ac38-dfef-4b17-a7f9-0662859fca8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mwcnews.net/news/middle-east/14251-yemen-president.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952961 | 721 | 1.773438 | 2 |
According to the Guardian UK “Israel held on to three Lebanese detainees as bargaining chips and to keep the battle front with Hizbullah open.”
This, along with the continued occupation of parts of Southern Lebanon, did not sit well with the militant group as FOX news reported:
At a mass rally in Beirut that Hezbollah staged to welcome the freed Arabs, the group's leader warned it would kidnap more Israelis to use as bargaining chips if necessary to secure the release of Lebanese prisoners.There are still some interesting controversies about the July 12 incident that have not been investigated. Hezbollah and Lebanese policies contend that Israeli soldiers crossed over to Lebanese territory, which sparked the battle. Asia Times noted this a few days after the incident:
To them, it is legitimate self-defense. They back this argument by saying that Israel still controls the Sheba Farms, which are part of Lebanon, and still has Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails. Also, they add that the Israeli tank destroyed by Hezbollah, and the soldiers captured and killed on July 12, had trespassed into Lebanon's side of the border with Israel.However, the above Guardian article also noted that Hezbollah’s leader declared they had planned for five months to capture soldiers for their cause.
To make things more interesting, Farid Abboud, the Ambassador for Lebanon, told Jim Lehrer:
The ambassador was later “recalled to Beirut” for his comment.
We did not declare any war. It was declared on us when our country was occupied by the Israelis, when prisoners were taken from Lebanon into Israel, and when Palestinian refugees were pushed inside Lebanon.
We did not occupy Israel; we did not declare war; we didn't do anything. We don't want any escalations.
At this juncture, if there is any solution to be found, it should be around a negotiating table. And there should be negotiations to the withdrawal of the Israelis from the Lebanese-occupied territories and to the release of Lebanese prisoners. That's the only solution that will, you know, be feasible.
I'm not sure where the location of the attack took place. I understand that there was another battle, also, where during which the Israelis crossed Lebanese soil and that the casualties that fell then were inside Lebanon territory.
But that's not very relevant. The issue is now that there are prisoners of Lebanon, detained by Israel, and there are Israeli prisoners in Lebanon, and there should be an exchange of prisoners.
We do not want any escalation, and I don't think we have ever attacked Israel. I mean, Israel has always occupied our territory, and we have always defended ourselves. Our position has always been very reactive, defensive.
One thing is sure. Israel has no moral or legal ground to stand on. They continue to occupy parts of Lebanon in defiance of UNSC resolution 509, which clearly stated that the council:
Demands that Israel withdraw all its military forces forthwith and unconditionally to the internationally recognized boundaries of Lebanon.So long as Israel keeps Lebanese prisoners as “bargaining chips” and continues to violate international law and Lebanese sovcreignty, we cannot expect a “feasible” solution.
I happen to strongly agree with Abboud, the two states should return to a negotiations table (along with other regional states since this conflict is not just about these two states, but more to do with Israel’s actions and policies in the region as a whole), release all their prisoners to each other and Israel should end its occupation of Southern Lebanon (and Palestine) for the assurance of an end to hostilities towards Israel.
But of course, such an idea has been offered numerous times in recent decades and Israel rejects.
So what do we want: a continued escalation of violence where militants fight to do what citizens of the “free societies” - referring to US and Israel - refuse to do or will we take non-violent - and preferably legal - measures and demand an end to injustices and a “feasible” solution to materialize into reality?
I opt for the later.
What about You? | <urn:uuid:41822297-6c3c-4b1c-9c39-378156b898f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.com/2006/07/israel-lebanon-and-middle-east-peace.html | 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 | 0.973045 | 847 | 1.523438 | 2 |
In this economy in which large companies are growing at a slower pace than in the past and given the highly transactional marketplace, workers are changing jobs more frequently either by choice or by necessity. People who previously have targeted only large corporations are looking elsewhere, often to smaller companies. This job climate makes networking even more important. Now, more than ever, it is a necessity, not an option.
But because time is truly a precious commodity for many professional women, networking, unfortunately, has often been put on the back burner. The busier the woman, the more networking has lagged behind in priorities. Often it has been done only sporadically for a pointed purpose. Or it has been done in an ad hoc way when convenient. In both cases, women have missed tremendous opportunities to grow their careers exponentially. Professional women can no longer afford to neglect this critical, strategic career builder.
There are many preconceived notions about networking, including the "right reasons" to network. The truth is everyone can (and should) network, and each will have her own legitimate reasons for doing so. Those who truly excel at networking, and therefore benefit the most, understand that networking is a way of life. Others use networking as a sporadic strategy that is only followed when you have a specific or urgent need.
Think of it like dieting; people usually begin diets when they want to lose weight – perhaps for a special occasion like a wedding or reunion or because of a dangerous health issue. While they might succeed with the diet initially, the results are usually only temporary. When the diet ends, the weight comes back. If, however, someone who wants to lose weight commits to making healthy eating and exercise a lifestyle, the results are far more likely to last.
By the same token, a professional woman who only networks when she needs to get new clients, find a new job or make new friends will not enjoy long-term success. Only by taking the time to grow those relationships, build a solid reputation and help others as a part of her lifestyle will she be effective at networking.
For professional women, there is no easy answer to the challenge of finding the time to network. The best place to start may be by making sure you have the right mindset.
- A verb. It is active, ongoing pursuit that requires a commitment.
- A process. You will not necessarily see results immediately; it will take time and consistency for you to achieve your goals.
- A two-way street. It is a give-and-take relationship and you must be willing to help people as much (if not more) than they help you.
- An opportunity to change your career or change your life.
- A lot of work and also a lot of fun.
Network is NOT:
- A noun. While it is valuable to have database of contacts, it is what you do with those contacts that really counts.
- An occasional activity. It must be a part of your lifestyle to be truly effective.
- Cold calling or sales. It is about real relationships, not meeting prospects.
- Schmoozing or working a room. While you can utilize events for excellent networking opportunities, this is just one small piece of the puzzle.
- Rocket science. Anyone in any profession or stage of life can improve her ability to build strong relationships through networking.
Once you have a full understanding of what networking really is, you can better develop a strategy for making it an attainable, effective and enjoyable part of your professional life.
Written originally for w2wlink.com by Marny Lifshen. Contact Marny at www.marnylifshen.com.
is an independent marketing communications and PR consultant, as well as a speaker and author. She provides comprehensive strategy, management, implementation and evaluation of marketing communications and public relations initiatives to wide variety of clients. Marny is the author of Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women, the business category winner for the 2009 Eric Hoffer Awards for Independent Books, released by New Year Publishing in August of 2008. An experienced speaker, she has been speaking specifically to women's organizations for more than ten years, including Women in Technology International, Women in Communications and the Young Women's Alliance. Marny can be reached at www.marnylifshen.com. | <urn:uuid:82fa75cf-e264-40e4-b26c-6c860a0f5fe7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.w2wlink.com/Articles/Networking-Life-artid203.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962825 | 891 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Anyone questioning the idea that brutality toward women is a cultural universal might look no further than Ohio. Echoing the protests sweeping across India in recent weeks following the rape and murder of a 23-year-old New Delhi student, the tornado of outrage in Steubenville, Ohio, over an alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl by two high school football players last August has swept through social media, scattering rage and snap judgments like debris over an episode of enormous gravity that now may never be fairly resolved in a court of law.
The alleged rape in Steubenville came to widespread attention through Twitter accounts and cell-phone photos publicized by the hacker group Anonymous. And while the case elicits an understandable mix of revulsion and anger, the resulting media blitzkrieg is problematic, and not just because it represents a rush to judgement. Above all, our criminal-justice system is grounded in the presumption of innocence and the guarantee of an impartial trial. This is good for defendants — and also for victims.
Our legal history is full of defendants tried in the court of public opinion and later found to be innocent. Cases such as the Central Park Five, a group of teenagers excoriated by the New York City press for a brutal gang rape in the 1980s and wrongly convicted, and the 2006 instance of three Duke University lacrosse players being falsely accused of the rape of a stripper suggest that media trial by fire can happen to people across the socioeconomic spectrum.
But we need to worry about more than just the falsely accused. An equally important reason for caution is the potential harm to the victim from a public rush to judgment. Where victims’ rights are concerned, it turns out that often the best offense is a good defense. In Delhi, the alleged rapists were interrogated at length by police, without any legal representation. Following the regional bar association’s public refusal last week to represent the defendants, a melee broke out in court: one lawyer challenged his colleagues not to defend “barbarians,” and a group of female lawyers questioned the accused’s right to legal counsel. In Steubenville, lawyers for the accused are considering asking that the trial be moved, because not only have the defendants received threats, but so have the defense counsel and potential witnesses.
These kinds of emotional responses erode the transparency so essential to the pursuit of justice. Even worse, they raise the chances that a guilty defendant will one day go free on appeal on the grounds of an unfair trial. And when this sort of judicial malfeasance occurs, we subtly (but inevitably) begin to shift the focus of our concern from the victim to the perpetrator, imagining other what-if scenarios in which an innocent person might be accused. It lets us off the hook, and where sex crimes against women are involved, the underlying cultural attitudes that led to the real (or sometimes only perceived) wrongdoing in the first place — attitudes such as the hero worship of high school and college athletes in the U.S. and the widespread contempt for female children in India — continue unchallenged. This can’t possibly help anyone.
We don’t know what really happened in Ohio. Or even in India, for that matter, though we may think we do. And that’s the point. In the best of circumstances, righteous anger and social media can be galvanizing forces for change, but they can combine in a toxic brew that undermines justice for victims and defendants alike. Our episodic spasms of outrage need to be coupled with humility about the limits of our knowledge and a respect for the legal process we claim to revere.
Vigilante justice — by violent mob or Twitter feed — is no justice at all. Pictures tell a thousand words, but in the age of social media, they may sometimes tell the wrong story. | <urn:uuid:dc7f10c9-640b-4ae3-bacf-4c4c6c7e966e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ideas.time.com/2013/01/08/viewpoint-dont-rush-to-judge-on-steubenville/?iid=ent-main-mostpop2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949656 | 779 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Davis Station is located not all that far (in Antarctic terms) from some other international stations. Nearby there is Bharati - the recently completed Indian Antarctic station, Progress - the Russian station and Zhongshan - the Chinese station.
Part of a station leader's responsibilities is to welcome international visitors to Davis and in-turn also visit the other stations and make introductions for the year ahead. There is a true comraderie between stations in the Antarctic and at times the stations rely on each other for assistance.
Having international visitors on station is very enjoyable and it is often a time to see old friends again. On a recent visit by the Chinese to Davis, the station leader was again able to meet up with a Chinese friend he had first meet in 2009 when he visited Zhongshan. The two have been in regular contact since and in fact recently also met in Melbourne.
Davis has an official post office and our visitors normally can’t wait to attend there to send mail or, most importantly, purchase first release Australian Antarctic stamps although the mail doesn’t get sent until the next ship which could be as long as eight months away. | <urn:uuid:4d93132e-36d4-4b07-8d2f-1d4de8ba6a17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis/2013/this-week-at-davis-18-january-2013 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974814 | 236 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Mark Twain rightly stated, “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you’re misinformed.” This goes hand in glove with a recent Gallup poll, which revealed that only 21 percent of Americans have confidence in television News. Rightly so. Why? Most people don’t buy the lies the media pushes on them.
Richard Cohen, senior producer for CBS, said, “We are going to impose our agenda on the coverage by dealing with issues and subjects that we choose to deal with.”
And that is exactly what media propagandists have fed their listeners and viewers for decades in this country.
For example: Recently it was reported that the New York Times put out a shocking article in which a NYT reporter admitted that almost every major news outlet in America allows the government and Obama/Romney campaign officials to censor their stories. Reporters have agreed to submit their quotes to the campaign office for “quote approval,” most of the time being denied, stating, “No, Barack Obama does not approve this message.”
This is exactly what Benito Mussolini and other dictators have done with the press that fell to their control. Reporters who wrote to Mussolini’s disliking would hear from him with threatening rebukes.
Since the mainstream media likes to tailor-fit their stories in alignment with political and social agendas, it is time to pull back the curtain on those who are bought and paid for, namely the editors who direct the news as well as those who report the news. | <urn:uuid:246c90d1-b18c-4ae7-9e1e-022a7375422f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whiteowlconspiracy.com/2012/07/exposing-corporate-media-and-its.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969736 | 331 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Febre do Rato is a film about Zico, a nonconformist poet with an anarchist attitude, who publishes a small tabloid (called Febre do Rato) at his own expense. Living in his own private world, he meets Eneida, a young woman of 18 years old who pushes him to transform himself poetically.
The film won lots of awards in Brazil and officially hits theaters this June, 2012.
By the way, febre do rato is a popular expression from Recife that is used to say someone is out of control or that something is either really good or really bad. It comes from the 1970′s when an infectious disease (Leptospirosis) spread throughout the capital. | <urn:uuid:dcdaf365-3bbb-46ab-955e-a24c89937b3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eyesonrecife.com/2012/06/11/film-febre-do-rato/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962221 | 149 | 1.75 | 2 |
Those of us from the Western United States would believe that we speak the "purest" form of American English (if such a thing exists)--I think this is what's being called "TV English" in the other post, although as a speaker of this dialect, my lip curls at such a designation.
However, even among us, we differ on pronunciations/word choice. A few examples: 1) the pop v. soda debate, which many argue has regional roots, although I've never been able to map it specifically; 2) bag being pronounced as either "baag" or "beg"; 3) tour being pronounced as either "too-er" or "tore".
As an aside, the irony I find is that I imagine the majority of Americans do NOT speak in our "generic" dialect, considering the density of population in other parts of the US (besides perhaps California).
However, I think this is one of the hallmarks of English. It does not have a regulating body like the French language. No one and everyone (thank you, J.M.) regulates English. | <urn:uuid:641191e2-551f-49ff-967f-9ec23e962eb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/6883/who-is-in-charge-of-determining-a-pronunciation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973478 | 229 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Posted by: CarlBrooks
cloud computing, eucalyptus, internal cloud computing, open source
I’m working up an article about EUCALYPTUS and Eucalyptus Systems, cf. my earlier post on’t.
Leaving aside the giggles over nomenclature, I had quite a nice talk with Dr. Rich Wolski, the lead scientist on the original open source project (also with CEO Woody Rollins and the VP of marketing).
Anyway, Wolski had an interesting and quite succinct definition of the differences between a data center employing virtualization in its currently accepted form and a cloud infrastructure, because, on paper, the two share enough common elements that lots of people (and marketers) are happy to fuzz the two together.
I didn’t think that was quite right, and neither does the Good Doctor, (ha! like I’m the expert over here). Otherwise, why get excited over cloud? If that were true, then it’s just re-packaged old news, and nobody needs to do anything but change the badges and maybe dice up the trim package, if I may borrow from the big book of automobile industry metaphors. But cloud is fundamentally something different, and new, and it’s worth knowing why.
He says it’s down to access and the control structure. The major difference between a data center and a cloud is access- a cloud is set up so anyone can drop a penny in the slot and start up a server or six- in a data center, you ask, and someone does it for you, then hands over the steering wheel.
He said something like, pardon the paraphrasing, “in a data center, virtualization is the grease that lubricates resource management” for the admins; it allows the guy in charge to move his resources around- “it’s a reconfiguration mechanism,” but “in a cloud, [virtualization] is a fence.” it separates and protects resources and lets everyone have their own private playground without knocking over the other kids’ toys.
A subtle difference? Wolski says it’s down to a bedrock set of premises and assumptions that drove the development of the cloud model.
“We tried to look at the cloud paradigm from an analytical perspective,” he explains, and “cloud is an ecommerce model-it’s a transactional model [in a] distributed system”.
Did that sink in? At its most basic, cloud is not about computers. It’s about sales. Start with the premise that you have a product (server instances/CPU time/bit buckets), you want to sell them to any and all comers over the internet (ecommerce) and you want to do a lot of it. What you get is “cloud computing”, and logically, it’s no surprise that Amazon pioneered it commercially. They didn’t assume they needed a resource farm and a way to sell access to it- they assumed they had servers and needed to sell those instead.
So that’s interesting to me. Cloud is not a utopian access opium dream- it’s a logical outgrowth of commodity commerce.
UPDATE:Story’s done, look for it soon. One more little nugget from Wolski on defining cloud computing: When he and his crew started thinking about the project in 2007, they found it was “utterly impossible to get a consensus” on what cloud was, so they “decided to sidestep the debate by picking the thing that was demonstrably was a cloud — the one thing no one could say was NOT a cloud.” Their answer? Amazon Web Services.
So there you have it – not sure what an elephant is? Look around; you can’t miss one if it’s in the room with you. | <urn:uuid:e817e93b-718f-4aa3-bfbb-ff64a6b43029> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/cloud-computing/rich-wolski-on-the-difference-between-data-centers-and-clouds/ | 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 | 0.948295 | 827 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Who should pay on dates - guy or girl? 2012/06/17, Source,
By Jung Min-ho, Kim Bo-eun, Bahk Eun-ji Dinner is done, conversation dwindles and the date is about to end, when the check arrives, who should pay ― the guy, the girl or both? Until recently, the answer was easy. In a male-dominant Korean society, the money came out of the man's wallet, regardless of who asked whom out. Though most may struggle to explain the legitimacy of the "rule", this was the way things were. Although not set in stone, it was a general agreement that few gentlemen had the guts to overthrow,...More
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The first step is to sign up as a member, please click here : Sign up, then a subscribe button will show. | <urn:uuid:180207e7-9948-4d5e-8b32-09171c3714bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hancinema.net/korean_Kim_Yong-min.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952595 | 200 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Vancouver, April 12, 2010: Cosmos Interactive Inc, a Vancouver-based new media development company, has just released the long awaited game Babylonian Twins for the iPhone and iPad. Since day one, the game hit the top-paid list in the puzzle category on the App Store and received five star ratings and reviews. The game is available now for download on iTunes www.babyloniantwins.com/download
The new game is based on the original Amiga version that was made in Iraq during the economic sanctions back in the early nineties. At that time, Rabah Shihab, an engineering student at the university of Baghdad, and two of his colleagues defied the difficulties of the sanctions and built this unique history-themed game about Mesopotamia. Their goal was to promote a positive image about Iraq and its history. However, the game was never released due to the sanctions and demise of Commodore.
In 2007, videos of Babylonian Twins were published for the first time on Youtube sparking huge positive reaction from the Amiga retro community. Since then www.babyloniantwins.com received thousands of hits from over 85 countries. That success prompted the original team to reunite from Canada, Australia and the US to bring this game to the mass. They worked for 8 months with an extended team and the financial participation of Telefilm Canada to build one of the fastest, richest and most unique puzzle platformer on the App Store.
Babylonian Twins is about the two princes of Babylon, Nasir and Blasir, and their quest to defeat the evil magic of the great sorcerer of Babylon and bring peace to the city. The game features unique two-character tag-team type play, distinguished historic atmosphere, authentic Mesopotamian art and traditional music by a talented Iraqi artist. It has over a dozen large puzzling levels with 5 different worlds to explore: The Tower of Babylon, The Assyrian Palace, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Procession Street and The Old Dungeon.
For more information about the game and the history behind it visit http://www.babyloniantwins.com
Rabah Shihab, producer, Cosmos Interactive Inc, rabah at cosmosinteractive.com | <urn:uuid:55946d2e-efbd-4e32-ac1b-e80b67f18e07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mcvuk.com/index.php/press-releases/read/16-years-old-unreleased-iraqi-game-babylonian-twins-lands-on-iphone-ipad/052879 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942664 | 458 | 1.546875 | 2 |
At Your Service: April 2, 2008
These are tough economic times and all indications are that it is going to get worse before it gets better. Five dollars for a gallon of gas by summer – that’s what some are predicting. On a practical level, this means that the time has never been better to shop locally.
While it may be true that the goods and services in a few stores continue to invite us to shop elsewhere, those are few and far between. It may seem like it makes sense, once you have made the trip to Kingston or Oneonta, to fill the car with bargains from the mega-stores. But there is a hidden price we all pay for spending our dollars at Wal-Mart.
The U.S. Census Bureau Trade Division reports that in January of this year, we exported $5.9 billion in goods and services to China; in the same month, what we imported cost $26.2 billion. That amounts to a trade deficit of over $20 billion in just one month. Wal-Mart, is responsible for over $8 billion of the annual deficit, which last year was $256 billion. I won’t even try to discuss the quality of much of the merchandise we are getting from China.
There are compelling economic reasons to shop locally. The on-going war in Iraq has been a costly business, leaving less and less for federal expenditures at the local level. Indications are that the state budget, expected to be completed this week, will contain few increases of funds to counties and municipalities. Our counties need the money they get from sales tax. Traveling outside the county to shop is one way of guaranteeing even higher property taxes. If there were no other reason to shop locally, this one would be enough.
Most of our retailers carry top quality merchandise and are selling it at competitive prices, even before you factor in the price of gas. In an informal survey of prices, I found that a gallon of milk was only two cents higher than in Kingston and a loaf of bread was actually a penny cheaper than in Oneonta. While I did find some rather significant price differentials, they were on specialty items that I would expect to pay more for anywhere.
Local retailers provide not just goods and services but also jobs. Buying locally is a form of insurance that these good jobs will continue to be needed and therefore stay in the area.
Only a healthy business can afford to pay its employees wages that keep them happy and encourage excellent customer service. With more customers and related income, the health of any business improves. It further ensures regular turnover of inventory and therefore fresher products. As a regular customer, you also have more clout to demand and receive the service you want and deserve.
Many of our local businesses also support local artisans by selling their wares. We even have shops that specialize in locally made products. These are for more than the tourist. It won’t be long before we will be able to buy locally grown produce as well. All of these are opportunities to support another part of our local economy.
The next time you take a $20 bill and get half a tank of gas, consider driving around the corner rather than down the road. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. This area has among its business people a majority that is committed to customer satisfaction and excellence. They are working hard to make those a reality in the operation of their businesses. They are our neighbors and friends and they deserve the support of those they are working so hard to serve. | <urn:uuid:315a99f8-43a6-4c0d-a926-d9e0cbca9f54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catskillmountainnews.com/content/at-your-service-april-2-2008 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97629 | 737 | 1.601563 | 2 |
In this issue of Synapse we report on a pilot project exploring the way courts are responding to migration-related crime in Pakistan. STATT and the Center for the Rule of Law – Islamabad obtained hard copies of migration-related court cases heard by the Gujranwala district court over a period just under three years. These involved 3305 defendants, including 952 identified as “agents”. Our analysis indicates that Pakistani law enforcement and judicial officials are unable to process migration-related crime cases efficiently or justly. This results from systemic barriers outside of their control and from institutional practices within their control. The Government and donors cannot expect to influence patterns of migration-related crime through the present judicial system, so we present some recommendations to improve on current outcomes.
Afghans have a strong tradition of temporary and permanent migration. People from Afghanistan form one of the world’s great conflict diasporas. Regional movement and return has ebbed and flowed for generations. Internal migration, both forced and voluntary, plays a big role in churning the country’s demography and politics. Afghan migration is so varied and so important to its people’s past and future that it demands disaggregation and careful analysis.
In recent years STATT has conducted over 20,000 interviews on migration issues with people in and around Afghanistan. This issue of Synapse collates and considers the indications that Afghan migration patterns are in flux. In particular, we explore recent and present Afghan migration trends through the lens that many Afghans and foreigners are providing: how will human movement interact with the country’s prospects beyond 2014? Answering this question has formed a part of STATT’s program development and research guidance for 2013.
South Sudanese people settling in Australia have faced and overcome various ordeals throughout their migration experience. Many came to Australia under humanitarian mechanisms and since their arrival have worked hard to build a new life. Now, as the prospects for South Sudan seem brighter, STATT has found that many are preparing themselves to commit to another challenge – helping develop and support their homeland.
A major result from this project is published here as The Last Mile: Experiences of Settlement and Attitudes to Return among People from South Sudan in Australia. We interviewed 78 South Sudanese Australian people from across the country. We spoke to them about their lives since coming to Australia and about how they plan to engage with South Sudan now and into the future. We complemented the interviews with an online poll of over 300 members of the South Sudanese diaspora in Australia. The results illustrate a group that has tremendous gratitude for the opportunity to settle in Australia, enthusiasm towards citizenship and great achievements in education. On the downside, experiences of discrimination have been widespread and many have faced frustration with finding employment suited to their education. Looking to the future, the majority are keen to return to South Sudan for the long term or permanently, primarily driven by a desire to contribute to development.
STATT’s Neutrino Program takes a strong interest in patterns of conflict-driven migration. For some time we have been working in South Sudan and among the South Sudanese diaspora to understand the experiences and perceptions. We have also been exploring the intentions of people who left during the long civil war and are spread across much of the globe, but whose original homeland became independent in 2011 and the government of which is interested in encouraging the diaspora to contribute to development.
A positive way to think about conflict-driven migration in cases like South Sudan is as a long-term investment in the country’s human capital. In other words, facing grim prospects at home, the international refugee system is used as a safety deposit for some of South Sudan’s people, who have been able to develop skills and experiences in other countries while waiting for conflict resolution to open space for them to contribute. Now, while South Sudan is far from conflict-free, there has been a sense of hope and longing among many in the diaspora to return to South Sudan and to investigate options by which they can support development or connect with their roots. Compared with many other of the world’s great conflict-driven diasporas, such as from Afghanistan or from Somalia, there is strong optimism among people we have interviewed towards prospects for South Sudan. Continue reading
STATT received a grant from Australia to implement a community development program in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. This program has two primary objectives:
- To improve community benefits from international labour emigration; and
- Reduce migrant vulnerability in the process of emigration decision-making and when working abroad.
This program is being implemented in 2 districts: Sumbawa Besar and West Sumbawa, covering at least 12 sub districts in total.
Mecca? The False Allure of Indonesian Labour Migration to Saudi Arabia and What to do About It explores the dynamics of female labour migration from the island of Sumbawa in Indonesia to Saudi Arabia. Although the focus is Sumbawa, there are implications for other communities in similar migration chains. Women from Sumbawa are strongly oriented towards Saudi Arabia as a labour migration destination yet they reap few benefits. Shockingly high numbers of women are abused by their employers. Remittances are not invested productively.
On June 6 and June 8, the IMCK arranged workshops for journalists working in Erbil and Sulimaniyah that focused on approaches to covering migration issues. STATT was invited to contribute, based on our work with irregular migrants in transit and analysis of conditions in destination countries.
In May 2011, Synapse considered The Next Phase of Migration to Europe from Tunisia and Libya, based on STATT’s North African network, including recent field trips. The wave of boat crossings on the Mediterranean in early 2011 is a temporary impact of revolutionary change. However, it is also a small piece in a bigger mosaic of migration management challenges that confront Europe, with profound implications for its economic dynamism and social stability. Synapse examines the long-standing structures driving migrant smuggling from Tunisia and Libya, analyses the current dynamics of smuggling markets and predicts features of the next phase. | <urn:uuid:1a2a6179-f2be-40bf-9ee8-847552676039> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.statt.net/tag/neutrino/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958191 | 1,256 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Porter: Model of success in a system that keeps her down
Explore This Story
Chamberlain used to be a patient on this very floor at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Before that, she lived in a garbage bag beneath a hedge on Kingston Road. Now she is the peer support worker here.
You can't get much more of a success story.
There she sat in the middle of the group, slapping a bongo, a woman smiling in pink – pink lipstick, pink glasses, pink streaks in her hair, pink sweater– nodding supportively to the woman singing toothlessly into a microphone and the skinny man in a too-small overcoat and chipped black nail polish waving a maraca and tapping every drum in the circle with his feet.
When he stepped onto Chamberlain's drum, she gently moved his foot back down to the floor and – tap tap tap – didn't miss a beat.
Chamberlain started this program in the spring, along with creative writing workshops, karaoke sessions and Richard Simmons workouts for patients she thinks need more choices, fewer dictates. Last month, she was recognized by fellow staff with the Ted Tremain Award of Excellence. The ceremony was at Exhibition Place.
When "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" by KC and the Sunshine Band began blasting from speakers, Chamberlain leapt to her feet and began dancing with the black-nailed man.
Chamberlain is a woman who clearly loves her job. She's also really good at it.
So why is she dropping her hours to work less, rather than more?
"I took work off so I could get more ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) and my rent lowered," she explained later. "That way, I won't lose my apartment.
"I can't afford to work."
My colleague, Carol Goar, wrote about Chamberlain's predicament last week. Some stories are worth telling twice.
Just as Chamberlain is the model of success for mental health advocates, she is also the model of failure for Ontario's social assistance system.
Here she is at 60. It's amazing she's alive at all, having slept on the streets for 30 years, and suffering from both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, sure the FBI was after her.
Instead of bouncing in and out of the psychiatric hospital, she now lives in her own apartment, run by the non-profit agency Mainstay Housing. That's impressive too.
She has only a Grade 2 education. Her mother yanked her out of school because of her facial tics.
"What kind of job could I get with that?" she says.
So she did all the right things. She took classes to learn to read and write. She got math lessons, too, so she could budget. She started to volunteer, first at Progress Place – for people with mental illnesses – and then at CAMH. She moved her way up to telephone support co-ordinator. She joined the Mainstay Housing board of directors and became president. She started a food bank in her building.
All the while, she kept her eye on the peer support worker job.
"I can't tell you the paces she ran to get that job," says Brigitte Witkowski, executive director of Mainstay Housing, who helped Chamberlain go through the agenda before every board meeting. "She is remarkable.
"If Linda had come from different circumstances, she'd be someone in a senior role at a big organization."
So here she is at 60 and finally, finally, she gets the dream job.
Ontario's Social Services Ministry should be celebrating her. Instead, it's cutting her cheques.
When she wasn't working, Chamberlain got $1,020 every month from the government. She paid $109 in rent every month.
This summer, working 2 1/2 days a week, her ODSP cheque plummeted to $183 and her rent – pegged to her income – soared to $623.
The bills are mounting. She received a letter from Canadian Tire threatening "legal action." She owes $500 to Toronto Hydro. Now, her landlord is threatening eviction.
"I've hit rock bottom," Chamberlain says. "I'm worse off now than I was when I wasn't working.... But I just love this job. To actually have a job and win an award – imagine!"
A few weeks ago, Ontario's Auditor General, Jim McCarter, blasted the province for not checking welfare recipients weren't defrauding the system.
Instead of searching for frauds, he should look for victims.
Chamberlain is off her meds now and doing fine. She loves her work so much, she "jumps out of bed like my cats in the morning." She'd like to work full-time, but there are no openings. So she's cut her hours down and is planning to cut them even more, so she has more money at the end of the month.
"Is this a system that's helping people to recover," Witkowski asks, "or is it set up to keep them sick?"
Catherine Porter's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org
- Hockey Canada bans bodychecking at peewee level
- The Rolling Stones
- Doug Ford’s response to published drug allegations breaks with brother’s silent strategy
- French soldier stabbed in throat, link to London attack unconfirmed
- Conrad Black writes a kind of love letter to the America that had him incarcerated
- Blue Jays, Dickey fall to Orioles
- Battling the lethal H7N9 virus: a look inside the lab where vaccine is being developed
- Police seek man after woman sexually assaulted in elevator | <urn:uuid:26cc86ef-604d-4799-bedb-4d93667a16be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/12/22/porter_model_of_success_in_a_system_that_keeps_her_down.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974318 | 1,187 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Barack Obama made one of a series of mistakes when the freshman Senator said that his uncle liberated Auschwitz in an obvious attempt to rally Jewish support while at the same time trying to use his mental illness after the war to draw a parallel to say they we are not taking care of our troops when their coming home. While one can debate wheater of not we provide enough services to our troops upon their homecoming the problem with Obama statements is that one he doesn't have an uncle and two no American forces never went to Auschwitz. Auschwitz was taken by Soviet forces and went behind the iron current, therefore Obama's uncle, even if he existed, could not have been there. Of course it would've taken all of two minutes of research for Obama to have or anyone on his staff to have this information, so why didn't they?
This is the mentality of not only Obama himself, but of his whole campaign. They didn't look for the information because they were sure they were right, no need to do any burdersome fact checks or some annoying research. This is why the Freshman Senator claims that Iran, Venezula, and Cuba are not threats to this country, and that the President should meet with the Leaders of these countries. Nevermind that Venezula is trying to build a coliation against us in Latin America, that Cuba is a communist dictatorship ninty miles of our coast or that Iran is buliding a nuclear weapons program, to Obama none of these countries aren't serious threats. He believes he can talk to the leaders and they will see the error of their ways. One wonders if he would even do the type of back channel negotiations that are necessary for this kind of meeting. Obama's mentality is dangerous. If this man is given the power of the Presidency it would lead to disasterous consequences for America. With his mindset it is no wonder Fidel Castro calls him, "the most progressive candidate to the U.S. Presidency." | <urn:uuid:1da79779-51eb-4bb9-abc5-58ab2a1ce538> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thenewconservatives.blogspot.com/2008_05_25_archive.html | 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 | 0.985 | 395 | 1.59375 | 2 |
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Color Easter Eggs with Kool-Aid!
Submitted by Pam on Fri, 03/12/2010 - 05:37
Beautiful, beautiful beautiful! I love how saturated the color is on these Kool-Aid dyed eggs!
Would I do it again? Absolutly!
Will it work for you? That is what this post is all about! Taking a very honest look at dyeing eggs using Kool-aid.
