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MOSCOW -- Protecting its shaky first step toward the free market, Russia introduced embargoes on most consumer goods on Friday to prevent a raid on its limited supplies by neighboring republics.
From now on, products from meat, butter and vodka to televisions and samovars are not to be permitted to leave the republic, with travelers to be scrutinized against taking anything more than subsistence rations.
The harsh order by Russian President Boris Yeltsin was put into effect as Russia`s major neighbor, Ukraine, introduced its own protectionist measure of a quasi-currency in new revenue coupons.
The simultaneous competitive steps were taken as each republic sought to protect its fledgling economic independence while jockeying for position in the new Commonwealth of Independent States that the former Soviet republics are trying to form for economic and political stability.
The two republics are also rivals in how to control the huge military establishment of the defunct Soviet Union.
Russia seeks a collective defense command, while Ukraine plans an independent military, even claiming warships of the Black Sea fleet over the objections of Russia.
The latest economic moves by the two key republics added new elements of unpredictability to the volatile situation in which Russia, the largest republic, is trying to take the lead in free-market innovations to replace seven decades of communism that has devastated the former Soviet republics.
Russia liberalized most state price controls last week, hoping to spark enough of a supply-and-demand syndrome to see empty store shelves begin to rebound.
It followed that up Friday with the embargo on most consumer goods to protect its economic experiment as well as its limited retail supplies against neighboring republics that already have been moving to keep their own consumer goods at home.
Ukraine, facing a currency shortage and fearing a raid on its own limited supplies by black marketeers and Russian shoppers, introduced the coupon system on Friday.
Under it, 25 percent of wages are to paid in new money-like certificates designed to replace the ruble currency that is controlled by neighboring Russia.
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Despite Misconceptions, “COAH” Obligations Still Exist
On August 28, 2011, Reorganization Plan No. 001-2011 became effective and eliminated the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). However, it did not eliminate the rules and regulations promulgated by the New Jersey Fair Housing Act (FHA). The Reorganization Plan consolidated the regulatory framework and the Council’s staff into the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA).
In its attempt to streamline the efforts to produce and administer affordable housing in the Garden State, Local Planning Services (LPS) (COAH’s new name) released a series of transitional guidance documents that:
- Removes the approval processes for development fee ordinances & amendments, administrative agents, Municipal Housing Liaisons & RCA Administrators and operating manuals;
- Replaces the resolution requirement to approve Spending Plans, and any subsequent amendments, with a letter requesting the same (however, expenditures must still be authorized by resolution); and
- Allows (and encourages) the submission of waiver requests to provide relief of certain regulations that would deter the expeditious production of affordable housing.
No regulatory amendments have been made. Therefore it is questionable whether or not the NJDCA has the legal capacity to modify the administrative code without going through the rule making process. While the regulations are still subject to a pending court decision, the Uniform Housing Affordability Controls (UHAC) – the regulations that govern the administration of affordable housing – still prevail.
Court towns will not be affected by new rules, whether issued by the NJDCA or the courts (with the possible exception of modifications to third round obligations). There is still no clear directive from the State that those pending plans are valid.
So what do you do as a municipality? First, know that affordable housing is not a nightmare. Well designed and well planned affordable housing can be simple and can blend in to your community fabric. It helps senior citizens, working families and special needs populations – populations that are already members of the community.
Secondly, take charge of your community and be proactive. Do not subject your plans and your taxpayers to costly builders’ remedy lawsuits. Make sure your zoning ordinances and comprehensive planning documents are inclusive of affordable housing. Adopt a Housing Element. Appoint a Fair Housing Officer, this can be your local Clerk or Community Development Director, so that local residents have a place to learn about fair housing & equal opportunities. Secure and utilize state and federal funds to engage in homeowner rehabilitation of low and moderate-income households. Utilize innovative programs like Market-to-Affordable (great in today’s buyers market) and the Accessory Apartment Program to incentivize local production of affordable housing (you can utilize your development fees). Conduct an inventory of your current affordable housing units and find ways to maintain those units and their affordability controls (this is particularly important for those units subject to foreclosure proceedings). Small steps and annual progress is a good step to protecting yourself from litigation, while benefiting and ensuring the welfare of the State’s most vulnerable populations.
The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author.
Published October 3, 2011.
Triad Associates is currently the League’s Grant Consulting Firm. Their firm, which is known for its expertise in community and economic development, including strategic planning, redevelopment, acquisition, relocation and funding, has brought diverse plans and projects to life by generating more than $580,000,000 for over 120 public, private and nonprofit clients throughout the Northeast region since 1978. Every member of the Triad team is personally committed and dedicated to the success of its clients and the projects that benefit communities.
Full version of October article for printing
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Maj. Gen. Robert Mood, whose three-month mission in Damascus ended last week, also said the situation in Syria is likely to remain unstable even if Assad's government steps down.
"It's impossible to imagine a future in Syria where the current people in power remain in power. So in that view, it's just a matter of time before this regime collapses. And that is how it's supposed to be," Mood told a news conference in Oslo. That could happen, he said, if more members of the military simultaneously leave the ranks of the government to join the opposition.
But Mood also said that if Assad's regime collapses, it might not be the end of Syria's many problems. "That might not be the start of a dialogue. That could easily be the start of a situation that is way worse," he said.
Since last week, Syrian rebels have made a run on the country's two largest cities, Aleppo and Damascus. Regime forces have responded with overwhelming firepower, ushering in some of the most serious violence the cities have seen in 17 months of conflict.
On Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syria not to launch an offensive against rebels in Aleppo amid reports of an army build-up in that city. "I urge the Syrian government to halt their offensive," Ban said at an Olympics event in London alongside British Foreign Secretary William Hague. "The violence from both sides must stop for the sake of the suffering civilians of Syria."
Assad "must call off this assault," said Hague, adding: "This utterly unacceptable escalation of the conflict could lead to a devastating loss of civilian life and a humanitarian disaster."
Mood warned that Assad's regime still has great military muscle left to apply in the conflict and that the situation could very well carry on for months or even years.
"The government has large military forces that still haven't been used to the full. Even if we in the past few weeks have seen combat helicopters and planes, there is still much (of that) left," he said, according to NTB, the Norwegian national news agency. "When it comes to violence, they have no sense of understanding for what we call proportionality."
In Morroco, Foreign Minister Saadeddine El Othmani said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday that if Assad is removed, a transitional government must reflect Syria's diversity. He said the opposition groups fighting Assad are not unified, so that a transitional government "must unite the maximum number of tendencies ... to avoid civil war and tearing Syria apart."
The minister said Morocco will host the next Friends of Syria gathering of Western and Arab nations opposed to Assad, likely in early September. He wants Russia and China, which boycotted previous meetings, to be present. Their backing is needed in the U.N. Security Council to ramp up pressure on Assad.
AP correspondents Shawn Pogatchnik in London and Aziz El Yaakoubi in Morocco contributed to this report.
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Michigan's Lake Superior State University has just published its banished word list.
One of the choices might surprise us. Then again, it might not. Here it is:
COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS – A five-dollar phrase on a nickel-errand. Value-added into many higher education mission statements. “Not to be confused with ‘school.'” – Jim Howard from Mishawa, Ind.
I use this as forensic evidence in my case against the resistance movement within educational institutions whose counter-revolutionary mission is to squelch informal learning. Howard fittingly deflates university mission statements, and by the same token, the whole business of mission statements, which usually announce clearly what an institution is unwilling to invest in but, by formalizing it as part of the "mission", expects its members will implement spontaneously. However, his idea that "community of learners" is an overblown synonym for "school" shows he hasn't read the literature (starting with Etienne Wenger).
If I were into grades, I'd give both Howard and the Lake University an "F". But as I'm more into communities of learners, I'd prefer extending an invitation to the entire "educational community" (should this term also be banished?) to join the world of thinkers and doers concerned by learning rather than the defense of sclerotic superstructures.
What's nasty about this kind of "humor" (or sarcasm) is that it borders on PC, with the same perverse spirit of manipulation. The "banishing" metaphor is revelatory. But what it really reveals, coming from the academic community, is the refusal to move outside the box of the formal institution ("school") to recognize that, even before technology moved in, learning was essentially a social phenomenon and the campus a social institution, par excellence. More significantly, I see this as an attempt to cut off all discussion of how the social dimension of learning is evolving and may evolve to achieve better performance.
In any case, it provides clear proof that the reactionary resistance movement is well armed, which is sad, because the members of the academic community who pride themselves on being promoters of knowledge would be the first to benefit from the creative and productive role they could be playing interacting with communities of learners rather than being mere lackeys to the established hierarchy.
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“Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Special Olympics athlete oath
Participation is open to anyone age eight and older, and programs are designed to serve all ability levels, all at no cost to participants.
Athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and gender.
Special Olympics also offers events for lower ability level athletes to train and compete in basic skills. The development of these key skills is necessary prior to advancing to longer competitive events.
Special Olympics athletes can also participate in Unified Sports® competitions. Special Olympics Unified Sports is a program that combines Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (partners) on sports teams for training and competition.
Sports are offered on a two-season sports calendar: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Athletes may participate in two sports each season, and must designate their primary and secondary sport choices. Athletes may compete at the local and regional level in both sports, but may only attend the chapter-level competition in their primary sport.
Aquatics, Athletics (Track & Field), Basketball, Bocce, and Golf
Bowling, Floor Hockey, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball
Contact Christa Macdonald, Sports Coordinator, at (805) 925-0951 ext. 135 or by email at email@example.com
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Beggars...panhandlers...swindlers or just people in need, we see them on street corners holding up signs asking for help, even in our community. Most folks simply drive by, but Sheridan Media's Judy Hagerott stopped and brings us this story.
We see them, those folks standing on the corner, usually by Wal Mart, cardboard sign in hand, asking for a handout. I'll admit it, I drive by, avoiding eye contact, not wanting to connect, not wanting to see them, not wanting to admit that there's somebody standing out there in the cold cardboard sign in hand.
Besides they might be wacky and dangerous and we've all thought it...”They just need to go out and get a job.” And who has the time to stop?
This time I did. Meet 65 year-old James Burdick from North Dakota. He's hitchhiking with a friend down to Colorado where he has family. Asking for help isn't easy.
Jobs are hard to find especially for a broken down, 65 year-old Viet Nam vet.
I just figured these people standing on corners asking for help made lots of money, taking advantage of the generosity of folks. For Burdick, spending time holding up a cardboard sign isn't a big money maker.
Sometimes you just got to do what you got to do, at least Burdick doesn't steal.
Now, I'm not saying everybody should be stopping and helping the people standing on street corners holding up cardboard signs. Use caution, use wisdom and yes, there are scammers out there. This time I stopped, other times I won't, but if you ask me if I helped out Burdick, I'd say yes, I gave everything I had.
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We look forward to seeing everyone at our Back-to-School Nights on Tuesday, September 11 for our kindergarten families, and/or on Thursday, September 13, for grades 1st – 5th. Because it is an adult-only event, childcare can be an issue. Reach out to someone in the school community and either share and/or offer childcare if you already have a caregiver in place. Back-to-School Night is the time for parents/guardians to find out what is happening in the classroom, and it’s important for everyone to be there. You will hear about the classroom curriculum, projects, field trips, and the expectations for the year. Teachers will share ways to best support your child at home. It’s also a nice time to meet other families and to make those community connections.
All kindergarten families will meet in the Multi-Purpose Room on Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. We will begin with all-school information and then all-kindergarten information. Parents/guardians will then separate into classrooms for specific classroom/teacher information.
The schedule for Thursday’s presentations is as follows: 6:30 – 7:15 Primary Presentation (1st – 2nd) 7:15 – 7:45 Whole School Assembly – Squeeze in! (in the multi-purpose room) 7:45 – 8:30 Upper Grade Presentation (3rd – 5th)
Please respect the teachers’ time and agree to make this an informational, question and answer time about the content of the school year. If you need to hold a conference about your child, please contact your child’s teacher via email, telephone message, or a note.
I hope to see everyone either on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., or Thursday at 7:15 p.m.!
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Today is Chinese New Year’s Eve, and if you are a faithful reader of this blog, you have probably already cleaned your home, bought new red clothes, and loaded a groaning table full of Chinese delicacies to eat with your gathered family, so that at midnight you can set off your firecrackers to blast out the Year of the Water Dragon and welcome in the Year of the Water Snake. Or maybe you haven’t…
Recent news articles discussing the Chinese New Year report that people in China and Hong Kong do not like the Year of the Snake because they think it comes with a poisonous bite. The last two times the Year of the Snake rolled around were in 1989 (Tiananmen Protests) and 2001 (9/11). But Chinese fortune-tellers in Hong Kong and Taiwan say that 2013 is the Year of the Water Snake, which will not be as poisonous. They say that the year will bring slow and steady improvement as we pull out of the global financial and economic doldrums. Street vendors, however, are less happy about the Year of the Snake because fewer people want to buy commemorative Year of the Snake figurines, like they did last year in the ever-popular Year of the Dragon. Instead of selling snakes, the vendors are selling monkey figurines because wearing a monkey necklace can bring good luck, especially to people born in the Year of the Snake, or so says the old wives’ tale.
My Chinese horoscope for this year says that the Year of the Snake is the yin year in the pair of Dragon-Snake; therefore, it will bring us restful energy. In this year, however, we should not settle for mediocrity but should push steadily forward. The Snake is a thinker, not a doer. So the Year of the Snake is good for developments in science and technology and for those in academia (Yay… this is the year I will start working on my PhD). Water strengthens this aspect of the Year of the Snake because it’s the element (of the Five Elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) that is most closely associated with scholarship.
The Chinese astrologer I consulted online said that the Snake is a positive sign for advancing new ideas, great works of literature, art and philosophy. It is a sign for mysticism, reflection, and introspection. But, it is also the Chinese sign most attuned to picking up vibes, revealing scandals, and taking revenge. The fact that this is the Year of the Water Snake means that communication, networking, and interpersonal relationships will be enhanced, if you are careful to avoid offending others. I guess that is what the written blurb on my Chinese calendar means.
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January 27, 2005
Riggs Bank Pleads
As anticipated in our post of January 26th, AP just reported that Riggs Bank pleaded guilty this morning "to a criminal charge of failing to report suspicious transactions in the accounts of foreigners, including two dictators, and agreed to a $16 million proposed fine." As noted in this report, "[a]ttorneys representing the bank entered a guilty plea at a hearing before federal judge Ricardo Urbina, who must approve the proposed fine. If he rejects the fine, Riggs and prosecutors may have to renegotiate or take the case to trial."
As noted in this story the DOJ had been "investigating the banks handling of" "former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet." This plea raises an interesting question as to what affect it will have on the DOJ investigation. Is part of the deal that the bank will cooperate in that investigation? Hopefully so, since many in the public desire to know the true story of Pinochet's money.
January 27, 2005 | Permalink
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Accounting is the process of identifying and measuring relevant financial information and communicating it to decision makers inside and outside the firms.
Our accounting degree and Certificate programs build on Purdue's historical strength in developing students with outstanding analytical, technical and critical thinking skills. When combined with our emphasis on communication skills, the technical training students receive in our programs provides an outstanding foundation for a successful career in accounting and business. Our graduates join a network of Purdue alumni who hold important positions in organizations around the world. For example, Beth Brooke, CPA and Global Vice Chair at Ernst & Young, has once again been named to the Forbes List of 100 Most Powerful Women. For a list of recent job placements, click here.
In Fall 2012 we launched our new Master of Science (Accounting) degree. This program features a flexible curriculum that allows students to tailor their coursework to their career goals while becoming CPA-exam ready. For more information, click here.
