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1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.
16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
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Eighty four days after it began, with probably 180 million gallons spilled, the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico may be at an end. BP’s new cap should stop the flow. But the questions over the oil giant’s record endure. Company insiders, past and present, say the Deepwater Horizon disaster was all too foreseeable. They describe a culture of arrogance and risk-taking spanning decades. Profits, it seems, always come before safety and whistle-blowers are intimidated, pressured out, or fired. Though CEO Tony Hayward promised to make the company safer when he took over in 2007, the pressure to cut costs intensified as he struggled to please shareholders amidst an economic downturn.
Hayward started at BP as a rig geologist in 1982. That same year, almost three decades before the gulf spill and six years before the Exxon Valdez coated the Alaskan coastline with 11 million gallons of oil, James Woodle had just taken a job with the Alyeska oil consortium at Valdez in Alaska—majority-owned by BP. Among other responsibilities, the retired Coast Guard captain was in charge of spill recovery.
But when Woodle arrived, he tells NEWSWEEK, he was appalled. “They had cut back on equipment, on staff.” When he asked about the cuts, he was told very pointedly: “safety doesn’t make money.”
In early April 1984, after arguments with his superiors, Woodle wrote a letter to the head of Alyeska, George Nelson: “Due to a reduction in manning, age of equipment, limited training and lack of personnel, serious doubt exists that Alyeska would be able to contain and clean up effectively a medium- or large-size oil spill,” he said, according to testimony given to Congress in 1991 [PDF].
A few weeks later he was notified that there was mail waiting for him, registered delivery. “It was a very short letter,” says Woodle. “Just a couple of lines. It indicated there had been rumors of an affair between me and the terminal secretary and that this was a written warning for insubordination.” He says he assumed that, as he wasn’t conducting an affair with anyone, he could just continue as usual and “it would go away.” But a few weeks later Woodle was called to his boss’s office on a Friday afternoon and fired without explanation, beyond “insubordination.” An Alyeska spokesperson said he could not confirm or deny Woodle’s account. Nelson, who retired in 1989, could not be reached for comment.
Five years later, on March 24 1989, Woodle’s phone rang. It was an old colleague from Alaska. The Exxon Valdez had run aground on the Bligh Reef, and was leaking oil. Though the disaster came to be tagged with Exxon’s name, Alyeska, and the BP operatives who helped run it, were the designated first responders. “I knew it would be a disaster [if a spill happened]—they didn’t have the equipment or the men,” he says.
Reports he hears about the Deepwater Horizon in the media and from his sources in the Coast Guard are, Woodle says, eerily familiar. The spill contingency plans for the Valdez terminal were useless, he says. “The attitude was that you don’t have to worry about spills, because they will probably never happen. The only important thing was the number of pages in the plan. The more pages the better. It was huge, but cut-and-pasted and padded with a lot of images of the shoreline.” As NEWSWEEK has noted, the BP plan for Gulf of Mexico operations was long on verbiage, at 583 pages, but short on specifics and looked like it had been repurposed from previous projects: It cited an expert who had been dead for four years, and one section even laid out plans for saving walruses in the event of a spill. The animals do not live anywhere near the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1984, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation official Dan Lawn was hearing similar corner-cutting stories from other employees too scared to report their concerns to their oil-company bosses. When he wrote them up in memos to his superiors, the attitude toward him at the terminal changed, he says.
Guards from Wackenhut, the Florida-based security firm that manned the gates at Valdez, began preventing him from entering the facility. “They’d say I would have to notify them in advance, get permission from the right person,” Lawn tells NEWSWEEK. “But they wouldn’t tell me who that was.” Journalists from The Guardian, New York Times, PBS and other outlets have reported similar frustrating tactics in the Gulf of Mexico.
Though Lawn didn’t know it at the time, he was also under surveillance by Wackenhut. The company, at the direction of Alyeska, was going through his credit records, his trash, and his mail and having him followed [PDF]. He and five other whistle-blowers, who had also been spied on, sued; and reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Wackenhut and Alyeska in 1993. The federal judge in the case, Stanley Sporkin, described the actions as “horrendous” and “reminiscent of Nazi Germany.” A spokesperson for Wackenhut declined to answer any questions about its work for BP, past or present, saying the company was “unable to comment on specific operational matters.”
Less than five months after the Alaska spill, Lawn was reassigned from his position at the DEC, accused of being unprofessional and unobjective “towards those we regulate,” according to a memo obtained by the Anchorage Daily News at the time. Staffers suspected Alyeska had exercised its influence. A similar relationship between government and Big Oil surfaced in 2002, when an Alaskan regulator resigned in protest. [PDF] Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group that advocates for state and federal environmental employees, conducted a damning survey of 132 DEC employees shortly afterward. The majority felt that the DEC viewed its “primary ‘customer’ to be the individuals and businesses that seek permits rather than the public or the [environmental] resource.” [PDF]
Little had changed, it seems, by the time of Deepwater Horizon. Some reports have suggested that the Minerals Management Service, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, allowed oil companies to pencil in their own inspection reports, to be gone over with a pen by officials. Strong-arm tactics like those employed against Woodle and Lawn have not been reported in the Gulf of Mexico. But Stephen Stone, a roustabout injured on the Deepwater Horizon rig, told the House Judiciary Committee that he was asked to sign a document, in exchange for $5,000 compensation for the loss of his personal possessions, that stated that he had “suffered no injury.” He refused. [PDF]
BP's most deadly disaster happened three years after regulators warned of safety issues in Alaska. On the morning of March 23, 2005, pressure buildup at the company's Texas City refinery led to a “flammable liquid geyser” that was ignited by backfire from an idling diesel pickup truck, according to a Chemical and Safety Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) report. An explosion tore through the large facility. Fifteen people were killed and 170 were injured. Houses were damaged almost a mile away.
The CSB conclusions were damning. The disaster “was caused by organizational and safety deficiencies at all levels of the BP Corporation. Warning signs of a possible disaster were present for several years, but company officials did not intervene effectively to prevent it. The extent of the serious safety culture deficiencies was further revealed when the refinery experienced two additional serious incidents just a few months after the March 2005 disaster.”
In the aftermath of the Texas City incident, BP officials told the Houston Chronicle that Hayward’s leadership had “fundamentally changed” the culture at the company. Cost-cutting efforts, they said, “launched with the arrival of CEO Tony Hayward in 2007, have not come at the expense of safety. Rather, they say, they have elevated the role of safety in operations.”
But recent statistics show that BP is still among the least safe companies in the industry. Not including the 11 who died on the Deepwater Horizon rig when it exploded in April, 18 employees lost their lives at BP facilities last year. The company’s nearest peer, Exxon Mobil, had eight deaths. In the past three years BP has had 760 “wilful egregious safety violations” at its refineries, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Exxon Mobil, which operates a similar number of refineries, has had just one.
A tension between safety and a need to boost profits was hinted at in a meeting Hayward called in early 2008. In that year BP was bottom of the six major oil companies in terms of growth. In March a Morgan Stanley analyst, Neil Perry, was called to a company gathering in Phoenix to give an outsider’s perspective to Hayward and the leaders of BP’s major divisions. Perry’s review was grim: he called for deep cuts in expenses.
Perry, according to a report in the May 2008 issue of Horizon, BP’s internal publication [PDF], told leaders that “BP has failed consistently on upstream project delivery and downstream reliability. But that the organization was ‘sitting on a goldmine’ of assets that could help it close the gap on competitors.” By the end of the cost-cutting that followed, more than 6,500 jobs were eliminated—almost 10 percent of BP’s workforce—according to The Wall Street Journal. Insiders are reported to have spoken of “draconian” measures and a heavy emphasis on production targets.
In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, multiple reports have found that BP managers pushed on with drilling on the project, to meet completion deadlines, despite serious safety concerns about the well. Stone, the roustabout injured in the explosion, later told the House Judiciary Committee that he was angry because the companies involved with the well were “needlessly rushing to make money faster, while cutting corners.”
Brent Coon, a lawyer who is representing Stone in a legal action against BP and has investigated the company over several years, says the push for profits was a wider problem. He criticizes BP’s recent cost cuts and “skewed” employee bonus incentives for creating a culture that puts dollars before safety. Money at BP is directed at “early completions, production, and saving money,” he says. “The thing about safety is that it represents no return on your investment.” Indeed, reports suggest that those aboard the Deepwater Horizon stood to get an early completion bonus.
Coon’s views, and the reported incentives in the Gulf of Mexico, echo Woodle’s experiences at Valdez 25 years ago: each senior employee then, Woodle says, was rated on how much they reduced costs. “It was how you got ahead. They go in like gangbusters when there’s dollars to be made, but they soon cut back. And safety goes first.”
Toby Odone, a spokesperson for BP, confirmed that the company does require employees to sign individual performance contracts and awards bonuses based on those targets, but strongly denied accusations of a culture of recklessness. “It’s clearly nonsense,” he says. “Why on earth would anyone put profit before safety?” Odone also denied that efforts to keep journalists from reporting on the spill and limiting the public relations damage to BP’s stock price, were officially sanctioned. “It is BP’s policy,” he says, “that people have the right to talk to the press if they wish to.”
Wackenhut, the firm that kept Dan Lawn out of the Valdez terminal, is now part of Danish security firm G4S. It is providing guards for BP in the gulf region. Journalist Naomi Klein, on assignment for The Guardian, and her husband Avi Lewis, host of Al Jazeera English’s Fault Lines, had made repeated requests to talk to staff at the Unified Command Center, where efforts to combat the spill are coordinated. In late May they drove up to the compound’s gates. They were confronted by Wackenhut security guards, and recorded the encounter in a video provided here by Al Jazeera English.
Al Jazeera English
“It was almost funny,” Klein tells NEWSWEEK. “They told us we needed permission from the right person to enter. We asked who we should talk to, and they said they couldn’t tell us. When we said we just wanted the right name, they called for backup,” she said. It is, as NEWSWEEK reported a month after the spill, by no means the only report that suggests a tacit policy to keep reporters away.
Freelance photographer Michael Appleton was on assignment for The New York Times in the region. He was shooting a cleanup team in hazmat suits combing a beach on Dauphin Island in Alabama, he tells NEWSWEEK. “They were picking their way among a lot of beachgoers, people in bikinis, little kids, and it made for great, kind of absurd, pictures.”
A man and a woman in black T shirts pulled up in a four-wheeler. “You’re not allowed to photograph here,” said the man, who did not identify himself. “You can’t photograph these crews and you can’t talk to them.” Appleton replied that it was a public beach, and that they had no right to tell him to leave. They drove away, only to return 10 minutes later. “You can’t do this,” said the woman this time, “you have to get out of here.” The man chimed in, “this is your last warning.”
The police eventually arrived. “The officer was understanding,” said Appleton. “He said I had every right to be on the beach and to photograph what I wanted. But that he was afraid for my safety if he or other officers were not around.”
At about the same time Appleton was trying to report on the spill, Hayward was asked, on ABC News, about the many safety violations his company had accrued under his leadership. “Much of that record,” he said, “relates to a prior period and our absolute focus the last three or four years has been on safe and reliable operations.” In response to a question about Hayward’s leadership and allegations of a culture of recklessness, BP spokesperson Odone tells NEWSWEEK that the company has reduced injury rates and spills 75 percent since 1999, planned safety changes since the Texas City explosion, and appointed an independent expert to oversee their implementation.
On Tuesday, May 25, not long before Hayward’s ABC interview, there was another, scarcely reported, leak on the Alyeska Trans-Alaska Pipeline, still majority-owned by BP. Reports suggest that 200,000 barrels of crude oil escaped. Assurances were given. “We will not start back up,” said an Alyeska spokesperson, echoing many of her predecessors, “until we are absolutely comfortable that it’s safe.” The pipeline was restarted on May 28.
As the cap settles over one of America’s greatest environmental disasters, deepwater-drilling operations also continue. BP expects an ambitious project in Alaska—the company will drill two miles down, and then sideways for six to eight miles, to reach 105 million barrels of oil—to be online by 2011.
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Testing & Standards
The UK’s University of Leeds has developed an innovative system for the objective evaluation of fabric handle, which uses established and proven test equipment underpinned by scientific principles, which account for key material properties.
In response to the increasing awareness of the positive environmental aspects of geosynthetics and geosystems, TenCate Geosynthetics’ business unit Water & Environment, has developed the TenCate Geotube carbon footprint calculator for use with dewatering and breakwater applications. This CO2 footprint calculator provides water management customers with background information on several sustainability aspects.
In the run in to Techtextil, the leading trade fair for technical textiles and industrial nonwovens, organisers Messe Frankfurt have published the following article on the spread of nanotechnology in technical textiles. The article shows how nanotechnology is being used in a growing number of applications from clothing, through construction to regenerative medicine. Techtextil takes place in Frankfurt from 11-13 June.
Swiss textile innovator Schoeller has launched a new fabrics range called Pyroshell which offers permanent flame protection for polyester and polyamide fabrics.
Well known industry consultant David Rigby (formerly David Rigby Associates) is now providing personal advisory and consulting services to business owners, CEOs and senior managers in technical textiles and industrial nonwovens, with the aim of helping them create more profitable and sustainable futures for their businesses.
This video was made by Robert Newton a TV documentary producer whose family were in textiles in North Carolina for generations. Newton got the idea for the documentary after he found himself constantly correcting people who said that the textiles industry in NC state was dead. It’s a full blown TV documentary which lasts 30 minutes but its well worth watching.
Energy efficient membranes, silicone-coated textile fibres, a new master batch for tintable polypropylene or new technologies for integrating systems into apparel – these are just some of the inventions of the ten winners of the Techtextil and Avantex Innovation Prizes.
According to Australian wool industry experts, the’ next-to-skin’ wool garment industry is set to be transformed by two ground-breaking new fabric testing devices available for commercial use through the Australian Wool Testing Authority (AWTA). Used together the Wool ComfortMeter and Wool HandleMeter are said to allow manufacturers and retailers to produce and market vastly improved next-to-skin garments.
The overall response from the exhibitors and visitors at the latest edition of Techtextil North America was confirmation that they were pleased with the show and venue, organisers say. The tenth edition of Techtextil North America took place from 19-21 March at the Hilton Anaheim in Anaheim, California.
Market leaders in the sportswear sector will present specialist technologies at Texprocess, the leading international trade fair for processing textile and flexible materials from 10-13 June this year in Frankfurt, Germany, in co-location with Techtextil, the international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens. The following text, provided by the show’s organiser summarises some of the leading technologies which will be exhibited.
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Comunidad Los Rosales
The importance of pre-school education is at the heart of this project, financed by Veniños partly with the generous donation of around £26,000 from a corporate donor that wishes to remain anonymous.
Veniños is helping the community to improve and refurbish its existing pre-school building and then to build new classrooms, offices, storage area and a canteen. Once this is done, we will help them design and build an appropriate outdoor play area. This is a big project but we see this as a fantastic opportunity to help a community to help itself. They have created their own plan for development that we believe it is a well-thought out and inclusive plan.
Veniños is providing the financial resources to Fundación AFIN to develop and expand its programme of "Maestra en casa" (not dissimilar to the Health Visitor programme in the UK) and Ludotecas (local play areas) in Comunidad Los Rosales. We believe it will help give local children the best possible start in life and mean that both they and their parents have made all the correct preparations to enrol children at the appropriate time in the local pre-school. We want to help engage parents and children in the educational process as much as possible from as early an age as possible.
This dynamic grassroots NGO works with sex workers and their children.
It is based in the west of Caracas and directly runs programmes from there but also works with groups at a national level to help develop appropriate support and training networks. Out of what can only be described as basic premises with limited resources, AMBAR has an amazing programme of activites from a day care centre for approximately 70 children who are the children of sex workers or from poor local, working families.
Casa Hogar José Gregorio
This is a children's home run by very dedicated nuns and volunteers in Caracas.
The children range in age from 0-18 and it is a mixed home as they try desperately to keep siblings together rather than for them to be split and go to single-sex homes which tends to be more common once children are over the age of 6 or so. The children have often suffered years of abuse and neglect so the work of integration and support is hard but the home is a happy and safe place for children where they gradually learn to trust and heal again.
Comunidad Camuri Grande
This community programme has taken the leases from owners of properties are were almost destroyed in the landslides at the end of 1999 in La Guaira, near Caracas, and in return for a long lease, they have gradually repaired the properties so that they now run a youth and community centre, a pre-school, a ludoteca, a canteen for local children and a shop amongst other things.
In conjunction with another NGO, Venezuela Sin Límites, Veniños is to help fund a specialist computer training programme for local youth.
We have dedicated a small proportion of funds to FUNDAICI, which is a leading NGO in the field of research and training.
Veniños has helped to publish a vital book about children at risk in Venezuela which gives an overview of what the actual situation is and what the causes and triggers for the problems are, thereby helping people who work with vulnerable and abused children to understand the broader background to individual crisis.
Asociación Civil El Samán
Our first major project funding was awarded to Asociación Civil El Samán, a community group that recognises the benefits to be gained from sports education and participation for those children who cannot normally access sports facilities.
These community workers have witnessed the amazing benefits of sport to the children and also to the wider community and so have now forged a charity with the specific purpose of nurturing social development by broadening access to sport, with participation by children from the shanty towns.
Veniños also has a smaller rolling fund for emergency requests to help with repairs or emergency expenses that charities may unexpectedly incur.
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Generally speaking, Bangkok and the major tourist destinations such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Phuket generally have longer opening hours for most services; however, operating hours for most businesses and government services in Thailand are not dissimilar to those in most other developed nations.
Thai bank hours are typically Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, though some Thai bank branches, particularly those inside of shopping malls, are open on weekends. Currency exchange booths in Bangkok and other tourist destinations are open on weekends and evenings.
Clinics and Doctors’ Surgeries
Major hospitals in Bangkok have 24 hour emergency rooms, but typical doctors appointments should be scheduled between 8.00am and 18.00, Monday - Friday. Some larger hospitals offer off-hours and weekend services. If you have a medical emergency you should go to the accident and emergency department of the nearest hospital. Emergency services can be reached by dialing 191 on any phone.
Emergency services, which can be reached at 191, are generally available 24 hours.
Shops and Department Stores
Most shops are open seven days a week from 10 am to 10 pm. Local “mom and pop” convenience stores may open earlier and remain open until after midnight. Thai markets are open various hours depending on the wares they sell, with wet-markets selling food products from the wee hours of the morning until around 10am, while night markets typically open around sunset and remain open until 10pm or occasionally midnight.
Museums and Galleries
Thailand museums and galleries are typically open from 9.00am to 4:00pm daily. Times may vary and some museums and galleries may close one day during the week and/or on public holidays.
Nightclubs in Thailand have flexible operating hours. The official closing times are 12/1am depending on the type of establishment, with hotel bars given longer operating hours. Certain clubs, particularly those in tourist destinations including Phuket and Koh Samui, have permission to stay open until 2 or 3am.
The Thailand postal service is reliable and efficient. Thailand post offices are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4:30pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 1pm. The Bangkok Central GPO on New Road is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 1pm. All Thai post offices are closed on public holidays, though most major hotels can arrange to mail letters and parcels on your behalf.
Pubs are typically required to close by 1am.
Restaurant operating hours are highly variable and, as Thai people love to eat, streetside restaurants frequently stay open well past midnight. Restaurants have typically later closing hours in Bangkok and tourist destinations than in the rural provinces.
Supermarkets are typically open seven days a week from 10am to 9pm. 7-11 convenience stores, located throughout Thailand are generally open 24 hours.
The BTS skytrain runs daily between 6:00 am and 12:00 midnight with frequent service throughout the day, increased during rush hours.
The MRT underground Blue Line operates from 6.00 am to 12:00 midnight daily.
Frequency - Less than 5 minutes during the peak hours 06.00 - 09.00 am and 04.30 - 07.30 pm.
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The Eur district, dotted with hotels, is in the south-east area of the City, near the Tiber River. The modern area is very famous for its "razional" architectures: the most famous example is the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana or "Colosseo Quadrato", that become the symbol par excellence of this architectural style.
The Eur, thought and built in occasion of the Universal Exhibition conceived to celebrate the twenty-year anniversary ( in 1942 ) of the Fascist's March on Rome, hasn't been completed during that age because of the Second World War, but subsequently: it has been completed in the end of fifties, in occasione of the XVII Olympics games.
In those years have been built the artificial lake, the Cycle Track and the Sport Palace. Europa ( this is the true name of the district ) changed its denomination many times: for example, originally it was called E42 ( that is Exhibition 1942 ), then changed in Eur ( Rome Universal Exhibition ), and Europa in the end.
In the area there are many interesting monuments and buildings, ( in addition to the "Colosseo Quadrato", inspired by metaphysical art ), thaks to a particular road network and to the use of materials ( such as marble and travertine ) that aim to remind the Imperial Rome Buildings, such as: the Central Archives of the State, to Congress Palace, to PalaLottomatica, to Ninety Obelisk or to the Mushroom, ex water tank now panoramic restaurant.
Now, the Eur is a residential district but hosts also many offices, among which the one of Eni, of the Confindustria, the Department of Health, the Department of Communication, the Siae, the main seat of the Bank of Rome.
Many hotels in Rome are in the Eur district, and they are suitable to host every kind of client, because of the peculiarity and the modernity of the quarter ( where besides have been made many films and music videos ): after what we said above, the quarter has the particularity to rise between the centre of the City and the beaches, and near to Fiumicino Airport, near to the New Fair of Rome and quite near to the industrialized area in the south of the eternal City.
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It's a Special Easter Edition of What Were They Thinking! According to the National Retail Federation, more than 75 percent of U.S. consumers celebrate Easter in some way. Those who celebrate the holiday spend an average of $96.51 on gifts, decoration, food, clothing ... and candy.
What says Easter better than Peeps — everybody's favorite marshmallow treat? But would you really want to eat a Peeps in the shape of Rosie O'Donnell? Or Will Ferrell?
Just Born, the Bethlehem, Penn.-based confectionery company that makes the long-lasting marshmallow concoction, conducted a survey asking sweet-toothed fans "If Peeps came to life, what celebrity might it become?"
The top males: Will Ferrell, Johnny Depp, Jamie Foxx and Justin Timberlake.
The top females: Jessica Simpson, Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O'Donnell.
According to Kathy Bassininski, the company's brand director, "We produce Peeps in a variety of shapes and colors to celebrate all seasons. Regardless of their shape or color, Peeps always maintain their sense of humor!”
A sense of humor is one thing. But eating a marshmallow replica of Will Ferrell or Rosie O'Donnell? For some, that might result in a loss of appetite.
By the way, for those of you keeping track, in the all-important chick vs. bunny poll, the chick won with 59 percent of the vote.
- Easter is Hallmark's fifth busiest card-sending holiday and the company estimates 80 million Easter cards will be exchanged this year.
Hallmark offers 800 cards for Easter — some religious, some funny and some even have sound chips that play music. But the privately held company based in Kansas City, Mo., had to remove from shelves a card that was considered "biblically incorrect," according to spokeswoman Deirdre Parkes.
The "talking" card in question featured Charlton Heston on the front and dialogue from "The Ten Commandments."
It seems Hallmark would be better off sticking with bunnies and baby chicks.
- Egg-dying is an Easter tradition that dates back to the 1800s. Paas, the famed egg-dye company based in St. Louis, Mo., has been around since 1880.
But I'm not sure how long doggie-dying has been around. A California pet groomer dyes pooches in pastel colors for the holiday. A pink pit bull?
The groomer claims the dye is not harmful to the animals. Not harmful, but maybe embarrassing.
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints
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Parents Come Clean in Study About How Often They Lie to Their Children
Founding father George Washington may not have been able to tell a lie, but the same can’t be said for our nation’s other parents.
A new survey has found that 84% of parents in the US lie to their kids in order to make them behave. Truthfully, though, that’s downright fantastic, compared to the 98% of Chinese parents who fib to their kids in an attempt to keep them on their best behavior.
People with kids in both countries seem to tell the same lie most often. When a child is throwing a temper tantrum, his mother or father will say they are leaving if the kid doesn’t start behaving.
That’s not the end of it, though. Parents in the US and China also lie about buying a toy in exchange for good behavior, as well as skipping out on the truth when it comes to food, spending money and poor behavior.
Parents in the States will also go all Pinocchio on their offspring when it comes to telling the truth about fictional characters, like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.
So, it’s time to come clean about why parents leave honesty in the dust when dealing with their rugrats. One parent summed it up pretty well by saying, “Most of the lies I’ve told my children are last resorts and out of despair. If I could get them to do what I’m asking another way, I would.”
Ain’t that the truth.
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For anyone interested in sound and sound recordings
I had problems recording blue petrels on the Kerguelen Islands with a wireless mic system and I was wondering whether anybody here has ever experienced something alike or may even know what could have happened.
Obviously my equipment produced an internal noise which is not very strong and not permanently present, but still annoying. The noise is something like an amplitude modulated white noise, like a very regular and constant pulse. Examples are below (you have to turn the volume up since it is a silent moment of the recording).
I used a Tascam DR-680 recorder and dpa 4060 lo sense mini microphones connected to Sennheiser ew 112 wireless transmitter-receiver sets.
From swapping channels and sets of microphone/transmitter-receiver, the noise seems to come from the transmitter-receiver set or microphone (cannot really imagine it came from the mic though). It was however not always there and sometimes stopped completely when I changed batteries in the transmitter-receiver set, although battery state was still indicated as almost full (two out of three bars). Anyway, batteries tended to screw up everything all the time, probably because of the cold weather (not below 0 degree celsius though).
I wonder whether this could be a problem with the radio transmission? Does anybody have any idea? any help would be highly appreciated!
there are a couple of potential reasons for this. Firstly I recently discovered that the way some pro-sumer recorders are set up doesn't always work that well with DPA 4060's. This is down to the balancing (or not) of the input transformers on the recorder & the unbalanced nature of the mics. There's no way round this at present other than to put the DPA's through a separate unit to correct the balancing issues. Using them with the wireless sets might have introduced the noise between these various interfaces.
secondly, & this is on a much wider point, there are now such a lot of issues with wireless recording 'in the field' - hence the reason its usually only a last resort method. Various signals entering the channels & the fact that much of the support networks for the wireless channels are no longer maintained or are subject to various 'preparing for turn off' restrictions.
That said, i'd say the first possible issue could be whats going on here.
Hi Jez, thanks a lot for your quick reply! There are two things I should maybe have specified:
Firstly, I had three sets of mic/transmitter-receiver which I used synchronously on three channels of the recorder. One of the mics was close to the calling bird in its breeding burrow, the second was at the burrow entrance and the third in one meter distance outside the burrow. (I want to compare the three recordings at the end). I used a much higher recording level (sensitivity) on the channel outside, as the signal was obviously much weaker outside.
I swapped the three sets over the recorder channels and the problem occurred always with the same mic/transmitter-receiver set. It was however only obvious when I used it with a high sensitivity at the recorder.
Given that, I would be surprised if it was an issue of the components, since they were the same in all three sets of mic/transmitter-receiver.
Secondly, my field was on the Kerguelen islands - in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing, no mobile phone, no electricity, only water, some islands and birds. However, there is a radio used for communication at the research station. I probably should find out what frequency they used to make sure that my frequency was not in that range.
ps: Although using this complicated equipment I am obviously not a technique expert neither a native english speaker, I hope I make myself understandable.
interesting. I'm doing some research on these issues between pro-sumer recorders & the DPA's (I should point out that it appears to be down to some recorder manufacturers not working out how to make their machines as compatible as others, rather than something that DPA are doing of course) & what i'm finding is that even with the same mics, same recorders there are some that have the issues & some that don't. Various folks (inc. at DPA) are looking into this. However, if its just happening on one set, which I assume works fine normally - yes ?, then it must be something to do with either a faulty unit or interference. Try these suggestions:
1) does the same thing happen if you take one good set out of your set up (ie. so you work with just two including the faulty one)
2) does the noise fluctuate when moved closer to the different components or when angled in different ways in the air
3) if you have the right connectors, try checking the 'faulty' mic directly into the recorder
4) & as you say, check the frequencies being used.
What I will say though is that even in very remote places, with no apparent radio or other transmissions, wireless systems still have issues with interference from all kinds of things. It can be the various bits of kit clashing, it can be long range radar or sonar, it can be static energy - lots of different things. Broadcast still uses wireless systems a fair bit but there its when the signal is going to be cleaned up, compressed, filtered etc etc. so any 'problems' can be sorted in post. It seems to me, & this will get even more the case when the licenses for wireless channels run out at the end of this year in most places, that using wireless technology in a more creative way can be interesting. So, playing with the problems, the interference. Of course, this isn't ideal for a project like yours where you're recording a natural environment (though, if it turns out the problem is interference then that too is part of that environment now).
and thanks again. I will try all of your suggestions. The equipment just arrived back to Europe (France), so I can see if it happens here again which it did not when I tried it before leaving, but if it is due to the surroundings it should not happen here anyway.
And it is nice to see that there are people out there who find my problems interesting, if you were interested in battery-and-low-temperature problems too, I could tell you many more stories.
ha ! yes, problems are best described as 'interesting' as it means we are trying to be positive & learn from them - rather than just mentioning the fact that they are frustrating !
hope you get it sorted.
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Maryland resident Nicholas McDonald, 24, has briefly abandoned his musical aspirations to enter the workforce and contribute to the family's finances. "I'd like to give my mom $100 every now and then," he says.
It's just after nightfall as Anandrag Davinder, an outreach worker among Mumbai's mostly hidden community of gay men, wanders down a dark alley beside a busy railway station in Mumbai. His stop is a squalid row of urinal buildings where gay men go to meet, hidden from public view. The stench inside is overwhelming.
"This is a loo. This is a cruising center," Davinder says, stepping into the crowded, nearly pitch-black room. "All the gays are standing here only and saying, 'I like these guys. I want to do sex with this person.' "
For a third day in a row, the violence of Syria spilled into the northern city of Tripoli in Lebanon.
The AP reports that the Alawites, who support the regime of Bashar Assad, and the Sunnis, who support the Syrian uprising, traded fire in Lebanon using assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades. Five people were killed and 100 were wounded in Lebanon's second-largest city.
The U.S. military is trying to encourage service members and veterans to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The military is also seeking to remove any sense of stigma for receiving treatment. Here, military personnel attend a presentation on PTSD at Fort Hamilton Army Garrison in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 2009.
The military and the Department of Veterans Affairs say they want more veterans and service members to get appropriate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
That's why they're tweaking the way they define and treat PTSD. But if this approach works, it could add to the backlog of PTSD cases.
For years, the standard definition for post-traumatic stress disorder had a key feature that didn't fit for the military. It said that the standard victim responds to the trauma he or she has experienced with "helplessness and fear."
Every week, as part of a new tech segment, we'll be digging into our digital sandbox for some fun. New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffeeis starting things off with a reviewof Draw Something, a popular app that works a lot like Pictionary: Players pick a word, draw clues and then watch as their opponents guess the answer. But, as Diffee explains, the app's name is a bit misleading.
President Obama speaks during a campaign fundraiser Monday at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. The event, co-hosted by gay- and lesbian-rights leaders and a Latino nonprofit, featured singer Ricky Martin.
President Obama is attending a campaign fundraiser Monday night co-hosted by gay- and lesbian-rights leaders and a Latino nonprofit. The event is being headlined by singer Ricky Martin.
Obama maintains a commanding lead over likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney when it comes to support among Latino voters. But those same voters are generally regarded as socially conservative, leading some to wonder how the president's support for same-sex marriage might affect the Latino electorate.
This week, All Things Considered is hitting refresh on its All Tech Considered segment — taking you into the changing landscape of technology and how it intersects with everyday life. From Silicon Valley to China, we'll feature stories from around the world, stay on top of innovations that matter — and get you the news you need to know. Every Monday, we'll preview the week's big tech stories.
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Remember the 10 plagues- blood in the water Pestilence-frogs-lice-hail-boils -flies and Darkness . I forgot the rest. Anyway this Frog plague or natural phenomena is scary. Is Chytrid Fungus caused by the toxins in our water? Climate Changes. They say it was brought in from Africa, to the states with the 1930 Frog /pregnancy testing.
I think I have changed my mind. Lobster is better. These infected frogs are being born deformed. Missing legs and some are male frogs that have become female by producing and laying eggs. HE?SHE"S It may be in our drinking water. Disposing of all kinds of drugs, down the toilets.
Food for Thought !!
So what's your opinion? That is if you are interested .
Sanitation District prefers that expired or surplus medications NOT be “flushed down the toilet” and disposed of through sanitary sewers.
Posted by Yvonne @ La Petite Gallery Comments are welcome
Yvonne started painting and drawing in High School in Houston Texas. She earned extra money drawing insects in science class for classmates.
Yvonne's mother encouraged her to attend art classes at the Art Museum in Houston in the 1960's.
After her marriage she moved to Miami Beach, while living on Palm Island she continued her education in art, and Design. Also studied with notable artist from the area.
Yvonne was painted by friend Florence Taylor Kushner, from Boston and in women's Who's Who. Florence painted many famous families. Yvonne was lucky enough to receive private tutoring from her.
In the 1970's she went to Interior Design School .
Years later she started her own Interior Design firm named 'Chez Moi Interior's.
Yvonne continued painting and showing her work at Beau Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Also she exibhited her work in North Carolina, the Florida Keys, and at the Childers Art Gallery on Las Olas Blvd (Ft. Lauderdale).
Yvonne won the prestigious 'Hortt Art Competition Award' at the Museum of Ft.Lauderdale, Florida. This work of art remained on display for several months at the Museum. Over the years Yvonne has entered many competitions winning countless blue ribbons.
A trip to Paris, and a stay in Monmarte where she spent time with a few choice artist's changed her views toward her own art work.
Art is truly an expession of experience and love to her.
She likes her work to show a moment in time or tell a story.
To know more about Yvonne Leyden and her work contact her at:
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Each pre-season I hold a few important meetings with my assistant coaches. It is imperative that all coaches are on the same page once the season starts. I am the Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator of my team and here are the topics I cover during my coaching meetings. We usually have three meetings before the season starts.
- Installing the Offense and Issuing Playbook. Each coach will receive the offensive playbook. Each position coach will meet with me. We will talk about key coaching points, offensive philosophies, and playbook vocabulary. I will develop the individual position practice schedule and go over it with each position coach.
- Install Philosophies and Goals for the Season. We will talk about what our keys to victory are and what we want our team’s overall identity to be. We will discuss our team’s philosophy and what is expected from the players and the coaches. We do not really talk too much about our general goal which is to win the league championship-we will talk about our daily goals more so. Before each practice we will set a goal, which is to “get better today“. After practice we want to be able to say we improved as a team, we worked hard, we improved as football players both physically and mentally, and most importantly we want to say we handled ourselves with class and great character today. Youth Football is not all about the X’s & O’s or Wins/Losses, it is about the positive development of children.
- Practice Schedule and Operation. I will summit a practice script for the first day of practice. The first day of practice is all about setting the tone and introducing how practices will be operated on a daily basis. I will make an overall practice blueprint and give them to the coaches. I will make practice plans for each practice. The general structure and pace of practice stays the same each day, but may change slightly day to day depending on what we need to commit more time to. Example, if I feel we need to improve more on our run blocking, we will commit more time to it in practice. It is important that all coaches know what they are required to do so that practices are flowing smoothly and are productive. A good coaching staff is organized and operates practices safely and effectively. Remember, championships are won in practice.
- Defense. Each coach will be given a defensive playbook. Each position coach will meet with my defensive coordinator and discuss key coaching points, defensive philosophies, and playbook vocabulary. The DC will develop the individual position practice schedule and go over them with each position coach.
- Special Teams. All the coaches will receive a special team playbook from my special teams coordinator. We will go over our ST philosophy and the implementation of our entire kicking game. We practice special teams mainly as a team, which means no individual position work. We will have the kickers, long snappers, and holders practice before practice starts- otherwise we practice specials teams as a team.
- Safety. I will make sure all my coaches understand Pop Warner’s new national rule changes, regarding practices. We will go over all contact drills and how we will operate them safely. As a coaching staff we will operate all football drills and conditioning drills safely. We will be informed and prepared for anything.
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Tesla S Charged With Generating ProfitBy Scott Doggett March 23, 2011
In a meeting with reporters last week, Tesla executives said the Model S must be profitable, and for the first time they said why they believe the battery-electric sedan will be. The Palo Alto, Calif., company which has experienced a 52-week high of $36.42 a share since it went public in summer 2010 but has been trading around $22 recently intends to launch its second model in mid-2012. Production of the new model is planned at 20,000 vehicles a year. Production of Tesla's first model, the Roadster, is slated to end in 2011.
The Model S will be priced at $57,400 with the least expensive of the three battery packs that will be offered with the vehicle a pack good for a claimed 160 miles between charges. Packs with 200- and 230-mile ranges will also be available. Tesla has repeatedly said it expects the Model S to compete with the BMW M5, which sells for about $80,000 and the Audi A8, priced about $85,000.
But the BMW and Audi aren't rich with aluminum, a commodity not only expensive to buy but also tricky to use in automotive production. They dont come with a very pricey lithium-ion battery pack, nor were they designed from the ground up. And they dont contain nearly the same number of unique parts the Model S will. Tesla executives were asked how they expect to make any money on the Model S given that its competition costs so much more.
Standing in a 20,000-square-foot assembly room at Tesla headquarters, where 20 test units of the Model S were recently made, Tesla Vice President and Chief Technology Officer J.B. Straubel said: "Well, it takes a lot of hard work. We're putting attention on every single system to make sure we have costs that can support that."
Line Item Focus
Presumably BMW and Audi also pay close attention to costs. So why cant Audi and BMW build an M5 or an A8 and sell it for $57,400? "Well I'm not sure they've ever tried," Straubel said. "I don't know that it's a direct comparison to say that we know something that they don't. I think we're taking on the challenge and certainly aluminum cars can be built, and just because it's aluminum doesn't inherently mean that it has to be expensive."
"We're tracking every line item mercilessly, Straubel said. I mean it's something we're focusing on incredibly closely today, because we can't sell this car at a loss. That's not something Tesla can support. We have to be profitable and we have to be profitable with the vehicles that we field."
Straubel (below, left) said much attention has gone into how Tesla can manufacture the Model S components itself and do so in the most economical manner, and a lot of attention has been given to production locations, the supply chain and Tesla's suppliers. All of these, he said, have improved since the production of the first Roadster, a two-seater that arrives at Tesla as a roller from Lotus, acquires parts from Tesla and suppliers, and is sold directly by Tesla to consumers for $107,000.
Tesla Vice President and Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson said: "I also think there's a cultural approach to efficiency. My body structure's design team is about seven or eight people. You'd expect it to be 40 or 50 people at a traditional OEM. Those guys are not afraid of hard work, I can tell you. There's been midnights and not just on weeknights but Saturdays and Sundays. That's what it's taken to get here."
Prior to joining Tesla, Rawlinson (below, right) led vehicle engineering at Corus Automotive, an engineering consultancy specializing in advanced engineering solutions for the global auto industry. Traditional-vehicle programs he worked on at Corus included the X-type, XJ and F-type Jaguars, Land Rover Freelander and Discovery, Ford Fiesta, Honda Accord, BMW 5 Series and Bentley Continental.
Referring to the Model S, Rawlinson said, "If you look at the number of parts for this car versus those for the competition, we've got a very low parts count and that's reducing costs. There is a culture of total dedication within the engineering teams. We're all here to produce something that's excellent.
We see this as an adventure, and that culture is instilled from the very top from [CEO] Elon [Musk] on. I structure my team and I know J.B. does, and that is the culture for hard work and striving in engineering excellence. And that pays dividends in terms of cost effectiveness, because that means the parts are more elegant, requiring less brackets and less content, and that saves weight and saves costs."
Straubel said that efficiency also carries through on how Tesla sells and services the cars. Unlike most automakers, Tesla doesn't rely upon independent dealers. Rather, Tesla has its own stores, which allows the company to maintain a lean sales and distribution system. "There's a number of elements of efficiency that go all the way through from design to final sales, he said. We know it can work. We're a company that can work." He said about 4,000 prospective customers so far have reserved a Model S.
Tesla is partly owned by Toyota and Daimler and has made components for both companies in what had matured into a healthy partnership between the California startup and the world's largest and the world's oldest automakers, respectively. In keeping its costs down for the Model S, Straubel said those strategic partnerships have helped the company tremendously "in access to suppliers, and in introductions and communications with some of the supply base . We can also leverage some of their buying power in some of their existing relationships with suppliers."
And, he said, Tesla has discovered suppliers "are much more willing to stretch and work hard with Tesla because it gives them sort of a shoe-in to the electric-vehicle market, which is more valuable than just the volumes that the Model S program might represent, because it helps them learn about the market, about the customer needs, about the new technologies."
Although clearly reluctant to give examples automakers as a rule don't like to publicize who supplies their parts Straubel disclosed that Toyota will supply the air-conditioning system for the Model S. He said the Japanese automaker's experience with hybrids has given it a great deal of knowledge about electric air-conditioning systems. He said Tesla is benefiting from that, as well as introduction to some of Toyota's core suppliers.
Doubt On Profits
Tesla has impressed industry observers and insiders including the top executives at Toyota and Daimler but there are skeptics, particularly as regards the Model S, which will be Tesla's first mass-produced vehicle. The Roadster, by contrast, is a very low-volume car, with total deliveries after three years' production at fewer than 1,500 units. Among those who doubt Tesla's ability to turn a profit on the Model S is David Cole, chair emeritus at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a highly regarded industry expert.
In an interview with Auto Observer on Friday, Cole said if Tesla's executives were to say they were able to produce a lithium-ion battery for $250 per kilowatt-hour, "I'd think that maybe they've got something going here. But nobody's close to that price yet. You're looking at a $15,000-plus battery just to get the kind of range they are talking about, and then when you layer on top of that low volume and an aluminum-intensive vehicle, I think it's going to be a very difficult thing to do."
Tesla executives are not willing to discuss the cost of their Model S battery packs, but Straubel disclosed last week the base battery pack in the Model S would have greater capacity than the 56-kwh pack in the Roadster. At $250 a kilowatt-hour, a 60-kwh battery would cost $15,000. At a more-likely $350 a kilowatt-hour, the pack price climbs to $21,000.
"I was comfortable with Tesla when they were doing $110,000 sports cars," Cole said, because you have a unique enough market; you can do a lot by hand. But now as you go to production equipment, production technology, unless you're using somebody else's stuff a platform, a body once you get into volume you get into dies and stamping presses and window regulators at that low volume with this level of sophistication in an electric vehicle I think it's going to be really hard to make money.
He said people in the car-making industry tend to be a little more optimistic about what they're doing than realistic. This might be one of those cases, he said. "If they've got something special, like they've done a major breakthrough on a battery or have something spectacular on how to use aluminum, fine. But they would be in line for some Nobel Prizes if they are."