I've seen a couple tutorials lately for dying yarn using Kool-Aid. Two different methods but apparently they work! OMG the yarns are gorgeous. Go visit and see how it is done! Brilliant! Ideas and colors.!
Fabric dyed with kool-Aid? Yes! That too! Be sure to check out Cyn's post Dying To Be Creative and read all her excellent suggestions about working with kool-Aid dye. She plans more updates soon on Cynchronicity.
So I thought, hey! - if Kool-Aid will dye yarn and fabric - and kids hands and counter tops - I bet it will dye Easter eggs! So I boiled a couple eggs and bought an envelope of strawberry Kool-Aid and tested my theory.
I dissolved 1 envelope of Kool-Aid in one cup of water.
Hummmmm! I didn't know chickens could do this - make nice even lines on the eggs that are invisible until they are dipped in Kool-Aid! I would like to meet that chicken! No more wax resist! Yay!
So - OK - the lines aren't great but the color seems to work.
But once dry - insult added to injury. Look at that weird crazing! Very good thing for the future of this experiment that I had dyed another test before this one dried!
Second try - beautiful overall while wet.
And dry - much, much better! I love the color saturation!
The theory deserves further testing, don't you think?
I didn't get too crazy with this because after all, how many boiled eggs can two people eat? I selected only five new colors and reused the strawberry from the first test. (note: I saved it overnight in a jar and used it cold from the fridge the next day. Worked great!)
I used warm water and actually just for test purposes added a teaspoon of vinegar to each glass after dying the first egg. No difference with or without vinegar.
Test colors: lime, orange, grape, berry, lemon-lime and of course the strawberry.
(Note: Keep checking your egg color as Kool-Aid seems to work more quickly than most dyes I have used in the past.)
Two colors you needn't bother trying - lemon lime (no color) and grape (came out an ugly brown which you can see in the upper right in the image at the beginning of this post).
Orange, lime, berry and strawberry work great!
However, although lime makes a lovely green and berry a gorgeous blue, the orange actually turns out a deep rich yellow and strawberry is more orange than red.
I am on a quest to find a flavor that will make a pretty red or pink.
Lavender would be great but grape is not the ticket, and neither is mixing berry and strawberry - trust me on that one!
So, would I do this again? Absolutely!
The colors are really saturated and except for a couple eggs with deep pores, the coverage is very even. The bright colors make my eyes happy!
ADDED 4/3/10 BE SURE TO CHECK OUT A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT DYING WITH KOOL-AID IN THESE FOLLOW-UP POSTS.
It is traditional in my family - has been since I was old enough to dye an egg - that we would dye our eggs in the evening before Easter and leave them sitting out for the Easter Bunny to hide while we were sleeping. Once they were gathered the next morning, they were immediately made into deviled eggs and chilled.
If this is the procedure in your home, the Kool-Aid dye works great.
In the interest of full disclosure and responsible testing practices, I have a couple other things to share!
1) While the eggs are wet, koolaid dye is easily removed from the egg surface. Handle very carefully and try to avoid scraping the surface. See the divots on the first test egg above.
2) Depending on the egg used, uneven coverage can occur.
I boiled 10 eggs for round two, and two of them, failed the test! It appears as if some eggs have deep pores which prevent even color coverage. The two eggs on the left are those unfortunate examples! Luckily for me - one of them was my ugly grape egg!
Incidentally, the egg on the right is the second egg tested initially. Eventually it crazed too. But crazing only occurred on these two jumbo eggs. The other ten, medium eggs came from another carton, from another egg producer and there was no crazing.
For best results while dying your eggs, I highly recommend using farm fresh eggs direct from the chicken coup!! Many, many people these days are raising and selling fresh eggs. Eggs sold in supermarkets often have chemical residue left on the egg surface that, and while not harmful, can certainly interfere with how the egg surface accepts the dye.
3) Kool-Aid dye is not terribly stable when exposed to moisture. ARGH!
I refrigerated my eggs as I plan to eat a few each day. They have maintained their beautiful color in the fridge for 4 days so far. I set three eggs out to use for lunch the day after testing.
Fortunately, I set out my three ugly eggs! Moisture from condensation formed as the eggs return to room temperature and seemed to destabilize the dye. So, I do not recommend cooling and re-warming eggs dyed with Kool-Aid - not if you are planning to show them to anyone!
4) I bet your are wondering - do they smell like strawberries or oranges? Do they taste like fruit flavored eggs?
The answer is NO! The eggs smell and taste just like eggs.
The Kool-Aid dye does bleed through the egg - a little here and there - just like other egg dyes - however, this is the absolute worst egg in the whole bunch and I left it in the dye a long time!
Personally, I would absolutely let my children dye their eggs in Kool-Aid just for the fun of it! All those fruity smells and the excitement of finding out what colors they will get with each flavor - a new twist on tradition! And actually, at $.12 a packet, your afternoon of fun is inexpensive - under a dollar for 8 colors!
Just be sure not to refrigerate after dying and eat within 24 hours!
Looking for some more natural ways to dye eggs?
And for a new and simple twist on the age old art of Pysanky egg decoration, check out this tutorial!
And don't toss out the shells after peeling your eggs! They make beautiful mosaic eggs! Find out how to do it here. | <urn:uuid:430c801b-be97-4f06-abfb-c8634b93c1ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/158 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957089 | 1,492 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Getting naked can lead to the real thing, study shows7/6/2012
Want to hook up with the person you're crushing on, but worried they might not want more? Go for it. Researchers at Concordia University in Montreal report that "regions of the brain that control love also control sex" — sex can lead to love. The brain's insula and striatum each affect love and desire, and each feeling activates different parts of the striatum and the insula, the overlap indicating a transition from desire to love. Said one researcher "when (love) does happen, do you want to play Scrabble with each other? When it happens, you normally want to consummate it."
Do you agree with the study? | <urn:uuid:d8878e67-7a4d-49eb-9ecd-af7be81032e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://now.msn.com/getting-naked-can-lead-to-the-real-thing-study-shows | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947285 | 152 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘Mount Washington’
Mr. Strickland was a mid-1800’s adventure seeker; he was the first man in recorded history to summit Mount Washington in the winter … and also the first man to die on Mount Washington during his attempted descent. (For the purposes of this story, let’s just focus on Frederick’s life, not death.)
The fearless (some might say foolish) passion for the outdoors that fueled Frederick Strickland and other early adventurers like him serves as inspiration for Timberland’s Spring 2012 Abington Collection — full of handsome, durable, comfortable boots and shoes made for the most discerning outdoor pioneers.
Click on the video below to go behind the scenes on our Abington photo shoot; to learn more about our collection of Strickland-inspired footwear, visit the Abington website. | <urn:uuid:e7ad8432-f797-4228-aab4-f3b13bae274e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.timberland.com/tag/mount-washington/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936371 | 178 | 1.546875 | 2 |
If you've been listening to the uproar about the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as the healthcare law or "Obamacare," then you're probably scared out of your wits from tales of "death panels" and "government takeover." And you'd have good reason to be concerned -- if those allegations were accurate.
But let's put politics aside for a moment and take a closer look at the changes made so far by the new law. You might just be pleasantly surprised.
Important changes have already taken effect to control the cost of health insurance and rein in some of the worst insurance company abuses. For example, insurers must now spend at least 80% of customer premiums on actual healthcare or refund policyholders. It's estimated that we will see $1.4 billion in rebates starting this summer.
As a result of the new health reform law, state insurance departments are now closely reviewing requests from insurers who want to raise rates 10% or more, something many states had never done before.
The new law closed insurance loopholes that could have left you without coverage when you needed it most. Your insurance policy can no longer set a maximum lifetime limit, where your benefits run out when you get hit with a major illness.
There is now a standard, reliable way for you to dispute a benefit decision made by your insurer. And you don't have to worry about having your policy canceled when you get sick.
These are just a few of the positive changes that opponents of the new law don't acknowledge. And there's more to come in 2014 when you won't be denied or charged more for insurance because of your health status. Middle income families will also be able to get help paying for coverage.
As the Supreme Court hears arguments for and against the new law, Americans should consider what these changes -- and the law -- really means for families and decide if we want to put health insurance companies back in charge or have the health insurance system work for consumers. | <urn:uuid:7c06ced6-7957-4dba-9ed8-93e6913e50a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deann-friedholm/affordable-care-act_b_1381366.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967722 | 396 | 1.726563 | 2 |
A major part of the problem that is not being addressed in any of the debates on oil dependence and transportation has more to do with zoning than capitalism. We've created a society that requires so much transportation. The electronics industry I'm in for example is concentrated in certain pockets around So. Cal., none of them near our city, and some with no safe neighborhoods in our price range nearby. So if I didn't work at home, I'd be driving long distances. Actually, I did for awhile, and determined that I would never do it again. OTOH, most of the machine shops seem to be concentrated in a neighboring city a couple of miles from home. There needs to be some incentive for businesses to distribute themselves closer to where the people live. Some areas are industrial-only with no housing anywhere close that's both decent and affordable, and some housing tracts have no employment anywhere close. My sisters used to live in such a housing tract, where there were people all around them but there wasn't so much as a convenience store, school, or gas station within 5 miles.
I grew up in another mostly capitalistic country where a family's business was often in the front of the same building they lived in. For many people, going to work meant a 30-foot walk, and the customers would walk in from the surrounding neighborhood. Within two blocks of our house in the sleepy residential neighborhood, we could walk to two different stores that had produce, bread, eggs, flour, a few toys, etc., a meat store, a pharmacy, a post office, two barber shops, a school supply, and the mechanic's shop. A little farther but still within walking distance were a YMCA-type facility, bus station, taylor's shop, electrical supply, etc., etc., etc.. Those who owned cars didn't fire them up if only one person was going somewhere, because the per-mile cost was too high for them; so if only one was going, they might ride bike or take the bus. When we got back to the States when I was a teenager, I was appalled at all these cars on the road with no one but the driver in them! | <urn:uuid:14ccd5b9-67e0-46ee-b499-0e81061a65ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.adventurecycling.org/index.php?topic=7548.msg37024 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986453 | 444 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Program boosts students’ classroom, social skills
Published: Monday, February 18, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 11:57 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA | Plum Grove Baptist Church is taking seriously the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.”
If you go
What: West-Side Scholars Academy’s African American Scholars Quiz Bowl Competition
When: 9 a.m. Feb. 23.
Where: Plum Grove Baptist Church’s Development and Outreach Center, 2822 Fosters Ferry Road, Tuscaloosa.
Who can enter: Any church, school or group that creates a team of three middle-school students.
Awards: Prizes include savings bonds, trophies and T-shirts.
Information: www.wsscholarsacademy.org or call 205-752-2762.
In September 2012, the Rev. Tyshawn Gardner, pastor of Plum Grove, opened the West-Side Scholars Academy, an academic enrichment program. Its mission is to develop Tuscaloosa’s youth intellectually and socially so they can compete on an international level in academics and jobs.
“I think education is the key that unlocks so many doors,” said Gardner, who also is dean of the academy. “Jobs and so many other opportunities become available when you have an education.
“Our motto is ‘Achieving excellence by affirming greatness,’ ” he said. “We believe there’s greatness in every child and it’s our responsibility to affirm that, not only intellectually, but socially as well.”
West-Side Scholars Academy is a fifth- through eighth-grade program that meets from 8 a.m. to noon on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. Classes are held at Plum Grove’s new Development and Outreach Center, which is adjacent to the church.
There are 16 students in the program’s inaugural class. The school has nine teachers and six administrators. Scholars at the academy are required to wear the school uniform — a long-sleeve button-down white dress shirt with the academy logo on it, a blue tie and khakis.
The academy teaches math, reading, science, Latin, public speaking, drama, character development and business etiquette.
“Business etiquette isn’t formalized as a class, but it is reinforced through everything we do, like giving firm handshakes, looking people in the eye when you speak to them, keeping your appearance neat and speaking properly,” said Art Dunning, director of the academy.
Justin Jones, a teacher at the academy, described the school’s teaching style as interactive.
“One of the ways that we combat kids not wanting to be in Saturday school is we engage them,” Jones said. “We play different kinds of music that many of them may not have heard before. We use props like playing cards to teach math. We use games to help them learn in a way that keeps them interested, but we also challenge them in all kinds of ways.
“We want to challenge their thinking process,” he said. “Also, we are focused on dispelling this nonsense idea that as a student you have no responsibilities. They need to know that when they enter high school, the consequences for not succeeding are high.”
Gardner said the academy isn’t competing with local public schools. He said the academy’s staff wants to aid local schools by maximizing their classroom performance.
“Consistently we’re asking our school systems to do more with less,” Jones said. “The academy is here to help them go beyond.”
Dunning said they want academy scholars to become cultured and to change their perspectives.
“We want them to have exposure and enlightenment,” Dunning said. “That’s why we’re taking them to Costa Rica in early August for four days. They’ll be staying at the University of Georgia located there. While there, they’ll have classes on biodiversity, visit a volcano, study the ecology of the rainforest and go to the physical site of a continental divide.
“We want these things to be life-altering,” he said. “It’s one thing for us to talk about biodiversity and continental divide, but it’s another thing to expose them to it.”
All 16 scholars and some of their family members will travel to Costa Rica.
They’ll travel this summer to nearby locations such as the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s interactive 3-D visualization and simulation lab.
Mariah Cook, a 12-year-old at the academy and a seventh-grader at Tuscaloosa Magnet School Middle, said her science, math and Latin classes at the academy have helped her in school.
“I’m learning that Latin helps you understand other romantic languages,” Mariah said. “It’s helping me in my Spanish class at the magnet school.
“I like the academy because it’s not all doom and gloom,” she said. “It’s fun and energizing.”
Dunning said the academy is funded by tuition, grants from Coca-Cola, the Bank of Tuscaloosa and the city of Tuscaloosa. Gardner said that the academy falls under the Citizens Impacting Community Association, a local nonprofit created by Plum Grove. The association receives funding from a city of Tuscaloosa block grant, which is where a large portion of the academy’s funding stems.
Tuition at the academy is $150 a year, but scholarships are available to youth who meet certain criteria.
The academy is open to any middle school student in Tuscaloosa County. Gardner said the academy focuses on middle school students because research shows that the transition from middle school to high school can be tough.
“We know that when they go to high school, they’ll have to take tests like the ACT, and transitioning to high school can be socially challenging,” Gardner said.
Any middle school student can apply to the academy, but admission is not automatic.
“We have an interview process where we interview the students and their families,” Dunning said. “I look for the interest of the child. This should be something the child views as an opportunity, not a labor.”
“When we interview the family, we identify their strengths and needs,” he said. “We want to get from them a deeper understanding of the child. We want to find a right fit for not only the family’s aspirations, but where we’re trying to go with this program. We want an internationally recognized program and we want families that want to see their child as international scholars.”
Jones said it doesn’t matter what a child or a family’s background is, what matters is how they see themselves.
“We want to give them an anchor,” Dunning said. “We want them to become disciplined, but also have fun while they’re learning. We want them to have the etiquette and sophistication to be able to handle themselves in any situation they find themselves in.
“We don’t just want them to learn, but to learn how to learn,” he said. “Because learning is life.”
Reach Jamon Smith at firstname.lastname@example.org or 205-722-0204.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:79abbc21-daaf-47cb-8cd2-1b979aa2702c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20130218/NEWS/130219762/1291/TOPIC0393?Title=Program-boosts-students-8217-classroom-social-skills | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955858 | 1,651 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The Rural Municipality of St. Clements is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Manitoba. The municipality’s western boundary runs along the Red River and Lake Winnipeg – from south of Lockport, then northward to Grand Beach Provincial Park. Eastward, the boundary is irregular and sits adjacent to other municipalities such as Alexander and Pine Falls/Powerview.
Within the municipality the terrain is diverse: from rolling plains, to rich forest and marshland, to pristine beaches. The municipality is home to an ecological preserve and a provincial park, both rich in beautiful and varied landscapes.
The municipality is known for its many parks and beach communities, making the R.M. of St. Clements "the place to be” for year-round relaxation and recreation. Activities abound in every season: swimming and boating in the summer; fishing, hunting and hiking in the spring and fall; snowmobiling and skiing in the winter. Sitting at the northern edge of the municipality is Grand Beach Provincial Park on Lake Winnipeg – Manitoba’s most popular tourist destination on the province’s largest lake.
Tourism is one of the municipality’s strongest economic activities. With some of Manitoba’s greatest beaches within its boundaries, services and products cater to the beach goers and cottager owners in the municipality. Cottage rentals, bed and breakfast inns, and hotels are found in the municipality. Professional services such as building contractors and plumbing / roofing specialists are also plentiful – these services that are utilized by not just by residents, but also those keen on building or repairing their "weekend getaways". In addition, the Lockport area attracts many visitors, contributing to the economic activity in the municipality.
Population: 9706 (as per Census 2006)
Longitude: 96◦ 45’ 2”
Latitude: 50◦ 9’ 51”
Land Area: 728.6 sq. kilometers / 291.4 sq. miles | <urn:uuid:774c21af-0637-4e8e-8989-e44c5292fc5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rmofstclements.com/main.asp?cat_ID=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936963 | 408 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The official dengue patient count in the Punjab became 118 on Saturday as 18 more people tested positive for the disease.
Dr Jafar Ilyas, the vector borne diseases additional director general, told The Express Tribune the number of dengue patients had reached 118 in Punjab. He said most of the reported patients were from Lahore. He said none of the patients was in a serious condition.
“Out of the 118 patients 26 are currently admitted in public hospitals. The rest have been discharged after they recovered,” he said.
Separately, commissioner Jawwad Rafique Malik issued orders for deploying more staff at Ravi Town. Earlier, he had ordered that Ravi Town be divided into three zones for larvaeciding after reports indicated the presence of dengue larvae in the town.
‘Dengue a test’
Separately, Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, the deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, said the dengue virus was a test from Allah. He said the disease could be overcome and requested the cooperation of people.
Speaking at a seminar at Government Degree College for Women in Gulshan-i-Ravi, Khan said the preventive measures the government was advocating would help make Punjab dengue-free.
He said that women had an important role to play in increasing awareness against the dengue virus. He said students should help the government eliminate the disease. He said since 90 per cent of dengue mosquitoes bred indoors. He said woman had an important role in controlling it. He said the arrangements to treat dengue patients had improved this year.
Khawaja Salman Rafique, special assistant to chief minister on health, said there was no truth to the report that 900 people have been infected with the dengue virus. He said there were 112 confirmed cases of the disease between March 1 and September 15. He said the incidence of the dengue virus was being verified by the dengue expert advisory group, consisting of senior doctors. Rafique said no dengue larvae were found in the Aashiyana Scheme area.
Saturday was the last day for receiving applications for admission to a three-year training course for nurses.
Some 1600 women have applied for 56 seats. PGMI Principal Prof Anjum Habib Wahra directed the LGH Nursing School administration to prepare merit lists according to rules and regulations.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2012. | <urn:uuid:8960619a-8d4b-4402-8054-1db2fcfadbf8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tribune.com.pk/story/437391/more-diagnosed-dengue-count-crosses-100/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979486 | 507 | 1.625 | 2 |
Uplift is actively involved in the communities where we have campuses. To learn more about our community friends and partners, click here.
We are dedicated to preparing North Texas’ students to be successful in college. If you believe in this as much as we do, consider joining our team.
Uplift celebrated our seniors on April 30 at College Signing Day. Watch the program online. 100% of our seniors were accepted to college.
Uplift Education operates a network of 26 high-performing, tuition-free, public charter schools on 12 campuses serving 7,500 students in underserved areas across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
Uplift offers a college preparatory curriculum supported by a positive culture of high expectations and strong student-teacher relationship.
Uplift empowers school leaders and teachers with the freedom to innovate and influence their school and classroom environments.
Uplift is a reform-minded organization that has attracted funding from local and national donors such as the Communities Foundation of Texas and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. Uplift Education (Uplift) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Catholic Charities' Together We Learn Program equipping families in the Bachman Lake area
Rodolfo came to the Together We Learn Program in the Bachman Lake area labeled by doctors as non-participatory, not very functional, and possibly autistic. At the beginning of the program, teachers remember him standing most of the class and facing the window. They were patient with him and communicated with his mother daily. In addition, teachers connected Rodolfo’s family with therapy options.
In time, this non-verbal child became a student who could name an entire box of magnetic letters. Rodolfo returned to the program the following summer and was the brightest in the class. Currently, he attends St. Monica School on scholarship.
Highlighting successes such as Rodolfo, former Program Manager Sadie Funk believes that the best part of her job is witnessing transformation within entire families. “With a child, it is amazing to see the ‘light bulb’ turn on…to watch him or her grow into a being that understands and interacts. We see an equal transformation in parents who—due to a host of issues including immigration—are sometimes scared to leave the house. Parents who were not confidant and did not know anyone in the neighborhood make friends and blossom through our program. We see this self-confidence building the entire family,” she said. | <urn:uuid:94cba938-2703-4d40-9b5b-20aa9cf0b3bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://uplifteducation.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1 | 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 | 0.968802 | 518 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Mon January 21, 2013
A Look At Memorable Moments From Past Inaugurations
Originally published on Mon January 21, 2013 9:46 am
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Well, from the studio, I'm going to go out again to talk to NPR's Linda Wertheimer. She is at a place that has a very good view of the activities there on the Mall. That happens to be the Canadian embassy. And just one thing: the West Front of the Capitol is decorated in red, white and blue. That is the backdrop for President Obama's second Inauguration. And Linda has seen every Inauguration since the second time President Richard Nixon was sworn into office, his second inaugural. Good morning.
LINDA WERTHEIMER, BYLINE: Good morning, Renee. We should say that the first Nixon inaugural, NPR did not yet exist.
MONTAGNE: Oh, that would be right.
WERTHEIMER: I was unable to go to it.
MONTAGNE: I was being born right about that time. Tell us what was important, I gather, at that particular Inauguration. It happens to be a location change.
WERTHEIMER: It was - that location, the East Front of the Capitol, that was where President Lincoln, for example, addressed in his second inaugural, it came from the East Front. And it was turned around after the - Jimmy Carter was, I guess, the last on the East Front. Then they turned it around to the West Front with President Reagan.
What I remember - of course, and what all reporters always remember is what happened to us at the inaugural. In this case, we'd had a heavy snowfall the night before the Nixon speech, and our little perch, which was way up high, was swaying, and the Secret Service didn't want to let us go up stairs. So we had a small fight and a tussle, and we finally got up there.
But there was some concern that it would fall down during the course of the Inauguration. Thank God it did not.
MONTAGNE: Well, these Inaugurations are also fraught with all kinds of logistical issues, and the security measures we're all familiar with now, they're very extensive. But I gather you have seen some moments that have felt risky, and I'm thinking here of Jimmy Carter getting out and walking around.
WERTHEIMER: Well, that's true. Jimmy Carter got out of the car - the first time anyone had ever seen that - and walked around with his wife, Rosalynn Carter, for the last part of the inaugural parade, leading the parade on foot, in fact. And - but the thing is, Renee, you've got to remember that that was before 9/11.
Before 9/11, things were different. Things didn't feel quite the same. I think we've all felt a little tremor of fear every time since then that a president has gotten out of the car. And there was a lot of concern that President Obama would do it in his last Inauguration, and he did. And we assume that he will do it again.
MONTAGNE: And what about memorable - let's say quotations - the beautiful things people have said?
WERTHEIMER: Well, of course, ask not - you know, that was the Kennedy, ask not what you can do - what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Those - I think there are only a very few lines that are really, really memorable from inaugural addresses. And I've seen so many, and I have to say that I'm sorry that I cannot remember very many of the speeches at all.
One of the things, of course, that might be a sort of little, tiny bit of advice from President Lincoln's second inaugural was the way he began it. He said: at the second appearing to take the oath of office of the president, there is less occasion, said President Lincoln, for an extended address than there was at the first. Now, that's good advice for every president who has a second inaugural.
But in my experience, the last two didn't take it.
MONTAGNE: Well just, you know, briefly, Linda, we just have about 30 seconds here: How is the second inaugural different from last time? And not just because it's not as cold as four years ago?
WERTHEIMER: That was - well, it was not the coldest inaugural in history. That was when President Reagan's second inaugural, which was canceled because it was too cold to be outside. President Obama's inaugural was very uncomfortable and very cold. But I think that this is - this is the feeling, I think, that we're getting from the president is that he has things left to do, and not as many concerns about - of course, no concerns about being reelected.
WERTHEIMER: And that gives him, that gives the whole thing a kind of a different and perhaps a little more urgent flavor.
MONTAGNE: NPR's Linda Wertheimer at the Canadian Embassy. You're listening to MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:fa408133-dda9-49fd-aa5f-86ab3d4c4470> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ktep.org/post/look-memorable-moments-past-inaugurations | 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 | 0.982681 | 1,096 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Minority Report by Nick Xenophon
Independent Senator for South Australia
food processing sector is vital to our economy and food security. It is
extremely concerning that successive governments have not seen fit to provide
the industry with the support it needs, especially in relation to ensuring that
Australia has world’s best competition and consumer laws that adequately
safeguard the competition and competitive diversity provided by food
processors, small businesses and farmers.
As a result,
food processors in Australia are now battling against a multitude of challenges,
including the Coles and Woolworths duopoly, excessive levels of regulation,
high production costs and the constant threat from imported products which can
be passed off as Australian because of weak and misleading labelling laws. The
Federal Government must act as a matter of urgency to ensure our food
processing sector has a sustainable future.
Committee’s majority report has identified many of the major challenges facing
the food processing sector, and with it the impacts on our primary producers.
The issues in this report raise the bigger question of whether the Government
and Opposition will adopt effective policies which will not only ensure the
survival of the industry, but will also promote its future growth.
It is also
important to acknowledge that the food processing sector – with its some
194,300 jobs across 10,000 businesses – is currently facing significant
‘unknowns’ in its future. Both the introduction of a carbon price and the
Murray Darling Basin Plan will affect the industry, but it is currently
impossible to quantify the extent of these effects.
I endorse the
Committee’s recommendation that the Government should monitor the
implementation of a carbon price, although this should also include the Basin
Plan. In particular the impact of the Basin Plan on South Australia given the
vulnerability of SA food processors and producers being at the ‘tail end’ of
the river system, combined with the early adoption of water efficiency measures
in SA and the distortion in the water market that will be created by the
overwhelming majority of $5.8 billion in water efficiency funds going to the
Federal Government monitor the effect of the Basin Plan on food production and
processing as a matter of priority, and in particular South Australia.
I note the
Federal Government’s intention to create a National Food Plan. I support this
intention, but any plan must be comprehensive, detailed and focus on action
rather than ongoing monitoring. The Plan should cover all aspects of the food
production and processing industries, and focus on consumer as well as industry
outcomes. I endorse the comments of the Public Health Association of Australia
in relation to this.
It is also
vital that the National Food Plan addresses the multi-jurisdictional and
complex regulations placed on the food processing industry. It is clear that
this piecemeal approach to regulation is placing undue burden on an already
Federal Government take into account all areas of the food production and
processing industries when forming the National Food Plan, and ensure that the
Plan focussed on action-based outcomes.
The lack of
higher education interest and opportunities in relation to the food processing
sector needs urgent attention. I note the important work of the Primary
Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE) in these areas. It is a
significant failing of State and Federal governments that PICSE continues to
struggle for funding and, due to a lack of long-term funding guarantees, is
forced to exist from year to year. More secure funding would undoubtedly lead
to even better outcomes from this organisation, and in turn the food processing
unacceptable that processors are forced to access expert knowledge about new
technologies and procedures outside Australia, as stated by Mr Elder of
Simplot. This points to a serious failure
in both education and research and development in Australian agriculture and
the Committee’s recommendation in relation to higher education, and I encourage
State and Federal governments to address the funding problems for such
It is also
important to note the challenges facing the industry in relation to labour
costs, and I endorse the Committee’s comments in relation to this. Not only are
food processors – particularly small businesses with 20 full-time equivalent
employees or less – competing against higher wages in more lucrative
industries, such as mining, but the substantial increase in penalty rates under
the Fair Work awards has created additional pressure.
I note the
broad concerns raised by the industry in relation to transport infrastructure
and the associated high costs of transporting goods. Similar concerns were discussed
in the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee inquiry
into operational issues in export grain networks. That inquiry received
evidence of extremely high costs and market concentration in rail networks, and
also of the difficulties caused by lack of infrastructure investment by State
and Federal governments.
Additional Comments to that report, I made several recommendations for further
reviews and assessments to be undertaken into freight and rail transport costs
in Australia. The evidence received by this
committee shows the problems extend far further than the grain industry, and as
such these recommendations should be acted on as a matter of urgency.
Federal Government, as a matter of urgency, appoint
an appropriate body to review the
condition of lines for rail freight transport in Australia, with particular
attention to a cost/benefit analysis of rail versus road transport and the
benefits of implementing an auction-based system similar to the one currently
operating in the US.
support the majority recommendation of the Committee regarding an independent
review of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, particularly the need
for closer monitoring and effective action in relation to creeping
acquisitions, especially by Coles and Woolworths. The fact that Coles and
Woolworths have been able to expand their market share from 40 percent to over
80 percent in thirty years without triggering any regulatory interference or
action shows significant gaps in both government policy and the current
regulatory system. Creeping acquisitions can substantially lessen competition
over time and it is essential that the anti-competitive effect of such
acquisitions are acknowledged and that the Competition and Consumer Act 2010
adequately prohibits anti-competitive creeping acquisitions.
A review of
the provisions within the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 insofar as
they relate to collective bargaining is also warranted. Growers groups provided
evidence to the Committee that the major retailers are either reluctant to
negotiate with collectives or refuse to do so. The imbalance of power between
suppliers and retailers could lead to circumstances where, due to their market
share, major retailers may smply refuse to collective bargain or enter into
discussions in good faith with smaller suppliers about prices, terms and
conditions. There is a danger that such practices can lead to the closure of
smaller suppliers. Persistently low orange prices
were behind the decision of orange grower Bill Rudiger to bulldoze part of his
orchard in March 2012. If we truly values Australia’s
food industries we must act now.
the Federal Government still needs convincing of the devastating impact of
persistently low farm gate prices then I refer them to the evidence of dairy
farmers in the Inquiry into the impacts of supermarket prices on the dairy
abovementioned inquiry was started due to the private label price war on milk,
I believe particular attention needs to be paid to the growing dominance of
private labels in our major retailers. Suppliers are being put in a difficult
position when they are asked to manufacture a private label product which will
be in direct competition with their own branded product. Furthermore, as
evidence before the Committee suggests, “retailers can capitalise on the
leading brands’ innovation without the risk and expense of developing the
intellectual property”. Together with the lack of
funding for the industry for research and development, I believe the growth of
the private label poses one of the most significant threats to Australia’s food
processing industry as it seriously jeopardises new product innovation and over
time reduces product choices to the detriment of consumers.
concerned by the Department of Treasury’s belief that “ultimately the market
will decide” the extent of private label market domination. This position seems dangerously
naïve and fundamentally flawed as it ignores the evidence of producers and
manufacturers that private labels dampen competition and will lead to a
reduction in product innovation and diversity. Given Treasury also identified a
number of other factors that impact the relationship between suppliers and
retailers, I am concerned about that
Department’s lack of sense of urgency and policy foresight to address this
major power imbalance to date.
The loss of
product choice and innovation over time represents a serious and growing market
failure and it would be expected that, at the very least, the Department of
Treasury would undertake meaningful independent research regarding how
consumers could be worse off with less product choice and innovation. Such
independent research should be undertaken as soon as possible as a failure to
recognise and respond in an adequate and timely manner to a market failure
seriously distorts market competition to the considerable detriment of
greatest example of the growing disparity of bargaining power that exists
between suppliers and retailers is in the trading terms. Woolworths believes
its negotiations to be ‘tough but fair’. However where the market is
dominated by two main retailers it is unrealistic to take the view that
retailers are not receiving a disproportionately greater benefit from the
trading terms than the suppliers. In a country where suppliers have relatively
few buyers domestically, and are faced with prohibitive export costs, the major
supermarket chains can impose ‘take it or leave it’ position during trading
heard disturbing evidence in camera of what appeared to be unfair and
unconscionable practices by major retailers to particular food processors. The
fact that these food processors were not prepared to give evidence in public is
in itself disturbing (indeed it merely confirms the experience of the producers
of ABC’s ‘Lateline’ program of 21 March 2012, where it was revealed that over
100 calls were made to producers and processors and only one was prepared to
speak, as long as their identity and product were not revealed). This climate
of fear seems to be a function of the growing market power of Coles and
Woolworths, combined with inadequate competition and consumer laws.
to be an urgent review of laws against unfair contract terms. Such laws are
currently limited to traditional consumer contracts and do not cover contracts
involving small business and farmers. This is a significant gap in laws against
unfair contract terms. In relation to the food processing sector potentially
unfair contract terms include the imposition of additional fees and charges
above what was originally agreed to by the supplier, as well as the refusal of
retailers to accept legitimate price increases. Suppliers need better
protection from unfair contract terms such as these in order for them to
continue operating in the market.
industry the unconscionable conduct provisions within the Australian Consumer
Law also need strengthening as currently it is almost impossible to prove a
retailer has acted unconscionably. Associate Professor Frank Zumbo,
a leading commentator on competition and consumer law issues, has also proposed
that a statutory definition of unconscionable conduct be included in Australian
Consumer Law and that Australia needs effective laws to deal with unfair terms
in contracts involving small businesses.
the Australian Consumer Law to deal effectively with unfair contract terms in
contracts involving small businesses and farmers, with further consideration be
given to including a broad statutory definition of unconscionable conduct in
the Australian Consumer Law.
could be benefit from a mandatory code of conduct which applied to grocery
retailers. A mandatory code would set standards on acceptable approaches to
negotiation, which together with a Supermarket Ombudsman or the proposed
Federal Small Business Commissioner, could provide the platform from which to
assist small businesses to resolve disputes.