The Accounting Area is also committed to Purdue's mission of creating and disseminating knowledge. Over the last several years, our faculty members and recent Ph.D. graduates have published their research in top academic journals including the Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Management Science, Contemporary Accounting Research, and Accounting, Organizations and Society, among others. Our faculty and doctoral students routinely present their research at national and international conferences. We have an active research workshop series and invite scholars from other universities to present their research and interact with our faculty and Ph.D. students.
Congratulations to our Beta Alpha Psi Chapter for being recognized internationally as a distinguished chapter. The Zeta Alpha Chapter earned this prestigious designation by excelling in the areas of academics, professionalism and leadership.
Links of interest to current and potential students include:
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1. Turn it upside down and look at it (or work on it) inverted. I spend about one-fourth of my painting time working on my fantasy paintings inverted, either to see them objectively or to get a better angle on the strokes and perspective lines.
2. Step back from it, squinting and tilting your head.
3. Use a reducing glass—a double concave lens that will make your full composition fit handily into the palm of your hand.
4. Shoot a digital photo of the painting and look at it in the LCD, flip it 180 degrees or process it in Photoshop to see how it works in two values.
5. Set up an adjustable mirror on the wall behind and above your shoulder (see above). Mine is mounted on a wall bracket with an adjustable ball in socket joint. Making the painting both smaller and reversed will help you spot problems right away.
6. Ask a trusted friend, family member, or visitor to take a look at it. They don’t have to be an art expert. What interests me most about someone’s reaction to my picture is what strikes them first, what they notice most. It’s not always what I was intending.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
When I work on a painting I literally get too close to it, and I grow accustomed to its faults. There are at least six ways to get a fresh eye on a work in progress.
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The Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund
The Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy Fund (MSLF) was founded in 2004 with a simple goal: to provide educational assistance grants to the children of Massachusetts Servicemembers who were killed while deployed on Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. We are proud to report that we are accomplishing our founding objective thanks to the support of individuals and organizations throughout the United States.
With its current resources, the MSLF guarantees a minimum of $40,000 ($10,000 per annum) in educational funding to each child of a fallen Servicemember whose "home of record" at the Department of Defense was Massachusetts. There is no selection process. If an individual is a child of a Servicemember whose service is credited to Massachusetts and whom gave his/her life in Operation Enduring or Iraqi Freedom, that child qualifies for MSLF funds.
The MSLF offers educational assistance grants to the children of Massachusetts fallen Servicemembers in two primary ways:
1.) Post-secondary school assistance grants: higher education, trade or professional school
2.) Pre post-secondary education grants: special needs programs, tutoring, college counseling, and more
Please see the What We Do page for more specific details
Whether it is through financial contributions or volunteering your time, we appreciate any support you have to give to the MSLF. We have the best supporters throughout the United States and would like to say "Thank You" to all those who have gotten involved with the Fund.
The MSLF is a Charitable Trust.
All donations are tax-deductable.
MSL Fund IRS Tax #: 20-1909556
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Follow are some of the artist in Comic Art
Mathieu Beaulieu is a talented illustrator based in Montreal (Canada) who creates colorful, enchanting and funny illustrations filled with crazy characters. Mathieu has had the opportunity to work in various industries, including video games, animated series and advertising.
Be sure to visit his blog to view his latest work. Links provided after the jump.
Arlen Schumer is an award-winning comic book-style illustrator for the advertising and editorial markets; an author/designer of coffeetable art books, including The Silver Age of Comic Book Art (Collectors Press), which won the Independent Book Publishers Award for Best Popular Culture Book of 2003; and a recognized expert on American popular culture—especially the legendary television series The Twilight Zone and the music of Bruce Springsteen—presenting his VisuaLectures on these and other subjects at universities and cultural institutions across the country since 1988.
Visit the page after the jump to view his amazing work and the link to his website.
Jonatan Cantero is a professional illustrator, cartoonist and graphic artist from Barcelona, Spain. He picks colors perfectly so that they complement each other and make his illustration more vibrant. For more, visit his blog.
Few Illustrators like Jon Foster are just great artists who’s designs will not only inspire you, will also take you to a new world that they have painted. I just love Jon’s style and the way he creates visual tension to portray the realism. Will soon add more illustrations from Jon, meanwhile visit his online folio at richardsolomon.com/artists/jon-foster.
Oliver Dominguez is a freelance illustrator from Sarasota, Florida, USA. His main interest is creating illustrations for major publications such as Semi-Permanent Magazine, Creative Quarterly, Cmyk magazine and many more. Check out some of his designs and visit his online blog oliverdominguez.blogspot.com for more
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To call Brian Carey ’11 motivated is an understatement. The civil engineering and economics graduate is living in Trinidad and Tobago on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he is working at the Seismic Research Center at University of the West Indies to conduct a seismic assessment of the residential construction in Trinidad.
Carey is no stranger to high-level research. That’s one of the reasons he was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, which provides a $30,000 annual stipend for a maximum of three years. Recipients are selected based on overall abilities and accomplishments, as well as potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the United States science and engineering industries. Mechanical engineering graduate Alicia Clark ’11, civil engineering graduate Matthew Verbyla ’06, and Heidi Verheggen ’12 (Zionsville, Pa.), who just graduated with a B.S. in mathematics and an A.B. with a major in economics, also received fellowships.
“I hope my research can be successfully implemented to improve the infrastructure of Trinidad and Tobago against structural failures resulting from earthquakes,” says Carey, who plans to pursue master’s degrees in structural engineering and management science & engineering at Stanford University when his Fulbright work concludes.
Carey conducted EXCEL Scholars research with Anne Raich, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, on implementing a structural crack prediction model. He also did an independent study with Stephen Kurtz, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, competing on the regional and national levels with Lafayette’s Steel Bridge Team.
Carey also was an active member of Lafayette’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), leading a team in the design of a 5,900-gallon reinforced concrete water storage tank as part of EWB’s ongoing work in the community of El Convento, Honduras. He served an externship with Turner Construction and internships with Pepco Holdings Inc., and R3M Engineering Inc.
Like Carey, Clark cut her research teeth at Lafayette. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, she was fascinated as an undergraduate at how she could use engineering to solve tough biomedical problems.
For her honors thesis, she worked under the guidance of Jenn Rossmann, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, to use computational fluid dynamics to model airflow through the lungs and determine how different lung parameters affected airflow. The research went so well that she continued it the following summer in France at Air Liquide Research Center, where she developed a three-dimensional lung model to test airflow in the lungs more accurately.
“The ability to perform research as an undergraduate was definitely beneficial when I started graduate school,” says Clark. “It helped make the transition a lot smoother and made me more aware of the expectations that surround research.”
Clark, who says she was “extremely happy and shocked” to receive the NSF fellowship, will use it to continue her project of manipulating small bubbles known as ultrasound contrast agents that are approximately 1 to 10 μm in size, which are used concurrently with ultrasound to help enhance imaging in certain regions of the body. Her goal is to gain a better understanding of how ultrasound can be used to steer these bubbles. Her work could potentially impact targeted drug and gene delivery.
Verbyla is pursuing a Ph.D. in environmental engineering at the University of South Florida. For his master’s degree, which he plans to finish this summer, he is studying the removal of parasitic helminth eggs and bacterial pathogen indicators from two community-managed lagoon systems treating domestic wastewater in Bolivia to evaluate the water reuse potential of the treated effluent for irrigation.
This summer, Verbyla will return to Bolivia, where he will partner with USF doctoral students from the marine sciences and anthropology program to study the removal of viruses from pond systems, and the impact of social perception and community power dynamics on the sustainability of community-managed wastewater treatment systems.
As an undergraduate, Verbyla earned a Fulbright Scholarship to examine the challenges of managing, operating, and maintaining community-owned water systems in rural villages in Honduras. He worked with local authorities and organizations in regions that have developed water board associations comprised of elected officials from small villages who are responsible for the local water systems. He first worked with the people of Honduras through EWB.
As the co-founder of Lafayette’s EWB chapter, Verbyla has exhibited a commitment to community service since his time on College Hill.
“Service-learning experiences such as EWB can be a great experience for students,” he says. “It is a chance to build cultural awareness, utilize multidisciplinary concepts learned in the classroom, and assist communities that struggle to achieve basic water and sanitation services.”
Before returning to school, Verbyla worked as a project engineer for HRP Associates Inc. in Farmington, Conn. He also worked as an engineering project director for a start-up nongovernmental organization in Honduras called Global Community Development, where he helped coordinate designs for water, sanitation, and small bridge projects for low-income rural and periurban communities in flood-prone areas of Honduras.
Verheggen will attend Cornell University in the fall to earn a Ph.D. in economics. She credits the research opportunities she’s had at Lafayette with opening the door to Cornell. She even conducted research this past summer at Cornell’s Summer Math Institute, where she collaborated with students from other schools on metric geometry research. The group coauthored a paper under review by the Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society. Verheggen presented the research results at the Conference for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics held at Penn State this past fall.
As an EXCEL Scholar, Verheggen worked with Rob Root, professor and associate head of mathematics, and Liusha Geng ’13 (Xian, China) on multidisciplinary research combining mathematics and biology to study fish locomotion. They presented their results at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology as well as the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR). She and Geng coauthored a paper published in the NCUR 2011 Proceedings.
Verheggen also conducted EXCEL research with Susan Averett, Dana Professor of Economics, helping her write a book chapter on the economic impact of Title IX, the law which prohibits sexual discrimination in collegiate sports, among other activities. The project was her first research experience in economics, and the challenge and real-world context led her to choose economics as her post-graduate discipline.
“Each of my research experiences shaped me in a unique way,” says Verheggen. “My experiences at Lafayette allowed me to become experienced with interdisciplinary collaboration very early on, which removed my disciplinary blinders and allowed me to see the bigger picture. [The projects] helped me understand that the universe of discourse for science spans many perspectives, and that one enlarges one’s perspective when thinking outside the conceptual boxes offered in traditional academic disciplines. The Summer Math Institute instilled in me the stamina to tackle open questions, which amounts to staying curious when the going gets tough.”
For information on applying for scholarships and fellowships, contact Julia A. Goldberg, associate dean of the College, (610) 330-5521.
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Learning Assistance at PLU: So Many Opportunities to Excel!
At PLU, learning assistance resources are plentiful and free for registered undergraduate students. The Academic Assistance Center, Writing Center, and Language Resource Center are the primary departments devoted to helping students with their academic work, but professors at PLU are very accessible through their office hours, and students themselves can form study groups to aid in their own learning.
The AAC hires about 30 peer tutors who cover most of the academic areas. Our tutors are approved by faculty for their academic ability, screened by the AAC for interpersonal skills, and trained in a six-week, one-credit course following National College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA) guidelines. After they complete 10 hours of training and 25 hours of actual tutoring time, the tutors are certified through CRLA.
AAC tutors are trained to guide students to their own conclusions through careful questioning. They learn academic success strategies as well as tutoring methods, so students who want to improve their critical reading, note taking, test preparation, test taking, or time management can get help with those as well.
Our services include half-hour, one-on-one tutoring appointments, open-lab, walk-in tutoring sessions in the evenings, weekly foreign language conversation table, and periodic test-review sessions. We also offer Supplemental Instruction for Chemistry 131. Please encourage your PLU student to explore these options. More information about the AAC peer tutoring program can be found at www.plu.edu/aac. Or, students may simply call us at 253-535-7518 or stop by our office in Library 124.
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Toronto Argonauts defensive tackle Armond Armstead, left, said he had a heart attack while playing at USC after taking shots of the generic form of painkiller Toradol. / Sean Kilpatrick, AP
According to an ABC News report, the powerful painkiller Toradol or its generic is still being used by college football players, despite side effects that include fatal heart attacks, strokes or organ failure.
Its use, the report says, is not monitored by the NCAA.
Alabama and Notre Dame, playing for the BCS national championship, refused to answer questions from ABC News.
Oklahoma and Nebraska did. Oklahoma said it stopped using it last year after repeated use in 2010 and 2011. Nebraska team doctors now restrict the drug's use.
The number of schools responding to interview requests from ABC News is limited. Only Ohio State, Oregon State, Boise State and Georgia said Toradol is not used by team doctors. Most schools refused to answer, but Clemson, Texas A&M, San Jose State and USC confirmed its use.
Former USC lineman Armond Armstead, at 20, had a heart attack after the 2010 season, and he links it to shots of generic Toradol administered by the team doctor and school personnel.
"I thought, you know, can't be me, you know? This doesn't happen to kids like me," Armstead told ABC News.
The report says the warning label for the drug says it "may cause an increased risk of serious cardiovascular thrombotic events, myocardial infarction (heart attack), and stroke, which can be fatal" and that the "risk may increase with duration of use."
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Report: Powerful painkiller in use in college football
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Foster and Partners’ Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana, Kazakhstan is marked today at an official ceremony
Opened in time for the triennial Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, the 62m high pyramid was designed and realised in less than two years. This was achieved despite the Astanian climate which has an annual range from 30°c in summer to -30°c in winter. Located on a prominent site in the capital’s new administrative centre, the building occupies a significant place on the axial route from the Presidential Palace. Clad in a lattice of stainless steel with pale grey granite triangular inserts, the building will accommodate a permanent venue for the Congress, and houses a 1,500- seat opera house, a university faculty, meeting spaces and a national spiritual centre. This programmatic diversity is unified within the pure form of a pyramid. The building’s apex is clad in stained glass designed by the artist Brian Clarke. The design features images of doves, the internationally recognised symbol of peace.
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Maria Rousakis (or Rousaki) is an acclaimed children’s book author. She has written over 25 books for children of all ages, from picture books to middle-grade novels. Her books have been awarded in Greece and the U.S. by the Greek chapter of IBBY and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Book Award in the United States. They have been aired on television shows in both countries (in the U.S. her book, “Unique Monique” was featured on “The Reading Rainbow”). And many of her books, such as “Melpo, the One and Only”, “The Feather Princess” and “How to Care for your Monster” have been translated in the U.S., Taiwan and Korea. Her website is www.mariasbooks.com.
Member since 2008
Published In Children's Market:
Available for Speaking Engagements?
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Marketers know we are driven by emotions. The biggest is fear. But fear is not weakness, it’s doubt.
The only time we let desires drive our decisions is with our desire to avoid risk. In life, our desires are overwhelmed by our fears – they become our subconscious driving force.
It goes back to our animal survival instincts. And it’s the same in marketing.
Allaying fears will always beat satisfying a need
Tapping into people’s fears has always been a better marketing ‘tool’ than offering people what they desire, what they want. And it always beats what they need – the practical ‘need’ barely gets glanced at.
In other words, people buy benefits not features. It’s part of the old truth, that one of the strongest ‘benefits’ is reducing risks, allaying their fears. Allowing them to sleep well at night.
Identify the elephant in the room
So, what are some of the fears that can be highlighted in your marketing, and that are solved or removed with your service? What fears are at play when your customers are choosing between you and your competitor? Identify and address the elephant in the room.
Fear of failure or to be seen to fail is a strong one. In fact with all fears, the perception, of what others might think is the reality even if it’s wrong. So if there’s a chance you would be seen to be losing money, by the people you want to impress, it’s less likely you will buy or invest. Even if the potential for loss, in reality, is small.
Rejection is another big fear – of being turned down; of asking and not getting.
Other fears that play on us all include: The fear of losing the race (so don’t enter); of being seen to be stupid (so do nothing); of being different, but not in a nice way (so stick to the boring, monotonous routine?).
3 typical opportunities and how we justify rejecting them
Here are three typical opportunities that we are presented with in business – why do so few people take them up?
- Raising our profitability by introducing new Cloud software (“maybe, but I might lose money and credibility if there is a security breach”).