Cole estimated the cost of the Model S battery at $20,000 and estimated its powertrain and electronic controls at another $20,000. Throw in the cost of the rest of the luxury car and a warranty and what you're left with is a very small or nonexistent profit margin on every Model S sold.
In less than 18 months, Tesla will show us whether it is able to produce a profitable second model. We will post a detailed look at where Tesla stands with regard to development of that model later this week.
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Honestly? think there are people in Japan who are deliberately trying to mess with my head. And not in a good way. It seems there’s a company there named Cyberdyne, Inc. that’s building a robotic exo-skeleton. That’s very close to robots and we all know about Cyberdyne and robots, right? Seriously? Cyberdyne designed the Skynet computer system that brings about Judgement Day in the Terminator movie franchise.
Yeah, truth really is stranger than fiction. Or at least much, much scarier.
So the fictional Cyberdyne makes Skynet, which goes rogue, which then causes nuclear armageddon, which leads to a war of extermination against the remaining humans, which leads to the Governator going back in time to kill the mother of the leader of the resistance before that leader can even be born. “Ah’ll be bock” and all that. Which leads to another Governator coming back in time to save the leader of the resistance as a young teenager (Hasta la vista, baybee), which leads to a really bad movie, which leads to the reboot of the franchise with Batman playing the part of the leader of the resistence. (See, not so complicated.) So, yeah, call me more than a little freaked out. It’s like they know the feelings behind the name and are doing it to mess with, well, me.
The (so far) not-so-fictional Cyberdyne, however, seems more interested in copying Iron Man than in copying the Terminator. They’ve built a slick-looking white exo-skeleton that representatives say will actually increase human speed, strength and endurance, while also, possibly, filling in for missing limbs. Here’s a look at it.
A prototype of the exoskeleton suit is designed for the small in stature, standing five feet, three inches (1.6 meters) tall. The suit weighs 50.7 pounds (23 kilograms) and is powered by a 100-volt AC battery (that lasts up to five hours, depending upon how much energy the suit exerts).
Sure, this all sounds well and good, but it’s still made by an evil corporation that’s destined to end the world in nuclear fire and unleash killer robots on us all. Maybe not such a good thing. I have to go now as the microwave is starting to make some rather unsettling demands.
– Richard, who’s toaster is making some very suspicious noises.Share on Facebook Tags: A Dude's Guide to Life, Array, Baybee, Bock, Computer System, Cyberdyne Inc, dude, Evil Corporation, Exo Skeleton, Exoskeleton Suit, Extermination, Feelings, Five Feet, Franchise, Going Back In Time, Governator, Iron Man, Japan, Judgement Day, Kilograms, La Vista, Man, movie, Nuclear Armageddon, Nuclear Fire, People, Reboot, Resistance, Resistence, Robots, Skynet, Stature, Stranger Than Fiction, Terminator, Truth, Volt Ac
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Several compact and midsize SUVs can be flat towed (or dinghy-towed) on all four wheels, including the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge and Explorer, Honda CR-V, Jeep Liberty and Subaru Forester and Outback, among others.
We do not have a comprehensive list, but we found one for 2012 vehicles published by Motor Home magazine, which you can read here. We have not verified this information, and some of it may change on 2013 models, so we suggest you use it as a guide, not the final word.
The final word on towing a vehicle behind an RV and what you have to do to allow that (some require shifting into Neutral or removing a fuse, for example) comes from the manufacturer and is explained in the owner's manual for each vehicle. When you shop, don't just take a salesperson's word for it; ask to see the explanation in the owner's manual and in a towing guide, if one is available. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer.
The rules on flat towing differ by vehicle, not just manufacturer. For example, Honda says you shouldn't flat tow a Pilot but it's OK with a CR-V, and Subaru says you can flat tow a Forester or Outback only if it has a manual transmission.
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Then the word of ADONAI came to me:
"Human being, turn your face toward Yerushalayim, preach to the sanctuaries and prophesy to the land of Isra'el;
tell the land of Isra'el that Adonai ELOHIM says, 'I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.
Since I am going to rid you of both righteous and evildoers, my sword will also go out of its scabbard against everyone, from the Negev to the north.
Everyone alive will know that I, ADONAI, drew my sword from its scabbard; it will not be sheathed again.'
"Therefore, human being, groan! Groan bitterly, as if your heart would break, as they watch.
Then, when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you will answer, 'Because of the news, because it's coming. All hearts will melt, all hands hang limp, all spirits faint and all knees turn to water; here, it's coming, it will happen,' says Adonai ELOHIM."
The word of ADONAI came to me:
"Human being, prophesy. Say that Adonai ELOHIM says to say this: 'A sword, a sword has been sharpened and polished,
sharpened in order to slaughter and slaughter, polished to flash like lightning. But how can we rejoice? My son rejects the rod and every other stick.
The sword was given to be polished, so that it could be wielded; it was sharpened and polished to be placed in the slaughterer's hand.'
"Shout and wail, human being, because it's coming upon my people, upon all the leaders of Isra'el - they will be victims of the sword along with my people. Strike your thigh in remorse!
For a test is coming, and what if he rejects the rod again then? He will cease to exist," says Adonai ELOHIM.
"Therefore, human being, prophesy and clap your hands together. Then the sword will strike twice, three times, the sword for victims, the sword for a great slaughter, coming from every direction.
So that their hearts will melt, and many will stumble and fall, I have posted the point of the sword at every one of their gates. See how it flashes, sharpened for the kill!
"Sword! Slash to the right; destroy to the left, whichever way your edge is aimed!
I too will clap my hands together and satisfy my fury. I, ADONAI, have spoken."
The word of ADONAI came to me:
"Now, human being, designate two roads for the sword of the king of Bavel to follow, both coming out of one country. Put up a signpost at the start of the road leading to the city.
Make a road, so that the sword can come to Rabbah of the people of 'Amon and to Y'hudah in fortified Yerushalayim.
For the king of Bavel is standing at the fork in the road, where the two roads separate, about to use divination - he is shaking the arrows, consulting the household gods, examining the liver.
Into his right hand comes the lot for Yerushalayim, to set up battering rams, give the order for slaughter, raise a shout, set battering rams against the gates, build siege ramps and erect watchtowers.
The inhabitants will believe this is a false divination because of the oaths upon oaths [that their false prophets have sworn to the contrary]. But it will cause [God] to remember their guilt and thus insure their capture.
"Therefore this is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Because you have caused your guilt to be remembered, with your misdeeds revealed and the sins in all your actions evident - since you have been remembered, you will be captured.'
As for you, you wicked prince of Isra'el, due to be killed, whose day has come, at the time of final punishment,
here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: 'Remove the turban, take off the crown! Everything is being changed. What was low will be raised up, and what was high will be brought down.
Ruin! Ruin! I will leave it a ruin such as there has never been, and it will stay that way until the rightful ruler comes, and I give it to him.'
"You, human being, prophesy! Say that Adonai ELOHIM says this about the people of 'Amon and their insults: 'A sword, a sword, is drawn for slaughter, polished to the utmost, to flash like lightning -
while [your prophets] produce false visions for you, while they divine lies for you to lay you out upon the necks of the wicked who are to be killed, whose day has come, at the time of final punishment.
Cause it to return to its scabbard! I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your origin.
I will pour my fury out on you, breathe on you with the fire of my rage, and hand you over to barbarous men highly skilled in destruction.
You will be fuel for the fire, your blood will flow through the land, you will be remembered no more; for I, ADONAI, have spoken.'"
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The Commodore’s Ball was again held at the Whittier in March under the direction of Chairman Tom Mason — and was again a huge success with 106 guests. The Galley, after Davenport’s face lifting, was immensely improved in appearance and convenience and became the brightest corner of the Club. Harry Macfarlane proved an active House Chairman during the season. Due to his continued effort and energy, the Club acquired an adequate hot water system, showers for men and women, electric control of tower and range lights and new and better lights in the lounge.
All during the 1941 season the threat of war had hung over America like the approach of a thunder squall. On a quiet Sunday, December 7th, the lighting struck with the Japanese bombardment of the Navy’s Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii. Five days later, when Crescent Membership met in the Annual Meeting, the exodus to wartime service had already started. Don Lescohier had already won his ensign’s commission and many other youngsters who had lent energy and enthusiasm to the Club activities were headed for a uniform and adventure on far-flung war fronts. At this Annual Meeting, Ed Kemeny, long time active in all the Club’s constructive efforts, was elected Rear Commodore, Steve Takas and Ed Dunn were elected Directors. Ed Dunn had already taken over financial responsibilities from Dick Hill, with Steve taking over the Secretary’s assignment.
Some river yachtsmen were already patrolling local waters in Coast Guard boats. In December, at the request of the District CGA officers, an auxiliary Coast Guard Flotilla was formed at Crescent under the command off Joe Vance, holding weekly instruction meetings throughout the winter. Membership in this new Club activity waxed and then waned. Crescent Members joined to do their bit at home, then even more left for active duty. Don Johnston, Eugene West, Tom Mason, Fred Sevald, Jimmie Perkins, Don Kememy and scores of others traded the uniform of the Auxiliary for the stripes and bars of the regular Army or Navy.
Under the tireless guidance of Harry Macfarlane, dozens of men stood regular 12-hour tricks on the river. The original Flotilla #76 was split into two units. Active Auxiliary members were given a new status, that of the Temporary Naval reserve. Commander Macfarlane became a Lieutenant and Commander Huntington an Ensign in the new organizations.
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Krissi Danielsson is a freelance writer and author of After Miscarriage, published by Harvard Common Press in February 2008.
Krissi lost her first, second, and third pregnancies in the first trimester in 2001-2002. She was disappointed in the available support resources, particularly for recurrent miscarriages, so she began to research and ultimately built her popular website, the Recurrent Miscarriage Information Center. She also served for two years as the miscarriage guide for BellaOnline.com. Krissi has had two healthy children since her miscarriage ordeal, but miscarriage support remains an area of high interest for her.
Krissi has a bachelor of science in psychology from Excelsior College. She is now a medical student at a university based in Sweden, and she plans to pursue a career in research.
From Krissi Danielsson:
I used to think that miscarriages were one of those things that only happened to other people and that women who had pregnancy loss must have done something to cause it themselves. The truth has changed me forever and taught me to never take anything for granted in life. I think that miscarriages are among the most difficult challenges that a couple can face, but that like everything else in life, adversity makes you stronger. If you have had a recent loss, you are probably overwhelmed right now and you may fear that life will never be good again, but you're stronger than you think you are. You will get through this. It isn't always going to be this hard.
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Carrots are popular at our house. A one pound bag lasts about one meal – and that’s for three people! I had to work fast after my grocery buying trip to have enough to make carrot cake. And it was so worth it! Carrot cake is good. Spiced carrot pineapple coconut cake with nuts and raisins is celestial!
Carrots have been used in desserts since the Middle Ages because they are somewhat sweet by themselves. They were plentiful and easy to obtain and much less costly than sweetener imported from distant lands. The Scandanavians are credited with the carrot cake, while Britons made carrot pudding popular in the 1700s. English colonists brought carrots to the New World where they were eaten as a side dish. Carrot cake didn’t turn up in American recipes until 1913. It wasn’t until the early Sixties that carrot cake and cream cheese frosting were wed. In 2005, carrot cake was declared among the top five favorite American desserts. One taste of this and you’ll see why!
This looks like a long recipe, but it really goes together quickly. Do take the time to measure the dry ingredients and mix them together before adding to the other ingredients. The mixing time with the wet ingredients is so short that it’s possible the flavors wouldn’t mix or you could end up with too much soda in a bite. Use flaked coconut as it really adds to the finished texture and flavor. Be sure to peel carrots before grating. Or, do like I did, grab a bag of baby carrots already peeled and put them through the food processor. You’ll want small pieces so stand the carrots up in the hopper so that the small diameter is cut instead of the longer length of the carrot. Or run the longer shreds through twice. Pecans can be substituted for the English walnuts.
The cream cheese frosting is not a sweet frosting and is a perfect complement to the dense cake. Beat it a little longer than most frosting to incorporate air into the mix and make it light. You can add up to one more cup of confectioner’s sugar to the mix, if you want a sweeter, more firm frosting. The recipe also doubles nicely if you decide to layer the carrot cake or make cupcakes.
This is THE best carrot cake ever.
Don’t miss a thing! Follow along by email, RSS, twitter or facebook! If you found this post helpful, I would love it if you gave it a Stumble, Tweet, Pin, or Facebook Like. Your support of A Pinch of Joy is greatly appreciated!
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Real Presence or Substantial Transformation? An Anglican Reflection on Eucharistic Theology
Or The Anglican Reformers on the Eucharist
The starting point for this reflection on eucharistic theology is a helpful article by the late Roman Catholic theologian Edward J. Kilmartin, S.J., “The Active Role of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the Sanctification of the Eucharistic Elements.”1 Kilmartin’s article begins by examining numerous ecumenical agreed statements on eucharistic theology prepared by Roman Catholics and Lutherans, Roman Catholics and Anglicans, Roman Catholics and Reformed, Roman Catholics and Orthodox. Kilmartin notes that although all of the statements agree on affirming the “real presence,” they also do not seem to be very well thought out theologically, and do not address several important historical and theological questions. Specifically, all seem to endorse the notion that Christ is made present “through the Holy Spirit,” without acknowledging that this is a move toward endorsement of the Orthodox model of real presence. All speak of Christ’s action in the eucharistic celebration but do not specify the nature of this action, whether it is an action of Christ as the second person of the Trinity, or whether Christ is acting in his risen humanity.
What has not been addressed adequately in the agreed statements is the history of eucharistic theology and the two essentially different models of eucharistic presence that have characterized the Eastern and Western approaches, and have provided the parameters for subsequent developments.
In the Western model (originating within Roman Catholicism and generally shared by Lutherans and Anglo-Catholics), eucharistic theology has been characterized by a christocentric emphasis. The filioque clause and the dictum “All works of the Trinity ad extra are indivisible,” are at least implicit assumptions. The role of the Holy Spirit has been subsumed by “appropriation,” since the Spirit, unlike the Son, has no special mission.
During the eucharistic prayer, the celebrant represents Christ to the community (acting in persona christi) and Christ becomes present and the elements transformed as the celebrant speaks the words of institution: “This is my body,” “This is my blood.” The risen Christ is immediately present and immediately makes the bread and wine his body and blood. The Holy Spirit is present “by appropriation” or else mediately present through the instrumentality of the Son’s action.
In the Eastern model of the Eucharist (originating with the Orthodox, and shared to some extent by the Reformed, some Evangelical Anglicans, for example, Thomas Cranmer and John Jewel, Methodists via John Wesley), the Holy Spirit exercises a distinct mission since the ascension of Christ to the right hand of the Father. The celebrant represents the worshiping community (acting in persona ecclesiae). The Son is at the right hand of the Father and is made mediately present through the invocation of the Holy Spirit, who descends on both people and gifts as a result of the epiclesis, the request for the Holy Spirit to make the bread and wine the body and blood of Christ and to sanctify both the elements and the community.
The central question of Kilmartin’s article is whether these two approaches can be reconciled and whether the agreed statements have truly addressed the theological issues that call out for reconciliation.
Orthodox and Catholic Theology
My own reading of Eastern theology confirms that a fundamental difference of approach in the Eastern and Western models leads to different ways of understanding what is meant by eucharistic presence. Specifically, the epiclesis and a real mission of the Holy Spirit play a central role in Eastern eucharistic theology that they have not played historically in Western thought. The invocation of the Holy Spirit in the epiclesis implies that the presence of Christ is a mediated presence, in contrast to the Western notion that Christ makes himself immediately present through the words of institution.
Thus, the notion of substantial change, so central to the controversies in the Western churches, does not seem to have the kind of centrality for the East that it has had for the West, since the central question is not what Christ does to the bread and wine to make them his body, but how the Holy Spirit mediates Christ’s presence by descending on the elements and the people. John Meyendorff’s Byzantine Theology2 seems to confirm my suspicions. Meyendorff uses the imagery of “union” with Christ, and “participation” in the glorified Body of Christ to speak of the way in which the Eastern Church has understood the meaning of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is “Christ’s tranfigured, life-giving, but still human body,” but, at the same time, “one never finds the category of ‘essence’ (ousia) used by Byzantine theologians in a Eucharistic context.” Meyendorff notes that Byzantine theologians would find the term “transubstantiation” to be “improper” and prefers terms like “trans-elementation” or “re-ordination” (203). “The Byzantines did not see the substance of the bread somehow changed in the Eucharistic mystery into another substance—the Body of Christ—but viewed this bread as the ‘type’ of humanity: our humanity changed into the transfigured humanity of Christ.” The Eucharist “is the moment and place in which Christ’s deified humanity becomes ours. . . . Bread and wine are offered only because the Logos has assumed humanity, and they are being changed and deified by the operation of the Spirit because Christ’s humanity has been transformed into glory through the cross and resurrection” (my emphasis, 205).
Contrast this to Raymond Moloney, S.J.’s, discussion of Thomas Aquinas’s development of the notion of transubstantiation in The Eucharist.3 Moloney notes that Thomas’s speculation about the real presence begins with the question that has been raised repeatedly in Western discussions, namely the question about the location of the body of the heavenly Christ. Specifically, does Christ come to exist in the sacrament by “local motion,” by moving from heaven to earth? Thomas responds that Christ does not become present by “local motion” because “Christ’s body is not in this sacrament as in a place, but after the manner of substance.”4 Christ’s presence cannot be quantified. Rather, if Christ does not become present through local motion, then the only way in which Christ can be present is by the change of the bread and wine into himself (Moloney, 143).
Note that in one sense this implies a reversal of the logical order in which the question is often asked: If Christ is present, what does this imply about the identity of the elements? Moloney notes that “[f]or Aquinas the existence of Christ in the sacrament is the result of the change, not its prior condition” (144). Accordingly, in the (Western Catholic) tradition that follows Aquinas, it is the change in the elements that becomes central; the presence of Christ and the transformation of the worshiping community become secondary.
Moloney notes that Aquinas considers two possibilities of change: ordinary substantial change and “change of the entire substance.” The first would be impossible, since there is no underlying substrate common to the bread and wine (on the one hand) and the body of Christ (on the other). Accordingly, the change takes place by the transformation of the “total substance” of bread and wine into the “total substance” of Christ’s body and blood (144).
The real miracle that takes place in Thomas’s theory is not perhaps so much that the substance of bread and wine change into the substance of the body and blood of Christ (thus making Christ present), but that the accidents of bread and wine can remain without a subject in which they can adhere. Moloney notes that, in Thomas’s account, the “accidents exist without a subject, but that the accident of quantity acts as a ‘quasi-subject’ for the rest.” When I bite the host, I am not literally biting the body of Christ; rather, it is the “quasi-subject” that I am biting (145).
As at least a “peeping Thomist,” I am not usually one to criticize the Angelic Doctor. Nonetheless, might I suggest that even on Thomist grounds, the notion of accidents adhering in a “quasi-subject” is at least problematic, and that this notion of substantial change at least made possible the rather extreme speculations of some of the later Medieval scholastics—for example, William of Ockham speculated that, through the omnipotent power of God, the eye of Christ present in one part of the host could see another part of the body of Christ present in another part of the host—and to some rather controversial eucharistic piety: bleeding hosts, the parading of the host, “benediction,” going to Mass to contemplate the host during its elevation rather than to receive communion, and so on. By contrast, it is worth noting that in Orthodox practice, the Eucharist is a mystery that is to be received as “food and drink”; it is not to be looked at. For the Orthodox, the Eucharist is never venerated outside the context of a eucharistic liturgy. It is the icons that are the object of vision (Meyendorff, 204).
It is also the centrality of the notion of substantial change that led to many of the objections of the Reformers, for example, Thomas Cranmer’s rather crude questions about how long the transubstantiated body remained in the body of the Christian after the processes of digestion began, and to later Anglican objections that transubstantiation amounts to a doctrine of “nihilianism,” specifically, the annihilation of the substance of the bread and wine. In his essay “Transubstantiation and Nihilianism,” Anglo-Catholic theologian Charles Gore cited nineteenth-century Roman Catholic theologians to the effect that transubstantiation demanded twelve “special miracles,” including: (1) the destruction of the substance of bread and wine; (2) the restoration of this substance when the process of digestion begin; (3) the existence of accidents inhering in no substance; (4) the ability of substanceless accidents to be acted on physically as if they were really existent bread and wine, and others.5 Moloney notes that if there was one thing that the Reformers did agree about, it was that the eucharistic bread and wine remain bread and wine after the consecration; they do not cease to exist (Moloney, 154).
Building on Kilmartin’s approach, I would suggest that the disagreements between Lutherans and Reformed in eucharistic theology largely reflect their dependence on these two different models. The Lutheran model is essentially a continuation of the Western model with one exception—the doctrine of ubiquity. To Ulrich Zwingli’s objection that Christ could not be corporally present in the elements of bread and wine because his body was ascended to heaven at the right hand of God, Martin Luther replied that God’s right hand was a metaphor for God’s power. God’s right hand was wherever he exercised his omnipotent power. In addition, Luther made the unusual move of postulating that the communicatio idiomatum meant not only that characteristics of either the divine or human nature could be predicated of the single divine person who assumed human nature, but that, as a result of the incarnation, the human nature literally shares in the characteristics of the divine nature. Since the divine nature of Christ is omnipresent, the human nature of Christ must be so as well.6
Offsetting the Reformed objection that the Lutheran position “confused the natures,” the Lutherans denigrated the Reformed position with the epithet exra-Calvinisticum, implying that, in the Reformed model, the incarnation was not complete, since part of God seems to have been excluded from the incarnation. It needs to be emphasized, however, that the extra-Calvinisticum is actually characteristic of all non-Lutheran theology, since the Lutheran doctrine of ubiquity is unique, and even many Lutherans have found it problematic.
In contrast to Luther’s approach, Reformed eucharistic theology posits a “spiritual” presence, which, in terms of its structure, echoes the Orthodox model, but also is characterized by difficulties arising out of the essential ambiguity of the term “spiritual” presence. It is not clear whether “spiritual” presence means a non-corporeal presence, a metaphorical presence, or a presence “through the action of the Holy Spirit.” In Ulrich Zwingli’s theology in particular, there is a distinct spirit/matter dualism originating in Erasmian influence. Zwingli interpreted Jn. 6:64—“The Spirit gives life; the flesh is of no avail”—to mean that the risen humanity of Christ plays no role in bringing salvation.7
Modern Reformation scholars generally agree that John Calvin did not posit a merely metaphorical notion of real presence; rather, to Zwingli’s notion that the risen Christ is at the right hand of the Father, Calvin added a sursum corda notion of presence. We feed on Christ spiritually by “lifting up our hearts” to heaven, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father.8 Calvin begins his discussion of the Eucharist by separating himself from a merely metaphorical (Zwinglian) notion of “eating Christ’s body and blood”: “[T]here are some who define the eating of Christ’s flesh and the drinking of his blood as, in one word, nothing but to believe in Christ. But it seems to me that Christ meant to teach something more definite, and more elevated, in that noble discourse in which he commends to us the eating of his flesh,” Calvin writes. The reference here is to John 6, and it is worth noting that both Zwingli and Luther[!] affirmed the position that Calvin is here denying. Both insisted that John 6 refers to an eating that takes place by faith and has nothing to do with the Eucharist. Calvin notes that he is not satisfied with the view of those (Zwingli) who make us partakers of the Spirit only, “omitting mention of flesh and blood.” Calvin says that “the flesh of Christ is like a rich and inexhaustible fountain that pours into us the life springing forth from the Godhead into itself . . . our souls are fed by the flesh and blood of Christ in the same way that bread and wine keep and sustain physical life.” Granted, the “breaking of the bread is a symbol; it is not the thing itself,” but Calvin says that “by the showing of the symbol the thing itself is also shown . . . if the Lord truly represents the participation in his body through the breaking of the bread, there ought not to be the least doubt that he truly presents and shows his body.”
Calvin denies of course that Christ is present by a “local presence,”which he mistakenly presumes to be the Roman Catholic position. (As we saw above, Aquinas specifically denied that Christ is present “as in a place.”) Christ is not attached to the element of bread, or touched by the hands, or chewed by the teeth. Calvin notes that Peter Lombard’s gloss in The Sentences does not approve of the language of the Ego Berangarius, and Calvin insists that “Christ’s body is limited by the general characteristics common to all human bodies, and is contained in heaven.” It is not present in more than one place at the same time, nor is it present everywhere. (Calvin is rejecting Lutheran ubiquity here.)9
It is true that Calvin introduces the basis for a sursum corda theology when he states that Christ is not brought down from heaven, but that we are lifted up to him: “[I]f we are lifted up to heaven with our eyes and minds, to seek Christ there . . . so under the symbol of bread we shall be fed by his body, under the symbol of wine we shall separately drink his blood . . .” The problem with this sursum corda approach is that it substitutes a metaphor for an articulated theology. Nonetheless, Calvin combines this sursum corda theology with the definitely epicletic notion that Christ is made truly present through the action of the Holy Spirit:
Even though it seems unbelievable that Christ’s flesh, separated from us by such a great distance, penetrates to us, so that it becomes our food, let us remember how far the secret power of the Holy Spirit towers above all our senses . . . What, then, our mind does not comprehend, let faith conceive: that the Spirit truly unites things separated in space. . . . [T]he Lord bestows this benefit upon us through his Spirit, so that we may be made one in body, spirit, and soul with him. The bond of this connection is therefore the Spirit of Christ, with whom we are joined in unity, and is like the channel through which all that Christ himself is and has is conveyed to us.
It should be noted that Calvin believes that his position is in continuity with that of the early Church. He believes that transubstantiation lacks the support of antiquity, and was invented “not so long ago.” He argues that when the Church Fathers and ancient liturgies refer to a conversion of the bread and wine, they are saying that “there is now something other than bread and wine. . . [T]hey do not mean by this that the elements have been annihilated.” Calvin notes (correctly) that the Church Fathers speak of a change taking place in baptism as well, “yet no one denies that the water remains.”
The Anglican Reformers
The Anglican Reformers operated broadly within this Reformed model. Thomas Cranmer uses the metaphor of the uplifted heart, but also includes an epiclesis in his 1549 eucharistic rite, and in his theological discussions of the sacraments draws parallels between the Spirit’s work in baptism and Eucharist to suggest affinities with the Orthodox model as it is developed by Calvin.
However, although a number of Anglican scholars (for example, Stephen Neill and Geoffrey Bromiley), interpret Thomas Cranmer’s doctrine of “spiritual presence” to be a presence “through the Spirit,” there is no specific reference in Cranmer’s actual writings to substantiate this.10 Both Cranmer and the Elizabethan Reformer John Jewel echo a Reformed sursum corda model of presence. Though one could argue that their eucharistic theology cries out for a more specifically articulated notion of the role of the Holy Spirit, this move does not seem to have occurred to them, nor do they seem to have noticed it in Calvin. At any rate, that neither Cranmer nor John Jewel speak of a change in the elements should not prompt us to the conclusion that they did not affirm a doctrine of true and real presence. Scholars like Gregory Dix and T.M. Parker are simply mistaken when they interpret Cranmer’s “spiritual presence” to mean “no presence.”11
The discussion between Cranmer and his Catholic opponent Stephen Gardiner is voluminous and tedious reading, but it produces interesting revelations. Cranmer insisted that the sacraments are not “vain tokens”: “I never said of the whole supper that it is but a signification or a bare memory of Christ’s death, but I teach that it is a spiritual refreshing wherein our souls be fed and nourished with Christ’s very flesh and blood to eternal life.”12 In his parallel debate with Stephen Harding, Jewel stated that “we feed not the people of God with bare signs and symbols but teach them that the sacraments of Christ be holy mysteries . . . that Christ’s body and blood indeed and verily is given unto us, that we verily eat it; that we verily drink it.”13
As with Calvin, Cranmer and Jewel affirm a doctrine of “spiritual” presence. Interestingly, however, so did Cranmer’s Catholic opponent! Gardiner himself interpreted the Catholic doctrine to be that “by the holy communion in the sacrament we be joined to Christ really, because we receive in the holy supper the most precious substance of his glorious body . . . [but that] we say Christ’s body to be not locally present . . . but in such a spiritual manner as we cannot define and determine . . .” (my emphasis). Although Cranmer denied a “corporal” presence, “spiritual presence” did not mean for him (as it did for Zwingli), that Christ was present only in his divine nature, or only metaphorically.14 Rather, Cranmer insisted that the whole Christ, body and soul, humanity and divinity (as well as the Holy Spirit) is present in every part of the bread broken in the Lord’s Supper, but not corporally present.15 Cranmer was willing to agree with Gardiner that Christ’s body was truly present: “For we be agreed, as me seemeth, that Christ’s body is present, and the same body that suffered.” (my emphasis; PS 1:91). Cranmer went quite far in his agreement with Gardiner:
[W]e be agreed also of the manner of his presence. For you say that the body of Christ is not present but after a spiritual manner and so I say also. And if there be any difference between us two, it is but a little and in this point only, that I say that Christ is but spiritually in the ministration of the sacrament, and you say that he is but after a spiritual manner in the sacrament. And yet you say he is corporally in the sacrament. (PS 1:91).
Thus Cranmer and Jewel disagreed with their Catholic opponents about the mode of Christ’s presence, not its actuality. The Eucharist is not transubstantiation, but it is not a memorial service for the dead Jesus either. It is the act of the risen Christ giving himself to the Church. The bread is changed, but sacramentally, not substantially. Thus Cranmer says: “The bread is called Christ’s body after consecration . . . and yet it [the bread] is not so really, but sacramentally. For it is neither Christ’s mystical body (for that is the congregation . . .) nor his natural body (for that is in heaven) but it is the sacrament both of his natural body and also of his mystical body, and to that consideration hath the name of his body.” (PS 1:180).
Although it is clear what it is that Cranmer and Jewel are denying when they say that Christ is present “sacramentally”—Christ is not present by transubstantiation—it is not terribly clear what they are trying to affirm. At no point does Cranmer identify clearly what it means for Christ to be present “sacramentally,” except that it means that he is present really, truly, in body and soul, by means of the sacrament, though not locally or corporally present. Thus Cranmer says: “[A]lthough Christ in his human nature, substantially, really, corporally, naturally and sensibly be present with his Father in heaven, yet sacramentally and spiritually he is here present” (Cranmer, PS 1:47). Jewel says similarly: “[I]n this spiritual sort is Christ laid present upon the table; but not in M. Harding’s gross and fleshly manner.” There is indeed a strong emphasis on the necessity of faith, which echoes Reformation concerns about justification. According to Cranmer, his opponents “say that Christ is received in the mouth and entereth in with the bread and wine. We say that he is received in the heart, and entereth in by faith” (Cranmer, PS, 1:57). Jewel says: “[W]e place Christ in our hearts . . . M. Harding placeth him in the mouth. We say, Christ is eaten only by faith. M. Harding sayeth he is eaten with the mouth and teeth” (Jewel, PS 1:449). But the emphasis on faith does not preclude that the sacrament has a genuine efficacy and truly communicates Christ’s real presence. As noted above, the sacraments are not mere symbols. Cranmer states, “my meaning is that the force, the grace, the virtue and benefit of Christ’s body . . . and of his blood . . . be really and effectually present with all them that duly receive the sacrament; but all this I understand of his spiritual presence” (Cranmer, PS 1:2). Jewel insisted that “verily” and “fleshly” do not mean the same thing. Christ’s body is not present in a “fleshly” manner; nevertheless, Christ’s body is “verily” eaten in the Eucharist. Spiritual eating is true eating (Jewel, PS 1:468).
Again (as with Calvin), there is an appeal in Cranmer and Jewel past the formulations of Medieval Scholasticism to an earlier period. Cranmer had laid down a challenge at his Oxford examinations (1555): “[I]f it can be proved by any doctor above a thousand years after Christ, that Christ’s body is there really, I will give over” (Cranmer, PS 2:213). Jewel’s famous Paul’s Cross “challenge sermon” laid down the gauntlet to Roman Catholics by challenging “any learned man of our adversaries” to “be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholic doctor or father, or out of any old general council, or out of the holy scriptures of God, or any one example of the primitive church,” that would establish the existence “for the space of six hundred years after Christ” of such Medieval Catholic doctrines and practices as transubstantiation, reception in one kind, private masses, and so on (Jewel, PS 1:21). The appeal is not to Geneva, but to the patristic church. Jewel’s long and detailed discussions with Harding are largely exercises in patristic exegesis. Both Cranmer and Jewel claimed their own position as in line with the genuine “Catholic” tradition and insisted their opponents were the innovators. Both expressed admiration for Ratramn and Berengar and believed that the Church Fathers would have been condemned by those who condemned Berengar.
In The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Richard Hooker echoes many of the same themes we find in Cranmer and Jewel. First, there is the explicit rejection of the Zwinglian approach. Hooker mentions both Zwingli and Oecolampadius as implying that the sacrament is “only a shadow, destitute, empty and void of Christ.” Apart from Zwinglianism, however, Hooker believes that there is general agreement “on all sides” concerning the following: (1) “the real participation of Christ and of life in his body and blood by means of this sacrament”; (2) “that the soul of man is the receptacle of Christ’s presence” (emphasis in original). Disagreement, he believes, is centered on only one question: “whether when the sacrament is administered Christ be whole within man only, or else his body and blood be also externally seated in the very consecrated elements themselves.”16
Hooker opts for the first interpretation, which he believes has scriptural warrant. Following Paul he interprets the words of institution to mean: “My body, the communion of my body, My blood, the communion of my blood.” He notes cleverly that the order of Christ’s words place the command to eat and drink before the affirmations that “This is my body” and “This is my blood.” In other words, the real presence is in the act of eating and drinking the bread and wine, not the elements themselves: “The real presence of Christ’s most blessed body and blood is not therefore to be sought in the sacrament, but in the worthy receiver of the sacrament.” Hooker insists that “[t]he fruit of the Eucharist is the participation of the body and blood of Christ.” Nonetheless, “[t]here is no sentence of Holy Scripture which saith that we cannot by this sacrament be made partakers of his body and blood except they be first contained in the sacrament or the sacrament converted into them.” Again, the parallel between baptism and Eucharist is drawn. All sides agree that grace is received through baptism, yet no one believes that this grace is located in the water or that the water is changed into it. Why should we be required to believe that the grace of the Eucharist must be located in the elements of bread and wine before we can receive it? (5: 67, 5,6.)
Hooker believes that confessional unity should be possible on the following points of agreement: (1) “that this sacrament is a true and a real participation of Christ,” who imparts “his whole entire Person as a mystical Head” unto all that receive him, and that every one who receives incorporates or unites him or herself into Christ “as a mystical member of Christ”; (2) that in the same sacrament Christ also gives the Holy Spirit to those whom he communicates himself that they might be sanctified, even as the Holy Spirit sanctified Christ their Head; (3) “that what merit, force or virtue soever there is in his sacrificed body and blood, we freely fully and wholly have it by this sacrament”; (4) that the effect of the sacrament “is a real transmutation of our souls and bodies from sin to righteousness, from death and corruption to immortality and life”; (5) that since bread and wine in themselves are an incapable instrument to bring about these effects, we are to trust to the strength of Christ’s “glorious power who is able and will bring to pass that the bread and cup which he giveth us shall be truly the thing he promiseth.” (5:67, 7).
Finally, as with Calvin, Cranmer and Jewel, Hooker appeals to antiquity to justify his position. (The references cited include Tertullian, Irenaeus, Theodoret, Cyprian, Eusebius, Hilary, Cyril.) “In a word it appeareth not that of all the ancient Fathers of the Church any one did ever conceive or imagine other than only a mystical participation of Christ’s both body and blood in the sacrament.” Hooker insists that the patristic references to a change of the elements into the body and blood of Christ cannot in conscience be interpreted to imply either consubstantiation or transubstantiation. (5:67, 11).
It is perhaps typical of Anglo-Catholics (and Lutherans) to suggest a clear contrast between Rome, the East, and high-church Anglo-Catholics and Lutherans on one side, and Geneva and Evangelicals on the others. I would suggest that there are several lines that might be drawn, and they can be drawn depending on the issue on which one wishes to focus. (1) If the issue is substantial presence located in the elements, then there is a clear line (in the West, at least) between Rome and Wittenburg, and everyone else. (I don’t know where the East stands on substantial presence; my reading of Meyendorff sugests that they don’t think that way.) (2) If the issue is transubstantiation—the transformation of the complete substance of bread and wine into the complete substance of the body and blood of Christ (with no remaining substance of bread or wine)—then Rome stands alone against everyone else. (3) If the issue is transformation of the elements, then the East and Rome may stand against all Protestantism. (Although Luther affirmed substantial presence, his notion of ubiquity denies the need for transformation. The bread and wine – and everything else in creation – are already the body and blood of Christ.) (3) If the issue is the real presence of Christ in his complete deity and humanity, then the East, Rome, the Lutherans, Anglicans (including, as I have tried to show, the early Reformers), and Geneva, stand against Zwingli and his contemporary heirs: low-church and free-church Evangelicals.
If the issue has to do with (4) the respective roles of the risen Christ and the Spirit in the Eucharist (as I would argue, following the Catholic liturgical theologian, Edward Kilmartin), then things are more complicated. There has historically been a real contrast between East and West. Kilmartin draws on studies such as Yves Congar’s I Believe in the Holy Spirit17 and on the writings of Eastern theologians to show the differences. He cites one Lutheran, Karl-Heinz Kandler,18 who laments strongly the move toward an epicletic theology in ecumenical statements. Kandler believes that a presence “through the Spirit” is incompatible with Lutheran theology. There is certainly no discussion of the role of the Spirit in Thomas Aquinas’s eucharistic theology. Nonetheless, Kilmartin points out correctly that all of the recent ecumenical agreements point to a presence “through the Spirit.”
If one looks at the above historical analysis, Calvin’s approach seems to stand out like a beacon (or a sore thumb?) in a Western christocentric tradition. Calvin clearly speaks of a “spiritual presence” that he interprets as a presence “through the Spirit,” and Calvin understands this epicletic presence to solve the problems created by Medieval transubstantiation or Lutheran ubiquity. Among the early Anglicans, we see a tendency to echo Calvin’s “spiritual presence,” without an awareness that it is a presence “through the Spirit.” Thus, there is in Cranmer and Jewel a kind of unclarity that affirms a “real participation” in Christ’s risen humanity without a willingness to speculate beyond affirming that this takes place “sacramentally.” In Hooker, there is no discussion of “spiritual” presence, and the Western model has returned. It is the risen Christ who directly effects his own presence and the Spirit is communicated by Christ along with the Eucharist, rather than himself bringing about Christ’s presence. Nonetheless, Hooker retains from Calvin, Cranmer, and Jewel the notion that the elements are means of communicating the real presence, not objects in which Christ locally is present. Thus, from Calvin to Hooker, there is a shift from a real presence “through the Spirit,” to (in Cranmer and Jewel) a “spiritual presence” interpreted in actualist terms—Christ is present in the usus of the sacrament, although he is also present in every part of the bread and wine, but not corporally—to a clear affirmation in Hooker that Christ is truly present, but in the eating of the sacrament, not in the elements themselves. (Of course, Hooker qualifies this to say that his real opposition is to endless and unfruitful speculation about the nature of Christ’s presence in the elements. It is not necessary to speak of a change in the elements themselves, so why worry about it?)
On these questions, I am certainly not trying to pit Rome and Luther against Geneva and the East. My purpose in insisting on active roles for both Christ and the Spirit in eucharistic theology is to look for ways beyond current impasses, not to create them. Nor am I suggesting a complete affirmation of the “virtualist” approach found in Calvin, Cranmer, Jewel and Hooker. There is a danger of distinguishing too radically between the sign and the thing signified in the eucharistic theology of Cranmer, Jewel, and Hooker.19 However, my own approach to the Reformation precludes the kind of white hat/black hat approach that has characterized much traditional Catholic, Protestant, and Anglo-Catholic polemical historiography. I affirm with Anglican bishop Stephen Sykes: “Contemporary Anglicans . . . have no obligation to choose between the apologetic alternatives of Evangelical endorsement and Anglo-Catholic rejection of the Reformation.”20 I think we can learn something about eucharistic theology from both Thomas Aquinas and from Thomas Cranmer.
At the same time, I would suggest that both Lutheran ubiquity and Reformed sursum corda models offer pseudo-solutions to self-imposed problems. A more helpful way out of the dilemma would have been to think through more carefully the distinctive missions of both the risen Christ (in his ascended human nature) and the Holy Spirit in bringing about eucharistic presence. A continuing mission of the Son is necessary to avoid relegating the risen Christ to celestial retirement. This mission should be understood in terms of the continuing and vicarious full humanity of the risen Lord. If the action of Christ in the communication of grace (and eucharistic presence) is perceived only in terms of his identity as the second person of the Trinity, or in terms of his presence in “body and blood” rather than his full humanity, there can arise in worship what T.F. Torrance refers to as “Apollinarianism in the Liturgy.”21
Part of the continuing mission of the Son is that of mediator between God and humanity. The risen Christ not only receives our worship, but in his human nature and with his human mind, continues to worship the Father, and exercises his mediation on our behalf in his human nature. Our worship finds its ground in the human worship and intercession of the mind of Christ for the Church. We pray to God the Father through the risen Christ as a mediator between God and humanity.22
The Eucharist is an extension of the incarnation. In the institutional words, “This is my body,” the incarnate Lord established a relationship between himself and bread and wine not as an end in itself, but in order to be related to us in a certain way. The finality of the real presence is oriented not to the sanctification of bread and wine, but toward the sanctification of the gathered community of the Church. Just as it was not the (discarnate) eternal Son of the Father (logos asarkos) who originally said, “This is my body,” but the Son speaking as the incarnate Jesus Christ, so it is not merely the second person of the Trinity in his divine nature who is related to us in bread and wine, but the risen incarnate Christ in his continuing humanity, who makes himself present through a theandric act.
The real and distinct mission of the Spirit should be understood as the sending of the Spirit by the risen Christ in a theandric act as well, not merely a sending by the second person of the Trinity. Just as the incarnate Christ was anointed and sanctified with the Spirit at his baptism, so now Christ is formed in us, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, who makes us partakers of the divine nature.23 The Spirit is received (through faith) in baptism and continues to provide our access to the risen Christ in worship and Eucharist. The Spirit is sent, in a sacramental act of the risen Lord, and the real presence is realized historically as the Spirit descends on the eucharistic elements and on the community, sanctifying them so that bread and wine can be the means of an actual relation to the risen Christ in his ascended humanity.
Thus, a trinitarian eucharistic theology seems to have the following implications.