I am concerned by Treasury’s
belief that it is better to leave an industry to self regulate.
In a trading environment
dominated by two major retailers and increasingly characterised by potentially
anti-competitive pricing strategies, suppliers need more empowerment than ever
if they are to continue to trade profitably.
presented to the Committee demonstrates voluntary codes are not taken seriously
and that a mandatory code would be “an efficient mechanism by which there is
the transparency...that gives food manufacturers a fair go”. A mandatory code of conduct
needs to be backed by financial penalties in the same way that the South
Australian Government has recently provided a legal framework in the Small
Business Commissioner Act 2011 for the imposition of financial penalties
for breaches of mandatory codes of conduct under the South Australian Fair
Trading Act 1987.
Federal Government implement a mandatory Supermarket Fair Trading Code of
Conduct, to be overseen by a Supermarket Ombudsman or the proposed Federal
Small Business Commissioner and backed by financial penalties under the
Competition and Consumer Act for breaches of the Code.
acknowledge the Committee’s comments in relation to the reluctance of suppliers
to come forward with complaints about the market power of the major retailers,
particularly in regards to negotiating terms of trade, I believe more can be
done to encourage and facilitate the complaint making process. The difficulty
for suppliers lies in the fact that their concerns must be communicated to the
retailers by the ACCC during the process of the ACCC investigation. The ACCC
must improve their complaint handling processes can be maintained and
guaranteed. Furthermore, if a supplier that comes forward subsequently
faces detriment there ought to be a reverse onus of proof provision which would
impose penalties on a retailer unless it can be shown that the adverse action
was not in any way related to the complaint.
the Australian Consumer Law to provide greater protection for suppliers who
have suffered detriment after making a complaint to the ACCC and by placing the
onus on the party complained of to prove that the adverse action was not in any
way related to the complaint.
also issues of the effectiveness of existing laws. It is interesting to note
that the predatory pricing provisions in the ‘Birdsville Amendment’ (section
46(1AA) of the Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Act (No 1) 2007)
have yet to be tested by a prosecution even though it has been in force for
some five years. At the very least, the ACCC should issue guidelines as to its
approach to the Birdsville Amendment.
improvements to the ACCC’s processes should not be limited to their handling of
complaints. As evidenced by their inaction in terms of the duopoly’s market
power which was largely obtained through creeping acquisitions, I believe the
ACCC needs to take a more proactive approach to market supervision and
legislative framework does not give adequate powers to the ACCC to deal with
abuses of market power. The risk of such abuse seems inevitable with an
increase in market share unless there is an effective regulatory approach. The
United Kingdom and the United States have general divestiture powers which deal
with market power by forcing businesses to ‘break up’ once they become so large
they become anti-competitive.
major retailers of some of their market power would help to create a level
playing field for suppliers and encourage more effective competition. Associate
Professor Frank Zumbo has proposed that Australian competition laws be amended
to introduce a general divestiture power. Having such a power in the Competition
and Consumer Act would bring our laws into line with the United States and
the United Kingdom.
the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to provide for a general
divestiture power whereby the ACCC and other affected parties could, in
appropriate cases, apply to the Courts for the breakup of monopolies or
dominant companies that engage in conduct that undermines competition.
entirely appropriate that the Australian Consumer Law now heavily favours the
interests of consumers by encouraging competition in the market place. However
if urgent action is not taken to address the imbalance of power of major
retailers over suppliers, consumers could eventually be paying more for their
groceries if suppliers hit the wall and go out of business. Ultimately that
will lead to less choice and less competition.
support the Committee's recommendations regarding future regulatory options,
especially those that relate to the structural separation of supermarkets’
private label businesses and the capping the level of market share achievable
by retailers. This requires legislative reform to implement the Committee’s
I support the
Committee’s recommendations regarding changes to Australia’s food labelling
laws, particularly the Committee’s recommendation that the Federal Government
implement recommendations 40 and 41 of the Blewett Review (even though the
reforms should go further, both in terms of transparency and clarity).
I believe the
Federal Government’s response to the Blewett Review was a win for
multinational, foreign owned companies who can export their products to
Australia where unsuspecting consumers purchase them, believing they are
supporting Australian producers. The Australian Food and Grocery Council bears
considerable responsibility for this given the number of multinational food
processing companies it represents. Given the evidence presented to the
Committee about the impact of our inadequate labelling laws, the Federal
Government has more than sufficient reasons to implement the Blewett Review’s
recommendation as a matter of urgency.
serious concerns about our current labelling regime and the extent to which it
allows foreign imports to be classified as ‘Made in Australia’. Currently the
test for a product to achieve this classification it must either be
‘substantially transformed’ in Australia or 50 percent of the total cost of
producing or manufacturing the good is attributable to processes that took
place in Australia.
Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Agreement is also failing
Australian producers. One of the most poignant examples of the extent of this
failure came from Mr David McKinna, who pointed out that seafood caught in the
Atlantic by a Korean vessel can be processed in China, imported into New
Zealand to be repacked and labelled at ‘Product of New Zealand’. It can then
imported into Australia where the seafood is crumbed and frozen can be sold as
a ‘Product of Australia’.
has recommended that claims of misleading or deceptive conduct arising from
imports under Australia’s free trade agreements should be investigated, however
I believe specific attention should be paid to imports under the Australian-New
Zealand Closer Economic Relations Agreement.
the Committee’s discussion about education campaigns to help further public
understanding of Australia’s labelling laws, however I believe such campaigns
would be ineffectual due to the difficulty involved with clearly explaining our
current labelling laws. The Federal Government’s attention should be focused on
reform of the laws as this will be the most effective way to protect and
promote Australian producers.
Government must also look at reforming current labelling regulations pertaining
to health-related claims, such as ‘fresh’ and ‘light’. It was recently revealed
that Coles were advertising their ‘CuisineRoyale’ bread as ‘Australian’ and ‘baked
today, sold today’, when in actual fact the bread was made from dough that had
been imported from Ireland.
submission by the Australian Olive Association highlighted how imported
chemically refined olive oils can be labelled as ‘light’ and ‘extra light’ and
are sold in direct competition with Australian made ‘extra virgin’ olive oil. Consumers believe they are
purchasing a healthier option by choosing a ‘light’ olive oil, however ‘light’
does not mean ‘low fat’. Thus Australian olive oil producers are forced to
compete with cheap and misleading imports.
Australian Olive Association’s evidence that tests performed on olive oils
available in Australia revealed some imported olive oils are in fact ‘lamp oil’
and therefore not fit for human consumption, it is imperative that the
Federal Government move to strengthen are food labelling and biosecurity laws.
The Federal Government should act on the Blewett Review’s recommendation to
establish definitions for nutrition and health related terms such as ‘light’
and ‘fresh’. In the absence of any such action I intend to introduce
legislation to address the current ambiguity of our labelling laws.
Federal Government establish definitions for health related terms such as ‘light’
and ‘fresh’ be established.
1.50 There needs to be an urgent overhaul of Australia's country of
origin food labelling laws to provide truthful and useful information to
by the Committee, a review of the new biosecurity legislation is necessary to
determine whether it adequately addresses the different standards that apply to
imported goods versus domestic products. Our current legislation has failed
Australian producers and consumers, evidenced by the inconsistencies surrounding
the import and use of the pesticide carbendazim. Australian citrus growers were
banned from using the pesticide carbendazim over two years ago, but the Federal
Government is still allowing Brazilian orange juice concentrate containing
carbendazim to be imported following a backflip on its previous commitment to
halt its importation.
previously raised concerns about the difficulties Australian producers face
from imported New Zealand goods, and in particular New Zealand apples that
carried the risk of fire blight. Australia was opening our doors
to imports that could jeopordise an entire Australian industry because many
apple growers felt trade agreements took precedence over appropriate
deserving Federal Government attention is the current costs associated with
biosecurity arrangements, particularly the impact of cost recovery arrangements
for AQIS certification charges. The removal of the 40 percent rebate on
certification charges will have a significant financial impact across the food
processing sector, including in the meat and horticultural industries.
Summerfruit Australia expressed concerns that now the full cost of recovery is
being charged which is not reflective of the actual service being provided.
previously raised concerns about the removal of this rebate and the impact it
could have on small to medium sized enterprises. As Australian producers may need
to more aggressively pursue export markets in order to minimise their trade exposure
to the major retailers, it is important that the Federal Government does not
impose additional barriers to export. I support the Committee’s recommendation
in relation to developing an affordable cost environment for Australian
producers and exporters, and believe consideration should be given to
reinstating the rebate on AQIS certification charges.
historical lack of innovation in Australia’s food processing sector has
resulted in it becoming one of Australia’s least profitable sectors. I agree with the Committee’s
view that the Federal Government must examine the current taxation and
regulatory settings and ensure it encourages innovation in the food processing
sector. More needs to be done to improve the accessibility of opportunities to
engage in innovation for those involved in the food industry.
to in paragraph previously, South Australian producers may be at an even
greater disadvantage due to their inability to obtain funding through the
Federal Government’s ‘Water for the Future’ program. Irrigators are already
too efficient to access funds through the ‘Sustainable Rural Water Use and
Infrastructure Program’, which is in place to enable irrigators to increase
their productivity. Worthwhile research and development opportunities, such as
trialling new irrigation techniques by improving infrastructure, have been denied funding as the
Program does not fund research and development projects.
Government must act to ensure the continuation of funding for research and
development for industries involved in Australia’s food supply chain. It must
look beyond the current funding arrangements and programs delivered by the
Cooperative Research Centres and ensure that Government money being directed
through other programs, such as the Sustainable Rural Water Use and
Infrastructure Program can be made available for research and development
before the Committee suggests that the current economic climate is presenting a
barrier to companies investing in their own research and development. Low
consumer confidence, increasing input costs and the high Australian dollar are
making it more and more difficult for businesses to stay afloat and leaving
little opportunity for funds to be directed towards research and development. I believe that these issues need
to be addressed and I propose that an inquiry be established to investigate the
impact of the high Australian dollar on the Australian economy, particularly
the manufacturing sector.
concerned by the potentially contradictory views of the Committee in respect of
intellectual property and the growth of private labels. The majority report
characterised the growth of private labels as an opportunity for food
processors, yet when private labels are put in the context of intellectual
property the Committee viewed them as a threat to investment in innovation. I
am inclined to view private labels in the latter sense and believe more needs
to be done to protect existing intellectual property rights of processors and foster
future innovation in Australian products.
More must be
done to protect the intellectual property rights of Australian producers who
export overseas. Unfortunately some Australian producers are all too familiar
with the integrity and quality of their brand being jeopardised in overseas
markets. Australia’s wine industry has persistently been targeted by
counterfeiters in China, with well known brands such as Penfolds and Jacobs
Creek being promoted in Chinese wine fairs, sold in Chinese liquor stores and
exported to other markets overseas. As China is Australia’s fastest
growing export market for wine, the Australian Government must ensure our
brands are not irreparably damaged by poor quality and potentially hazardous
export capabilities are also being hampered by the high Australian dollar which
is making imports cheaper and our exports more expensive. The Committee heard
that processors in Western Australia who were highly exposed to changes in the
export market have been forced to close recently. Our market is also being exposed
to higher levels of cheap imports, often from overseas industries whose food
processors are supported by higher levels of government subsidies or protected
by tariffs imposed on imports. I support the Committee’s recommendation that
the Federal Government lobbies for the reduction in tariff and non-tariff
barriers to trade in Australian export destinations.
also pose a significant threat to our producers due to Australia’s lax anti-dumping
laws. Currently Australian producers and processors must prove that the
products have been dumped and that they have suffered a material injury as a
result. The Committee heard how pork products were dumped in Australia in 2006
but that proving the dumped products caused a ‘material injury’ to the pork
industry was too complex and expensive for Australian producers. As a result no
action was taken. This demonstrates a significant
failure on the part of the Government to protect Australian producers.
that the Federal Government’s proposed anti-dumping reforms go some of the way
to protecting Australian producers and processors, however I believe these
reforms need to go much further. I agree with Australian Pork Limited who
believes reversing the onus of proof “would make a huge difference in being
able to technically determine whether dumping was taking place” and I will continue to push for
the onus of proof to be reversed in Australia’s anti-dumping legislation.
the Customs Act 1901 to reverse the onus of proof so as to require an
importer to prove the imported goods have not been dumped or subsidized for
For Coles to
challenge Australian producers to be more proactive in their approach to accessing
export markets is blatantly disrespectful and offensive to producers whose
profit margins are already being squeezed by the major retailers. If our producers really are able
to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the growing middle class in
Asia then we must act now to ensure our producers and processors are able to
compete in our domestic market.
industry views indicate that DFAT and AQIS are not doing enough to assist
Australian producers access overseas markets. Reducing the regulatory
compliance costs for exporters will go some of the way to assisting exporters,
however I believe Government departments must be more proactive in their
approach in establishing and improving relationships with export partners.
Australia needs to reconsider its approach to free trade agreements (FTAs) by
ensuring that we enter into agreements that serve our own best interests. In
fact, the Australian Food and Grocery Council described our current approach to
FTAs as “dumb” and believes the Federal Government must refocus the purpose of
FTAs to achieve greater benefits to smaller producers.
encouraged by the discussions that took place during this inquiry and by the
Committee’s recommendations. However this is not the time for complacency. The
Federal Government must move to make a fairer operating environment for
Australian food processors and priority consideration needs to be given to the
divestiture of the grocery retail market. Australia’s current regulatory regime
has made it too easy for the Coles and Woolworths duopoly to profit at the
expense of producers and consumers. To that extent producers must be protected
by effective laws against unfair contract terms and unconscionable conduct.
Similarly, the Competition and Consumer Act needs to be strengthened to
effectively deal with anti-competitive conduct and to ensure that a general
divestiture power is available to break up monopolies and dominant companies
that act to the detriment of competition and consumers. Australia’s future food
security should not be put at risk by inadequate biosecurity laws and
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Afaa Weaver has much to say - about racism, poetry and how Taoist martial arts saved his life. But first he needs to eat. Ever the gentleman, he apologizes while sitting in the Leader Hotel's restaurant, though he's just finished four hours of Chinese class and looks beat.
Fu Jen University is housing Afaa Michael Weaver - Afaa is an Ibo name a Nigerian playwright gave him - in this relative luxury because he's one of the finest poets writing in the US today, a child prodigy from Baltimore who dropped out of college and worked in factories for 15 years before publishing his first book. Weaver, 55, has been nominated for a Pulitzer, and his editor, who handles a roster of Pulitzer nominees, calls him "the African American successor to Walt Whitman."
Weaver's poems have a visual, tactile style that shows the strong mind-body awareness of a lifelong taichi practitioner. In Charleston, penned after he toured a former plantation, he writes: On steps across from the slave mart,/ I peel an orange for the slow rip of its flesh/ in my thumb, the sweet dotting on my nose/ with its juice. I suck the threads of it,/ gaze at the wooden doors now closed,/ at the empty space inside with iron hooks ... I can smell/ the congregation of odors, humans fresh/ from slave ships or working in fields, and/ humans fresh from beds of fine linen,/ sleeping with fingers in Bibles and prayers.
Imagining Africans hung up like meat for auction made him feel sick, Weaver says between bites of fruit. "The memory of black people for slavery is one that gets re-experienced sometimes when you least expect it." This is what much of Weaver's poetry and teaching focus on - trauma and how trauma repeats itself in cultures and individuals' lives.
Taichi and mind-shape boxing (xingyiquan, 形意拳) have helped Weaver deal with personal traumas. His mother wouldn't let him play football so he turned to martial arts and later freelanced for Inside Kung Fu magazine. He believes in qi, the life force traditional Chinese culture holds exists in every living thing. "In xinyiquan we talk about unified qi, developing qi so it becomes an energetic body inside the physical body," he says. "It's good for people who think too much."
One summer night in 1995, when he was teaching at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey, and neglecting his taichi, Weaver found he had trouble walking, like he had a bad cold. The next day he checked into the hospital. The nurse said his lungs were full of fluid and his heart was failing. A doctor told him he needed medicine and a heart transplant. Weaver said no thank you - he was going back to his taichi master. "What's that?" the doctor said. Weaver shakes his head as he tells the story. "They don't believe in the qi. The qi is a real thing." Twelve years later no new heart, but Weaver's fine and just has to watch his blood pressure.
Trauma is in Weaver's intense eyes. He saw abuse in his family growing up, lost a son and has been divorced. His forehead seems permanently furrowed. Otherwise he looks like a big sweet guy. Chinese-American poet Marilyn Chin calls him "Buddhistic." Built like an offensive lineman, Weaver talks, walks, writes, even practices his xingyiquan slowly and deliberately. No doubt years of taichi and meditation played a role, building a calm persona around a sensitive core. | <urn:uuid:7e8a8cf3-eee0-4ac0-b8a6-2946bfc4deeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2007/07/08/2003368561 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98091 | 748 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Although they are referred to simply by their first names, everyone knows who they are—Oprah, LeBron, Angelina, Bono, Beyonce, Tiger, Arnold (said with an accent), and many others. The world of technology has created a new religion of celebrity, and the worship is extensive.
I am certainly excited to spot such people in New York or LA; it’s fun to recognize someone seen on the big or little screen. So what’s wrong with that?
This quote from James C. Howell’s book Servants, Misfits, and Martyrs made me think:
In this narcissistic, self-pleasing culture, we welcome celebrities because we lack imagination and courage. Traditional heroes make demands on us, but celebrities make no moral claim on us. Glittering stars in our culture merely feed our narcissism, our love of self, our addiction to everything our society finds pleasurable. No one ever asks how our constant exposure to the rich and famous is supposed to make us good or wise or faithful. Even if we are trying to live faithful lives, our minds are always being reshaped, just a little, into the image of what surrounds us. But heroes—saints—stretch our imaginations and stand as imperatives, calling, wooing us into a higher, holier, life.
Ouch! Never have I considered myself a celebrity follower because I am not impressed with their lifestyles or character. My exposure to them isn’t a 10, but I am on the scale. I am captivated by their homes, clothing, and beauty (unless their skin looks weirdly and artificially stretched).
Such interest may numb me to God’s best. When I notice their clothes, I feel less guilty about enlarging my own wardrobe. Upon seeing images of their homes, I feel entitled to a more luxurious place to live. When they are pictured enjoying the world, I yearn for trips to exotic destinations. Such things slowly immunize me to God’s call to unselfishness, sacrifice, and love.
Christian heroes aren’t perfect, but they do desire to become like Jesus, focusing on his kingdom, not this world. Rather than acclaim, they seek God’s approval. We can’t identify them by their number of followers, because many Christian celebrities live just like those in the world. Instead, we recognize them by their character: selflessness, love, generosity, grace, and courage. A Christ-like life convicts me to give more, live with less, and sacrifice my own agenda to serve God.
Let’s choose to fill our minds with less celebrity and more heroes. Let’s quit focusing on people whose lives don’t make us better. Instead, let’s identify saints whose lifestyles call us to Christlikeness and allow their influence to draw us to worship God alone.
Flickr image courtesy of cukuskumir | <urn:uuid:0b698e29-be0c-41ed-bf98-ac1712042cd4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.faithvillage.com/article/283d01ee3ec9404399df7ff2da58469b/the_celebrity_cult?return=%2Farticle%2F79a450dc728a4f86a60bcd36d0df2c36%2Ffostering_isnt_for_everyone_but_everyone_can_play_a_part | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943473 | 613 | 1.507813 | 2 |
For reasons not clear to me, Fritz Lang's An American Guerilla in the Philippines is almost totally unknown, at least in America, and most existent awareness is tainted by it having the worst reputation of the director's already generally undervalued (but superior) American period. I got a rare chance to see the film on 35mm at the Viennale and was unexpectedly moved by its vivid adventure. I feel like I've read for years that Lang loved adventure stories, and while he made many that were artificially constructed, I think one can sense in their ambition and grandeur a desire, in his focus on science and exoticism, to make a “real” one. (Perhaps much like how Alain Resnais has always giddily wanted to make a comic book movie.) What was so moving for me was the realization that this 1950 film seems to be the first and only time Fritz Lang truly got to make a true adventure film.
Shot in color and almost entirely on location in the Philippines, inspired by recent history of American soldiers, navy and army, being stranded and fighting behind Japanese enemy lines on the Philippine islands after the collapse and retreat of American forces there, the film captures a magic intersection between the real world and the metaphysical lines, wills and technologies that Lang's past films have posited, usually with a high degree of directorial abstraction and isolation, as tying together and attempting to control the course of the world. While films like the first two Dr. Mabuse entries (1922, 1933), Fury (1936) and a significant number of Lang's American work are absolutely spawned from and comment upon the politics, culture and society in which they were made, An American Guerilla, with its dressings of pictorial realism and an unstory-like, episodic sequence of events narrated by star Tyrone Power, has the unlikely appearance of a Fritz Lang actuality. It nearly is a fictionalized documentary. Or perhaps vice versa.
It is not only startling for this grasp of something outside the confines of the studio. Particularly remarkable is the answer to the question that is asked in almost all of Lang—either explicitly, as in Spione (1928) and Secret Beyond the Door... (1948), or implicitly—of who or what is telling the story we are watching, who or what is controlling or determining the action. For this 1950 film that answer is America. Gone is the ideological need of Lang's wartime films—note that all his war films are either about being stuck behind enemy lines or being stranded at home in a world that feels like it's that of the enemy—to confirm Nazi immorality and inspire American internationalist intervention. American Guerilla's motivation is like a post-War documentary on overseas cleanup and Marshall Plan rehabilitation: Look at what America and democracy can do for you! Stranded seaman Tyrone Power and his ragtag group are far from the rugged survivalist-fighters of Walsh's Objective, Burma! (1945), and are closer to Western Union's (1940) men driven, vaguely, by manifest destiny, Presidential encouragement, and teleological technological development. In American Guerilla, the outfit are akin to institutional soldier-engineer-social-workers, building radios, printing money, laying telegraph line. We literally watch them build (or modernize in the guise of re-building) more than we watch them fight. Orders are issued obliquely from afar; the only presence of real authority we see are haunting/ironic messages on cigarette packs bearing General MacArthur's famous “I will return” dictum and his replicated signature. Nearly the last shot of the film is a totemic medium shot of the great man (actually an actor) finally arriving at the Philippines, decked out in his usual sunglasses and uniform, and his appearance like this erupts in the frame like the stark figure of Mabuse or the revelation of Spione's Haghi: “Allmächtiger Gott -- welche Macht hat hier die Hand im spiele -- ?!” “Ich.” Except this man is no super villain or manipulator; he is nothing but an icon for that giant overseas power that has quietly been directing everything we've been watching.
To follow a line of thought from Tom Gunning's essential book on Lang, the masterful individual Mabuse figure from Germany's (and Lang's) Weimar-era, having gone through several transformations through time and Lang's move to America, has now dispersed like a fog to encompass something as grandiose yet pervasively abstract and unreachable as political ideology and its intervention upon the world. The final sequence in the film could be taking place in America: miniature American flags have appeared out of nowhere, and a Coca-Cola is shared as the military parade of returning Americans goes by.
Thus the film is one of Lang's most remarkable portraits of the motivating forces behind the movements and conflicts of man, no longer conjured in the safety of a studio and led by a single figure, but found in the footpaths, jungles, hills and cabins of the Philippines and ordered from afar in a freshly globalized world. It is Lang's only true “war film,” and as both a production and striking record of real world exploit, a genuine adventure—a powerful idea considering the context of the film's ideology, and all the more so as An American Guerilla is the closest the director ever got to documentary. For once even the story seems out of his hands, and has been predetermined by a force beyond even the director's control. One might return to his adventure worlds of near total artifice—Harakiri (1919), Woman on the Moon (1929), Man Hunt (1941), the Tiger epic (1959), etc.—and be shocked to find more serene and linear their sense that for all the sinister manipulations inextricably chained together, there is still one man in control of it all, the man behind the camera. Linked to the outside world, Lang generously, vividly and unforgettably gives his film up to a new global dominating force within his power to constraint to his frames, but beyond his power to control. | <urn:uuid:e14c3367-41f0-434d-9262-5ced301a510a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mubi.com/notebook/posts/viennale-2012-the-unseen-guerilla | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957587 | 1,271 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Giant panda cub dies at U.S. National Zoo 0
Giant panda Mei Xiang enjoys an afternoon nap at the National Zoo in Washington in this file photo taken Aug. 23, 2007. Mei Xiang's newborn cub died on Sunday, according to zoo officials. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Files
WASHINGTON - The giant panda cub born at the National Zoo just one week ago died on Sunday, zoo officials said.
While the exact cause of the baby panda’s death is yet to be determined, zoo officials said the cub, which weighed just under 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces), was in good body condition and that there were no outward signs of trauma or infection.
The cub’s death was discovered Sunday morning after panda keepers and zoo volunteers heard a distress vocalization from its mother, Mei Xiang.
The panda cam that allowed the public to watch the baby and its mother over the Internet was turned off and zoo staff retrieved the body for evaluation.
The unnamed cub was born on Sept. 16 after five years of failed efforts at conception. Fourteen-year-old Mei Xiang was described as a good mother. At the time of the birth, zoo officials had said the first month of life was crucial in the life of a panda cub.
This was Mei Xiang’s second cub. She gave birth to her first cub, Tai Shan, July 9, 2005. Tai Shan is now at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong.
(Reporting by Donna Smith; Editing by Jackie Frank) | <urn:uuid:d6366fb6-c973-4b90-b7b5-0951dc971384> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lfpress.com/2012/09/23/giant-panda-cub-dies-at-us-national-zoo | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965926 | 325 | 1.710938 | 2 |
By William K. Black
Bill Black is the author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One and an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He spent years working on regulatory policy and fraud prevention as Executive Director of the Institute for Fraud Prevention, Litigation Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and Deputy Director of the National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement, among other positions.
In criminology, we recognize that one of the leading restraints on the effectiveness of law enforcement is “systems capacity.” Indeed, my mentor, Henry Pontell (UC Irvine), defined the concept. In the context of crimes of the street (other than Wall Street), there is normally no lobby trying to allow the typically lower class criminals to commit their crimes with impunity. In crimes of the business suites, however, it is the norm that there are well-funded, powerful, and seemingly legitimate lobbyists for the elite criminals who seek to allow them to commit their crimes with impunity. Similarly, it is rare for street criminals to consult a lawyer before they commit their crimes. Elite white-collar criminals often consult with expert legal counsel before, during, and after they commit their crimes in order to try to minimize the risk of being sanctioned.
One of the most obvious ways to produce a criminogenic environment is to create systems incapacity to detect and sanction crime. House Republicans are doing that in the context of elite white-collar crime. That context also happens to be the leading campaign donors for both parties.
On June 9, 2012, The New York Times published an important editorial entitled “Lost the Vote? Deny the Money.” The editorial will be ignored by the Obama administration and Republicans but it is well worth reading in full. Here are some key excerpts.
If you wanted to reproduce the conditions that led to the Great Recession in 2007, the easiest way would be the plan unveiled last week by House Republicans: gut the regulators who are supposed to keep the worst business practices in check.
At a time when the economy is still reeling from the downturn, House Republicans released a spending bill that would severely cut the budget of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which would keep it from regulating potentially toxic swaps and other derivatives. It refused to give the Securities and Exchange Commission the extra money it needs to carry out the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill.
And the bill would cripple the Internal Revenue Service, limiting its ability to detect tax avoidance, particularly by businesses and the wealthy. (The I.R.S. cut, designed to impede the agency’s role in health care reform, will inevitably increase the deficit.)
With 710 employees, the C.F.T.C. staff is barely big enough for its current responsibilities, let alone its new mission under Dodd-Frank to oversee the huge over-the-counter swaps market. Its budget is $205 million, which President Obama proposed increasing to $308 million for 2013 to deal with swaps. The House Appropriations Committee has proposed slashing next year’s budget to $180 million.
The agency’s chairman, Gary Gensler, said: “The result of the House bill is to effectively put the interests of Wall Street ahead of those of the American public, by significantly underfunding the agency Congress tasked to oversee derivatives — the same complex financial instruments that helped contribute to the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression.”
As Mr. Gensler pointed out, the market in swaps, at $300 trillion, is eight times larger than the futures market his agency has been regulating, and yet the House wants to cut the agency’s budget significantly. The House committee chairman, Harold Rogers, said the agency should return to its “core duties,” a statement that brazenly ignores a new set of duties Congress put on the books.
In this essay I make four brief points. First, the House Republicans’ proposals would produce the most criminogenic environment in the world that risks an even larger financial crisis and outright depression. This isn’t simply the lesson of the current crisis. George Akerlof and Paul Romer explained the point in 1993 in their classic article (“Looting: the Economic Underworld of Bankruptcy for Profit”). They made this paragraph their conclusion in order to emphasize the message.
“Neither the public nor economists foresaw that [S&L deregulation was] bound to produce looting. Nor, unaware of the concept, could they have known how serious it would be. Thus the regulators in the field who understood what was happening from the beginning found lukewarm support, at best, for their cause. Now we know better. If we learn from experience, history need not repeat itself” (Akerlof & Romer1993: 60).
Akerlof was made a Nobel Laureate in economics in 2001.
Second, the losers from creating a criminogenic environment that encourages looting are not “merely” the public – the losers include honest businesses. When cheaters gain a competitive market, competition becomes perverse and firms controlled by the least ethical CEOs can drive their honest competitors from the marketplace. Akerlof made this point explicitly in his even more famous 1970 article on markets for “lemons” where he wrote about the economics of anti-purchaser control frauds. He called it a “Gresham’s” dynamic.
“[D]ishonest dealings tend to drive honest dealings out of the market. The cost of dishonesty, therefore, lies not only in the amount by which the purchaser is cheated; the cost also must include the loss incurred from driving legitimate business out of existence.”
Modern executive compensation causes accounting control fraud to produce a powerful Gresham’s dynamic. CFOs rightly fears that their tenure may be measured in months if they do not mimic their rivals’ use of accounting control fraud to produce what Akerlof and Romer aptly termed a “sure thing” of record reported income that, in turn, produces enormous executive compensation.
Classic economists stressed the essential role of government – providing a rule of law and preventing and punishing criminal acts, including fraud. Ayn Rand stressed that government had a duty to prevent fraud. The essence of crony capitalism is the ability to commit fraud with impunity. The Tea Party opposes crony capitalism and the House Republicans quake in fear of upsetting the Tea Party and being challenged in the Republican primary.
We have deregulated, desupervised, and de facto decriminalized finance in the U.S. and Europe to an unprecedented extent in the last 30 years and the results have been uniformly catastrophic. Governor Romney states that he intends to repeal the entire Dodd-Frank Act and recreate the criminogenic environment that caused the financial crisis and the Great Recession.
We have four dogs that have failed to bark. Conservatives have long claimed to be the party of law and order – where are they. The data are in – the Bush and Obama administrations have been soft on elite white-collar crime (by their largest campaign donors). Libertarians and Tea Party supporters who hate crony capitalism – rise up and demand an end to the elites who grow wealthy by committing fraud with impunity and cost millions of Americans and Europeans their jobs.
And where are President Obama and Attorney General Holder on this issue? The editorial quotes only regulators. The President and the Attorney General should be taking the lead and denouncing the deliberate recreation of a criminogenic environment. Here is the central fact that Holder and Obama have never grasped – effective investigations and prosecutions of epidemics of elite financial frauds are only possible where the regulators and the SEC do the heavy lifting. The regulators will only do the heavy lifting if their leaders understand control fraud and make its detection, termination, sanctioning, and prosecution their top priorities. Bush and Obama have overwhelmingly appointed failed, anti-regulators like James Gilleran, John Reich, John Dugan, Timothy Geithner, Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Harvey Pitt, and Susan Schapiro. They have also appointed attorney generals who have all been weak on elite financial fraud.
The epidemic of accounting control fraud by financial institutions that drove the Great Recession was the largest and most costly example of white-collar crime in history. But all we have heard from Obama and Holder is minimization of the role of fraud in the crisis and the same abject failure as the Bush administration to prosecute the elite frauds that drove the crisis. The minimization of fraud comes from the death of criminal referrals by the regulatory agencies. Neither the banking regulatory agencies nor the FBI has conducted what would have been considered in our era a serious investigation of an elite financial institution. When it comes to elite frauds; if you don’t look you don’t find. Having falsely claimed that there were only trivial violations of the law, the Obama administration has emasculated its ability to go credibly to the public and warn that the House Republicans are about to recreate the criminogenic environment that produces our recurrent, intensifying financial crises. Holder and Obama cannot credibly claim that the House Republicans are about to allow our financial elites to again grow wealthy through fraud because Holder and Obama are continuing Mukasey and Bush’s policy of granting de facto immunity to the elite criminals who caused the crisis.