- Raising my profits with a new marketing approach (“maybe, but it might fail and it will be a very public failure. The whole industry will see it”).
- Being the most innovative company, the Thought Leader for our industry by introducing a new product range (“maybe, but we could just end up looking stupid”).
All of these fears out motivate our attempts to grow or to improve ourselves. Or to try to stand out from the crowd of competitors.
Fear of what our fellow man thinks is always more powerful than the desire to have something better.
As marketers, play on these fears. Use them to your advantage.
As a business manager, recognise them for what they are. Then ignore them.
Read about Lead Generation for your Business.
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After a rough period, ATI got a lucky break in the low end market so we can finally test more Radeon cards. This time around we're dissecting Jetway's Radeon HD 2600 cards. Jetway is not that well known in many markets, but the low price of these cards, coupled with HD2000 series multimedia capabilities, should easily attract customers. The mid range and low end markets are the ones that provide most of the profit for a company, so this offer from Jetway should be of interest for many users.
This time around we got two ATI HD 2600 cards based on the RV630 GPU for testing. Both of the cards look identical and use the same red PCB, same heatsink, and at first glance it 's impossible to tell which is which. We are talking about HD 2600XT (designated X26XTEN256LI), while the other is named X26PREN256L, or simply HD 2600Pro.
Jetway HD 2600 cards
As you can see from the above picture, it is hard to tell them apart, except for the little model label on top of the card. Jetway even used the same memory modules on both cards. Jetway decided to go with Samsung's GDDR3 memory that works at 700/1400MHz with 128bit memory interface.
Neither one of these cards has a power connector, but both can be used as decent multimedia cards. The UVD is a part of both cards and it will help with encoding and decoding HD video content, thus easing the burden on the CPU.
With its HD series, ATI has targeted a wider population, those users that will appreciate the multimedia capabilities of these cards. Performance is a bit weaker if you compare them to Nvidia based cards, but if you consider the possibility of "full" HDTV option and modest prices we think that ATI is a better choice for "non-gamers" or so called casual gamers.
The HD 5.1 audio controller enables high quality sound, which is transferred to the HDTV output signal. The only thing that ruins the almost perfect solution is the DVI-HDMI dongle which is used to get the audio signal to HD capable screen. But once you hook it up and take a look at an HD movie you will certainly forget all the concerns you had with the dongle.
HDCP is supported, because without it you wouldn't be able to watch HD content from the HD DVD or Blu-Ray media. If you want to watch it on your screen, it also has to be HDCP compliant.
It is important to see if the HDMI adapter is included with the card. Jetway confirmed that you get the HDMI adapter with these cards, but most partners decide not to include it since it helps them save money if they don't include it. Without the adapter you can easily erase the HD part in the card's name.
Jetway HD 2600 Pro 256MB GDDR3 HDTV
The heatsink sports a picture of ATI's beloved star Ruby. Jetway likes it , since it hasn't even changed the ATI logo on the small fan. You are looking at the full ATI card without a single Jetway sign. The heatsink isn't based on the reference design and it's the same on both cards. The fan isn't loud in idle mode but can spin up to high RPM count while under load, but even then the noise stays at acceptable levels. The most important thing is that it does a good job cooling the RV630 GPU and we even got a nice overclocking result.
We already said that the memory clock is identical on both cards and that only difference is the GPU clock. The HD 2600 XT works at reference 800MHz, so nothing new there.
The HD 2600 Pro remains on the reference 600MHz as well, but with some overclocking, it was easy to reach the 800MHz XT clock.
HD 2600 I/O, for HDTV you need the DVI/HDMI adapter
Both of these are Vista ready cards with OpenGL 2.0 and DirectX 10 support. Both also come with a Shader Model 4.0 support. The HD 2600 series has 120 stream processors and 390 million transistors made in 65nm manufacturing process. Both cards are capable of Crossfire.
Cards are packed in simple and small boxes. Boxes are labeled with basic information, PCI-e, DVI-I, HDTV, HDMI, 256MB 128-bit DDR3 and HDCP. Card comes bundled with users manual, drivers CD, DVI, HDMI and S-video dongle.
EVGA 680i SLI (Supplied by EVGA)
Intel Core 2 Duo 6800 Extreme edition (Supplied by Intel)
OCZ FlexXLC PC2 9200 5-5-5-18 (Supplied by OCZ)
na testu CL5-5-5-15-CR2T 1066MHz na 2.2V
Jetway HD 2600 XT, Jetway HD 2600 Pro
HIS HD 2600XT IceQ Turbo
Zotac Geforce 8500GT AMP, 8600GT Zone Edition
OCZ Silencer 750 Quad Black (Supplied by OCZ)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 80GB SATA (Supplied by Seagate)
Freezer 7 Pro (Supplied by Artic Cooling)
Artic Cooling - Artic Fan 12 PWM
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Some companies are strengthening their tuition-assistance programs with an eye toward building the next generation of leaders.
It's graduation day. Do you know where your employees with newly minted M.B.A. degrees are? Are they eagerly applying their recently acquired knowledge to new and exciting projects at your organization -- or are they on the phone with headhunters?
It's generally agreed that workers who seek out opportunities to further their education often represent the best of what today's organizations value: ambition, thirst for knowledge and a strong work ethic. Yet, when it comes to helping these employees obtain college or graduate degrees and then letting them apply their new skills, many companies acknowledge that they aren't making the grade.
For example, only 6 percent of firms surveyed for Tuition Reimbursement Study 2007, conducted by the New York-based Corporate University Xchange (CorpU), report they are doing well at aligning their tuition-assistance programs with employee career paths, while 62 percent report they are dissatisfied and are planning to launch new programs or improve their existing efforts.
This apparent strong interest in the ramp-up of care-and-feeding practices for employee-students represents a sharp break with well-established corporate attitudes.
To be sure, there is a long history of company-sponsored tuition-assistance programs that have provided varying amounts of financial help, but doling out money has been about as far as most companies have gone in terms of encouragement and support for their employee-students.
Even though companies provide TAPs, the level of corporate enthusiasm for those programs typically has been underwhelming, and their efforts to encourage, support and retain employees who are enrolled in educational programs -- and especially those pursuing advanced degrees -- fell somewhere between benign neglect and grudging acceptance.
In the case of M.B.A.s, for example, there has been a very sharp contrast between companies' highly visible and energetic efforts to recruit M.B.A.s and bring them into their organizations, and the comparatively little attention businesses have focused on supporting and retaining their homegrown M.B.A.s-in-training.
"Imagine a person who has just spent time and effort in getting an M.B.A. and developing new capabilities," says Derrick Barton, CEO of the Center for Talent Retention in Denver. "If they're still doing the same thing they did before they got those capabilities, and they don't see a new opportunity ... within the organization, they're in a perfect spot to be looking outside. They are a recruiter's dream."
Two large companies are among those taking steps to avert that scenario, however. At Caterpillar Corp. and Verizon Wireless, HR is working hard to not only make it easier for employees to further their education, but to ensure that what they learn does not go wasted.
At Verizon Wireless, the company is bringing college to the workplace.
"We have successfully launched on-site college-degree programs at 14 of our corporate offices, each of which offers classes for associate, bachelors' and M.B.A. degree programs," says Dorothy Martin, the national program manager for the Bedminster, N.J.-based company's LearningLINK tuition-assistance program. "We are in the process of rolling out similar programs in several additional locations in the near future."
The LearningLink program has already attained an impressive 18 percent participation rate from Verizon Wireless employees -- more than triple the average level of about 5-percent participation at companies that offer tuition-assistance programs, according to CorpU -- and the company hopes to boost that to 20 percent or more by the end of this year.
Verizon's advanced programs leading to degrees such as M.B.A.s are a key part of those new offerings, says Martin.
"It's not that M.B.A.s are necessarily a requirement for every position, but graduate degrees provide us with a fertile ground for developing the future leaders of our business," she says.
"They provide a much broader understanding of business and business results, and we want people to be thinking about M.B.A.s and other graduate programs.
"We look to that pool of individuals in terms of developing our succession planning lists and leadership developments programs. These are the strategic planners, the visionaries, the future leaders of the company."
Caterpillar also has ramped up its support for employees who are seeking M.B.A.s and other advanced degrees.
At the beginning of this decade, top management at the Peoria, Ill.-based heavy-equipment manufacturer identified leadership training and education as a key strategic priority needed to achieve the company's aggressive 10- and 20-year growth plans for its business in Asia and Eastern Europe.
The sobering bottom line was that, unless the 96,000-employee firm improved its learning environment -- particularly by upgrading the competencies of its 6,000 front-line managers -- it would not be able to achieve its long-term goals and objectives.
Spurred by these conclusions, one high-profile component of Caterpillar's response was the launch of its widely applauded Caterpillar University in 2001.
A less visible but also vital part of the company's effort has involved a major revamping and expansion of its internal leadership-development processes and increased support for Caterpillar employees who enroll in advanced-degree programs.
As a result, "the number of employees making use of C-TAP (the Caterpillar Tuition Assistance Program) has doubled in the last three years, and about one-third of them are working on M.B.A.s," says Paul T. Walliker, senior learning consultant with the College of General Studies at Caterpillar.
"Flight Risk" Worries
Despite the value that advanced degrees can add to the workforce, TAPs and other education initiatives continue to be viewed skeptically by some executives. A large part of this lack of enthusiasm can be traced back to a widely held belief that, when a firm provides tuition reimbursement, the company is probably just subsidizing training that will largely benefit the individual's next employer.
This concern is heightened for those getting more advanced degrees -- and especially for newly minted M.B.A.s, whose skills are exceptionally portable and who are highly sought-after.
Companies have commonly recognized this "flight risk" by including explicit obligations for employees with master's degrees to stay with the firms. The CorpU study found that more than 40 percent of firms require an employee to repay at least some portion of tuition assistance if the employee does not stay with the company for a predetermined number of years.
In fact, many firms have come to see their tuition-assistance programs -- and especially the support for M.B.A.s and other advanced degrees -- as little more than obligatory "check-the-box" benefits offerings.
"New recruits want to know that the company is going to support their professional growth, and they want to know that the company has a tuition reimbursement program," says Marcia Dresner, senior research analyst at CorpU. "But tuition reimbursement has often been managed as an employee benefit, not necessarily as a strategic investment that takes into account the strategic needs of the company."
This has led to a common view of tuition reimbursement as an expense, rather than an investment. It's an attitude that's resulted in many companies doing little to encourage employees to sign up for the programs -- and has caused companies to be minimally involved with, or supportive of, those employees that do, she says.
This stands in sharp contrast to the very active programs at Caterpillar and Verizon, each of which has specific features designed to strongly align and integrate the company's TAP with its leadership and career-development efforts.
Take Caterpillar, which has rolled out an extensive set of initiatives in recent years to support that alignment and integration.
"As part our annual review and performance-management process, career development is one of the topics that you are supposed to be discussing with your supervisor or your manager," says Walliker.
"One of your goals should be a personal- development goal, and what we want is for people to think about their long-term career and to have these discussions with their supervisors."
A key part of this process is an employee data sheet that serves as a standardized internal resume at the company.
The data sheet lists information about each employee's skills, education, academic degrees, languages spoken and previous positions.
In addition, supervisors are required to indicate when they think each employee will be ready for another job, whether that job is going to be a promotion or a lateral move, and what education or training the employee needs to make that move.
"Today, supervisors are instructed to set up a meeting with each employee to go over the data sheet, screen by screen, in a conference room with the door shut," says Walliker. "This includes discussions about 'Where do I want to go next, and what do I have to do to improve my skill set to position myself for those next positions?' "
In a private section of the data sheet that's not accessible to the employee, supervisors identify "where they think the employee has the best opportunities and what kind of potential the employee has in different functional areas, and rate them on whether they are 'high potential,' 'promotable,' or 'happy where they are and do not want anyone to mess with them,' " says Walliker.
Decisions about enrollment in training and education programs arise out of these discussions.
"An employee might say, I want to be a division manager and the supervisor might ask, 'How much finance or budgeting and strategic planning experience have you had?' " says Walliker. "From that discussion, they might decide that the employee needs an M.B.A. or a post-graduate degree."
Once the need for any post-graduate work is identified, the next step is to file a post-grad study request.
"The supervisor has to initial off on the request and on the business case for why the company is going to pay this money to send this employee to this program," says Walliker, who manages the program.
Once the employee is enrolled as a student, Caterpillar managers are expected to look for ways in which newly acquired knowledge can be applied on the job -- as well as to be on the lookout for opportunities to make use of job shadowing, job rotation and other forms of experiential learning that could connect to the classroom instruction.
Because of the way these enrollment decisions are embedded in ongoing Caterpillar processes, says Walliker, "when someone is enrolled in a post-graduate project in a certain area, their supervisor will be more than happy to assign something very relevant to that education and that person. We are big on developmental assignments, and it is just one more tool when you have someone whom you are trying to position for promotion, to give them an opportunity to shine, to use their skills, or demonstrate that they have those skills."
For example, the employee might be given an opportunity to participate in a special project to develop a new product or put together a business plan on behalf of a new strategy, he says.
Linking to Success
At Verizon Wireless, employee enrollment in academic programs also is embedded into the company's extensive set of career- and leadership-development initiatives -- which begin as soon as new hires arrive.
"We call the new-hire program 'Launch Your Success Story,' and we tell our new employees, 'Your career is up to you,' " says Martin. "From the day they're hired, we encourage people to think about their careers -- and we've been developing internal leadership-development programs throughout the enterprise to support them."
Among the tools that Verizon Wireless provides is a "Plan Your Career" course, which includes an online component designed to let employees assess their current skills and abilities so they can benchmark themselves against job openings throughout the company.
The intent is to enable employees to identify capabilities they are lacking, and provide them with concrete information about what they can do to develop those skills, whether it's more technical training, more experience in a certain area or enrollment in an academic program.
To provide employees with help and guidance while they're enrolled in an academic program, says Martin, "we teach and train our supervisors on how to coach employees . . . to help them prepare for their next career-development move."
And, when employees earn degrees through LearningLINK, "we acknowledge their achievement," says Martin. "We put photos of them in their caps and gowns on our Web site and in color brochures. We also post and promote their success stories on our intranet, and each graduate receives a book from the senior vice president of HR, along with a personalized card."
Follow-up data gathered by Verizon Wireless documents the success of these efforts. In terms of career development, employees who earned degrees through LearningLINK were almost 1.5 times as likely as the general workforce to have had a promotion or lateral move.
Also impressive is the data showing the attrition rate of LearningLINK participants is less than half of the company's general workforce and that 96 percent of the participants say they intend to stay with the company for at least two years after completing their degrees.
"These findings clearly indicate the value and the benefits of the program," says Martin. "It has given us the ability to take our show on the road and talk to the leaders in our other locations, and to expand our programs."
And, as the battle to develop and retain top talent gets even more competitive, look for programs such as those at Verizon Wireless and Caterpillar to get increasing attention at other organizations as well.
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As I understand this process, someone at pub.getty.edu gives our
questions to Jesus Moroles, he answers them, gives them to you, you
post them on the listserv. Is this correct?
My students and I have two questions in regards to "Granite Weaving"
(one of the MAPS reproductions).
#1 -- we can not tell from the reproduction how this piece is only
six (6) pieces of granite. The information on the back of the reproduction
says that six pieces are bolted and glued to a plywood backing. We have taken
some guesses. Can you describe the shape of the pieces, and how they fit
#2 -- we noticed in the reproduction that as the piece moves upward,
the pieces of the weaving don't stick out as much, so that at the top
the granite seems to be on the same plane. We have been discussing
symbols in artwork and wonder if this flattening represents an idea
One of Mr. Moroles' sculptures is on our campus near the art gallery.