1) The risen Christ transcends the sacramental order. (This may at least be part of the concern that lies behind the Reformed insistence that the body of the risen Christ is “in heaven,” as well as the insistence on all sides that Christ is present in a variety of ways, not merely in the Eucharist.) In addition, the doctrines of the ascension and the parousia indicate that in a very real sense we must speak of the absence of Christ from our midst during this period “between the times.” Whatever we mean by “real presence,” this must not be understood to mean that Christ is present among us in the same way that he was present in Galilee during the first thirty or so years of the first century.
2) Nonetheless, the Eucharist mediates the presence of the risen Christ. Christ is present to his creation in many ways, but the Eucharist is the place where Christ has chosen to make himself available to his Church in a unique sacramental manner.
3) The teleological end of the Eucharist is the ontological union between the Church and the risen Christ in his complete glorified humanity.
4) The teleological purpose (final cause) of this sacramental union is transformation-specifically, the transformation of our humanity as it is united to Christ’s risen humanity-so that we might share in Christ’s resurrection life and be conformed to his character.
5) The Eucharist is a divine-human act. Not only does the consecration of the elements for the purpose of the sanctification of humanity entail a theandric act on the part of the risen Christ, but the proper reception of the Eucharist presupposes an act on the part of the community and the individual recipient, specifically, the act of faith in which Christ is embraced by those who meet him in the Supper.
6) The Eucharist is a trinitarian act and its theology must be articulated in trinitarian language. This demands distinct missions for each of the members of the Trinity. The Father sends the Son to redeem sinful humanity. The risen Christ mediates between the Father and sinful humanity. The risen Christ sends the Spirit to sanctify humanity. The Spirit unites sinful humanity to the risen Christ through faith and the sacraments. Sinful humanity is transformed to conformity to the risen Christ by being united to his risen humanity through the agency of the Spirit. This transformation of risen humanity results in praise and worship of the Father.
The issues of the historic discussions have focused on separate areas of concern related to two aspects of the above points. Specifically, the Western discussion has focused on the question of the role of the eucharistic elements: what happens to the bread and wine in order for them to accomplish their teleological goal? Instead, I have tried here (following Kilmartin) to raise the separate issue of the trinitarian roles and missions.
The question about what happens to the elements is subordinate to a more central concern. What is the relation between the three main foci of eucharistic action: the risen Christ, the eucharistic elements of bread and wine, the receiving community—points (2), (3) and (4) above. In order to adress this concern, four related notions must be unpacked:
The first two notions are teleologically oriented.
i) Unity: As noted above, the purpose of the eucharistic action is to bring about ontological union between the risen Christ in his full deity and humanity, and the believing Church. The means of this union is the sanctified bread and wine. Focus on the reality of this union should not overlook that it is a unity in difference. As noted in point (1), Christ transcends the sacramental order; accordingly, neither the sanctified elements nor the eucharistic community can simply be identified with the risen Christ per se. First, although the risen Christ is joined to the Church through the Eucharist, the risen Christ is not subsumed to the Church. Quite the contrary! He remains its Lord, and the purpose of union with the risen Christ is that the Church might share in his sanctified humanity; the relation is not a reciprocal one, but an exemplarist one. Second, although sanctified human beings are in some way united to Christ and participate in his corporate humanity, they do not cease to be identified as individually unique human beings, each with his or her own separate human nature; though human beings are united to Christ, they are not absorbed or obliterated into his humanity. Third, the sanctified elements provide the created and sacramental link that joins the risen Christ and redeemed humanity, but they too (in some sense) retain their own individual identity. (Note that even in the Roman Catholic notion of transubstantiation, there is a unity in difference between Christ and the elements. The elements retain the physical characteristics associated with locality and spatial identity, that is, their accidents. Although the substance of Christ is united to [the accidents of] the elements, the accidents of his humanity are not; thus, Christ is not “locally” present, and the bread and wine still look like and taste like bread and wine.)
As an aside, I would also emphasize that the teleological orientation of the unity between Christ and the Church demands that this union be permanent. For that reason, I would question the adequacy of a sacramental theology that posits a relation between digestion of the elements and the status of Christ’s presence, for example, the sorts of theories of transubstantiation that imply that the ontological union ceases when the elements begin to be digested.
ii) Transformation: The teleological goal of the Eucharist is the transformation of redeemed humanity, not the transformation of bread and wine. Nonetheless, it may be the case that, if the eucharistic elements are to be the means of union with Christ (and thus transformation of redeemed humanity), some kind of transformation of the elements themselves is a necessary presupposition to the enabling of the union with Christ that leads to human transformation. Certainly the catholic tradition (both East and West) speaks of the elements being “transformed” in order that they might “become” the “Body of Christ,” or might be “for us” the “Body of Christ.” In what does this transformation consist?
If the above two notions have to do with the purpose or teleological end of the Eucharist, the next two focus on the ontological status necessary to effect that purpose.
iii) Presence: That Christ is “truly present” in the eucharistic celebration is not itself without amibiguity. First, that Christ’s presence is a sacramental presence necessitates that this presence is a “mediated” presence, and thus a “hidden” presence. The sanctified elements do not provide a transparent lens through which we have access to the risen Christ. Nonetheless, Christ is truly present and truly gives himself to the Church through the created realities of bread and wine. Though the Eucharist provides a created and sacramental access to the risen Christ, the elements should not be understood to be “intermediaries” half-way between God and the world, a tertium quid between created and uncreated reality. Rather, the whole Christ should be understood to be directly present through the created realities of bread and wine, in his complete humanity and complete divinity, not merely in body and blood, not merely in a “spiritual” (i.e., non-material) manner, but in his complete integrity as the incarnate and risen Lord, including his human soul, that is, his mind and will.
Since the teleological end of the eucharistic presence is the transformation of our own fallen human nature through union with the risen human nature of Christ, the humanity to which we are united must be a complete humanity. The real presence should not be interpreted in an Apollinarian manner. If (in the words of the patristic dictum), the incarnate Word must have a human mind and will because “what is not assumed is not redeemed,” then a fortiori “what is not present cannot redeem.”
iv) Identity: The question of “identity” arises because the three loci of the eucharistic action—the risen Christ, the elements of bread and wine, the worshiping community—are all referred to as the “body of Christ.” There are various types of predication, and which applies to the Eucharist is not immediately evident.
a) Substantial or essential predication (definition): “What is that? That is a duck.”
b) Existential predication (affirmation): “Is there really a duck?” “There is. That is a duck.”
c) Accidental predication (description): “What color is the duck?” “The duck is white.”
d) Metaphorical predication (comparison): “Have you seen how Fred swims? He is a duck in the water.” (That is, Fred swims like a duck.)
Which, if any, of the above modes of predication apply to the predication of the “body of Christ” to the three loci?
It is clear first that this predication cannot be understood in a univocal manner because the relation between the risen Christ and the other two loci is not identical, but exemplarist. The primary referent of the term “body of Christ” is to the physical body of the Jewish man Jesus who lived in Palestine during the early years of the first century and (Christians affirm) has now risen from the dead and is ascended to the right hand of God. “Body of Christ” is affirmed of the other two loci in so far as they are somehow related to this resurrected body.
Second, a notion of transformation that leads to simple identity is also clearly precluded of the third locus, the Church, because, although the Church participates through grace in Christ’s ascended humanity, it is not ontologically identical with the risen Christ, in spite of the quite “realistic” language that is sometimes used. Thus Cyril of Jerusalem contrasts the stone altar on which the elements are placed with another altar:
This other altar is composed of the very members of Christ, and the very body of the Lord is made your altar. . . . The one altar is a stone by nature, but becomes holy since it receives Christ’s body; but this other altar is holy because it is itself Christ’s body . . . You honor the one altar because it receives Christ’s body; but him that is himself the body of Christ you treat with contumely, and when he is perishing you neglect him. This altar you may see everywhere, lying, both in lanes and in market-places, and may sacrifice upon it every hour . . . when you see a poor brother, reflect that you behold an altar. (Hom. 20).
If you wish to understand the body of Christ, hear the apostle speaking to the faithful, “now you are the body and members of Christ.” If you then are the body and members of Christ, the mystery of yourselves is laid upon the table of the Lord, the mystery of yourselves you receive. To that which you are, answer “Amen,” and in answering you assent. Be a member of the body of Christ, that the Amen may be true. (Sermons 272).24
The members of the Church are redeemed sinners who are transformed and conformed to Christ, but retain their individual identities. Thus Christ is the “head” of the Church, which is his “body,” because the Church is united to him by grace. The Church is united to Christ; it is the “body of Christ” by participation, but it is not, strictly speaking, to be identified with Christ.
Controversy remains about the realism of the predication “body of Christ” of the third locus, the consecrated elements of bread and wine. It is certainly possible to affirm that the predication “body of Christ” applied to the elements is simply a matter of essential or substantial predication. This is the approach taken by Catholic theologian Raymond Moloney (cited above). Since substance simply is the subject of essential predication, there is an initial plausibility to this approach. As the presiding celebrant tells us, “This is the body and blood of Christ,” that is what it is.
I would suggest that substantial predication is not the simple solution it seems. As mentioned above, the consecrated elements retain a dual reality that eliminates a straightforward simple predication. In the words of Ireneaus: “[J]ust as the bread of the earth, on receiving the invocation of God, is no longer ordinary bread but Eucharist, consisting of two realities, the one earthly, the other heavenly, so our bodies, on receiving the Eucharist, are no longer destined for corruption, having the hope of an eternal resurrection.”25
It is only through faith that one can affirm of the consecrated bread, “This is the body of Christ,” for to ordinary eyes the elements are still bread and wine. For non-Roman Catholic Christians, this dual reality is rooted both in the real presence, and in the continuing identity of the bread and wine as bread and wine, even though they are something else in addition. For Roman Catholics, the theory of transubstantiation enables simple predication, but the problem of dual identity does not disappear. It is through perception of accidents that we normally apprehend substance (cf. the Thomist dictum: “Nothing is in the intellect that is not first in the senses.”) The consecrated elements still appear to be bread and wine, so the theory of transubstantiation must posit a transformation that preserves the accidents of bread and wine while affirming only the substance of the body of Christ. This move cleverly allows a seemingly straightforward predication of simple identity (since substance is the subject of predication), but the disjunction of substance and accidents in both the eucharistic elements and the risen body of Christ raises questions about whether this is simple predication in any ordinary sense.
Second, the principle that the risen Christ transcends the sacramental order and that the primary referent of the term “body of Christ” is the body that was born of Mary and crucified on a Roman cross implies that “body of Christ” is predicated of the sanctified elements analogously (as opposed to mere metaphor) rather than simply univocally. The elements are called the “body of Christ” because of a relation they have to the historical ascended body of Christ that is the primary referent of the term, whether that relation might be one of transformation, substantial identity, or something else: “Christ has not the same existence (esse) in himself which he has under this sacrament, because when we speak of his existence (esse) under this sacrament there is signified a relation of himself to this sacrament.”26
A further question that needs to be addressed is the model that is used to illustrate the transformation of the elements to “become” the body and blood of Christ. Is that transformation to be understood under the model of transforming grace parallel to the transformation by which the Church “becomes” the Body of Christ and yet retains its own identity, or is that transformation to be understood along the model of incarnation by which the Word “became” flesh? I would suggest that the model of transubstantiation is a modified incarnational model, but modified along Apollinarian or monophysite lines.27 Specifically, transubstantiation interprets “substantial tranformation” as the conjunction of two prior existing natures (or essences) in such a manner that one nature overwhelms and obliterates the essential nature of the other.
This model was rejected as a description of incarnation during the christological controversies of the patristic church, which instead endorsed a hypostatic model of incarnation. Rather, the Word becomes incarnate not by uniting two pre-existing natures or by tranformation of the divine nature into a human one, but by the assumption of a human nature by the divine person of the Word in a relational union.
The hypostatic model was not possible as an analogy for substantial eucharistic presence because there was no other person in addition to that of the Word to unite the eucharistic elements and the human nature of Christ. The Word was already the principle of unity of Christ’s divine and human natures.
Perhaps however the Eastern model of epicletic presence points to another divine person as providing the center of unity between Christ’s risen human nature and the eucharistic elements? Might I suggest that if Aquinas had been willing to consider the possibility of a specific mission of the Holy Spirit in the communication of grace and of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, he might have been tempted to consider another Aristotelian category than that of substance to explain the risen Christ’s presence in the Eucharist—the category of relation that he had developed so fruitfully in his trinitarian theology and his theology of creation? If the existence and unity of the trinitarian persons simply are their trinitarian relations, and if the act of creation is itself simply the relation that exists between the One Necessary Existent and contingent existents, then might it not be that the means by which one trinitarian person (the Holy Spirit) unites created and redeemed humanity to the assumed humanity of another trinitarian person (the risen Son) would be a relation? By postulating a relational unity between the eucharistic bread and wine and the ascended humanity of Christ, a unity actualized by the descent of the Spirit in the epiclesis, there might be a way forward beyond the historically confessional impasses that have arisen in consequence of making the transformation of substance to be ontologically prior to that of real presence. A relational unity allows for all of the objective realism that has been correctly emphasized by “transformation of substance” language, but also emphasizes that the teleology of the Eucharist is oriented toward the ontological transformation of the believing community, not primarily the transformation of bread and wine. The consecrated elements would then be viewed as the sacramental occasion and means by which the Spirit effects a real ontological union between the Church and the risen humanity of Christ, but only incidentally as the subjects of an ontological transformation themselves. At the same time, a relational unity ties eucharistic theology more closely to the economy of salvation by giving to the Holy Spirit a genuine role in the communication of redeeming grace, while at the same time recognizing that the role of the Spirit is specifically that of continuing the incarnation. The Holy Spirit exercises his proper mission by communicating to us the resurrection life of the ascended Lord Jesus Christ through the consecrated elements of bread and wine.
1 Theological Studies 45 (1984): 225-253. (I should acknowledge that this paper was inspired by a course on sacramental theology that I took from Fr. Kilmartin when I was a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame.)
Also helpful are T.F. Torrance, Theology in Reconciliation: Essays towards Evangelical and Catholic Unity in East and West (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), and E.L. Mascall, Christ, the Christian and the Church (London: Longmans, 1946).
2 (New York: Fordham University Press, 1983).
3 The Eucharist: (Problems in Theology) (Wilminton, Del: Michael Glazier, 1995). One might object that my comparison is inappropriate because I am contrasting a contemporary Orthodox theologian’s summary of the Eastern tradition as a whole with the views of one particular Western theologian, Thomas Aquinas. However, given that transubstantiation has the status of dogma in Roman Catholicism, Aquinas’s views are representative of the normative Western Catholic position. This is why Aquinas always plays a central role in discussions of Western eucharistic theology (e.g., Moloney) in a way that the views of theologians like Cyril of Alexandria, the Cappadocians or John of Damascus, do not play in Eastern eucharistic theology.
4 Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, 3.76.5.
5 On Cranmer, see Stephen Sykes, “Cranmer on the Open Heart,” Unashamed Anglicanism (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995); Charles Gore, Dissertations on Subjects Connected with the Incarnation (New York: Scribner’s, 1895).
6 Martin Luther, “That These Word of Christ, ‘This is My Body,’ etc. Still Stand Against the Fanatics,” Luther’s Works: American Edition, H. T. Lehman, ed. (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, Muhlenberg Press, 1961) vol. 37; (WA 37: 61, 66-69).
7I would say that the denial of any continuing role to the ascended humanity of Christ in communicating salvation is the essential difference between Zwinglian theologies and all eucharistic theologies of real presence. Thus, Zwinglian theologies tend to interpret both the atonement and justification in strictly forensic terms, and sanctification strictly in terms of the immediate indwelling of the Holy Spirit. For example, Calvinist Federalist theology understands Pauline “in Christ” language forensically rather than realistically. The unanswered question is that of the relation between atonement and sanctification.
8 All references are from The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Bk 4, Ch. 17.
9 Note that the Roman Catholic [!] scholar Raymond Moloney, S.J., refers to Calvin’s position on the localization of the ascended body of Christ as a “good Augustinian principle.” Over against Lutheran ubiquity, Calvin endorsed the “traditional view,” which ascribes the exchange of predicates in the communicatio idiomatum to that between the two natures and the one person in Christ, not an exchange between the divine and human natures. Moloney, 155, 172.
10 Stephen Neill, Anglicanism (New York: Oxford University Press, 1978), 79; Geoffrey Bromiley, Thomas Cranmer Theologian (NY: Oxford University Press, 1956) 76.
11 Dom Gregory Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy (London: Dacre Press, 1945), 646 ff; T. M Parker, “Review Article,” Journal of Theological Studies (April 1961): 134-146.
12 Thomas Cranmer, Works, ed. Parker Society, (Cambridge: 1844-46) 2 vols. 1:148.
13 John Jewel, Works, ed. Parker Society (Cambridge, 1845-50), 4 vols. 1:448.
14 Gordon P. Jeanes argues in Signs of God’s Promise: Thomas Cranmer’s Sacramental Theology and the Book of Common Prayer (London: T & T Clark, 2005) that Cranmer believed that Christ is present in his divine nature. Jeanes follows Cyril Richardson, Zwingli and Cranmer on the Eucharist: Cranmer Dixit et Contradixit (Evanston, Ill, 1949). I do not believe Cranmer’s texts support this reading.
15 The context of Cranmer’s argument is Bishop Gardiner’s assertion (as Cranmer interpreted it) that the Spirit of Christ is present in baptism and his body and blood are present in the Lord’s Supper. Against Gardiner, Cranmer insisted that in both baptism and the Eucharist, we receive the whole Christ, body and soul, humanity and divinity: “For as in every part of the water in baptism is whole Christ and the Holy Spirit, sacramentally, so be they in every part of the bread broken, but not corporally and naturally, as the papists teach. . . .And where you say that in baptism we receive the spirit of Christ, and in the injury to sacrament of his body and blood we receive his very flesh and blood; this your saying is no small derogation to baptism, wherein we receive not only the spirit of Christ, but also Christ himself, whole body and soul, manhood and Godhead, unto everlasting life, as well as in the holy communion.” PS 1: 24, 25.
16 “The Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ.”The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Bk 5, ch. 67.2.
17 (NY: Crossroad Publishing Co., 2000).
18 “Abendmahl und Heiliger Geist: Geschieht Jesu Christi eucharistisches Wirken durch den Heiligen Geist?” Kerygma und Dogma 28 (1982) 215-227.
19 Anglican Evangelical Geoffrey Bromiley sees a tendency towards a Nestorian theology of the sacraments in Cranmer: “In his anxiety to avoid an ex opera operato view, [Cranmer] does not quite do justice to the unity of sign and thing signfied.” Thomas Cranmer Theologian, 65.
20Unashamed Anglicanism (Abingdon, 1995), 33.
21 Theology in Reconciliation: Essays Towards Evangelical and Catholic Unity in East and West (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975), 139-214.
22 Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on St. John 11,8. See Torrance’s discussion.
23 Cyril, Against Nestorius, Tome 3
24 Emphasis mine, in both quotations. Note that both Cyril and Augustine use parallel “identificationist” language to refer to both the consecrated elements and the community that receives those elements, without distinction.
25 Ireneaus, Against Heresies 4, 18, 5. Note again the parallel between the transformation of the Eucharist and the transformation of the Church
26 Thomas Aquinas, S.T. 3.76.6.
27Gore notes the parallel between Western theologies of transubstantiation and Apollinarianism in Dissertations on Subjects connected with the Incarnation (Scribner’s, 1895).
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NEIGHBORS >> Blueprint for the future
Leader staff writer
IN SHORT: Cabot Parks and Recreation releases plans for development in the coming year.
Cabot Parks and Recreation Commission is seeking funding from the Cabot Advertising and Promotions Commission to help with $200,000 worth of improvements and maintenance projects this year, including a $50,000 skateboard park.
Cabot Parks and Recreation has about $43,000 left over from the 2005 budget. Most of the organization’s income is from revenue generated from its programs including concessions, rentals, sponsorships, tournaments, fund-raising and gate admission.
Since 2000, the department has received $678,932 from the Cabot Advertising and Promotions Commission for improvements and maintenance projects that range from rebuilding baseball and softball fields to new construction of 10 soccer fields, a T-ball field, pavilions, playgrounds, walking trails and a disc golf course. The partnership has benefited the continued development of the city’s park system, said Carroll Astin, director of Cabot Parks and Recreation.
“By replenishing our ballfields each year with topsoil, sand and lava ash, the parks continue to be sought after for post-season tournaments and events for the Special Olympics,” Astin said.
The Cabot Parks and Recreation Commission will seek funding for four projects this year including a $50,000 skateboard park to be built between the tennis and basketball courts on Richie Road. Plans call for a four-inch concrete pad approximately 5,600-square feet. The equipment will include various ramps and bars. Dual bids will be sought for the project for steel or modular equipment.
“In 1999, we had a skate park and the group of folks at that time chose not to follow the rules so we shut it down. Modular equipment would let us take the skatepark down easier if we need to,” Astin said. “As long as we aren’t negligent with the park or the equipment, it is user beware.”
The commission will be seeking funding for $63,000 in maintenance supplies and $25,000 for maintenance equipment. Supplies include fertilizer for grass at all the parks, pool chemicals, chalk, paint, grass seed, fencing, bases, goals and groundcover for playgrounds.
The equipment includes a 60-inch mower and bagger/sweeper for the fields, a John Deere Gator Utility Vehicle and a replacement for the 10-year-old John Deere 650 tractor.
Due to the rising cost of fuel, Astin says the department plans to mow the fields once a week instead of twice or three times a week during the spring and summer. An additional $9,000 will be sought for dirt, sand and lava ash for the baseball, softball and T-ball fields.
“This is an ongoing repair item,” Astin said. “The topsoil and sand are used to fill in low spots in grassy areas while sand and lava ash are applied to softball, T-ball and baseball fields prior to the season starting.”
Lava ash helps absorb rain and dries the field sooner during brief summer showers which causes fewer rained-out games.
Other improvements includes $8,000 for a scoreboard at the Cricket Soccer Complex, construction of a $20,000 irrigation pond at the First Street Sports Complex and $20,000 for two aerators for the pond at Campground and Kerr Park to keep the fishing water clear from silt.
“I think when your biggest complaint is there’s not enough parking, that’s a good problem for a park system to have,” Astin said.
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Yesterday's post about James Otis, Jr., put me in mind of his relationship with Samuel Adams, his successor as the principal voice of the Boston Whigs and the prime "incendiary" to friends of the royal government.
Among my peeved complaints about the way many historians have treated Adams is they paint him as the most extreme radical in Boston, a congenital troublemaker. In fact, Adams was often a moderating force; he kept his eye on the big goal in the distance, and kept his tongue while less temperate men like Otis and William Molineux said things they later regretted.
Otis and Adams served several terms alongside each other in the Massachusetts General Court, or provincial assembly. In 1860, Andrew H. Ward wrote that Otis once
declared from his seat, that he would not allow any member of the House to call him to order, save——SAMUEL ADAMS.Andrew stated, "The above anecdote was related to me some fifty years since by Joshua Henshaw, Esq., who was Registrar of Deeds for the country of Suffolk previous to the Revolution.” It appeared in volume 14 of the New England Historical & Genealogical Register.
Such was the compliment paid by the more eloquent to the more sagacious Patriot. Thereafter Mr. Adams took a seat behind Mr. Otis, which he continued to occupy; and whenever he thought him getting upon too high a key, privately and gently pulled his coat tail, by way of a friendly caution, which, like an electric rod, quietly disarmed the rising tempest of its fearful power.
Otis also trusted Adams as an editor. (And having been one myself, I take that as the highest praise.) About the General Court's Circular Letter of 1768 and other public correspondence, Otis reportedly told a friend, “I have written them all, and handed them over to Sam, to quieuvicue them.”
Another Patriot lawyer who trusted Adams the same way was Josiah Quincy, Jr.; on some manuscripts of his newspaper essays is this line to the printers: “Let Samuel Adams Esq. correct the press.”
Obviously, Otis and Quincy didn't fear that Adams would insert language that would get them in trouble. You wouldn't know that from the way some modern writers go on.
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Lending institutions that serve farmers affected by the 2012 drought are being encouraged by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council to work with borrowers to modify loans, ease credit terms and expedite credit decisions.
The FFIEC said in a release Tuesday that it will “support efforts to originate and prudently modify loans” for affected farmers. In exchange for their efforts, lending institutions will receive consideration from examiners regarding the unusual circumstances in affected areas, the FFIEC said.
“Financial institutions that implement prudent loan workout arrangements will not be subject to criticism for engaging in these efforts even if the restructured loans have weaknesses that result in adverse classification or credit risk grade,” the FFIEC said.
Typically, agricultural credit lines are paid in full after summer and fall harvests, and before farmers borrow money for seed, fuel and other supplies necessary to plant the next year’s crop. However, because the drought has reduced yields significantly, and in some areas, destroyed crops completely, the FFIEC acknowledged that “some agricultural borrowers may need to carry over a portion of operating lines of credit that cannot be retired because of lower crop yields. Financial institutions should perform a comprehensive review of an affected borrower’s financial condition in an effort to implement prudent loan workout arrangements.”
Because the effects of natural disasters on the agricultural sector are often transitory, the council said prudent loan modification efforts can help stabilize borrowers, benefit the long-term interests of financial institutions and their stakeholders, and contribute to the health of local economies. Acceptable solutions suggested by the FFIEC include:
- expediting lending decisions when possible, consistent with safe-and-sound credit practices;
- extending or restructuring borrower debt obligations, consistent with prudent loan workout standards;
- easing credit terms or fees for loans, consistent with prudent loan workout standards; and
- considering loan programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency or the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Lenders evaluate modifications to determine whether they require financial reporting as troubled debt restructurings, because not all modifications are TDRs, the FFIEC said.
Credit unions should refer to 5300 Call Report instructions and other supervisory guidance for the accounting and reporting of TDRs, the council concluded.
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- Contract Packaging
- Packaging Leaders
- Calendar of Events
Article | January 22, 2013
Keynoter at ProMat/Automate show refutes 60 Minutes' premise on robotics
The venerable and popular 60 Minutes Show ruffled more than a few feathers in the manufacturing sector with a January 13 show suggesting that the growth of robotics and automation in the U.S. comes at the cost of jobs.
Henrik I. Christensen, Kuka Chair of Robotics & Director of Robotics at Georgia Tech, tackled that premise head on in his January 21 keynote presentation that opened the co-located ProMat and Automate 2013 shows, running through January 24 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Referring to the 60 Minutes show as an unfortunate piece of bad journalism, Christensen argued convincingly that because automation drives productivity as it does, it grows jobs. The best example of this, he noted, is the formation of the Tesla Motors in Palo Alto, CA, where wages are as high as they are anywhere in the world. But because the business model behind Tesla leans heavily on automation strategies that optimize productivity and efficiency, the firm has brought job growth to California. “Remember, when Tesla chose to locate here, the whole supply chain stayed here,” said Christensen. “For every job created in manufacturing, 1.3 jobs are created in a related area.”Christensen also noted that manufacturers including Lenovo, Apple, and others are busy “re-shoring” some of their manufacturing operations because advances in automation and robotics are making it possible. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that wages in Asia have risen some 500% lately. But still, without advances in technology, re-shoring would not be taking place the way it is. Christensen emphasized repeatedly that the combination of high productivity here in the U.S. and the closing salary gap that used to separate Asia and the U.S. equals opportunity in the U.S.
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XENIA, Ohio - “Good boy!” Two words that were repeatedly overheard throughout 4 Paws for Ability training center.
“Good” is right. Wednesday’s group of trained pooches, with nearly 600 hours of training under their collar, will graduate Feb. 24. That group includes Noble who, during training, jumped up, pushed both paws against a wooden door, turned the knob, and opened it on command.
He is a service dog, just like the dog that 5-year-old Samuel DeWitt is finally due to receive next March.
Back in June, the DeWitts, who live in Mt. Orab, raised money for a service dog through Animals for Autism. They sent money... but no dog for their autistic son was ever received. In fact, the organization seemed to have disappeared off the map. No returned emails or phone calls and no new photos of his dog Shadow were ever sent to them from the organization ran by Lea Kaydus in Illinois.
That's when Karen Shirk, executive director and founder of 4 Paws for Ability in Xenia, stepped in with a helping paw, four of them to be exact.
"We felt that this family had been through enough," said Shirk.
Her non-profit organization decided to donate a $22,000 service dog to Samuel.
"It's going to give Samuel opportunities to really have normal functioning and give him a better daily life," said David DeWitt, who was grateful for the outpouring of support for his son and his family.
"It was just such an amazing act of kindness," he said.
Samuel was pretty excited too.
"We had sat down and actually had talked with him a little bit that Samuel, you are gonna get a dog. And we weren’t quite sure it really even sunk in at first, but about three or four minutes later, Samuel was just running around the house going 'Oh man! Oh man! Oh man!" said Elizabeth DeWitt of her son’s reaction.
That excitement stemmed from a need for safety said Shirk.
“Samuel doesn’t understand some of the dangers. He has no fear of like bodies of water or cars or even strangers. Samuel doesn’t think anything about walking up to a stranger. And so, the dog will help, number one, to keep Samuel from wandering away from us; will help keep Samuel with us; will alert us,” said Elizabeth.
Families who struggle with autism, need stability and they need a dog that is also trained as a search and rescue dog.
“A true story that one of our families, their child got out and they were able to find him within five minutes,” said Shirk.
What makes the story incredible, she said, was that he walked out of the family’s home at 10 p.m. It was 20 degrees and the child was in a heavily wooded area, naked.
“Had they not found that child quickly, the results would’ve not been happy. It would not have been the happy ending that it was.”
Shirk, who has a nerve disorder started 4 Paws for Ability in 1998 after being turned down for a service dog herself. She was wheelchair dependent and vent-dependent.
"All of the agencies turned me down because they felt that I was too disabled."
They told her that she would not be productive and therefore did not qualify for a service dog.
Eventually she adopted Ben, her service dog, who she had trained privately.
"The bond between a human and their service dog is incredible. There's nothing that I know of that's more powerful," said Shirk. And she should know. Ben saved her life.
Recovering from open-heart surgery, she said that she fell unconscious from an accidental and deadly mixture of medicine.
That's when her dad called to check on her. She didn’t answer.
"Ben who usually would wait for me to tell him to bring me the phone, probably waited for a few rings and then picked up the phone and dropped it—they said it was in my lap when the paramedics arrived— and he barked and barked and was still barking when the police arrived."
She said, that’s when the thought occurred to her about how many disabled people were being turned down for service dogs like she was. From that thought, 4 Paws was born. And that idea quickly outgrew her one-bedroom apartment, as she expanded from training two dogs to training 100 every year.
“I found out that the largest group of people being turned down was children, and from there it just went,” said Shirk.
To date 600 service dogs have been placed with disabled children and adults, whether they are deaf, wheelchair bound, diabetic, have seizures or autistic. They also train dogs for FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and veterans. Dogs range from Golden Retrievers to golden Labradors, Collies, Border Collies and Papillons—a smaller dog for specific purposes like seizures.
Puppies are trained just after being born at universities like Wittenburg University, Wright State University and the University of Kentucky, as well as at nearby prisons. Families can foster puppies in their homes as well, where they are socialized and given obedience training for 6 weeks. Then it’s back to 4 Paws for more focused and specialized training at 9 months old until they are ready for service.
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A lot can change over a decade; and not all of it necessarily good. When Dennis Rodkin wrote "The New Rules of Real Estate" for Chicago magazine back in 2000, the housing market was a hotbed of activity--but no longer. The mortgage crisis put the kibosh on many things – leaving some folks struggling to stay in their homes and others desperate to get out. Thus, the new game needed new rules. So, Eight Forty-Eight asked the author of the old rules to share his annual update of the Chicago real estate rulebook. Rodkin writes the Deal Estate column for Chicago magazine.
The October issue of Chicago magazine hits newsstands Thursday but Rodkin gave a preview on his blog.
Mocean Worker, "Ya Damn Right", from the album Candygram for Mowo!, (Mowo! Inc.)
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In an all-too-common tragedy these days, a poorly catechized Catholic attends a worship service at a megachurch, mistakenly believing the worship service simply to be a modern, non-Catholic version of the Mass. The Catholic feels emotionally drawn to the megachurch worship service and decides Mass, in comparison, is boring. A typical view might be, “Wow, I’m being fed here like I’m not being fed at Mass.”
The American Heritage Dictionary defines megachurch as “a large, independent, usually nondenominational worship group, especially one formed as an offshoot of a Protestant church. Also called seeker church.”
“Large” is right. Among the better known megachurches are Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston (attendance 43,500), Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago (attendance 23,000), and Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church (attendance 20,000) in my backyard in Orange County, California.
Many megachurches are known for their concert-style worship services, consisting of passionate preaching accompanied by emotionally driven music.
I often hear stories about local Catholics in my diocese who venture into one of Saddleback’s worship services—only to be “sold” on this new style of worship, and never again to return to the Catholic Mass.
“Something for Everyone”
From a superficial perspective it’s easy to see why ill-informed Catholics can be drawn in so easily. A quick visit to Saddleback’s Web site (saddleback.com) reveals a veritable menu of Sunday worship services to satisfy the taste of just about any self-indulgent seeker. For example, consider these six offerings, as described on the site:
- Worship Center Times: You’ll engage in an array of contemporary worship music and enjoy live teaching that is video cast to our other venues.
- Fuel Times: FUEL is our newest venue for young adults ages 20s to 30s (but everyone is welcome). Join us in Refinery main auditorium for live teaching, worship, food, and relationship building. All of this and more, packed into a shorter service.
- Overdrive Times: This service is filled with guitar-driven, rock-infused worship sure to amplify your experience. You’ll feel like you’re worshiping in a musical concert setting! The message will follow, video cast live from the Worship Center.
- Praise Times: This venue is filled with inspiring gospel music that will move your heart and encourage your spirit. The gospel choir will get you up off your feet in whole-hearted praise to God. Worship is followed by the video cast message.
- Terrace Cafe Times: Grab a cup of coffee and relax in this outdoor worship environment. Located on the top of the Plaza Building, the Terrace Cafe is a perfect place to bring your friends for fellowship and a casual worship experience.
- Traditions Times: Enjoy a warm, small church community and a traditional approach to worship through hymns and choruses.
Now, each of these forms of worship can be perfectly fine. The problem arises with the gross misconception that such worship is in any significant way comparable to the Catholic Mass. The truth is there really is no comparison at all.
The First Lord’s Supper
The evening before he was crucified, Jesus and the apostles shared a meal. At the Last Supper Jesus very plainly explained to the apostles how he wanted them to worship:[H]e took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying,
“This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Lk 22:19-20)
These words must have been quite enlightening to the apostles, as they finally understood what Jesus meant when he said, “[H]e who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn 6:54).
The apostles also understood in Jesus’ words both the authority and the commandment to “do” perpetually in worship what Jesus had just instituted: the Eucharist.
The Day of Obligation
The apostles went on to teach others this sacred, God-instituted form of worship. This is evident is Paul’s words to the Church at Corinth:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor 11:23-26)
Paul was not at the Last Supper, so he undoubtedly received this from the Lord through the other apostles. And in this passage we read that he has already delivered it himself to the Church at Corinth.
Scripture reveals that the Eucharist was celebrated on Sundays: “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread . . .” (Acts 20:7). That the celebration took place on Sunday makes sense because Jesus was resurrected on that day (Mk 16:9).
Down through history, the Church Fathers attest that the Eucharist has been the constant and most sacred form of authentic Christian worship. In the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Catholic Church continues this form of worship and obliges Catholics to participate.
The authority to oblige Catholics in such a way was endowed to the Church by Jesus himself. He said first to Peter and later to all of the apostles, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19, 18:18).
The Church has always recognized in these words the authority to enact disciplinary laws which the faithful must follow. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:
The power to “bind and loose” connotes the authority to absolve sins, to pronounce doctrinal judgments, and to make disciplinary decisions in the Church. Jesus entrusted this authority to the Church through the ministry of the apostles and in particular through the ministry of Peter . . . (CCC 553, emphasis added)
Today the obligation to attend the Mass is found in the Code of Canon Law: “Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation . . . On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass” (CIC 1246 §1–1247).
Symbol or Reality?
Not long ago, Rick Warren announced, “We’re adding the Lord’s Supper . . . to 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm Sunday evening services every week!”
Some people have wondered whether “the Lord’s Supper” at Saddleback Church is the authentic Eucharist. The answer is no. The power and authority to consecrate the Eucharist has never been available to just anyone; it has always been necessary to be appointed by one of the apostles or their successors. Luke provides evidence of this: “[T]hey [Paul and Barnabas, in this case] had appointed elders for them in every church . . .” (Acts 14:23). As does Paul: “This is why I left you [Titus] in Crete, that you might amend what was defective, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you . . .” (Ti 1:5).
The term “elders” in these passages is translated from the Greek word presbyterous, from which we derive the English word priest. It is clear in the passages just cited that priests were necessarily appointed in every Church. In part, this was for the valid consecration of the Eucharist.
Since megachurches like Saddleback Church do not have priests ordained by successors of the apostles (i.e., Catholic bishops), they do not have the power or the authority necessary to consecrate the Eucharist changing its substance into the body and blood of Jesus.
Also, I’m not aware of any megachurches that recognize the life-giving presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, for Catholics the “source and summit” of the faith. In describing its Lord’s Supper, Saddleback Church’s Web site states: “The elements of bread and wine or juice are symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood. Communion is not a means of salvation.”
Mass Is Not Optional
There is no comparison between a modern megachurch worship service— however entertaining it might be—and the Eucharist instituted by Jesus. A person should never mistake such megachurch worship as any sort of alternative to the Mass. And, if he’s a Catholic, he must never neglect his obligation to participate in the Mass.
If a Catholic wishes to indulge in megachurch worship, and he can do so without endangering his own faith or scandalizing others, he is not explicitly forbidden from doing so. Even so, he cannot licitly participate in a megachurch communion service. This is forbidden by the Code of Canon Law: “Catholic ministers administer the sacraments licitly to Catholic members of the Christian faithful alone, who likewise receive them licitly from Catholic ministers alone . . . ” (844 §1).
The bottom line is this: Jesus didn’t instruct the apostles to perpetuate megachurch-style worship services, nor did he indicate that such worship would be life-giving. But he did institute the Eucharist, commanded the apostles to perpetuate it, and promised life to those who participate in it. Don’t we owe it to him to worship as he commanded?
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The Internet has made the world a smaller place. Instantly, everything - and everyone - in the world is practically at your fingertips.
This definitely applies when you find out that you aren't the only you - there's another you out there somewhere, your digital double. A digital double is someone (or something) with your same name that exists in cyberspace.
For example, Warren's Mayor Michael O'Brien, when searching for news about ... himself, may stumble into the Web page for Mayor Michael O'Brien of Winooski, Vt., or Canadian Councillor Michael O'Brien of New Brunswick. Seems like many Michael O'Briens get into politics. Also, it's probably safe to say that Jim Traficant of Florida, vice president of Harris Corporation's Healthcare Solutions, is tired of jokes about his hair. His name comes up in Google searches for the former congressman. U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan would find that Timothy Ryan is also an assistant professor of biological anthropology, geosciences, and information sciences and technology at Penn State University. Dr. Timothy P. Ryan is chancellor of the University of New Orleans, and Timothy E. Ryan is a retired NFL defensive lineman and is now working as an NFL analyst.
The same goes for places. Want to learn more about the famous Hot Dog Shoppe? First you have to weed your way through Web sites about the Hot Dog Shoppe in California (complete with the old-timey "shoppe" spelling), or the one in Beaver, Pa.
Running into another Joe Somebody online can be interesting, in terms of finding a kinship with others who grew up with the same name, had the same nicknames, and wore the same monogrammed sweater from Grandma as you.
The connection can also run a lot deeper. Witness: The Jim Smith Society.
Jim Smiths the world over can all belong to this exclusive club, which has a Web site (www.jimsmithsociety.com), annual meetings, and even a motto ("We don't shun fun!"). In a 2008 interview with the Tribune Chronicle, Jim Smith of East Berlin, Pa., told of the perks of being amongst other Jim Smiths. The group uses the Web site to stay in touch with the Jim Smiths and to recruit new Jim Smiths. There's no shortage of Jim Smiths to be found online.
Looking online for a same-name match can end in more than just a good time, however. This year, two Kelly Hildebrandts - one boy, one girl - met while searching their own names on Facebook, and now plan to marry.
Having a digital double can also be a headache. For example, if you want to start a Web site about yourself or your business, your digital double may have taken the domain name. If you want your e-mail address to contain your name, you may have to get creative with punctuation and numbers (ex.: "k8lyn_smith"). Opportunists known as "cybersquatters" will buy up e-mail addresses and Web domain names of common names so that rightful owners of that name will pay big bucks to get them. Walmart, Nike and Apple have all had Twitter names taken by people who definitely aren't the CEOs, but hope to cash in on their quick action. Pop idol Madonna took a cybersquatter to court to get rights to the domain name www.madonna.com. The average Joe might not be so lucky.
Same goes for social networking sites. Nick Jonas, 23-year-old college student, had a barrage of Facebook friend requests coming in his inbox on the social networking site, all from girls thinking he was the same Nick Jonas of the screamworthy Jonas Brothers. College Nick Jonas would often have his account shut down while his mom was getting dozens of phone calls from fans. Through a twist of fate, College Nick Jonas was eventually able to get backstage and meet Superstar Nick Jonas and tell him his tale of woe.
How can you find out if you have a digital double? Go to www.howmanyofme.com to find out. This writer performed a search of her first and last name on the site and found out that "one or fewer" people in the United States has the same name. Good to know. There are, however, at least 215 Dave Thomas-es according to the site. Facebook is also full of Dave Thomases, around 500 of them, some of which are fan sites for the late Wendy's founder.
It may be easy to find a double with the same name, but what about the same face? Coca-Cola has a program through Facebook to find your actual double. The program scans photos of you available on your Facebook profile and uses them to find another user who looks like you. You can also upload a photo from your files or from a web cam to find a more accurate match.
So, if you go looking for your digital double, good luck - it may end up a bust, or you may end up forming a club, getting married or getting a lawyer.
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Tammy Bruce was elected president of the Los Angeles chapter of NOW when she was twenty-seven years old, making her the youngest person to have ever occupied that office. Since that seven year period (1990 - 1996), she has appeared on numerous radio broadcasts and has written three books.
"The Death Of Right And Wrong," is a well-written and informative political/social commentary written by Tammy Bruce. This book explores American culture and how issues are presented in the media. Ms. Bruce explains politcal agendas of some organizations such as NOW in straighforward and intelligent language.