Prominent Republican writers have recently urged their Party to destroy crony capitalism. Instead, their representatives are trying to entrench it. Prominent progressives have been urging Obama to destroy crony capitalism. Instead, he has entrenched it by taking his financial advice from Robert Rubin, Lawrence Summers, Geithner, and Bernanke. Neither party is willing to take on their leading source of political contributions. We need a party, an attorney general, and a slew of regulators who will make it their mission to end crony capitalism in America. Europe needs the same thing. | <urn:uuid:0729bf65-3915-4416-813e-6d88822531b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pippinghole.blogspot.com/2012/06/house-republicans-try-to-create-worlds.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954151 | 2,044 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Sermon delivered at the funeral of King Follett0 held at the General Conference of the Church at Nauvoo, Ill. on Sunday Afternoon April 7, 1844 1 Sources: Joseph Smith diary (Willard Richards), Samuel W. Richards record, Thomas Bullock report, Wilford Woodruff journal, William Clayton report, George Laub record and Thomas Bullock's official conference minutes compiled from his and Clayton's minutes and published in Times and Seasons, 5 (August 15, 1844):612ff) 1a
Smith Diary Richards Record Bullock Report Woodruff Journal Clayton Report Laub Summary Times and Seasons Minutes 3 1/4 p.m.-- The President having arrived--the Choir sung an hymn Elder Amasa Lyman prayed.
¶ The Prophet while I address you on the subject which was contempd in the fore pt. of the Con.--as the Wind blows very hard it will be hardly possible for me to make you all hear
3 o clock P M April Sunday 7th 1844
¶ The following important edefying & interesting discourse was deliverd by President Joseph Smith to about
twentyten thousand souls upon the subject of the death of Elder King Follett
¶ I now call the attention of this congregation while I addres you upon the subject of the dead
Choir sung a Hymn Prayer by Er A. Lyman.
¶ Prest. J. Smith called the attention of the con. upon the subjects contemplated in the fore part of this con.--as the wind blows hard it will be impossible to make hear unless profound attention--
The president having arrived _ the choir sung a hymn Elder A. Lyman offered prayer
¶ The president then arose and called the attention of the congregation upon the subjects which were contemplated in the fore part of the conference. As the wind blows very hard, it will be hardly possible for me to make you all hear unless there is profound attention.
Joseph commenced speaking on the subject of the Dead--relative to the death of elder King Follett who was crushed in a well. by the falling of a tub of rock on him.-- Most Important Subject - The Dead
it is of the greatest importance & the most solemn of any that cod. occupy our attentn. & that is the subj of the dead on the dece of our bror. Follit who was crushed to death in a well--& inasmuch as there are a great many in this congre who live in this city & who have lost friend I shall speak in genl. & offer you my ideas so far as I have ability & so far as I shall be inspd. by the H S. to dwell on his subjt. I want your prayer faith the inspn. of Alm God to say things that are true & shall carry the testimony to your hearts & pray that he may streng my lungs--stay the winds--& let the pray of the Saints to heaven appear--for the prayers of the righteous avail much & I verily believe that your prayers shall be heard. Before I enter in this investign. fully of the subjt. that is lying before us
The case of our Beloved Brother King Follett, who was crushed to death in a well, as well as many others who have lost friends will be had in mind this afternoon, & I shall speak upon the subject in general as far as I shall be inspired by the Holy Spirit to treat upon the subjectit, I want the Prayers & faith of the saints that I may have the Holy Ghost, that the testimony may carry conviction to your minds of the truth of what I shall say, & pray that the Lord may strengthen my lungs, there is strength here, & your prayers will be herd. Before I enter upon an investigation of this subject, Subject of the greatest importance and most solemn that could occupy our attention. the subject of the dead been requested to speak on the subject on the decease of bro Follet who was crushed to death &c--I have been requested to speak by his friends & relatives & inasmuch as great many here in con-- who live in this City as well as elsewhere who have deceased friends feel disposed to speak on the subject in general and offer my ideas as far as ability & as far as inspired by H. S. Want your prayers faith the inspiration of Almighty God the Gift of H. S. that I may set forth truth things that can easily be comprehended and will carry the testimony to your hearts. Pray that the L may strengthen my lungs control the wind that it may enter into the ear of the L of Sabbath. The fervent effectual prayer of righteous men availeth much--. Will speak in order to hold out Before enter fully into the investigation It is of the greatest importance, and the most solemn of any that can occupy our attention, and that is, the subject of the dead; on the decease of our brother Follett, who was crushed to death in a well, I have been requested to speak by his friends and relatives, and inasmuch as there are a great many in this congregation who live in this city, as well as elsewhere, and who have lost friends, I feel disposed to speak on the subject in general, and offer you my ideas so far as I have ability, and so far as I shall be inspired by the Holy Spirit to dwell on this subject. I want your prayers and faith, the instruction of Almighty God and the gift of the Holy Ghost, that I may set forth things that are true, that can easily be comprehended, and shall carry the testimony to your hearts; pray that the Lord may strengthen my lungs, stay the winds and let the prayers of the saints to heaven appear, that it may enter into the ear of the Lord of Sabaoth; for the effectual prayers of righteous men availeth much, and I verily believe that your prayers shall be heard before I enter into the investigation fully of the subject that is laying before me. Before entering fully into the investigation, Preliminaries
I wish to make a few preliminaries in order that you may understand when I come to it I do not calculate to please your ears with oratory with much leang. but I calculate to edify you with simple truths from Heaven.
I wish to pave the way, and bring up the subject from the beginning that you may understand. I do not intend to please you with oratory but with the simple truths of heaven to Edify you. wish to pave the way--make a few preliminaries--bring the subject from the beginning in order that you may understand the subject when I come to it. Do not calculate to please your ears with superfluity of words oratory much learning, but edify you by the simple truths of heaven. I wish to pave the way: I will make a few preliminaries, in order that you may understand the subject when I come to it. I do not calculate to please your ears with superfluity of words or oratory, or with much learning; but I calculate to edify you with the simple truths from heaven. The Beginning of Creation
I wish to go back to the begin: of creation--it is necessary to know the mind decree & ordinatn. of the great Eloi beging at the creatn. & it is necy. for us to have un understandg. of God in the beging. if we start right it is very easy for us to go right all the time but if we start wrong, it is hard to get right
Go to the morn of creation to understand ofthe decrees of the Eloheem at the Creation. It is necessary for us to have an understanding of God at the beginning, if we get a good start first, we can go right, but if you start wrong, you may go wrong. First place wish to go back to the beginning of creation. There the starting point in order to fully acquainted with purposes, decrees &c of the Great Eloheim that sits in the hev. for us to take up beginning at the creation necessary to understand something of God himself in the beginning. If we start right easy to go right all the time--start wrong hard matter to get right. First of all, or in the beginning, In the first place, I wish to go back to the beginning of creation; there is the starting point, in order to be fully acquainted with the mind, purposes, decrees, &c. of the great Eloheim, that sits in yonder heavens, it is necessary for us to have an understanding of God himself in the beginning. If we start right, it is easy to go right all the time; but if we start wrong, it is a hard matter to get right. ¶ If men do not comprehend the character of God they do not comprehend themselves. Character (Nature) of God
There are very few who understand rightly the char of God--They do not comprehend any thing that is past or that which is to come & com: but little more than the brute beast if a man learns know nothing more than to eat, drink, sleep, & does not comprehend any of the desn. of God the Beast com the same thing eats drin sleeps--[k]noes nothing more & how are we to do it by no or. way than the inspn of A. God.
¶ I want to go back to the begin & so get you into a more lofty sphere than what the human being generally understands I want to ask this cong: every man wom: & child to ansr. the questn. in their own heart what kind of a being is God
But few understand the character of God. they do not know they do not understand their relationship to God. the world know no more than the brute beast, & they know no more than to eat drink and sleep & this is all man knows about God or his exhistence, except what is given by the inspiration of the Almighty. go then to the beginning that you may understand. Few beings in the world who understand the character of God and do not comprehend their own character. They cannot compren the beginning nor the end neit their own relation and is but little above the beast. If a man comprehends nothing more than to eat sleep arise and not any more and what the designs of Jehov what better than the beast it does the same thing--eat drink sleep & comprehends present and knows as much as we, unless we are able to com by the inspiration of A. God. Go back to beginning to lift you minds into a more exalted standing than the human mind is want Want to ask this this congregation every man, woman, &c what kind of a being is God. ask yourselves. There are a very few beings in the world who understand rightly the character of God. They do not comprehend any thing, that which is past, or that which is to come; and consequently, but little above the brute beast. If a man learns nothing more than to eat, drink, sleep, and does not comprehend any of the designs of God, the beast comprehends the same thing; it eats, drinks, sleeps, knows nothing more; yet knows as much as we unless WE are able to comprehend by the inspiration of Almighty God. I want to go back to the beginning, and so lift your minds into a more lofty sphere, a more exalted understanding; than what the human mind generally understands. I want to ask this congregation, every man, woman and child, to answer the question in their own heart, what kind of a being is God? ask yourselves. what kind of being is God?-- What Kind of Being is God
I agn. rept. the questn. what kind of a being is God does any man or woman know have any of you seen, him heard him, communed with him, here is the questn. that will peradventure from this time henceforth occupy your attentn.--
I ask this congregation what kind of a being is God? turn your thoughts in your hearts, & say have any of you seen or herd him or communed with him this is a question that may occupy your attention I repeat the question what kind of a being is God. Any man or woman that know, any of you seen him? heard him? communed with him? Here a subject that will peradventure occupy your attention while you live-- I again repeat the question, what kind of a being is God? Does any man or woman know? have any of you seen him, heard him, communed with him? Here is the question that will peradventure from this time henceforth, occupy your attention. Eternal life to know God.--if man does not know God, has not Eternal life.--if I am so fortunate as to comprehend and explain the [incomplete thought] let every one sit in silence and never lift your voice against the servants of God again. Must know the only living and true God and Jesus Christ. to have eternal life, Essential to Know God
The Apos: says this is Eternal life to know God & J. C. who he has sent--that is eternl. life if any man enquire what kind of a being is God if he will search diligently his own heart that unless he knows God he has no eternal life--my first object is to find out the character of the true God & if I shod. be the man to com: the God & I com: them to your heart let every man & woman henceforth shut their mouths & never say anything agst. the man of God & If I do not do it I have no right to revn. inspn. if all are [indecipherable word] to the God, they will all be as bad off as I am. they will all say I ought to be d d. there is not a man or wom who wod not breath out an anathema on my head & some wod feel authd. to take away my life--
The scriptures inform us that this is eternal life to know the onwly wise God & Jesus Christ whom He has sent. If any inquire what kind of a being God is, I would say If you dont know God you have not eternal life, go back & find out what kind of a being God is. If I am the man that shows you what kind of a being God is, then let evry man & woman sit in silence and never lift up his hand against me again if I do not do it, I will not make any further pretensions to inspiration or to be a prophet, I would be like the rest of the world, fals teachers, and you would want to take my life. The apostle says this is eternal life to know &c" that is eternal life if any man inquires what kind of being is God casts his mind to know--if the declaration of the ap be true he will realize that he has not eternal life. There can be eternal life on no other principle. 1st object to find the character of the only wise & true God.
¶ I comprehend so that the spirit seals it upon you hearts, let every man and woman put his hand on his mouth & never say anything against the man of God again. But if I fail it becomes my duty to renounce all my pretensions to inspiration &c and if I should do so should I not be as bad as all the rest of the world. Not a man would not breath anathema if they knew I was a false prophet. Some would take away my life.
The apostle says this is eternal life, to know God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. If any man enquire what kind of a being is God, if he will search diligently his own heart, if the declaration of the apostle by true, he will realize that he has not eternal life, there can be eternal life on no other principle. My first object is, to find out the character of the only wise and true God, and if I should be the man to comprehend God, and explain or convey the principles to your hearts so that the spirit seals it upon you, let every man and woman henceforth put their hand on their mouth and never say any thing against the man of God again; but if I fail, it becomes my duty to renounce all my pretensions to revelations, inspirations, &c., and if all are pretensions to God, they will all be as bad off as I am at any rate. There is not a man but would breathe out an anathema, if they knew I was a false prophet; and some would feel authorized to take away my life. ¶ Every man has a right to be a false prophet. as well as a true prophet.-- False Prophet? Not a Capital Crime
if any man is authd. to take away my life who say I am a false teacher so I shod. have the same right to all false teacher & where wod. be the end of the blood & there is no law in the heart of God that wod. allow anyone to interfere with the rights of man every man has the right to be a false as well as a true prophet--If I show verily that I have the truth of God & show that ninety-nine of 100 are false prop. it wod. deluge the whole world with blood.
But you might just as well take the lives of other fals teachers as mine if I was fals, But meddle not with any man for his religion, evry government ought to permit evry man to enjoy his religion. I will show the world is wrong by showing what God is. If any man is authorized to take my life because I am a false teacher then upon the same principle am I authorized to take the life of every false teacher and who would not be the sufferer--but no man is authorized to take away life in consequence of their religion. All laws and governments ought to tolerate whether right or wron. If I show that I have the truth of God & 99/100 are false teachers while they pretend to hold the keys of God & go to killing them because &c would it not deluge the world in blood. If any man is authorized to take away my life, who says I am a false teacher: then upon the same principle am I authorized to take away the life of every false teacher, and where would be the end of blood, and who would not be the sufferer. But no man is authorized to take away life in consequence of their religion; which all laws and governments ought to tolerate, right or wrong. If I show verily, that I have the truth of God, and show that ninety-nine out of a hundred are false teachers, while they pretend to hold the keys of God, and to kill them because they are false teachers, it would deluge the whole world with blood. in the beginning. before the world was. Prophet to Help Us Know God
I want you all to know God to be familiar with him & if I can bring you to him all persecut. agst. me will cease & let you know that I am his servt. for I speak as one havg. authy. and not as a scrib[e] open your ears & eyes all ye Ends of the Earth & hear & I am going to prove. it to you with the Bible & I am going to tell you the desns. of God to the human race & why he interferes with the affairs of man
I am going to inquire after God so that you may know God, that persecution may cease concerning me, I go back to the beginning to show what kind of a being God was, I will tell you & hear it, O Earth! Want you should all now God--be familiar--If I can get you to know I can bring to him.& if so you will cease to persecute me. I speak in authority. What kind of a being was God in the beginning. Hear all ye ends of the earth. I am going to prove it by the bible & the relation the human family sustains with God. I want you all to know God, to be familiar with him, and if I can bring you to him, all persecutions against me will cease; you will know that I am his servant, for I speak as one having authority-- What sort of a being was God in the beginning? Open your ears and hear all ye ends of the earth; for I am going to tell you the designs of God to the human race, and why he interferes with the affairs of man. --Is a man like one of yourselves.--should you see him to day. you would see a man in fashion and in form. Adam was formed in his likeness.- - - - - - - God: a man like one of us, even like Adam. God Was A Mortal Once On Another Earth
God himself who sits enthroned in yonder Heavens is a man like unto one of yourselves who holds this world in its orbit & upholds all things by his power if you were to see him today you wod. see him a man for Adam was a man like in fashion & image like unto him Adam wakd talked & convd. with him as one man talks & com: with anor. in order to speak for the consoln. of those who mourn for the loss of their friend it is necy. to understand the char. & being of God for I am going to tell you what sort of a being of God.
God who sits in yonder heavens is a man like yourselves That God if you were to see him to day that holds the worlds you would see him like a man in form, like yourselves. Adam was made in his image and talked with him & walkd with him. In order to understand the dead for the consolation of those that mourn, I want you to understand God and how he comes to be God. 1st God that sits enthroned is a man like one of yourselves. That is the great secret. If the veil was rent to day & the great God who holds this world in its sphere or its orbit--the planets--if you were to see him to day you would see him in all the person image, very form of man, For Adam was created in the very fashion of God. Adam recieved instruction walked talked as one man with another. In order to understand the subject of the ded [dead] for the consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends necessary they should understand Going to tell you how God came to be God. ¶ First, God himself, who sits enthroned in yonder heavens, is a man like unto one of yourselves, that is the great secret. If the vail was rent to-day, and the great God, who holds this world in its orbit, and upholds all things by his power; if you were to see him to-day, you would see him in all the person, image and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion and image of God; Adam received instruction, walked talked and conversed with him, as one man talks and communes with another.
¶ In order to understand the subject of the dead, for the consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary they should understand the character and being of God, for I am going to tell you how God came to be God.
¶ refute the Idea that God was God from all eternity - Not God from all Eternity. God Not Always God
for he was God from the begin of all Eternity & if I do not refute it-- truth is the touchstone they are the simple and first princ: of truth to know for a certainty the char. of God that
We suppose that God was God from eternity. I will refute that Idea, or I will do away or take away the veil so you may see. It is the first principle to know that We have imagined that God was God from all eternity-- These are incomprehensible to some but are the first principle of the gospel--to know that We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. These are incomprehensible ideas to some, but they are simple and first principles of the gospel, to know for a certainty the character of God, that Jesus said as the father had power in himself even so hath the son power Once on a planet with flesh and blood, like Christ. As the father hath life in himself &c. We May Converse With God As With Another Man
we may conv with him same as a man & God himself the father of us all dwelt on a Earth same as Js. himself did & I will shew it from the Bible--I wish I had the trump of an Arch An. I cod. tell the story in such a manner that pers: shod cease forever-- J. Sd as the Far. hath power in himself even so hath the Son power to do what
we may converse with him and that he once was a man like us, and the Father was once on an earth like us, And I wish I was in a suitable place to tell it The scriptures inform us mark it that Jesus Christ said As the Father hath power in himself, so hath the son power in himself to do what we may converse with him as one man with another & that he was once as one of us and was on a planet as Jesus was in the flesh--If I have the privilege could tell the story in such a manner as persecution would cease forever. Said Jesus (mark it Br. Rigdon) What did Jesus say--as the father hath power in himself even so hath the son power to do what we may converse with him as one man with another, and that God himself; the Father of us all dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did, and I will show it from the Bible. I wish I had the trump of a arch angel, I could tell the story in such a manner that persecution would cease forever; what did Jesus say? (mark it elder Rigdon;) Jesus said, as the Father hat power in himself, even so hath the Son power; to do what? to do what the father did. Lay down his body. & take it up again- The Father Died And Was Resurrected
the Far. did that ansr. is obvious in a manner to lay down his body & take it up--J--did as my Far. laid down his body & take it up agn. if you don't believe it you don't believe the Bile the Scrip says & I defy all hell all learng. wisdom & records of hell togr to refute it here then is Etl. life to know the only wise and true God
the father did even to lay down my body & take it up again do you believe it, if not, dont believe the bible. I defy all Hell and earth to refute it. why what the father did, to lay down his body and took it up again. Jesus what are you going to do--to lay down my life as my father did that I might take it up again. If you deny it you deny the bible. I defy the [learning?] and wisdom & all the combined powers of earth and hell to refute it. we choose tabernacles for ourselves that we might be exalted equal with God himself and therefore, Jesus Christ spoke in this manner; I do as my Father before me did. Well what did the Father do? Why he went and took a body and went to redeem a world in the flesh and had power to lay down his life and to take it up again and this is the way we become heirs with God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. why what the Father did, that answer is obvious; in a manner to lay down his body and take it up again. Jesus what are you going to do? To lay down my life, as my Father did, and take it up again.---- If you do not believe it, you do not believe the Bible; the scriptures say it, and I defy all the learning and wisdom, all the combined powers of earth and hell together, to refute it. Here then is eternal life, to know the only wise and true God. - you have got to learn how to make yourselves God, Kings, Priests, &c. - by going from a small to great capacity. Till they are able to dwell in everlasting burning & everlasting power. - To know God learn to become God's. Exalted by the addition of subjects to his family, or kingdom. Must Become as God
you have got to learn how to be a God yourself & be a K. &
GodPriest to God same as all have done by going from a small capy to anr. from grace to grace until the resn. of& sit in everlasting power as they who have gone before & God in the L. D. while certn. individs are proclaimg. his name is not trifling with us-- And you have got to learn how to make yourselves God, king and priest, by going from a small capacity to a great capacity to the resurrection of the dead to dwelling in everlasting burnings, I want you to know the first principle of this law, You have got to learn how to be a god yourself in order to save yourself-- to be priests & kings as all Gods has done--by going from a small degree to another--from exaltation to ex--till they are able to sit in glory as with those who sit enthroned. I want you to know while God is being proclaimed that he is not trifling with you nor me. You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves; to be kings and priests to God the same as all Gods have done; by going from a small degree to another, from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you are able to sit in glory as doth those who sit enthroned in everlasting power; and I want you to know that God in the last days, while certain individuals are proclaiming his name, is not trifling with you or me; ¶ how consoling when called to part with a dear friend. to know their very being will rise to dwell in everlasting burning.--heirs of God. and ascend a throne as those who have gone before. = Consoling-To Know They are Heirs
how consoling to the mourner when they are cald. to part with a wife, mother, father, dr. relative to know that all Earthly taber shall be dissolved that they shall be heirs of God & jt. hrs of J. C. to inherit the same power exaltn. until you ascd. the throne of Etl. power same as those who are gone bef. what J. did I do the things I saw my Far. do
how consoling to the mourner when they part with a friend to know that though they lay down this dody [sic]. it will rise & dwell with everlasting burnings to be an heir of God & joint heir with Jesus Christ enjoying the same rise, exhaltation & glory until you arrive at the station of a God. What did Jesus Christ do? The same thing as I se the Father do, 1st principles of consolation how consoling to the mourner when called to part with husband father wife child to know that those being shall rise in immortal glory to sorrow die nor suffering more. & not only that to contemplate-- the saying they shall be heirs of God &c.--what is it--to inherit the same glory power & exaltation with those who are gone before. What did Jesus do. Why I do the things that I saw the father do when worlds came into existence. For we are to go from glory to glory and as one is raised to a higher, so the next under him may take his degree and so to take the exaltation through the regular channel. When we get to where Jesus is, he will be just as far ahead of us again in exaltation. it is the first principles of consolation. How consoling to the mourner, when they are called to part with a husband, wife, father, mother, child or dear relative, to know, that although the earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved, that they shall rise in immortal glory, not to sorrow, suffer or die any more, but they shall be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. What is it? to inherit the same glory, the same power and the same exaltation, until you ascend the throne of eternal power the same as those who are gone before. What did Jesus do? why I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. I saw the father work out his kingdom with fear & trembling.--god is glorified in^ salvation Exaltation--of his ancestors &c.-- Jesus Saw The Father's Probation
before worlds came rollg. into existence I saw my Far. work out his K with fear & trembling & I must do the same when I shall give my K to the Far. so that he obtns K rollg. upon K. so that J[esus] treads in his tracks as he had gone before.
see the father do what, work out a kingdom, when I do so to I will give to the father which will add to his glory, he will take a Higher exhaltation & I will take his place and am also exhalted. I saw the father work out a kingdom with fear & trembling & I can do the same & when I get my k[ingdom] work I will present to the father & it will exalt his glory and Jesus steps into his tracks to inherit what God did before. I saw my Father work out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom I shall present it to my Father, so that he obtains kingdom upon kingdom, and it will exalt his glory, so that Jesus treads in his tracks to inherit what God did before; not all to be comprehended in this world. = First Principle And The Last Principle
It is plain beyond comprehensn. & you thus learn the first prin of the Gospel when you climb a ladder you must begin at the bottom run[g] until you learn the last prin of the gospel for it is a great thing to learn Saln. beyond the grave & it is not all to be com in this world. I sup I am not alld. to go into investign. but what is contd. in the Bible & I think is so many wise men who wod. put me to death for treason I shall turn commentator today.
Those are the first principles of the gospel. It will take a long time after the grave to understand the whole If I should say anything but what was in the bible the cry of treason would be herd This is some of the first principles of the gospel about which so much hath been.--You have got to find the beginning of this history & go on till you have learned the last--will be a great while before you learn the last. lt is not all to be comprehended in this world. I suppose that I am not allowed to go into an investigation of anything that is not in the Bible--you would cry treason. So many learned and wise men here-- it is plain beyond disputation, and you thus learn some of the first principles of the gospel, about which so much hath been said. When you climb a ladder, you must begin at the bottom and go on until you learn the last principle; it will be a great while before you have learned the last. It is not all to be comprehended in this world; it is a great thing to learn salvation beyond the grave. I suppose I am not allowed to go into an investigation of any thing that is not contained in the Bible, and I think there are so many wise men here, who would put me to death for treason; so I shall turn commentator to-day; the head, or the head one = The head one of the Gods, brought forth the Gods.--Dr & Lawyers that have persecuted.--The head one called the Gods together in grand council--to bring forth the world. = Example of error as yocab-Jacob--the son of Zebedee--& James. James the son of Zebedee 4 Mat. 21. Greek, Hebrew, German, & Latin. - In the beginning the head of the gods called a council of the Gods--and concocted a scheme to create the world. -- Soon as we begin to understand the character of Gods he begins to unfold the heavens to us. Hebrew - Book of Abraham
I shall go to the first Hebrew word in the Bible the 1st sen: In the beginning--Berosheat--In, by, thro. & everything else. Roshed the head when the Inspd. man wrote it he did not put the 1st pt. to it. a man, a Jew witht. any authy. thot. it too bad to begin to talk about the head of any man. "The Head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods" is the true meang. of the word--if you do not believe it you do not believe the learned man of God--no man can tell you more than I do thus the H[ead?] God brot. forth the Gods in the Head council--I want to bring it to English. Oh ye lawyers ye doctors I want to let you know that the H G. knows something as well as you do--the Head God called togr. the Gods & set in Grand Council &c when I say a lawyer I mean a lawyer of the Scrip. I have done so hither to let the lawyers flutter & let everybody laugh at them. some learned Dr. mit. take a notn. to say thus & so--& are not to be altd. & I am going to shew you an error I have an old book in the Latin Greek Hebrew & German &
German Bible Most Correct
I have been readg. the Germ[an]: I find it to be the most correct that I have found & it corresponds the nearest to the revns. that I have given the last 16 yrs it tells about Jachabod means Jacob--in the English James--& you may talk about James thro all Eternity in the 21 v. of 4.th Mat: where it gives the test. that it is to Jacob & how can we escape the dn. of hell witht. God reveal to us. Latin says that Jackobus means Jacob-- Hebrew says means Jacob--Greek says
JacksusJacob German says Jacob thank God I have got this book & I thank him more for the gift of the H G. I have all the 4 Test. come here ye learned men & read if you can. I shod. not have brot. up this word untonly to shew that I am right when we beg to learn this way we beg to learn the only true God & when we be[g]in to know how to come to him--he begins to unfold the heavens to us & tell us all abt. it bef our prayers get to his ears at the benow I ask all the learned men who hear me wher. the learned men who are preaching Saln. say that I will then go to the Bible, Barasheet in the beginning, Analize the word in and through the head, an old Jew added the word Bath, it red the head one of the Gods, broat [brought] forth the Gods, I will transpose it in the english language. I want you to know & learn that the Holy Ghost knows something. The grand Council set at the head and contemplated the creation of the world. Some will say, the scriptures say so & so, but I will show you a text out of an old book containing the four languages,
Order of Prayer
the German is here what does this text say, yoakabeam, the son of Zebedee, the bible says James the son of Zebedee, but this says Jacob son of Zebedee 21 ch 4th ver Matthew The Dr says (I mean Dr of Law not of physic) If you say anything not according to the Bible we will cry treason, But if ye are not led by revelation how can ye escape the damnation of Hell, here we have the testimony of four I have the oldest Book in the world & the Holy Ghost I thank God for the old Book but more for the Holy Ghost. The Gods came together & concocked the plan of making the world & the inhabitants, having a knowledge of God we know how to Approach him & ask & he will answer An other thing the learned Dr says
will go the old Bible the very Berosheit.2 make a comment on the first sentence of the history of creation. Berosheit want to annalize the word--Be--in by through & everything else--rosh[indecipherable]--the head. sheit--where do it come from-- when they inspired man wrote he did not put the Be there--But a jew put it there. It read in the first--the head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods--is the true meaning--rosheet signifies to bring forth the Eloheim. Learned men cannt learn anymore than what I have told you hence the head God brought forth the head God in the grand council. Will simplify it in the English language. The learned Doctors who have persecuted me I want to let you know that the H. G.-- Abraham 4
¶ The grand councilors set in yonder heavens and contemplated the creation of the worlds that was created at that time. When I say Doctor & Lawyer I mean the D & L of the scriptures. Some learned doctor might say the scriptures say thus & so and we must believe the scriptures He referred to an old book (N. T.) in the Hebrew, Latin, German & Greek--
find it to be the most correct--find it to correspond with the revelations I have received. It talks about Yachaubon the son of Zebedee--means Jacob. The N.T. says James--now if Jacob had the keys you might talk about James and never get the keys. Matthew 4-21 verse it gives the word Jacob instead of James How can we escape the damnation of hell unless God be with us--Men bind us with chains--Read from the Hebrew Yingacoub-- Jacob. Greek Ichobon--Jacob.
GermanHe has got the oldest book in the world--but he has got the oldest book in his heart. Latin Yacobus--Jacob too--Should not have introduced this testimony were it not to back up the word rosh--the head father of the Gods. When we begin in this way we begin to find out God-- what kind a being we have got to worship. When we begin to know how to come to him he begins to come to us. When we are ready to come to him he is ready to receive us. Learned Doctors tell us I shall comment on the very first Hebrew word in the Bible; I will make a comment on the very first sentence of the history of creation in the Bible, Berosheit [bray-sheeth]. I want to analyze the word; Baith, in, by through, in, and every thing else. Rosh, the head. Sheit, grammatical termination. When the inspired man wrote it, he did not put the baith there. A man a Jew without any authority, thought it too bad to begin to talk about the head. It read first, 'The head one of the Gods brought forth the Gods,' that is the true meaning of the words. Baurau[baw-raw], signifies to bring forth. If you do not believe it, you do not believe the learned man of God. No man can learn you more than what I have told you. Thus the head God brought forth the Gods in the grand council. I will simplify it in the English language. Oh ye lawyers! ye doctors! who have persecuted me; I want to let you know that the Holy Ghost knows something as well as you do. The head God called together the Gods, and set in grand council. The grand counsellors sat in yonder heavens, and contemplated the creation of the worlds that were created at that time. When I say doctors and lawyers, I mean the doctors and lawyers of the scripture. I have done so hitherto, to let the lawyers flutter, and every body laugh at them. some learned doctor might take a notion to say, the scriptures say thus and so, and are not to be altered, and I am going to show you an error. I have an old book of the New Testament in the Hebrew, Latin, German and Greek. I have been reading the German and find it to be the most correct, and it corresponds nearest to the revelations I have given for the last fourteen years. It tells about Jachoboy the son of Zebedee; it means Jacob; in the English New Testament it is James.---- Now if Jacob had the keys, you might talk about James through all eternity, and never get the keys. In the 21st verse of the 4th chapter of Matthew, it gives the word Jacob instead of James. How can we escape the damnation of hell except God reveal to us; men bind us with chains; Latin says Jachobod means Jacob;--- Hebrew says it means Jacob; Greek says Jacob; German says Jacob. I thank God I have got this book, and thank him more for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I have got the oldest book in the world, but I have got the oldest book in my heart. I have all the four testaments, come here ye learned men, and read if you can. I should not have introduced this testimony were it not to back up the word Rosh, the head, Father of the Gods. I should not have brought it up, only to show that I am right. When we begin to learn in this way, we begin to learn the only true God, and what kind of a being we have got to worship. When we know how to come to him, he begins to unfold the heavens to us and tell us all about it. When we are ready to come to him, he is ready to come to us. Now I ask all the learned men who hear me, why the learned men who are preaching salvation say, that -- Doctors say.--created the earth out of nothing. Borau. --creates.-- it means to organized.-- ¶ Create (Burrau, in Hebrew,) which means organize Exnihilo Creation Not Correct - Elements Eternal
God created the Heavens & the Earth out of nothing & the reason is that they are unlearned & I know more than all the world put togr. & If the H. G. in me com: more than all the world I will associate with it--What does Boro mean it means to organize same as you wod. organize a Ship.--
the Lord made the world out of nothing, you tell them that God made the world out of something, & they think you are a fool. But I am learned & know more than the whole world, the Holy Ghost does anyhow, & I will associate myself with it. Beaureau, to organize the world out of chaotic matter, element God created the heavens & earth out of nothing. They account it blasphemy to contradict the idea--They will call you a fool-- You ask them why they say don't the Bible say he created the world & they infer that it must be out of nothing. The word create came from the word Barau--don't mean so--it means to organize--same as man would use to build a ship--hence we infer that But says the English translation, in the beginning God created all things out of nothing, but there was never anything yet that was made of nothing. Shame to such logic. The word in the Hebrew is thus; when the Gods counseled together they rolled this earth in existence. God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, and the reason is they are unlearned; they account it blasphemy to contradict the idea, they will call you a fool.--- I know more than all the world put together and the Holy Ghost within me comprehends more than all the world, and I will associate with it. The word create came from the word baurau; it does not mean so; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world. Elements--nothing can destroy. no beginning no end.-- from Element Chaos, or Element, Glory and Element Co-Eternal
God himself had materials to org. the world out of chaos which is Element & in which dwells all the glory--that nothing can destroy they never can have an ending they coexist eternally--I have anor. to dwell on & it is impossible for me to say much but to touch upon them--for time will not permit me to say all--
they are principles that cannot be dissolved they may be reorganized. God had materials to organize from--chaos--chaotic matter. --element had an existence from the time he had. The pure pure principles of element are principles that never can be destroyed--they may be organized and re organized=but not destroyed. the great Elohim in the Hebrew meaning the God of all Gods, called a Grand Council and counseled to form that planet on which we do now dwell. They spoke and earth from chaos sprang by their workmanship. Chaos being made into element. They saw till time should be no more . . . God had materials to organize the world out of chaos; chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time he had. The pure principles of element, are principles that can never be destroyed. They may be organized and re-organized; but not destroyed.