It is called "Pyramid Bench." It is interesting to compare the
weaving with the bench.
Please thank Mr. Moroles for anwering our questions and for
participating in this project.
University of Central Arkansas
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On forming the Orchestra of the 18th Century, Frans Bruggen explained:
"I founded my own orchestra,
the Orchestra of the 18th Century, because orchestras of this type didn’t
exist [in 1981]. I wanted a performing orchestra to tour with…We all
know each other in our world so our orchestra consists of the best specialists
drawn from 19 countries. It’s a project orchestra. It exists only for
two or three periods each year but always with the same people. They
fly into Amsterdam or London, or any central place and after a week’s
rehearsal we go on tour."
Throughout the evenings immaculate
playing this ‘project orchestra’ produced a unique sound: refined, delicately
translucent textures, but with a great depth and richness not usually
associated with ‘period’ playing, where the reduced string section,
for instance, can often sound etiolated and wiry, and the period brass
sound merely tinny. While this was a reduced orchestra (with just three
double basses) it had as much weight and body as a full-scale ‘modern’
Bruggen seems to be one those
rare conductors who can negotiate (and overcome) the Barbican Hall’s
notoriously reverberant and stifled acoustics. Throughout, the conductor
mastered the marriage between space and sound, with the orchestral balance
being perfectly judged, with none of the congestion or blurring which
seem to be the rule at this venue.
While this seemed initially yet
another ‘classical pops programme’ the results were far from routine
or predictable: the reading of both scores was revelatory, making these
very familiar favourites feel like premieres.
Unexpectedly for this ‘classical’
conductor, the first movement of Schubert’s Eight’ Symphony was
taken very slowly, with the conductor adopting tempi reminiscent of
Karl Bohm’s turgid, romantic reading of the ‘Unfinished’, but in a classical
period style; a contradiction in terms in music!
In the second movement, Bruggen
got the tempi perfectly, making the music flow organically. Throughout
his beautifully prepared reading it was the incisive and crisp playing
of the timpanist, using hard sticks, that gave this deeply moving performance
a cutting edge. The use of hard sticks, essential for this tragic, brooding
symphony, revealed the importance of the timpani part, so often obscured
by the customary modern use of soft sticks.
Bruggen’s performance of Beethoven’s
Third Symphony ‘Eroica’ was a carefully thought out performance, with
structure, dynamics and orchestral balance having total unity. The first
movement - Allegro con brio - taken with the exposition repeat,
had a lucidity and lean economy verging on the skeletal: this was Beethoven
stripped bare of rhetorical excess with the structure of the music shining
through. Again, the use of hard sticks gave this movement greater intensity
and bite, particularly in the tight, assertive closing bars.
The Marcia funebre:
Adagio assai was taken at a brisk pace but in the context of Bruggen’s
‘period’ performance it did not feel rushed, and the drama and tension
were well sustained. With the short Scherzo, the woodwind were
perfectly balanced, with all the intricate detail coming through, while
the horns barked beautifully.
Bruggen launched straight into
the Finale: Allegro molto making the music sing with the angular
dance rhythms accentuated amidst the swirling woodwind and strings.
The closing passage for sustained strings and flute was very subdued
and measured which created even greater suspense and tension before
the orchestra launched into the closing bars, which exploded with penetrating
brass and timpani.
‘Period instrument’ orchestras
can be a bit of a lottery – one can never be sure that the music will
not sound merely anachronistically ‘quaint’. This doubt was quickly
put to flight by Bruggen’s total mastery of his orchestral resources,
and his highly intelligent reading of the works. What made his ‘period’
approach so refreshing was the incredible orchestral detail which came
through in both works, revealing innovatory, even revolutionary, elements
and textural beauties often submerged by today’s standardised, streamlined
treatment of Schubert and Beethoven.
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Is U.S. Losing the Innovation Arms Race?
He observed it firsthand while helping to found IBM Corp.'s early efforts in Beijing in the mid-1980s. And he thought about it often throughout his time at Harvard Business School and during his stints as a principal executive at five different Silicon Valley start-ups. But it wasn't until last year that Melcher made a move he had considered for more than two decades.
In July 2004, Melcher moved to Beijing with his wife and two daughters and began investing in emerging Chinese companies.
"We feel it's part of our jobs as parents to prepare our daughters and give them opportunities," Melcher explains. "They really need to learn Chinese." Asked why, he laughs. "They ask us that all the time. It seems obvious. If you fast-forward 10 years, or maybe 20 years, it is absolutely clear that the only other superpower in the world will be China, and it will be a world force in the way that the U.S. is now."
What Melcher is acting on is the growing fear in the U.S. today that the twin forces of outsourcing and globalization are working in tandem to unseat the U.S. from its lofty position as the world's only economic superpower. And in the frenzied fight to keep the U.S. on top during this perceived global leveling, innovation is the weapon in our economic arsenal most commonly being called upon to save us from an uncertain future.
It is a long-held tenet of entrepreneurialism in the U.S. that no matter what global economic challenges the world can dish out, we can innovate our way out of them. Time and again, American innovation has created new markets, built economic value and kept our citizens gainfully employed. The telephone, the semiconductor, the Internet. But what happens when innovation itself is being outsourced? "Where innovation happens matters," says Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005), a 500-page tome on the effects of globalization. "The flat world means that you don't have to emigrate to innovate, and when you can innovate without having to emigrate, you don't have to come to the U.S."
The Council on Competitiveness, a lobbying group composed of industry and academic leaders, is so concerned about the future of innovation in the U.S. that it issued a 68-page "call-to-action" report in December 2004, urging policy-makers, universities and industry to "optimize our entire society for innovation."
There is reason to worry. In 2005, the National Science Foundation saw its R&D budget cut for the first time since 1996. And the proposed 2006 federal budget includes a meager increase of one-tenth of a percent in R&D funding, most of it earmarked for defense and homeland security.
Meanwhile, fears about the nation's faltering educational system abound. In February, Bill Gates told an audience at the National Education Summit on High Schools in Washington, D.C., that the country's schools were obsolete. "By obsolete, I mean that our high schoolseven when they're working exactly as designedcannot teach our kids what they need to know today," Gates said. And U.S. citizens pursuing graduate degrees in science and engineering declined 10 percent between 1994 and 2001, while foreign-born students upped their enrollment by 25 percent, according to the NSF.
Perhaps that's why at a biotech conference in late 2003, George Whitesides, the eminent Harvard chemist and nanotechnology researcher, answered a question about the U.S.'s prospects by noting he has three "very nice but unemployable" sons. "The future is going to be much better for India than Indianapolis," he said.
That may be a tad drastic. And while statistics indicate that the U.S. needs to till the soil from which innovation grows, historical evidence suggests that downturns of this nature are cyclical, normal and addressable.
The Role of Standards in Cloud Security
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One of the joys I have in my work is helping clients with their garden and landscaping spaces. I am not a horticulturist (my daughter's boyfriend is in school to be one), nor an avid gardener (my sister is), but I do enjoy a well-designed garden and have many ideas on how to be creative and bring Feng Shui into these glorious spaces!
Feng Shui can be incorporated into landscaping using 5 Element Theory – through a blend of color, shapes, and the natural elements of metal, wood, earth, fire and water. And while my own garden needs a little TLC this weekend, see the types of ideas I bring to my clients and perhaps you'll get some of your own inspiration!
Wood Wood is the obvious element when it comes to gardens. Plants, trees and shrubs all represent the Wood element. In addition, the colors of green and blue (as in a blue spruce). So literally, any plant, tree or shrub can represent Wood. Wood shapes are tall and columnar – like Cypress trees and Arborvitae. You can also add wood benches, paths made of wood chips and any other hardscapes made of wood. The wood element is uprising energy – the sprouting of spring and new beginnings. Wealth and abundance are represented by Wood. Wood is in the East and Southeast.
Fire The colors red and orange represent the Fire element, as does triangles, pyramid and star shapes. So adding plants with any of these characteristics will bring Fire into your garden. Other Fire elements could be a red brick pathway, lighting or a chiminea with a cozy seating area for enjoyment on cooler nights. Pottery in a red or orange glaze or star-shaped decorations will bring Fire in as well. The fire element is about illumination – bringing things to light and perhaps shedding your light in your career. It encompasses fame, recognition and reputation. Fire is in the South.
Earth Earth is represented by the colors of soil (sandy to peat moss) and yellow. Earth shapes are squares or low, horizontal shapes – so, think low hedges and square-shaped gardens. Stone is considered an earth element, so stone walkways, boulders, stone statues are a great addition to your garden. I often recommend a female statue for the back right corner of their yard, coupled with a nice seating area. This area is associated with female energy and romance. The earth element provides grounding, so this is great to use if you are "missing" a corner of your home (your home is not a square or rectangle). For instance, if you have an L-shaped home, a large boulder or stone statue with sufficient weight placed at the intersecting lines of the two "wings" will help anchor this spot and "fill in" the missing area. The earth element is in the Southwest and Northeast.
Metal Metal is associated with the colors of white and gray. Metal shapes are circles, arches or ovals, so any plants with leaves with these shapes are great. Metal hardscaping is very popular and can add great interest, like the arched trellis pictured here. Metal objects are a lasting addition to the garden as they age well, providing a changing patina as years go by. From benches and trellises, to folk art and sculptures, from wrought iron and steel to copper, metal brings precision to the space. Metal represents helpful people and travel, networking, clients, etc. Metal is in the West and Northwest.
Water And finally, the Water element is associated with the colors black and dark blue, as well as flowing, formless shapes. Ivy is a great representation of the water element, with it's flowing patterns. Water is a welcoming element in landscapes, either through quiet ponds or energetic waterfalls. Bird baths attract local birds and provide a great way to connect to nature in your yard. Be sure that the baths are cleaned and maintained, as they get dirty quickly and attract inauspicious chi. There is a tremendous variety of fountains; some which combine several elements of water, earth (stone) and fire (lighting). The water element is flowing energy, that can go into the depths. It also nourishes wood, and therefore is associated with wealth and abundance! Water represents your life path and career and is in the North.
Chi Flow Good Feng Shui incorporates spaces that provide refuge and intrigue – secret paths, inviting places to sit, and meditate. Be sure that any paths you create lead to a destination and a "reward." So a quiet sitting area is perfect at the end of a hidden path. I hope you enjoy bringing these ideas into your own special natural spaces and create wonderful moments of discovery and awe of nature!
Related articles of Feng Shui Gardening:
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This is a question that provokes continuous debate. At Yellowstone Partners, we believe that the core determinate of market movements is ultimately corporate earnings.
That said, for some time now, the market has departed from a reliance on corporate earnings to determine valuations, and has looked to federal interest rates, economic news, and government stimulus programs to make assumptions about the valuation of company stock. As the market has made this deviation, we have adjusted our course to take these factors into account, but we haven’t abandoned the foundation of company fundamentals.
While each of these factors is a factor in corporate earnings, none of them can replace the earnings themselves. By focusing on the long-term determinate of market movements, we believe that we can realize significant value as investors return to the underpinnings of hundreds of years of analysis.
Throughout this recent economic recession, much has been said about a “credit crunch,” an unwillingness of banks to lend to one another because of concern over the value of toxic subprime mortgage assets. The way we measure the level of confidence between banks, and thus the willingness to lend and eliminate the frozen credit market, is by comparing the rate that banks charge one another to lend on a short term basis, to what the government charges to lend. The spread between these two rates is referred to as the TED Spread.
Whenever you hear an opinion by any of the various sources of expertise on the markets, remember that everyone has an axe to grind or something to sell. Since the stock market is an enormous auction, each and every player has his or her own interests at heart. In addition, media outlets exist to sell advertising. They have to maximize viewership which translates most often to maximizing drama in reporting.
There is certainly quality advice to be found in the massive quantities of investment advice that flood the internet and the news media, but the caution is to remember that it is likely worth exactly what you paid for it, which is most often, nothing.
The differing opinions on the market at any given point are a testament to how the market functions… and thus the opportunity for return for investors who are savvy enough to capture opportunities at the right time and at the right price.
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|
907 - Skateboarders on Campus
When skateboarders gather in one area to perform stunts, they create a significant amount of noise. Fully 80% of all incidents in which Campus Security must ask skateboarders to leave are the result of phone calls from staff, students or faculty complaining that they cannot study, work or write exams because of the noise of the skateboarders (stats as of August 1999. Recent stats are
similar if not higher).
As well, the skateboarders like to skate along and jump off concrete walls and planters, causing property damage that is unsightly and expensive to repair.
The practice is also unsafe, both for people walking by and the
boarders themselves - there has been at least one incident this
year where a skateboarder was injured and required an ambulance
Incidents involving skateboarders this year have escalated in
seriousness and include assault, indecent exposure, and
suspected vehicle break-ins.
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| 0.952766
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|
Inside Moore Hospital, Nurses Pulled Together to Save Lives
May 24, 2013 - All the drills and disaster preparation paid off at Moore Medical Center this week, when it sustained a direct hit by a high-intensity tornado, with winds exceeding 200 miles per hour, and all of the patients and staff survived without injuries.
Dealing with Destruction: Hospitals Respond to Oklahoma’s Tornadoes
May 21, 2013 - On a typical day, Moore Medical Center provides medical, surgical and emergency services to the community of Moore, Okla., a suburb about 10 miles outside of Oklahoma City. The 45-bed hospital is a campus of Norman Regional Health System and has more than 100 physicians on staff.
Prophylactic Mastectomy: A Growing Choice Among U.S. Women
May 21, 2013 - As soon as Angelina Jolie’s op-ed piece, describing her decision to undergo a prophylactic mastectomy, ran in the New York Times, the phones started ringing at the Hoffberger Breast Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, and likely at other breast cancer centers across the country.
Honoring EMS Responders during National EMS Week
May 21, 2013 - This week, our nation honors emergency medical service (EMS) professionals for their dedication to public service. As the HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response, I know how important their role is in disasters. As a primary care physician, I know how important their work is every day. People rely on EMS in disasters and other public health emergencies, as well as for personal emergency care.
Suffering from Compassion Fatigue, Burnout or Both? What a Nurse Can Do
May 16, 2013 - When it comes to feeling worn down in your job, it is important to distinguish between nurse burnout and compassion fatigue because they have different sources and different solutions, explained Dana Nelson-Peterson, DNP, MN, RN, administrative director for ambulatory nursing services at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
Senate Confirms Marilyn Tavenner as CMS Administrator
May 16, 2013 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on May 15 that the United States Senate confirmed Marilyn Tavenner, a former nurse and health system leader, as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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By Margaret SteeleHealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- Supporters of the Obama administration's health care reform law said Thursday that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the landmark legislation protects the health of millions of Americans, but critics claim it does so at the expense of key civil liberties and exacts a high economic toll.
The 5-to-4 ruling "means millions of Americans can look forward to the coverage they need to get healthy and stay healthy," Dr. Jeremy Lazarus, president of the American Medical Association, said in a statement.
"This decision protects important improvements, such as ending coverage denials due to preexisting conditions and lifetime caps on insurance, and allowing the 2.5 million young adults up to age 26 who gained coverage under the law to stay on their parents' health insurance policies," Lazarus said.
Already, about 54 million Americans are benefiting from expanded preventive and wellness care coverage, Lazarus noted.
But many of those who oppose the legislation fear the federal government is intruding into the lives of private citizens.
"I'm disappointed that the Court is willing to give the federal government the power to tell you what has to be in your health care plan down to your contraceptives and mammograms," said John Goodman, president and founder of the National Center for Policy Analysis. "That's a great deal of power."