The National Organization For Women is no longer truly a feminist movement. It has become a movement with no purpose. A movement, it seems, to eliminate men. Ms. Bruce writes on the current NOW organization in ch. 3 of "The Death Of Right And Wrong." In this chapter Ms. Bruce examines how the organization began, lists the progresses that were made possible for women because of the movement's efforts, then introdudes the movement's current standing on some issues.
The men's movement of the "Promise Keepers," seemed to have ruffled a few feathers at NOW. NOW also defended quite stringently the woman who drowned her five children in 2001, Andrea Yates. Also, in this section, Ms. Bruce sites the current NOW defense strategy against assailing pornography. Ms. Bruce summarizes these attitudes by NOW with this closing paragraph; "Supporting a murderer of children and ignoring the bane of pornography, while demonizing a Christian organization that is devoted to getting men by the hundreds of thousands to become better husbands---that is NOW today. And our stroll through the looking glass with the new feminists has just begun."
This book is a must read for anyone who is even remotely concerned with their life and the society in which they live it.
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Iowa unemployment rate holds steady at 5.1 percent
DES MOINES — Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 5.1 percent in May, as the number of unemployed Iowans ticked up marginally.
Iowa had a reported 85,200 workers seeking jobs in May compared to 85,000 in April. The state’s jobless rate compared favorably with the same month one year ago, when 99,100 Iowans were unemployed or 6.0 percent of workers. Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate rose slightly in May to 8.2 percent from 8.1 percent in April. County-level unemployment breakdowns were not yet available this morning.
“The Iowa economy remains on track for modest growth in the coming months,” said Teresa Wahlert, director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Continued improvement, particularly in housing, will strengthen job growth in a broad range of industries.”
The total number of working Iowans declined slightly to 1,577,700 in May from 1,578,200 in April. However, the May total is 14,700 higher than the year ago figure of 1,563,000.
Analysts said Iowa’s total non-farm employment shed 3,300 jobs in May, lowering the monthly estimate to 1,492,400. This month’s decline was spread across several sectors and state officials said it could be a symptom of the economic turmoil in Europe coupled with decreased spending from consumers. The job losses in May are the second for the current year, but workforce development points out that the magnitudes of the declines in 2012 have been smaller than the gains.
The report shows professional and business services decreased by 1,900 jobs in May, the most of any sector. The loss was heaviest in administrative and support services (-1,700), although professional, technical, and scientific services also lost jobs during the month. Trade and transportation pared 1,800 jobs with losses occurring in retail, wholesale and transportation. Smaller losses occurred in construction (-900), manufacturing (-400) and finance (-200). Leisure and hospitality led all sectors in monthly job gains, up 1,200. The gain was evenly distributed between accommodations and food services and arts and entertainment. Elsewhere, job gains in health care (+700) fueled an increase of 300 in education and health services. Both information and government added 200 jobs.
Compared to May of last year, Iowa has added 13,400 jobs. Manufacturing led all sectors in job growth, up 10,900 jobs. Construction followed with an annual gain of 6,100 jobs. Smaller gains were posted for education and health services (+2,000), other services (+1,700), leisure and hospitality (+1,000) and finance (+500).
Conversely, trade and transportation lost the most jobs of any sector (-4,200). Other over-the-year losses were posted for government (-2,700), professional and business services (-1,900) and information (-200).
More State News
- Iowa lawmakers return to Statehouse
- Fund established for victim of Boone shelter fire
- Iowa DNR warns paddlers about cold water, debris
- USDA: Despite late start, record corn crop likely
- Iowa soybean farmers prepared to plant once conditions dry up
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Members Statements in the Ontario Legislature
Re: Bill 83
December 8, 1998
ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE DISABLED
Mr John C. Cleary (Cornwall): This government's ignorance of the needs of the disabled has been further exposed. I have received a letter from Huguette Burroughs of Cornwall, who as a reporter with le journal de Cornwall was invited to attend a major event hosted by the Minister of Health recently at a major hotel. Unfortunately, Ms Burroughs was unable to attend because the location which the minister chose for the event was not accessible to the disabled.
According to Ms Burroughs, Minister Witmer's function was held on the second floor of the hotel and there is no elevator to get there. Ms Burroughs understands that hotels and restaurants may not always want to comply in becoming fully accessible. However, she finds it incredible that the Minister of Health would commit such an indiscretion in staging an event of this nature.
This government's half-baked disabilities legislation is insulting enough. The health minister and her colleagues must seriously consider Ms Burroughs's suggestion that this faulty legislation should be revised. It should state clearly that when such functions are held, these should be held in fully accessible locations.
How can the Harris government say they are committed to eliminating barriers for disabled persons in Ontario when they won't even accommodate the most basic accessibility requirements for their own events?
| Index Page | Bill 83 Action Kit | Debates Page |
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As I walked up to the security screening booth ready to be searched to enter the voting area, I looked around to notice the excitement and buzz of my fellow Iraqi’s as they prepared to vote. As a woman, I particularly noticed the strong female presence at the polls on Sunday, the last day of voting. Women voting with their families, alone or with friends mirrored the diversity we have here in the Bay Area. Some wearing hijab, others walking billboards for their political party but more importantly I noticed their excitement that resonated throughout the Alameda Fairgrounds.
Once I cleared the security check I walked into the crowded and hectic voting room. The room was set up into five different voting areas with a smaller voting room through another door. The ‘booths’ were made up of tri-fold cutout cardboard, definitely not the voting we here in the United States are accustomed too. Although, given our recent voting issues, would argue on which maybe more superior. It resembled the voting booths seen countless times on all the U.S. 24 hour cable news networks, giving a visual presentation of ‘Iraqi democracy’. They had the large plastic tubs guarded, and poll watchers scattered at each station.
I moved forward in the line and presented my identification to a man hovered over a large book. He asked where I was born, “Los Angeles, California” I responded. He seemed surprised and looked up quickly and gave a little smirk. ‘Where is your Father from?’ he asked. ‘Mosul, Iraq’ I responded and provided my Father’s National ID card as proof of my right to vote. Voting rights are determined by paternal lineage. He scrutinized my Father’s documents and once done I signed the book and he waived me over to the next station. I received a large colorful page with a hundred names or so of political parties, and people running for office.
I quickly moved over to the voting booth, or cardboard cutout, and stared blankly at the page. I had no idea how to read Arabic. My Mother was allowed to come into the booth with me and together we found the member I wanted to caste my ballot for. I was surprised at the ease of it, actually. Once complete, I moved over to the next station and placed my sealed envelope in the large plastic container and my index finger in the purple ink. I had voted. The excitement actually did wash over me, I had the same feeling the first time I exited a polling booth while in college in Chicago. The idealism that somehow, you hope, that your vote will make a difference and that your voice is being heard. But this time, it was followed with the reality of why I was voting in the first place.
This was the third general election since the ‘success’ of the U.S. led invasion and Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign on May 1, 2003. The country, though still reeling from civil war, corruption, and displacement of millions of its citizens, had a strong showing in this past weekend’s elections. 62% of Iraqis, both within and outside of the country, voted. This included displaced ethnic minorities, Assyrians, Kurds and Turkmen. As a member of the Iraqi Diaspora, the Assyrian minority, and a woman, I had the opportunity to vote along with my fellow Iraqis at a polling station in Pleasanton, California. We viewed these elections with both excitement and pessimism. As a member of the minority, I am very aware of the persecution that Assyrians, especially women, and other minorities face almost daily in Iraq. Due to our size (50% of the Assyrian population has left Iraq) we are politically disregarded, subjected to kidnappings, violence, and ransom requests. Today Assyrians make up 3% of Iraq’s population yet 36% of Iraqi refugees.
This election, as the ones before it, brought the hope that Iraq might one day again be the country that I, and many alike, grew up hearing about. The free, open and secular society of the past, one where women had equalities; and sectarian or religious violence wasn’t an issue. The thought of Iraq regressing to religious fervor at the hands of extremism for the sake of power is disillusioning. While women under Sadaam Hussein were nowhere near free, the invasion in Iraq has definitely added a regressive component; to the point where women are no longer as visible. On the positive side, the Iraqi constitution does give some voice to minorities, 25% of the parliament must be women and 5 of the 375 total seats are allocated to Assyrians.
My vote is my voice for equality. Of course, I do have a realistic view of the work ahead. The psychological and emotional trauma that plagues Iraqi’s and the years of healing that the country still needs to do. But with each election, I hope, we move a little closer to a better Iraq.
Shari Lachin is a San Francisco resident and a paralegal by profession. She holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from California State University, Stanislaus and a paralegal certification from San Francisco State University.
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By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times / for the Booster Shots blog
2:42 PM EDT, June 2, 2011
Federal officials are replacing the food pyramid with a full plate — and while experts say that the new approach is an imperfect solution, it's a vast improvement on the much-maligned My Pyramid.
At a news conference Thursday morning, First Lady Michelle Obama, together with Surgeon General Regina Benjamin and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, unveiled the new icon, called My Plate. The plate features four labeled sections: two larger, equally sized sections representing vegetables and grains, and two smaller sections for fruit and protein. Perched on the right side is a smaller circle for dairy — perhaps for a cup of yogurt or low-fat milk — and to the left sits a fork, completing the full dinner-plate effect.
"When it comes to eating, what's more useful than a plate, what's more simple than a plate?" Obama said. She called the new design "a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods we’re eating."
My Pyramid, introduced in 2005, was a chore for consumers to understand, experts said. Its colored stripes represented different food groups — grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk, and meats and beans — but consumers have to go online to figure that out. The daily amounts of food were given in ounces, and as Obama pointed out in her speech, parents "don't have the time to measure out exactly three ounces of chicken."
It almost made the old food pyramid from 1992, which appeared to favor grains disproportionately and measured units with the ambiguous "serving," look appealing by comparison. At least the old pyramid showed pictures of what kinds of foods were in each group, dieticians said.
"For me, My Pyramid was too abstract," said Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian in Burbank and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Assn. "It was confusing. So I’d say ‘Here’s My Pyramid,’ and show [my clients] the slides — but then I’d show them the old food guide pyramid’s graphics to show what it really meant."
The new plate is drawing praise from health professionals. Dr. Adrienne Youdim, medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Center for Weight Loss in Los Angeles, called the new plate "a positive change when it comes to diet and nutrition."
"The concept is not new — it's been used quite widely in the clinical sphere," Youdim said. "Our clinical dietitians often use [the plate model] to educate patients on nutrient intake and portion sizes."
But while the food plate is a huge improvement on the pyramid, said Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at Harvard University, it's far from ideal. Among his concerns: the plate alone does not tell people which foods are good and bad to eat.
"To make informed choices, people will need additional information," Willett said. "It really makes a difference whether the grains you eat are whole grains or refined grains. It makes a huge difference what kind of proteins are being consumed — to be healthy, we need to be replacing the meat with a mix of chicken, nuts and legumes."
The smaller dairy circle, he added, could be misleading.
"It implies there should be a glass of milk or some dairy at every meal and there's no evidence to show that that's beneficial," he said.
As Obama noted in her speech, one thing it did not include was exercise — an aspect of healthy living she continues to promote with her "Let's Move" campaign to reduce childhood obesity. That s something the old pyramid had over the new plate because it managed to include exercise by depicting a stylized stick figure climbing a staircase up the pyramid's edge.
Other countries have struggled to illustrate the importance of exercise. France also uses the stairs; Grenada paints incongruous little red silhouettes of people playing sports around its food graphic. China makes someone run past its five-tiered pagoda of food.
But perhaps the most clever one is Japan’s food graphic, according to James Painter, chair of the school of family and consumer sciences at Eastern Illinois University. Rather than a pyramid, Japan’s features a food top, filled with the different food groups, with a little person running along the top’s surface. If that person stops running, the top stops spinning and falls.
"They incorporate exercise better than any of the other diagrams," said Painter, who has studied 65 government nutrition icons from around the world.
For more history of the food pyramid and descriptions of some of the wackier icons around the world, check out our preview story: USDA to reshape how we see dietary nutrition.
Follow me on Twitter @LAT_aminakhan.
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Intervention Study to Improve Adherence in Asthma
|First Received Date ICMJE||August 13, 2007|
|Last Updated Date||August 14, 2007|
|Start Date ICMJE||April 1998|
|Primary Completion Date||Not Provided|
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
||Adherence [ Time Frame: 18 months and 6 years ]|
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE||Same as current|
|Change History||Complete list of historical versions of study NCT00516633 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site|
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
||Burden of asthma on the individual and on the health care system [ Time Frame: 18 months and 6 years ]|
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE||Same as current|
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE||Not Provided|
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE||Not Provided|
|Brief Title ICMJE||Intervention Study to Improve Adherence in Asthma|
|Official Title ICMJE||Does Improved Information in the Form of Group Discussions With Parents of Newly Diagnosed Asth-Matic Children Lead to a Better Quality of Life for the Families, an Improved Adherence and Better Devel-Opment of the Lung Function of the Children?|
We wanted to investigate if it was possible to improve adherence to prescriptions and advice in pre-school children with newly diagnosed asthma. The intervention was intense information and support in the form of four group discussions with the parents of four children in close connection to diagnosing the child. The control children received the usual care with individual polyclinic visits to the physi-cian/nurse. We evaluated the effect with the help of questionnaires, physical examinations, blood tests, lung function tests and control of treatment adherence after 18 months and 6 years.
Poor adherence to the prescribed regimen of medication is one of the major obstacles to successful treatment of many chronic diseases, in the case of both grown-ups and children. In 1998 we initiated a randomized, prospective intervention study with per protocol design involving 60 young children re-cently diagnosed as having asthma and with a high risk that this condition would persist.
The parents of the children in the intervention group received extra support and information in the form of group discussions, whereas the control patients were treated in a routine manner. All children 0-6 years of age who fulfilled at least one of the criteria for risk of persistent asthma among the 9410 children in our catchments area were evaluated at our out-patient clinic during a period of 1.5 years beginning in 1998. Of the 66 patients thus identified the parents of 6 declined to participate and the remaining 60 children were randomized consecutively in groups of four by a nurse to either the inter-vention or the control group. The groups turned out to be well-matched.
All of the children received the usual management and care, including individual oral and written information concerning how to deal with their asthma. The intervention consisted of additional infor-mation and support in a group setting, with three 1.5-hour meetings soon after inclusion in the study (with 70% participation, no gender difference) and a fourth meeting 6 months later (with 40% partici-pation). The three nurses, three pediatricians and two psychologists who performed this investigation were also in charge of the intervention, i.e. the study was not blinded.
The initial examination included a clinical examination, spirometry, chest x-ray, examination of the patients' records and questionnaires concerning issues of adherence, burden of asthma and quality of life (Pediatric Caregiver's Quality of Life Questionnaire, PACQLQ). This Questionnaire was filled out separately by the fathers and the mothers and a change of > 0.5 units on a 7-point scale was considered to be clinically important. The blood and urine were analyzed for inflammatory parameters. Skin prick tests were performed being considered positive if the mean diameter of the wheal was >3 mm. The al-lergen extracts used were Soluprick® (ALK-Albello A/S, Denmark) and included egg, birch, timothy, mugwort, dog, cat, horse and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. RAST® testing (Pharmacia Diagnos-tics & Upjohn AB) with the same allergens (considered positive when the IgE-level was >0.7 kU/l) and Phadiatop® testing (Pharmacia Diagnostics & Upjohn AB) (considered positive if the value > 1.0 kU/l) were also performed.
The children made regular visits to their own pediatrician and nurse during the subsequent years and their medical records have been continuously updated and computerized. The examination after 6 years was performed during 2005. In this context each child was examined and interviewed, in the company of one or both parents and the examination being the same as earlier, except that no chest x-ray or objective assessment of adherence was carried out.
This time separate questionnaires addressed to the child (the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire) and to the child and parent together (the Asthma Control Questionnaire) were included, with a value of < 0.75 considered as being an indicator of good asthma control. Furthermore exhaled NO was measured with the help of the NIOXMINO® Airway Inflammation Monitor (Aerocrine AB, Solna, Sweden), utilizing a 10-sec expiration at a constant flow rate of 0.05 l/s. In addition, we per-formed dry-air tests (Aiolos AB, Karlstad, Sweden), in connection with which a fall in FEV1 of > 10% was considered pathological.
During the follow-up parents and doctors estimated adherence on a visual analogue scale (VAS). The children were told to begin taking high doses of ICS (0.2 mgx4) as soon as they caught a cold, even before they had any asthmatic symptoms, and to subsequently reduce the dose gradually during the first week, stopping medication when they no longer had any symptoms. When symptoms of asthma developed they were instructed to continue ICS for one month and, if they had experienced three or more exacerbations during a12-month period, to continue this treatment for another six months.
|Study Type ICMJE||Interventional|
|Study Phase||Not Provided|
|Study Design ICMJE||Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Intervention ICMJE||Behavioral: Extra information and support
Four group discussions with parents in close connection to diagnosing the children
|Study Arm (s)||
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Status ICMJE||Completed|
|Completion Date||December 2005|
|Primary Completion Date||Not Provided|
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE||
|Ages||up to 6 Years|
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers||No|
|Contacts ICMJE||Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects|
|Location Countries ICMJE||Sweden|
|NCT Number ICMJE||NCT00516633|
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE||LIVFOU-8215|
|Has Data Monitoring Committee||Yes|
|Responsible Party||Not Provided|
|Study Sponsor ICMJE||Värmland County Council, Sweden|
|Collaborators ICMJE||Not Provided|
|Information Provided By||Värmland County Council, Sweden|
|Verification Date||August 2007|
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP
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Looks a bit fuzzy :-s
yes this is I believe my first post and is certainly my first thread. after many years of thinking and learning I finally have a partial mill built. will post pics if I am allowed on the thread.
WARNING: I am a bit haphazard of a thinker. it works for me but someone trying to follow might get lost. if this annoys you then you should not read anything I write. other people not annoyed but lost can ask questions as I will be asking a lot of them myself.
(doing psychological study as I plan on building more and more complex machinery until I have a machine that plots and lays out individual atoms to make completed products as it is my hope that one day we can "print" solid objects that are as solid as any other method of making something and that are as complex as say food that we eat today.) (as well as scan to duplicate exact copies of anything from art (yes art but each layer of paint each stroke and exact material compositions to make real copies of the art taking a painting as an example) to a piece of wood to even a hamburger.)
ok so I am going to add pics here
Looks a bit fuzzy :-s
yeah that is because i am still using a video camera to take the pics since I am to cheap to by a camera yet
That is definitely an interesting layout. Not sure about some of it from the pictures, but I am very interested to see how it all works out. Good luck with your experiments.
What is the cutting area going to be? Also, what kind of spindle are you planning on using?
area is about 1.5 foot by 2 foot(give or take a bit due to hardware that will probably encumber it like the holders I drilled out of thouse long nuts (late and I cant remeber what they were called just that they came 3 to a pack) what is x3?
as for the spindel I am going to start with a dremel to test it out but I have a design that uses bearings in a triagular config that will give zero play and a decent DC motor that way I can go backwards for right and left handed bits usage as well as bigger bits using a simple yet effective endmill holder design using a very similar design to the nuts that hold the threaded rod in place.
thats interesting how youve coupled the motor and screw ,nice and simple
[Removed text after moderation, the text didn't make sense anymore]
Last edited by svenakela; 07-13-2007 at 07:22 AM.
yeah I have heard of people having trouble with having two seprate size items (like half inch rod threaded and a quarter inch shaft on a motor and came up with the idea. could easily be done with those too just need something more than a nut. I would recommend using a piece of blank stock and then doing the two size openings and use a tap on the half in side instead of turning down the end of the rod. much cheaper cause all you need is a decent drill press. I used the chuck to hold the tap holder straight and true
the link has a limite on bandwidth so if you get one of those "this page has exceeded it's band width limit " messages, just wait an hour and try again
I am going to put up several in various locations so that they can be reached when the other links are down, incase anyone is interested in my progress. the table and 3rd axis are nearly complete so soon I will be working on my 4th axis assembly (motors and controller are stepperworl 4 axis 36 amp and 180 or 150 oz inch just dont remeber which off the top of my head. of you look you will see I used the drill rod rail system for my third axis. any comments are appriciated.
Have you considered getting your own domain name?the link has a limite on bandwidth so if you get one of those "this page has exceeded it's band width limit " messages, just wait an hour and try again
I use iamyourhost.com
You can get your own domain name for $8 a year.
They have budget hosting plans (under Specialty Hosting)
The Specialty Hosting - Budget - Small Plan:
500 Mb Storage
15 Gb (15,000MB) Bandwidth
Support for 1 domain
1 FTP account
1 Email account
1 Mysql database
all for $5 a year.
I've never exceeded the 15 Gig bandwidth for a month with http://www.hossmachine.com
(posting my videos on youtube helps)
and have only used 165 Mb of storage so far.
Can't beat it although they don't have a hot spokeswoman like Godaddy.
Good Luck, Hoss
nice site hoss
unit is done being testes for correct wiring and heat so now just a few more parts to tighten it all up and then a 4 axis and I will be ready to start making the stuff I designed it for. new pics are on my site for it and I did get a better cam too (not the SLR I want but it will suffice for now)
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I'm working in some web scraping using Mathematica, and today, to speed-up the process, I used bash commands (xargs with parallel options with curl and wget) using ...
I'd like to know how can I call Mathematica functions from Python. I appreciate a example, for example, using the Mathematica function Prime. I had search about MathLink but how to use it in Python ...
I'd like to start learning Lisp as it sometimes leads to interesting answers on this site with concepts borrowed from this language, so I'm curious. As I already spend most of my programming time in ...
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Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Plane Answers: 5 things to look for on your next flight
But I always try to think about what Louis CK said on the Conan O'Brien show: "You're sitting on a chair, IN THE SKY!"
If you still need something to break up the routineness of flying, try a few of these ideas:
Note the airplane type.
This is the least you could do. If only to be able to give an intelligent answer to the aviation geek picking you up at the airport. It's always good to know what kind of airplane you're flying on, including the series (-700, -300ER, etc.). What if they ground the entire fleet of A321s next week. You'll be wondering just how close you cheated death on your last flight.
Commonly known as the "N" number in the United States, this can lead to some interesting information if you look it up in on Google before you depart.
You'll likely discover when it first flew, but don't be too shocked to find out the airplane is twenty years old. I'd probably be more concerned if it first entered service yesterday.
And you may or may not be interested in any NTSB reports detailing any incidents or accidents the aircraft has been through. For fun, look up N840TW, a 727 I flew for a charter airline years after it went supersonic. All easily discovered by 'the Google.'
Visit the cockpit
We've had a few people come into the cockpit while boarding and mention how surprised they were that these visits weren't prohibited. While trips to the cockpit inflight are prohibited, pilots still have the time for a five minute tour while at the gate if you're interested. If nothing else, it might be nice to know who you're trusting with your life. And you might even learn something.
Look under your seat
Airlines have gone to great lengths to install powerports under the seats in first class and the coach cabin. Unfortunately, most passengers have yet to discover them, since they're not well marked.
Some airlines such as Continental use a proprietary empower plug while others have simple 110v outlets. American has 12v cigarette lighter plugs but they're switching over to the 110v outlets.
I'd rather sit in a middle seat in coach with an iPhone loaded with movies than have a first class seat without my own entertainment. Targus makes a rather large inverter if you fly on a variety of different airlines.
Be sure to check seatguru.com before your flight to figure out which specific seats have power.
Count down the flight time
Most flight attendants will announce the flight time for your flight before you leave. Whenever you hear this, set your watch or smart phone's countdown function with that time and be sure to start the timer just at liftoff. You'll be surprised how often the timer finishes just as you're touching down at your destination.
I can think of a few Northwest passengers who may be doing this from now on.
Hopefully some of these ideas help you pass the time on your next trip. Do you have any rituals you do before a long trip? Share them with us in the comments section.
Do you have a question about something related to the pointy end of an airplane? Ask Kent and maybe he'll use it for the next Plane Answers. Check out his other blog, Cockpit Chronicles and travel along with him at work.
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by John M. Mann
The recent collapse of the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis was a tragedy that has shaken America’s confidence in its highway system. Because many members of our organization — the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia — design roads and bridges across the commonwealth and beyond, we, too, are dismayed and deeply saddened by the apparent failure of this section of our national infrastructure.
While many are already speculating about what went so terribly wrong, to the point of pointing fingers of blame or trying to identify causes, it will take an army of experts months of thorough investigation and analysis before coming to a credible conclusion.
In the saddest possible way, the bridge collapse in Minneapolis has forced the people of America and our various elected officials to recognize the dire need to review our legislative attitudes concerning transportation funding and priorities.
We here in Virginia were spared the tragedy of Minnesota, but, in reality, the collapse could have occurred in virtually any state in the union. The Old Dominion, however, has not been spared a long and rancorous battle over the state of the commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure and how to go about bringing it up to the levels we need to meet the public and commercial demands of an expanding population and growing economy.
The recent session of the General Assembly adjourned on a relatively high note, assuming it had faced the music and provided a “fix” that would meet our transportation needs. However, the legislature has not found a permanent and satisfactory solution to Virginia’s aging and inadequate transportation infrastructure. One key element to the funding scheme, the extraordinarily high fines for in-state driving violations, wrecked nearly as soon as it left the starting gate in July.
Delay, neglect and patchwork fixes are not an answer. Virginia needs and deserves better. America needs and deserves better.
It is too early to determine exactly what went awry on the I-35W bridge in Minnesota, and it is late in the game to take stock of the decaying and dangerous condition of too many of Virginia’s roads and bridges. Virginia may never suffer a spectacular failure, but a bridge does not have to collapse for us to have failed in our commitment and responsibility to provide safe, efficient and effective means for our citizens and businesses to survive and prosper.
Virginians may well accept solutions our legislators fear to face. There are funding options still on the table that would be more equitable and productive without incurring voters’ wrath like $2,000 driving fines. Without standing up to the hard choices and hard decisions lawmakers and the public face, Virginia could possibly experience its own catastrophic infrastructure failure.
John M. Mann is president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia. He also is president of Mann & Associates in Roanoke.
There are no comments for this entry
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Young Onset Alzheimer's Disease: The Grieving Process
Each September, World Alzheimer’s Month is your chance to join the global fight against Alzheimer’s disease. There are more than 35 million people worldwide living with dementia and more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia. “Go Purple” on Friday, September 21st to mark Alzheimer's Action Day.
It has been 6 months since my husband, best friend and hero passed away. I now understand why they call it a grieving “process”.
For the last 11 years while my husband remained at home with us, suffering with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, we watched him die, day by day. Each day I felt the loss a little deeper.
Just weeks before he passed away, I was growing increasingly concerned about fluid retention and congestion. I saw that he was getting worse; in fact, the day he passed away, I went into work late so I could talk to his hospice nurse about my concern that his kidneys were failing.
She assured me that he was “his normal” -- yet, 3 hours later, he was gone.
I always thought Mike's passing would be easier knowing he was no longer suffering and finally at peace, but I don't feel it has been.
In the six months since my husband left this world, my children and I continue to deal with his loss.
Mike hadn't spoken in years, yet his presence was huge in our home and his absence has created a huge void. We struggle with what to do next and have actually questioned what our purpose is now.
For 11 years we were so focused on Mike and his care, constantly fighting for his needs and what he deserved. Now what?
We continue to be voices for those who have lost theirs due to Alzheimer’s Disease, especially for people with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
It seemed that while Mike was alive, I was able to give hope to caregivers and help them find strength in their decisions as they struggled each day to care for those they loved.
I pray now that all the words of encouragement and inspiration we had given by daily expressing our love and devotion to Mike has given strength to those who may have wanted to give up.
We have had our ups and downs since February. One of my low points came in my discussion with my son when he expressed his anger that I waited to call him after Mike had passed.
There was so much confusion that day. An ambulance was called to our home when the aide realized Mike had stopped breathing (we had a “Do Not Resuscitate” - which I could not find in the mist of all that craziness) and I was begging the medics NOT to take Mike to the hospital, which they had to do.
My daughter was at work and I was trying to figure out how to reach her (she had a new job and I didn’t have the phone number there).
I knew she would be leaving for home soon and didn’t want her to come home to an empty house unaware of what was happening.
Because my son was two hours away at college, he immediately became my next concern. Once I got to the hospital and it was confirmed Mike had passed away, my mind instantly went to my son and how I would tell him and how he would get home.
He had just spoken to me that morning when I was waiting home to speak to the hospice nurse and he felt, even though I wasn’t sure if the doctors would try to resuscitate Mike, that I should have called him.
This was an emotion I had not anticipated in the grieving process, but one we are still dealing with to this day.
We have ordered a headstone for Mike, but it will take approximately six months to be approved, made and installed. It will most likely come in while Brandon is away at school, so we decided to not go until he can come home and we can all view it for the first time together.
When we go to the cemetery now, it looks unfinished no matter how hard we try to make it look good. I know we will feel more closure once this has been finalized.
The kids and I also decided to take a vacation. We had not been away on a “real vacation” for 6 years. I wasn’t sure if and when we would ever be able to go away again, so we scheduled a big big vacation and went to California for two weeks.
We spent half the time in Los Angeles and the other half in San Francisco. We had a great time, but there were many days when I was clearly emotional. Walking around and seeing families together, especially fathers and sons, was difficult for me.
We went to Disneyland and my thoughts went to our honeymoon when Mike and I went for a few days to Disney World in Florida. That was his first time to Disney and he loved it there as well as the subsequent times we had taken the children.
We went to Alcatraz at night and I KNOW this would have been something Mike absolutely loved.
When we visited Muir Woods my son was not happy. “What’s so great about trees anyway”? I was upset with his attitude and realized later that I’m sure Mike would have had voiced the same sentiment.
Overall the trip was a wonderful change of pace and an escape from the last few months.
I also continue to struggle financially. Although Mike left a small Life Insurance Policy (which allowed us to take our trip), it will not be adequate to provide for us indefinitely.
Days after Mike passed I found out from Social Security that I did not qualify for Widow’s Benefits because I was too young. All these years I had relied on Mike’s disability check to cover our mortgage payment each month and now that money has stopped.
Raising two children in college is quite costly, as well as keeping a roof over our head. I worry constantly about how long I will be able to keep my head above water, but I count my blessing each and every day, especially the fact that I do own a home.
Yes, dealing with the loss of the loved one is most definitely a process. Whether your loss is sudden or drawn out, the reality of that "being" not with you anymore is, at times, overwhelming.
We find our strength in continuing to fight for a cure for this horrible disease. We will be walking this Saturday in our local Walk to End Alzheimer's and team "henley's heroes" has so far raised $3,025.00.
I continue to reach out to other spouses who are dealing with Young Onset Alzheimer's Disease. Sadly, there seems to be more and more younger people diagnosed each day.
Our suffering brings unique challenges, and by raising our voices and speaking out, we are doing what we can to advocate for those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease under the age of 65.
My friends in this battle spread all throughout the United States and I am honored to know so many brave men and woman who call themselves caregivers.
Life will continue for us. We know we did all we could to give Mike the absolute best care possible at home and I know he felt our love each and every day.
We have no regrets and that's something not many people can say.
Karen Henley is a legal assistant for a real estate attorney as well as a full time caregiver to her husband. She is an advocate for Alzheimer's disease research and awareness, especially for Young Onset Alzheimer's. She lives in Westbury NY with her husband and two children. She's the author of the blog, Follow You, Follow Me: A Young Family's Journey with Young-Onset Alzheimer's Disease.
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U.S. debates "terrorist" sanctions for Nigerian militants
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is debating the wisdom of designating the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram a "foreign terrorist organization" despite entreaties from lawmakers and the Justice Department to do so.
U.S. diplomats are giving serious consideration to the arguments of a group of academics who sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this week urging her department not to apply the "terrorist" label to the al Qaeda-linked group.
The professors said Boko Haram's violent tactics have "turned most Nigerians against them," and their reputation among other militants might be enhanced by a "terrorist" designation.
U.S. action might also validate the position of more radical elements of Boko Haram, which is divided into factions, the professors said.
The academics also argued that any U.S. move to label Boko Haram as a terrorist group would "effectively endorse excessive use of force" against the group by Nigerian security forces "at a time when the rule of law in Nigeria is in the balance."
Abuses by Nigerian security forces already have "facilitated radical recruitment," the professors said.
A group of Republican senators led by Scott Brown of Massachusetts introduced legislation on Thursday that would require the State Department to determine whether Boko Haram should be formally labeled a "foreign terrorist" group.
The designation would subject it to economic sanctions, including the freezing of U.S. bank accounts, and would make it illegal for anyone in the United States to provide support to the group.
Brown said the group had allegedly been responsible for more than 700 deaths in the last 18 months.
Senator Saxby Chambliss, vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the group had been improving the design of its homemade bombs, which constitute a "serious threat to international and U.S. interests."
In the House of Representatives, Republican Patrick Meehan, who chairs a subcommittee on homeland security, has introduced an amendment that would force the administration to add Boko Haram to the terrorism list or explain why it was not doing so.
A congressional source said State Department representatives are lobbying Congress to stop such legislation.
U.S. government sources confirmed that the academics' arguments are being taken seriously at the State Department, where they have featured in internal discussions about the "terrorist" designation.
Last week, a senior State Department official told Reuters the department was "very concerned about violence in Nigeria" and added that it was "looking at this very carefully."
The official said the department was "not stalling or dragging our feet." But he noted that adding a group to the sanctions list is a "rigorous process which has to stand up in a court of law."
A. Carl Levan, an American University scholar who helped organize the letter to the State Department, said human rights groups had called attention to alleged "excesses" by Nigerian security forces, and said future abuses might only be encouraged if the United States puts a "terrorist" label on Boko Haram.
He also said that the principal legal consequence of an FTO designation -- giving U.S. authorities the ability to freeze the group's assets and take legal action against people who support it -- would have little effect, since "when they need money they rob a bank."
Officially, the State Department will only say that it is considering all the options.
"Working with the Nigerian government to address the growing threat of violent extremism in Nigeria is a top priority for the administration," said a spokeswoman for the department's Africa bureau.
The official added: "On the question of designating Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)...the Department does not comment in advance on such decisions. I can assure you, however, that the Department is reviewing all options with regards to Boko Haram, including designation as an FTO."
In January, the top counter-terrorism official at the Justice Department weighed in with the State Department in favor of an early move to impose U.S. sanctions on the group.
Assistant Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a letter to the State Department's counter-terrorism chief that Boko Haram met the criteria for a "foreign terrorist" listing because it either engages in terrorism which threatens the United States or has a capability or intent to do so.
Monaco said that although Boko Haram attacks until now have occurred only within Nigeria, the United States should not underestimate the threat the group poses to U.S. interests. Reuters reported earlier this month on her letter, which was not released to the public.
This is not the only case in which Congress and the administration are at odds over "foreign terrorist" designations.
Several members of Congress, including Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman Senator Dianne Feinstein, have been pressing the State Department for a terrorist designation for the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, which has been linked to the Taliban and attacks against U.S. interests in Afghanistan.
Some U.S. officials say the State Department has resisted adding the Haqqani group to the list on the grounds that the move might complicate diplomatic efforts to arrange some kind of peace deal between militants and the Afghan government.
(Editing by Susan Cornwell and Jim Loney)
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Springfield, NJ United States February 12th, 2013 /MarketersMedia/ Hudson Robotics, a leader in laboratory robotics instrumentation, recently announced that one of its customers has processed 1 million+ custom plates over an 8 month period. The processing included over 10 million dispenses successfully delivered without a service visit using a single custom configured SOLO Automated Liquid Handling System.
Hudson Robotics has a 30 year history in robotic automation. Located in Springfield, New Jersey, Hudson Robotics is a leader in microplate automation, laboratory robotics, liquid handling and customized software-driven solutions for life-science research.
In the spring of 2012, a customer took delivery of a SOLO Automated Liquid Handling System custom configured to support a manufacturing line for one of their new products. The SOLO from Hudson Robotics is a low cost, flexible and easily customizable automated pipettor designed to meet the needs of researchers and manufacturers alike. The SOLO is available in multiple configurations allowing one system to meet the needs of most researchers, including high throughput production dispensing. The specifications for the custom system required dispense volumes down to 8 ul, accuracy greater than 98%, CV of less than 1% and a dispense rate of greater than 3 wells per second. The process required a throughput of over 1000 custom plates per day.
The SOLO Automated Pipettor was customized to dispense into the customer’s specialized plates. The system delivered on all of the customer’s performance criteria and was quickly implemented in their manufacturing process. The demand for their product accelerated more rapidly than they had anticipated, forcing them to push manufacturing throughput 4 fold. “We never expected to push the system as hard as we did”, said David LaMotte, President of LaMotte Company, “but we are glad we chose a vendor where performance and quality are time honored traditions.” The single SOLO system met the increased demands. The SOLO Automated Pipettor performed without incident with the increased workload. Not a single service visit was required during this period.
“The SOLO Automated Liquid Handling System was able to stand up to the increased demand our customer put on it to meet their initial manufacturing goals as well as a rapid change to their needs,” notes Phil Farrelly, President of Hudson Robotics. “While we are constantly evaluating the performance of our systems internally, it’s extremely validating to see this level of continuous performance and reliability being achieved by our customers.”About Hudson Robotics:
Hudson Robotics produces laboratory robotics instrumentation, software and systems for automating and accelerating Life Science research, such as drug discovery and genetic research.
Visit http://www.hudsonrobotics.com for more information.
Name: Scott VanderWoude
Organization: Hudson Robotics
Address: 10 Stern Avenue Springfield, NJ 07081
Originally released at: http://marketersmedia.com/hudson-robotics-highest-throughput-customer-smashes-dispense-record/4800 (MarketersMedia.com is an online press release distribution service)
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President Clinton's plan to extend Social Security's solvency through 2055 preserves the existing benefit structure and rejects individual accounts. The plan relies primarily on placing most of the projected 15-year budget surplus into the Social Security trust fund. These aspects of the Clinton plan have been warmly welcomed by progressives who feared an imminent compromise that would have added individual accounts by diverting revenue from the current system. Partly to increase the projected rate of return, and partly to steal the privatizers' thunder, the President also proposed placing some $600 billion of the projected surplus into the stock market to earn a higher return. This part of the plan warrants a more wary reception.
Placing some of the trust fund in the stock market raises both phony issues and real ones. Let's dispatch the bogus ones first. For one thing, the amount of money the administration proposes placing in the stock market will never be a very large share of the trust fund or the stock market. At present, the trust fund holds approximately $800 billion in government bonds. Under existing law, this would increase to $3.35 trillion by 2015. With the additional amount that Clinton has proposed to add from general revenue, it should reach $6.25 trillion by 2015. The $600 billion to be placed in the stock market would be less than 10 percent of the system's total assets at that point. And the proposal calls for capping at 14.6 percent the portion of the trust fund held in stock. So only a limited portion of the trust fund would ever be placed at risk.
Currently the value of all publicly traded stock in the United States is approximately $13 trillion. If the stock market grows at the same pace as the economy over the next 15 years, it will rise to approximately $27 trillion by 2015. The $600 billion held by the trust fund would then be less than 2.5 percent of the stock market. This is real money, but far from controlling interest. By itself, that infusion should not significantly affect stock prices, though it might spur the "irrational exuberance" that appears to have been driving the market in recent years. In short, the survival of Social Security will not depend on the stock market, nor will the government take over corporate America through its stock purchases. (At the same time, a significant downturn in the stock market would produce a shortfall in the system's reserves. And the government would hold a large enough stake in the market that it could be a serious factor, should it choose to have a real impact on corporate policy.)
There are those who are concerned that placing money in the stock market will prevent federal dollars from going to public investment or other social needs. It is important to realize that under the Presi dent's proposal, the money placed in the trust fund will be treated in exactly the same manner as the money placed in the stock market. Both will be counted as expenditures.
Nor will putting money in the stock market, either through individual accounts or collectively, affect the national savings rate. There is no economic theory that suggests the economy would grow any faster as a result of having the money placed in the stock market.
Some critics, including Alan Greenspan, have contended that government is a poor picker of stocks, and that the returns from such government investments tend to be inferior to private returns. In fact, the government begins with one big advantage, in that middleman commissions would be far lower than those in private investments. A potential disadvantage is that government would be necessarily more risk-averse; and since risk tends to be correlated with reward (and also sometimes with catastrophic loss), one would expect government holdings to show not only less volatility but also a lower average rate of return. In fact, though the evidence on public pension funds is limited, it does not indicate that they will necessarily have poorer returns than private funds.
For example, a recent study by Olivia Mitchell and Ping-Lung Hsin found that the average return on 128 public pension plans for the period from 1986 to 1990 was 11.6 percent. This was somewhat higher than the 10.1 percent average stock return in this period, but somewhat lower than the 13.5 percent average return on government bonds. In short, this is the sort of yield that would be expected from a fund with a typical mix of stock and bond holdings and low administrative costs. Whatever political involvement or risk aversion existed in the investment decisions of these funds apparently did not have a negative impact on average returns in this period, although in some funds there may have been a significant effect. (Also, in prior years the returns on these funds fell somewhat below market averages.) Studies of private sector pension funds have shown that they often significantly underperform market indices, even before deducting management fees. While additional research may shed more light on the topic, the evidence to date does not provide any reason to believe that if Social Security's assets were invested in the stock market, the return to the trust fund would be any lower than that of private funds.
There are, however, some genuinely thorny issues raised by the Clinton plan:
- the expected rate of return on stock holdings
- the potential loss to Social Security reserves from bear markets
- the questions of corporate governance when the government holds stock
- the political effect of the government having a major stake in private corporations
The main financial motivation for moving some reserves from bonds to stocks is the prospect of higher returns. Clinton's plan assumes that the average real (inflation-adjusted) return on stock will be 6.75 percent a year. This compares to a real return on government bonds projected to be 2.8 percent. The difference in these projected returns extends the solvency of the trust fund from 2049, if all the money were placed in government bonds, to 2055.
Also, the stock projections are based on simple extrapolations from the past. The problem with such extrapolations is that the economy is projected to grow far more slowly in the future than in the past. This is why the Social Security system is projected to show a shortfall. (If future economic growth reflected past growth rates, most of the Social Security shortfall would disappear.) Also, record high price-to-earnings ratios have pushed dividend yields (in percentage terms) to record lows, since dividend payouts have not kept pace with stock prices. In short, the high returns projected for stock are inconsistent with the rest of the projections in the Social Security Trustees' report.
If the economy and profits grow as projected, at just a 1.5 percent annual rate, and with dividend yields currently under 2 percent, the real returns on stock according to my calculations will be in the neighborhood of 3.5 percent, not the 6.75 percent assumed by the President. With $600 billion in stock purchases, the difference between a 3.5 percent stock yield and a 2.8 percent bond yield will barely be enough to extend the life of the program for a year. This more realistic assessment of prospective returns is likely to remove much of the enthusiasm for investing the trust fund in the stock market. Even if we assume a more robust growth rate of 2.5 percent, the difference between the bond yield and the stock yield would only extend the solvency horizon by less than two years.