¶ I have another subject to dwell upon and it is impossible for me to say much, but I shall just touch upon them; for time will not permit me to say all;
¶ The soul. Doctors of Divinity. God created in the beginning-- he never the character of man. don't believe it.--who told you God was self existent? correct enough.--in hebrew put into him his spirit.--which was created before. Mind of man coequal with God himself. friends separated for a small moment from their spirits. coequal with God. and hold converse when they are one with another--
¶ If man had a beginning he must have an end.--
Mind of Man of Immortal As God - No Beginning - No Endso I must come to the resurrection of the dead--the soul the in[ne]r Spirit--of God man says created in the beging. the very idea lessens man in my idea--I don't bel. the doct: hear it all ye Ends of the World for God has told me so I am going to tell of things more noble--we say that God himself is a selfexisting God, who told you so, how did it get it into your head who told you that man did not exist in like manner-- how does it read in the Heb. that God made man & put into it Adams Spirit & so became a living Spirit--the mind of man-- the minmind of man is as immortal as God himself--hence while I talk to these mourners--they are only separated from their bodies for a short period--their Spirits coexisted with God & now converse one another same as we do--does not this give your satisfactn. I want to reason more on the Spirit of Man for I am dwelling on the body of man on the subjt. of the dead-- the SP of man Another subject which is calculated to exhalt man I wish to speak of: The resurrection of the dead. The soul the mind of man, where did it come from? The learned says God made it in the beginning, but it is not so, I know better God has told me so. If you dont believe it, it wont make the truth without effect, God was a self exhisting being, man exists upon the same principle. God made a tabernacle & put a spirit in it and it became a Human soul, man exhisted in spirit & mind coequal with God himself, you who mourn the loss of friends are ownly seperated for a moment, the spirit is separated for a little time, they are now conversant with each other as we are on the earth. I am dwelling on the immutability of the spirit of man, is it logic to say the spirit of man had a beginning & yet had no end? It does not have a beginning or end, ¶ It is associated with the subjects in question the resurrection of the dead. Another subject--the soul--the mind of man--they say God created it in the beginning. The idea lessens man in my estimation. Don't believe the doctrine--know better--God told me so--Make a man appear a fool before he gets through if he dont believe it. We say that God was self--existent who told you so? It's correct enough but how did it get into your heads--who told you that man did not exist upon the same principle (refer to the bible) Don't say so in the old Hebrew--God made man out of the earth and put into him his spirit and then it became a living body The mind of man--the intelligent part is coequal with God himself. I know that my testimony is true. hence when I talk to these mourners what have they lost--They are only separated from their bodies for a short season but their spirits existed coequal with God and they now exist in a place where they converse together as much as we do on the earth. Is it logic to say that a spirit is immortal and yet have a beginning because if a spirit have a beginning it will have an end--good logic-- so I must come to the resurrection of the dead, the soul, the mind of man, the immortal spirit. All men say God created it in the beginning. The very idea lessens man in my estimation; I do not believe the doctrine, I know better. Hear it all ye ends of the world, for God has told me so. I will make a man appear a fool before I get through, if you dont believe it. I am going to tell of things more noble--we say that God himself is a self existing God; who told you so? it is correct enough, but how did it get into your heads? Who told you that man did not exist in like manner upon the same principles? (refers to the old Bible,) how does it read in the Hebrew? It dont say so in the Hebrew, it says God made man out of the earth, and put into him Adam's spirit, and so became a living body. The mind of man is as immortal as God himself. I know that my testimony is true, hence when I talk to these mourners; what have they lost, they are only separated from their bodies for a short season; their spirits existed co-equal with God, and they now exist in a place where they converse together, the same as we do on the earth. Is it logic to say that a spirit is immortal, and yet have a beginning? Because if a spirit have a beginning it will have an end; good logic. I want to reason more on the spirit of man, for I am dwelling on the body of man, on the subject of the dead. might proclaim. Ring IllustrationI take ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man, the imt. Sp. bec. it has no beging. Suppose you cut it into but as the D[evil] lives there wod. be an end all the fools & wise men from the beging. of creation who say that man had begin--they must have an end & then the doctrine of annihilitn. wod. be true--but if I am right I mit. with boldness proclaim from the housetop my ring is like the Exhistenc of man it has no beginning or end, if cut into there would be a begining & end, so with man if it had a begining, it will have an end, illustrated by his ring. All the fools learned & wise men that comes and tells that man has a beginning proves that he must have an end and if that doctrine is true then the doctrine of annihilation is true. But if I am right then I might be bold to say that I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man, the immortal spirit, because it has no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two; but as the Lord lives there would be an end.--- All the fools learned and wise men, from the beginning of creation, who say that man had beginning, proves that he must have an end and then the doctrine of annihilation would be true. But, if I am right I might with boldness proclaim from the house tops, God never had power to create the spirit of man
¶ Intelligence exist upon a self existent principle no creation about it. all mind & spirit God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement.--
God Cannot Create A Mind
that God never had power to create the Sp of Man at all--
it is neGod himself cod. not create himself-- intelligence is self existent it is a sp. from age to end & there is no creatn abt. it
¶ the first principles of man are self exist with God--
if I am right, I might say God never had power to create the spirit of man, God himself could not create himself. Intelligence is Eternal & it is self exhisting. All mind thatis susceptible of improvement, God never did have power to create the spirit of man at all. He could not create himself--Intelligence exists upon a selfexistent principle--is a spirit from age to age & no creation about it--All the spirits that God ever sent into this world are susceptible of enlargement. How came spirits? Why they are and were self existing as all eternity and our spirits are as eternal as the very God is himself that God never did have power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself: intelligence exists upon a self existent principle, it is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it. All the spirits that God ever sent into the world are susceptible of enlargement. The Beginning of Man's Relationship With God
that God himself finds himself in the midst of Sp & bec he saw proper to institute laws for those who were in less intelligence that they mit. have one glory upon another in all that knowledge power & glory & so took in hand to save the world of Sp:
Holy Ghost The Source
you say honey is Sweet & so do I. I can also taste the Sp of Eternal life I know it is good & when I tell you of these things that were given me by Insp of the H S. you are bound to rece it as sweet & I rej more & more. Man's rel. to God & I will open your eyes in rel to your dead all things which God of his inf reason has seen fit to reveal to us in our mortal state
the relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. God has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences that they may be exhalted with himself
This is good
ddoctrin, it tastes good. I can taste the principles of eternal life, so can you, they are given to me by the revelations of Jesus Christ and I know you believe it. That God himself--find himself in the midst of spirit and glory because he was greater saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. I know that when I tell you those words of eternal life that are given to me
I know you taste it and I know you believe it. Wants to talk more of the relation of man to God--in relation to your dead. All things whatsoever God has seen proper to reveal to us while we are dwelling in mortality
The first principles of man are self existent with God; that God himself finds himself in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was greater, and because he saw proper to institute laws, whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself, that they might have one glory upon another, in all that knowledge, power, and glory, &c., in order to save the world of spirits. I know that when I tell you these words of eternal life, that are given to me, I know you taste it and I know you believe it. You say honey is sweet and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of eternal life; I know it is good, and when I tell you of these things, that were given me by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to receive it as sweet, and I rejoice more and more. I want to talk more of the relation of man to God. I will open your eyes in relation to your dead; all things whatsoever God of his infinite wisdom has seen proper to reveal to us, while we are dwelling in mortality, all things God has seen fit proper to reveal while dwelling in mortality, are revealed. precisely the same as though we were destitute of bodies.--
¶ what will save our spirits will save our bodies--our tabernacles--for our spirits--All spirits who have not obeyed the Gospel must be damned. = Who have not obeyed the decrees of son of man.
¶ We are looked upon by God as though we were in Eternity =
All things revealed to us as though we had no bodies. for the exaltation of our Spirits, God Regards Us In Eternal Perspective-Hence Work For Dead Is Necessary
in regard to our mortal bodies are revd. to us as if we had no bodies & those revns. which will save our dead will save our bodies. & God reveals them to us in the view of no eternal dissn. of the body--hence the awful responsibility that rests upon us for our dead--for all the Spirits must either obey the gospel or be d--d solemn thot., dreadful thot. is there nothing to be done for those who have gone before us without obeyg the decrees of God Wod. to God that I had 40 days & nights--to tell you all to let you know I am not a faln prophet-- what kind of characters are those who can be saved although their bodies are decaying in the grave--
All things that God sees fit to reveal to us in relation to us, reveals his commandments to our spirits. And in saving our spirits, we save the body, the same as though we had no Body how comes the awful responsibility if in relation to our dead, if they do not be baptized they must be damned (I wish I had 40 days to talk). What promises are made, what can be said if in the grave, God dwells in eternity, and he does not view things as we do, are revealed to us in the abstract & independent of affinity of this mortal tabernacle--but they are revealed as though we had no bodies at all--tho revealed to our spirits and those revelations must of necessity--save our spirits with them. Hence the responsibility, the awful res. that rests upon us in relation to our dead-- for all spirits who have not obeyed the gospel in the flesh must obey the gospel or be damned. Is there no preparation--no salvation for our fathers & friends who have died and not obeyed the decrees of the son of man--Would to God I had 40 days & nights I would let you know that I am not a fallen prophet--What kind of beings can be saved although their bodies are moldering in the dust. When his commandments teach us it is in view of eternity. in regard to our mortal bodies, are revealed to us in the abstract and independent of affinity of this mortal tabernacle; but are revealed to us as if we had no bodies at all, and those revelations which will save our dead will save our bodies; and God reveals them to us in view of no eternal dissolution of the body; hence the responsibility, the awful responsibility, that rests upon us in relation to our dead: for all the spirits who have not obeyed the gospel in the flesh, must either obey the gospel or be damned. Solemn thought, dreadful thought. Is there nothing to be done: no salvation for our fathers and friends who have died and not obeyed the decrees of the Son of Man? Would to God that I had forty days and nights to tell you all, I would let you know that I am not a fallen prophet. What kind of characters are those who can be saved although their bodies are decaying in the grave? When his commandments teach us, it is in view of eternity. the greatest responsibility resting upon us is to look after our dead.-- they without us cannot be made perfect without us. Meet Paul 1/2 way.-- Our Greatest Responsibility - Seek After Our Dead
the greatest responsibility that God has laid upon us to seek after our dead--the apostle says they without us cant be Perfect--now I am speaking of them I say to you Paul, you can't be perfect witht. us.--those that are gone before & those who come after must be made perfect--& God has made it obligatory to man--
the greatest responsibility lade upon us in this life, is in relation to our dead Paul said we cannot be made perfect without us [them], The greatest responsibility in this world is to seek after our dead. They without us cannot be made perfect--It is necessary that those who come after us should have salvation in common with us--& thus hath God laid this upon the [indecipherable] of the world The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us, is to seek after our dead.--- I say to you Paul, you cannot be perfect without us: it is necessary that those who are gone before, and those who come after us should have salvation in common with us, and thus hath God made it obligatory to man. Hence the saying of Elijah.--God made provisions before the world was for every creature in
¶ All sin shall be forgiven in this world or world to come-- except one
¶ Salvation for all men who have not committed a certain sin can save any man who has not committed the unpardonable sin. cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the
dissdissolution of the body. Knowledge save a man.--
¶ No way for a man to come to understanding but give his consent to the commandment
hence our bodies being connected, cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body. Elijah vs. the Unpardonable Sin
God said he shall send Elijah &c I have a declarn to make as to the provn. which God made from before the foundn. of the world. what has J[esus]. sd. All sins & all blas. every trans. that man may be guilty of there is a Saln. for him or in the world to come--every Sp[irit] in the Et. world can be ferreted out & saved unless he has commd. that Sin which cant be remd to him--that God has wrot. out saln. for all men unless they have commd. a certn. sin. a friend who has got a friend in the world can save him unless he has commd. the unpard sin & so you can see how far you can be Savior there is no thing that a man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissn of the body & there is a way possible for escape. not Part[icul]arly st[ate]d those that are witht. wisdom until they get exalted to wisdom
so long as man will not give acct. of his sins for it is necessary that the seals are in our hands to seal our children & our dead for the fullness of the dispensation of times, A dispensation to meet the promises made by Jesus Christ befor the foundation of the world for the salvation of man. All sins and blasphemy, were to be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost. God has made provision for evry spirit in the eternal world, and the spirits of our friends should be searched out & saved, Any man that has a friend in eternity can save him if he has not committed the unpardonable sin, He cannot be damned through all eternity, there is a possibility for his escape in a little time, If a man has knowledge he can be saved. If he has been guilty of great sins, he is punished for it, when he consents to obey the gospel whether Alive or dead, he is saved, hence the saying of Elijah. Speak in relation to the provisions God hath made to suit the conditions of man. What hath Jesus said?--All sins & all blasphemies every transgression except one there is a provision either in this world or in the world of spirit. Hence God hath made a provision that every spirit can be ferreted out in that world that has not sinned the unpardonable sin neither in this world or in the world of spirits. Every man who has a friend in the eternal world who hath not committed the unpardonable sin you can save him. A man cannot commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body there is a way for his escape. Knowledge saves a man and in the world of spirits a man can't be exalted but by knowledge. So long as a man will not give heed to the commandments he must abide without salvation. Hence God said he should send Elijah, &c. ; I have a declaration to make as to the provisions which God hath made to suit the conditions of man; made from before the foundation of the world, What has Jesus said? All sins and all blasphemies, every transgression, except one, that man can be guilty of, there is a salvation for him either in this world, or the world to come. Hence God hath made a provision, that every spirit in the eternal world can be ferreted out and saved, unless he has committed that unpardonable sin, which can not be remitted to him. That God has wrought out a salvation for all men, unless they have committed a certain sin. Every man who has got a friend in the eternal world can save him unless he has committed the unpardonable sin, so you can see how far you can be a savior. A man can not commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body, and there is a way possible for escape. Knowledge saves a man, and in the world of spirits a man cannot be exalted but by knowledge; so long as a man will not give heed to the commandments, he must abide without salvation. Damned by mortification--a lake as of fire of brimstone--as exquisite the disappointment of the mind of man - - - - - -
¶ Why? Must commit the unpardonable sin in this world. will suffer in the eternal world until he will be exalted.--
¶ work of the devil. the plans the devil laid to save the world.--
¶ Devil said he could save them all--Lot fell on Jesus.--All sin &c forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost.--Got to deny the plan of salvation &c. with his eyes open. Like many of the apostates of christ of the Church of Jesus Christ of last Days.
Men Will Condemn Themselves - Sin Against The Holy Ghosta sinner has his own mind & is in his own condemner for the Gwill the torment of the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burng. with fire & brimstone--I know the Scriptures I understand them-- no man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissn. of the body but they must do it in this World--hence the Saln. of J. C[hrist] was wrought out for all men to triumph over the devil--for he stood up for a Savior--J. contd. that there wod. be certn. souls that wod. be condemned & the dl sd. he cod. save them all--as the grand council gave in for J. C. so the de l fell & all who put up their heads for him all sin shall be forgiven except the sin agn. the H. G. he has got to say that the Sun does not shine while he sees it he has got to deny J. C. when the heavens are open to him. & from that time they begin to be enemies like many of the apostates of the Church of J. C. of L.D.S.--when a man begins to be an enemy he hunts him--for he has the same Sp. that they had who crucd. the Lord of life--the same Sp. that Sin agn. the H. G. his own mind damns him I have no fear of hell fire that dont exhist No man can commit the unpardonable sin, untill he receives the Holy Ghost, All will suffer untill they obey Christ himself, even the devil said I am a savior and can save all, he rose up in rebelion against God and was cast down,. Jesus Christ will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin they must receive the Holy Ghost have the heavens opened unto them, & know God, & then sin against him, this is the case with many apostates in this Church, they never seease to try to hurt me, they have got the same spirit the devil had, you cannot save them, they make open war like the devil, A man is his own torment. Hence the saying they shall go into the lake that burns with fire & is as exquisite as a lake & so is the torments of a man--I said no man could commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body--Hence the salvation that the saviour wrought out for the salvation of a man if it did not[indecipherable] him in one place it would another--The contention in heaven was Jesus said there were certain man would not be saved the devil said he could save them. he rebelled against God and was thrust down. After a man has sinned the sin against the H.S. there is no repentance for him. Hence like many of the apostates of the C of J. C. L.D.S. They go to far the spirit leaves them hence they seek to kill me they thirst for my blood--they neve cease--he has got the same spirit that crucified Jesus. You can't renew them to repentance-- awful is the consequence. But those who die without the obedience of the gospel here will have to obey it in the world of spirits for so long as they do not obey they will be miserable and as if they were in torment of fire and brimstone. Thus is the signification of torment . . . But Satan, or Lucifer, being the next heir and had allotted to him great power and authority even prince of power of the air. He spake immediately and boasted of himself saying send me I can save all and [he] sinned against the Holy Ghost because he accused his brethren and was hurled from the counsel for striving to break the law immediately. There was a warfare with Satan and the gods and they hurled Satan out of his place and all them that would not keep the sayings of the council. But he himself being one of the councilors would not keep the first estate for he was one of the sons of perdition and consequently all the sons of perdition become devils. A man is his own tormenter, and is his own condemner: hence the saying they shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone-- so is the torment of man. I know the scriptures; I understand them. I said no man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body, but they must do it in this world: hence the salvation of Jesus Christ was wrought out for all men in order to triumph over the devil: for if it did not catch him in one place, it would in another, for he stood up as a Savior. The contention in heaven was, Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved, and the devil said he could save them all; the grand council gave in for Jesus Christ: so the devil rebelled against God and fell, and all who put up their heads for him. All sins shall be forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost: after a man has sinned against the Holy Ghost there is no repentance for him, he has got to say that the sun does not shine, while he sees it, he has got to deny Jesus Christ when the Heavens were open to him, and from that time they begin to be enemies, like many of the apostates of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. When a man begins to be an enemy, the hunts me. They seek to kill me; they thirst for my blood; they never cease. He has the same spirit that they had who crucified the Lord of Life: the same spirit that sins against the Holy Ghost. You cannot bring them to repentance. Awful is the consequence. ¶ Let All be careful.--lest you be deceived. Best man brings forth best works.
¶ To the mourners, your friend has gone to wait the perfection of the reunion-- the resurrection of your friend in felicity. While worlds must wait myriads of years before they can receive the like blessings.--Leave the subject.
Advises All To Beware
I advise all to be careful what you do--stay--do not give way-- you may find that some one has laid a snare for you be cautious-- await--when you find a Sp. wants bloodshed murder same is not of God but is of the devil out of the abundance of the heart man speaks-- the man that tells you words of life is the man that can save you--I warn you agt all evil characters^ who sin agt. the H. G. for there is no redempn. for them in this world nor in the world to come
stay all that hear, dont make any hasty mooves you may be saved, if a spirit of Bitterness is in you, don't be in haste, say you that man is a sinner, well, if he repents, he shall be forgiven. I could go back and trace evry subject of interest concerning the relationship of man to God if i had time, Advise all to be careful what they do-- you may by and by find out that you have been deceived. I advise all of you to be careful what you do, you may be and bye find out that you have been deceived. Stay yourselves, do not give way. You may find out that some one has laid a snare for you. Be cautious; await! when you find a spirit that wants bloodshed, murder, the same is not of God, but is of the devil. Out of the abundance of the heart man speaketh. The man that tells you words of life, is the man that can save you. I warn you against all evil characters, who sin against the Holy Ghost, for there is no redemption for them in this world, or in the world to come. Bless those who have lost friends. Only gone for a few moments.-- Many Mansions
I can enter into the mysteries--I can enter largely into the eternal worlds--for J. sd.
where myIn my Fars. mansion there are many mansions &c There is one glory of the moon sun & star &c we have the reason to have the greatest hope & consoln. for our dead-- for we have aided them in the .1st princ for we have seen them walk in the midst & sink asleep in the arms of J. & hence is the glory of the Sun--you mourners have occn. to rejoice for your husband has gone to wait until the redn. & your expn. & hope are far above what man can conceive--for why God has revd. to us--& their is many mansions in my father's Kingdom, what have we to console us in relation to our dead, we have the greatest hope in relation to our dead of any people on earth we have seen them walk worthy on earth and those who have died in the faith are now in the selestial kingdom of God, they have gone to await the resurrection of the dead, to go to the celestial glory, while there is many who die who will have to wait many years, and as there are many mansions in my Father's house or in other words many worlds in my Father's world, I will go and prepare a place for you that where I am ye may also come. ¶ I can enter into the mysteries; I can enter largely into the eternal worlds: for Jesus said, in my father's house there are many mansions, &c. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, &c. We have reason to have the greatest hope and consolations for our dead, for we have aided them in the first principles; for we have seen them walk in our midst, and seen them sink asleep in the arms of Jesus. And hence is the glory of the sun. You mourners have occasion to rejoice; (speaking of the death of Elder King Follett,) for your husband is gone to wait until the resurrection: and your expectations and hope are far above what man can conceive: for why has God revealed it to us? King Follett A "Just Spirit"
I am authd. to say by the authy. of the H G. that you have no occasn. to fear for he is gone to the home of the just--don't mourn don't weep--I know it by the test of the H. G. that is within me--rejoice O Israel--your friends shall triumph gloriously--while their murderers shall welter for years.--I say for the benefit of strangers I have a Far. Bror. Friends who are gone to a world of Sp--they are absent for a momt.--they are in the Sp. then shall we hail our Mor. Far. Friends & all no fear of mobs--&c but all one Eternity of felicity--
But I am authorized to say to you my friends in the name of the Lord, that you may wait for your friends to come forth to meet you in eternity in the morn of the celestial world, those saints who have been murdered in the persecution shall triumph in the celestial world, while their murderers shall dwell in torment untill they pay the utmost farthing.
¶ I have Fathers, Brothers, children, that are gone to eternity soon to meet me, the time will soon be gone, the trump will soon be blown.
I am authorized to say by the authority of the Holy Ghost, that you have no occasion to fear, for he is gone to the home of the just. Don't mourn: don't weep. I know it by the testimony of the Holy Ghost that is within me. Rejoice O Israel! your friends shall triumph gloriously, while their murderers shall welter for ages. I say this for the benefit of strangers. I have a father, brothers, and friends who are gone to a world of spirits. They are only absent for a moment; they are in the spirit, and when we depart we shall hail our mothers fathers, friends, and all whom we love.--- There will be no fear of mobs, &c., but all will be an eternity of felicity. ¶ Shall mothers have their Children? Yes. they shall have it without price. Redemption is paid possessing all the intelligence of a god. The child as it was before it died out of your arms thrones upon thrones. Dominion upon dominion just as you Children Restored to Mothers
Mothers you shall have your Children for they shall have it--for their debt is paid there is no damn. awaits them for they are in the Spirits-- as the Child dies so shall it rise from the ded & be living in the burng. of God.--it shall be the child as it was bef it died out of your arms Children dwell & exercise power in the same form as they laid them down
A question, will Mothers have their children in Eternity yes, yes, you will have the children But as it falls, so it will rise, It will never grow, It will be in its precise form as it fell in its mothers arms. 3 Eternity is full of thrones upon which dwell thousands of children reigning on thrones of glory not one cubit added to their stature He continued his discourse--& told of parents receiving their children-- Mothers you shall have your children, for they shall have eternal life; for their debt is paid, there is no damnation awaits them, for they are in the spirit.--- As the child dies, so shall it rise from the dead and be forever living in the learning of God, it shall be the child, the same as it was before it died out of your arms. Children dwell and exercise power in the same form as they laid them down. ¶ Baptism of water fire & Holy Ghost are inseparably connected.--found in the German Bible to prove what I have taught for 14 years about baptism.--I baptize you with water. but when Jesus comes having the keys--he shall baptize you with the baptism of fire & Holy Ghost.--
¶ Leaving the principles of doctrine of baptism &c--one god, one baptism, & one baptism--I.E. all three.
¶ called upon all men, Priests, and all to repent and obey the gospel.--if they do not, they will be damned.--
Baptism No Effect Without Gift of The Holy Ghost
¶ The Bap of Water witht. the B of Fire & the H G. attg. it are necy he must be born of W. & Sp in order to get into the K of God & in the German text bears me out same as the revns. which I have given for the 14 years--I have the test to put in their teeth that my test has been true all the time You will find it in the declar of John the Bap (reads from the German) John says I bap you with Water but when J comes who has the power he shall adm the baptism of F & the H. G. Gt. God now where is all the Sect. world. & if this is true they are all d--d as clearly as any Anathema ever was--I know the text is true-- I call upon all to say I--(shouts of I) Alex Campbell--how are you going to save them with water--for John sd. his bapm. was nothing witht. the baptism of J. C. One God, Far., Jesus, hope of, our calling, one baptism--all three bap make one. I have the truth & I am at the defiance of the world to contradict.
¶ I have preached Latin Hebrew Greek German & I have fulfilled all I am not so big a fool as many have taken me for--the Germans know that I read the German correct--Hear it all ye Ends of the Earth--all ye Sinners Repent Repent--turn to God for your reln. wont save you & ye will be d--d but I do not say how along--
I will leave this subject here and make a few remarks upon Baptism, I will read a tex[t] in Jerman [German] upon Baptism, John says, I baptise you with water But when Jesus Christ Comes He shall administer the baptism of fire & the Holy Ghost, John said his baptism was good for nothing without the Baptism of Jesus Christ, Many talk of any baptism not being essential to salvation, but this would lay the foundation of their damnation, --concluded his remarks by Baptism--Choir sang-- The baptism of water without the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost attending it is of no use: they are necessary. He must be born of water and the spirit in order to get into the kingdom of God.
¶ In the German, the text bears me out the same as the revelations which I have given for the last fourteen years. I have the testimony to put in their teeth; my testimony has been true all the time. You will find it in the declaration of John the Baptist, (reads from the German), John says I baptize you with water, but when Jesus comes, who has the power, he shall administer the baptism of fire, and the Holy Ghost. Great God! where is now all the sectarian world! and if this testimony is true, they are all damned as clearly as anathema can do it. I know the text is true. I call upon all you Germans, who know that it is true. to say aye, (loud shouts of aye.) Alexander Campbell, how are you going to save them with water alone? for John said his baptism was nothing without the baptism of Jesus Christ. There is one God, one Father, one Jesus, one hope of our calling, one baptism--- all these three baptisms only make one. I have the truth and am at the defiance of the world to contradict me, if they can. I have now preached a little Latin, and little Hebrew, Greek and German, and I have fulfilled all.--- I am not so big a fool as many have taken me to be. The Germans know that I read the German correct.
¶ Hear it all ye ends of the earth-- all ye sinners, repent! turn to God, for your religion wont save you, and you will be damned; I do not say how long;
those who commit the unpardonable sin are doomed to Gnaolom. without end.-- God dwells in everlasting burnings.--Love all men but hate your deeds.-- Fate of Sons of Perdition
but those who Sin agt. the H. G. cannot be forgiven in this world or in the world to come but they shall die the 2nd. death--but as they concoct scenes of bloodshed in this world so they shall rise to that resurn. which is as the lake of fire & brimstone--some shall rise to the everlasting burning of God & some shall rise to the dn. of their own filthiness--same as the lake of fire & brimstone--I have intd. my remarks to all--to all rich & poor bond & free great & small I have no enmity agst any man. I love you all--I am their best friend & if persons miss their mark it is their own fault--if I reprove a man & he hate me he is a fool--for I love all men especially these my brethren & sisters--I rejoice in hearing the test of my aged friend--You never knew my heart.
There has also been remarks made concerning all men being redeemed from Hell, But I say that any man who commits the unpardonable sin must dwell in hell worlds without end. Jesus Christ being the greater light or of more intelligence, for he loved righteousness and hated iniquity, he being the Elder Brother presented himself for to come and redeem this world as it was his right by inheritance. He stated he could save all those who did not sin against the Holy Ghost and they would obey the code of laws that were given. But their circumstances were that all who would sin against the Holy Ghost should have no forgiveness neither in this world or in the world to come, for they strove against light and knowledge after they tasted of the good things of the world to come. They should not have any forgiveness in the world to come because they had a knowledge of the things of the world to come and were not willing to abide of the laws of the world to come. Therefore they can have no forgiveness there, but must be most miserable of all and never can be renewed again (referred to Hebrews Ch. 6). but those who sin against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven in this world, or in the world to come; they shall die the second death; as they concoct scenes of bloodshed in this world so they shall rise to that resurrection, which is as the lake of fire and brimstone: some shall rise to the everlasting burning of God, and some shall rise to the damnation of their own filthiness---as exquisite as the lake of fire and brimstone.
¶ I have intended my remarks to all; both rich and poor, bond and free, great and small. I have not enmity against any man. I love you all. I am your best friend, and if persons miss their mark, it is their own fault. If I reprove a man and he hates me, he is a fool, for I love all men, especially these my brethren and sisters. I rejoice in bearing the testimony of my aged friends. You never know my heart;
¶ You don't know me--you never will I don't blame you for not believing my history. Had I not experienced it, I could not believe it myself
¶ 5 1/2 closed.
No Man Knows Joseph's History - Too Incredible
No man knows my hist--I can not do it. I shall never undertake--if I had not experienced what I have I should not have known it myself--I never did harm any man since I have been born in the world--my voice is always for peace--I cannot lie down until my work is finished--I never think evil nor think any thing to the harm of my fellow man--& when I am called at the trump & weighed in the balance you will know me then-- I add no more God bless you. Amen--The choir sung an hymn at 1/2 p 5.
no man knows my history; I cannot tell it. I shall never undertake it; if I had not experienced what I have, I should not have known it myself. I never did harm any man since I have been born in the world. My voice is always for peace, I cannot lie down until all my work is finished. I never think any evil, nor any thing to the harm of my fellow man.--- When I am called at the trump of the ark-angel, and weighed in the balance, you will all know me then. I add no more. God bless you all. Amen.
¶ The choir sung a hymn at half past 5 o'clock and dismissed with a benediction.
0. King Follett. b. July 26, 1788, Winchester, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire to Revolutionary War Captain John Follett and Hannah Alexander. Had roughly 20 siblings and half siblings. Follett received the name "King" as a tribute to parents neighbors, King family who were related by marriage to the Folletts. Purchased land in DeKalb, St. Lawrence Co., New York, 1811. M. Louisa Tanner (b. 1798) in 1816. Nine children. Living in Shalersville, Portage Co., Ohio by 1819 where they stayed more than a decade. Ran a distillery. Baptized either in Shalersville or New York spring 1831. Served as bodyguard to Joseph Smith in Kirtland. Was involved with battle of the Big Blue River in November 1833. Living at Libert, Clay Co., Missouri 1834. Moved to Caldwell Co. 1836. Went to Kirtland Nov. 1835. Probably at Kirtland Temple dedication. Received patriarchal blessing from Joseph Smith Sr., December 16, 1835. Ordained seventy by April 1836. High Councilor at Far West, Missiouri April 1837. Part of Danite group. Help Edward Partridge and family escape Missouri. Arrested by mob in Missouri. Broke jail July 4, 1839, captured and jailed until September 29, 1839 where he was aquitted of any crime. In Wilton Township, Illinois after March 1840. Lived in Adams Co., Ill. by Nov. 1840. Commissioned captain Nauvoo Legion October 16, 1841. Living in Nauvoo First Ward in 1842. Bodyguard for Joseph Smith again in 1843. Killed while walling a well on his property in Nauvoo. Two funeral sermons, March 10 and April 7, 1844, both ground-breaking discourses by Joseph Smith. [See Joann Follett Mortensen, "King Follett: The man behind the discourse," Journal of Mormon History, 31 no. 2 (2005) 112-33.]
1. Usually regarded as the most important of Joseph Smith's sermons, "the King Follett Discourse" is given in six versions and a summary. Joseph brings together nearly all his major doctrinal themes from the past five years, several of which are related to, and perhaps originated with the translation of the Book of Abraham. While none of the themes are new, they are placed together for the first time:
- The eternal nature of man.
This is expanded upon from prior sermons (some examples are 8Aug39(1), 5Feb40, 5Jan41, 28Mar41 and 1Apr42) in a number of ways, showing that Joseph intended his audience to assume that persons are without beginning or end. Indeed, he may have suggested the unique position that Jesus saw his Father perform in mortality at the time it happened, hence he was able to observe what took place long before being the "first born" in the spirit. [To be sure, the more standard interpretation of these remarks suggests that Jesus saw the acts of God in vision.] In any case, Joseph reiterates (see the references above) his "no beginning, no end" axiom to the bereaved of Elder Follett. He employs this to say that they have nothing to fear in regard to Elder Follett's death. Since he did not begin, he has not ended. He is still a conscious being. Joseph Smith also discusses the resurrection of the dead, another continuing doctrinal theme from past years, offering assurances to those present of the resurrection of their loved ones.
- The doctrine of heavenly councils. Another Book of Abraham doctrine. For antecedents see the following examples among many: 19Jan41, 31Aug42 and 27Aug43.
- The plurality of Gods. Joseph also reiterates his doctrine that the Godhead consists of three separate beings, but also that other "Gods" exist. Unlike the first doctrine in this list, the plurality of Gods was widely taught following his death. In part this is a book of Abraham doctrine which even refers to members of the council as "Gods." The doctrine was closely tied to the cluster of ideas connected to plural marriage. For antecedants of this theme see the next item. The theme was continued on 16June44.
- The doctrine that God has gone through a similar chain of progression as man: God is the ultimate pattern for man. Jesus is the explicit example showing what events God once passed through eons ago on some other world and what man can hope for (deification -see below). For some antecedents see 5Jan41, 9Mar41 and 11Jun43. [See also Van Hale, "The doctrinal impact of the King Follett discourse," BYUS 18, No. 2, (1978), 1-16.]