Economically, the Affordable Care Act "is one reason economic recovery has been so anemic," he suggested. Although hours worked across the United States are now what they were before the recession, hiring is not at pre-recession levels, he said, attributing that lag to "Obamacare" insurance requirements.
"The mandates come with a big price tag for employers and employees," Goodman said. The cost of family coverage works out to $6 an hour, he added.
Whether for or against the law, experts voiced relief that a decision was reached.
"We're very relieved and eager to move forward from here now that we have some certainty," said Dr. Glen Stream, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
The law's comprehensive primary-care initiative ensures funding for important health practices related to the "medical home" approach, he said. Preventive services, such as wellness coaching, dietitians and electronic record-keeping programs, are now accessible to many Americans through public and private payers, he noted.
Another benefit, according to Stream, is the provision for primary care work-force training. "Federally qualified community health centers have the capacity to train family physicians, which is critical," he said.
"Now we can work on other meaningful reforms," he said, mentioning liability reform.
Alison Renner Manson, manager of government affairs and policy for the National Coalition on Health Care, predicted that Congress has some hard work ahead. In some ways, the ruling was only the tip of the iceberg, she noted.
"The decision upholds existing law, so we're not looking at major changes," she said. "A lot of decisions on health care need to be made over the next year that will have a larger impact."
For instance, even with the Affordable Care Act in place, as much as one-third of U.S. health spending benefits no one's health, Manson said.
"It's an ongoing problem we have to deal with one way or another," she said. These issues include unnecessary or duplicated tests and services, excessive administrative costs, and instances of fraud and abuse, she explained. "We want to get more for our health-care dollars, but we don't want people to go without services," she said. And for that to happen, consumers, politicians and policy makers will have to work together, her group believes.
Because the court decision upheld the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act under a constitutional tax provision, there could be surprise financial implications, some say.
Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), said in a statement that she anticipates financial obstacles as a result of the ruling. AHIP is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing the health insurance industry.
"The law expands coverage to millions of Americans, a goal health plans have long supported, but major provisions, such as the premium tax, will have the unintended consequences of raising costs and disrupting coverage unless they are addressed," she noted.
"Health plans will continue to work with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to make coverage more affordable, give families and employers peace of mind, and promote choice and competition," she said.
Figures reviewed by AHIP indicate that the minimum essential health benefits requirement "will result in less affordable coverage for individuals, families and small employers by forcing them to 'buy up' and purchase more coverage than they may want or need," she added.
To learn more about a medical home, see the American College of Physicians.
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
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If you are not thinking you are wasting your time, if you are not planning you are improvising.
Read an excerpt from the book here.
AJ is available to inspire your organization or group to think differently, take a long term proactive approach, and ask What Next. Weaving stories from his life with examples that have inspired and motivated him, AJ leads the audience on a hike through life with difficult climbs and steep descents. Extolling the virtues in his book, What Next A Proactive Approach to Success, AJ emphasizes curiosity, adventure, and the willingness to travel multiple paths through life.
AJ’s own curiosity has led him to pursue such ventures as real estate investing, documentary videos, financial planning, soap making, and web design to name a few paths he’s taken. This trait of curiosity is shared by many successful people. Without curiosity Ted Turner would never have started CNN.
You can be the most curious person in the world but without a sense of adventure you probably won’t pursue your dreams and goals. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, was adventurous enough to step off the path he was on, an already successful path in finance, to start a company that he believed in.
Focus is important as successful people are able to hone in on the most essential items and devote as much energy as possible in that direction. Successful people also have the ability to juggle multiple tasks, taking hundreds of ideas and picking the two or three they will concentrate on. Often described as crazy, successful people are willing buck conventional wisdom and set their own course.
To discuss how AJ can be of service to you please email aj @ askwhatnext.com (remove spaces) or call 559-WHAT NEXT (942-8639).
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MnDOT Announces 316 Road Projects Around the State
ST. PAUL (AP) – This year’s state road construction projects include work on the Interstate 694 and Highway 10 interchange in the Twin Cities, and final work on an Interstate 35 bridge in Duluth.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced its road construction program for 2012 on Thursday. The program includes 316 projects around the state, and will cost $1.1 billion.
Other projects lined up include work on the Highway 52 Lafayette Bridge in St. Paul and resurfacing portions of Highway 10 between Clear Lake and Big Lake. Projects also include improving safety at railroad crossings and fixing runways at regional airports.
MnDOT Commissioner Tom Sorel says this year’s program will help the economy by supporting thousands of jobs.
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What if Foster the People picked you up on a bus… then took you to a location to volunteer and help the community? That's exactly what's happening as the band tours and partners up with the Do Good Bus to inspire community service and volunteering across the nation. As the band tours the country, so is the Do Good Bus--volunteers can just hop on and help with a special cause within each city. From feeding the homeless to recycling mattresses, the "Do Gooders" have really made a difference.
We talked to co-founder Rebecca Pontius (also drummer Mark Pontius's sister) about the Do Good mission, how a party bus brought about this charitable organization, and what the "Pumped Up Kicks" guys are doing to help!
Tell our viewers and readers a little bit about the Do Good bus and why think it's working as an effective model for other organizations.
The Do Good Bus is a mobile volunteering opportunity that combines a sense of community, giving back and lots of fun. Volunteers on our bus are whisked away to a mystery volunteer activity to get involved and meet like-minded people in their neighborhoods. We've visited over 40 causes across the U.S. and had over 1500 volunteers ride the bus. We truly believe in the power of teamwork and a community coming together to make a difference.
How did the idea of a bus come to be and where did you get the bus?
The Do Good Bus was an idea inspired by a party bus on my 30th birthday where groups of friends from various circles came together to celebrate. By the end of the trip, whether they initially knew each other or not, the group had created a little community. My business partner Stephen and I met volunteering and over the years have continually been asked, "How do I get involved? How do you know where to volunteer? How do you do it?". So, we took the idea of creating community among strangers and giving back in your own neighborhood, and threw people on a bus to show them how to do both.
We rent a different bus for each trip depending on our needs and how many volunteers we need to accommodate. We'd love to own a great old school bus someday and get a makeover from Pimp My Ride.
Each trip is different and the locations are different with each ride--how are volunteers responding to this aspect?
In general, people are excited about the mystery and the idea--all they have to do is show up. We also like to keep the destination a secret to ensure people don't have any preconceived ideas about the cause. This way, we show up to our location and people just have to dive in, they don't have time to think about it.
What has been the biggest surprise for the Do Good founders and team in putting this enterprise out there?
The biggest surprise has been response from all over the world. We get emails every day from people asking when the bus will be in their city. We also have people who want to start a similar project in their own neighborhoods… and they have! The best example is a couple in Utah who have already done their first ride by gathering friends in an SUV train of sorts. They're calling it SUV--Serve Ur Village. We are really excited the bus is inspiring people to get involved.
How did the Foster the People ride come about?
Since the band's inception, Foster The People wanted to incorporate a charity element in everything they do. They decided early on if they had an opportunity to use their voice and popularity for good, they will hopefully inspire anyone who might listen. Foster The People's drummer, Mark Pontius, is my brother and the two of us have always wanted to make a difference, so the band's newfound fame was a great leap into making a difference worldwide someday.
What are some future plans for the Do Good Bus?
We'd like to continue doing local rides in Southern California, but also looking into other tour options across the U.S., and hopefully some day internationally. We'd also like to branch out to other forms of doing good, sans bus.
How can our viewers and readers help if they're not in the L.A. area?
We are always in need of funds and support to keep the bus on the road. If there are Los Angelinos with skills they can offer or ideas for new causes to visit, we'd love to hear about it!
What is the one last thing that you would want people to know about the Do Good Bus?
Do Good Bus is an easy way to get involved in your community and have fun at the same time. You literally hop on and we do the rest.
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Netherlands supports reconstruction of South Sudan
Over the past few years the Netherlands has been closely involved in the peace process in Sudan and intends to play a major role in the reconstruction of South Sudan. This commitment was reaffirmed yesterday by Minister for European Affairs and International Cooperation Ben Knapen in a speech at a high-level conference on the future of South Sudan in Washington, DC.
The new state of South Sudan, which became independent on 9 July, is facing enormous challenges. In addition to security, stability, and social and economic development, the minister highlighted the need for a functioning, multiparty democracy that respects the rule of law and human rights.
In a brief meeting with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, Mr Knapen said that South Sudan can continue to count on Dutch support for his country’s development. The minister stressed the need for good governance and respect for the rule of law in this process. In this light, the minister is pleased that South Sudan will participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. He also urged that relations between North and South Sudan be normalised by settling outstanding issues from the peace agreement.
South Sudan is one of the Netherlands’ 15 development partners. Through bilateral and multilateral channels and via non-governmental organisations, the Dutch contribute €75 million to the country each year. Over the next three years €45 million of that amount will be spent annually on water management, food security, and security and the legal order. The Netherlands has considerable expertise in these areas and works closely with other donors. It has even assumed a coordinating role in the areas of water management and security. The Netherlands also provided approximately €14 million in humanitarian aid in 2011 and has pledged to make up to 30 experts available for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. The Dutch government has also pressed for coordinated EU programming for the years ahead. From now through 2013 the European Union will spend a total of €900 million on development in South Sudan.
Along with development South Sudan needs investments and international trade. In October, a month after the Dutch embassy was opened in the new capital of Juba, a large trade mission took place, with the participation of Dutch businesses in the agriculture, financial services and transport sectors.
The International Engagement Conference for South Sudan ends on 15 December. Speakers included President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Robert Zoellick of the World Bank and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. Representatives of friendly governments, the private sector and NGOs spoke on a variety of subjects, including the management of oil income, social services (such as education and health care), strengthening state institutions and investment opportunities.
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Originally Posted by Ordo Ab Chao
while we are on the subject, apparently hypoxia can cause heat shock protein expression. it seems blood occlusion training may have more benefits to it than just GH response.
you are exactly right...that's why they believe it helps slow atrophy when occlusion is applied in ACL injuries.
The"Outwork" mindset changed my entire life, perhaps it can help you as well
Muscle Hypertrophy occurs independent of exercise intensity
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- If you are looking for a unique place to stay...overnight, for a weekend, or a week, you will find this historic Blue River Valley Farm a fun unexpected experience.
This home away from home is in southern Indiana in the town of Milltown. The farm itself is 120 acres and gives you the chance to join in the farming activities or sit back and do nothing!
It is a working farm owned by Richard and Ashira Young. Richard is a state senator for much of the southern part of the state.
The Young's opened the historic farm house for visitors to enjoy the peaceful quiet of farm living.
This is not what you would expect of a "bed and breakfast" because it is not one. Here you have the whole house to yourself...coming and going as often as you like. The Young's historic house is yours for however long you stay. The 100-year-old farm house has been in the Young family for more than 50 years. Richard and Ashira live just down the hill.The story...
after selling their home in Indianapolis, they had more furniture than needed at their new home on the farm. So they stored the excess in the historic farm house just up the lane from their home. Ashira said the farm house made for a very expensive storage facility and they thought about renovating the home and making it a vacation home. They decided instead of storing the furniture why not make use of the space. They renovated the house has three bedrooms, one bath, a good size kitchen with a eating area and plenty of room for watching TV, playing games or just talking, reading and relaxing. But it does not stop there as this home makes for a great place for families to "reunite". There is plenty of room for camping in addition to the house and plenty of acres for the kids to run and make as much noise as they like!You can find something to do...the options are almost endless. Catch something...in the clear, clean Blue River, that runs through the property. Fishing is as easy as a short walk to the river. Sit on the back porch or watch a movie on the 52 inch TV. Get up close and personal with the farm animals and pitch in to gather eggs, feed the goats or pick some berries or vegetables. It is a great place for children to learn how to milk goats. As Ashira says, "It helps children and adults alike to get back to the roots and learn the origin of foods." Blue River Valley Farm is a great place for kids.
That is just the beginning as the area is filled with fun adventures from exploring caves to the history of Indiana's first capitol, Corydon. You are just minutes away from the Cave Country Canoes, Marengo Caves or Squire Boone Caverns. In close proximity you will find two casinos, seven wineries, Holiday World and Paoli Peaks for winter skiing.
Bring some romance into your time at Blue River Vally Farm...cozy up near the wood burning stove and drink some of that wine you purchased at the wineries. There is a special Wine Lovers Package available as well as a variety of other packages.
On a personal note, I spent a great night at Blue River Valley Farm and found there was so much to do in the area I could not get it all in over the two day period. Have a great visit!
Visit any time of year. The farm is located at 10351 E. Daugherty Lane, Milltown, Indiana 47145. Log on to www.bluerivervalleyfarm.com
for more information or call 1-888-375-7557.
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Russia's capital is not yet as slick as other European cities, but it's a fascinating place to get lost
Visitors take pictures in Red Square in Moscow. (SERGEI L. LOIKO, Los Angeles Times / March 6, 2010)
This is where Soviet nightmares went to die: Bronze statues of past presidents, party bosses and KGB chiefs, coats swirling in a bygone winter wind, were hauled here when they tumbled from their pedestals. At the time, nobody knew what to do with them. In the end, the sculpture garden grew up around them.
The juxtaposition of art here is jarring: A stone's throw from the Soviet bosses is a piece called Gulag: piles of heads hemmed in by barbed wire. Around the bend sits an improbable Japanese garden.
There are rosebushes, wishing ponds and wooden swings. The smell of flowers is in the air; a rainstorm is threatening the edges of the sky; men in cheap suits drink beer in a gazebo; and teenagers play leapfrog outside a rusting train car. You can look at the art; you can carry on a romance; you can lie down underneath a blooming cherry tree, as I did one blissful afternoon last spring, and take a nap.
The Muzeon Park, as the garden is formally known, is a favorite spot in town and a good microcosm of Moscow itself: messy and post-Soviet, not nearly as manicured as what you would find elsewhere in Europe. It's moody, jumbled, idiosyncratic — and somehow charming.
The eye-popping stories about Moscow are true: the pricey boutiques, the caviar, the pulsing all-night clubs where the doormen practice the brutal art of "face control" — no pretty face, no entrance. If you have the cash and the inclination, you can do Moscow that way, including its pricey hotels.
But there is another, cheaper and more adventurous way: Get lost in this city, and immerse yourself in the latter-day pagans, peasants and proletariat.
Rent a furnished apartment through the Internet or check in at one of the city's hostels.
True, Moscow can be a daunting destination for those trying to go without the padding of upscale hotels and expensive guides. You have to know where to look, and if you don't speak Russian, many Muscovites are either unwilling or unable to help.
The city runs on gypsy cabs, and negotiations must be carried out in Russian. At less than a dollar a trip, the Metro is fine for most in-city trips — and it's a fascinating treat for tourists in its own right — but can be daunting for those who don't read Cyrillic.
The best strategy is to open yourself to the probability that you will end up someplace you didn't mean to go and hope it turns out interesting anyway.
Most tourists troop to the Izmaylovsky souvenir market to buy nesting dolls and teacups. Fewer cross the street to Izmaylovsky Park, a vast spread of birch forests and grassy glades. Once the hunting grounds of the czars, it's the playground of more modest strata of Russian society, particularly those who don't have a dacha to retreat to on a warm-weather weekend.
The spice of grilling meat hangs in the air; sunlight comes dappled through the birch leaves; pensioners waltz in an old gazebo, women dancing with women because the men have been peeled off by war and alcoholism.
Down by the lake, buried in the woods at Izmaylovsky Park, near an old hunting lodge, a Ferris wheel creaks into the sky and drops again. Teenagers are necking; families picnic on the grass, parents washing down hunks of bread and smoked fish with shots of vodka; children slurp on ice cream bars.