There is also a real political risk in using overly sunny projections for stock market returns. The main selling point for privatization is that workers could get rich if they were allowed to invest their money themselves. But this compares apples and oranges. Workers who put their payroll tax money directly into the stock market would lose all of the advantages of social insurance, and they would face the risk of down markets as individuals. Defenders of Social Security surrender a key argument by taking the stock projections of the privatizers at face value.
Social Security, unlike individual retirement accounts, is guaranteed by the government. But with government investment in the stock market, government is at risk for sudden drops in the value of its stock portfolio. When the trust fund starts selling off its assets in order to finance its payouts around 2020, its sale of stock will be counted as revenue for the government (the cashing in of government bonds is not counted as revenue.) A certain revenue stream would be projected in these years based on a projected path of stock sales. If the stock market slumped suddenly, the government would be forced either to sell off stock at depressed prices or to cut spending or raise taxes to make up the shortfall. Of course, the rational way to deal with this situation would be to simply have the government borrow to finance its revenue shortfall and hold onto its stocks until the market recovered. But if balanced budget orthodoxy holds sway, government would have to take losses from forced sales of stock in a down market.
For example, the projections show that in 2040 the trust fund would have to sell off $1.147 trillion in assets to pay all its bills. If 14.5 percent of the fund is in stocks, this would mean selling $166.3 billion of stocks in that year. If the stock market had recently taken a plunge, then this amount of revenue would have to be made up from other sources in order to avoid selling at a loss.
Before we panic, however, note that GDP is projected to be $61.621 trillion in 2040. The shortfall due to not selling the trust fund's stocks would be 0.27 percent of GDP in that year, the equivalent of $24 billion presently. As long as there were no phobia about borrowing, a temporary loss of revenue of this magnitude would be tractable.
Government as Stakeholder
If the government becomes the largest shareholder in corporate America, Congress must set a policy for how it uses its influence. It could actively work to promote corporate policies deemed in the public interest, or it could surrender its voting power and simply follow an investment strategy intended to maximize returns.
In recent years, pressure from institutional shareholders like state and local pension funds and university endowments has often been effective in changing corporate policies on various social issues. The most obvious example is the success of the anti-apartheid movement. There are many other instances where firms have stopped anti-union practices, or curtailed environmentally harmful activities, as a result of corporate campaigns, which have usually included a shareholder activism component. Some state and local government pensions have used targeted investments, for example, to favor housing. Others, such as CalPERS, have aggressively intervened to challenge management practices they deem unprofitable, and even to force changes in corporate control.
In principle, the government could exercise considerable influence by voting its shares. However, the Clinton administration has explicitly rejected that course. Politically, there is no way that this Congress would consider a plan to put trust fund money in the stock market that doesn't have some very serious firewalls to block democratic involvement in investment decisions. If the money does go into the market, Congress will undoubtedly require that it only be placed in broad market indexes, which will in turn be managed by an independent board whose members serve long terms (say, 14 years) and cannot be removed, except for malfeasance.
Yet many progressive organizations, most importantly unions, have been trying to gain more control over the social objectives of corporate policy through their ownership stake. The dogma of passive investment could constitute a political setback for these efforts. Even if political reality requires Social Security not to pursue socially conscious investment, individual pension funds and corporate campaigns by unions and their allies have every valid reason to do so.
While trust fund investment in stocks without firewalls is clearly not politically viable at present, it is an open question whether trust fund investment with firewalls is viable. Republicans were quick to denounce the Clinton proposal as "socialism." In principle, it is clearly possible to set up an entity that has a considerable degree of independence from Congress (the Federal Reserve Board is one model). The question is whether the sort of political consensus exists at present to create such an entity. If the independence of this new investment management agency is to withstand the demands of a future congressional majority, then its independence must be greatly valued as an end itself.
But what consensus is possible? For example, would unions accept that the trust fund's money had to be invested in companies that employed prison labor in China or child labor in Indonesia, because this maximized returns? Would environmentalists accept that the fund could not refuse to invest in companies that clear-cut rain forests in Central America or East Asia? Would the Christian right accept that their money was being invested in HMOs that performed abortions or pharmaceutical companies that manufactured abortion-inducing pills? What about tobacco companies, gun companies, and pornographic film distributors? In the absence of such a consensus, effective firewalls will not be created, and trust fund investment in the stock market will not happen.
To date, the closest model, the government's own Thrift Savings Plan for federal employees, has resisted sporadic attempts to impose political agendas on its investment decisions. (Indeed the Federal Reserve itself has an employee pension plan, which presumably doesn't benefit from insider trading.) But Social Security presents a much larger target. Nor does the issue go away if Congress opts for individual accounts. If the accounts are administered through a centralized system, Congress could impose political criteria on the investment decisions of this new agency in exactly the same way it could with trust fund investment. In fact, even if the money were invested in a decentralized manner, there still would be opportunities for political intervention. Any system of mandatory savings would require some regulation. While individuals might be allowed many options, presumably some investments, such as cattle futures and hedge funds managed by Nobel Laureates, would not be deemed appropriate for these accounts. Clearly, political factors could affect this list of acceptable investment options. Moreover, privatized alternatives would incur tens of billions of dollars of needless administrative costs each year.
One of the aspects of trust fund investment that has not received sufficient attention is the potential political effect of the government having a large stake in the profitability of major corporations. Even though the percentage of the market owned by the government would not be that large, a considerable amount of money would be at stake. For example, if shares of Microsoft only grew in value at the same rate as the economy as a whole, the total value of its shares would exceed $800 billion by 2015. This means that a 2.5 percent stake in Microsoft would be worth $20 billion in 2015. Suppose that an antitrust suit against Microsoft might lower the value of its stock by 20 percent. This would cost the trust fund $4 billion.
In reality, this is not a lot of money, particularly in an economy that has a GDP in excess of $19 trillion. Also, the government already has a stake in corporate profits, since it taxes them at about a 35 percent rate. Still, the cost to the government due to a drop in stock prices might be more visible and more easily quantified than a loss of tax revenues. It is a safe bet that the corporate lobbyists of the future will be trumpeting the potential losses to the trust fund in opposing legislation in support of labor, consumers, or the environment. Unless we can be confident that the politicians of the future will not be moved by assertions that raising the minimum wage will lose the trust fund $1 billion due to the drop in McDonalds's stock price, or that restricting tobacco sales to minors will cost the trust fund $2 billion on its holding of tobacco stocks, then the political impact of trust fund investment should be taken very seriously.
To date, the debate on trust fund investment has been narrowly focused on the choice between holding stocks and holding government bonds. In fact, there are many other options that are worth examining. For example, at the simplest level the trust fund could purchase a wider range of government bonds. At present the rate of interest on the infla tion-indexed ten-year bond is 3.8 percent. The interest rate on regular ten-year bonds is approximately 5 percent. Since the inflation rate is projected to be about 2 percent, this means that the real interest rate on the standard ten-year bond is just 3 percent. If the trust fund had the option of selecting among government bonds to maximize returns, it would be able to purchase the inflation-indexed bond and get a somewhat higher yield.
The trust fund could also purchase a variety of government-guaranteed securities. Most of these securities are based on government-guaranteed mortgages, but there are also securities based on government-guaranteed student loans and other types of government-insured debt. These securities pay interest rates up to a full percentage point higher than that available on government bonds. If the trust fund were allowed to invest in these other assets, it could raise the yield on its assets without raising the same sort of political issues and risks raised by stock ownership. Also, given the currently inflated value of the stock market and the low projected growth rate of profits, it is not obvious that the fund would be sacrificing much in the way of returns if it went this route.
It is tragic that the nation's most successful social program is fighting for survival at the end of the twentieth century. The opposition has a powerful ideological and often economic interest in dismantling Social Security. They have managed to undermine confidence in the program through a long, carefully planned campaign of misinformation. Unfortunately, progressives have been very late in responding to this effort. As we try to reverse the tide, it will be necessary to evaluate a range of strategies that we might not have previously considered. While we have to be open to new approaches, we also have to be careful that we don't end up assisting the right's efforts to destroy Social Security.
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Main content | back to top
Rock River in Wyoming, was Shell WindEnergy’s first commercial -scale windpark. The 50 megawatt (MW) wind power facility is located 60km west of Laramie, Carbon County, Wyoming.
In October 2001, Rock River started to deliver clean, renewable wind power after less than four months from breaking ground to generation start-up. The Rock River facility exemplifies the possibilities in bringing new wind generation online quickly and efficiently. As our first major investment in the US wind energy sector, Rock River is a flagship site. It provides experience in commercial wind park operations, which is already proving valuable as we grow the business further. The wind farm consists of 50 1 MW Mitsubishi turbines and produces enough power for approximately 25,000 households. Rock River is co-owned with Goldman Sachs.
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|Home||Teens||Gap||Blog||Contact||Terms and Conditions|
Rome Gap Year Program for 18+ year olds
2011 Gap Year Program in Rome, Italy
Is this program for you?
The Gap Year Program in Rome is suited to the student who is looking for a language immersion program in the heart of one of the world's most culturally rich cities! The program is ideal for students who want to combine daily Italian language classes with afternoons, evenings and weekends that are free to join optional activities and excursions or spend time exploring Rome on their own, with their host family or with new friends. The program is intended for students who are independent, have some travel experience, are comfortable taking public transit, are used to time away from family and are able to effectively manage and advocate for themselves in new and unfamiliar situations. Please see the About Mature Teen & Gap Year Programs page for more information.
It has been said that the enduring gift of Rome to is citizens and visitors is that they will—if they’re open to experience—find themselves born again into the shining appreciation of the moment. This must be because in Rome, the excavated past flows through the present. Rome stands on top of more than two and a half thousand years of history and the evidence is everywhere. Once the largest and most important city in the world and the centre of Western civilization, today, Rome is thriving, cosmopolitan and proud—and the third most popular tourist destination in Europe. Whether it’s Vatican City, the Colosseum, or the endless ruins, ever-fascinating Rome begs to be explored. Be inspired to learn Italian in the Eternal City. Viva Roma!
The main objective of the Italian classes in Rome is to improve conversational skills. Classes are conducted entirely in Italian and students are given plenty of opportunity to develop their practical speaking skills. Attention is also paid to grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing skills, and a wide variety of materials are used including published materials from many sources, and materials written by the teachers. While the atmosphere in the classroom is relaxed and informal, you should be prepared to work hard and participate fully. With the 20 lesson per week option
you will have 4 lesson per day in the morning with optional activities and excursions offered during the non class time. If you choose the 30 lesson per week course you will have 6 lessons per day in the morning or afternoon with optional activities and excursion offered during the non-class time. One lesson is 45 minutes in length.
We can arrange a number of other programs to suit your interests and language learning needs. Please contact us for more information of the following courses:
The teachers in this Italian language holiday program are native speakers and hold both a university degree and a diploma in the teaching of Italian as a foreign language. The school has several teachers who have been teaching in the school for an average of 10 years. One hour per week of each teacher's contract hours is devoted to teacher training in order to continually improve teaching techniques. This is reflected by the high level of professionalism and responsibility of the teachers towards the school and all the students.
Accommodation - Homestay
You will be accommodated with welcoming hosts who are keen to share Italian culture with you. Families come in all shapes and sizes from single adults (female) to couples with and without children. Host family accommodation are at a maximum of 45 minutes from the school by public transportation. The host family will provide you with a single room with a bed, desk and chair and space for your personal belongings and clean bed linens once per week.
The homestay accommodation comes with breakfast daily in your family's home. For any meals you do not take with your host family you are free to enjoy many of the hundreds of outstanding restaurants and cafes that can be found throughout the city.
For general information on homestay accommodation please visit our Homestay Q & A page.
The following program features are included in the price:
To book this program or for additional information please call us toll-free 1 888 386 1411
Inside Exploration Inc.
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Everyone remembers Homer's Troy as the society the Greeks fooled into accepting the Trojan Horse -- the gift that ultimately led to their demise. Yet, many fail to remember these same Trojans, led by Aeneus, went on to found the great city of Rome, perhaps the most influential empire in the history of civilizations. The ancient Trojans of Homer's Iliad remind me of the accomplished Trojans seated here this evening. Each one of us has experienced failure just like the Trojans, yet each of us has marched on to found our own Rome.
When I was 14, I chose to leave everything I knew and attend a boarding school 3,000 miles from my home in Southern California. My father describes my face the moment he waved goodbye to me as a "terrified deer in headlights." Why would I choose this path if it was so hard? I could have chosen to attend a school 15 minutes from my house, where many of my friends would be. But on the day I had to make my decision, an admissions officer told me, "If you choose to go where you feel completely comfortable ... you are making the wrong decision."
Throughout my time here at USC, I have met intelligent, passionate, driven students and professors who have pushed me to explore diverse fields. As a triple major, I studied religion and archeology, alongside Japanese literature mixed with Finance, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Through all this scholarship, I have learned: when faced with a choice, choose the hard path. It sounds ridiculous. Why should we choose to do something more difficult, put forth more effort, and ultimately increase our chance of failure?
My first year at USC, a friend invited me to a weekly meeting of the Latino Business Student Association. Not being Latina, I scoffed. Why would a Latino group want me to join? I tagged along, feeling silly. Yet, no one asked me why I was there, they only asked me to come back. In fact, the following semester I ran for a position on the Executive Board, and I won. I easily could have shied away from something unfamiliar, but chose instead to challenge myself. I reaped the reward -- now and forever, some of my closest friends are those I met in nuestra familia. Las comadres will always support each other in our life endeavors, and hopefully always make it to the weekender.
A year after joining LBSA, my life changed again. Upon hearing of my interest in religion, Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni recommended I join the Interfaith Council at USC. I had no idea what that meant. At that point I felt very insecure in my spirituality -- I had so many questions! But the Interfaith Council had more than answers; they had intellect, spunk, a little bit of quirkiness -- and they had faith. This faith wasn't in a particular religion or spiritual tradition, but it was faith that not knowing all the answers was a good thing. They challenged themselves to take spiritual journeys and quests, to wrestle with life's big questions. The council members pushed others to think about what mattered to them, and to act on it. This group challenges me every single day to put my beliefs into action. We have created and sustained unbelievable service projects and relationships. Last May, the council made one of my dreams come true, bringing His Holiness the Dalai Lama to USC. I will probably never find a family so welcoming and so inspiring. This group exemplifies the benefits of choosing the path that is hard, but the one that allows us to grow.
As you can imagine, after joining the council, my life revolved around interfaith work and religious studies. I seized an opportunity after my junior year to spend one year working as a Multifaith Ambassador for the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. I trained in London, Chicago and Malawi to learn community organizing and advocacy skills. Most importantly, I utilized my interfaith values to mobilize other people of faith to fight global poverty. The choice to leave USC for a year was not easy at all. My parents worried I would lose focus in my studies, and secretly I worried I would find so much passion in my work, I might not return. I took on the challenge: Multifaith advocacy was something I wanted to bring back to USC. That year, I met more than 2,000 people willing to take part in our campaign. My colleague and I raised almost $10,000 for a charity in Mali that empowers women to become community health workers. Most importantly, I realized how much I missed the ability I had as a student to bridge my scholarly pursuits in religion with my passion for Interfaith work.
We hear so much about the Trojan Family and the benefits it offers. None of us needs to be "sold" on it. I realized after my year away from USC the reason this family exists is because we Trojans are not only intelligent, we are activists. We take our passions in the classroom and put them into action trying to make a difference in the larger community. Professors I met during my time at USC have taken their expertise and, with the help of students, have created education programs like ArcSmart (teaching archeology to local 6th grade students) and TIRP (teaching international relations in local middle and high schools). These professors had no obligation to do this, but they, like all of us, took on the challenge because they perceived the reward.
Trojans, we have a duty now. We may not realize it, but choosing to attend USC was taking on a huge challenge. We could have avoided student loans and late study nights at Leavey, but we all had faith that the hard work would lead us to victory. We have realized the benefits. Now, we must choose to take on new challenges. Wherever our journeys take us, we must continue the act of using our passion and expertise to create a better world. The great Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead once sang, "When life looks like Easy Street, there is danger at your door." I urge us to take the difficult street, and to reap the reward. To Fight On, no matter what.
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Differential features of muscle fiber atrophy in osteoporosis and osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis International, 05/08/2012
Terracciano C et al. – This study shows that in osteoporosis (OP), there is a preferential and diffuse type II fiber atrophy, proportional to the degree of bone loss, whereas in Osteoarthritis (OA), muscle atrophy is connected to the functional impairment caused by the disease. A reduction of Akt seems to be one of the mechanisms involved in OP–related muscle atrophy.Methods
- The authors performed muscle biopsy in 15 women with OP and in 15 women with OA (age range, 60–85 years).
- Muscle fibers were counted, measured, and classified by ATPase reaction.
- By statistical analysis, fiber–type atrophy was correlated with bone mineral density (BMD) in the OP group and with Harris Hip Score (HHS) and disease duration in the OA group.
- Akt protein levels were evaluated by Western blot analysis.
- The findings revealed in OP a preferential type II fiber atrophy that inversely correlated with patients’ BMD.
- In OA, muscle atrophy was of lower extent, homogeneous among fiber types and related to disease duration and HHS.
- Moreover, in OP muscle, the Akt level was significantly reduced as compared to OA muscles.
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There have been rumours for some time, but this looks like the clearest statement ever, making it almost a sure thing: the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship has pretty clearly stated that the Tridentine mass—the old Latin Mass—is on its way back. He would be, next to the Pope, the ruling authority on the matter. The only way this could not happen now is a Papal veto--very unlikely.
It looks as though the plan is to allow both the Tridentine and the New Mass (Novus Ordo) to be celebrated freely as preferred by each local parish and parish priest.
I think that's the best decision. Obviously, many Catholics have never been happy with the loss of the old Latin Mass, this becoming a stumbling block for their faith. If the church went completely back to the Tridentine rite, though, it would be traumatic now for a large number of people who have grown quite comfortable with the Novus Ordo.
There seems to me to be no reason why we cannot have two different Latin rites, just as the church embraces dozens of non-Latin rites. The mass is the mass.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://odsblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/breaking-news-from-vatican.html
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It is essential that you examine with the eye of spiritual insight these faults … you tend to exaggerate them and thus interpret your way of living as foolish and evil conduct. You would imagine faults where there are none and see a disease in what is really a cure. ~ Ibn ’Abbad of Ronda, 1332-1390 ~
Ibn 'Abbad of Ronda
Source: Wisdom for the Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing, Pages: 300
Did you feel hurt by what he said? Probably.
Was it his 'fault' that you were hurt? No.
Was he the 'cause' of your hurt? No.
He simply 'reminded' you of your 'pre-existing' sensitivity.
Be thankful for people like him.
The reason for the hurt was the 'pre-existence' of physical tension.
Breath or oxygen can release the physical tension
which results from friction against nerve endings.
The deeper the breath, the better the outcome or result.
Breathe deeply often...
When you have decided that a thing ought to be done and are doing it, never avoid bein seen doing it, though many shall form an unfavorable opinion about it. For if it is not right to do it, avoid doing the thing; but if it is right, why are you afraid of those who shall find fault wrongly?
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://blog.gaiam.com/quotes/topics/fault
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|
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Siva Vaidhyanathan has a puzzling article up at MSNBC complaining about–well, I’m not actually sure what he’s complaining about:
Google, for instance, only makes money because it harvests, copies, aggregates, and ranks billions of Web contributions by millions of authors who unknowingly grant Google the right to capitalize, or “free ride,” on their work. Who are you to Google? To Amazon? Do “you” really deserve an award for allowing yourself to be rendered so flatly and cravenly? Do you deserve an award because media mogul Rupert Murdoch can make money capturing your creativity via his new toy, MySpace? The important movement online is not about “you.” It’s about “us.” It’s about our profound need to connect and share. It’s about our remarkable ability to create among circles– each person contributing a little bit to a poem, a song, a quilt, or a conversation. So it’s not about your reviews on Amazon. It’s about how we as a community of Web users choose to exercise our collective wills and forge collective consciousnesses. So far, we have declined to do so. We have not harnessed this communicative power to force the rich and powerful to stop polluting our air and water or to stop the spread of AIDS or malaria. We have not brought down any tyrants. We have simply let a handful of new corporations aggregate and exercise their own will on us. And we have perfected online dating.
He seems to be drawing a distinction between “good” social production, which apparently has the power to cure aids and bring down dictators, and “bad” social production, which merely gives people better ways to communicate, and allows companies like Google and MySpace to profit in the process. But neither side of this dichotomy makes a lot of sense.
On the one hand, it’s not reasonable to expect a new communications technology to solve all of humanity’s problems. But I suspect that if you asked a human rights activist in a despotic nation, he’s tell you that the Internet is the best thing that’s happened in the fight against tyranny in decades. The Internet has made it virtually impossible for dictators to control the flow of information to their subjects, and it’s given resistance fighters much better tools for securely and privately communicating with one another. Similarly, I suspect that AIDS researchers would tell you that the Internet has been greatly helpful in bringing together the world community of AIDS researchers to share results, discussing problems, etc. So while MySpace hasn’t single-handedly brought down a dictator or cured a terminal illness, the Internet has certainly been helpful in both of those causes.
On the flip-side, Vaidhyanathan casts aspersions on people who “‘link’ to ‘friends’ thousands of miles away because they also appreciate the musical stylings of Coldplay” instead of spending more time with our neighbors. But scare quotes aside, what exactly is the problem here? We’re not apportioned a fixed supply of friendships. People really do make friends with people thousands of miles away, via the Internet. That doesn’t in any way prevent those same people from becoming friends with the next-door neighbor.
And online friendships can be every bit as meaningful and lasting as friendships with people we meet in person. In fact, the categories often overlap. I got my first job in public policy with the assistance of two online friends who I never met until I came to DC for my job interview at Cato. Conversely, I’ve lived in three cities in the last four years. I’ve found that the best way to keep in touch with people is via the Internet–email, instant messaging, blogs, online journals. At some point I hope those people will become real-life friends again, but in the meantime online friendships are better than nothing.
And as Ed Felten has argued, the fact that companies are making money doesn’t in any way detract from the value users get from using these tools.
So I don’t get it. Vaidhyanathan’s complaints seem to be a combination of knee-jerk leftist and old fogeyism. He seems to think that social interactions on this new-fangled Internet doesn’t count as “real” social interaction. And he hates the idea of companies making big pots of money by facilitating these interactions. I find both of those concerns baffling.
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Members of UTMB’s Employee Advisory Council recently toured CMC Pharmacy Services in Huntsville and visited the medical clinic staffed by UTMB medical personnel at the nearby Walls Unit, the oldest prison unit in Texas.
The Employee Advisory Council is a group of 12 elected employees representing four broad areas of UTMB. The EAC serves to promote a positive and collaborative work environment that is committed to assessing, prioritizing and communicating employee needs.
“UTMB has facilities all over Texas,’’ said Amineh Baradar, EAC Chair. “Many EAC members work in Galveston, so it’s great to have an opportunity to interact with employees at off-campus locations. As UTMB employee representatives, we are working to bridge geographical differences. It’s our job as a council to be sure every employee in every location has a voice.
“We learned a lot while visiting the CMC Pharmacy staff and the clinic staff at the Walls Unit. We were impressed with the amazing job they do to improve the health of the patients in UTMB’s care.’’
For more information about EAC, visit https://blog.utmb.edu/EAC/
A few pharmacy and CMC facts:
- CMC Pharmacy served 134 facilities and 160,000 patients in FY11
- Averages 19,600 orders a day
- CMC nursing staff administered 34,054,980 doses of medication in FY11
- CMC Telehealth visits FY11 - 87,000
- CMC patient encounters (annualized) FY12 - 4.1 Million
- CMC nurse encounters (annualized) FY12 - 2.3 million
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http://www.cephbase.utmb.edu/impact/article.aspx?IAID=796
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Deciding which criterion to start with
I assume you don't want the player to be hidden behind walls. How about enemies? Items? Controls (including ones situated on back-facing walls)? I'll have to assume all, for the purposes of responding.
Whatever is directly between your ortho camera and any gameplay-critical entities, must be made transparent OR culled completely from the view.
For walls near to your player, simply make surface voxels transparent (never consider non-surface voxels for rendering). You need to determine the silhouette of the entire clump that would occlude, and render it only as a silhouette at a single alpha (say 10%). If you were to simply treat each voxel as being at a given alpha, their transparencies might combine to be so opaque so that you would hardly see the critical entities beyond them.
You furthermore mentioned the insides of buildings, which could equally be seen as other rooms (if eg. your game was in a dungeon environment). The best way to deal with this is to keep a list of bounding boxes describing other rooms, and use these for additional zone-based culling. This could be the same as, or separate from, your level chunks. I would recommend it be separate as chunks should ideally be based on a uniform grid in order to keep processing times uniform regardless of where in the world you are. Using non-uniform bounding boxes can mess with this.
Culling what is definitely occluded by opaque objects
Consider a standard isometric engine. Occlusion is often not explicitly handled, because the degree of occlusion is minimal enough in most cases that we can afford to ignore it. In your case, however, it is necessary to know what not to draw. This is a perfect application of the reverse painter's algorithm. Determine the lines of voxel "bases" closest to the lower edge of your screen. In each such "tile" along this line, there exists a column of voxels. Draw each voxel in this column, from the base point near the bottom of the screen, upwards. Proceed to the next row above it, and repeat, till you've drawn all rows in the scene. As for knowing what NOT to draw, this image represents the tile base positions on your screen (the bottoms of all voxels at sea level):
* * * * * * *
* * * * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * <- Second last row
* * * * * * * <- Baseline row
Do you see how the second last row's voxel bases are offset from the baseline's? Every second row's tile centre lies exactly between the next and previous line's x-centres? Same thing, with graphics:
Because of this, the first (leftmost) tile column in the second-from-last line is only occluded if the first AND second tile columns in the baseline BOTH exceed the height of the column that lies behind/between them. If they are equal, then you won't see the sides of the voxel behind, but you will see it's top -- so it will still need to be drawn. If less than both, it is completely occluded.
This solution will not entirely eliminate overdraw (since you still need to draw a whole column even if only one of the two in front of it is occluding it), but it certainly will make a major difference. For complete elimination of overdraw at a per-pixel level, see below.
Dealing with overhangs / floating voxels shouldn't be too hard to figure out given the above.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/22728/dealing-with-occlusion-in-an-isometric-sandbox-game/22741
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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
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A map of the proposed new VSM athletic complex
continued Molnar gave a brief history of the planning board’s work on the project, which included numerous submissions of information and plans by VSM Enterprises, multiple planning board requests for additional information or clarifications and the submission of the full site plans by VSM to the board this past August, with supplemental materials submitted in September.
The Oct. 16 planning board meeting was for the SEQR review, which is a state-mandated consideration of environmental impacts equally with social and economic factors during discretionary decision-making. If an action is determined not to have significant adverse environmental impacts, a determination of nonsignificance (Negative Declaration) is prepared. If an action is determined to have potentially significant adverse environmental impacts, an “Environmental Impact Statement” is required.
Responding to planning board members’ questions, VSM officials and representatives said construction would take more than one year, the anticipated power load for the complex would have no impact on current town utility systems, the typical heavy metal runoff from turf fields (such as zinc and lead) into the local water drainage district would be monitored and ameliorated using best practices, the outdoor PA systems to announce athletic games will be aimed at the spectators, or “distributed,” to help contain the sound and the athletic fields will be used year-round in accordance with favorable weather.
While the project planner from edr companies said the project would be constructed in only one phase of work, VSM Chief Operating Officer Lance Wardell later in the meeting said the project would be built in three phases. Planning board members did not ask for clarification on the apparent inconsistency.
As planning board attorney Molnar went through the SEQR checklist, the planning board members answered ‘yes’ on whether the project would: physically change the project site; effect water quality or quantity; effect aesthetic resources; impact the historical, architectural or paleontological aspects of the site; cause objectionable noise, vibrations or odors; effect existing transportation systems; and effect the character of the surrounding community.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.skaneatelespress.com/news/2012/oct/22/town-planning-board-approves-permit-100-acre-athle/?page=2
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|
en
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|
5 Best Antispyware Removal Tools
Spyware threats and viruses are two of the most common and wide spread computer annoyances that people are mostly aware of. These are great and huge threats to any individual’s online privacy as they do not only monitor the activity, but also potentially gather personal information such as Passwords and PIN codes, then further transmit them to illegal and unauthorized third-parties.
5 Best Antivirus Software
The debate goes on whether a firewall or antivirus program is more crucial and vital to protect your system. It normally depends upon the work and the system's requirements. For this reason antivirus applications have more weight age than any other program.
Norton Antivirus is excellent when it comes to antivirus. It is proficient and superior when it comes to blocking spywares, malwares, and viruses with its advance prevention and protection system. Norton is not only efficient when it comes to detection of offline viruses; it also protects your computer systems when you are surfing and browsing the net from potential downloads that are harmful. It also scans your incoming and outgoing emails including its attachments.
Anti-Virus Software: History, Successes and Failures
There are many types of antivirus software developed by different companies with diverse features and levels of efficiency depending on the PC user’s protection needs and the possible threats being faced. These kinds of software come in upgraded versions in order to cope up with the growing demands of PC owners for a very effective virus protection program to combat the stealth viruses that may invade their system.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.techyv.com/articles/virus-spyware?quicktabs_top_posts=0
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|
en
| 0.943604
| 320
| 1.820313
| 2
|
For those keeping track, the entire country added 69,000 jobs in the month of May. 19,600 of those came from Ohio. This puts Ohio’s unemployment rate almost a full percent below the national average. The last time our rate was this low compared to the national rate was in 1995.
Great news of course, but there is still work to be done and obstacles in the way.
Businesses in Ohio continue to struggle under the weight of the Obama Administration’s overbearing regulations. The problem with our unemployment numbers is while they continue to move in the right direction, the headwinds created by the Obama’s over-regulation could easily stall our growth.
Needless and unnecessary regulations increase costs to business owners who want to operate and hire Ohioans. What’s the end result? Businesses stop hiring because they are losing money faster than they can bring it in.
Business owners like Kelley Moore and her husband Greg who own and operate four NAPA Auto Parts stores in Ohio have seen firsthand the effects of Obama’s over-regulation. Her story was highlighted by Speaker Boehner on his website, where she discussed how they cannot afford to replace staff members when they leave due to the rising costs of the products that they sell.
Kelley highlights, in two sentences, the problem with needless government regulations. “…And customers, they can't afford the products. It's hard to stay profitable, keep your doors open and keep local people employed if customers aren't coming in. Eventually, there only are so many costs you can absorb.”
Obviously it’s important that products on the shelves at the stores we shop at are safe along with the employees working in those stores. However, instead of bureaucrats in DC imposing one-size-fits-all regulations to “fix” issues that may or may not exist maybe it’s time to work with the business community and outline the problem they’re trying to address.
Ultimately I have no doubt that the President and his allies are going to attempt to take credit for Ohio’s success. The glaring hole in their argument is that President Obama can’t take credit for one state’s progress but blame the other 49 on someone else.
You can’t have it both ways. If Ohio’s drastic improvement is thanks to Obama’s leadership why isn’t the rest of the nation experiencing such good news?
The President cannot take credit for Ohio’s success in the morning and enact job and small business killing regulations in the afternoon. He would be well served by listening to people like Kelley Moore whose livelihood, and that of her employees, is being negatively affected by senseless regulations by folks who are clueless about the day-to-day struggles of small businesses.
Ohio is succeeding despite Washington, not because of it. Governor Kasich’s efforts in Ohio have seen him engage businesses, work with them to make it easier to operate, and allow them an opportunity to flourish.
It’s time for President Obama to follow Governor Kasich’s lead.
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http://thirdbasepolitics.blogspot.com/2012/06/ohio-succeeds-despite-washingtons.html
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|
en
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Workers Punished for Protest Actions
In recent weeks, the workers who have participated in labor protest actions have faced retaliations. The following lists certain such retaliations.
17 workers at Sarab Baft in Eastern Azerbaijan were recently fired following a strike action. Sarab textile company established in 1993 faced a serious fire incident back in 1999 which created numerous problems and shut-downs. Not having received any state loans, many workers were laid off with only sixty remaining at their jobs at the plant. These workers are each owed between 16 to 19 thousand dollars.
While 25 workers complained about the conditions to the management, they were forced to retract. Another 17 who declined to back down were subsequently expelled from the factory.
In a similar situation, Tabriz Tractor Welding company workers also faced the ire of the authorities following a strike action. Two weeks after the strike, the security and intelligence operatives entered the factory compounds and arrested several of the workers. The workers faced charges such as “activities against the system”, “actions against the national security”, “receiving support from foreigners”, “disturbances against the national security”, etc. The workers spending three days in solitary confinements were released on bail pending their court appearance. They have also been temporary relieved from their duties at the plant.
75 workers at Pars Energy-Gostar Drilling and Exploration company (Pedex) who went on strike for seven days protesting nonpayment of wages were recently expelled. The workers had not received six months of back wages. Pedex is producer of Oil rigs and is a private company associated with the famed “Foundation of the Dispossessed”.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://iranlaborreport.com/?p=1631
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|
en
| 0.985092
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|
We came across an interesting article on the Consumerist about a poll done to see if a laws should be inacted to stop people from using cell phones while driving.
What was interesting was that 80% of respondants said they would support banning texting and emailing while driving. Even 67% would support banning cell phone calls during driving.
Of all the things learned about in the survey it seems more people feel that more people talk and drive now then they did a year ago.
Many states are coming with laws and we are going to see more in the future. If you want to see the full Nationwide poll you can read it here. Otherwise we'd recommend getting a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth car kit to at least help you put some focus back on the road
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.puremobile.com/insiderblog/do-you-drive-and-text
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Jesse Jackson Jr. resigns from Congress
The once-promising political career of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. came to a crashing end Wednesday, when the Illinois Democrat announced he would resign his seat in Congress immediately amid treatment for mental illness, stories of marital infidelity and a pair of federal investigations.
The Illinois Democrat, the son of the civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., has been absent from the House since June 10, when he cast his last vote and then disappeared from public view, only to emerge later under treatment for bipolar disorder.Continue Reading
Jackson Jr., 47, has been under federal investigation for alleged campaign finance improprieties, including reportedly using donor dollars to remodel his home and purchase personal gifts, a potential criminal violation.
In a two-page resignation letter sent to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday, Jackson said he is “doing my best to address the situation responsibly, cooperate with the investigators, and accept responsibility for my mistakes, for they are my mistakes and mine alone.”
Jackson also said he is praying that he “will be remembered for what I did right.”
Jackson has also been implicated — but never charged — in the scandal surrounding now-imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s attempt to sell President Barack Obama’s Senate seat.
Shortly after Obama won the White House in 2008, Jackson lobbied Blagojevich about being appointed to the vacant Senate seat. Jackson reportedly directed Raghuveer Nayak — an Illinois businessman — to tell Blagojevich that he would raise $6 million for the governor’s reelection campaign in return for the Senate appointment, according to a report by the Office of Congressional Ethics. Jackson denied the allegation.
Nayak was indicted June 20 by the Justice Department on a variety of federal tax and fraud charges, shortly after Jackson disappeared from Capitol Hill.
Nayak also paid for two round-trip airline tickets for a “social acquaintance” of Jackson’s, a Washington restaurant hostess, to fly to Chicago. In September 2010, Jackson issued a public apology for his interaction with Giovana Huidobro but never explicitly admitted to an extramarital affair.
Jackson’s defense team released a statement on Wednesday saying that he is “cooperating” with federal investigators, but noted it may take “several months” to work out a potential resolution of the case against him.
“Mr. Jackson is cooperating with the investigation. We hope to negotiate a fair resolution of the matter but the process could take several months,” said the statement from Reid Weingarten and Brian Heberlig of the law firm Steptoe & Johnson, and Dan Webb of Winston & Strawn. “During that time, we will have no further comment and urge you to give Mr. Jackson the privacy he needs to heal and handle these issues responsibly.”
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en
| 0.969722
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| 1.5625
| 2
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TORONTO - Nine city high school seniors visited Washington, D.C., from March 4-11 to observe lawmakers in action and other historic sites as part of the Close-Up Program.
The seniors, which included Stephanie Calabrese, Mason Larkins, Brittany Yanik, Blake Wollam, Jeff Weidger, Cary Eckard, Mindy Meadows, Emily Price and Ollie Southern, met with local congressional representatives and visited several sites throughout the city, according to Meadows.
"We went to Capitol Hill and and met our senators and representatives," she said. "The first and second days we went as a group with other schools to visit the monuments and museums."
ON A TOUR – Nine seniors from Toronto High School, including, from left, Stephanie Calabrese, Mason Larkins, Brittany Yanik, Blake Wollam, Jeff Weidger, Cary Eckard, Mindy Meadows, Emily Price and Ollie Southern, visited the nation’s capital March 4-11 as part of the Close-Up Program. The seniors got to meet and watch lawmakers and see the the sites, including the Lincoln Memorial and several monuments dedicated to the nation’s war dead. -- Contributed
Some of those landmarks included the Lincoln Memorial, the John F. Kennedy Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans' Wall Memorial, the Iwo Jima tribute, Arlington National Cemetery and the World War II Monument, the Sept. 11 Memorial and the Holocaust Museum, said Meadows.
"We walked around Arlington Cemetery and saw the changing of the guards," she said, adding the Sept. 11 Memorial dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attacks was profound. "They had benches at the memorial that faced in different directions."
Meadows added the names of all victims in the Twin Towers and the Pentagon who died during the attacks were part of the monument.
Yanik said the trip cost $1,700 per student for the week, and they stayed at the Washington Marriott Hotel while visiting.
"The school gave us some money, and we had to raise $1,500," she said, adding the majority was raised through fundraisers, including through a tag day at Wal-Mart, a spaghetti dinner and a Chinese auction.
Students said the trip was educational and memorable, and each site visited affected them in some way.
"The Sept. 11 memorial was really interesting because of the way it was set up," said Yanik.
"The Holocaust Museum really struck me about how horrible the way (Jews) were treated," said Eckard.
"I thought it was really interesting listening to other kids' opinions from around the country," said Meadows.
"I also liked the Sept. 11 Memorial because I'd already been to Washington, and I got to see something I hadn't seen before."
"My favorite site was the Korean War Memorial," said Blake. "It was unique and different from the rest."
Calabrese said she came away more educated about the nation and the world because of the visit.
"The one important thing I learned is that we are not the future - we are the now," she said.
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<urn:uuid:37926fa6-18f0-4ada-908a-02e73f60e767>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://hsconnect.com/page/content.detail/id/572497/Close-Up-seniors-explore-Washington--D-C-.html?nav=5069
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en
| 0.975934
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|
Rancho This, Rancho That
Two big development hearings; two more threatened lawsuits.
Thursday, December 9, 2004
Whoever invented the three-martini lunch must have been a regular at County Supes meetings. If not for the martinis, she would have gone mad.
It’s another Tuesday morning at the County Courthouse. She recalls that some big development project (or two) called Rancho Something Something tops the agenda. Yes. Two Ranchos are in fact slated for discussion: Rancho San Carlos and Rancho San Juan.
One’s a sprawling, luxury home community and golf course in Carmel Valley that was billed as a green development and now is accused of killing endangered fish. The other’s a sprawling, luxury home community and golf course planned between Salinas and Prunedale that’s selling itself as a New Urbanist mecca of affordable homes and good-paying jobs. And with the help of Vincent Guarino’s expert PR skills, the idea is in fact selling.
First on the Dec. 7 agenda is Rancho San Carlos. The Board will hear an appeal by Brian Finegan, attorney for the Rancho San Carlos Partnership (RSC). He wants the Supes to approve the final 29 lots in the 354-home subdivision, and he says RSC shouldn’t be required to complete a permit process, required by various wildlife agencies.
But federal agencies—including the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)—not to mention local environmentalists and fishermen—aren’t buying Finegan’s argument.
For years, locals have charged RSC with stealing water from Garzas Creek, a tributary to the Carmel River that runs through the 20,000-acre property, and an important habitat for steelhead.
In August, at a Planning Commission meeting, a NMFS spokesman testified that RSC’s water use is killing endangered steelhead. Should the commission approve the final lots, the feds warned, both the County and Rancho San Carlos could be liable under the Endangered Species Act, which defines the killing of endangered species as an illegal “take.” The Planning Commission told Rancho to get a “take permit.” Today, Rancho’s back—still fighting that ruling.
“Pumping at the Ranch has not affected the streams,” Finegan insists, looking wise and lawyerly in huge frames and a black, pinstripe suit.
Fisheries attorney Amanda Wheeland says he’s wrong. She’s also wearing a black pinstripe suit and rectangular maroon frames—wise, lawyerly and chic.
She says hydrologic reports show Rancho San Carlos is draining the creek. And if the County approves the development without a take permit, and without requiring Rancho to complete a Habitat Conservation Plan, then “our agency has not only the authority, but the responsibility to uphold the Endangered Species Act,” she says. That could mean another lawsuit.
The Supes continue this hearing to 10am, Jan. 25.
— — —
Talk of lawsuits continues about two hours later, as the Supes move on to the second in a series of public hearings on Rancho San Juan. It’s the largest development proposal ever in County history, and late last week, the Planning Commission gave it a unanimous “no” vote, advising the County Supervisors to turn down the 4,000-home plan and its first phase, the 1,077-home Butterfly Village golf-and-residential subdivision.
Rancho San Juan was first designated in the early ‘80s, and in 1999, Butterfly Village developer Moe Nobari filed a lawsuit to force the county to process a development plan. This time around, should the Supes deny his project, Nobari says he’ll sue. He could seek as much as $100 million in lost revenue for 14 years of delays. So it’s widely assumed that the Supes will approve the development. County Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed further reinforces this idea today, by telling the Supervisors and the public, “We cannot afford to pay for the past 14 years.”
“The price tag of ‘just say no’ is very, very high,” Reed says.
The girl reporter thinks back to the days, when the only people who liked Rancho San Juan were the developers, developers’ attorneys, and developers’ consultants. Until they brought Guarino on board, that is. And then, he “briefed” East Salinas residents, hospitality industry types, union members, agriculture workers and even a high school class about the project.
Yes, he’s good. Several speakers read prepared speeches. They all cite the same housing numbers, swear willingness to sit in traffic if it means the ability to buy a home, and keep saying that “it’s time to face our own fears of change.” Huh? A cynic would think they had memorized a script.
Melanie Miller, wearing a black, stretchy skirt with white stripes, black sling backs, a blue Michael Stars tee under a denim jacket and a knit scarf, says “so many good things” will result from the development of Rancho San Juan. She’s young and pretty with two-toned hair. But as far as the girl reporter can tell, the only good thing coming out of these newly popular hearings is the style.