Parley P. Pratt anticipated some of Joseph's remarks in the KFD in his "Fountain of Knowledge," "Immortality of the Body," and "Intelligence and Affection" in early 1844 (See his Autobiography, p. 367 of the 1876 edition, and his "An Appeal to the Inhabitants of the State of New York," printed on the Times and Seasons press (several copies exist - see for example Crawley's Descriptive Bibliography, vol. 1 item 202.) Interestingly, this shows Pratt had already developed many of his ideas regarding the nature of life and preexistence. They appear to have been unaffected by KFD.
- The doctrine of Eternal Judgement. Once again Joseph teaches of the key position of the "Sons of Perdition" in Mormon belief. They formed the crux of the argument in the "war in heaven" (a Book of Abraham topic). They would be the (one and only) group who would refuse salvation. The related doctrine of the fate of murderers is also once again taught. Compare previous discources given on 16Aug40, 12Jan41, 16May41, 16May43 and 10Mar44 among others.
The doctrine went through some development in later years. James E. Talmage wrote that the Satanic plan was that "all would be safely conducted through the career of mortality, bereft of freedom to act and agency to choose, so circuscribed that they would be compelled to do right - that not one soul would be lost." [Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 35th ed. Deseret, 1963, 8-9.] One sees the distinction between the two ideas: In Joseph's scenerio, only the "sons of perdition" would be eliminated from possibility. For Joseph, in this context, salvation simply meant avoiding the outcome of that group. The later incarnation suggests that somehow every person would perforce achieve the highest reward. The two ideas are certainly not incompatible, but Joseph's teaching gives a focused context for his revelations, especially D&C 76:30-39; also D&C 88:14-35 and D&C 132:19.
- Temple ordinances including the vicarious ordinance work for the dead. The doctrine of deification of the Saints is reiterated and is clearly tied to receiving certain ordinances in the temple. Also related to the Book of Abraham, esp. facs. 2. Compare earlier discources: 8Aug39(1), 5Oct40, 4Oct40, 2Feb41, 11Apr41, 27Mar42, 7Apr42, 14May43, 21May43, 11Jun43, 21Jan44 and 10Mar44 (see also his discourse the following day of 8Apr44).
- The doctrine of the Kingdom of God (the place of John the Baptist) and the nature of baptism. This was a hot topic among religionists of the day and among many Church members. (Compare for example his remarks at 22Jan43, 29Jan43, 27Jun39, 9Jul43, 10Mar44, 21Jan36 and 20Mar42.)
The lack of availability of Joseph Smith's sermons and teachings, mostly because of rather obscure sources together with limited circulation of published material, helped lead to a certain distrust of this sermon in the decades following Joseph's death (for one such problem many years later see note 3 below). The antecedents of the doctrinal themes were partly at least, unknown. Indeed, in the Church population, residents of Nauvoo who frequented Joseph's speeches were an ever smaller fraction. Even Church leaders who had been prominent at Nauvoo were often not present at his remarks, nor did they have published stenographic reports of his remarks delivered at places such as the Nauvoo "Lyceum."
Shorthand was an invention that came too late for Joseph Smith - his successors benefitted from stenographic reports of sermons. Church publications where Joseph Smith's remarks were (often all too briefly) published were rare. For instance, the book of Abraham, published in the Times and Seasons in March 1842 had the miniscule circulation of 500 copies. Evidence for a lack of familiarity with some of Joseph's ideas is found in many Church publications where contrary ideas are expressed or questions are posed which Joseph answered. However, the lack of microscopic attention to Joseph Smith's doctrinal statements is easily explained.
Joseph Smith's sucessors had life and death concerns elsewhere with the exodus to the Salt Lake Valley and the survival issues there. Those concerns would not really lessen until the arrival of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. By then, the Federal Government was beginning to wage a war of legal stricture with the Church. Further, the influx of "gentiles" to Utah had created yet more pressing concerns for Church leaders. It was not until the opening of the twentieth century that the Church could turn to the examination and publication of information at the roots of its doctrine and history.
In the early part of the twentieth century, considerable discussion was had among Church leaders over the reliability of the popular account of the "King Follett Discourse" found in the manuscript history of the Church finished by Church Historians in the 1850s. This account was compiled by Jonathan Grimshaw, one of the Church Historian's staff working to complete the Manuscript History of the Church (later published as History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, see below) from the sources available to the Historian in 1856. Grimshaw used several of the accounts here, interleaving and in a few cases changing the words without apparent justification. This created what is, in our opinion, a somewhat confusing reconstruction. Originally the compilers of the history first included the Times and Seasons account but this was crossed out in the manuscript and the Grimshaw account was substituted. The Grimshaw version was published in the Journal of Discourses (1859) 6:1-11).
Part of the trouble with Grimshaw's method should be transparent to the reader: a number of the accounts often contain the same portion of the sermon but in rather different words. This is especially true of the Joseph Smith diary record made by Willard Richards. Richards used particularly interesting phrases like "if men do not comprehend the character of God they do not comprehend themselves." Based on the other accounts it seems likely that Joseph did not actually say this, but it represents a clever summary of his thought.
The Woodruff record tends to use somewhat different phrasing and for some reason Grimshaw included this as extra text in his version, delivering a rather redundant effect. Since Woodruff's journal entries were usually not done "on the spot," but reconstructed from his brief notes of the meeting, his wording probably reflects his own digestion of the actual remarks. This does not invalidate the record (in fact it has a remarkable coherence with the remaining accounts), but it does point to a problem for Grimshaw's technique. Finally, as noted, Grimshaw seems to invent some phrasing which weakens some of the points in the available contemporary records. A new book on Joseph Smith's funeral sermons, which will include critical text apparatus gives more detail on several of these matters.
We have included the Times and Seasons minutes of the meeting, which is a fleshed out version of the Bullock and Clayton records who had been assigned as conference clerks. The Bullock and Clayton accounts come from their conference minutes filed under General Church Minutes (LDS Archives call number CR 100 318, Box 1, Folders 19-20.) It is perhaps the closest available version to the original remarks, since it was penned by an eyewitness. A note on the back of of Bullock's minutes says the compilation was made on the 24th of April for "the press." Bullock's diary for this period indicates that he was working on the conference minutes for publication in the Times and Seasons. Hence, Bullock's ms is the only publication manuscript attempted prior to Joseph Smith's death. Whether Joseph Smith reviewed Bullock's ms is unknown.
Howard Searle has estimated that available records contain about 30% of the actual sermon. Considering the fact that Joseph Smith was known to be a rather slow speaker and that he had been experiencing some lung problems (speakers at these open-air meetings had nearly to yell to make themselves heard to a significant extent), this probably underestimates the recorded portion. Moreover, reviewing the manuscripts suggests that all the major points are included in a reliable fashion. See Howard C. Searle, "Early Mormon Historiography: Writing the History of the Mormons," Ph.D. dissertation, UCLA, 1979, p. 277.
At least one other amalgamation of the existing records has been attempted, [See Brigham Young University Studies 18/winter (1978)], the results of this attempt have fewer difficulties than the Grimshaw version. Of course any such attempt will be forced to make thinly supported decisions at some points.
The sermon was controversial enough among some General Authorities that it was left out of the seven volume History of the Church when it was published in the first decades of the 20th century (volumes 1-6 appeared in the 1902-1912 time period and volume 7 appeared in 1932). B. H. Roberts, the editor of the History, was upset by this and published the Grimshaw version himself as a pamphlet in 1913 and sent it around the Church. President Joseph F. Smith was, with counselors Anthon H. Lund and Charles W. Penrose suspicious of the sermon and in particular regarded the doctrine of the eternal nature of man as a threat to the complete sovereignty of God. President Smith prevented the publication of certain other manuscripts containing the idea and felt the sermon, as written, put forward other incorrect notions (see note 3 below). As some of the principals in this argument passed on, the sermon (Grimshaw version) was finally printed in Church publications again and was placed in its proper place in vol. 6 of the second (1948) edition of the History and was included in Joseph Fielding Smith's 1938 book Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
1a. Bullock's Times and Seasons amalgamated version was done the next month after the sermon. It is possible that Joseph reviewed this; his clerks' diaries do not indicate this one way or the other.
2. Joseph Smith learned Sephardic Hebrew in Kirtland, Ohio (early 1836) and his pronounciation, reflected in his scribes' attempted renderings is somewhat different from the now more commonly learned Ashkenazi. Joseph may have discussed some of these words with the scribes prior to the conference, and he apparently planned to give this extensive discussion of doctrine well before the meetings (the opening minutes for April 4 reflect this). For example see Willard Richards' inclusion of the word "Gnolom" [eternity]. The other scribes do not include Gnolom and possibly Richards was abbreviating the thought based on his first hand knowledge of the Book of Abraham text, or the others just left the word out. For an explanation of Joseph's interesting Hebrew-based argument, see Kevin L. Barney, "Joseph Smith's Emendation of Hebrew Genesis 1:1," Dialogue, A Journal of Mormon Thought, 30/4 (1997) 103-35.
3. The text could suggest either that the child would never grow after its resurrection or that the body would be unchanged (in age) from when it was laid in the grave (see 20Mar42 and 12May44).
A related question is founded on the answer to this one: if children are either resurrected as adults or grow to adult size after the resurrection, what is their fate in the salvic system? Joseph Smith may have held different opinions at different times on these matters. The important thing to note here is that the language in the Woodruff account seems inconclusive. Varying opinions may be and perhaps were (see below) drawn from it. On May 18, 1843, William Clayton recordedThursday 18th. We left Macedonia about 8 and arrived Carthage at 10. I asked the Prest. [i.e., Joseph Smith] wether children who die in infancy will grow. He answered "no, we shall receive them precisely in the same state as they died in no larger. They will have as much intelligence as we shall but shall always remain separate and single. They will have no increase. Children who are born dead will have full grown bodies being made up by the resurrection."While this statement does not address the question of growth after the resurrection, it suggests that the fates of infants who die are uniform: they do not "grow up and get married" so to speak even if they do "grow up." The words "no increase" as they typically appear in Clayton's journal, refer to the idea that these children will not receive "exaltation" in the parlance of Mormonism. Of course, Joseph Smith had stated much earlier than this that resurrected infants inherit the Celestial glory but this would not conflict with a "no exaltation" doctrine. Joseph gave a funeral sermon (no contemporary accounts are known) around the 3rd of October 1843, in which he reportedly said that mothers would raise their dead infants to adulthood in the resurrection. President Brigham Young said on several occasions that Joseph preached both ways on the doctrine: resurrected children would not grow, or they would grow to adult stature. The question of exaltation for resurrected infants has not been addressed by Joseph Smith's successors. The remarks in the 7Apr44 sermon suggest a kind of deification, but its nature is not clear. The 12May44 sermon (Bullock account- see the link above) hints that exaltation is possible. Various other remarks by Joseph suggest that resurrected infants will indeed be joint heirs with Christ, inheriting "thrones, principalities," etc.
Additionally, the Clayton diary states that stillborn children will be resurrected with adult-sized bodies, i.e., no growth in stature would be necessary for them following the resurrection. This idea goes unmentioned in later official accounts of LDS doctrine. Stillborn children seem to have no official place in LDS doctrine at present.
The idea that dead children would be resurrected (whether they grow or not) is not to be confused with the now obscure "baby resurrection doctrine" which some Latter-day Saints (including Orson Hyde) briefly subscribed to in the late 1840s. That doctrine was that all the dead would be resurrected by being born over again as babies. (See Brigham Young's criticism of the idea in JD 12:66.
Later, several individuals including Wilford Woodruff would state that Joseph Smith taught them in a more specific way in some of these matters. See Woodruff Journal for August 31, 1861 and Improvement Era 21 (June 1918) pp. 571-573; Messages of the First Presidency, 5:91-98. A nephew of Joseph Smith, Joseph F. Smith, who would later become President of the Church in 1901, held some special concern regarding these doctrines. In particular he was unsatisfied with the interpretation of his uncle's remarks that led people to conclude that resurrected infants would not grow after the resurrection. Joseph F. Smith's discomfort with the idea that children who die in infancy would not grow in the resurrection led him to seek out and record more specific accounts of Joseph Smith's teachings on this subject. While he finds evidence against a "no growth" doctrine, he does not specifically address any "no exaltation" doctrine. During a meeting held in the Salt Lake Temple in February 1918, President Smith outlined his concern and his search for a satisfactory resolution:In 1854, I met with my aunt, the wife of my uncle, Don Carlos Smith, who was the mother of that little girl that Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was speaking about, when he told the mother that she should have the joy, the pleasure, and the satisfaction of rearing that child, after the resurrection, until it reached the full stature of its spirit; and that it would be a far greater joy than she could possibly have in mortality, because she would be free from the sorrow and fear and disabilities of mortal life, and she would know more than she could know in this life. I met that widow, the mother of that child, and she told me this circumstance and bore testimony to me that this was what the Prophet Joseph Smith said when he was speaking at the funeral of her little daughter. Well, I thought it was almost too good. I have read Joseph's discourse at the death of King Follett, as at first published, and I did not believe, never did believe that he was correctly reported or that those who died in infancy would remain as little children after the resurrection. Never had it entered my soul as a possibility that such could be the case; yet, I did not have the courage to say so, although I had been told this circumstance. I really did not care to mention it, because I knew the strong opinions that some people had in regard to little children being resurrected and, everlastingly and forever after to remain as little children. I did not believe it, and this testimony of my aunt was a consolation to me that was unspeakable, because I could believe that was true.
Confirmations of the Testimony
One day I was conversing with a brother-in-law of mine, Lorin Walker, who married my oldest sister. In the course of the conversation he happened to mention that he was present at the funeral of my cousin Sophronia, and that he heard the Prophet Joseph Smith declare the very words that Aunt Agnes had told me.
I said to him, "Lorin, what did the Prophet say?" and he repeated, as nearly as he could remember, what the Prophet Joseph said in relation to little children. The body remains undeveloped in the grave, but the spirit returns to God who gave it. Afterwards, in the resurrection, the spirit and body will be reunited; the body will develop and grow to the full stature of the spirit, and the resurrected soul will go on to perfection. So I had the statement of two witnesses who heard this doctrine announced by the Prophet Joseph Smith, the source of intelligence; and I felt strengthened, but even then I did not feel that it would be well for me, only a boy, to say much about this principle. I ventured to say some few things, but I was very cautious for a number of years.
Eventually I was in conversation with Sister M. Isabella Home. She began to relate to me the circumstance of her being present at the funeral that I refer to, when Joseph spoke of the death of little children, their resurrection as little children, and of the glory, and honor, and joy, and happiness the mother would have in rearing her little children in the resurrection to the full stature of their spirits. "Well," she said, "I heard Joseph say that. I was at that funeral." Sister Isabella Horne told me this.
Then I said to her: "Why haven't you spoken about it before? How is it you have kept it to yourself all these long years? Why haven't you let the Church know something about this declaration of the Prophet?"
She replied: "I did not know whether it was my duty to do so, or whether it would be proper or not."
I said: "Who else was there?"
"My husband was there."
"Does he remember it?"
"Yes, he remembers it."
"Well, will you and Brother Horne give me an affidavit in writing stating the fact, and let it be sworn to?"
She said, "With the greatest of pleasure."
So I have the testimony in affidavit form of Brother and Sister Horne, in addition to the testimony of my aunt, and the testimony of my brother-in-law, in relation to the Prophet Joseph's remarks at that funeral.
Just a little while later, to my joy and satisfaction, the first man I ever heard mention it in public was Franklin D. Richards; and when he spoke of it, I felt in my soul: the truth has come out. The truth will prevail. It is mighty, and it will live; for there is no power that can destroy it. Presidents Woodruff and Cannon approved of the doctrine and after that I preached it.
My brethren and sisters, the Lord bless you. If any of you have any fault to find with me, come to me and tell me about it. If you do not find me just humble enough, and willing to be corrected and bow to that which is good and right, you may set me down as not living up to my doctrine; for I believe in that doctrine. If I had anything against any of you that I felt was worth while saying something to you about, and that would probably help you to rectify a mistake, I would go to you and help you to correct it.
Doctrine to be Weighed Carefully
It is a good thing for us not to attempt to advance new doctrine, or new and advanced thought in relation to principles and doctrines pertaining to, or presumed to pertain to the gospel of Jesus Christ, without weighing it carefully, with the experience of years, before you attempt to make a doctrinal test and to advance it to the people of the Lord. There is so much simple truth, necessary to be understood, that has been revealed to us in the gospel that it is extreme folly in us to attempt to go beyond the truth that has been revealed, until we have mastered and can comprehend the truth that we have. There is a great deal within our reach that we have not yet mastered.
Copyright © 2000, 2007. W. V. Smith and the Book of Abraham Project. All rights reserved. Files in The Parallel Joseph may be read at this site, but may not be copied to reside anywhere else. They may not be printed or distributed in any manner without written permission of the copyright holder. | <urn:uuid:bf2f7d46-097b-47df-990e-07cff38991f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://boap.org/LDS/Parallel/1844/7Apr44.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968602 | 25,232 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Can't Live Long Without Writing
By Natasha Grinberg
A Conversation with Gary Shteyngart
Shteyngart was born in Leningrad, USSR, in 1972 and emigrated with his family to Queens, New York, at the age of seven. After spending time in Prague in the early 1990's, Shteyngart earned a degree in Politics at Oberlin College, where his senior thesis concerned the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Moldova, and Tajikistan. After graduation, he worked a series of jobs as a writer for non-profit organizations in New York, including the real-life Emma Lazarus Immigrant Absorption Society. Shteyngart completed The Russian Debutante's Handbook last summer in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he was also researching his second novel. He lives in New York City. (photo by Slavik Dushenkov)
NG: It's been four years since your last book. What have you been working on?
GS: My new novel Absurdistan is slated
for publication in May 2006. I started it five or six days before 9/11, and,
strangely enough, I set it close to the Middle East, in the former Soviet
republics bordering with Iran and Caucuses region. I'd just got back from that
part of the world and decided to write a book about oil and oil politics when suddenly
the book had acquired uncanny timeliness.
Still, I had to put it away after 9/11.
GS: I think everybody put
everything away then. All the writers I knew, especially those writing about
internal things, families, relationships between fathers and sons, for example,
said how are we going to write? What is a worthy subject these days? We were
dwarfed by this gigantic drama that was unfolding.
NG: When did you start writing again?
GS: I can't live very long
without writing. It's the only thing I'm good at. I took a month and went back
to writing. But I worried at the time that in the novel I have a lot of
violence and buildings being set on fire. And in the parts I'd already written,
there were references to the World Trade
Center. It had always fascinated
me. It reminded me of some kind of a gigantic socialist building. It had this
strange quality of some buildings you see maybe in Moscow.
Gigantic. Incredibly impersonal.
NG: Who is the main character of your new book?
GS: His name is Misha. Misha
Veinberg. And he weighs 325 lb. First I had
him at 400 lb. but I did a lot of research and talked to very large people and had
to slim him. Otherwise, even at about 6'2", it would be very hard for him to
walk, and I needed him to keep moving. I
knew a couple of Russian guys just like Misha.
NG: Why did you want him to be fat?
GS: He is a son of a very rich
businessman, Russian oligarch, and at the same time I
wanted him to embody the American ethos of large people. I've been always
fascinated by the idea that you can kind of eat your way through life. Misha
consumes everything: women, politics, antidepressants, psychoanalysis.
NG: Have your work habits changed since your first book?
GS: Strangely enough, the
freedom of living off my work made me worst in a way, because when I had day
jobs, every moment I worked on the book I had a feeling that I was doing
something sacred, fighting the establishment, kind of. But now, I'm part of the
NG: What are your writing habits?
GS: The last 150 days, I
practically wrote every single day because of deadlines. But when I'm not under
pressure, I work sporadically. About four days a week, four
hours a day.
I try to do two pages a day, editing
or writing. Most of this book was written in Italy.
I was really able to concentrate there. It is such a laid-back country. Nearly all
my friends there did very little or no work. In NY, everyone works like an
animal. It's so competitive; everyone talks about work, work, work. But when
you go to a Roman party, everyone speaks of
anything but work. Food, politics, sex. It allowed me to relax, think about the
world around me, concentrating on sensual aspects, like great food. Especially
since I was writing about a man who loves to eat.
NG: So did you gain weight?
GS: I did get some, but the
beauty of Rome is that it is built on hills so you constantly walk up and down.
NG: Did you have an outline?
GS: My fiction is not so much
fiction of the interior as it is plot driven. It's almost an old-fashioned
picaresque story. More Don Quixote than
I always do a precise outline. Point by
point. The Russian Debutante's Handbook had
like a hundred plot points. My achievement with this book is that it is much tighter.
NG: What is your biggest challenge when writing a novel?
GS: I'm a satirist and I write,
hopefully, in a humorous vein, so the challenge is to balance humor with the
tragedy that takes place in the world. This novel is about the third-world countries
and how politics affect them. It is also about a family. Though Jewish humor
has a kind of tragic component built it, at some point the levity has to die
down and you have to concentrate on quiet moments, moments of introspection and
for me it is a challenge balancing the two.
Also, humorous writing is hit or
miss with an audience. Drama has a more universal effect. People respond in a predictable
way to death or failed romance. But when you do humor, you're uncertain if you
succeed or not.
NG: Do you test your fiction on readers or other writers to gain that certainty?
GS: On a
couple of other writers. Most importantly Akhil
Sharma who wrote An Obidient Father. He is one of my two or three favorite writers. Because
he's not a humorous writer, his opinion helps me balance things out—if he
approves of the way the non-humorous elements of the book are
put together, then I know I'm doing okay. Other people who read my
drafts are my agent; Joe Weisberg,
another good writer; my editor, Dan
Dan wrote an excellent book about psychoanalysis
called The Treatment, which is now being made into a movie.
NG: Do you show your writing to non-writers before publication?
Eventually it will be read by a lot of non-writers,
but if you're a surgeon, it helps to have a second opinion of a fellow surgeon,
not the patient about to be operated on.
NG: Recently, there were many articles about nonfiction taking the lead.
Naipaul, 2001 Nobel laureate in literature, even declared his
disenchantment with the novel. What is
your opinion on this?
GS: I still read a lot of
fiction, more so than non-fiction. We live in an age of infotainment where in
three hours an event is old news. You write a book about something timely and
in ten years nobody cares. There was a slew of non-fiction books about 9/11,
but how many of them are going to be read ten years? Maybe one or two will
survive. But fiction has longevity.
On the other hand, the best
non-fiction books read like novels. I write non-fiction, too. I just did a
piece that's going to be out in Travel
and Leisure's September issue about Azerbaijan.
Travel writing is a window into the way people live, and after 9/11 Americans
are thirsting for knowledge about the world.
Books like The Kite Runner by Khaled
Hosseini serve as a bridge between America
and other cultures. Too bad, fiction in translation is not published
as often in the US
as in other countries.
NG: You seem to prefer the form of a novel. Why?
I'm long-winded and have a lot to say. What is weird is that as American
attention span decreases in this age of blogs and the information bombardment,
you'd think that a short form would enjoy a Renaissance. That really hasn't
happened. People still prefer a novel.
Today's readers use their long
commute to listen to or read a novel. Maybe New York
is such a literate city because people spend hours on a subway and everyone's got a book.
NG: What do you think of the short stories in magazines?
GS: I am stunned that The Atlantic no longer publishes short
fiction. Instead, it produces a yearly fiction publication. A kind of
ghettoized short-story issue.
I'll be honest with you, I haven't read good short fiction in a while. Stuff in
magazines? Somehow it's become mannered, having a typical pattern to it.
There's not much room for surprise. But still several writers are publishing very
good work. George Saunders,
for example. A great writer. In his stories, you never know what is going to
The New Yorker used to print The
New Yorker stories—mannered, suburban, upper-middle-class stories. Thank
God, they don't do it anymore. For some time now, they go in a new direction,
trying to be open to different voices.
NG: How do you take reviews and do they
affect your writing?
GS: Reviews in media for the
first book were so overwhelmingly positive that I felt lucky. I focused not on
esoteric things one reviewer out of fifty said but on the pattern of what most reviewers
said. About my first novel, even some of the best reviews said, "Great book.
Little pruning wouldn't hurt."
So in Absurdistan, I worked on making every chapter contribute to the
overall motion of the narrative. Some say, plot is an embarrassment and doesn't
really behoove a good writer. I disagree.
I think plot could be a great source of momentum.
NG: What attracts you in fiction and propels you to keep reading?
If it is engaging and compelling, I can read anything. I hate sports but I've
read fiction about baseball when the voice was compelling enough. Sam
Lipsyte has such a voice. I can follow him
anywhere. He writes about American high schools, which I really couldn't care
less about, but he makes me interested.
Lately, there has been an
emphasis on self-expression and everyone feels an urge to communicate their childhood to the world at large, so at times I think
that I'm reading something written by rote. That always repels me.
NG: What part of you growing up Russian, Jewish, American had the most
influence on your writing?
GS: It's all there as well as
a lot of ambivalence to all these things. On the one hand, I was taught that
Russian culture was the best culture in the world; on the other hand, Russia
was a terrible place. My parents talked about the anti-Semitism they faced
there. I go back to Russia
almost every year and do feel anti-Semitism first hand.
I was taught
always to be proud to be Jewish, but some of the worst experiences in my life
were the eight years I spent at Hebrew school. As a result, I'm not religious
at all. I'm proud to be a secular Jew.
I love New York. I love the
coastal parts of this country, yet when I go into the interior, I don't know
what is going on there. I'm just shocked that we share a country and a flag
with people who are so different from us. And I don't mean in a positive way different.
So all these three identities,
I'm happy to have but at the same time, I'm not a flag waver in any way. There
is one thing I'm very proud of—it's being a New Yorker. After 9/11 there was a ground
swelling of that kind of feeling. There was a reason why they attacked us. Because we are the most
multicultural in a good way—we are the future of civilization, secular
civilization, and that's why people who are intolerant chose to hit this place.
NG: When you create characters, do you use prototypes? Have you ever invented
GS: I don't invent characters.
I find interesting people wherever I go and am shocked by what comes out of
people's mouths when they open up to me.
Sometimes, I put more than one person together.
The Russian Debutante's Handbook was highly autobiographical, a
young man's first novel. Like all young men I was focused on myself, inwardly.
I could write a dialogue of Russian parents, I can put together an American
girlfriend, but it was hard for me to focus beyond that. As I got older and the
narcissism of the early 20s died away, I became a better listener, interested
in what other people have to say.
Traveling to the former Soviet
Union was wonderful. People really speak up there. They were drawn
to me because I can speak Russian and understand what's going on but, at the
same time, I'm clearly not from that part of the world. In Azerbaijan
people would buy expensive dress shoes, but not sneakers, so I dressed
strategically in expensive sneakers so they knew I was not local. .
NG: If you were teaching literature, what would be your most important
GS: I'd want my students to
built parallels between their lives and what they are reading.
The concerns of the 17th century Lithuanian literature are the same
as concerns of the 21st century American literature—interior life. Fiction
allows the fourth dimension to exist and this is what it really is all about.
Otherwise, you might just go see a movie or a
NG: Are you afraid that the fiction you are reading would bleed into
GS: I always read fiction when
I write but I try to vary it. For this book, I read Graham
Waugh. I always go back to the Russian
classics, of course. Also for this book, for some reason, Dovlatov really
helped. His short stories are almost like blogs. They are hilarious. There is
such quickness to them. Just brilliant. Like popcorn shrimp I'd swallow.
Sometimes, I long for the mechanics of fiction, craftsmanship, so I'll pick up
some Nabokov. If I want to read great dialog, I'd go to Philip
NG: If you were not a writer, who would you be?
GS: An urban
planner. I love cities more than anything and am fascinated with the way
they are put together. But it's a little too late for me now, so I'll stick
About the Interviewer
Natasha Grinberg immigrated to the US
from the Soviet Union in 1980. Her advice column and
essays have appeared in Russian-American newspapers. She writes fiction in
English, most recently a novel about two Russian families on their odyssey to America,
an excerpt of which was published by In Posse.
Editor: Mark Budman
Web del Sol/Algonkian Workshops
2020 Pennsylvania Ave., NW | <urn:uuid:fb0c7125-09a5-480f-b4c4-c3c1010ab71f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.webdelsol.com/Literary_Dialogues/interview-wds-shteyngart.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972584 | 3,357 | 1.523438 | 2 |
After Gmail, Google Wants to Search Your Voice Mail Too
Google has begun testing a service that will make transcripts of voice-mail messages and make them searchable.
For now, Google will only offer voice-mail transcription to existing customers of GrandCentral Communications, a telecommunications service provider that it bought in July 2007, it said in a posting on the Official Google Blog.
GrandCentral offers customers a single number through which they can forward calls to their work, home or mobile phone, filter calls before answering them, record conversations and access an archive of recordings and voice mail via the Web. Just like Google's promise that with its Gmail e-mail service, you'll never need to delete another message, GrandCentral promises to archive voicemail "for life."
Google isn't saying yet whether it will make and store transcripts of recorded conversations in addition to voice-mail messages.
GrandCentral stopped accepting new customers after Google bought it and even now, rebranded as Google Voice, the service is still closed to new business. Since its acquisition, GrandCentral has invited prospective customers to leave their e-mail address to reserve a number, and Google said it will begin responding to those requests "in a matter of weeks."
Google claims its service is the only fully automated voice-mail transcription service on the market. The transcriptions may include mistakes, and Google will make accuracy improvements over time, it said.
In contrast, other automated transcription services already on the market rely on a small amount of human intervention to improve transcription accuracy and teach the software new words on the fly.
Last week Skype began transcribing its customers' voice mail messages into SMS (Short Message Service) text messages using technology from U.K. company Spinvox. If the Spinvox software is unsure about a word, it plays that part of the recording to a person who confirms or corrects the transcription.
Spinvox began launching services in the U.K. in 2005 and now powers the voice-mail transcription services offered by North American carriers including Alltel, Cincinnati Bell, Rogers and Telus. Telus will send transcripts to its subscribers via SMS or e-mail.
Another software company, Nuance Communications, announced a competing offering last April. It hasn't named any customers yet, but operators in France and Spain are deploying its voice mail-to-text service, a company spokesman said last month.
Skype makes its transcription service pay for itself by charging for the SMS messages, but Google hasn't said how it will make money from its transcriptions, which like other GrandCentral services are free.
One obvious revenue source for Google would be targeting advertising: when a friend leaves a message suggesting you meet for dinner, the transcript might be displayed alongside an advertisement for a local restaurant. Google might also use the transcripts to improve the profiles of its users' interests that it is building in order to deliver interest-based or behavioural advertising, a move it announced on Wednesday. | <urn:uuid:47b77153-6bd8-4598-aa35-9599468d68df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcworld.com/article/161121/google_wants_to_search_your_voice_mail.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941726 | 602 | 1.625 | 2 |
Most trainers, massage therapists, and strength coaches do not possess an adequate skill-set when it comes to screening and assessment. This isn’t necessarily their fault as it is poorly taught in most of these profession’s educational curriculum. In fact, so many people get very nervous and almost paralyzed by the idea of having to do some screening or evaluation that they choose to do nothing instead. Some people get so carried away with ridiculous assessments that are practically meaningless that it’s easy to see how one could get a nasty case of “paralysis by analysis!”
However, having a basic evaluation system for things like full-body mobility and movement capacity (including stability) will really set you apart from other professionals and allow you to be more effective at your job. The key is to stay within your specific scope of practice and realize that as non-medical professionals, we cannot “diagnose” anything and are simply obtaining information on each client to guide their safety and effectiveness in movement/exercise.
In this blog Keats Snideman is going to take Bret Contreras through a basic length-tension (mobility/flexibility appraisal) screening system that he uses to evaluate his clients. This screen is used in addition to more dynamic movement screening that includes the FMS (Functional Movement Screen) as well as some basic table assessments. This blog will show videos outlining his table assessments.
The Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
Before we move onto the table assessments, it is important to have a basic understanding of the FMS. The FMS is a 7 test screen developed by Gray Cook and Lee Burton used to evaluate fundamental movement patterns. The screen will assess risk and can identify situations where the client experiences pain and should be referred to a specialist, situations where a client needs to work on balancing out asymmetries, situations where a client needs to work on increasing mobility, stability, or motor control to improve a particular pattern prior to engaging in various activities. The 7 tests include the deep squat, hurdle step, inline lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push up, and rotational stability. The FMS is a very valuable assessment tool that every trainer should incorporate into their arsenal.
Basic Table Assessments
The table assessments that Keats uses consists of a breathing pattern assessment, a head & neck mobility assessment, a t-spine mobility assessment, a shoulder mobility assessment, and a hip, foot & ankle, and big toe mobility assessment. These basic tests are assessing what is called ”passive movement testing” (although they can all be done actively as well). Passive movement can be further broken down into what is called “physiologic motion,” which is what we are going to be demonstrating, and “accessory joint motion” (joint play, component movements). Accessory movement testing is beyond the scope of testing for the intended audience of this blog so those tests should be left to licensed professionals trained in orthopedic manual assessment.
Breathing Pattern Assessment
In this video, Keats takes a look at Bret’s breathing patterns. He’s looking for natural diaphragmatic breathing that involves breathing into the belly prior to breathing into the thorax.