Or go to a banya, a Russian bath, for a time-honored purification of mind and body. It always seems like a lot of trouble in the beginning, pounding through the clogged Moscow streets, paying the admission — as little as $5 — finding the locker.
You strip down, wrap yourself in a sheet and wait for the call to steam. When it comes, you take your place on wooden benches. The heavy door clamps shut, and anticipatory silence seizes the dark room. Cardinal rule: No speaking in the banya.
Water sizzles on coals, and the heat thickens. Your skin tightens as if it might crack. Then comes the sweat — supernatural perspiration from every inch of skin. The attendant hollers for eyes closed and splashes cool water laced with aromatic oils over the bathers. The smell of eucalyptus or oranges fills the room, and the women mutter thanks.
When you can stand the heat no longer, you make your way to the cold pool and plunge in. It's a head-swimming moment. After a couple of rounds of steam and cool, you feel as if you've had an hourslong, full-body massage; Russians say the banya cures hangovers, stress and whatever else may ail you.
Meanwhile, renewal has found its way to Moscow in a dramatic way. Like other cities, it is trending toward refashioning industrial places into trendy spaces. There's Winzavod, a complex of galleries, cafes and hip shops nestled into the gutted bowels of a Soviet-era winery. Or Krasny Oktyabr, the iconic, century-old chocolate factory on an island in the heart of Moscow, now converted to galleries and lofts. And Garage, a bus depot reborn as one of the city's best avant-garde contemporary art museums.
Sushi and hookahs were the trendiest things going in nouveau riche Moscow for years, but these days some of the most fashionable restaurants are evoking Soviet simplicity.
For a quick lunch while sightseeing in Red Square, take the escalators to the top of GUM, the cavernous shopping center on the northeast edge of the square. Don't be daunted by glimpses of Armani and Burberry or by the sneers of passing fashion models.
At Stolovaya 57, they'll call you "comrade" as you stand in line with the other proletariat to fill your tray with classic Russian dishes: homemade dumplings for less than $3; perch fillet in omelet for less than $5; pork roll with fruit for less than $4. This is about as cheap as Moscow gets, with lace tablecloths and copious mayonnaise for all.
At Mari Vanna, a plausible riff on a cramped Soviet apartment, a doorman in a track suit and scuffed house slippers rocks by the entrance, black-and-white Soviet TV pipes in from the corners, and a pet dog and cat pad nonchalantly among the tables.
Mari Vanna also brews moonshine, with flavors including horseradish and beet. A few shots of homemade liquor, and the earthy Russian day is complete.
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Canastota graduate visits Linguagrossa, Sicily, ancestral home of local families
I grew up in Canastota in the 1960s and didn’t think anything of being Italian.
My grandparents were from Sicily and the majority of people who lived and worked in Canastota were Italian, too. My parents, Vito and Carmella “Mollie” Catalano were second-generation Italian, still fluent in the language, as were many of their generation.
I went to school with kids from Sicilian families, names like Malfitano, Patane and Tornatore. We went to Mass at St. Agatha’s and ate pasta every Sunday.
Holidays, especially Christmas Eve, were major celebrations where all of the family would come together. We ate homemade pasta and lasagna, calamari, manicotti, “castagnas” and cannoli.
My paternal grandparents, Vincenza and Jasper Catalano lived on Seneca Street in Rome, N.Y., and were originally from Castellamare del Golfo in Sicily.
My grandparents stayed in contact with “la famiglia” and traveled back to Sicily from time to time.
My maternal grandfather was Rosario Russitano. He, too, immigrated to America with his parents from Trabia, Sicily. He lived with my grandmother, Anna, for many years on State Street in Canastota.
About a year ago, my husband and I decided to visit Sicily. Two of my cousins from Rome, N.Y. had visited Castellamare del Golfo and I wanted to see it, too. I also wanted to visit Linguaglossa, the Sicilian village where many Canastota families originated.
This October, we flew to Palermo. The first glimpse of Sicily was beautiful — the calm, blue, clear Tyrrhenian Sea is surrounded by mountains. With maps, a guide book and an Italian dictionary in hand, we drove along the north coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, toward Castellamare del Golfo, located near Alcamo, Segesta, and St. Vito lo Capo.
From the harbor, I could see that the town was surrounded by jagged, steep, rocky mountains that sloped to the sea. Continued...
The fishing village of approximately 15,000 residents is also known for its grapes, olives, wheat, oranges, lemons and prickly pears, the cactus fruit characteristic of Sicily.
We visited the “castello” (castle) first. According to Castellammare history, it was built somewhere between 1071 and 1280.
We visited the Civic Museum, where I learned about wine and olive oil making. I got directions to 30 Via Stella, where my grandmother had lived, and we set out by foot to find it. Along the way we saw Chisea Madre, the mother church, and wondered if this was the church that my grandmother attended 93 years ago.
The streets in Castellamare are made of ancient stone and very narrow. Grandma’s house is located in an urban area, up a hilly street. As I looked up, I could see rows of buildings three to four stories high with clothes hanging out on the line to dry.
As we approached, we counted off the numbers 28... 29.. and there it was, No. 30.
I stopped to take in the experience and imagine what it might have been like to live there. It didn’t appear that anyone was living there anymore as the window was boarded shut, but the feeling of finding her house was indescribable.
After locating the house, we walked around the surrounding streets, one of which was Via Catalano. I learned that Catalano is a very common name, probably like Smith in the U.S.
We then headed west out of town, straight up hill and stopped along State Road 187 to take in the breathtaking views of Castellammare del Golfo surrounded by rolling hills and rocky mountains and the beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea coast.
During our time in the Northwest region of Sicily we also traveled to San Vito lo Capo, Segesta, Erice, Scopello, Trapani, and Marsala visiting ancient temples and ruins, sea salt marshes, wineries, medieval castles and sunsets.
Another place we visited in Sicily was Mt. Etna, near the east coast. It is the largest and most active volcano in Europe, having last erupted about 10 years ago. Continued...
Road signs along the autostada directed us to the exit for “Etna nord,” toward Linguaglossa, where many Canastota ancestors originated. The winding road around the foot of the volcano goes through groves of olive, citrus and almond trees.
The landscape and temperature changes dramatically at the higher elevation. I imagined that this is what the lunar surface might have looked like to the astronauts when they first set foot on the moon.
The abundant lava was piled up everywhere. It appeared that a large plow had pushed the lava aside to clear the road, such as what happens when a severe snow storm occurs at home.
We took a chair lift up the mountain and then, along with a guide, boarded an all-terrain mini bus up to 8,000 feet. We had arrived where the sky meets land; it was surreal.
Leaving Mt. Etna, we headed to Linguaglossa, a village built from black lava. The buildings along the main street appear to be brushed with ash. The road, and flower-filled planters along the road are made of black lava rock.
I visited the monument in the center of town, and could not believe my eyes. Chiseled into the monument was a list of names of prominent citizens of the community. The names were so familiar: Patane, Tornatore, Tornabene, Pavone, Finocchario, Emmi, Stagnitti, Scarlata, Cali, Pino, Rapasarda, Vecchio, LoGiudice, DiFrancesco, Sgroi, DiFazio, D’Amico and Malfitana. I stood by in total amazement and disbelief. These were the same names of the kids I grew up with and went to school with! I was in awe and read the list over and over.
We visited a nearby café, had a coffee and a pastry and conversed with the local people, trying hard to explain that the names on their monument were the same as those from my hometown. I was excited; I was in Linguaglossa, the village where many of the ancestors from Canastota originated!
We then headed to Trabia, the birthplace of my maternal grandfather. A fishing village of approximately 9,000 people, it’s located about 18 miles from Palermo, in the province of Palermo, along the northern coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
It is situated on a hilltop with the entire village visible from along the coastline below. My previous attempts to reach my cousin, Angela Russitano, by letter and by phone were unsuccessful. As we approached Trabia, however, I became convinced I needed to make contact with her and my other cousins.
As we entered the village through the Porta Palermo, my enthusiasm grew. This old village was bustling with Sicilian men sitting, conversing and observing along the crowded main street of the shopping district. We stopped at a bank and inquired about my cousins. It was likely an odd request, especially coming from a foreigner. Continued...
I extended my hand and showed the gentleman who was assisting us a picture of my cousins. In broken Italian I asked him if he knew the Russitano family. To my surprise and in perfect English, he replied, “Yes.” He’d gone to school with all of them and even played soccer with Domenico, “Mimmo.”
He called Mimmo, who shortly arrived. Through the bank window, I immediately recognized my cousin. He looked very much like the Russitano boys in Canastota, my mother’s cousins.
The drive to his house was challenging. The narrow street was was a curvy, steep climb. Even if we’d had the correct address, we never would have found this house on our own.
My cousin, Cosimo, greeted us and gave us a tour of the grounds. The Russitano house is a large two-family, one-story dwelling. My cousin Angela, her husband and children live on one side; my other cousin, Josephine lives on the other side, along with Mimmo, Cosimo and their father, Louis.
The grounds were rich in lime, lemon and olive trees. Also growing were various fruits and vegetables such as eggplant, basil, and “kaki” persimmon, a native fruit that tastes somewhere between a juicy tomato and a peach. There were pomegranates, squash and figs.
From their terrace, we took in a spectacular view of Trabia and the Tyrrhenian Sea
Our first Sicilian family dinner consisted of pasta, of course, shells prepared with peas and olive oil. There were fresh fruits, caponata, parmesan cheese, artichokes, fruit wrapped with prosciutto, eggplant, figs and homemade “pani,” bread.
Next we had grilled meat marinated with olive oil, fresh lemon and basil and a salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing. If that weren’t enough, we were treated with “dolci,” sweets which consisted of cannoli and sfinges, small doughnuts filled with ricotta, and other cookies. We also had espresso, nuts and more fruit! We communicated with hand gestures, my pocket Italian dictionary and a computer to help. It was like playing charades for hours and hours and much fun.
My cousins are working people: bartenders, police officers, postal workers, school teachers, nurses and masons. I also have a cousin who is a law student in Palermo. The cousins took turns taking us to other homes in the area where we met still more cousins.
Of particular interest was my elder cousin Josephina, who I resemble. And then there was the picture of my great-great-grandparents with my Uncle Charles Russitano from Canastota resembling my great-great-grandfather. It was uncanny!
Vincenzo and Agnese took us to nearby Monreale where we experienced the magnificence of the cathedral, “Duomo.” The interior is made completely of gold mosaic. We also visited the mosaic chapel of St. Rosalie, the patron saint of fisherman and the San Nicola castle.
We shared addresses and phone numbers. Angela gave me presents for my family at home and Anna and Giovanni gave us a tape of Sicilian festival music. We promised to post information and pictures on “Faccialibro” (Facebook). And, I vowed to remember what Angela told me — that they are “crazy” for American chewing gum. We hugged and kissed and said a teary good-bye.
Other places we visited in Sicily include Villa Romana di Casale, an ancient hunting lodge made of mosaics and the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. In the resort town of Taormina we visited the Greek Teatto, beautiful gardens and the village of Savoco where parts of the movie “The Godfather” were filmed. Lastly we visited Palermo, where we saw the Palantine Chapel and the Palace of the Normands; we saw an opera at the Teattro Massimo. But, none of these experiences equalled meeting my family and finding my “roots”.
Going to Sicily was an amazing adventure. The countryside, mountains and sea are beautiful. The Sicilian people are warm, caring and helpful. I was able to see ancient towns, medieval castles, and even climb Mt. Etna. But more importantly, I had located my grandmother’s house, the birthplace of my grandfather and connected with my cousins. I had found my heritage, and much of Canastota’s.
Everything concerning “la famiglia” makes more sense now; I have a deeper, renewed appreciation for my parents and grandparents.
The trip gave me a feeling I will treasure forever. I felt at home; Sicily will always be a part of me.
Rose Ann Catalano-Curtis is a 1967 graduate of Canastota High School. She is a retired registered nurse and lives with her husband of 39 years, Thomas, in Macedon, New York
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Editor Kurt Wanfried shares his view of the news in Madison County and Southern Oneida County.
Sports stories from Central New York and beyond.
Mary Messere, the former Madison County historian, describes herself as historian/writer/photographer who loves music, history, making videos, poetry, art and travel. Her entertaining blog covers all that and more.
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Volume , Number 0
Silja j.a. Talvi
Silja j.a. Talvi
Stephen R. Shalom
Nonviolence Versus Capitalism
There are no articles.Culture
There are no articles.Features
Trajectory of Change
Jan knippers Black
Eleanor J. Bader
There are no articles.
NOTE: Z Magazine subscribers and sustainers have access to all Z Magazine articles here and in the archive. The latest Z Magazine articles available to everyone are listed in the Free Articles box at the top of the table of contents, and are starred in the list below. Questions? e-mail Z Magazine Online.
Regan Books/HarperCollins, 2002
Review by Tom Gallagher
With a bestselling book and a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Michael Moore has definitely arrived, occupying a niche in American politics and culture somewhere between Ralph Nader and Al Franken. If youre looking for historical parallels, Will Rogers might come to mind, but ultimately Rogers was more of a cynic about politics in general than any kind of radical. Not that long ago, most people would not have suspected that the spot Moore has carved out for himself was even a possibility.
Books are not his fortefilm and television arebut books allow Moore to be somewhat more specific about what he actually thinks, and selling this many copies of a book with politics this radical is no small achievement, even if the politics come wrapped in shtick. Stupid White Men continues the story of the central character of all of Michael Moores published and filmed work since Roger and MeMichael Moore.
Being Michael Moore these days means that phone calls you and I might dream of making just may go through if he makes themlike the one to right-wing magazine columnist Fred Barnes. Moore was somewhat inexplicably watching The McLaughlin Grouphyenas on Dexedrine as he refers to themwhen he witnessed Barnes bemoaning a state of American education so debased that, These kids dont even know what The Iliad and The Odyssey are. We must give Moore credit for realizing that a person like Barnes might have the chutzpah to publicly blather about the works of Homer, without actually knowing what they were about himself. When Moore asked Barnes to discuss them, he started hemming and hawing, Well, theyre...uh...you know... uh...okay, fine, you got me. I dont know what theyre about. Happy now?
The book generally reads like it was written by a celebrity rushing to print while hes still in. The satire is not always the sharpest, for instance, the proposal that Northern Ireland be fixed by converting Irish Protestants to Catholicism. On the other hand, Moore gets serious from time to time. Levity may be okay for Ireland and the former Yugoslavia, but he wont treat the Mideast as a laughing matter. His suggestion that the adoption of nonviolent tactics by Palestinians would enhance their chance of success in forcing Israel to yield the occupied territories is not original to Moore, but it certainly bears repeating, even if it has as much chance of coming to fruition as his proposal for Yugoslaviabringing Tito back to life.
Although he was a prominent Nader supporter, he declined an invitation to join a Nader tour of states in which Gore and Bush were neck-in-neck late in the 2000 campaign because he didnt want to tip the election to Bush. His proposal that Nader advocate a vote for Gore in the swing states in exchange for a public Gore shift to the left on one major issue picked from a list that Nader would provide seems worth the attention of Monday morning electoral quarterbacks. While it seems unlikely that Gore would have agreed, Nader had little to lose from being unconventional and even a rejected offer might have quieted the pundits who thought Nader egotistical for insisting that the most important issues actually be addressed in a presidential election campaign.
Moore is in good form in his rant about what kind of president expands the death penalty, outlaws gay marriages, kicks ten million people off of welfare, supports three strikes legislation, and refuses to sign the International Land Mines Ban Treaty (thats Clinton, of course), but hes really at his best when it comes to George Bush, for whom he has designed a little Presidential Clip n Carry to help him remember the names of the heads of state he may encounter in his travels.