Now, about those three martinis…
The Rancho San Juan public hearing will continue at 8:30am on Tuesday, Dec. 14.
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Abbott points to US inaction on climate
- From: AAP
- January 22, 2013
FEDERAL Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has pointed to the Obama administration's inaction on carbon pricing after the US president said more must be done to address climate change.
President Barack Obama used his inaugural address to suggest his second term administration will strive to do more to alleviate global warming, despite the opposition of Congressional Republicans to any emissions trading scheme.
"We will respond to the threat of climate change knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," the president said.
"Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms."
Asked if the president's speech meant Australia should do more to tackle climate change, Mr Abbott said the US Democratic administration had backed away from an emissions trading scheme.
"The interesting thing is that President Obama's administration has three times, in the last few months, explicitly ruled out a carbon tax or an emissions trading scheme," he said.
"Now, all of us are concerned about climate change. All of us want to do the right thing by our planet. We all want to give the planet the benefit of the doubt.
"But we've got to have smart policies, not dumb policies, to do that."
Mr Abbott reiterated his opposition to the federal government's carbon tax and his belief that climate change was happening.
"I certainly accept that climate change is real, that mankind is making a contribution," he said.
But he echoed recent comments by Queensland Premier Campbell Newman that severe weather events have been happening for a long period.
"Campbell's absolutely right - we've had floods before, we've had droughts before, we've had cyclones before, we've had fires before, we've had very hot days before, very cold days before," he said.
"... almost from the beginning of records being kept in this country, we've had very severe heat waves, and from very early on in the time of European settlement we've had devastating bushfires."
SENIOR legal figures, police and victims of crime advocates gathered today at St Ignatius Church to farewell a lawyer who inspired unusally fierce loyalty and respect, Paul Rofe QC.
UPDATE: Cricket Australia is investigating David Warner's extraordinary expletive-laden social media tirade against journalists.
SOPHIE Ann Schulz would have been five-and-a-half now.
A MASSIVE explosion from a meteor which crashed into the Moon was visible to the naked eye on Earth, NASA says.
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WIFS Engineering Expert Technical Lead Fabric and Substrate Scientist for Whirlpool Corporation
As a founding member of the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science, Tremitchell Wright enjoys sharing advice on keeping clothes looking brand new. For more than 13 years, Wright has been working alongside a group of engineers, textile scientists and chemists to better understand fabrics and how they interact with laundry appliances. Wright and his team continue to discover new ways to care for garments and keep fabrics in top form. To date, his team has secured over five patents and has more than 30 patent applications pending.
Outside of the office, Wright continues to look for innovative laundry care practices. An avid traveler, Wright checks out laundry rooms of hotels and dry cleaners in various cities to see what tools are in place. A fabric care enthusiast, Wright loves to share laundry tips and tricks. His favorite piece of advice for consumers is to keep a can of hair spray in the laundry room to help remove ink stains.
Wright is a member of American Institute of Chemical Engineering and serves on the engineering council at Michigan Tech. He has served as President of the Whirlpool Charter of Sigma Xi Scientific. Wright graduated from Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He received his Masters of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Mexico and has guest lectured at Andrew University, Michigan Tech, University of Kentucky and Sigma Xi.
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Once you have grown accustomed to texting with your bank, you can begin to explore other mobile banking services.
Some smartphones include remote wipe or erase protection, which allows a user to remove information from a mobile device if the phone is lost or stolen. Hoog says other phones may include even bigger hurdles for thieves such as fingerprint identification systems.
While finding a phone with additional security features can be helpful, finding apps that adequately protect your information is equally essential.
Hoog says an app that only requires a user name and password can be relatively easy to unlock if your phone falls into the wrong hands. He advises mobile banking customers to look for applications that use two-factor authentication, which means the app will ask for an additional piece of information before allowing you to log in.
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There is a growing controversy coming out of a local church in New Zealand after they put up a billboard advertisement that supports same-sex marriage.
Reports coming out of New Zealand indicate that a church in Auckland is behind a billboard that supports same-sex marriage by depicting two female figures in bridal gowns on the top of a wedding cake with the caption: "We don't care who's on top."
Opponents of the proposed legislation insist that laws in New Zealand currently grant equality and that the issue was not about equality, but rather, the uniqueness of traditional heterosexual marriage.
"Equality doesn't mean sameness … marriage has always been about the relationship of a man and a woman because of their natural potential to have children," Bob McCoskrie, founder of Family First, said in a statement.
The church, St. Matthew-in-the-City, revealed that it produced the billboard advertisement recently in order to express their support for the Marriage Equality Bill that is currently being debated in the New Zealand Parliament.
The pastor of the church, Clay Nelson, said that his parish has always supported the rights of the LGBT community and does not understand why this particular advert is garnering such widespread attention.
"It should be of no surprise that St Matthew's with its long history of supporting the full inclusion of the LGBTQ community in both the church and society endorses the bill … Our question is why would any church not endorse two people making a loving commitment to each other," Nelson told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Even with the current push to legalize same-sex marriage in New Zealand, many residents and politicians have stated that homosexuals are already offered equality after a 2004 law was passed legalizing civil unions.
Opponents of the new legislation have previously stated that the traditional definition of marriage should be upheld as well.
Conservative party leader Colin Craig has continually stated that his party is the only party in New Zealand that has "a clear policy of supporting the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman."
Should New Zealand pass legislation legalizing same sex marriage they would join several other countries who currently recognize gay marriage including: the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina and Denmark.
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Newt and Callista Gingrich’s Smiley Auschwitz Photo Is No Fluke
The Atlantic unearthed a picture of Newt Gingrich and his third wife, Callista, posing arm in arm in front of Auschwitz. “Newt is wearing his default smirk,” the magazine observes, and says “there is something distinctly off about these tourist-style shots in front of the Nazi death-camp.” It’s not actually that strange: exhaustive research reveals that the Gingrichs often pose—in the same outfits and with these same facial expressions, in fact!—at the sites of many of the world’s great tragedies.
Here they are in Chernobyl.
The Gingriches visit the iceberg that caused the sinking of the Titanic.
And here again at Ford’s theater, in the booth where President Lincoln was assassinated.
Gettysburg was fun.
And here they are on Liberty Island, the location of the 1999 launch of Talk magazine.
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Rabbi Richard F. Address, D. Min.
The High Holidays are over and the year has begun–in earnest. The pace of life has returned and “routine” has ben re-established. Yet, for most of us the routine is that there is no routine.
Life has a way of engaging us in new challenges. In recent years there has been a return to ritual as a means of navigating the challenges and changes that occur in what seems like increasing frequency. Baby boomers have been a leader in this change as we seek to find some sense of meaning as our new life stage evolves. I have been struck in my work in recent years, by the desire for and creativity in new rituals. Sometimes life hands us challenges that are very difficult. In those instances we often seek some way to ritualize a transition, a we hope to transition from one part of our life to another. A colleague has created a ritual that allows for us to move from a serious life challenge back to the rest of life. It is a ritual designed to be said by a person and their rabbi. It begins with the rabbi reading: Life takes unpredictable twists and turns. Some of these unanticipated events yield joy, learning, and satisfaction, while others yield hurt, embarrassment, and existential crises. We can never fully know how we will react to any given situation. and our Jewish tradition is rich enough to offer insight and wisdom throughout our lives.”
The participant then reads: “Past events dictated that my life changed. These changes, while beyond my control, have taught me that I must mourn the loss of my self in some way. At present, I must look within to redefine myself, and for the future move forward from these difficulties to embrace a full life. I know this is not an easy task, but one that needs to be addressed for my health and well being.”
Rabbi Geri Newburge
The ritual then moves on with a moment of personal reflection, prayers and blessings that speak to the theme of moving on in life. Rabbi Geri Newburge, who created this “Ritual of Release” hopes that this “will provide a comforting Jewish ceremony or service for emotional and sacred healing”.
This is one example of the desire on the part of much of contemporary Judaism to place life experiences within the boundaries of ritual expression.
September 23, 2011 by eJP
Filed under Opinion by Michelle K. Wolf
Listen in to almost any group of over-50-year-olds and it won’t be long before you hear health issues discussed. From getting recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes, a breast cancer diagnosis for a sibling or the complicated issues involved intaking care of an aging mother with dementia, health and wellness issues loom large for the baby boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964.
And yet aside from a Misheberach for a family member who is ill, or home-cooked meals from a Chesed Committee to see a family through chemo, many synagogues, schools and other Jewish institutions provide little to middle-aged community members who are either trying to prevent major illness or cope with an on-going, chronic condition that is not an acute medical condition.
The assumption is often made that all synagogue members and parents of day school children have good health insurance, which flies in the face of the national uninsured rate of 16.3%, as reported by the US Census Bureau just this month. And even for those who have health insurance, many are under-insured with huge deductibles.
Preventive wellness programs in every Jewish venue can go a long way to showing the baby boomer generation that one of their primary concerns is closely aligned with the priorities of the Jewish community. Lay-driven committees can make suggestions for more nutritious food at events, such as always having a healthy alternative at kiddishim and meals including fresh fruit and vegetables whenever possible. Walking clubs can be formed at places where people are already meeting or in the neighborhoods where congregants live.
For Jewish community members facing cancer, both practical assistance and emotional support are needed. Buying groceries, driving carpool, even helping out with keeping the houseplants alive during chemo and radiation can all be coordinated by volunteers supervised by staff. Emotional and spiritual support can come from Rabbinic staff and specially trained paid social workers.
Family caregivers of children, siblings or parents with developmental, intellectual or mental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic medical conditions need long- term help for the “marathon” of their daily lives. A few hours of volunteers’ respite every week gives the caregiver the chance to get a haircut or go to the gym, making a huge difference in their quality of life.
As a Jewish communal professional who has worked for both Jewish agencies and voluntary health agencies and sees much overlap in clients in both settings, I see the need to bring the two worlds together. As the parent of a teen with developmental disabilities and an aging father with emerging health issues, I say, “if not now, then when?”
Michelle K. Wolf is currently the Director of Foundation and Government Relations for the American Diabetes Association, Los Angeles market and is the former Director of Caring for Jews in Need at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. She is also the co-founder of HaMercaz: the one stop for Jewish families raising a child with special needs.
Matt Thornhill of The Boomer Project is one of my favorite marketing pundits on my generation.
In Blame The Boomers (Again) on the blog Engage:Boomers he takes on those who say the Boomers are to blame for America’s decline — e.g., the theory of NY Times columnist Tom Friedman.
Since we’ll all be trying to raise money from Boomers for the next few decades (the youngest Boomer is 47 years old), it’s useful to compare theories on what these rascals are all about.
“… more than any other generation today, Boomers are waging an economic revolution that will slowly but steadily shift societal views of economic success from what’s happening on Wall Street back to what’s happening on our streets.
Signs of this change are already showing up in the personal finances of Boomers and how they are consuming goods and services.
For example, Boomers are now hoarding their nuts rather than displaying them for all to see. How? The old-fashioned way, by prioritizing their needs over their wants and living on a budget.”
“We know it’s easy to blame Boomers for, well, everything. But maybe it’s the Boomer generation’s ultimate legacy to shape a new ethos for our society — responsible consumerism.
It seems the message of Depression-Era parents has finally taken root in the Boomer brain: save money and live within your means. Boomers account for only one in four Americans, but they are responsible for over two-thirds of consumer spending. If they consume in a more responsible manner, so too will others.”
If Thornhill is right, where does charitable giving fit into the Boomer mindset of ‘responsible consumerism’?
Less impulse giving? More demand for evidence of results and performance? More loyalty once they’ve found a charity that ‘works’?
The following comes from Rick Brava of “Rick Brava on the Baby Boomer Generation”. I think you will find it interesting. Jerry Weider Tuesday, August 2, 2011What is most important to Baby Boomers
In a survey of 311 Baby Boomers from around the country , when asked at this stage of life what is most important to you, an overwhelming percentage said family. In talking to Baby Boomers from a diverse economic spectrum there was universal agreemant that family was the aspect of life that stood out. While financial security , retirement , how and where they wanted to live in the golden years and finally a second career rounded out the key mentioned topics in that order these, while widely talked about and important, did indeed trail family.
When you ask in interviews a followup question, or ask to expand on the answer, it becomers very interesting. For example, a lot has to do with where you fall in the age category of Baby Boomers. An older Baby Boomer might speak of their aging parents and the decisions about their care. Another set of Baby Boomers, just a bit younger mention, the college education of children and their children starting their life in the work world and marriage. The complicated Baby Boomer might be working on the multi- generational issues, health issues for parents, and college tuition for children.
Recently, a Baby Boomer flew across the country to visit his parents, who are living close to his sister. The parents live in a upscale assisted living facility within miles of their daughter and as the brother takes the plain ride, and looks forward to interacting in the close knit family, he leves behind his wife, who will spend time with his son and two young grandchildren. His other son studies in Europe. All these forces meet in the center of the Baby Boomer priority spectrum.
Life for Baby Boomers has become reflective. Baby Boomers have spent time recalling their youth and thinking about the family gatherings that were so a part of their up bringing. They miss those day’s when the aunts and uncles came over , and time was spent with their cousins. They recall with fond memories the way their parents interacted with with the friends of their generation . One Baby Boomer reported that the house he grew up in alway’s seemed alive. As the parents of Baby Boomers have aged , the Baby Boomer tries to hold on to the memeories even harder , as they do everything they can to support their parents in the transition of caring with dignity. Baby Boomers on a whole have come to the conclusion that their parents deserve their respect and caring , because for the most part the parents did so much sacrificing to give them the life they have now.
Baby Boomers also seem bent on passing on family traditions to their children. They look to reconnect with extended family. The cousin in Buffalo is important , because of the shared bond of Easter holiday past. The cousins you saw grow up over the years of celebrating Christmas Eve, you remain loyal too and care about them today as you did yesterday . In fact now you want to grow to care about their children , because after all these are not stangers , this is family. Baby Boomers report conversations with their spouse , where in the same day they receive facebook messages , from their children , siblings, cousins and then report on the happenings to aunts and uncles. Of course many Baby Boomers have lost many important people in their lives. This difficult demension forsters a need to give of yourself to the people who are still in your life. Baby Boomers report a great sadness upon the loss of parents. They are heart broken when they lose a sibling . The loss of a spouse is devastating . This reinforces the belief system in Baby Boomers to love the ones who are here. So it is no wonder that the busy professional will fly across country to make that precious visit.
What Baby Boomers have most reported is that , when you finally do see in person that extended family member who , you care about but have not seen for a long while , it is not uncomfortable but rather the opposite, like riding a bicycle or not missing a beat. The good feeling upon the return from such a trip , is like the feeling of fresh sping water , after being in the dessert. Some may argue that the reply to the question of what is important is a obvious one , or that the economic times make you focus on the basics. Maybe both are true , but it can also be said that Baby Boomers have come to realize what is important , and maybe that is why it is front and center of things most important to Baby Boomers.
The evening began as the sunset performed like fine public art, sliding slowly behind a deepening blue and glowing orange Mediterranean Sea. Next door, the minaret of a long-abandoned mosque cast its shadow upon the ancient port below. Distant lights came alive in the soaring high rises of Tel Aviv.
It was June 27, my 60th birthday. Hila Solomon, a chef friend, had arranged this exotic, extraordinary event on the rooftop of a private home in Jaffa’s Old City. My wife, Dana, and I celebrated with more than 30 wonderful friends, whom we’ve met during the last two decades working with Israel’s nonprofit sector.
The initial toasts were intertwined between birthday wishes and comments about the blog I had been writing, 60Days
Til60.com, which had culminated that morning.
One friend said, with customary Israeli frankness, “This was the longest birthday I’ve ever seen coming. How did you keep up all those posts, finding different topics several times a week?”
I began writing the blog on April 29 with the overall question, “Can a man turning 60 maintain his relevance in youth-oriented America?” By my birthday, I had gathered more than 2,000 regular readers. Each blog post brought thoughtful comments from readers that demanded a depth of self-reflection I never anticipated.
On the last day, a comment arrived from Allan Pakes, the former marketing director of the Jewish Agency for Israel. His comment grabbed me by the jugular and has since provoked much ongoing thought and anxiety: “The question I have is: Was it worth it? Do you believe that by working with nonprofits you have benefited mankind and changed the world? I would really like to know your thoughts after your 18 years of experience.”
The answer, in all honesty, is mixed; I have both positive and negative reactions. At age 42, I gave up a wealth path as a successful ad agency owner, copywriter and creative director because I realized something was missing in my life. I could no longer be fulfilled writing Coca-Cola jingles, sending people out to rot their teeth.
One of the benefits of that decision is the deep friendships I have made. I can invite to my birthday 35 wonderful, close Israeli friends who are like family, with whom I share passions and dreams, professional frustrations and joys. Those bonds, and many others that I have established with cause-oriented fanatics around the world like myself, would have never happened without the courage to make this change. It is as if we all share being part of a global team working for common goals. These friendships have changed the quality of my life.
On the other hand, from the day I entered this profession, I quickly learned that in the Jewish world in particular, even though I was still a businessman, the fact that my clients were exclusively nonprofits assigned me to a very different category. I was now viewed as a plebian community/nonprofit worker by many lay people, who regarded themselves as the Kohanim-class donors working with the serving, Levite professionals. By virtue of their donor capacities, they had the final word about marketing this community, even when they were dead wrong.
Given this reality, have I made the changes in Jewish life that I had hoped? I know I have affected individual lives of the people I have worked with and, hopefully, the people they serve. I like to think that I have helped to establish an excellence in marketing and critical, creative thought.
Last year, I was in a crowded New York subway when a 30-something woman came up to me and said, “Are you Gary Wexler? Ten years ago, I attended a marketing seminar you gave to Hillel students. I learned more in those two days than I ever did in any of my college marketing classes.” I have heard similar stories from seminar attendees across the country, in Israel and in Canada.
Have I affected the organizations that have been my clients? Sometimes I hear, “We never could have raised this money without your marketing expertise.” But in many cases I have learned that Jewish organizations are so complex, so dysfunctional, so ego driven, so dominated by the fear of their lay/professional relationships, that they waste their money on all the consultants they bring in and many of the outside services they pay for, because they simply cannot or refuse to make serious internal change.
At 60, am I still relevant? Not if you ask the young digital marketing guru whom I encountered at a Jewish innovation conference, who said with no compunction, “What do you know? You’re an old guy.”
Some of our bright, young people have been so empowered by foundation monies thrown at them that they feel entitled to think and say anything, knowing they will be continually embraced and funded. On the other hand, there are young people with whom I am working closely on a knowledge exchange of concept, strategies and big ideas based on years of experience intertwined with their digital knowledge and instincts. This exchange keeps me relevant and informed in a changing world.
Relevancy in my profession is based upon constant learning and awareness of the changes in society. Marketing is always a reflection of continually evolving popular culture. I’m relevant because I take risks. I’m relevant because I speak out. I’m relevant because I don’t hide my age, and I understand the gifts it has brought me. I’m relevant because I refuse to live in fear of those who have the power.
And I’m relevant for a very personal reason. Through this profession, I have the privilege of traveling to Israel several times a year, playing an integral role in one of the most innovative, creative and risk-taking societies on the planet.
Watching the sun set from the Jaffa rooftop, I knew it would rise the next morning, blazing with possibilities. A new day is never taken for granted in Israel and among the Jewish people. With all our conflicts, I continue to be hopeful, dedicated, wiser and perhaps very foolish.
Gary Wexler is adjunct professor of nonprofit marketing in the masters program at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. He consults on marketing strategies with nonprofits and businesses in the United States, Canada and Israel. To reach him, visit garywexler.com
My Story Is Probably Somewhat Typical Of A Lot Of Baby Boomers. There Is A Saying,“Necessity, Who is the Mother of Invention” – written by Plato, The Republic. This Is What Drove Me To Find An Answer To My Own Personal Income Problem.
After Working For Over 25 Years In The “IT” Field, I Found Myself Being Let Go From A Fairly Nice Job At A Local Bank Where I Had Been Doing Website Technical Support For About Three Years. Although I Can’t Prove It Nor Fight It, I Know I Was Discriminated Against Because Of My Age, (60), At That Time.
My Only Recourse At The Time Was To Apply For Unemployment Benefits While I Tried To Look For Other Employment. This Was In April Of 2009, By Far, Not The Best Of Times For This To Happen, Amid The Economic Recession Catastrophe.
At The Same Time I Was Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits Due To A Stroke That I Had.
Meanwhile On The Employment Scene, I Was Discovering Something That Was Adding To My Existing Stress. For Every Job I Became Aware Of, There Was 20, 40, Maybe Even Hundreds Of Other People Vying For The Same Positions I Was Interested In.
I Also Became Acutely Aware Of Something Else. I Was Now At A Point In My Life That I Would Experience For The First Time The Severity Of How Hard It Would Be To Provide A Living For Myself.
You See, No One Wants To Hire Someone That Is My Age Regardless Of The Fact That I Had Many Years Of Experience In My Chosen Career Field. Age Had Become A Realistic Road Block That I Would Have To Overcome.
Now I Had A Real Mountain To Climb Regarding Income For Myself. Yes, I Now Have Unemployment Benefits Plus My Social Security Disability Benefits, But, There Are Still Several Problems That Needs To Be Solved.
The Reality Is That Unemployment Only Currently Lasts For 99 Weeks. Along With That, Social Security Disability Benefits Are Neither Stable Nor Does It Provide Enough Income To Live On, Even With The Unemployment. Not To Mention That, Like The Majority Of People Who Are In The Baby Boomer Generation, I Failed To Be Able To Save Any Money For Retirement.
So, Houston, We Have A Problem!
Here Is Where “Necessity” Kicked In. By Nature I Am A Problem Solver And Here, Lying Before Me, Was A Serious Problem That Needed To Be Solved. So I Made The Decision To Find A Solution For Myself.
During The Process Of Researching This On The Internet, I Discovered Another Problem. That Problem Is That There Are Millions Of Other People Who Are Baby Boomers That Have Like Circumstances And They Need Solutions To The Same Problems I Was Experiencing.
So My Quest Lay Before Me And I Buckled In For The Ride, I Got To Work. I Realized That, More Than Likely, No One Was Going To Hire Me At My Age. So I Decided To ‘Hire Myself’.
I Started Researching Work At Home Opportunities. As You Probably Already Know, The Vast Majority Of Those Opportunities Require Someone To Spend Money Up Front In Order To Take Advantage Of Them. This Was Not Going To Work For Me And I Realized That It Wasn’t Going To Work For Most People.
The Other Thing That I Realized, Rather Quickly, Is That There Are A Lot Of Scams That Are Being Perpetrated Against The General Public Who Are Looking For These Work At Home Opportunities.
Most Internet Marketers Are No Better Than Used Car Salesmen !
Being Like A Relentless Badger I Persevered And It Finally Paid Off. I Have Had To Accept As A Fact That I Now Had To Re-Invent Myself. To Do That Would Require Me Being Very Resourceful And Adopting A “Thinking Outside The Box” Type Of Attitude.
Any Way, I Was Able To “Think” My Way Through All Of This And Decided That My Best Bet Was To Do Something That I Enjoy And At The Same Time Already Knew How To Do.
So, I Have Taken My Years Of Experience In The ‘IT’ Field And Started A Work At Home Business Of My Own. I Am Now Providing Other Small Or Home Based Businesses With Services That Either They Do Not Know How To Do Themselves Or That They Perhaps Don’t Have The Time Or Want To Spend The Time To Do Themselves.
In Doing My Research I Also Found A Treasure Trove Of Legitimate Work At Home Opportunities. In The Process Of Trying To Find Some Kind Of Business That I Could Do To Make An Income, I Have Thoroughly Checked Out These Resources For Not Only Legitimacy But Also To Make Sure That They Were Indeed Not Scams.
Let me be up front and say that I enjoy Woody Allen films. That being said, let me urge you to drop what you may be doing and go out and see his new one, Midnight in Paris.
Way beyond the lushness of the cinematography and some very snappy writing is a much more interesting message that slowly emerges in the film. I will spare you the precis except to say that you can look at this movie as a sort of excursion into the fantasy world of longing for some golden past; the “good old days”. Some of us, especially as we age, may fall into this trap of wishing that we could go back to some previous time when things were better, simpler, “easier” or, well, they seemed that way. We often have a tendency to “romanticize” the past, especially when we think that the present is so challenging (and it is!).
Yet, the reality is that we are here, in this time, in this moment and nostalgia is just nothing more than our souls desire to create some fantasy of what we wish the past to have been. In the end of the movie our hero, Gil, chooses to risk listening to his soul and follow his own path. In the end, he uses the past to forge a new present for himself. And that is the way it is supposed to be.
Life, as we get older, certainly gets more complicated and the choices we make take on greater meaning and come with greater consequences. And it is often difficult to take that risk and to follow a dream. However, we cannot go back except in books, or films, or fantasy. We are living in the present and trying to create our future. Our challenge is to make choices for life and truth and faith, choices that allow us to flourish as full human beings. We wake every day to new challenges and are encouraged by our tradition to bless the daily miracles of life. In doing so we can celebrate the day that is before us and also reflect back to the Carly Simon song, Anticipation, which reminds us that, in many ways, “these are the good old days”.
Last week the Jewish Outreach Institute sponsored a conference called “Judaism 2030″. While much of it was focused on the engagement of the 20-30-40′s cohort, one session was devoted to Jewish Baby Boomers. The organizers of this conference finally gave the JBoomer generation a nod of understanding. At this session Dr. David Elcott and Mr. Stuart Himmelfarb presented. I attended this conference and spoke to many friends and associates about the work that JBoomers is trying to promote. Everyone I spoke with agreed that the Jewish Baby Boomer cohort MUST be engaged for the health and welfare of the Jewish community. Below is an article that Dr. David Elcott and Stuart Hmmelfarb wrote for the conference. Once again, it affirms all of our thoughts.
When we look at that chart in the 21st Century, we see a radical shift as the sides have become more even. Our generational pyramid now looks increasingly like a square with large populations in their fifties and sixties near the top, and many more on top of them living beyond their eighties.
In fact, as analysts at Standard & Poor’s have observed, “No other force is likely to shape the future of national economic health, public finances and policy making as the irreversible rate at which the world’s population is aging.”
If Boomers stay engaged in the work of society rather than pursuing traditional retirement plans, if they enter Encore careers in public service or if they offer their talent, experience and financial resources as serious volunteers, we will then be forced to find a way to model something dynamically different and powerful: four active generations working side-by-side both in the work force and in Jewish communal life. The potential benefits of this achievement in the private and non-profit sectors are huge in an age of declining governmental supports, a besieged middle class and the increased demands of an aging population. Conversely, if we fail to address these issues, the result could be generational collisions and a potential collapse at the core of our community.
Given these winds of change, where can we look for solutions and support? Many of the foundations and communal organizations that fund innovation, especially in the Jewish community, are firmly fixated on youth and believe their focus on 20- and 30-somethings alone
In a recent study of over 250 philanthropic funders regarding their programmatic goals, responses clustered around childhood education and a wide range of entitlements for young adults. The only mention of any other age group related to geriatric needs.
And we have comforted ourselves by assuming that when people get older, their young leadership experiences will ensure their continued deep commitment, and that they will invest their financial resources, experience and talent in Jewish communal life.
Yet in a recent study of highly affiliated Jewish Baby Boomers, two-thirds said that if they do not find what they want in the Jewish community, they have every intention of going elsewhere. Rather than reaping the benefits of generations of fidelity and Jewish passion, we may well find ourselves with four generations of highly entitled Jews whose allegiance to the Jewish community will only be as deep as the next meaningful experience offered to them, and whose loyalties might not extend beyond their own, more narrow interests. And instead of intergenerational collaboration, we will have fostered a competitive environment where generational cohorts demand a larger share of ever decreasing entitlements.
The Jewish population is among the oldest of any ethnic or religious group. The evidence we gathered in the national survey of the Jewish community cited above indicates that continued Boomer fidelity to the Jewish people cannot be assumed. Competitive alternative options for Jews in their fifties, sixties and seventies are emerging throughout the country, from the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to Senior Corps and Executive Service Corps. (For instance, 10% of all AmeriCorps positions are reserved for those over 55.)
We ignore at our peril the implications of Boomers leaving the Jewish scene and the influence of that exit on the generations that follow.
The first Baby Boomers have reached sixty-five years old. The youngest are approaching 50. They are at a pivotal moment as they consider their next steps. What they do and how the Jewish community connects with them has implications across the generational landscape. In fact, the next decades of Boomer behavior may well determine what kind of Jewish community we share and whether it grows stronger or is buffeted by forces beyond our control.
Yoram Samet has written an article in his blog for JVillage. He notes that synagogues and Jewish institutions need to understand that JBoomes are using the internet just as intensely as their younger counterparts, with some differences. His article is below. I think he bolsters the need for JBoomers and our work.
I hope you will learn something from him.
Boomers in the Digital Age If yours is like most synagogues, many of the active members are in the Boomer age segment. And did you know that the gap in digital usage between teens and Boomers is shrinking? In other words, your Boomer members are using all the digital tools–just like your teen members. In fact, Facebook now ranks as the 3rd most popular website among internet users ages 65 and up.
The following technology-related Boomer facts come courtesy of Jeffrey Cole, of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
- Social networks are of great value to Boomers, their primary use being both educational and the sharing of information. A synagogue should consider being a great portal to all things Jewish and Israel-related for these members. Teens, on the other hand, use social networks as a way to hang out with other teens.
- Boomers are the biggest users of email, while teens are texting. Are you emails linked to your website? Are you writing emails that create interest for readers to link to your website?
- Boomers spend more money than any other group–and they make their purchases online. This is a great opportunity to open shopping to your members. But just having an online marketplace does not guarantee it will work for your synagogue. Find a member with a retail background and see if they would be interested in opening and managing an online store for you. With a member’s commitment and focus on merchandising and promoting, your synagogue could earn substantial revenue from hosting an online Jewish “mall.”
- Boomers are still the heaviest users of print. And as newspapers and magazines get displaced, synagogues have an opportunity to get boomers to get their Jews news and information from you on their tablets.
- While teens spend most of their time on Facebook, Boomers are reaching out to a wider and more varied network. They read something they are interested in and will look up the subject online to learn more. The more you can cater to the Boomer members’ content needs, the more they will value your site and being a member of the congregation.
How are you creating new value for your Boomer members online?
Here is an interesting article from the Cleveland Jewish News which confirms everything we have been preaching about JBoomers. Read for yourself.
****************************************************************** Jewish agencies seek new ways to connect with boomers
By EILEEN BEAL
Published: Friday, February 25, 2011 1:06 AM EST
Despite what many think, volunteers are more than just unpaid labor. “They help grow a successful organization,” says The Mandel Jewish Community Center’s Deborah Bobrow, who recruits and works with the volunteers responsible for the highly popular annual Jewish film festival.
But Jewish baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1963 – are harder to attract to Jewish community organizations than their parents and grandparents. Why? Because boomer Jews are the first generation of American-born Jews to be able to look outside the Jewish community for volunteer opportunities.
Consequently, Jewish charities and philanthropic organizations are facing stiff competition for them. “Today, there are no barriers to where people can volunteer,” says Daniel Blain, senior vice president at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. “Many organizations in the general community see the value of engaging Jewish volunteers and donors because of their leadership skills as well as their generosity.”
Stuart Sharpe, president of Regional Reps, a local media company, and board president of the Hebrew Free Loan Association, notes that to attract volunteers, “the Jewish community’s organizations are going to have to work harder, be more visible, and operate in ways that give volunteers what they want.”
What do boomers want?
Boomers are looking to get fulfillment from their volunteer work in multiple ways. According to volunteer coordinators interviewed for this article and the recently published “Baby Boomers, Public Service and Minority Communities: A case study of the Jewish Community in the United States,” published by the Research Center for Leadership in Action and the Berman Jewish Policy Archives, altruism is just one part of the equation.
“They want relationships and friendships that go beyond the volunteer job,” says Sandra Lusher-Waterhouse, volunteer manager at Jewish Family Service Association.
They want “varied, enriching, diverse, interesting and challenging experiences,” says the JCC’s Bobrow.
They want “volunteer positions that make sense to them and use their skills or build upon their interests,” says Brett Katz, director of volunteer services at Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau.
And they are not afraid to move around until they find the most satisfying opportunity, says Federation’s Blain.
“I’ve been volunteering at Bellefaire for a long time, but it was board and committee work and strategic planning,” says Jan Stern of Chagrin Falls. “That was satisfying, but I’d taught when my kids were young, and when I found out about a position at Monarch School working with kindergarten kids, I said, ‘Great, that’s what I want to do.’” She’s been volunteering every Monday at the school since 2006.
Boomers want to network while volunteering.
“When I moved back to Cleveland, I got involved volunteering with the Hebrew Free Loan Association,” says Kevin S. Adelstein, director of advertising sales at Cleveland.com. “It gave me a chance to meet people and, when I went on the board, it really helped me apply and sharpen my leadership and management skills. So, in a sense, it helped me network for my professional career, but I’d never have gotten involved – given up my valuable family time – if I hadn’t believed in what the organization does and that my volunteering was giving back to the community.”
They want flexibility.
“They may be juggling busy schedules or still working,” explains Vicki Snyder, director of volunteer services at Menorah Park Center for Senior Living.
“I wanted to volunteer at Menorah Park, but I’m a photographer, and half my work is in New York City and the rest is all over the rest of the U.S.,” says David Joseph of Pepper Pike. “I needed a schedule that allowed me to come and go when needed.” He’s now volunteering Mondays and Fridays in the kitchen. “I cook; I wash dishes. I do whatever’s needed.”
Flies in the ointment
As the American Jewish communities’ philanthropic and service organizations have grown and evolved, many have hired staff and become more professionalized. As a consequence, notes the baby boomers’ report, leadership at some Jewish agencies has become ambivalent about where volunteers fit in and about the benefits to the organization of restructuring organizational procedures and hierarchy to meet the wants and expectations of boomers.
Among issues cited in the report include the hidden costs associated with integrating and supervising volunteers; agencies’ need for consistently available volunteers, especially daytime volunteers; and the blurring of the lines between the professional and the volunteer, which can create legal and/or financial liabilities.
“We ignore the issue at our peril,” notes Regional Reps’ Sharpe.
Jewish organizations that rely on volunteers are facing even more challenges. A significant percentage of Jewish boomers are unaffiliated with a synagogue or other community institution or organization.
“That means Jewish organizations can’t count on loyalty as being the driver for involvement,” Blain says. At the very time when agencies’ need for volunteers is skyrocketing due to the poor economy, the toll it has taken on families, and the aging of the population, the situation organizations are finding themselves in is challenging.
Meeting the challenge
Local social service and charitable organizations are well aware of the unique situation they are facing.
To make volunteering more attractive and accessible, they are ensuring it’s as easy as possible for boomers – and all Jews – to find out who, where and what they are. And whether the organization is big or small, word-of-mouth is the biggest recruitment tool.
“One day a friend, Marcia Waxman, asked me about helping deliver food for Chabad House. Now I’m volunteering there at least once a month,” says Harriet Spiegel Piccione.
Most organizations have websites – “Ours was constructed by younger members,” admits Sharpe with a chuckle – and post volunteer opportunities there. They also make good use of email. “You can reach a huge number of people without spending a lot of money or time,” says Snyder.
In addition, organizations and agencies post opportunities on Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Network page and at volunteer hubs, such as Business Volunteers Unlimited, Greater Cleveland Volunteers, and Volunteer Match (see box). They advertise positions in papers the Jewish community reads. “We (volunteer-dependant organizations) are doing everything we can to reach out to the community,” says Diane Weiner, volunteer manager at Montefiore.
Since boomers are often over-committed – holding down a full-time job, caring for aging parents, and perhaps lending a hand with their grandchildren – many agencies schedule short-term projects, some of which can be completed in a day or evening. “For many, these kinds of projects are the only way they can volunteer,” says Leslye Arian, director of volunteers at National Council of Jewish Women, Cleveland Section.
“The only day I have off is Friday,” says Joanne Grossberg, admissions and marketing director at R.H. Myers Apartments. “So when I joined NCJW and found out they were scheduling done-in-a-day projects on my day off, it meant I could actually get involved.”
Short-term projects don’t just play to volunteers’ time constraints, strengths and interests; they plant seeds for future volunteering. “When you have compelling and engaging projects – even just daylong projects – you are creating compelled and engaged volunteers,” says Debra Posner, chief of marketing at The Mandel Jewish Community Center.
Since volunteers often have organizational and management skills, agencies tap their expertise to not only staff programs, but to create them. “Keeping ourselves open to new ideas from volunteers keeps us open to growth, too,” notes Arian.
Rise of the ‘super vol’
For highly trained boomers who want to use their professional expertise for tsedakah, some agencies and organizations create “super vol” opportunities – often one-of-a-kind projects – that tap their expertise. For example, says Blain, “We have volunteers managing significant portfolios related to their professional skills.”
But there is room for everybody, no matter what the skill set. “It’s hard to think of a situation where we wouldn’t be able to use a volunteer’s expertise,” says The Agnon School’s director of development Laura Leventhal.
Organizations also are working more closely to maximize not only their volunteers’ impact on the community but also their relationship with other organizations. Citing Operation Warm-Up, a clothing drive coordinated by Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Network and the National Council of Women, Arian says these kinds of collaborations are a win-win for everyone because “they better-use community resources.”
And to ensure successful placement of volunteers, most coordinators say they do extensive interviews (one coordinator called it “chatterviewing”), handbook reviews, and orientations that often mimic those done with paid staff. Organizations that have a large volunteer corps provide significant volunteer in-service training, too.
Still, notes Rabbi Simcha Dessler, educational director at The Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, finding the right fit “often requires a healthy dose of diplomacy to make things work.”
Support program offers help
One thing holding back many boomers from volunteering is the economic downturn’s impact on their current earnings and retirement savings. Many who would have jumped full time into volunteering now must work full time – or find new employment – to pay bills and repair the hit to their retirement savings.
The need to connect with the 9-to-5 world is the reason Federation and the Jewish Family Service Association established the Jewish Community Employment-Related Support Program. Since its inception, the program has served more than 750 community members – many of them boomers.
For information on the program, visit http://tinyurl.com/ 4ggzk3r, then click on “Employment-Related Support Program.”
Where to look for boomer-friendly volunteer opportunities
Looking for a place to volunteer? Check with volunteer coordinators at your synagogue or at local service agencies and organizations. Here are a few that post volunteer opportunities on their websites:
• Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Jewish Volunteer Network, www.jewishcleveland.org/volunteer
• Business Volunteers Unlimited, www.businessvolunteers.org/volunteer-center.aspx
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'Mad Men' stars January Jones, Jon Hamm, John Slattery and others opened up about everything from how they found their characters to what’s really inside all those liquor glasses on set.
Along with youth, Don Draper’s new wife, Megan, apparently has a sharpened sense of seduction. When picking a siren song to perform for Draper’s 40th birthday during the season-five premiere of Mad Men, Megan passes over hits by American pop’s reigning songstresses in 1966—Nancy Sinatra, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield and the like—and instead chooses a flirty French tune written as a teen confection, Zou Bisou Bisou.
Of course, the song also speaks to Matt Weiner’s own powers of seduction, as the popular series’ writer continues to ensure that musical precision remains part of Mad Men’s allure.
But what, exactly, is Megan singing? And what are the song’s origins?
Roughly translated, “zou” is a casual exclamation and “bisou” is a sweet kiss—a peck on the cheek to say hello and goodbye. So the lyrics hash out to:
Oh! Kiss kiss / My God, they are sweet! / …Oh! Kiss kiss / the sound of kisses /…Oh! Kiss kiss /…That means, I confess / But yes, I love only you!
The original version was recorded by Gillian Hills, a Brigitte Bardot lookalike who found fame as a French yé-yé girl—one of a handful of young, female European singers who catapulted yé-yé music into an international movement, popular among teens during the era. (“Yé-yé” refers to exclamations of “yeah yeah!” during rock and roll. )
“Zou Bisou Bisou was a summer smash for a 16-year-old, my first record, the summer of 1960,” Hills, who still records music and also works a visual artist, told The Daily Beast in an email.
A rendition of the song was later recorded by Maya Casabianca, an Israeli-French pop star, and landed on France’s Billboard chart in September 1961.
Loaded with saccharine and little spice, and most popular in France, Spain and Quebec (Megan’s home turf), yé-yé hitmakers—most notably Francoise Hardy and Sylvie Vartan—were pretty, with full bangs, high cheekbones and long lashes. They sang about puppy love and heartbreak through the eyes of an innocent. The pop style found its groove before French musician Serge Gainsbourg scandalized the airwaves with overtly sexual sounds, and it came on the heels of the big band swing of the previous decade.
The song speaks to Matt Weiner’s own powers of seduction, as the series’ writer continues to ensure that musical precision remains part of Mad Men’s allure.
But Zou Bisou Bisou may not have been totally unfamiliar to Draper’s party crowd. Sophia Loren sang an English version, Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo, in The Millionairess, a 1960 film that co-starred Peter Sellers. Loren’s version uses the same tune, but the lyrics and delivery swell with a bit more sophistication. The movie was a hit in the U.K., though the American response was lukewarm.
“Eddy [Barclay, the head of Barclay Records] let me listen to Sophia Loren’s English version after I had recorded the song,” said Hills, now in her late 60s and living in London. “For some reason her version did not catch on.”
Hills said she had no idea the song would be performed on Mad Men (before The Daily Beast reached out after an early viewing), a show she calls “a very classy production.” But she did offer a prediction: “My guess: with Mad Men the song will be sultry.”
Did they really smoke that much? A Newsweek secretary-turned-Washington correspondent says the on-screen sexism, drinking, and smoking capture the office culture of the early ’60s.
What was the inspiration for Newsweek's 1960s issue? In an interview airing at 11:35 p.m. on ABC, 'Nightline' goes behind the pages with editor-in-chief Tina Brown.
January Jones talks about her bra, John Slattery on whether he's been asked to dye his white hair, and more. Watch video.
'Mad Men' has wrapped up an intense season. See what books appeared on the show, and Sam Jacobs put together a suggested reading list.
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Our Women's Health Physiotherapy department is lead by Claire-Anne Head. She specialises in the treatment of obstetric musculoskeletal conditions as well as urogynaecological conditions and pelvic floor dysfunctions including prolapses, urinary incontinence and sexual discomfort.
Pregnancy and Post Natal Care
Women's Health Physiotherapy, supporting you through a fitter healthier pregnancy.
Pregnancy can be a very exciting time but it can also be an uncomfortable one. Back and pelvic pain are very common at this time affecting up to 90% of women.
During your pregnancy your body releases the hormone relaxin which softens your ligaments. This allows for the body to accommodate your baby whilst aiding its natural delivery at the end of pregnancy.