Head and Neck Mobility Assessment
In this video, Keats takes a look at Bret’s neck mobility from various directions. Normal ranges include 0-80-90 degrees of cervical flexion, 0-70 degrees of cervical extension, 0-30-45 degrees of cervical lateral flexion, and 0-70-90 degrees of cervical rotation.
Thoracic Spine Mobility Assessment
In this video, Keats takes a look at Bret’s t-spine mobility from various directions. Normal ranges are difficult to isolate since the t-spine is intimately connected with cervical and lumbar spine function. Suffice to say people need to be able to at least reverse the normal thoracic kyphosis to straight and be able to rotate at least 45 degrees in each direction from a tall seated position with the hips/pelvis stabilized. The T-spine is truly a huge player in full body movement capacity, breathing, and posture. Its influence on the c-spine (including the jaw/TMJ) and shoulders is often ignored in painful conditions.
Shoulder Mobility Assessment
In this video, Keats takes a look at Bret’s shoulder and scapular mobility from various directions. Normal ranges include 0-180 degrees of shoulder flexion, 0-60 degrees of shoulder extension, 0-180 degrees for shoulder abduction, 0-90 degrees of external rotation, and 0-70 degrees of shoulder internal rotation. Also included are basic length tests for pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, latissimus dorsi and teres major which to a large part determine the mobility in this region.
Hip, Ankle, and Big Toe Mobility Assessment
In this video, Keats takes a look at Bret’s hip mobility, ankle mobility, and big toe mobility from various directions. Normal ranges include 0-120 degrees of hip flexion (with bent knee), 0-90 with straight/extended knee, 0-30 degrees of hip extension (from prone position (knee extended), 0-45 degrees of hip abduction, 0-30 degrees of hip adduction, 0-45 degrees of hip external rotation, 0-40 degrees of hip internal rotation, 0-20 degrees of ankle dorsiflexion, 0-50 degrees of plantar flexion, 0-35 degrees of inversion, 0-15 degrees of eversion, and 0-65 degrees of big toe extension (although only 45 degrees are needed for gait). Also included is the thomas test for hip-flexor length. Not shown but extremely important is the “obers test” for hip-abduction contracture/tightness.
What do I do if Clients Don’t Possess Normal Ranges of Motion in Various Joints?
There are three basic scenarios that can occur with your assessments:
1) The individual will possess adequate ROM that doesn’t require any remedial stretching or mobilizations. For these people, a quality training/conditioning program will serve to maintain the range they already have. Semi-frequent re-testing is needed to make sure this range of motion isn’t lost however.
2) The individual has excessive ROM which may or may not be a problem depending on the strength and motor control capacities of the person. Too much ROM (hypermobility) can be just as bad in some situations as too little ROM! For specifically assessing if someone has too much ligamentous laxity/hypermobility all over their body, the Beighton Score is an easy testing protocol to administer.
3) The individual will possess decreased ROM/hypomobility in a given joint motion which could signify that either a musculo-tendinous/fascial or “extra-articular” (outside the joint) problem exists. Or, there could be a problem within the joint (intra-articular) that would required more attention to the joint capsule and other structures that would be best performed by a licensed professional trained to administer joint mobilization (Osteopath, physical/physio-therapist, chiropractor). This is a good reason for personal trainers and bodyworkers to have a good network of other professionals who can perform any specific joint work that might be needed. The basic goal with these people is to improve the range of motion of the truly short or stiff tissues. Utilizing the corrective strategies concept as promoted by the FMS, once lost ROM is regained, it must be backed up with some stability training (static, then dynamic stability) in order for it to stick. Stretching in and of itself is often not enough to change movement in any meaningful way!
A Hypothetical Scenario – Tight Hamstrings
Corrective exercise for a mobility restriction or stability problem is an art unto itself and would require an entire book (just read Gray Cook’s new book which should be available soon) to list all the various protocols. To give one example of a corrective sequence, let’s say that an individual has poor hamstring flexibility. Perhaps they are overworked from synergistic dominance due to weak glutes and tight hip-flexors on the other side. You would want to incorporate self-myofascial release for the hip flexors and activation work for the glutes in order to “release the brakes” on the hamstrings and decrease hypertonicity.
You would also want to incorporate various types of stretches and mobility drills for the hamstrings. Finally, you may want to start the client off with rack pulls and work on gradually increasing the range of motion until a full range deadlift can be perform while maintaining a neutral spine. Knowing various drills and progressions is critical in improving motor patterns and eliminating dysfunction. Assessments & Screens provide you with great information but you also need to know what to do with that information in terms of exercise selection and program design.
At any rate, we hope you enjoyed the videos. Over time, we will try to post more blogs that provide more information on screening and corrective exercise. Thanks for reading and watching!
-Keats Snideman and Bret Contreras | <urn:uuid:f620604a-08b3-418b-956c-2e065ec4a62c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bretcontreras.com/basic-screening-assessment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937206 | 1,941 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group is a network of woodcock and snipe specialist (both scientists and non-scientists) concerned with the study, monitoring, management and conservation of the woodcock and snipe species populations.
Profile: Download here
Aims of the Group
The first aim of WSSG is to provide an up-to-date knowledge on eight woodcock and 18 snipe species in the world. It is also expected to encourage new research and to facilitate contacts between researchers. WSSG plays the role of expertise platform for biologists conservationists and wildlife managers interested in woodcocks and snipes for share and exchange of information. As these are games species, the final objective is to ensure the sustainable use of the populations. For some species (European Woodcock, American Woodcock) have been running for several decades.
Due to the distribution of the species, WSSG concentrates on all continents (except Australia). However, the major part of the actions are carried out in Europe and North America. In future, special effort would be made to improve knowledge of the African, South American and Asian species.
WSSG membership is open without charge to Woodcock and Snipe specialists worldwide. There are currently about 50 members from 25 countries around the world. WSSG members are automatically enrolled in the WSSG list and receive the annual Newsletter. They also become members of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.
If you wish to join please contact the Chair at the address below stating your name, address, telephone and fax numbers, E-mail address, and areas of special interest (species and geographic regions). We look forward to hearing from you.
WSSG organises a Workshop every 4-5 years and publishes a annual Newsletter.
7th Woodcock & Snipe Workshop was held from 16 to 18 May 2011 in Saint-Petersburg (Russian Federation).
The 7th Woodcock & Snipe Workshop was held in Saint-Petersburg (Russia) from 16 to 18 May 2011. This meeting was organized by the Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage with the financial help of the Embassy of France in Russia and the Russian Association of Hunters and Fishermen.
About 50 members of the Woodcock and Snipe Specialist Group participated in the Workshop in order to review the knowledge on these game species. Twelve countries were represented: Germany, Denmark, United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania, Switzerland, Estonia, Hungary, France. Due to the venue location, the Russian biologists formed a third of participants.
In total, 22 communications were presented and the proportion between Woodcock and Snipe was well balanced. Several topics were taken up: distribution, migration, morphology, genetics, monitoring and hunting management. A simultaneous Russian-English translation facilitated discussions and exchanges among participants.A field trip along the Baltic coast allowed everyone to have a look on the forests and wetlands in the Leningrad region.
This workshop took place in a both serious and convivial atmosphere. The WSSG members were able to better get to know each other and to strengthen good relationships which could lead to future projects, especially in Russia, which is a key region for many migratory species in Europe. This, of course, was one of the important objectives of this meeting.
Chair: Dr Yves Ferrand
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The Case Of The Enveloping Platform
by Karen Webster
|ANALYSIS FROM KAREN WEBSTER
|Is Apple the Payments Industry’s Black Swan?|
|The Tale of the (Payments) Wallaby|
All of the discussion about Facebook’s lousy earnings last week brought to mind a little story about platforms that I wanted to share with you.
Once upon a time in early 2004, there was this computer genius of a guy named Mark Zuckerburg. He had a really good idea. That idea was to basically take the sheets of papers containing profiles of all of the students on the Harvard University campus that were distributed to incoming freshmen and turn them into an accessible web site. We’ve all seen the movie and so know that within 24 hours, 1,200 Harvard students had signed up and after a month, more than 50% of the undergraduate population had too. Zuckerberg quickly expanded to other Boston universities, then all Ivy League universities, all universities, and then anyone with a registered email address in 2006.
This really good idea launched about six months after MySpace did. It is easy to forget now that MySpace was the big dog in social networks for about five years. In fact, from 2005 to 2008 it was the most visited social networking site on the planet. It made news in 2006 when it overtook Google as the most visited website in the US. It was also the platform that launched Zynga’s online social gaming applications (remember Mafia Wars??) as well as a number of musical artists. It was also where lots of movies premiered and where movie studios paid millions of dollars to “take over” the MySpace sign in pages hyping the movies and playing trailers to drive box office sales. In fact, that was among the MySpace calling cards, which made it hip and happening and interesting to visit. It was all about discovery and user creativity and freedom of expression so everyone’s MySpace profile page looked different. They wanted it that way. And, unlike Facebook, MySpace encouraged users to create relationships with people they didn’t know and didn’t even require users to build profiles around their real identities.
It didn’t take long for Facebook to leave MySpace in the dust. Remember, it wasn’t until 2006 that Facebook was available to anyone with a general email address – so if social networking was your interest, there was only one game in town. In April 2008, about four years after its launch and two years after it opened the platform to non dot-edu addresses, Facebook handily beat MySpace in terms of unique visitors worldwide. And it never looked back.
After a number of issues that included allegations of user privacy violations and predatory behavior on the MySpace platform, Facebook was viewed as better and safer place for friends to hang out together online. And, since Facebook was about connecting with people you actually knew – or whom you could invite into your network - it minimized the risk of having sketchy people stalk you while there. Facebook also did one other really important thing: it courted a developer community. It knew that in order for people to want to spend a lot of time on its platform, it would have to give them things to do while there. And, more people hanging out on the platform and spending more time there meant more opportunities to monetize their eyeballs. So, in 2007 it announced it was opening its platform to developers and giving them tons of access to efficiently reach its user base – which at the time was about 20 million users.
That was all but the death knell for MySpace. It tried to follow suit in 2008, but by then, the reverse network effects had taken hold. Users were fleeing to Facebook, so were developers - certainly not the network effect you want if you are a platform. Today, MySpace has about 25 million users, or just about as many as Facebook had back in 2007. And, it literally happened overnight. I remember this well since we were working with a client at the time that was working with the MySpace team on a very clever scheme to create and monetize a new content/user initiative they were working on with a big content provider. At the time this project started, MySpace was still doing well, but being challenged by Facebook. Within five months, the buzz was so bad that no one wanted to touch it with a 10-foot pole.
Ever since, the big burning question has been, so who can do to Facebook, what Facebook did to MySpace? I remember there being some talk about that being Google+ when it launched. The rationale was that, after all, Google has deep pockets, a strong brand and a desire to develop and monetize another killer application beyond search. But, me and my colleagues at MPD, thought that was pretty unlikely. By the time Google+ had launched, Facebook had nearly 800 million people on its platform. It hardly seemed plausible that given all of the entrenched relationships and social networks anchored there that they would all of a sudden flee to another social network that was just, well another flavor of a social network.
Turns out that it wouldn’t be another social network at all that Facebook would have to watch out for, but a whole different platform competitor. Enter this story’s protagonist – mobile.
[Yes, here is where I am finally getting to the point of the piece…]
Over the last 7.5 years, Facebook has done what all good platforms do – work really hard to ignite its platform and then continue to add new features to keep existing users sticky and new users interested enough to try it. The more of that they could do, the less likely it would be that those people would abandon the platform, even if something new came along. The end result is nearly 1 billion people on the platform – a pretty big number to try to move to a new social platform who spend about 8 hours a week on the platform and more than 25% of all internet time.
But, their blind spot was mobile. Sure, everyone and his mother-in-law read the tealeaves that said mobile was going to be an important element of the social networking experience. But, few really understood the implications to Facebook and its user base. It’s not just that Facebook sucks today as a mobile advertising platform. If that were its only problem, Facebook with all of its assets could probably figure that one out.
The real issue is that the hundreds of thousands of developers who had done such a great job of developing applications for the PC/desktop Facebook environment lost their ability to reach the mobile audience. The iOS display is a mess and applications are hard to find. It also turns out that apps developed on the Facebook platform simply don’t work on the mobile device. So, a user might be checking her news feed on the iPhone and sees an update and a call to action from a brand she has “friended." She does that on her PC and she gets the desired response. She does the same thing on her mobile device and absolutely nothing, nada, zippo happens. The app acts like it is broken, well, because it is on the mobile environment.
At the same time, Facebook changed its algorithms to favor the discovery of new applications, catching quite a few old, established guys off guard. Zynga was one of them. And, it is bleeding red ink all over the place because of it. Its stock has lost 40 percent of its value since it announced its 2nd quarter earnings. Its user base today is about where it was in 2009 – it’s lost about half. The games that killed it on Facebook – those oldies but goodies like FarmVille, CityVille, etc. that also drove about 29 percent of its revenue – were being pushed aside for the new ones. And, there was some funkiness associated with how gifts bought with Facebook Credits were being sent to recipients (turns out they weren’t). All of this has become a huge deal for Zynga and its shareholders and will soon become a pretty big deal for Facebook, as well.
Zynga is doing what most Facebook platform apps developers are also doing – making their online apps mobile apps. Sure, apps developers can do some fancy schmancy programming thing called mobile markup to enable those native apps to work in the Facebook mobile environment, but that doesn’t address the clunky experience overall that users face when they get there. Things may work, but it isn’t pretty.
The risk to Facebook is that the longer it takes for them to get their mobile house in order, the shorter it may find its apps developer list. That puts it at risk of losing whatever potential revenue those apps developers might have or did have generating as part of the Facebook platform. I think that most everyone at one point in time thought that Facebook would eventually adopt an iTunes model whereby access to its users and platform would come at some sort of a price. But, suppose Zynga, to take one example, decides that being so tied to Facebook hasn’t been all that wonderful here lately and so decides to shift its faithful users to its own mobile gaming platform? I am not saying that making that sort of wholesale change would be easy, but do gamers care more about playing their games with their friends or about where they are playing them? Facebook was just one convenient way to discover and then play their games and them to broadcast their game accomplishments. But, if all of gamers were given a sweet incentive to do the same thing in a mobile gaming environment that would still allow them to post their updates on their news feeds, wouldn’t they all just do it?
On that point, today mobile apps make it just dead on easy to leverage all of the social aspects of Facebook like sharing, posting, liking, etc. One could say that these apps are getting the best of all worlds – being on mobile which is where the eyeballs are moving, control over the user experience (and development environment – Facebook’s unannounced platform updates really make development to Facebook a challenging experience) and all of the great things inherent in social sharing! And, bonus, they may also be exerting more control over its business model. That sort of reverse use of Facebook as a communications mechanism and not an all encompassing “walled garden” could put a world of hurt on Facebook’s future revenue prospects.
All this is to say that Facebook is the latest victim of a platform envelopment play – one in which a competitor from, literally out of left field, comes along and eats your lunch. Well, not your lunch, exactly, but the money side of the platform. Facebook never saw mobile coming at it this way, this fast.
Facebook isn’t the first company to have been caught flatfooted by a platform enveloper. LinkedIn didn’t put itself in the corporate recruiting market but has become a huge threat to them with its job boards that have enveloped the core business of online job boards like Monster.com. Comcast didn’t call itself a full-service communications provider but its VOIP service bundled with high speed internet and HD TV has enveloped landline subscriber sales. In both cases, these new platforms were able to extend their core capabilities into spaces occupied by other “pure play” providers, reaping higher marginal revenues since they were just extending their own platform and ravaging others who didn’t look outside of their core platform for competitive threats. And that’s the risk of these platform envelopment moves, they simply don’t come from within the “core” sector. All of the work that platforms put into making their core better and stronger ignores perhaps the biggest risk of all – someone or something else that can move the money side over to something different, but better, often at a lower cost but higher margins.
So, how does this story end? Well, the happy ending is that Facebook solves the mobile problem and does it fast and we all live happily ever after. The not so happy ending is that it gets all wild-eyed by visions of things like creating its own mobile phone and a mobile iOS. In fact that would be just about the last thing they should be thinking about right now. Being Apple’s new BFF and the reported tight integration with them is a step in the direction of happy ending, but how happy wont be known until we see the new version later this fall. The big unknown is whether getting to the happy ending becomes more of a prologue for some of the big players, like Zynga, who have its own shareholders to appease and who need to protect their own flanks. I know one thing, writing the script for the happy ending is probably the biggest task around the Facebook’s executive team’s table right now.
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Good traditions – but looking towards the future – should be developed. The following is such an attempt, following on publications during the past years. On 11 March 2007, I had written about the origins of the International Women's Day, related to the first all women’s strikes in the garment industry, in Lowell in Massachusetts/USA. What I consider worthwhile here is to think about the fact that the first strike of women textile workers, as described above, took place in Lowell/USA,
now one of the three centers of Cambodian-Americans in the USA. And nowadays, Cambodian women textile workers are among the major workforce earning money for the country by the things they produce for export, while they are not much recognized for their role - and three of them have even been shot at during a recent strike in Svay Rieng.
Having read a lot of appeals made again at the occasion of this day - internationally and nationally, I decided to share information about a very practical experiment started by Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding of the European Union [EU] one year ago. She challenged business leaders to increase women’s presence on corporate boards, calling them to sign pledges abut what they actually do and not only say. And their responses would be published by March of this year. This was to be operated through specific, public declarations: “Women on the Board Pledge for Europe” on her official website.
She made this appeal after a meeting with business leaders on the role of women in decision-making, where she got the usual verbal assurances that everybody would surely make their best efforts.
This pledge represents a voluntary commitment by publicly listed companies to increase women’s presence on corporate boards to 30% by 2015 and to 40% by 2020. It is open for signature by all publicly listed companies in Europe.
"I had a first constructive discussion with business leaders to hear their views on increasing female participation in Europe’s boardrooms,” said the EU’s Justice Commissioner. “While some business leaders consider regulatory intervention – as seen in Norway, France, and Spain – as indispensable, others pointed to promising self-regulatory initiatives. Discussions between my services and representatives of the social partners showed similar positions."
"Enhancing women’s participation in boardrooms can make companies more profitable and trigger sustainable economic growth."
"For the next 12 months, I want to give self-regulation a last chance. I would like companies to be creative so that regulators do not have to become creative."
"What counts for me is the outcome. My goal is to bring women’s presence on the boards of the major European publicly listed companies to 30% in 2015 and to 40% by 2020."
New Commission figures presented today show that only 12% of board members at Europe's largest companies are women and in 97% of cases the board is chaired by a man. Progress over the past years has been very slow: the share of female board members in the EU has increased by just over half a percentage point per year over the last seven years. At this rate, unless action is taken, it will take another 50 years before there is a reasonable balance (40% of each sex) on company boards. In the meantime, public-listed firms in the EU keep losing out on female talent.
Member States and companies have taken various measures to address the situation, ranging from “soft measures” such as corporate governance codes and charters to legislative measures, such as gender quotas.
Not expressions of good-will, but numbers – one year later – should show what is really going on. The following are sections from the new European Commission report from 5 March 2012.
European Commission weighs options to break the ‛glass ceiling’ for women on company boards
A report published today shows that limited progress towards increasing the number of women on company boards has been achieved one year after EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding called for credible self-regulatory measures. Just one in seven board members at Europe's top firms is a woman (13.7%). This is a slight improvement from 11.8% in 2010. However, it would still take more than 40 years to reach a significant gender balance (at least 40% of both sexes) at this rate.
Gender balance in top positions has been shown to contribute to better business performance, improved competitiveness and economic gains. For example, a report by McKinsey [Women Matter: Making the breakthrough] found that gender-balanced companies have a 56% higher operating profit compared to male-only companies. Ernst & Young [Scaling up - Mind the (gender) gap] looked at the 290 largest publicly-listed companies. They found that the earnings at companies with at least one woman on the board were significantly higher than in those that had no female board member...
"One year ago, I asked companies to voluntarily increase women’s presence on corporate boards. My call was supported by the European Parliament and forwarded to business organizations by Ministers of Employment, Social Affairs and Gender Equality in many EU Member States. However, I regret to see that despite our calls, self-regulation so far has not brought about satisfactory results," said Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission and the EU’s Justice Commissioner. "The lack of women in top jobs in the business world harms Europe's competitiveness and hampers economic growth. This is why several EU Member States – notably Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain – have started to address the situation by adopting legislation that introduces gender quotas for company boards. Some countries – Denmark, Finland, Greece, Austria and Slovenia – have adopted rules on gender balance for the boards of state-owned companies. Personally, I am not a great fan of quotas. However, I like the results they bring...”
A growing body of evidence points to significant economic benefits from a better gender balance in economic decision-making. Having more women in top jobs can contribute to a more productive and innovative working environment and improved company performance overall...
Women ask more questions and are less willing to get into uncontrolled risks. That is why these companies make fewer mistakes.
Any plans to put a similar challenge to public institutions in Cambodia?
To achieve similarly positive results of significant economic benefits requires that women shall not hesitate to speak up and ask more critical questions, and that men at present in decision making positions shall learn more to listen to such questions.
Women speak up increasingly, but most notably in the public in relation to conflicts in the garment industry, and also when communities are faced with plans to relocate or to evict them - many women live up to their leadership roles. | <urn:uuid:44e98ce8-e0f0-4f0f-b961-e457f706300f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.expat-advisory.com/articles/southeast-asia/cambodia/after-international-womens-day-2012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972141 | 1,365 | 1.539063 | 2 |
From ON Magazine, Issue No. 1, 2010
By Beth Schultz
Panduit creates a showcase for intelligent building systems
May 20, 2010—Call it a tribute to its Midwestern roots, but Panduit Corp. has long thrived on a straightforward efficiency that has had it embracing environmental-friendly practices since opening its doors in 1955.
“We’ve always been a practical company, relying on functional concepts,” says President Tom Donovan.
In fact, he says, sustainability, a corporate goal many companies have only recently tuned into, has been a guiding force at Panduit since before he landed on the company’s doorstep 29 years ago. “Driving sustainability has been a core value since the company was founded, with a focus not just on lean manufacturing but on lean everything and on driving out waste in all forms,” he says.
A smart, new building
But Panduit took sustainability to new heights—five stories, to be exact—in its new world headquarters building officially opening this spring on its Tinley Park, Illinois, corporate campus, 35 miles south of downtown Chicago. The building, which anticipates earning Gold-level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, is a gleaming showcase of what the modern, sustainable business is all about.
Before even entering the building, for example, a visitor might notice that the exterior windows don’t look into offices. Rather, all offices run down the building’s center spine, leaving unobstructed views to the outside. “We’ve got a beautiful campus, with views of trees and a creek. But when I close my office door in the old headquarters, nobody on the other side can see outside,” Donovan says.
The new building, on the other hand, features a rectangular footprint with the distance from the windows to the center spine calculated based on the angle of the sun and how far daylight can penetrate into the building. “We wanted to give everyone exposure to sunlight and to the outside environment,” Donovan explains. “I’m looking out glass walls to the outside windows, and so is everyone else.”
While the open, airy design maximizes the use of natural light and makes for a readily visible sign of greenness, the real sustainability story is taking place in the background. “In today’s world, in order to be green and sustainable over the long term, the building has to be intelligent—and I would argue,” Donovan says, “that this is one of the world’s most intelligent buildings.”
What, you might ask, makes a building so brainy?
It’s one whose policy-based building systems are so intertwined and automated that when an employee comes to work on a Saturday afternoon, a swipe of his security badge triggers the heating and lighting in his office area to power up. Or, for example, it’s one that, upon receiving an external camera feed of a man running toward the building from the parking lot, engages locks on entry points and alerts security personnel to a potential problem. It’s a building that, should energy usage peak in certain areas, systems will have the ability to take action based on predetermined rules.
“It’s about intimacy of control,” says James Brew, a principal architect with Rocky Mountain Institute, an independent “think-and-do-tank” on efficient and restorative resource use. And that intimacy isn’t just tied to people, he adds.
“It’s about knowing where and when your building is using energy and then synchronizing that energy use not only with occupants but also with climate. So as climate changes, building systems will be able to anticipate the loads needed based on fuzzy logic and learning from the day before or previous weather conditions and understand what it needs to do to respond,” Brew says.
As a leading adopter of intelligent building systems, Panduit is still learning how all of this integration and automation will play out in its new headquarters. “Whether these sorts of things will happen in real time is yet to be determined. We’re just starting to understand the power of having all these systems able to talk to each other,” says Joanne Tyree, Panduit CIO. “What we’re doing, we’ve come to find, is unique.”
Jack Heine, a research vice president at Gartner, Inc., agrees that Panduit’s intelligent building and sustainability program is innovative—and says it’s one other companies would do well to emulate. Particularly impressive, he says, is the degree to which this was a collaborative corporate effort involving not only facilities but also IT and other groups to study many different operational aspects of a building.
“There’s a changing paradigm in the workforce, and buildings require greater flexibility,” Heine says. “Panduit has given all of this a lot of consideration, and that’s important.”
Donovan puts it this way: “We didn’t just need more space, we needed better space.”
This space, he adds, would help drive an increase in collaboration—a critical cultural goal—improve operational efficiencies, and incorporate sustainability elements not possible in the company’s old, 1960s-era headquarters building. “The new space gives us the opportunity to bring all this to bear in one project,” he says.
The world headquarters building is a realization of Panduit’s own Unified Physical Infrastructure (UPI) approach for converging core systems and facility functions, says Vineeth Ram, Panduit’s vice president of global strategic marketing. “Integrating communications, computing, control, power, and security systems on a unified network, manageable from a unified operations center, optimizes a building’s physical infrastructure and, ultimately, leads to energy and other operational efficiencies,” Ram says. “The converged, IP infrastructure comprises state-of-the-art technology from myriad world-class providers, including EMC, coupled with enterprise management applications and supported by Panduit’s UPI-based solutions.”
A state-of-the-art data center, also located in the new building, supports the automated intelligent building systems, Tyree says. “Our strategy is to consolidate, standardize, and simplify, so we’ve taken those principles to build a data center with an eye on high availability, sustainability, and energy efficiency and apply those same things to this new set of business applications—meaning, the intelligent building—we now support,” she explains.
Within the new data center, Panduit’s server infrastructure will be 60 percent virtualized, compared to 10 percent previously. “Clearly with increased use of virtual servers, our energy and space usage go down dramatically,” Tyree says.
In addition, Panduit is modernizing the platforms on which it runs its Oracle enterprise management applications and, on the storage side, it’s consolidating from a variety of disk storage devices onto a unified storage platform from EMC that will save the company an estimated $250,000 annually in operating costs, Tyree says. The network comprises Cisco’s latest Nexus switching technology plus Panduit’s own copper and fiber optic high-speed data transport networking solution, smart cabinets, and accessories.
“All of these things will allow us to run much denser and more energy efficient,” says Tyree, noting that the new data center will open with a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of no worse than 1.7 and possibly 1.5, down from the existing data center’s 2.1 rating. Developed by The Green Grid, an industry consortium, the PUE is a commonly used metric for measuring the amount of data center power consumed by IT gear.
“We want our data center to be a showcase, a working model of our solutions for our customers, so we collaborated closely with our facilities team to make sure we were using our solutions and our partners to our best possible advantage,” Tyree says. “But at the same time,” she adds, “one of my goals is bringing down the cost of running IT so we can free up money to do innovative things. In a lot of ways, the new building and data center will help me do that.”
Indeed, Donovan says. And as much as Panduit aimed to create a highly intelligent, sustainable building, it did not do so in the absence of a rigorous business case. “We don’t do anything without a strong return on investment,” he stresses. “The sustainable elements of the building had a three-year or better straight, hard payback. Plus, they provide huge soft benefits, like improved employee productivity.”
Sustainability doesn’t come easy. It takes innovative leadership, a comprehensive operational view, and a smart business case. But, as Panduit shows, with thoughtful processes and a long-term commitment it can be done well, to great business benefit. | <urn:uuid:7aca4d25-4cef-4db7-afe2-ab2a0a8c9e8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.emc.com/leadership/features/building-smart-for-sustainability.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941101 | 1,930 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Information relating to becoming an undergraduate student in Chemsistry at Memorial University is given below. If you cannot find the information you were looking for, or have any other questions please contact .
NL high school chemistry, math and physics
Students attending high school in Newfoundland and Labrador who are interested in exploring a Chemistry degree
option at Memorial University can prepare themselves by ensuring that they take Chemistry 3202, Advanced Math 3205 and Physics 3204
if these courses are offered at their high school. If any of these courses are not offered, students should ensure that
they have taken the highest level chemistry, physics and math courses that are available.
NL high school students who could not take Chemistry 3202 or received a grade of less than 75% in that course will generally be required to go through the Chem 1010/1011/1031 path for their first year chemistry courses. This will often result in a Chemistry degree program that takes more than four years to complete, or one that requires that one or more courses be taken in Intersession to keep the program on a four year track.
Math Placement Test
Based on the results of the Math Placement Test that all students wishing to take Memorial University mathematics courses must complete, a new undergraduate student may need to complete Math 1090 before they can enter the Math 1000/1001 stream. As Math 1000 is a corequired course for Chem 1050 and Math 1001 is a corequired course for Chem 1051, a student who cannot enter Math 1000 directly from high school will likely be required to go through the Chem 1010/1011/1031 stream for their first year chemistry courses. As stated above, this could extend the time required to complete the degree or Intersession courses may be required to keep on the four year track. However, students with a strong grade in their highest level high school chemistry course are encouraged to contact to discuss their options.
Advanced Placement and International BaccalaureateStudents who have Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses available at their high school can receive equivalent credit for some first year chemistry, physics and/or math courses based on their performance in the AP or IB courses.
Students taking Advanced Placement Chemistry can receive credit for Chem 1010 and 1011 with an AP grade of 3, or they can receive credit for Chem 1050 and Chem 1051 with an AP grade of 5. International Baccalaureate Chemistry students who have taken the Higher level chemistry can receive credit for Chem 1010 with an IB grade of 4, credit for Chem 1010 and Chem 1011 with an IB grade of 5, or credit for Chem 1050 and Chem 1051 with an IB grade of 6. International Baccalureate Chemistry studens who have taken the Standard chemistry can receive credit for Chem 1010 with an IB grade of 5.
Students who complete the Advanced Placement Calculus AB or Calculus BC can receive credit for Math 1000 with an AP grade of 3 or better. Students taking the higher level IB Mathematics can receive credit for Math 1000 and 1001 with an IB grade of 4 or greater
Students who complete AP Physics B with a grade of 3 or greater can receive credit for Physics 1020 and 1021, while students who complete AP Physics C with a grade of 3 or better can receive credit for Phys 1050. IB students in higher Physics can receive credit for Physics 1020 and Phys 1021 with an IB grade of 4 or better.
Other requirements and first year guides
More information about admissions can be found at the Memorial Unvisersity Admissions webpage. The Advising Centre page also has a useful Guide to First Year. Another guide to first year with information catered towards Science students is also available through the Faculty of Science webpage. | <urn:uuid:141f72e5-f827-4b03-9cf2-8b9f206a748c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chem.mun.ca/future.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935432 | 766 | 1.789063 | 2 |
What are you forking out in investment fees? Designers of new 'True and Fair' calculator claim they can tell you
Do you want to know how much in fees is being creamed off your investments? A new calculator will be launched shortly which promises to tell you exactly that - not just as a percentage of your overall investment, but in pounds and pence too.
It is the creation of Gina and Alan Miller, founders of investment management firm SCM Private, who also spearhead the True and Fair Campaign calling for transparent fund charges.
Their calculator - due for launch in April - draws on methodology already being used by American regulators that gives investors clear information on the total charges they can expect to pay.
What are you paying to fund managers? True and Fair Campaign claims hidden fees and charges are eroding returns by far more than most investors realise
Much to the frustration of investors, this seemingly crucial information is currently not available. Asset managers must give details of their set management charges but dealing, admin and other charges can add significantly to the cost. Funds already publish a 'total expense ratio' (TER) but critics say even this disguises the actual amount being taken.
The Millers believe hidden fees and charges levied by fund managers are eroding returns by far more than most investors realise, and say their calculator will reveal the real impact of these costs on individual portfolios.
Gina Miller says they feel so strongly about this that they have plunged £100,000 of their own money into developing the calculator.
'I thought we have got to get it - just do it,' she says. 'I just want it to be out there.'
The True and Fair Calculator is being modelled on one launched a few years ago by US regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission, which wanted American investors to see the fees they were paying on their investments.
HOW WILL THE TRUE AND FAIR CALCULATOR WORK?
You will be able to put in the name of a fund and get a figure showing the likely charge if you make an investment - for instance, on a £10,000 sum over 10 years.
The fee figure will appear as a percentage, or you will be able to see it in pounds and pence if you wish.
There will be the option to put in several funds at once - possibly three, although this has not been finalised.
The True and Fair campaign says the calculator will cover all the funds sold in the UK.
'Back in 2004, the SEC said it was unfair that investors in the US couldn't see the costs,' explains Miller. 'They said it was a basic right for the consumer to know these things.'
She says the officially-backed US calculator got a million hits in its first three years.
Check it out here to see how it works.
Miller thinks the True and Fair version will prove popular too, and is hoping it might even end up being adopted by UK financial watchdogs.
She is convinced investors want full transparency on investment fees and costs. Her campaign has carried out a survey that showed 92 per cent of UK adults were in favour of statutory reform to force disclosure of charges.
The research also showed that 74 per cent of investors wanted them displayed as a single, cash figure.
Miller admits the calculator will not be 100 per cent accurate, but thinks it will be close enough to become a valuable tool and certainly better than having nothing at all.