Some of Moores ideas, like his offer to pay the filing fees for the merger of the Republican and Democratic Parties that he hopes would allow the emergence of a party to represent the other 90 percent of us will play better on film, but some readers will learn of outrageous subjects that had previously escaped them, like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that only two nations in the world have refused to sign.
Your test questions are: (1) Which is the other nation that has refused to sign? (2) Why wouldnt the U.S. sign?
Answers: (1) Somalia. They dont really have a functioning government, so there may have been some legitimate confusion as to who got to go to the signing ceremony. (2) It prohibits the execution of children under 18.
If your choice is between a Moore movie or a Moore book, see the movie, but if you flunked the test and feel the need to study, Stupid White Men will entertain you for awhile. Dont stop until the very endits got the funniest About this typeface section Ive ever read.
Tom Gallagher is an activist and frelance writer based in California.
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1982 Called. It Wants Its Digital Music Distribution Model Back
Overall CD sales are plummeting after eight years of unflagging erosion. Digital music sales now account for 15 percent of recording industry’s revenues worldwide and 30 percent in the United States, according to recent data from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. And those numbers are climbing faster than ever. Consider: This past June, Apple (AAPL) said it has sold some five billion songs on its iTunes Store. Clearly, physical media are giving way to the Internet as a means of music distribution. What better time, then, to reinvent the music industry’s business model for physical media as SanDisk (SNDK) hopes to do with its new microSD memory card album format?
This morning the company announced slotMusic, a compact memory card-based music format that can be played on cellphones, PCs and some MP3 players. It relies on MP3s without digital rights management schemes and is backed by Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI Group, all of which apparently believe that more physical media is the best way to reinvent their business model in the era of digital distribution. Though as SanDisk VP Daniel Schreiber notes, they do have their reasons. “There’s a billion phones out there and a lot of them can play music and a lot of them have a microSD slot,” he explained. “We think there’s still a need for a tangible, physical product. People will appreciate walking out of the store playing music on their phones.”
Perhaps. But will they appreciate carrying that music around on a 0.6? x 0.4? medium that’s about the size of a fingernail? Seems easy to lose, doesn’t it (maybe Case Logic is planning a slotMusic binder)? And wouldn’t they rather carry around hundreds of songs, instead of the dozen or so stored on each slotMusic card? And what if the memory card in their phone is already in use, filled up with contacts, applications and other data? What then? And beyond this, haven’t iTunes and Amazon MP3 made consumers more accustomed to purchasing music à la carte? Why purchase a full album at $15, when all you really want are the only two good songs on it?
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In Europe, it has become a custom to designate European Capitals of Culture, an honour that has been bestowed on Estonia’s capital Tallinn for 2011. Inspired by this tradition, Tallinn will be known as the Capital of European Law in the following year 2012, when it will host one of the most distinguished EU law conferences, the XXV FIDE Congress.
Estonia has the great honour of being the first Central and Eastern European country to organise the international FIDE Congress. Tallinn is an ideal location for the congress, as delegates will have the opportunity to explore its medieval Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that was once a major centre of the Hanseatic League. Tallinn’s rich architectural heritage reflects Estonia’s history from medieval to modern times, and the rapid economic progress during the years of independence.
While the Congress will surely contribute to the development and enrichment of European law, it will also introduce Estonia, Tallinn and the country’s jurisprudence to European and global audiences, and help Estonia prepare for the Estonian Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2018.
Yet the EU and EU law are not just for lawyers and policy-makers. The European Union ought to be viewed as an important part of our daily lives. As hosts of the 2012 FIDE Congress, the people of Estonia will have a unique opportunity to learn more about their rights under EU law and how they can influence policy making at different levels. We look forward to sharing this experience with you.
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Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 16,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
Today we sit on Sensei's deck,
the ocean glinting twenty miles away.
Weathered bamboo clatters softly overhead
as we settle in to sit, scattered lightly
like leaves blown into cool shady corners,
or lizards, basking on the warm wood in the sun.
I choose the shade.
Forty minutes? I'm used to just fifteen.
I see the sea, feel the air,
hear the birds, and close my eyes
as Sensei sounds a small, clear chime.
A dozen little birds chatter down the hill,
a faraway crow gives three short caws,
and I wonder what might come up in forty minutes
that's managed to keep itself hidden from fifteen.
A small plane hums overhead, and I think of flying.
When I flew I got bit, hard. I loved flying.
I had a great teacher, and a community of friends.
I was never going to stop flying.
And then I stopped flying.
I worry, briefly, about that rhythm to things.
Flying, engineering, music...
Is it just that, the rhythm of things?
They come, stay for a time, and go?
They go with good reason, but they go.
A neighbor's horse gives a sharp snort.
Right. And horses too.
What about Aikido?
The thought of someday not training anymore,
not wanting to train, not missing it...
It's unimaginable, gut-wrenching.
But could it go, too, in time?
The flying, engineering, music, and horses,
those were things I was trying to become,
was trying to get good at, would be someday.
They were places I did not belong,
and was struggling to get to.
When I saw this about each one, I let it go.
As I begin to realize this profound difference
the gut unsnarls and breathing relaxes.
Aikido from the first has felt like home.
There's no trying, no struggle, no someday.
It's who I already am.
I won't let that go. How could I?
Instead I let the worry go.
It's silly, like worrying that I might
somehow float off the surface of the earth.
The wind takes the worry like a kite with a broken string,
and in a moment I no longer see it in the sky.
My attention is drawn to the deck, to sitting.
I wonder how long it's been, and how much longer.
"Don't be looking for the end, keep going deeper."
I remember Kayla Feder Sensei saying once,
I return to breathing,
noticing the thoughts that come,
and letting the breeze carry each one off.
Sensei sounds his small, clear chime again,
and I complete a last full breath.
When I open my eyes I'm mildly surprised
that everyone is further away than they felt.
But I'm very happy to see them again.
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As the November election looms, we are faced with a nonstop barrage of commentary about the economy. Of course, the economy is on the top of everyone’s mind so that has put it on the top of politician’s campaign messages. Those trying to unseat an incumbent blast them because the economy has not been fixed or even blame them for the recession. Incumbents claim their programs prevented the economy from getting worse. House Republican leader John Boehner called on President Obama to fire his economic advisors because they have failed to turn the economy around. And so it goes.
There is only one tiny problem with all this political rhetoric. They’re basically wrong. This recession was not caused by anything done by the government in any administration or session of congress whether current or past. And the numbers wouldn’t be any better today even if the other party had been in control. The government didn’t cause the problem and they can’t do a whole lot to solve it.
Any politician that says their approach would be better just doesn’t understand how little the government has to do with economic events like this. The purpose of this article is to explore what caused the recession and what might prevent another one like this. For ideas on how to jump start the economy, please read the article “3 Steps To Boost Jobs And The Economy“.
After tracking all the unfolding events from the moment this economic catastrophe started, I’ve pinpointed what got us into this mess. It turns out thousands of bright, well educated, experienced business people all made the same assumptions at the same time if in fact they were assumptions. It does appear based on the most recent investigative reports in 2012 that many of them knew what was going on and didn’t do anything about it. That’s a lapse in character of the first magnitude.
This reminds me of the story “The Emperors New Clothes” where an entire country believes an assumption to be true when it is clearly false. Until a little boy stands up and questions the assumption. Unfortunately for our economy, the little boy didn’t speak up fast enough and even then, everyone else ignored him.
So what are the assumptions that tanked our economy, who made these assumptions, and how can we prevent others like them from doing it again?
If only the general public believed this, we would never have gotten into this mess. The average person can’t be expected to understand real estate cycles or know when to question trend lines. Even if they saw prices going up and wanted to buy real estate, they wouldn’t have been able to if those in the mortgage and finance industry had avoided this assumption and followed their own lending standards.
We got into this mess primarily because of this assumption. And those who could have stopped the problem before it got out of hand bought it hook, line and sinker. Real estate goes in cycles with prices moving up and down. Those cycles have been tracked and reported for decades. Over all those decades, the pattern was fairly consistent concerning the peaks and troughs. Anyone who had worked for any length of time in the real estate, mortgage, banking, and finance industry knew this.
When real estate demand started forcing prices up higher than the normal trend line, questions should have been raised by thousands of these experts. Why is the cycle not acting as it normally does? Where is this excessive demand coming from? How are so many people getting access to so much mortgage money that they can push up prices like this? What has changed compared to all the previous real estate cycles?
These are fairly basic questions anyone should be asking when a trend breaks out of its normal pattern. On Wall Street, the moment the averages don’t do what they are supposed to do, a million questions are raised and all kinds of analysis follows. But that didn’t happen amongst those lending the money, those handling these real estate transactions and even those on Wall Street who created, rated and insured the financial packages that provided all this extra mortgage money.
The banking and mortgage industry needs to be singled out here. Obviously, they are in the business of making loans because that’s how they make money. As demand rapidly increased for mortgages, they saw the opportunity to make lots and lots of money. And, because of this assumption, they convinced themselves they couldn’t lose even if they dropped their lending standards.
I know what they were telling themselves. “We’re going to make a profit when we make the loan. If the borrower later defaults, we just take the property back and sell it at an even higher price so we make even more money (because real estate prices always rise).” They assumed that rising real estate prices would protect them against anyone who defaulted on their easy money loans. This is akin to believing in the existence of a perpetual money making machine.
Think about all the people who make up this industry especially those in management. Many of them had twenty to thirty years of experience in the industry. They had been through several real estate cycles. They all knew that when real estate prices rise they later come down. Then there are thousands of MBA’s from Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Anderson and all the rest that fill the ranks of these institutions.
How is it possible that amongst tens of thousands of bright, experienced, educated people in the banking and mortgage industries none of them bothered to question this assumption and inquire about why the real estate market suddenly broke out of its historic pattern? Did all of them see nothing alarming in dropping their lending standards so low? Did none of them feel uneasy that lending volume in dollars was the highest in history and rising at an unprecedented rate? Did they all believe that the economy had magically restructured itself in a new way to support massive lending and real estate price increases with no downside?
For the banking and mortgage industry to offer mortgages with their new loosey-goosey lending standards, they needed access to more money to lend…a lot more money. The money had to come from somewhere to fuel this insatiable demand for easy mortgages. Wall Street came to their rescue by creating some new types of mortgage backed securities. The creation of these securities alone would not have created a problem.
The real culprits are firms who rated these securities such as Moody’s and Standard & Poors and the insurance companies who backed them such as AGC. Moody’s and S&P are supposed to be our last line of defense. They are the fail safe component in our economic system. Even if greed blinds everyone else, they are supposed to do their due diligence about the risk level of every security. We trust their ratings. We invest our life savings based on their ratings.
But instead of thoroughly checking out the quality of the real estate loans that these securities were funding, the smart, well educated people at Moody’s and S & P assumed that mortgage lenders always follow sound, stable, conservative lending practices. They also assumed that sense these loans were secured by real property, they had to be safe. And that’s how they rated them. So investors bought up these mortgage backed securities based on the ratings and AGC gladly provided the insurance.
It was a house of dominos built on a few assumptions. A house of dominos that came tumbling down, sent us into the longest economic downturn since the great depression and can only be fixed by the marketplace cleaning out the debris which tanked millions of people’s jobs and retirement. Until the marketplace cleans out all the bad loans, overpriced real estate, excess real estate inventory, risky securities and everything else that was created by these assumptions, the economy can’t right itself and start chugging along again.
Neither stimulus by the Democrats nor tax and regulatory cuts by the Republicans address what caused this to occur. The marketplace has to clean up its own mess. While businesses always talk about wanting lower taxes and less regulation, the truth is that as long as a business can increase its net profits, it will do so even if it has to pay higher taxes. That’s because even if you apply a higher tax rate to profits, you are still left with more money after taxes than you were before you invested in the expansion. This is what economist don’t understand about how real business decisions are made.
Which leaves us with the question…how can we prevent this from happening again? A free market will always experience economic cycles of expansion and contraction. We have gone through many recessions during the last few decades that were caused by normal forces. So no, we can’t prevent recessions. But what happened here was not caused by normal economic forces and the downturn that resulted has turned out to be anything but normal.
This entire economic nightmare was caused by bad thinking, or rather, the absence of critical thinking and poor character. What burns me up is that this lapse in critical thinking occurred on the part of tens of thousands of experienced business people and MBA’s. How could this many bright, experienced, well educated people all make the same disastrous assumptions….assumptions that defy common sense and economic history. Just what are they teaching in all these MBA programs that their bright students can go out into the business world and all fail to question what is going on when the trend lines first get out of whack? I know the case studies they use teach them to identify issues just like this so why can’t they apply what they learn in the real world? How can so many experienced bankers and mortgage lenders all have a sudden lapse of memory about what happens to real estate prices? How is it possible for Moody’s and S&P to rate a security without doing their due diligence?
As I have been telling my clients for over 25 years, “it’s all about thinking” which is also the title of one of my Insights Into Success articles. Believe me, if everyone had been religiously following the thinking processes mentioned in that article, this recession wouldn’t have happened. Of course, that also assumes there were enough people to act with character when the truth was discovered.
While this recession was caused by the banking and finance industry, the next brain lapse could come from an entirely different industry. Recessions are all about the flow of money. Any large industry that can affect the flow of money throughout large portions of our society have the potential to tank the economy (did I just hear someone yell out Internet???).
So what’s my professional recommendation to prevent this type of brain lapse in the future? We need to put every executive, manager and technical staff expert in every industry in America through an intensive refresher course in critical thinking and character building. That’s right. Everyone including Chairman of the Boards and CEO’s all need to be taught critical thinking and the importance of doing the right thing. We can’t assume that they are excellent critical thinkers because of their job titles and responsibility. We can’t assume they will lead with character simply because of their prestigious positions. We already made that assumption once and look where it got us. Avoiding assumptions is the only thing that will prevent another one.
If all the salespeople in America started selling more, we could boost the economy because of the increased demand for goods and services. Is this possible? Virtually every sales force in America could increase its sales by at least 10% above its 2012 budget if it wanted to. We’ve been studying salespeople and why people buy for thirty years. Our latest discoveries about the connection between perceived value and closing the sale prove that even experienced, trained, successful salespeople could close more sales. We’ve even developed an education program so that we can share these discoveries with every sales force in America called Close More Sales.
Schedule a phone conversation with Don Shapiro, President of First Concepts Consultants, Inc., to answer your questions and explore how your firm can increase its sales, margins and market share.
Please share your comments. They can help us to learn more and open up new paths for discovery. Please be courteous and respectful. Any comments that do not add to the conversation will be deleted.
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The Sept. 19 letter questioning the term "pro-life" as applied to the Republican Party, mistakenly claims that a fetus is "not a real person." This Latin word "fetus" means unborn child.
The author criticizes President Bush for going to war in Iraq to topple the murderous dictator Saddam Hussein, where 1,027 of our military have died in a year and a half.
However, the writer fails to mention that about 4,000 unborn American children are killed each day by the pro-abortion policies championed by Sen. John Kerry and his Democratic Party. (If these millions of children had been allowed to live, our present Social Security would not be failing.)
It is important that voters keep the two issues of war and abortion in proper perspective.
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My grandfather, Henri de Büren, was one of eight children, and it appears that in February of 1944 at Châtelaine, near Geneva, there was a Tirage au Sort or a Drawing of Lots to divide up de Büren patrimony of Philippe Frederic de Büren amongst his children. Philippe Frédéric did not pass away until 1953, but as he was living on the Ranch in Argentina and most of the family furniture, silver, et al was still in Geneva, perhaps he felt it was time to divide the family heirlooms so his children – many of whom were living in Europe – could enjoy them.