The softening of these ligaments also means that your joints are less supported and as a result you are more susceptible to experiencing pain and discomfort.
See more at the Women's Health Physiotherapy unit website.
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"I personally think it is simply unacceptable to have a zone of immunity for acts of war against armed forces and against the collective community that has tried to accomplish what it has tried to accomplish," Kerry said in his remarks at a Zionist Congressional hearing convened by him on the upcoming North Atlantic Terrorist Organization Summit in Chicago. "That means Pakistan has to become more assertive and more cooperative, and we may have to resort to other kinds of self-help, depending on what they decide to do," said Kerry, who in the Obama Administration is considered to be the best friend (in reality, the worst enemy) of Pakistan.
Several times in the past three years, Kerry has flown to Pakistan to troubleshoot when all other means had failed , be it the Raymond Davis Case or the helicopter that got damaged in the Osama bin Laden Circus at Abbottabad a year ago. Such a remark coming from Kerry is reflective of the changing mood in the United States of Zionism particularly at a time when the two countries are holding crucial negotiations on the reopening of the ground lines of communications and other related issues between them. It primarily indicates sheer frustration on behalf of cash strapped USZ who can no longer afford extremely costly alternative supply routes to send supplies to its terrorist invaders in Afghanistan as Mujahideen of Afghanistan continue to demolish USZ and NATO in their worst nightmare of battles in the graveyard of Empires.
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The lady and the hot dog
A mistake by the Catholic Digest editors in 1952 tells us all a lot about who Catholics were then, and maybe something about what we need to be doing today
By Dan Connors
The pretty girl in the photo holds a soda and is about to bite into a juicy, foot-long hot dog. Behind her is a giant American flag blowing in the breeze.
It’s not the kind of photo we’d ordinarily choose for the cover of Catholic Digest these days, but back in 1952 the editors thought it was perfect. In 1952 the Second World War was only seven years in the past, Americans were dying in Korea, and the United States and the Roman Catholic Church had no greater enemies than the military power of the Soviet Union and Red China and the insidious forces of godless Communism. Faith and patriotism were the best defense, and Catholic Digest offered lots of both. Here was the perfect July 1952 cover image to remind readers of the Fourth of July and what American freedom was all about.
The first letter complaining about it must have come as a shock. When that letter arrived at the Catholic Digest offices, whoever opened it first probably groaned in embarrassment, then rushed off to deliver it to the office of Father Paul Bussard, the editor-in-chief.
Poor Bussard — believe me, I know how he must have felt. I too have had the experience of putting something in the magazine and having readers quickly write in to tell me what a bone-headed mistake I’ve made. I never see it coming. But afterward I wonder with embarrassment how I could have missed it.
Bussard and his team had many opportunities to wonder about that very question, for the letters pointing out their mistake probably didn’t slow down until sometime well into August — every one of them a reminder of a calendar detail nobody on the editorial team had thought of.
An image of a patriotic young lady eating a Fourth-of-July hot dog would have been just fine in 1951 or 1953. But in 1952 the Fourth of July fell on a Friday. In 1952 good Catholics never ate hot dogs or any meat on a Friday — any Friday of the year.
For young Catholics who are used to thinking of the Church’s abstinence rules only applying during Lent, the thought of year-round meatless Fridays might sound intriguing or ridiculous, but the practice began early in our history as a way of celebrating every Friday as a day of penance — a mini-Good Friday, just as every Sunday was seen as a mini-Easter. The discipline changed over time and culture. For much of the Middle Ages, for example, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays were all meatless penitential days, along with all the days of Lent and Advent — adding up to a little more than half the days of the year. This, of course, meant little to the average European peasant, who usually couldn’t afford meat anyway, and would be severely punished if caught poaching, and would be just as severely punished for fishing from a lord’s ponds, lakes, and rivers. And while town merchants and nobility kept the abstinence laws (violating them could get even a king sent to a Church court), their sumptuous, multi-course fish dinners hardly seem to have been in keeping with the penitential spirit the Church had in mind.
And there were always those who went looking for loopholes. Note, for example, the barnacle goose, often believed in the early medieval period either to have been spawned from barnacles (and was thus a shellfish and fine to eat on abstinence days), or to grow on trees (thus being a fruit and not a tasty meat). How many slackers actually tried to get away with that reasoning, I do not know.
And there were always exceptions—Christmas, when it fell on a Friday for example, or in the United States, some bishops often gave a dispensation for the Friday after Thanksgiving in light of the mountains of turkey leftovers, and most bishops will still give a dispensation to corned-beef-and-cabbage Catholics when St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Lenten Friday. But for the most part, the rule held, and going meatless on Fridays was one of the most recognizable of Catholic practices.
In my own childhood, meatless Fridays meant a lot of tuna and grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta without meat sauce, and quite a bit of macaroni and cheese — a delicious meal I wouldn’t tolerate until I realized my mistake sometime in my adolescence. Sometimes my mom would make a great fish and chips, but fish like that wasn’t cheap, and we weren’t wealthy, so we didn’t have it very much.
Back then, 40 million American Catholics all abstaining from meat on Fridays had a major impact on the economy. Restaurants (for Catholics wealthy enough to eat in them) offered special Friday menu items, the few fast-food restaurants watched their sales plummet on Fridays (until the invention of McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish®), and even sports franchises shared the pain — hot dog sales at Major League baseball games usually dropped by 40% or more on Fridays.
I can imagine the vice-president of food sales at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park throwing up his hands in frustration and crying out, “If only there was a fish hot dog!” And then, suddenly in 1957, there was. An enterprising Catholic businessman named William Lane introduced America to the tunie.
The tunie was, as its name suggests, a hot dog made out of tuna fish, processed carefully to remove any oily fish taste from it. It came packed in a can like sardines, and many Catholics saw it as an answer to a prayer. Catholic Digest introduced its readers to the tunie in the December 1958 issue and noted that the editorial team especially welcomed it and had been hoping for such a product because of the mistake they had made with their Fourth of July cover six years before. (Editors never get over their mistakes).
If you ever had a tunie, I’d love to hear from you. The few people I’ve encountered who remember them say they were ghastly — making kids dream of fish sticks and definitely putting the penance back in penitential Fridays. Although Lane’s company was producing 26 tons of tunies a day at the time of the Catholic Digest article, it didn’t last. And thus we never got to savor the new products the company was working on: the mar-tuni: cocktail-size tunies packed in glass jars and sold in liquor stores; the sea-lomi: a bologna-size loaf that failed to sell—but the company had plans to reintroduce it as a “meatloaf” in a can; and a Vienna sausage-sized tunie, probably great for grilling. Today we have tofu dogs and other vegetarian substitutes, but if anyone is still making tuna hot dogs, it’s probably a little specialty shop business.
The tunie has gone, and so, for the most part, have meatless Fridays for Catholics. Pope Paul VI kept the discipline only for Lent, and left the rest of it up to the conferences of bishops. The U.S. bishops kept Friday year-round as a penitential day but only recommended abstaining from meat on the Fridays outside of Lent. If someone wanted to substitute a different penitential discipline, they were free to do so. Whatever the bishops meant, it was taken as a sign that the discipline was removed, and meatless Fridays went the way of women covering their heads in church, and almost as fast.
When a discipline as longstanding as meatless Fridays disappears as quickly as this did, one has to wonder how firmly the spirit of the discipline, and the reasons for it, had rooted themselves in the American Catholic soul. When the rule was relaxed, all those adults who had grown up in the pre-Vatican II Church — and who, many people tell us, got such a solid grounding in their faith (before Vatican II allegedly — in some people’s estimation — turned religious education into 40 years of parties and balloons), suddenly failed either to understand the need for penitential practices in their lives or failed to see much value in the connection between Friday and Sunday, between penance and salvation, and took the small change in Church regulation as an opportunity to ditch the whole thing. Maybe they were tired of the Church telling them what to do all the time, and they never really received the solid catechetical help they needed to understand why it was important to do it.
Earlier this year, the bishops of England and Wales strove to bring back Friday abstinence year ’round. I wish them luck. Catholics — led by the generation formed in the time before Vatican II — have had 40 years of deciding which rules they’ll follow and which they’ll ignore, the Church’s moral authority appears a lot weaker to the average Catholic than it did in the 1950s, and fewer people can be scared by the threat of hell these days.
And yet there is great value in developing a rhythm in the week with a stronger connection between Friday and Sunday, and surely there is no one on this Earth who wouldn’t benefit from practicing penitential acts at least one day a week. Abstaining from meat, and eating simply on Friday, could be connected more strongly to action for the poor and for our planet. There is also a profound value, as many have pointed out, in having signs and activities shared by Catholics everywhere. Other than the Mass, we’re a bit short these days on these common activities — the ones that signify who we are and set us apart in some way with our own identity. This is becoming increasingly important as social scientists keep documenting the growing fragmentation in American society, which extends even to our religious practices. George Barna, who studies trends in American religions, recently told USA Today that religion in the United States is becoming increasingly personal, with people drifting around until they find something that works for them, or they borrow a little from this tradition and a little from that one, in a “New Age” sort of way. Either way, he said, we are on our way to becoming a country “of 310 million people with 310 million religions.”
The Mass, and the sacraments, of course, will always be the forces most strongly working to keep that from happening among Catholics. But the sacraments are not meant to carry the whole burden of our common identity. With Catholics apparently as susceptible to fragmentation as anyone else, finding ways to reinforce our common story, heritage, and identity would seem to be increasingly important.
And a little penance couldn’t hurt.
But hold the tunies.
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Annunciation is the first painting I painted after my initial New York awakening. I was 28 years old and at the peak of my molecular bio-energy. You can feel the sudden burst of the Big Apple's electric zap in the composition after all the early years of adolescent brooding over potatoes and eggs and the romantic nostalgia of the preceeding Flight to Egypt.
In those days I had an obsessional passion for the female body that lasted deep into my thirties (to be replaced by rocks 'n' stones)..
Years later Carlos Santana saw a reproduction of the Annunciation in a magazine and wanted it for the cover of his all time best selling Abraxas album. It did me a world of good. I saw the album pinned to the wall in a shaman's mud hut in Niger and inside a Rastafarian's ganja hauling truck in Jamaica. I was in good global company, muchissimas gracias, Carlito!
The text above is edited extracts from Mati's book 'Collected Works 1959-1975'. A detailed explanation of the Biblical meaning of Annunciation can be found in Wikipedia. It is the revelation (announcement) by the angel Gabriel to Mary that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God.
Here, in Mati's provocative interpretation, a winged and tattooed Gabriel is depicted astride a conga drum, pointing heavenwards to a Hebrew Aleph symbol (signifying beginning), with a dark-skinned and naked Mary surrounded by images of fertility. "Drums were always used to announce something," Mati said. "They were a medium of communication in Africa." To the left are three Wodaabe Charm Dancers, perhaps representing the Three Kings, and an image of Mati himself.
At the end of the rainy season the Wodaabe people of Niger (shown in the detail above) hold an annual seven day ritual celebration where the men participate in a series of charm and beauty dances judged solely by women. During the week, women single out the most desirable men. As part of the ritual, Wodaabe men decorate their faces to appeal to the women spectators. A man who can hold one eye still as he rolls the other is considered especially alluring to his female judges.
Although the title, combined with the depiction of the Virgin Mary as a voluptuously sensual black girl, is a clear challenge to our preconceptions, this painting can also be seen as a visual celebration of life on earth in all its richness and diversity: Music, scent, sex and sensuality, colour, taste, texture, the eroticism of flowers, the sensuality of stone, the natural beauty of landscapes and of all the fruits of nature are all represented here.
The detail on the left shows the 'Cala' cove in Deia, Mallorca, as seen from Mati's home there.
(US) Buy Abraxas from Amazon.com
(UK) Buy Abraxas from Amazon.co.uk
(DE) Kaufen Abraxas bei Amazon.de
Buy Abraxas from Amazon.ca (CA)
Achetez Abraxas chez Amazon.fr (FR)
You are viewing a page on an old version of this site. See our new gallery at www.matiklarweinart.com/artworkgallery.php
This site is an affiliate of Blick Art Materials. Visit Blick Art Materials for an extensive range of art materials and supplies.
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Welcome to this week’s edition of What We’re Reading Wednesday!
Baby and Toddler
from Catherine of Adventures with Kids
Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings by Matthew Van Fleet
In this lift-the-flap book, each page shows a textured shape. When you lift the flap, it’s not a shape, but an animal – so, fuzzy yellow circle becomes fuzzy yellow ducklings. The final page of the book folds out to show all the shapes and animals working to build a tower.
This book offers simple concepts – shape, colour and texture – to fascinate the baby and intricate illustrations to interest and challenge the older child. My 11 month old son, loves to lift the flaps and run his fingers over the textures. Since my baby likes to have something to do when we’re reading, this book keeps him involved and focussed. My 3 year old son also loves this book – he likes to talk about what the animals are doing in each of the illustrations and to find and name all the animals and shapes on the final page.
My family really enjoys this simple, playful book and I think your family will love it too.
from Amy of Let’s Explore
One of our all-time, absolute favorite books is The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater. An oldie-but-goodie from the 1970s, this picture book is bursting with vivid colors and an engaging story.
Mr. Plumbean lives on a neat and tidy street, where all the houses are the same. One day, a seagull mysteriously flies over Mr. Plumbean’s house and drops a bucket of orange paint, leaving a big orange splot on his roof.
The neighbors wait for Mr. Plumbean to paint his house so their street can be neat and tidy again. Mr. Plumbean surprises them with his painting job, which turns out to be wild and crazy and colorful! He says to his neighbors:
“My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams…”
One by one, the neighbors try to convince Mr. Plumbean to change his house back, but instead, he convinces them to create their own dream houses. There are some neat dream house illustrations including a castle, a hot-air balloon, a ship, and more. I have shared this book with many groups of children, and they are always immediately inspired to draw or paint their own dream houses! I love a book with an easy art connection.
The Big Orange Splot is a lovely story celebrating individual expression and believing in your dreams – I hope you and your kids enjoy sharing this book together!
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Nick D'Aloisio, the founder of Summly, speaks with Bobbie Johnson of GigaOM UK YouTube
Nick D’Aloisio is the 16-year-old founder and chief executive of Summly, an app that summarizes online content for users.
In December of last year, the amateur student of philosophy and artificial intelligence, raised $250,000 for his company to do what amounts to summarizing the Internet, and in spite of the trend of many young entrepreneurs turning their backs on traditional education, D’Aloisio hopes he can manage to both run a company and go to high school.
“I still enjoy being among friends and in that school environment, and so if there’s a compromise where I can be running the company a few days a week and also at school—as long as I can be eligible for university still…I’m more than happy to commit a lot of my time right now,” D’Aloisio told GigaOM in a report published today.
With influential elder VCs like PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel paying fellowship winners $100,000 not to attend college, it would be easy for someone referred to as the Internet’s newest boy genius to drop out, take the funding, and go full steam ahead, but D’Aloisio has other ambitions.
“It’s not like I need a university degree,” said D'Aloisio. “It’s more like I have a real, genuine interest in philosophy and stuff, and I’d like to one day study it in depth.”
Last Wednesday, Thiel Fellowship winner James Proud, founder of GigLocator, a live-music aggregator, became the first fellow to successfully maneuver an exit strategy when he sold to Peter Shapiro, the owner of the hipster bowling alley, Brooklyn Bowl.
With talk of an impending education bubble and concerns that many higher-educated entrepreneurs are saddled with debt not worth the education they received, success stories such as Shapiro’s will likely only encourage those considering dropping out.
Although we believe an entrepreneur’s decision to continue in formal education is a personal one, one thing is for sure, D’Aloisio’s interest in life beyond a corporate exit strategy certainly is refreshing. And who knows, for a young man writing algorithms in some degree mimicking human intelligence, understanding philosophy just may pay off with an exit strategy as well.
Michael earned his BA from Mercer University, along the way excavating a Roman bathhouse with the American School of Archaeology. Plus, he provided security at Oxford University, where he also studied literature and philosophy. He earned his MS from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism while training for and running in the New York marathon.
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SARAH GREEN: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Review. I'm Sarah Green. I'm talking today with MIT's Michael Schrage, a frequent HBR blogger and author of the new single, Who Do You Want Your Customers to Become. Michael, thanks so much for joining us.
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: It's my pleasure.
SARAH GREEN: Michael, I'd like to just start with the problem. Most of the executives I know would give their right arm to truly understand what their customers want. So why is it so hard for most companies to understand their customers?
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: Well first off, forgive me for doing this. But I'm going to attack the premise of your question. I think that there's no shortage of the companies that wouldn't give up any portion of their anatomy to better understand their customers unless they felt it would lead to greater profitability or market share. For too many organizations, customers are merely a means to an end. The end is the growth and profitability of the business.
And sometimes the customers are simply an inconvenience in that regard, friction that needs to be overcome. My point of attack, my angle of analysis is slightly different. I begin with the notion of if organizations believe they have to innovate, how can they assure that they get the most value from that innovation and that they manage the risks associated with their investment in innovation?
And instead of focusing on how do we come up with faster, better, cheaper innovations, let's ask a slightly different question. The question is the innovation is going to go to a customer or a user. Instead of asking what need does that fill or what benefit does that provide, let's ask the question, what does that innovation ask the customer to become?
What happens when we treat innovation as an investment in the customer? And all of a sudden when you ask a question like that, you are realigning what the business is trying to do with what the customer wants or needs to become.
SARAH GREEN: See, this is interesting because when you frame it that way, it also sounds a lot more difficult. If it's not just about new products, new services, new user experiences, what can we generate in house that we haven't tried before, if innovation is about as-- you write in the book-- if innovation is about designing customers, then that really puts a lot more pressure on the company.
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: Yeah. I would have to say that one of the real flaws of my book and one of the real flaws of what I propose is that it forces innovators and businesses to actually think harder. And I hope my readers and business people will forgive me for that challenge.
But I think it's imperative if you're running an organization. Harvard Business Review published one of the great all time articles-- I believe it's the most reprinted and most sold reprint in the publication's history-- which was Ted Levitt's "Marketing Myopia." And he posed the most simple question-- what business are we in? What business are we in?
That was a question that galvanized the marketing community and the innovation community literally 50 years ago. I wanted to do a post-industrial upgrade of that question and revision and enhancement of that question. I said well, if this is the business that we're in, what are we asking our customers to become?
And if we're innovating as a way to continually renew and create value, what do those innovations ask our customers to become? And I just think changing the angle of attack, changing the center of gravity just slightly really gives you a different way of thinking about all this stuff you're doing anyway.
It's not like you're not going to be concerned about how do we meet customer needs, or are we being cost effectiveness, or are our processes efficient? We're just trying to come up with different ways of aligning who we are and where we're going with who customers are and where we want them to go. If customers don't want to go where you want to go, my goodness, you're going to have a problem winning in the future.
SARAH GREEN: So in your framework when you're talking about what do we want the customer to become, one of my favorite examples that you use is the Disney example of the Disney princesses. So how do Milan and Belle and Cinderella and Ariel and Sleeping Beauty, how do they help explain this?
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: Well, I want to begin with a caveat that, to my knowledge, I have no little girls. But I do have nieces. And I've seen them caught in the thrall of the Disney princess phenomenon.
And it's an interesting one to observe. And I'm really glad that you asked me about that example because that example is a brilliant, brilliant codification of what it means to look at what do we want our users or our customers to become. The executive at Disney, who came from another company, were at a Disney on Ice show in Phoenix, Arizona. And he saw little girls coming to show dressed up as Disney characters.
What kind of Disney characters? Princesses. Not the Seven Dwarves-- princesses. And this wasn't Disney's idea. His brilliance was, oh my gosh, he saw what his customers-- and his users-- wanted to become. And that was the organizing principle. And the entire element of this multi-billion global branding juggernaut is based on the notion of what do we want-- what are our innovations asking our customers to become, our users to become? Princesses.
And my little-- for want of a better word-- joke is, does having your daughter become a princess mean that you, as a parent, are the king or the queen, or that you are a handmaiden or a servant to the princess? And I leave the parents to decide which of those market categories they fall into. Although-- and I'm saying this with a great deal of seriousness-- if I'm Disney, that's an important segmentation issue.
SARAH GREEN: Hm. So interesting in that example because in that case, it seemed that the customer segment, the little girls, it was more about the company recognizing what they were already doing. They wanted to be princesses. And the company recognized that.
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: Exactly. Life is a lot easier when you pay attention to who your customers want to become.
SARAH GREEN: But then, the framing question that you've been giving is who do you want your customers to become. And you've talked about designing customers. So which is it? Are you just recognizing what they want? Or are you actively molding them?
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: Ah, well, I think that is-- if you'll forgive me for saying this-- a brilliant question. If you gave me the choice as an entrepreneur between identifying what customers seem to be predisposed to becoming and innovating to enable, that seems to be a very good innovation path.
But let's say you want to transform your customer. Let's say you're somebody like, oh, let's pull a name out of a hat, Steve Jobs or Sergey Brin and Larry Page from Google. Then, you're using your technology competence, your technological superiority, to transform a customer. You have a vision of the technology that transcends what the customer could think or know that they want.
Who knew that they wanted to do instant search in that sort of way? Who knew that what people really wanted was not just a mobile phone, but a smartphone, a phone that could do everything and more than their computer? A phone where the value added was not the conversation you had with your friend, but the app you downloaded or, oh my gosh, a conversation you had with the artificial intelligence in the phone called Siri?
OK, now if you want to go the Steve Jobs and Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Google approach, you need to have the competence and capability to transform your customer. Can your innovation transform your customer? Henry Ford did it. Walt Disney did it. Boeing did it.
There's all manner. One could argue that Sam Walton of Walmart did it by training customers to become everyday low pricing shoppers. But that's where you've got to began. You've got to begin with a value offering and the recognition not that you're simply meeting customer needs, but you are training and transforming your customers by investing in innovation that transforms their behavior, that transforms their perception, that transforms how they perceive and interpret and act on value.
SARAH GREEN: Is there a moral element involved in this if you're actively trying to transform your customers? What if you're a tobacco company? What are you asking your customers to become in that case?
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: Yes, there are always moral and ethical implications. And if I may sound pseudointellectual for a moment, Adam Smith, before he wrote Wealth of Nations, the great tome first articulating market principles and the value of exchange and free market exchange and value creation and economic growth, he wrote a book called Theory of Moral Sentiments where he examined the morality and ethics of markets and entrepreneurs and individuals.
So yes, there's always a moral and ethical component. By the way, that's why societies have laws and regulations. And these themes and these issues are indeed addressed in various parts of the book.
But I am going to proceed under the happy and hopeful assumption that, on balance, the innovators I'm addressing in this book are predisposed to being ethical and moral when they make a value offering to transform their customers. And let's also be fair. Reasonable people can disagree on issues of morals and ethics in certain commercial spheres.
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: What I find interesting about this idea as we're exploring the different nuances here is that it does sometimes lead us into these uncomfortable decision points. So we've talked already about Google and Apple, Disney, these happy companies that produce happy products.
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: And happy users.
SARAH GREEN: And happy users, exactly. We haven't yet talked about Ryanair, which is another example in the book. But the story there is a little more complicated. So let's just wade into that and explain why did you include them.
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: I included them-- and in the interest of full disclosure, I've not flown Ryanair. But I have no shortage of friends and acquaintances who have. And this is a company better known in Europe than it is to America.
But the entrepreneurial-- I wouldn't say founder-- but the entrepreneurial overseer for Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, is quite the character. And not incidentally, he spent a non-trivial amount of time with Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines. And one might think of Ryanair as Southwest Airlines' evil twin because they believe in every aspect of the Southwest Airlines business model except for customer service.
And Michael O'Leary is this speaks with a brogue Irishman whose command of the English language particularly enjoys four letter words of single syllables. And he basically says customers will put up with anything-- anything-- as long as the flight is cheap. His innovator's ask, what is he asking his customers to become? Shut up and take it because you won't find a lower fare anywhere in the world.
And you know what? They do shut up and take it. And it's been the biggest airline in Europe, the fastest growing airline in Europe, the cheapest fares. He's the guy who talks about charging for using the bathroom. He's the guy who takes the pockets out of seat backs so that people don't put trash there. He's the guy who's talked about creating a standing room section on flights less than an hour long.
And he's being as provocative, some people would say insulting, as possible. But he has a very clear notion of what he is asking his customers to become. People will put up with virtually anything for the lowest and best price for short haul flights in Europe.
And you know what? God love him. He's got the discipline, and he's got the employees, and he's got the customer base who honor and respect and have integrity associated with the ask. And whenever you read an interview with Michael O'Leary, you will see that all of his outrageousness, all of his quotability is very consistent with the business model and the innovator's ask we've been talking about.
That doesn't make him a bad person. It certainly makes him a good businessmen. But respectfully, I ain't gonna be flying Ryanair.
SARAH GREEN: Well, Michael, it's a fascinating example. And I know there's a lot more like it in the single. Thanks again so much for talking with us today.
MICHAEL SCHRAGE: It's been my pleasure. Thank you.
SARAH GREEN: That's MIT's Michael Schrage. His single, Who Do You Want Your Customer to Become, is available as a download from hbr.org.
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Cherry Point celebrates Black History Month
Cherry Point celebrates African America history, hosts local Montford Point Association Chapter presentation
Our very own Valentina Wilson is attending Cherry Point's Black History Celebration Friday.
All authorized patrons of the air station are invited to attend a presentation by the Montford Point Association Cherry Point Chapter 36 in the air station theater, according to base officials.
The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and will feature guest speaker Sgt. Maj. Christopher G. Robinson, the sergeant major for 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
According to Cherry Point, more than 70 years ago, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 which barred government agencies and federal contractors from refusing employment in industries engaged in defense production on the basis of race, creed, color or national origin. This order opened a door for African Americans to begin serving in the Marine Corps.
Camp Montford Point, N.C., began training the first African American Marines on June 1, 1942, and within seven years more than 20,000 men earned the title of United States Marine at Montford Point.
In 1949, Camp Montford Point was deactivated and all new African American recruits were sent to Marine Corps Recruit Depots Parris Island and Camp Pendleton. During the Korean War, the Marine Corps was fully integrated.
The legacy of the "Montford Marine" has become an integral part of the illustrious and diverse history of the Marine Corps. This presentation by the local Montford Point Association Chapter is in celebration of the more than 70 years that African Americans have served as loyal brothers and sisters to their fellow Marines.
Copyright 2013 by WCTI12. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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I am part of a Band of Brothers. Though nothing as dramatic and dangerous as the band of brothers that Stephen Ambrose writes about in his book on the men of Easy Company during World War II, it is nonetheless a group of men with a bond, with a trust and respect forged over several years.
We are men who meet regularly, friends whose shared connection is Mormonism. We are a diverse group, with our ranks ranging from strident atheists to fully active and believing LDS, and our ages ranging from mid-twenties to mid-fifties.
Our monthly fellowship meetings consist of everything from spiritual and theological discussions to bawdy humor and angry confrontations. Mostly, though, we have spirited and candid discussions about our faith and about our lives. These candid discussions – and even the angry confrontations – are made possible because of the high level of trust and respect within the group. We have developed a real love for each other, a true brotherhood. We disagree, we fight, and we do so forcefully. But we have shared enough to maintain the love and respect within the group to come back again and again.
Our friendships move beyond the monthly meetings, sharing conversations regularly through our private email list, through attendance at movies and events, and through service. We are there to help a brother move, to spend weekend mornings canvassing neighborhoods for a fellow brother running for public office, to respond to needs and comfort those who face pressing struggles.
In the past year we have formalized our monthly meetings in order to focus on one individual. When assigned a month, the individual prepares a narrative of his faith journey, sharing the experiences that shaped him and the values and beliefs he holds most sacred. The experiences have striking similarities, even as they are incredibly diverse. Through this process we have come to understand our brothers in new and even intimate ways, increasing our bonds and cementing friendships.
Key to this is our ability to strip ourselves of pretense; to lay bare our faults, our doubts, and our struggles. It is a refreshing – and frightening – experience to be completely candid, to trust the others within the group to listen and respect our experiences, even as they candidly respond and criticize. It can be brutal at times, but behind that brutality is always a sense of love and friendship.
What I have found in this group is a level of trust and brotherhood unlike any other I have experienced. It is a brotherhood forged through shared struggles and grief, of shared humor and joy. It is the friendship and brotherhood I think Joseph Smith preached, that he at various times experienced, and that he valued dearly. He called friendship “one of the grand fundamental principles of ‘Mormonism’…”
Elder Wirthlin spoke last year about these bonds of friendship, about the need to have them in our quorums, about how difficult it can be to develop them. In his words:
Some of the choicest blessings of my life have been the close friendships I have experienced over the years. Often, these friendships have been forged in the fires of shared experience. I think back with fondness on the football teams I played on, the missionaries with whom I served in Austria and Switzerland, the bishoprics and stake presidencies with whom I served. I think about my family—the happiness and grief we have shared and how those moments of tenderness have amplified the love we have for each other. Most recently, I think about the indescribable bond of brotherhood I have felt within the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Establishing a bond of brotherhood is critical. If those who serve with you feel this mutual love and trust, the work of the Lord will thrive and heaven will aid you in your efforts. Fail to establish this bond, however, and you may find your work tedious, toilsome, and unproductive.
My experience is outside of our local quorums, our wards. My band of brothers consists of men who travel long distances to be a part of our group, but who nonetheless are doing the work of the Lord through sacrifice and service, friendship and love.
Elder Wirthlin talks of establishing this within our assignments, within our quorums, but I struggle to find it. It requires honest engagement, shared struggles, personal sacrifice, and much more than a single scheduled hour each week, going through the motions.
Is it possible to develop such bonds within a quorum? Within the Relief Society? It certainly happens among those called to presidencies, those who wrestle together and serve together, but I am asking about the broader groups, those who attend weekly but long for real connection, for real friendship, for deep trust.
It has taken me a long time to really understand the value of such bonds. I am blessed to know of it, to experience it, and I wish that all could have these experiences. But I confess, I am at a loss to understand how it might be shared. How it might be created. Is such a bond organic, something that takes on a life of its own when the conditions are right? Or is it something we can develop? Something we can foster?
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The Boston Globe
By Scot Lehigh | July 1, 2005
HERE'S THE question President Bush's Tuesday address to the nation raises.
Having framed the Iraq war in a dishonest way, can the president really expect the informed public to believe his presentation about how the stabilization effort is going?
Certainly Bush's speech started on a highly deceptive note, portraying the grinding conflict in Iraq as a necessary response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
More than a year ago, the 9/11 Commission reported that there was no "collaborative relationship" between Iraq and Al Qaeda.
Still, implications that Iraq was complicit in Sept. 11 and claims that Saddam had ties to Al Qaeda worked well for the Republicans in the 2004 campaign. They used the former tactic to deftly duplicitous effect at their national convention. In other venues, both Bush and Vice President Cheney insisted there was a relationship -- ''a whole series of contacts, high-level contacts," Cheney claimed -- between Al Qaeda and Saddam's regime.
Now the president is employing a similar approach even as he asks, in essence, that the nation trust his judgment and stay the course in Iraq.
But the time for trust has long expired. The nation would be far better served if Congress resolved to make this administration more accountable.
Senator Joseph Biden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently returned from his fifth trip to Iraq. The situation he found differs in crucial particulars from that which the president described, the senator told me in an interview.
In his speech, Bush told the nation that "today Iraq has more than 160,000 security forces trained and equipped for a variety of missions."
But here's what Biden says General David Petraeus, the man in charge of training Iraqi forces, told him about the 107 Iraqi army battalions: "He said three -- T-H-R-E-E -- are fully trained and capable of executing missions on their own without American help. You are talking 500 to 800 troops in each of the units. So if you add it all up, at most they have 2,400" troops ready to function independently.
Although Bush downplayed the problems with Iraq's fledgling forces, saying "some are capable of taking on the terrorists and insurgents by themselves" and that "a large number can plan and execute antiterrorist operations with coalition support," as Biden points out, it's the ability of those soldiers to operate independently that matters, because only then can US troops leave.
Further, the Delaware Democrat said that the United States and Iraq haven't taken France, Egypt, and Jordan up on their offers to train police or military officers -- offers Biden has heard in person from French President Jacques Chirac and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak. A high administration official confided to him that objections from the Department of Defense have kept that from happening, Biden says.
From his own conversations with NATO officials, Biden says NATO could be persuaded to send 3,000 to 5,000 troops to help secure Iraq's porous borders. But the administration has not pushed for that, he says.
On Tuesday, Bush said that 40 countries and three international organizations have pledged $34 billion to help Iraq's reconstruction. Actually, says Biden, $21 billion of that is from US taxpayers. Only $13 billion comes from other countries or agencies -- and of that, only about $3 billion has been delivered. What's more, he says, of the $18.4 billion Congress appropriated in the fall of 2003 in additional reconstruction dollars, only $6 billion has actually been spent.
Biden says it's time for Congress to get far more aggressive.
"We have been irresponsible," he said. "There have been virtually no oversight hearings about what is going on in Iraq." He proposes monthly oversight hearings to hold the administration responsible for concrete progress toward clearly outlined goals.
That's hardly all Congress should do. The Downing Street memo has increased suspicions that the Bush administration purposely misused intelligence to make the case for war. Yet despite a 2004 commitment to examine the administration's use of intelligence once the election was over, Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has since said that he no longer considers that investigation a priority.
Last week, 10 US senators wrote Roberts, a Kansas Republican, to urge that the investigation go forward with maximum speed. Of course it should.
But then, a lawmaker truly concerned about truth and accountability shouldn't need any prompting to pursue the Senate's crucial oversight responsibilities.
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What a relief after four months of mediocre animations to finally have a great animated film! “Rio” is a superb film with rich characters, dazzling visuals, lively music, great humor, and an interesting story with many twists and turns in the plot. The film is created by the same team that made The Ice Age, and opened nationwide on April 15, 2011, rated G.
Blu, a domesticated, mild-tempered male blue macaw, is one of the last two birds of his species left in the world. “Rio” tells the story of how Blu and his owner Linda (a young woman who works at a Minnesota bookstore) go to Rio so that Blue can meet the last female blue macaw named Jewel, and preserve the species from extinction. Along the way, a vicious bird named Nigel and his cruel poacher owner are out to get them.
I noticed that Rio’s opening is very similar to “Up,” because it shows the characters when they are young, and the lovely sequences of images without dialogue, indicating the passing of time in both films. The opening scene is one of my favorites. It dazzles you with multi-colored birds in the Brazilian forest, dancing in lively, energetic samba music.
I love the rich characters, especially Blu and Jewel. Jewel is assertive, bossy, always making it clear to Blu who’s the boss. Blu, the submissive male, goes along with it because all his life, he relied on a female to provide and care for him. I like how the film shows Blu, my favorite character, gradually gaining courage and becoming a protector and hero at the end.
I give Rio 4 starfish, it’s “Perrific!” There are some minor flaws. When baby Blu was found by Linda as young girl, she fed him milk in a bottle. That is not very realistic because parrots cannot metabolize lactose. The same thing goes for the hot chocolate that he drank later in the film. Just like how chocolate can kill dogs and cats, it is dangerous to parrots, too.
I would recommend this film to ages 10 and up because of mild references to bird reproduction, as the film is about reuniting the last male and female of the blue macaw species.
Rio is about greed, corruption in the illegal animal trade; but also about rivalry, love, and trust.
Love can give you wings to fly.
Copyright 2011 by Perry S. Chen
Perry Chen has been reviewing movies since he was 8 in third grade. He is also a young animator, collaborating with Oscar-nominated Bill Plympton. He was among 75 animators around the world to animate Plympton's "Guard Dog Global Jam" based on the Oscar-nominated "Guard Dog." "Guard Dog Global Jam" premiered at SXSW film festival in March 2011.
Perry is the youngest winner of San Diego Press Club 2010 Excellence in Journalism awards for his movie review, and was featured in “The Young Icons” TV show. He reviews G/PG-rated movies for the San Diego Union Tribune and San Diego Entertainer Magazine with over 1 million readers combined. Perry is also the resident film critic for Amazing Kids, a non-profit organization with kids-generated content on its monthly magazine with about 1 million readers. He was featured as "Amazing Kid of the Month" in Feb 2011:
Perry regularly covers red carpet premieres, press junkets, film festivals and awards, interviewing Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning directors and producers. He was the first child film critic invited to present at the Annie Awards for animation in 2010, and was featured on Variety for being one of the leading young film critics:
Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan
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Yesterday, a Republican Senator from Texas, John Cornyn, introduced a bill (pdf) that would prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from settling environmental lawsuits without first publishing the complaint "in a readily accessible manner, including electronically," and allowing "affected parties" an opportunity to intervene. The bill further provides that the filing of any motion to dismiss or for entry of a consent decree based on a settlement agreement shall be prohibited until after affected parties have had a "reasonable opportunity" to intervene. Should a party intervene, the bill would compel the courts to refer the parties, including all that intervened, to either a mediation program of the court or a magistrate judge. The bill would also prohibit any award of litigation costs for certain "covered settlements," and prohibit the courts from approving a "covered settlement" until the settlement is approved by each state and county in which the Secretary of the Interior believes a species occurs.
On December 17, 2012, the National Association of Home Builders, the Olympia Master Builders, the Home Builder Association of Greater Austin, and the Texas Salamander Coalition, Inc., filed a lawsuit (pdf) against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ken Salazar, in his official capacity, alleging that when the Service entered into stipulated settlements with WildEarth Guardians (pdf) and the Center for Biological Diversity (pdf) establishing procedures and deadlines for reviewing the listing and critical habitat determinations for 251 candidate species, it violated the Endangered Species Act and Administrative Procedure Act. A short discussion of the history leading up to these settlements can be found here. Plaintiffs allege in the complaint that "[t]he Service has abdicated a mandatory process based on best available science, public input and independent peer review in favor of a private settlement that lets two advocacy groups dictate the order, and pace of its statutorily required decision making process." As one example, plaintiffs allege that the agreements prohibit the Service from making a "warranted but precluded finding or to continue to assess information and conservation efforts that would lead to a warranted but precluded finding." While both settlement agreements do set forth procedures and deadlines for the Service's review, the agreements also state that "[t]he Agreement shall not (and shall not be construed to) limit or modify the discretion accorded to Defendants by the ESA, the Administrative Procedure Act ('APA'), or general principles of administrative law with respect to the procedures to be followed in making any determination required herein or as to the substance of any such determination. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted as, or constitute, a commitment or requirement that Defendants take any action in contravention of the ESA, the APA, or any other law or regulation, either substantive or procedural."
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Don’t miss this important two part Oprah, the first airing today November 5.
It has been a crucial part of my mission through my work with PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment to include men’s voices to shatter the silence of sexual violence. Every time I speak a conference, I hear other presenters use the word “She” and “Her” when speaking of survivors of sexual assault. I always speak up and voice my opinion that we need to stop using gendered language because at times even our movement silences male survivors!
This Oprah episode will surely create a groundswell of men speaking out, but the problem lies in the fact that many communities lack the support systems for male survivors. I have heard from countless men across the country on college campuses who survived sexual trauma and when they sought help from local rape crisis centers or counseling centers, they were turned away. This must change!
We are partnering with the organization 1 in 6 and Big Voice Pictures who created the film Boys and Men Healing to work towards cultivating education and action to support men who have been sexually abused. And PAVE’s Empowerment Director Gabe Wright is an outspoken male survivor. Click here on The Guys Project website and watch his short video.
You can submit your email to stay active in making sure we work as survivors and allies to help men and boys heal from sexual abuse!! www.TheGuysProject.org
Other friends of PAVE doing this important work include:
- Chris and Ophelia of (Wo)Men Speak Out
I am seeking your comments…what do we need to do as a society to help men and boys heal from sexual abuse? And if you saw the Oprah show, what did you think?
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This site celebrates the activities of Woolwich Arsenal, precursors of Arsenal FC, 100 years ago. Today…
Arsenal 0 Nottingham Forest 1,
Monday 9 October 1909. Division I
100 years ago there were no internationals going on, and football carried on in its proper fashion – with first division matches.
This match, like all midweek games in October was played in the afternoon – when the men working at the armaments factory were at work. Maybe because of this the official records don’t record the crowd.
Just to complete the picture Arsenal were the first Football League club to install floodlights, and the first floodlit game was against Hapoel Tel Aviv at Highbury in September 1951. The rules of the time said that clubs could play under floodlights as long as both sides agreed. So midweek games were still being played in the afternoon right through the 1950s.
In 1909 there was electric lighting (electric street lighting started to be installed in London in the 1880s) but there was nothing powerful enough to illuminate a football ground for another 40 years.
So, to return the 9 October 1901, this was Arsenal’s eighth game of the season, and thus far they had won only one – against Chelsea who were already looking doomed for the relegation they ultimately got.
The previous games were a 7-1 and 5-1 thrashing, the first largely caused by playing a goalkeeper with an injured knee, and the second when using the reserve keeper.
The reserve keeper played one more game for Arsenal in his entire career – this one. So G Fisher made his second and final appearance, while H Oliver playing centre forward made his one and only show for the club.
This defeat left Arsenal precariously near the foot of the table, and it was to get worse in the next game – but I’ll leave that for the present.
Forest had won the Cup in 1898 and come fourth in Division I in 1901, but they’d slipped away and had only returned to the top league in 1907, having won the second division. In the 1909/10 season they had just about the worst defence in the league, and so failing to score against them was another sign of how much trouble Woolwich Arsenal were in.
One win, one draw, six defeats, scored 7, against, 28. Not looking good.
The book, “Making the Arsenal” which tells the story of Arsenal in 1910 – the year that saw the birth of the modern Arsenal club – will be published on October 30th 2009, and will be available via this site. There’s more information on Arsenal today at www.blog.emiratesstadium.info
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Environmental Services | 206 W. Church St., 2nd Floor | P.O. Box 534045 | Grand Prairie, TX 75053
Phone 972-237-8055 | Fax 972-237-8228
Gas Well Drilling Frequently Asked Questions
Why are gas wells being drilled in this area now?
Geologists have known about the Barnett Shale gas reserves for some time, but
have only recently been able to use the technology of horizontal drilling to
make drilling economically feasible. Market prices for gas also have an effect
on the feasibility for drilling.
How do I know if I own the mineral rights underneath my home?
Looking at your deed or title should be your first step. If you do not have the
records, you can look at them at your county’s courthouse. The City is not
involved in any mineral leasing on private properties.
What state agency regulates the natural gas industry?
In Texas, the Railroad Commission regulates this industry as well as pipeline
safety. For more information, call (512) 463-7288.
How will I know if a gas well is going to be drilled near my home?