She claims it is necessary because fund managers currently understate their annual charges, which are commonly cited at around 0.75 per cent.
But 'hidden costs' come to around 1-2 per cent on top and amount to some £16.3billion a year, she estimates. Such costs can be hard to pin down, but administration, dealing, custody, and broker fees can all fall under this category.
Miller says a voluntary code on fees has been proposed by industry bodies the Association Of British Insurers, the National Association of Pension Funds and the Investment Management Association, but dismisses this saying it will not work unless it is compulsory.
Gina Miller: Convinced investors want full transparency on investment fees and costs | <urn:uuid:4f2f6614-1cc9-42b7-8667-196c1cea931e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-2279263/True-Fair-Calculator-true-size-investment-fees.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967634 | 850 | 1.625 | 2 |
BP: Deepwater Horizon Well Intact, Survey Shows
HOUSTON - BP PLC said Tuesday that an underwater survey showed that the well that unleashed the Deepwater Horizon oil spill was intact.
The survey took place as the company and U.S. authorities sought to spot the source of a surface sheen seen near the area. BP and offshore contractor Transocean Ltd, the owner of the doomed Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded and sank in April 2010, inspected the well, the rig's wreckage, and the sea floor surrounding it and confirmed it wasn't leaking.
The company said that while no evidence of oil or gas leakage was found, a white, cloudy substance appeared to emanate from several places on the overturned rig. Samples were gathered, the company said.
The survey, conducted using submarine robots, lasted four days.
The well was capped in July 2010, after nearly three months of gushing oil into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The spill followed a blast that destroyed the rig and killed 11.
In September of that year, the well was permanently sealed with cement.
Copyright (c) 2013 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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Most Read Deepwater Horizon Articles | <urn:uuid:73b09b53-4a4d-4263-8bfb-ea883e33c04e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/122910/BP_Deepwater_Horizon_Well_Intact_Survey_Shows?rss=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965284 | 305 | 1.835938 | 2 |
You are hereLittle Rock's City Wide Cleanup Event
Little Rock's City Wide Cleanup Event
Volunteers are needed for the third annual Citywide Cleanup Saturday on March 10th in Little Rock.
Keep Little Rock Beautiful (KLRB), a certified local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, is hosting the event to promote litter pickup, recycling, beautification and community improvement in the capital city.
The Citywide Cleanup in Little Rock is part of the largest community improvement effort in the nation, the Great American Cleanup, which takes place annually from March 1 through May 31 and involves an estimated 3 million volunteers nationwide.
The 2012 Citywide Cleanup will kick off at historic Central High School in Little Rock at 8AM on March 10.
Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola will issue a proclamation about the citywide cleanup and highlight the work of the Central High Neighborhood Association and Central High School student volunteers, who continue to lead successful cleanup initiatives in the historic neighborhood. There will also be a recycling trailer on the Central High campus during the Cleanup for volunteers to recycle plastic and aluminum and to help raise awareness about the recycling services offered by the City of Little Rock.
In addition, neighborhoods all over the city are encouraged to organize clean-up activities. Those neighborhood groups who register their events with KLRB will receive assistance in the form of supplies, volunteer t-shirts and other support. During the 2011 Cleanup, 28 neighborhood groups and associations participated.
KLRB will also work in conjunction with the City of Little Rock Parks & Recreation Department to host organized cleanups in four city parks on March 10:
- Reservoir Park (8321 Reservoir Rd.)
- Brodie Creek Park (5001 Stagecoach Rd.)
- Boyle Park (2000 Boyle Park Rd.)
- Conner Park (13100 block of Cantrell Road - the city's newest park)
In 2011, the Citywide Cleanup achieved the following results:
- 996 Volunteers contributed 1,958 hours
- 44.48 tons or 88,960 pounds of litter and trash were collected
- About 664 city blocks were cleaned
- 29 City parks were cleaned
- 4 miles of waterways were cleaned
- 7 sites were beautified
KLRB is working to expand this year's effort to include more than 1,000 volunteers and dozens of neighborhoods by teaming with City of Little Rock Neighborhood Alert Centers, neighborhood associations, and community organizations.
KLRB was one of only six community affiliates honored with an Arkansas Shine Award from Keep Arkansas Beautiful in 2011, an honor that recognizes communities that are making significant strides in providing programs and instituting policies to create sustainability. In 2011, by involving a broad range of community partners, the city was able to create and coordinate a variety of community events, including Little Rock Bike-to-Work Day, the Little Rock School District (LRSD) "i Matter March," the LRSD Paper Recycling Program and the Citywide Cleanup in Little Rock.
The City of Little Rock earned another prestigious ranking in 2011. Forbes magazine listed Little Rock as the second cleanest city among the nation's 80 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Criteria for this honor include decent air and water quality, small amounts of toxins created and disposed of by companies in the area, and a lack of Superfund sites.
"It is recognition like this that encourages Keep Little Rock Beautiful to continue on our mission," said Suzanne Hirrel, a KLRB board member and Citywide Cleanup co-chair. "Our goal is to empower and energize Little Rock residents to take action. Just look around your own neighborhood and see what can be done to improve it. Would planting flowers or trees enhance it? Is a litter pickup needed? Do your neighbors fill and place their recycling bins curbside? Is there a site that could use a coat of paint? Does a neighborhood park need to be spruced up? We are thrilled that the City of Little Rock has once again asked Keep Little Rock Beautiful to lead this citywide effort."
All Little Rock neighborhood organizations, churches, civic groups, schools, youth organizations, businesses and other groups are encouraged to get involved in this citywide effort. | <urn:uuid:490962b6-538c-4e17-be85-3f1de2d37c84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arkansasearthday.org/content/little-rocks-city-wide-cleanup-event | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959986 | 862 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Many skilled workers are expected to retire over the next few years in Nova Scotia.
Given this impending skills shortage, it is critical to begin training the workforce of the future.
Apprenticeship training provides an opportunity to do just that, and it is an employer's competitive advantage. When you hire an apprentice, you have a chance to train them to your professional standards and according to your business needs. The apprenticeship training model is tailor-made to develop Nova Scotia's workforce.
In 2008, the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, CAF, hosted employer engagement forums. The employers who participated in the events offered a number of compelling reasons for why they support apprenticeship training:
As an employer, what can the apprenticeship program do for me?
You have a chance to enhance the quality of training in your workplace by promoting and participating in apprenticeship. This can make your company more attractive to new employees and help retain them.
Is there a cost for me to register an apprentice?
No, there is no cost to the employer to register an apprentice. Additionally, your company may be eligible to apply for an Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit. | <urn:uuid:daff819e-7c7d-4c70-98c3-9316009b29a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nsapprenticeship.ca/employers/benefits_apprenticeship_training.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957606 | 235 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Faculty: Alexander-Albritton, Hamann, McFarland, Nikels, O’Ryan.
Adjunct Faculty: Becht, Buwick, Macias, Nikolopoulos, Partridge.
The Department of Counselor Education offers graduate degree programs for students interested in pursuing careers in the counseling profession.
241 Career and Personal Development. (2) This course emphasizes self-exploration leading to understanding and enhancing the student's own career and personal development. Students receive exposure to methods of learning about careers, job hunting strategies, and effective ways of presenting themselves. Through internal and external exploration activities, students receive assistance in academic and career decision making.
433 Special Problems in Counselor Education. (1, repeatable for different titles to 6) Designed to provide a group of students an opportunity for further professional growth and to apply problem solving approaches in dealing with specific educational problems. Graded S/U only.
444 Counseling Children and Adolescents. (2–3) This course is for students interested in understanding and improving their helping relationship skills with children and the significant others in the lives of these children. Needs created by the changing nature of our society with the growth in cultural diversity, growth in numbers of children growing up in single-parent and blended families, and recognition of the rights of the handicapped will be given special attention. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing or permission of the instructor. | <urn:uuid:60c214c6-a91d-4b2e-a071-7a7e5e36ccd9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wiu.edu/catalog/09/programs/counselor-ed.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93055 | 290 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says applications are being accepted for grants to help low- and very-low-income rural residents repair their homes. These funds help limited-income rural homeowners improve their living conditions. He says the costs associated with maintaining a home are a challenge for many rural homeowners and the funding will be used by awardees to help low and very-low-income residents in rural areas maintain and repair their homes.
The grants can be used to weatherize and repair existing structures, install or improve plumbing or provide access to people with disabilities. Housing Preservation Grants are provided to intermediaries such as town or county governments, public agencies, federally recognized Indian Tribes and non-profit and faith-based organizations. The grants are then distributed to qualified homeowners or owners of multi-family rental properties or cooperative dwellings who rent to low- and very-low-income residents.
USDA may award up to $9.8 million in competitive grants through the Housing preservation Grant program. Applications are due on August 22.
The Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers as authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill provides payments to offset costs of transporting ag inputs and products over long distances. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that USDA has begun issuing nearly $2.6 million in fiscal year 2010 payments through RTCP. Vilsack says the program will partially compensate U.S. farmers and ranchers outside the contiguous continental U.S. who are at a competitive disadvantage when they move their products to market.
RTCP benefits are calculated based on costs incurred by the producer for transporting ag commodity or inputs in a fiscal year, subject to an $8,000 per producer cap. RTCP sign-ups for the coming fiscal year begin on July 25 and end Sept. 9. Applicants must file their application with their local Farm Service Agency county office by the deadline.
For more information check out www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport. | <urn:uuid:07d440ef-3481-4a86-8bda-05e6cb8363fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://farmprogress.com/story-several-programs-receiving-usda-funding-0-51501 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944998 | 416 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The Joseph Spencer Chapter, NSDAR will be celebrating the 115th Anniversary of the organization in Portsmouth in 2013.
The origin of the Joseph Spencer Chapter, NSDAR, goes back to early 1898. At the time, there were only two members of the society in Portsmouth-Mrs. Mary Sarah Slocomb Cotton and Mrs. Sarah Merrill McCall. Both were members of the Cincinnati Chapter. Mrs. Cotton took the first steps toward the organization of what later became the Joseph Spencer Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. After some inquiry and investigation of the records, thirty five eligible women were found who desired to unite with the National Society with the intention of forming a chapter in Portsmouth. The charter was issued in 1898.
The DAR is a service organization of over 200,000 members with over 3,000 chapters located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Any woman, eighteen years of age and over, and who is lineally descended from a man or woman who with unfailing loyalty aided in the cause of American Independence, and must be able to prove her lineage back to an ancestor who served the American cause during the American Revolution.
The Joseph Spencer Chapter has established a DAR scholarship at the Scioto Foundation. This year’s winner was Kathleen Rosier of Shawnee State University. The chapter participates in the Memorial Day Parade, the memorial service at Greenlawn Cemetery, the Veteran’s Recognition Day at Shawnee State University, donates many items and cash to the local VA facility, and the Chillicothe Veterans Hospital, marks graves of Revolutionary Soldiers, sponsors Good Citizens Contests in local high schools, Constitution Week displays, sponsors Community Service Awards, distributes hundreds of American flags, promotes patriotism and education. The DAR motto is “God, Home, and Country”.
The local chapter currently has 85 members. Officers for the 2012-2013 year are: Joan Vicars Phillips, Regent; Belinda Bowman-Schaefer, First Vice Regent; Mima Taylor Vita, Second Vice Regent; Deborah Huffman Mersiel, Chaplain;; Mollyra Watkins Stroud, Corresponding Secretary; Donita Clark Smith, Treasurer; Patricia Vicars Lacy, Registrar; Gail Cropper Swick, Historian; Wanda Frasher Staggs, Librarian. June Morton Perry, Parliamentarian . Directors are Irene Messer Maple; Jean McCorkle Easter, and June Morton Perry. | <urn:uuid:f34ebf24-e3f8-484a-be67-63c81e8fb9df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.communitycommon.com/view/full_story_myown/21821552/article-Joseph-Spencer-Chapter-National-Society-Daughters-of-the-American-Revolution | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934348 | 513 | 1.679688 | 2 |
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Join the conversation with other caregivers and get information from our home health care experts.
Each year, thousands of patients throughout the New York City area are discharged from the hospital with slow-healing surgical wounds. Others suffering from chronic conditions, like diabetes, often have wounds or open sores that don't heal easily. To prevent infections and other serious complications once a patient has left the hospital, getting proper wound care at home is critical.
At VNSNY, we aim to provide the highest level of wound care for our patients. A skilled nurse, or for those with difficult wounds, a wound-care clinical nurse specialist, will work closely with each patient’s home health care nursing team to establish a treatment plan and evaluate progress every step of the way.
While specific treatments vary by patient, our nurses can provide the following wound-care services:
Vacuum assisted closure (also called vacuum therapy, vacuum sealing or topical negative pressure therapy) is a medical procedure in which a vacuum is used to remove blood or fluid from a wound or operation more...
A Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse (WOCN) is a clinical nursing specialty that involves the treatment of patients with acute and chronic wounds, as well as ostomy patients, who have had some kind of more...
For more information on VNSNY's Wound Care services, please call us at 1-800-675-0391. | <urn:uuid:70fb2952-89fd-4abe-a8b5-3d33914113b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vnsny.org/our-services/by-service/medical/wound-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949099 | 297 | 1.617188 | 2 |
This year is set to be difficult for local government IT. The public sector is bracing itself for cuts - job losses are expected in the second half of the year, and budgets will be squeezed.
IT departments can expect to receive their fair share of the cutbacks. They will be expected to show they are cutting their own costs while finding innovative ways to reduce spending in the rest of the organisation.
IT will be challenged in two ways, according to Jos Creese , senior vice-president at the Society of IT Managers. First, managers will need to demonstrate that the costs in IT are as low as they can be. "This will force consideration of new models of delivery and affordability of service levels in some areas," he said.
The second challenge will be to demonstrate how IT can cut costs in other areas. This may not sound new, but many of the easiest and most basic measures (such as designing a good website) simply have not been implemented in some councils.
There are good examples across the country of effective transformation programmes, but there is still potential for millions more per year to be saved through clever use of technology. The pressure is mounting to find new ways to cut costs.
Creese says IT will require a "maturity of leadership" if it is to do this. Local government needs to look hard at self-service for citizens, new ways of working and shared services.
Creese, who is also CIO at Hampshire County Council, said, "This challenge will be harder not because it is new, but because it implies a new role for IT, and a fundamental change in how public services are managed, controlled and delivered." | <urn:uuid:e5aa36a5-38dc-416a-a3b5-578f3ddcd83b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.computerweekly.com/news/1280091777/Local-government-IT-faces-a-tough-year-ahead | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967133 | 338 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Community leader promotes young adult participation
When Shauna Waltman reached the end of her undergraduate degree, she felt disconnected from the Jewish community. Instead of walking away for good, Waltman, now 31, decided to go on a Birthright trip to Israel.
Little did she know she would not only meet her future husband, Jeremy, on the trip, but she would also begin the exciting and rewarding path toward becoming a leader in the Jewish community.
“When I was in Israel, I was reminded of how good it feels to be a part of something bigger than yourself,” she said. While on the trip, Waltman ran into her former camp counsellor, Michael Soberman, who was the director of Canada Israel Experience at the time.
As soon as she got back to Canada, Waltman contacted Soberman and asked about job opportunities in the Jewish world. She felt an urge to reconnect with the Jewish community, and decided that she wanted to apply her training from the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business to something that she felt strongly about. But she wasn’t yet sure what that would be.
“I found myself back at home and really struggling with what I wanted to do now that I was all grown up,” said Waltman, but it wasn’t long before she found her calling in Jewish community work. With Soberman’s guidance, she eventually became the co-ordinator for March of the Living Canada, and later, the director of Toronto’s Birthright Israel Alumni Community (BAC). As co-ordinator of March of the Living, Waltman helped to recruit new groups of participants who would take the emotional and educational trip from Poland to Israel. She attracted university students, adults, educators and even politicians to sign up for the unique experience.
It was clear that Waltman had a talent and a passion for community engagement, and when she became director of BAC, she was able to direct her work toward people her own age.
“As a child, as a teenager and as a university student, there are so many great opportunities available to Jews… As a young adult, those opportunities aren’t always as obvious,” she said, adding that it became her goal to find new ways for Jewish young adults to connect with their community. Waltman planned numerous events and activities to keep former Birthright participants engaged, and through that, she brought Toronto to the forefront of Birthright post-programming as well as Birthright trip leader training. Toronto’s BAC is now the second-largest one in North America.
More recently, Waltman became the director of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s Community Connect, what she calls “a grassroots organization inside an established organization.” She works to engage her peers, Jewish people in their 20s and 30s, in programming, networking and leadership opportunities in the Jewish community.
“We consider ourselves the change-makers, we consider ourselves the innovators, we consider ourselves the people driving the movement for and with our peers,” she said of the Community Connect team.
Waltman’s dedication and hard work earned her the prestigious Young Professional Award of the Jewish Communal Service Association (JCSA), which she was presented with at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Denver, Colo., this past November.
“There are so many great young people working in the field, so to be recognized as the top of that is a really amazing honour,” said Waltman, adding that working with her inspiring team of Jewish young adults is “the best award” she could ask for.
Waltman explained that working for the up-and-coming generation has helped to reverse some of the community disengagement that many Jewish young adults experience as they leave university. “I relish the opportunity to create a world [for] that [age group], and I think we have,” she said.
It was Soberman, now the director of National Initiatives for the Next Generation at the UIA Federations of Canada, who nominated Waltman for the award. “She’s somebody, I think, who really wanted to work in the community for all the right reasons,” he said. “Quite simply, she’s a star.” Soberman added that the award is an important step forward in recognizing the impact of young adults in the Jewish community.
Although Waltman, who is completing a master’s in Jewish professional studies at Spertus College in Chicago, is as modest about her accomplishments as Soberman is proud of them, she realizes the importance of her work.
“It’s about showing the next generation that it’s possible,” she said, explaining that, as a new mother, she has discovered the significance not only of building up the Jewish community for the future generation but also of giving them the tools to continue to build it for themselves. Waltman said she hopes her one-year-old daughter, Hannah, will also contribute to creating a relevant and meaningful Jewish community when she grows up.
Although not too long ago, Waltman saw herself drifting away from the Jewish community she grew up in, she said making the choice to reconnect and to forge her own path in the community is one of the best decisions she’s made. Referencing the famous Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken, Waltman said of her decision, “I chose the road less travelled, and, as they say, that made all the difference.” | <urn:uuid:0d2c105e-411a-4114-91b9-352037a1ab53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cjnews.com/news/heebonics/community-leader-promotes-young-adult-participation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97744 | 1,168 | 1.679688 | 2 |
< Back to Consulting Services
The CTL offers instructors a chance to examine and enhance their teaching through systematic evidence-based analysis, reference to research on teaching and learning, and critical self-reflection.
Consultations are formative, intended to assist instructors in achieving their goals along their own developmental journeys. Consultations are also completely separate from the institution's formal summative processes for evaluating faculty for the purposes of promotion and tenure. All consultations are confidential and may be initiated only upon an instructor's request.
Common Focuses for Consultation
Instructors interested in consulting with the CTL may initiate conversations on a wide range of topics, such as:
- How can I tell whether students are learning what I want them to learn?
- What do I do when students don't do the reading?
- What does the research tell us about effective use of classroom technologies, and which one(s) might best meet my students' and my needs?
Teaching with Technology
- How can I use Blackboard (or another course management system) in order to free up class time for more interactive work?
- Who do I contact for technology consultation regarding course design and pedagogy uses of technology?
- How can I find out what is available in the Faculty Instructional Technology Lab click here for more.
- Who do I contact with teaching and technology questions? Contact firstname.lastname@example.org
- How might I enhance a course I'm currently teaching by restructuring it or shifting to use a different pedagogy?
- What sort of course design will make it more likely that students not only memorize but also apply the material and work with it meaningfully?
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
- Where can I learn more about how other faculty members in my discipline are encouraging critical thinking (or creativity, or good research skills, etc.)—and learn what they are finding?
- How can I make my findings about student learning in my class more public by developing a scholarship stream in the scholarship of teaching and learning?
- What should a good philosophy of teaching statement look like?
- How can I use the portfolio process of evidence-based critical self-reflection as a tool for my own development?
- How do I make sense of the "evidence" that will go into the portfolio's appendices and help a reader understand its meaning in relation to my professional work?
Formats for Individual Consultations
An experienced consultant will work with an instructor to choose the best approaches for meeting the instructor's goals and needs. Possible formats include:
- Formal or information conversation
Many consultations take place in brief, informal exchanges on campus, via email, or by phone, when an instructor has a pressing question or the need for a sounding board. Such informal conversations may be followed up with additional research on the part of the consultant and a number of brief exchanges to arrive at a satisfactory solution. Instructors are also welcomed to schedule a more formal conversation with a consultant for a single meeting or a series of meetings.
- Review of materials
An instructor may contact the CTL to request feedback on course-related documents, such as syllabi, web sites, or assignments. In conducting a longer-term consulting relationship, an instructor will typically share many such documents to provide a sense of context for the consultant.
- Midterm assessment of teaching (focus groups with students
In order to get feedback from students during a course, an instructor can request a "midterm assessment of teaching." Such feedback can be valuable in adjusting a course midstream and in signaling to students that their voices matter. During a 30-minute segment of a class session, a consultant interviews focus groups of students (in the faculty member's absence to provide anonymity for students). Students indicate what is helping them learn in the course, what is hindering their learning, and what suggestions they have for the instructor and for themselves. Finally, the consultant meets with the instructor to discuss the students' anonymous feedback and provide a sounding board or guidance for the faculty member's next steps with the course.
- Classroom observation
A consultant will arrange to observe a class of the instructor's choice to provide feedback related to the instructor's interests, goals, and needs for student learning. Such documentation can be useful for one's own development, as documentation of ongoing professional development work for the professional portfolio, and as a data point for work in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
- Support for work in the scholarship of teaching and learning
Instructors who would like to investigate student learning in their classes in more formal and systematic ways—and then make their findings public—may wish to present or publish in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The CTL will help instructors locate appropriate venues and, time-permitting, can provide guidance and feedback on proposals and manuscripts. | <urn:uuid:6331f49c-43f7-45ae-806b-2661504dd2f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.otterbein.edu/public/Academics/AcademicAffairsDivision/CenterForTeachingAndLearning/consulting/individual-consultations.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931185 | 992 | 1.703125 | 2 |
What I find interesting is how most of the questions David lists betray a desire to leverage social media as a marketing tool: "How are you measuring social media," "How do you determine the return on investment for social media," and "What's a friend worth?" (That last question must be asked by some mighty lonely people, don't you think?)
I'm glad that marketers are attending social media conferences and seeking to understand how social media is changing the environment in which they cultivate relationships between the brand and consumers. But it seems marketers are coming alone; where are their peers from other corners of the organization?
While I believe marketers should have a significant role in an organization's social media efforts, maybe it's time we understood:
Social Media is a communications channel and not a marketing tactic!
Rather than think of Social Media as part of the marketing toolkit, it would be more accurate to consider Social Media as a communications channel. Social Media isn't a one-way advertising medium but a channel for two-way (or more) dialog; it is much more akin to the telephone or email than to an ad medium such as TV or print.
Email makes a fine metaphor for exploring Social Media. Email can be used for marketing; the marketing department can develop an eCRM strategy, build a permission database, segment the audience, and launch offers via email. Marketers can also buy ads in existing email newsletters and, although it is not usually recommended, can purchase lists to send email offers to consumers.
But although marketing has a significant role in the way the organization employs email, the marketing department is responsible for just a small piece of the email pie. In other divisions, email is used for intracompany communications, to build relations with partners, to provide service to customers, to facilitate sales, and to schedule interviews for job candidates.
Every department and just about every employee in the modern corporation uses email as a tool, and this is how Social Media will also soon develop. Marketing will have some role, such as advertising (if someone figures out how to make social advertising work), blogger relations and social media PR, creation of branded communities, development of widgets to enhance consumers' social media experience, and preparation and execution of rapid response via Social Media channels to combat incorrect or negative PR.
But the impact of social media will be felt far beyond the reaches of the marketing department. For example, today recruiters may participate in employment forums, but in the future they'll be seeking current and future candidates wherever they may be engaged in Social Media. This includes creating relations with talented individuals who may someday be interested in changing jobs, consistently sharing information about your organization's work environment to encourage response from lurkers, networking for referrals, and seeking out and inquiring with individuals who meet current needs, even if they have yet to express an interest.
Another example for how Social Media will be used outside of marketing is in the customer service group. Rather than wait for a consumer to express a need and then navigate through your phone system or Web site, customer service professionals will constantly monitor social media for compliments and complaints, engaging consumers and providing proactive support.
Brands could be using proactive Social Media to help consumers and create goodwill today. A Summize search shows the word Target has been used on Twitter 15 times in the past two hours; around half of these Tweets refer to the retailer. People are talking about Target, but the company isn't listening or responding.
sarahbellum says "Nothing is better than shopping at Target with your best girlfriend. Nothing," and Christyxcore says, "We're goin to target. Love the Target." These are nice comments being broadcast by consumers, so why isn't Target saying "Thank you"? missloulou says, "i need to get comfortable shoes for work target sandals are murdering my feet!," but Target isn't there to find out when she purchased them or to offer assistance with an exchange. Engaging sarahbellum, Christyxcor, and missloulou may not immediately increase sales, but it would position Target as a caring, appreciative, involved, and smart retailer.
It would seem the current and future impact of Social Media is not being felt or understood throughout organizations quite yet. If it were, the preponderance of blog posts and questions being asked at Social Media panels wouldn't be framed in the context of marketing. Marketers are to be congratulated for being quick to recognize the opportunities of Social Media, but if they really want to be sure their organizations are getting a jump on this new communications trend, they need to stop thinking only from the frame of reference of advertising and start encouraging a coordinated effort throughout the organization.
Thanks to Jeremy over at Kohl's for the MediaPost link. | <urn:uuid:9c52c0e4-fb51-4fa4-b6c6-0fde3205572e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.experiencetheblog.com/2008/06/social-media-is-communications-channel.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959018 | 973 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Dmitri Shostakovich’s 1930 satiric opera, “The Nose,” makes its overdue Met debut in a dazzling production by South African artist William Kentridge that was worth the 80-year wait. Filling the huge Met stage with elaborate animated projections inspired by Constructivist propaganda (with a nod to Meyerhold, Eisenstein and Vertov) the director effectively sends us hurtling back to the era of the opera’s premiere. Intricately wedding his propulsive visuals to Shostakovich’s playful, cacophonous score, Kentridge evokes that heady decade after the Russian Revolution when that country was exploding with a newfound artistic freedom that would prove all too short-lived.Shostakovich’s first opera is a satiric, absurdist work based on a Gogol story that anticipates the world of Kafka. Kovalyov, a Collegiate Assessor, awakens one morning to find his nose missing. Inadvertently shaved off by Kovalyov’s barber, it takes on a life of its own, rising in station above Kovalyov himself in the strict class strata of 1830s St. Petersburg. After a series of humiliations at the hands his own nose and the society that surrounds him, Kovalyov is finally able to track down the AWOL schnoz, reattach it, and resume a more-or-less normal life. Shostakovich accompanies this phantasmagorical tale with a complex score that is by turns jocular, assaultive and poignant. Although the opera overstays its welcome a bit — it is here performed not in the original three acts, but as one long two-hour show with no break — there is never a sense of dullness. Shostakovich consistently engages his audience, and Kentridge — currently the subject of an ex- hibition at the Museum of Modern Art — enhances that engagement. His production fairly bursts off the stage, delighting the eye with an incessantly allusive flow of projected images, including animated silhouettes and found footage from the early days of the Soviet Union. Kentridge largely eschews the use of the Met’s seat-back titling system, preferring instead to project the somewhat spare translation onto various parts of the stage — sometimes as subtitles in foreign-film style, sometimes as graphic intertitles reminiscent of silent movies. By setting the action not in Gogol’s time, but in a stylized version of the 1920s, Kentridge makes giddy, glorious use of the always-fresh Constructivist aesthetic, which was at its peak at the time Shostakovich was composing this opera. Sabine Theunissen collaborated with Kentridge on the arresting sets; Greta Goiris created the deliriously exaggerated 1920s costumes. Shostakovich utilizes a chamber orchestra for this piece; conductor Valery Gergiev succeeds in making it sound Met-sized while still preserving the consistent comic tone. There are no less than 78 individual singing parts in this opera, many of which are doubled and tripled by a finely tuned cast of singing actors. Baritone Paulo Szot, the Tony-winning Emile de Becque of Lincoln Center’s “South Pacific” revival, makes his Met debut in the leading role of Kovalyov. His handsome, burnished voice does not always easily fill the Met’s vast space, but he succeeds in delivering a compelling, multifaceted serio-comic performance. In the much smaller but telling roles of the Police Inspector and the Nose itself, Andrei Popov and Gordon Gietz — also making Met debuts — wield their piercing high-tenor voices strongly. Others standouts in the cast include soprano Erin Morley, who is given the few truly beautiful passages of the score; and mezzos Theodora Hanslowe and Barbara Dever. This production is a fine example of the Met working at peak form. But its overriding brilliance belongs to Kentridge, who will undoubtedly be making his mark in opera for years to come.
Metropolitan Opera; 3,800 seats, $375 top
A Metropolitan Opera, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, Opera National de Lyon presentation of an opera in one act by Dmitri Shostakovich. Libretto by Shostakovich, with Yevgeny Zamyatin, Georgi Ionin, Alexander Preis, based on the story by Nikolai Gogol. Conductor, Valery Gergiev. Directed by William Kentridge.
Sets, Kentridge, Sabine Theunissen; costumes, Greta Goiris; associate director, Luc De Wit. Opened, reviewed March 5, 2010. Running time: 2 HOURS.
Kovalyov - Paulo Szot Police Inspector - Andrei Popov The Nose - Gordon Gietz
With: Gennady Bezzubenkov, Erin Morley, Theodora Hanslowe, Barbara Dever, Vladimir Ognovenko. | <urn:uuid:b0d7ae87-fc86-4140-bc01-2e5928c74e69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://variety.com/2010/legit/reviews/the-nose-1117942371/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930327 | 1,047 | 1.65625 | 2 |
South African maize contracts closed the Friday session mostly lower due to a firmer rand and slightly lower Chicago Board of Trade prices‚ while wheat closed higher on stronger Chicago wheat prices and expectations of tighter worldwide wheat supply.
The December 2012 and March 2013 white maize contracts closed slightly lower‚ however the white maize July 2013 contract closed a tad higher.
“I reckon traders are starting to talk about that not enough rain is falling in the maize growing areas such as the North West and the Free State and that is why the white maize July 2013 contract closed slightly higher. There is a bit of concern about rainfall‚ but there is however ample time still to plant maize‚” a local trader said.
“There is bullish sentiment in the wheat market due to talk about Brazilian quality of wheat that will not be so good because they had too much rain‚ and that is why our local wheat market closed higher‚” he added.
Traders worldwide are awaiting the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report that will be released on Friday afternoon that will reveal world demand and supply figures for all agricultural commodities.
Expectations are for wheat stocks to be down because of too much rain in South America and drought in Eastern Europe‚ while world maize production is expected to be slightly lower to unchanged.
Locally white maize for December delivery‚ the most active contract on the South African Futures Exchange‚ dipped R10.00 to close at R2‚466.00 a ton. The white maize July 2013 contract closed R2.00 higher at R2‚284.
Meal made from the grain is SA’s staple food.
Yellow maize for December delivery‚ the most active contract for yellow maize‚ shed R14 to close at R2‚509 a ton. The grain is used mainly as animal feed in SA.
Wheat for December delivery added R32.00 to close at R3‚753.
Meanwhile US wheat futures rose on Thursday amid expectations for the US Department of Agriculture to tighten supply forecasts‚ Dow Jones Newswires reported.
December wheat futures ended up 8 1/2 cents‚ or 1%‚ to $9.02 1/2 a bushel at the Chicago Board of Trade.
World wheat supplies are tightening up‚ amid production woes in the Southern Hemisphere‚ especially Australia and Argentina.
Corn futures hovered near unchanged throughout the session. CBOT December corn finished down 3 cents‚ or 0.4%‚ to $7.41 1/4. - I-Net Bridge | <urn:uuid:c5e6c554-c50b-4f77-abec-29594d742669> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iol.co.za/business/markets/commodities/wheat-closes-firmer-1.1420693 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951699 | 539 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Is it More Cost Effective to Build Up or Build Out?
I received a question from a reader of EVstudio.info. He asked: "Does it cost more to build two stories vs one story?"
The answer is that it really isn't that simple. A two story house should cost less for these simple reasons:
Land Cost. If land is fairly expensive then going up will allow you to fit on a smaller lot and save money on land cost.
Less Material. You have a similar amount of wall and floor but you save on roof. Your plumbing, ductwork and electrical runs will also be shorter.
However, there are other factors that come into play and sometimes offset the two story house's benefits:
Familiarity. I grew up in a city where almost every house was a single story with no basement. In that case there will likely be a premium for doing a multi-story home.
Complexity. Multistory homes that do not stack well may create a complex structure and envelope that will cost more.
Stairs. In order to have the same amount of livable square footage, the multistory house will be larger with the addition of a staircase, probably 55-80 sf on each level. On a smaller home that really adds to the size.
The best answer that I have is to give me more specifics on your project and I can help you make the right decision for your project.Related Articles:
Leave a Response | <urn:uuid:4e1a2c88-fb92-47e1-bcb7-42f23100f6ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://evstudio.info/is-it-more-cost-effective-to-build-up-or-build-out/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956462 | 303 | 1.617188 | 2 |
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