Operators or those drilling the well, are required to send notices to those
residences within 600 feet of the well site. Additionally, the operator must
place a legal advertisement in the newspaper for ten days prior to applying to
the City for a permit. The operator must also place a sign with contact
information at the site ten days prior to applying for a permit and a sign will
stay in place through drilling and production. The City will also update its
website to include pending and permitted wells along with operator contact
How close can a gas well be to my home?
The City issues three different types of permits: high impact, urban, and rural
gas well permits. High impact wells can be no closer than 500 feet from a
protected use such as a residence without applying for a variance and having a
What measures have been taken to protect the public and the environment?
Prior to adopting an ordinance, City staff visited gas well sites, reviewed other
ordinances, spoke with industry representatives, and contracted a petroleum
engineer as a third party inspector. The ordinance requires that gas well
drilling activities meet our noise ordinance, that all drilling muds are enclosed
in tanks, that Emergency Response Plans are prepared, and that all possible
safety measures such as well shut in valves are required. During drilling
operations, there is always a watchman or crew on site.
Who reviews the gas well application?
Gas well applications are reviewed by staff from Environmental Services, Fire
Administration, Engineering, Transportation, Planning, Public Works, and Legal.
The Gas Well Inspector also reviews the application.
How is the ordinance enforced?
Gas wells are inspected three times during the drilling stage by our Gas Well
Inspector and once annually thereafter. The City’s Gas Well Inspector is a third
party petroleum engineer who conducts technical and safety inspections of the
wells. City staff also conducts inspections periodically to ensure compliance
with our ordinance.
How long does it take to drill a well?
Drilling times vary depending on the rig and the geology, but typically a well
takes 20 to 45 days to drill and then an additional 30 to 60 days to fracture and
complete the well for production. Once drilling has commenced, it is a 24 hour
What should be expected after the well is completed?
After the well is complete and gas is flowing, the property will be fenced and
company representatives will come to the site on occasion to collect water
that has been separated from the gas or to conduct maintenance.
What is the life of a well?
Wells typically produce gas for about thirty years. After the well is no longer in
production, the well must be capped.
Does the City make money from wells drilled on private property?
Only the mineral owner and mineral lessee directly profit from drilling on
private property. The City, County, and School Districts will receive monies
from property tax increases on the wells as assessed by the County Appraisal
Who can I call if I have a question or complaint?
All questions can be answered by either the operator whose number is posted
on the sign and website or the Environmental Services Department at (972)
For more information, visit
www.gptx.org or for information on gas well operators, go to the Railroad Commission’s website at www.rrc.state.tx.us.
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Important Mammogram Guidelines
Schedule a mammogram at Metro Denver St. Anthony Breast Center at St. Anthony Medical Campus in Lakewood today at 720-321-0400 or request a mammogram appointment online.
Following recommended mammogram screening guidelines are vital in detecting breast cancer early, when it is most treatable.
The American Cancer Society recommends the following breast screening guidelines:
- Yearly mammograms starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.
- Clinical breast exam (CBE) by their physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife about every three years for women in their 20's and 30's and every year for women 40 and over.
- Women should perform breast self-exams monthly to know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any change or abnormality to their health care provider.
- Some women, because of their family history, a genetic tendency, or certain other factors, may need mammograms at an earlier age or breast MRI's in addition to mammograms. If you are concerned about an increased risk of hereditary breast cancer based on your family history, talk with your doctor or learn more about genetic counseling for hereditary cancer.
Tips for planning your mammogram appointment:
- If you are new to the St. Anthony Breast Center, it is important that we have your most recent mammogram films so our radiologists can accurately assess any changes.
- Try not to schedule your mammogram for the week just prior to your period.
- If you take hormones, schedule your mammogram during the period you are not taking hormones.
- On the day of the exam, don't wear deodorant or antiperspirant. Some of these have substances that can show up on the x-ray as white spots.
- If you have questions or concerns about Metro Denver mammograms, referrals or how to obtain your past films, please contact us, we will be glad to assist you.
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USD receives grant for Talent Search Program U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) announced July 11 The University of South Dakota (USD) will receive a $385,701 grant that will continue funding for the Talent Search Program, that works to identify students with disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education.
"Over the past few years, USD's program has had a tremendous positive effect in the south central and south eastern South Dakota. Many of the students who were first targeted for the program have now graduated and are successful, working members of our society. USD works with middle and high schools in the region to target children, who might not otherwise have the chance to go to college. The Talent Search Program also works with community organizations to identify high school dropouts by encouraging them to reenter high school and complete their education," Johnson said.
Services provided by the program include: academic, financial, career or personal counseling including advice on entry or re-entry to high school or college programs, career exploration and aptitude assessment, tutorial services, information on post secondary education, exposure to college campuses, information on student financial assistance, help in completing college admission and financial aid applications, assistance in preparing for college entrance exams, mentor programs, special activities for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders, and conducting workshops.
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June 18th, 2013
A student leaving college today with a degree in one of the STEM majors – science, technology, engineering or math — can practically dictate terms to potential employers. Those with advance degrees in one of the STEM disciplines are treated like royalty, and courted with promises of signing bonuses, big salaries, and cutting edge assignments.
But what about a humanities PhD? Even those at the top of the class, with works published in scholarly journals, scrounge for work. Many end up underemployed or working in careers having nothing to do with the field in which they earned their degree. Read the rest of this entry »
June 17th, 2013
The Financial Accounting Standards Board has endorsed three proposals from the Private Company Council that would simplify the accounting for privately held companies. In May, the council issued a set of proposals to modify specific U.S. GAAP accounting standards for private companies, involving accounting for intangible assets acquired in business combinations, goodwill, and certain types of interest rate swaps. The FASB expects to release the standards later this month for public comment. AccountingToday
June 14th, 2013
Large pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Merck are often celebrated for their marketing acumen. But, when compared with really successful marketing companies like the Internet giant Google, their performance is less than stellar. One way big pharma can learn from companies like Google is to give old products new life by improving the products themselves or by improving the delivery systems of existing products. New delivery systems provide an opportunity for drug companies to repackage tried-and-true drugs and regain market exclusivity based on the innovative delivery process. Forbes
June 12th, 2013
Adam Grant would have passed on Ari’s resume. Grant was hiring a salesperson, and on paper, Ari certainly didn’t look promising. He was a math major, and built robots as a hobby. But Grant’s boss thought him unusual and insisted he be interviewed. He bombed.
Grant reported that Ari lacked the social skills to build relationships, largely because he never made eye contact during the interview. Pointing out that it was a phone sales job, the company president had Ari return for another interview, using a very different approach. Ari got the job and went on to become one of the best sales people in the company. Read the rest of this entry »
June 10th, 2013
In your pocket, purse, or desk drawer there is a product once considered so remarkable and which became so much in demand that New Yorkers flooded the famed, now defunct, Gimbel’s when it first went on sale in 1945.
Within hours of its first sale on Oct. 29th, Gimbel’s sold out its entire supply of 10,000 Reynold’s Rockets, one of the first commercially viable ballpoint pens to be sold anywhere. Price: $12.50 each.
Today, in honor of the Invention that Changed the Way We Write we celebrate Ballpoint Pen Day. Read the rest of this entry »
June 9th, 2013
If you’re looking to hire a software engineer with certain skills, you’ve already made two mistakes. Software development is not engineering. And the best code jockeys — the kind of people you want on your team — are capable of picking up a new programming language in a matter of days.
“Just as Tiger Woods can easily embrace a new type of club or an unfamiliar course, a good software designer can easily embrace a new tool,” says Dale Reynolds is Visiting Professor at DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management, and the president and CEO of edelan.
A programmer and manager with IBM before becoming VP of development at Dell, Reynolds argues that hiring managers would do better and have more success if they looked at software development as a creative process. Unlike engineering, Reynolds says, “software development is 95 percent design and 5 percent construction… Software developers are not engineers.”
Similarly, hiring managers should look for developers with an innate talent for software design, rather than someone who knows how to use a specific tool. Just as you wouldn’t hire a cabinet maker simply because they knew how to use a saw, Reynolds insists the same logic should be applied to hiring programmers.
“Many companies recruit by listing a set of skills that a candidate needs. These are irreverent. On a daily basis this leads to hiring people who know a tool, e.g., Java, but are quickly surpassed by a talented developer, who didn’t know the tool, when the next week the company needs people to develop in Python. Managers should hire for talent, not for skills.”
Reynolds offers these two guides to hiring software developers:
- “Look for the candidates that demonstrate a good history of design and interest in art, music and other similar disciplines, not just technical topics.”
- “During the interview process the person doing the interview should “talk” to the candidate. Ask them about what they like, what they have done, what things excite them, etc. However, be sure that the people undertaking the interviews are in fact talented interviewers. They’ll recognize quickly if this is the “right” person or not.
June 6th, 2013
One CPA firm is still recovering from a “superstorm” that damaged nine of its 14 offices. Another has constructed a safe room in its new office, which was built after a tornado destroyed its previous office. A third firm is adjusting to the “new normal” in a city forever changed by widespread flooding. For these firms, disaster-response planning has taken on a whole new meaning. In “Preparing for disaster: Survivors offer tips for CPA firms to make it through any catastrophe,” authors Jeff Drew and Ken Tysiac detail the challenges three firms faced after disaster struck and how the lessons they learned can be applied to you you and your firm. In a second article, they list specific issues and items to address in your disaster recovery plan. Journal of Accountancy
June 5th, 2013
You can’t pick up an HR magazine, check a website, or attend a conference without hearing the phrase “big data.” And not just once, but multiple times. It’s not only the latest HR buzzword, but the meaning behind it, if not the term itself has permeated the social consciousness so thoroughly that Google reports there are 22 million searches a day on the term.
But what is “big data” and how is it different from other kinds? Read the rest of this entry »
June 3rd, 2013
Accustomed to being challenged by consumer groups, pharmaceutical companies, and the medical profession, the FDA is now in the uncomfortable position of having to defend itself against one of its own top scientists.
Thomas Marciniak, an FDA medical team leader, is challenging the FDA’s conclusion that a popular class of high blood pressure drugs is safe, and does not increase the likelihood that those who take them face an increased risk of certain types of cancer, including lung cancer.
An independent study published in the medical journal The Lancet found that those taking angiotensin receptor blockers, or ARBs, had as much as a 25% increased risk of developing lung cancer. Read the rest of this entry »
May 31st, 2013
Many executives prefer to read and respond to emails without the help of an administrative assistant. But with the volume of email continuing to rise, more and more executives are delegating that responsibility.
Turning over the keys to the mailbox (or the password, to be precise) is a big step. It requires a special amount of trust between assistant and boss, not to mention confidence that important emails will get prompt attention. Read the rest of this entry »
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Located in Dublin's city centre, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, originally called The Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, houses one of Ireland's foremost collections of modern and contemporary art. The original collection, donated by the Gallery's founder Sir Hugh Lane in 1908, has now grown to include over 2000 artworks, ranging from the Impressionist masterpieces of Manet, Monet, Renoir and Degas to works by leading national and international contemporary artists. The Gallery presents dynamic schedules of temporary exhibitions, seminars and public lectures, publications and educational projects.
The Hugh Lane's role as a leading museum of modern and contemporary art was enhanced with the acquisition of the entire contents of Francis Bacon's Studio, donated by Bacon's sole heir John Edwards. The studio, located at 7 Reece Mews, London, was relocated to Dublin in 1998 and opened to the public on 23 May 2001. It provides invaluable insight into the artist's life, inspirations, unusual techniques and working methods. Never before has an artist's studio been so thoroughly catalogued and reconstructed.
The Gallery's wide range of activities both within and outside the Gallery includes an annual series of lectures by artists, philosophers and art historians. A lively education and outreach programme has forged strong links with local school and community groups with activities ranging from Kids Club workshops, adult education courses and the ever-popular Sunday lecture series.
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MATLACK, Timothy, a Delegate from Pennsylvania; born in Haddonfield, Camden County, N.J., in 1730;
attended Quaker schools in Haddonfield and Philadelphia; engaged in mercantile pursuits in
Philadelphia; was in command of a battalion of Associators during the Revolution; member of the
provincial conference held in Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia, June 18, 1775; delegate to the convention
of July 15, 1776, and appointed secretary of state; member of the committee of safety in 1776; in
1777 was appointed keeper of the great seal; member of the board of trustees of the University of
Pennsylvania in 1779; Member of the Continental Congress in 1780; moved to Lancaster, Pa.;
master of the rolls of Pennsylvania 1800-1809; moved to Philadelphia and was prothonotary of the
district court for several years; member of the board of aldermen 1813-1818; died at Holmesburg,
near Philadelphia, Pa., April 14, 1829; interment in the Free Quaker Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Pa.;
reinterment in 1905 in Fatlands, on the Schuylkill River, opposite Valley Forge, Pa.
BibliographyStackhouse, A. M. (Asa Matlack). Col.
Timothy Matlack, Patriot and Soldier. [N.p.]: Privately printed, 1910.
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Kyle Smith is the developer of the Debt Bomb application for mobile devices. The Daily Caller published a brief item on the app last week. We have gone straight to the developer for the story. Kyle Smith writes:
In the late winter and early spring of 2011, there was a lot of media coverage regarding the national deficits and debt. Americans understand that these amount to staggeringly large numbers, yet it is still difficult to comprehend exactly how the magnitude of this problem could affect one’s pocketbook. This is one reason why it has been easy for politicians to make promises that postpone costs into the future – the debt’s meaning is still relatively abstract to most. Many Americans are unsure whether the debt could truly affect them and have been sold on the false notion that America can just raise taxes on the wealthy and make relatively modest spending cuts to fix the issue.
As I followed the news, I realized there needed to be a way at least to provide an estimate of how expensive it might be on an individual level if Washington were to force the American people to pay for the full cost of its spending through higher taxes. An iPhone app seemed to be an ideal medium. It is a great interactive way to reach young, tech-savvy Americans who have a significant stake in how our fiscal problems will be resolved, especially as the current political climate favors avoiding making tough long-term budgetary choices, forcing younger generations to bear the brunt of poor fiscal decisions. As a result, I embarked on what turned out to be a yearlong project to model the tax code and make these large numbers more digestible.
The end result is Debt Bomb (as of now for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad), released in time for Tax Day. Debt Bomb informs users how our fiscal problems could affect households like theirs if America were to raise tax rates proportionally in order to cover the deficits and debt.
I would have liked to submit Debt Bomb as an entry to the Power Line Prize competition, but alas, it was not ready by then. I hope Power Line readers who followed the Prize competition will download Debt Bomb from the App Store. Debt Bomb meets the goal John laid out last May when he announced the Prize: “That leaves the critical one-third, many of them young, who for whatever reason do not yet understand the threat that federal spending and debt pose to them and to the country. Data have been collected; charts and graphs have been prepared; op-eds have been written. But many millions of Americans have not yet been reached or persuaded by these sober economic analyses. We need a marketing campaign: a sustained effort to use the tools of modern communication to reach and educate every American, and to mobilize popular opinion to demand reform from the politicians in Washington.”
Now, a little bit about the nuts and bolts of the app: Debt Bomb begins with the options to (a) learn more about the origins of America’s long-term fiscal problems, and (b) input information in order to project taxes for a household. If the user chooses the latter option, the user encounters a screen where he or she can easily build a profile of a household for the next 10 years. This “Build a Future” screen allows him or her to input basic information about the household, such as income, state of residence, marital status, and number of children. The user can then project the additional taxes that household would have to pay if America were to avoid spending cuts and pay for its spending in full through tax increases. Tapping a bar on this graph pulls up a detailed breakdown of the annual taxes that household would pay under three different tax scenarios versus the household’s income.
At the heart of app is a model of the tax code, which includes major components such as the Alternative Minimum Tax and the Earned Income Tax Credit. The app also includes a model of Americans’ income profiles, which is based upon publicly available data, so as to simplify the user input process to a few basic household characteristics. Very few people want to fill out their taxes on an iPhone, so Debt Bomb simulates this information for them.
Debt Bomb relies on static projections, which assume that people do not change their behavior in response to higher tax rates. A dynamic model is a bit more complex and would produce even higher tax rates, as it would account for effects such as changes in tax filing behavior and people working less in response to higher taxes. However, the static projections should be fairly adequate for most users because they initially enter the income a household expects to make and then see what the government would need to take from that in order to cover promised spending. Adding an advanced feature to account for dynamic effects is likely to come in an update to the app.
Finally, Debt Bomb allows users to take action on the issue by contacting their elected representatives directly from the app and emailing and tweeting the information to others.
Kyle adds this footnote regarding the Debt Bomb app logo: “I was fortunate to have a friend of mine from Princeton, Sean Rubin, work with me to design it. He’s really going places — his graphic novel Bolivar was just recently picked up by Warner Brothers to be turned into an animated movie.”
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Nicaraguan President-elect Daniel Ortega has announced that he will this week call on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to relax its stringent policy towards Nicaragua in order to be able to tackle endemic poverty and hunger
The Sandinista leader, who will return to power in January 2007 after sixteen years out of office, hopes he can count upon support from the churches, non-government organisations and international solidarity networks as his centre-left administration tries to reverse years of decline which have left the Central American country among the most impoverished in the world.
Already, a former conservative Catholic Cardinal has made a strong public plea to make anti-poverty action a top priority.
Ortega, whose FSLN was a romantic cause celebre for the political left in the 1980s, lost the Nicaraguan election in 1990, after concerted US-backed attempts to destabilise the radical social experiment that followed years of Somoza dictatorship – which was ended by the Sandinista revolution in 1979.
Now, however, the former commandante has returned to power on a wave of renewed support, and he says that that he will try to work with private companies and foreign investors to rebuild the country.
Daniel Ortega is to meet with an IMF top level mission on Tuesday 19 December 2006, gathering in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua.
He said this week that maintaining macroeconomic balance and ending the dire poverty that affects 80 percent the population were the inter-dependent conditions for effectively renewing the IMF accord.
The IMF mission will be led by Western Division Manager Anoop Singh, IMF representative in Nicaragua, Humberto Arbulu, told reporters last week.
Among IMF demands are the freezing the Social Security Law the National Assembly approved May 2005, to be enforced when Ortega assumes office on 10 January 2007.
The president-elect says that abandoning such programmes means abandoning the neediest. He has also called on business leaders to back urgently needed social programmes.
The incoming Sandinista president has already received backing from unexpected sources. The now-retired Cardinal Obando y Bravo, who was a critic of the FSLN and the radical ‘popular church’ in the 1980s, recently spoke at a Mass to celebrate Ortega’s 61st birthday.
The 80-year-old retired archbishop of Managua mentioned in his homily what he considers one of the greatest injustices in the contemporary world: “It is relatively a few who possess much and many who possess almost nothing. It is injustice resulting from the poor distribution of goods and services destined originally for all.”
He continued: “Human rights are violated not only by terrorism, repression and murders but also by the existence of conditions of extreme poverty and of unjust economic structures that cause great inequalities.”
US Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon has also met with Daniel Ortega, and the US is now talking of an "important" new dialogue between the former bitter enemies.
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Contrary to popular belief, not all athletes have air or rocks for brains. In fact, there are quite a lot of athletes who defy the stereotype. For example, the late Brazilian legend Socrates earned a medical degree during his playing career, and after retiring, he made full use of the degree.
There are also a number of footballers who are knowledgeable about and care for the environment, about keeping the world clean and keeping themselves clean as well. Below are a few of the most notable examples.
The Tottenham defender loves his cars and has quite a few, including six classic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500s. He previously drove a Bentley, and he currently rolls around in an Audi A1, but the France-born Cameroon international used to drive the cute, compact, environment-friendly Smart Car. It was almost as much an economical decision (not that he has to worry about pinching pennies though) as it was an environmental one, but it’s a good deed nonetheless.
Also noteworthy is the fact that Assou-Ekotto is a supporter of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, which has goals to end global poverty by 2015 and to provide fresh drinking water for all, and he also made a large contribution to the London Evening Standard‘s Dispossessed Fund, which aims to fight poverty in London.
The former England #1 keeper, who’s still going strong at 41 with Championship side Bristol City, has long been one of football’s unique personalities. There’s the many hairstyles he’s had over the years, some more of a hit than others. There’s his extremely well-written and insightful regular column for The Observer, in which he covers many subjects, from football, to life as a footballer, to life in general.
And he was also an environmental nut before some others in his profession jumped on the boat, with this article summing up his vast interests and endeavors quite well. And as with some of his hairdos, not all of his environmental experiments were a success.
When it comes to Earth-loving footballers, it’s hard to top Gary Neville. The former Manchester United and England defender, who’s now on the other side of the screen for Sky Sports, gained a wealth of attention two years ago when it was revealed that he had applied for planning permission to build an eco-friendly home in rural Lancashire.
Unfortunately for Neville, that attention wasn’t all positive. Initially, he was given the go-ahead, but after objections from locals, his application was rejected at the final hurdle. But as the saying goes, it’s the thought that counts.
While his house plans didn’t come to fruition, he did have what was described as the most environment-friendly match in English football history when he had his testimonial against Juventus in May of last year. At his request, everything at Old Trafford that night was powered by 52 windmills across the UK, thanks to a firm named Ecotricity.
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THE THEOLOGICAL LEGACY OF JOHN S. DUNNE
The theological legacy of John S. Dunne, CSC—from Buber to Bradbury.
In the index of any book by John S. Dunne, CSC, you can find Martin Buber bumping right up against Ray Bradbury, and Sartre all cozy with-well, Satan. Tolkien and Tolstoy must be old friends by now.
“I appreciate that he draws from many kinds of sources, because it helps burst the bubble’’ of academic insulation we wrap around God, and “reminds you what theology is all about,’’ says Emily Stetler, a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame. “It reflects a mode of doing theology that has been lost in the church; I think of St. Augustine talking about secular texts.’’ And in the classroom, “you feel you’re watching him perform a contemplative action almost, and producing something that’s both intellectually intriguing and spiritually insightful.’’
Come September, Dunne will have spent fifty-yes, fifty-years teaching, writing, and befriending students at Notre Dame. Next month, the university will host a conference, Seeking the Heart’s Desire: Celebrating John Dunne’s Half-Century at Notre Dame. “Of all the people who have written about the heart and the heart’s desire,’’ no one has done it better, says Don McNeill, CSC, who has been hoping to gather “all the Dunnian people’’ together in this way for some years now.
When Dunne returned to his alma mater to teach in the fall of 1957, he had just wrapped up his studies in Rome and spent the summer in Paris, where, as the only English speaker in his house, he was frequently called on to show American visitors around: “I’d always end the tour with the Mona Lisa,’’ he recalls, “and somebody would always-well, not always, but a few times, anyway-somebody would accost me and want to discuss the existence of God.’’ (The painting has that effect on people, he claims. But then, so does he.)
In those days, there was no Theology Department at Notre Dame; they called it religion, and no one wanted to study it: “It was not popular; at that time there was kind of the assumption that if one was an ordained priest, one was qualified to teach theology,’’ says Robert Pelton, CSC, who renamed the department and chaired it from 1959 to 1963. Because Dunne was such a favorite with students, Pelton says, “he was the perfect person’’ to help change that.
That first fall, Dunne says, “I think they gave me Morals and Sacraments, with a textbook and everything. But I kind of ignored it from the start.’’ Instead, he began the journey that became his life’s work, which his friend John Chaplin describes as “a commitment to seeking, but with this profound sense of what his heart is made for.’’
In his sixteen books, which include Time and Myth and The Way of All the Earth, “he doesn’t use complicated or academic words unless he has to,’’ says Kenneth Woodward, longtime religion editor at Newsweek, who has drawn on and referenced Dunne’s work repeatedly over the years. “He’s so poetic, and suddenly you are moving into these spaces he’s opened up for you, and that’s what makes him so different from anyone else who does theology.’’ Each day, he writes a new paragraph for his next book, Deep Rhythm and the Riddle of Eternal Life, to be published in 2008.
He still teaches undergraduates the Death and Rebirth class he had been offering long before I sat in on it in 1980. And though his sources for the course-Socrates, Dante, and Kier-ke-gaard-are not what you’d call perishable, it is a spellbinding thing to watch him meet these thinkers as if for the first time in the classroom. When I go back to Notre Dame, I sometimes get to take a morning walk with him around the lake he must have circled so many times you’d think he’d be dizzy by now-but he is the same way on that well-worn path, as if he’d never seen the goslings before.
(For more information on the conference, to be held March 30-April 1, interested Dunnians can see https://marketplace.nd.edu/cce/, or contact Paul Kollman, CSC, who is organizing the weekend, at firstname.lastname@example.org.)
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For 20 years, OPU, a non-governmental and non-profit organization, has been providing help to refugees and foreigners in the Czech Republic.
During its first years of existence, OPU primarily focused on people who had been persecuted in their home countries for being part of a specific social group, for political, ethnical, religious or racial reasons, or on those foreigners who were granted asylum and temporary protection. Today OPU provides assistance to third-country nationals and migrants in distress. The organization has offices in Praha, Brno, Ceske Budejovice and Plzen.
OPU provides free legal and social assistance for foreigners in distress (victims of exploitation, human trafficking, homeless foreigners or foreigners in detention). We are the only organization in the Czech Republic with team of experts assisting unaccompanied underage foreigners. One of our services of resettlement is “Half Way House“ - a social service for clients who reached the legal age. We open educational programs for the public and professionals to prevent extremism and discrimination of foreigners, minorities and ethnic groups. We run development projects supported by international projects in refugees' home countries.
OPU counselors provide their services at the OPU office in Prague every work day. Moreover, our staff regularly visits asylum centers and detention centers to help asylum seekers solve their legal and other problems. We also organize free-time activities for asylum seekers living in asylum centers.
Our further activities comprise educational programs for university students which aim to train future professionals in legal and social work with refugees and migrants. OPU representatives also give multicultural lectures focusing on racism and xenophobia prevention in elementary and secondary schools.
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Please recommend us on Facebook, Twitter and more:
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Tell us what you think of Chemistry 2011 -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Have any problems using the site? Questions?
Chemistry2011 is an informational resource for students, educators and the self-taught in the field of chemistry. We offer resources such as course materials, chemistry department listings, activities, events, projects and more along with current news releases.
The history of the domain extends back to 2008 when it was selected to be used as the host domain for the International Year of Chemistry 2011 as designated by UNESCO and as an initiative of IUPAC that celebrated the achievements of chemistry. You can learn more about IYC2011 by clicking here. With IYC 2011 now over, the domain is currently under redevelopment by The Equipment Leasing Company Ltd.
Are you interested in listing an event or sharing an activity or idea? Perhaps you are coordinating an event and are in need of additional resources?
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Here are some highlights: Featured Idea 1, Featured Idea 2.
Ready to get involved? The first step is to sign up by following the link: Join Here. Also don’t forget to fill out your profile including any professional designations.
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YUM-O! empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.
Say hello to springtime with this delightful, wholesome meal!
Far Eastern flavors add an exotic touch to tender steak and noodles.
This catch of the day is reading for dipping!
This is the easiest ever (and super delicious!) lamb supper – it can even be prepared as a make-ahead meal!
Like many park districts around the country, Metro Parks Tacoma, Tacoma, Washington's park district, partners with the USDA to offer a Free Summer Meal Program for children. However, in many areas, the meals provided by park districts barely meet USDA nutritional standards. Setting itself apart, Metro Parks Tacoma has gone a step further in partnering with Subway Restaurants to not only feed children, but feed them healthy, nutritional meals that exceed the nutritional standards.
"While ensuring children have food to eat is a vital first step, what we are feeding them is even more important,” says Shon Sylvia, director of recreation and community services, Metro Parks Tacoma. "We made the decision to invest more in the summer food program to express our commitment to the health and well-being of our community. It’s great having Subway Restaurants in our parks."
To support this partnership, Metro Parks Tacoma will distribute SUBWAY® FRESH Fit for Kids® meals, developed to fit into the American Heart Association’s approach to a healthy lifestyle. These meals are intended to fill the nutrition gap and ensure children get the meals they need as part of the MPT annual Summer Playground program. Subway® Restaurants will supply fresh, healthy meals – including grains, vegetables, fruits, lean protein and dairy items.
Metro Parks Tacoma (MPT) distributes SUBWAY® FRESH Fit for Kids® meals, developed to fit into the American Heart Association’s approach to a healthy lifestyle, and offers fun, recreational opportunities to help keep kids active and healthy throughout the summer. This is the first initiative of its kind in Washington state, and while the goal for MPT is to offer healthy food and enjoyable recreational activities for kids, the agency is also hoping to influence other parks departments around the country to follow their lead in an effort to fight against childhood obesity on a national level.
Visit Metro Parks Tacoma's website to learn more about their Free Summer Meal Program and Summer Playground Program!
with recipes that families will love cooking and eating together!more
Click on the photo above to tell us about your favorite chef!more
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From Herndon, Virginia, USA:
My eight year old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes three months ago. We just switched endocrinologists, and they seem to have different views on injection site rotation. The first doctor had my daughter on a two shot per day regimen of NPH with NovoLog had my daughter do her injections focusing on one body part at a time (using sites on that body part then moving to the next -- thighs, stomach, arms). I think his goal was to maximize the time between injections in the same location. However, the new doctor has switched her to a three shot per day regimen with (NPH with NovoLog in the morning, NovoLog at dinner, and NPH before bed) and emphasizes keeping the injection in the same body part for each injection to get consistent absorption (i.e. evening and morning NPH in thighs, and dinner NovoLog in arms). Can you comment on these different approaches?
If forced to pick, I'd side with endocrinologist number two. There is evidence that absorption is fastest from the abdomen, then the arms then the thighs. This knowledge suggests that one of the many variables of insulin absorption can be minimised by sticking with a combination of injection time and body part. Provided that the actual site within the region is also varied, injection site lipohypertrophy can be avoided.
Original posting 3 Aug 2003
Posted to Blood Tests and Insulin Injections
Last Updated: Tuesday April 06, 2010 15:09:46
This Internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other health care professional.
This site is published by Children With Diabetes, Inc, which is responsible for its contents.
© Children with Diabetes, Inc. 1995-2013. Comments and Feedback.
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“Prime Minister Harper will soon confront some of the most difficult challenges faced by any Canadian leader since 1945: a global economic crisis, a grinding war on the other side of the planet and an aging population that will require more and more public support,” Frum writes.
Adding: “And he will face these challenges intellectually very much alone. Other recent prime ministers could all find inspiration and support from ideological soulmates around the world.”
Although I too respect the man greatly, the above is simply not correct. There are other conservative leaders out there, and more will join in the coming years. It seems more than possible that Spain’s conservatives, for instance, will win the next elections. Same goes for the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. And then there is Nicholas Sarkozy of France who isn’t exactly a dreamy progressive either.
To be fair to Frum, he does mention European leaders, but he describes them as follows: “ In Germany, a very slightly conservative party governs in coalition with Social Democrats. And in France, Nicholas Sarkozy is veering further and further left with every drop in the stock market indexes, calling, in a speech this week in Brussels, for a ‘new form of capitalism’ in which no financial institution \should escape regulation and supervision’.”
Anyone who calls Merkel “slightly conservative” after seeing what kind of policies Germany would pursue with the country’s Social Democrats in power is either uninformed or either intentionally distorting the truth. Merkel is quite conservative, perhaps not to American standards, but most certainly to German’s. And Sarkozy may have changed his tone a bit, but he remains a French conservative.
What Frum, then, does not get, seemingly, is that the word conservatism does not mean the same in one country as it does in the other. Canadian conservatives are not the same as European conservatives, and they are also not the same as American conservatives. The same goes for Asian conservatives. They are conservatives, adhering to many of the same basic principles, but they also differ considerably.
But that does not make them any less ‘conservative.’
Those differences aside, Harper is indeed in a fascinating position in so far that the two countries in which ‘conservatism’ resemble his most, the United States and Britain, have or will have progressive leaders to deal with the crisis. This means that Harper will be alone in the British speaking world.
His leadership, and his success could very well have an impact on the other English speaking countries, and, yes, even on Europe.
As an aside, Harper should spend time with David Cameron, the British Tory leader. The two men resemble each other closely in style and policy views and Cameron is likely to become Britain’s next Prime Minister.
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In 2009, the Cerdas, a Las Vegas family whose two daughters suffered from immune deficiency disorders, appeared on the reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Their old, moldy house was torn down, and new one, designed to protect the young girls, was built in its place. But as it turns out, the Cerda girls may not have been sick at all.3. In a pinch, you can use tinfoil to more easily move heavy furniture.
Six doctors in Oregon testified that neither Molly, age 10, or Maggie, 8, suffer from an immune deficiency disease. Rather, their mother Terri may suffer from Munchhausen by proxy syndrome, a psychological disorder that leads caregivers to invent or exaggerate health problems in others for attention or sympathy.
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By BEN FELLER, Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The White House called North Korea the odd man out. President Barack Obama counted it back in.
Billed as a trip about securing dangerous nuclear material, Obama's mission here has morphed into a concentrated and calculated opportunity to warn, cajole and shame North Korea to change course. He has stared down North Korea from an observation post, lectured its leaders, pleaded for them to choose peace and belittled them as living 50 years in the past.
Some of this was bound to happen. By holding a nuclear security summit in South Korea, the world was inviting the shadow of the uninvited neighbor to the north, whose nuclear weapons program, missile testing and murky intentions tend to seize attention. Then the North's plan for a long-range rocket launch unnerved the leaders gathered here.
Obama took it deeper, inviting a showdown rather than dismissing North Korea as distraction. In an imagery-filled visit to the demilitarized no-man's land between North and South, in his comments with the South Korean president, in his appearance before reporters and in his lobbying with China, Obama pounded on North Korea's behavior.
Politically, Obama had little to lose by getting tough on North Korea, but plenty if he didn't. Up for election at home, and promising friends in Asia they are a new focal point of America's strategic interest, Obama's leadership surely would have been scrutinized had he passed up the chance to take a stand while here.
So he exploited the contrast between the surging South and the impoverished North as a symbol of his broader message: a new chance for North Korea to choose hope or oblivion.
Yet this wasn't exactly the story the White House promoted before the president arrived.
The focus had been on the important if uninspiring work of getting more than 50 nations to secure or give up their nuclear material, so that it would not end up with terrorists bent on destroying a city. At the summit, which is the main reason Obama came at all, North Korea is not even directly on the agenda.
"The point here is that president is going to the Nuclear Security Summit. The Nuclear Security Summit is not about North Korea," Daniel Russel, Obama's senior Asia adviser, said in a preview days ago when asked about the North's latest provocations.
"North Korea," he added, "will be the odd man out."
Sidelined, yes, but hardly silenced.
There was an entire parallel agenda across Obama's three days here, both for him and other leaders. Only now, as the summit unfolds in earnest at the end of his stay, will Obama and his peers dive into the nitty gritty of his goal of securing all nuclear material within two more years.
"It's hard enough to keep attention on nuclear security, because there is disagreement on the threat and what to do about it," said Sharon Squassoni, director of the proliferation prevention program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. And then throw in the distracting effect of North Korea.
"A summit is a completely inappropriate venue for dealing with the North Korean threat," she added. "A summit of 54 leaders is not a negotiating forum."
So instead, North Korea carried its own shadow agenda.
The broad challenge for the United States and its partners has been how to sway North Korea to seek a better version of itself.
The immediate dilemma? What to do about North Korea's planned long-range rocket launch next month. The United States and other nations see it as a cover for testing long-range missiles that could be mounted with nuclear weapons. South Korea underlined the stakes by warning it might shoot down parts of the rocket if it violates its air space.
Obama has been trying to prevent that launch and influence China to show more toughness toward its neighbor, North Korea. Yet he did not want to get drawn into a trap — one more consuming episode-of-the-moment with a country known for them. So he tried to swing bigger.
"I want to speak directly to the leadership in Pyongyang," Obama declared in a speech. He offered a hand of peace and warned of the consequences of rejection.
"Instead of the dignity you desire, you are more isolated," he said of North Korea's leadership. "Instead of earning the respect of the world, you have been met with strong sanctions. You can continue down the road you are on, but we know where that leads."
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Some of you may remember the black eye the American Academy of Family Physicans receicved for partnering with Pepsi. These relationships run counter to public health goals. The tactic is not new. Food & tobacco industry companies have contributed heavily to ethnicity-focussed groups that operate education and arts programs. It is difficult to claim that a funder has no impact on the decisions of the fund recipients. Those of us south of the border (Canadian) think public health experiences fewer challenges to making a nation healthier. Read the op-ed piece from the Canadian Medical Association Journal by clicking on the link below.
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Ronald Reagan would embarrass himself and the country by asking Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, which was going to be there for decades. So the National Security Council (NSC) staff and State Department had argued for many weeks to get Reagan's now famous line removed from his June 12, 1987, Berlin speech.
With a fervor and relentlessness I hadn't seen over the prior seven years even during disputes about "the ash-heap of history" or "evil empire," they kept up the pressure until the morning Reagan spoke the line. "Is that what I think it is?" I asked White House communications director Tom Griscom about a cable NSC Adviser Frank Carlucci had been nudging at us across the table during a White House senior staff meeting at the Cipriani Hotel in Venice. (Reagan had been attending a G-8 summit there and would shortly fly to the German capital.) With a shake of his head and a smile, Mr. Griscom confirmed the last-minute plea from State to drop the key sentence.
In the Reagan Library archives, similar documents chronicling the opposition's intensity surface from time to time. I was gratified though not surprised to hear a few years back about one NSC staffer's memo to Deputy National Security Adviser Colin Powell complaining that on multiple occasions, perhaps as many as five or six, I had declined as head of speechwriting—the writer talked about "a heated argument" between us—to remove the offending sentence.
And not only me. Shortly after the speech draft began making its review through the bureaucracy, the speechwriters, as Reagan true-believers, had deployed to do the interpersonal glad-handing that sometimes eases objections to speech passages. The Berlin event for us was the quintessential chance—in front of Communism's most evocative monument—to enunciate the anti-Soviet counterstrategy that Reagan had been putting in place since his first weeks in office.
Well before a draft was circulated, I called the writer who had the assignment, Peter Robinson, and told him I was going to an Oval Office meeting.
Shortly before we walked to the West Wing, Peter told me what he wanted in the draft: "Tear down the wall." I pushed back in my chair from my desk and let loose "fantastic, wonderful, great, perfect" and other inadequate exclamations. The Oval Office meeting agenda went quickly, with little chance to pop the question. But the discussion ceased for a moment toward the end, and I crowded in: "Mr. President, it's still very early but we were just wondering if you had any thoughts at all yet on the Berlin speech?"
Pausing for only a moment, Reagan slipped into his imitation of impressionist Rich Little doing his imitation of Ronald Reagan—he made the well-known nod of the head, said the equally familiar "well," and then added in his soft but resonant intonation while lifting his hand and letting it fall: "Tear down the wall."
I had refused to talk to Peter until I was back in my office, such was my excitement. Slamming the door I shouted: "Can you believe it? He said just what you were thinking. He said it himself."
So it was "the president's line" now. And that made it easier, though not dispositively so, for the speechwriting department to fight off objections. But this is where the Berlin address was about more than the killer sentence.
As commentators have noticed, much of the rest of the speech is also memorable, with enduring ideas and stately cadences. Mr. Robinson, a Dartmouth and Oxford graduate, had been mentored in his career by such writer-luminaries as Dartmouth Prof. Jeffrey Hart and William F. Buckley Jr. This pedigree helped him understand how Reagan's own conservatism, while less formally instructed, was powerfully ideational. Closer historical scrutiny of Reagan's writings before the presidency, as well as the extent of his involvement in his presidential speeches, has revealed that he was more than merely a Great Communicator but also a man of ideas, a cerebral president.
And part of Reagan's caring about larger ideas had to do with the nature of his foreign policy and the often overlooked rubrics he adopted. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has suggested that the Reagan years show that "containment" worked. In fact, Reagan explicitly and repeatedly rejected containment as too accommodationist, saying "containment is not enough."
As part of this strategy, Reagan established offensive-minded, victory-conscious rubrics like "forward strategy for freedom," "not just world peace but world freedom," and "expanding the frontiers of freedom."
Part of this was Reagan's attempt to codify while in office a Cold War narrative developed by the anti-communist conservative movement that formed him over three decades even as he helped form it. That narrative saw liberal notions about how to handle communist regimes as provoking aggression or causing catastrophe: Franklin Roosevelt's Stalin diplomacy, Harry Truman's Marshall mission to China, John Kennedy's offer of a "status quo" to Khrushchev in Vienna, Jimmy Carter's statement that we have an "inordinate fear of communism."
Reagan had the carefully arrived at view that criminal regimes were different, that their whole way of looking at the world was inverted, that they saw acts of conciliation as weakness, and that rather than making nice in return they felt an inner compulsion to exploit this perceived weakness by engaging in more acts of aggression. All this confirmed the criminal mind's abiding conviction in its own omniscience and sovereignty, and its right to rule and victimize others.
Accordingly, Reagan spoke formally and repeatedly of deploying against criminal regimes the one weapon they fear more than military or economic sanction: the publicly-spoken truth about their moral absurdity, their ontological weakness. This was the sort of moral confrontation, as countless dissidents and resisters have noted, that makes these regimes conciliatory, precisely because it heartens those whom they fear most—their own oppressed people. Reagan's understanding that rhetorical confrontation causes geopolitical conciliation led in no small part to the wall's collapse 20 years ago today.
The current administration, most recently with overtures to Iran's rulers and the Burmese generals, has consistently demonstrated that all its impulses are the opposite of Reagan's. Critics who are worried about the costs of economic policies adopted in the last 10 months might consider as well the impact of the administration's systematic accommodation of criminal regimes and the failure to understand what "good vs. evil" rhetoric can do.
Mr. Dolan was chief speechwriter at the Reagan White House for eight years and served in the George W. Bush administration as special adviser in the offices of the secretary of State and the secretary of Defense.
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Series: A Look at Domestic Violence in Raleigh
Five of Raleigh’s 16 homicides this year were related to domestic abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four women has been a victim of severe physical violence by a partner. It is likely that every resident in Raleigh knows a victim of domestic violence, whether they know it or not. In this three-part series, the Raleigh Public Record takes a look at this issue in Raleigh, from the statistics to the faces of women who escaped from hell.
Domestic Abuse in Raleigh: A Quiet Reality
There were five domestic-violence-related killings in Raleigh this year and another 2,080 crimes related to domestic abuse. In this first part of a three-part series, the Record examines domestic violence and shares the story of one victim who found a way out.
Domestic Violence in the Courts
In this second story of our three-part series, we examine how domestic abuse in Raleigh and Wake County plays out in court and share the story of Maria, who suffered abuse for three years.
The Cost of Support for Domestic Abuse
In Wake County, there is only one organization that provides all the services a domestic violence victim needs under one roof. In the final installment of our three-part series on domestic violence, we learn about that organization, its funding challenges and the advocates who help those in need.
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