As the lots were drawn, someone illustrated them, first quickly in pencil and then again in ink. While these objects were partitioned, my understanding is that most of them stayed in storage until after WWII. While I recognize certain objects from my trips to relatives as a boy, most are a mystery to me.
If the enmity between two sisters over a chair really did exist, it may have simply resulted from the luck of the draw.
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Consumers don’t believe marketing. We believe our experiences. Our friends’ experiences. Even complete strangers’ experiences. In an always-on, social media-enabled world, consumer experiences – and consumers’ willingness to share them in the moment – can make or break a brand. For brands, it’s not what you say but what you do. No longer can brands hide behind a façade of artifice. A big idea and a break-through campaign may generate buzz, but is it a big idea that could be slapped on to any other brand in the category? If so, the rewards will be fleeting.
Austin is an incubator for the quirky and creative. It’s also an epicenter for authenticity, with a culture not afraid to call bullshit. We’ll explore what it takes to build a brand with the authenticity to sustain and flourish in the cynical, exposed world of social media-empowered consumers: the rewards, but also the risks, and the challenges you can expect to confront along the way.
Panelists from some of Austin’s most beloved brands -- Alamo Drafthouse, Hotel San Jose, YETI coolers, and McGarrah Jessee, brand advisors to Shiner Beers, Whataburger, Costa sunglasses and Frost Bank –- will share their stories and discuss the paths they took to achieve success.
Higher education isn't known for early adoption of innovation. As an industry, it tends to lag behind. This has been generally true of social media implementation as well. And yet some institutions have been successful at creating social media programs that are strategic, integrated, measurable, innovative, and most important, highly successful. How have they overcome the obstacles? Who made it happen? What changes were required to normal ways of doing business? And what can we all learn from it?
As more and more students take online courses and work multiple jobs to pay for their education, they physically visit campus facilities less often, effectively disengaging them from the institution. As we live more of our lives online, how can we create more opportunities to connect with and engage our students through online networks?
Bob Vila remains a household name, 32 years after the premiere of his first TV series, “This Old House.” Many consider him the father of reality television. How does digital video contribute to the strength of his brand today? How does online video complement or substitute for a broadcast television presence? What leading edge video platforms are available for brands to exploit? What digital tools give today’s brands an edge in understanding their video audiences? Where does mobile fit in? Learn about maximizing digital video to build brands through the example of Bob Vila.
What if agencies and marketers created products and services, not just ads? And what if they made these things for themselves, not just for clients? They do. But tackling things like product design, creating new businesses or building complex real-world experiences requires a creative, technical, managerial and entrepreneurial spirit more associated with Silicon Valley than Madison Avenue. It demands new roles, agile approaches, external partnerships, technologies, investments and compensation models that can drive even the most hardened finance director crazy. And in some cases, it may even require a complete reboot from the ground up. The ability to make something that isn’t an “ad” is no longer optional in modern advertising. But it's certainly not easy, either. So what can we learn from the makers, technologists and agencies already playing in this space? Turns out, a whole heckuva lot.
Check out four teams that have combined machines, specialized interactive software and the web to create rich interactive experiences. The result: Raving audiences and media buzz. Breakthrough interactive machines including the LiveStrong Chalkbot, the Unilever Share Happy Smile Machine, Real Art’s Santa Claw and Welcome2College’s Mobile Automated Research Vehicle are featured. Panelists will share how they integrated facial recognition software, microcontrollers, Kinect hacks, and addictive experience with their machines. Want to know how they did it? What were the challenges? How did they measure results? Stop by for the whole story and find out how you can translate these tech developments into experimental marketing success for your company.
A hands-on crowd experience of leading edge technologies, this panel seeks to define what the key factors of making new technology work in a promotional marketing program or experiential state. And believe it or not, it’s not always about technology itself. With live demonstrations of technologies you might not see every day--directional sound, mobile sync, crowd-controlled gaming, and a host of emerging technologies even WE haven't seen yet, because they have just been invented.
Smokey Bear has been a national icon since 1944 and has had a Twitter icon since 2010. Meet Smokey and the man behind the bear's tweets. While Smokey usually reminds folks that only you can prevent wildfires, in this session he'll help you see how you can build a social media wildfire, responsibly. Learn how staying in character is critical to improving the quality of your connections and interactions and get a better sense of how you can make a legacy brand relevant today. Attendees will walk away with 7 tactics that will revolutionize their communication strategy through social storytelling and create social good through social media at the same time. All attendees will also receive free bear hugs.
9th–13th March 2012
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Dante D. Preston, or Preston to his friends, is the son of Jon D. Preston an ex-abolition member. Jon broke from the order when Preston was very young, the cause of which was the discovery that Preston’s mother, Mary, developed Radioactive powers. This discovery sparked the abolition to begin hunting Mary and ordered Jon to kill her. Jon refused to carry out the order and thus ran from the abolition as they were now hunting him as a deserter as well. Unfortunately when Jon finally reunited with Mary and Preston, the Abolition was right on his heels and ambushed the family on the Lubbock trail. During the ensuing battle Mary was fatally wounded and Jon captured. The remaining Abolition were about to execute both Jon and the young Preston but were stopped by the timely arrival of the Pinkerton’s.
Thanks to the Pinkerton’s, Jon and Preston were safely taken to the nearest settlement. An old town built around a quarry called Nil. The Nillers were wary of the strangers at first, but Jon quickly made himself useful to those in charge. Over the next twenty years or so Jon and Preston hid themselves away in the mundane everyday work of the Nillers. Jon taught Preston everything he knew about gunplay and way of the world. Recently however Jon has been taken ill and so Preston has taken up his fathers mantle now protects him and their home of Nil as best he can. If it weren’t for Jon’s sudden illness, Preston would continued to have been satisfied living in his father’s shadow. Whats more, and this he would never tell to his father; though deep down Preston is sure Jon already knows, Preston has begun to develop radioactive powers just like his mother before him. Preston is able to charge his guns with electricity or fire, he doesn’t need bullets and is able to create his own ammo as needed.
For the last 6 months Preston has worked as a watchmen in one of Nil’s watchtowers, learning their ways and practicing his gun work. It has been over these last six months that Jon’s health has been deteriorating. Destiny seems to call, Nil is in bad shape, has the time come for Preston to answer?
- Preston will protect his family and Nil at any cost.
- The Abolition is his enemy, enemies of the Abolition are his friends.
Unarmored Defense / Unarmed Combatant
Flavor: Preston’s years of hard work and discipline has awakened a hidden potential giving him heightened strength and reflexes.
Crunch: Deals more damage with unarmed strikes and bonus to AC when not wearing armor.
Stonefist Flurry of Blows ( Twosome Time! )
Flavor: Preston shoots both guns at once and if he wants in separate directions and targets, oh yeah he’s badass!
Crunch: At Will; free action, melee 1 or ranged 10; 6 damage if the target was targeted by the triggering attack. If the enemy was not a target of the triggering attack, the damage is increased by 2 to 8 damage.
At Will Attacks
Stinger (Cranes Wings)
Flavor: Preston launches himself forward thrusting his gun into his enemy then unleashing a powerful double tap at point blank range.
Movement: Air Hike – Preston jumps high into the air then creates a platform of energy that allows him to jump again. Move Action – Make an athletics check to jump with a + 5 power bonus, considered to have a running start, distance not limited by speed.
Crunch: At will; Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic – Standard Action; melee touch, 1 creature. + 6 vs. Fort. 1d10 + 4 damage, push the target 1 sq.
Fireworks (Five Storms)
Flavor: Preston unleashes a hail of gunfire in all directions, who needs to aim when more bullets mean more chances to make his enemies bleed.
Movement: Bold Move – Using a flurry of gunfire as cover, Preston easily slips between enemy ranks. Move Action – Shift 2 sqs.
Crunch: At Will; Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic – Standard Action; Close Burst 1, each enemy in burst. + 6 vs. Ref. 1d8 + 4 damage.
Jam Session (Lions Den)
Flavor: Using his radio power Preston charges his guns with electricity firing a charged bolt upon his enemy. Should any enemy dare come near the residual electricity lashes out penalizing them for coming close.
Movement: Reverb Shock – Using residual energy, Preston uses the burst of electricity to move him into a more advantageous position and defend himself at the same time. Move Action – Shift 1 sq. + 1 power bonus to all defenses.
Crunch: At Will; Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic – Standard Action; melee touch, 1 creature. + 6 vs. Ref. 1d6 + 4 damage. As a free action Preston can deal 1pt. of damage to any enemy who moves adjacent to him.
The Hammer (Eagle Claw Strike)
Flavor: Spinning his guns around Preston activates sharp spikes in the butt of his guns which he brings down upon his enemy, cracking their skull.
Movement: Air Raid – Preston uses radio power to take to the air, launching an aerial assault against his enemy. Move Action – Fly 6 sqs. if you do not land at the end of this movment you fall.
Crunch: Encounter; Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic – Standard Action; melee touch, 1 creature or unattended object. + 6 vs. Fort. 2d8 + 4 damage. The target takes a – 3 penalty to AC untill the end of Preston’s next turn. Against an unattended object, this attack deals 2d8 extra damage.
Sky Star (Swift Flight)
Flavor: Like a bolt of lightning Preston surges through the air, no terrain shall hinder his vengeance.
Crunch: Move action – Fly 7 sqs. if you do not end his movement on the ground, you fall.
Million Dollars (Masterful Spiral)
Flavor: Preston charges his guns with radio power then fires a volley of shots upon all surrounding enemies. The charge lingers within his guns allowing him to strike enemies normally out of his reach.
Crunch: Daily; Full Discipline, Implement, Psionic, Force, Stance – Standard action; Close Burst 2, each enemy in burst. + 6 vs. Ref. 3d8 + 4 damage. Miss Half Damage. Effect; Preston assumes the Spiral Stance, untill the stance ends his reach with melee touch attacks increases by 1.
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The Birth of a Demon
Bore Gaara was born, a continuing series of budget cuts plagued the Land of Sand. This resulted in his father (The Fourth Kazekage) to seal the one-tailed beast, Shukaku, inside of him, making him a jinchuriki like Naruto.
The sacrifice that was made to seal Shukaku was in fact Gaara's mother.For years, Gaara's uncle Yashamaru told him of how his mother loved him to the moment she died, when, in reality, she had cursed the Village Hidden in Sand for her death. She gave her last child a name. His name was "Gaara", meaning "A self loving carnage", thus saying that Gaara was a demon that only loved himself, fought for himself, and thought only of himself. In reality, Gaara only tried to help others as a child, and, much like Naruto, he was shunned, simply because of his powers and jinchuriki status.
On one Occasion he tried to get a group of little kids ball for them, but rather than take it, they just left in terror. The rush and Gaara's want for them to take it back and keep playing caused him to accidentally use his sand to hold them to the ground, nearly crushing them. His uncle Yashamaru, one of Suna's medical Ninja, realized what was happening and rushed to stop Gaara. In the midst of all this, Yashamaru received a minor cut on his finger and a wound to his forehead. Later that day, at home, Gaara is seen with a knife trying to slit his wrists. Yashamaru walks in on Gaara just as he does it, but is relieved to see that the sands of Shukaku stop the knife blade. He then tells Gaara that it pains him to see that kind of thing, even if the sands stop him from receiving harm. Gaara then asks what pain is like, and Yashamaru explains that it is an unbearable experience, much like what he feels when he is left out from everything that the other children do.
He then explains that there are wounds that even he can't heal, and that these are wounds to the heart. Yashamaru explains that the only known cure to these wounds is love. He tells his opinions on Gaara's mother, how he thinks that every grain of sand is a symbol of her love for him. In reality, this was not so, because she cursed him as she died. Gaara then decides to show his newfound cure to the kids he accidentally harmed at the park earlier by giving them some wound ointment that his uncle gave him. When the door opened, the kid saw him and told him he was a monster and to get away from him. A disheartened Gaara trudged home silently until he wandered into a drunk. The drunk then told him to watch out and began threatening him... until realizing that this boy was in fact the jinchuri. It was at this point that Gaara finally snapped. In a rage, Shukaku's sands wrapped around the middle-aged man, crushing him(since Gaara was still a child, the mans body was still in a recognizable form, as Gaara wasn't strong enough to crush them into a pulp until he was older). He continues his walk home, without any guilt on his face. His father sees him on his way home and they exchange glances. This would be the last even slightly friendly meeting between the two. As Gaara finally reaches the top of the building to his Apartment, a masked man began hurling his levitating kunai at the little Gaara. "Why... why...is it always ME?" Gaara exclaims as the kunai dropped from the sand and wrapped around the masked assassin. Gaara's fist closed on the man as did the sand, with bone-crushing force. Gaara then calmed down and went from his state of rage to nervousness as he noticed a bandage on the mans finger. He lifted up the mask to find that the assaulter was none other than the only person that Gaara thought had ever loved him, his dear uncle, Yashamaru. "Yashamaru? But... why?" asked the confused child, in a broken, sobbing voice.
"Because,Gaara... I was ordered to" replied his half-dead uncle."By who?" said the broken six- year old, already in tears.
"Your father.." he said in an emotionless voice.
"Oh.." he said, lightening up barely " So that means that.. you had no choice, right?"
"No, Gaara, you're wrong, I did have a choice." replied Yashamaru.
"I said that I loved you.. but, deep down inside, I loathed you, Gaara. I could never forgive you for taking my sister away from me. Your name, do you know what it means?'Gaara'-a demon that loves only itself. That is the name she gave you. Your mother... she hated you..as do I. Now, please, think about someone else, for once, you monster, and, please die."
Yashamaru then opened up his Shinobi vest to release the multiple letterbombs that he had concealed on himself the whole fight, and killed himself in the explosion.
Gaara lay on his knees, angered, broken, and let out a scream that could have been heard throughout the Sand village, as the grains of Shukaku's sand all flew into one spot on Gaara's forehead above his left eye forming the kanji 愛-love.
After a few years, Gaara's father, the Fourth Kazekage, decided that the assassinations attempts should stop, and that Gaara could be a very useful tool for the sand village.
The Chuunin Exams
His first mission (as the Sand village weapon) was to enter the Chuunin Exams with his brother and sister, Kankuro and Temari, while secretly helping Orochimaru in his plight to take the Leaf village. During the first test of the Chuunin exams (a written test)Gaara used his third eye ( a floating ball of sand) to cheat on another student's paper in order to get his answers.
During the second exam( the Forest of Death) it is shown that his team was able to obtain their two scrolls with great ease and that because of Gaara's bloodlust, ended up killing more people than they had to, even though Kankuro was against it.
Once they had reached the center tower,
Anko noted that it was extremely unusual that Gaara and his team had made it through the whole Forest of Death without so much as a scrape or cut.
During the Final exam preliminaries Gaara is pitted up against Rock Lee. Due to Lee's amazing Taijutsu strength and speed, he was able to break through Gaara's Sand shield and eventually move so fast that Gaara couldn't even see him.
Though things were in Lee's favor, Gaara was stil able to win the battle because Lee was forced to use a move that could potentially kill him. Gaara ended up crushing Lee's left arm and leg, and attempting to kill him, which would have worked if Might Guy hadn't stopped the sand from hitting him.
The night that the Chuunin exams preliminaries were concluded, a sound ninja, Dosu Kinuta, approaches Gaara with intent to kill. "Do you ever sleep?" asks
Dosu Kinuta. "No", replies Gaara" for fear of the demon inside of me being allowed to eat away at my personality even more...". Dosu Kinuta then explains that, since he'd seen Gaara's ability already in the Chuunin preliminaries(and that he'd be fighting him in the first round) that he'd attempt to just kill him in his sleep. After brandishing his weapon, Gaara killed Dosu Kinuta without second-thought.
Gaara later tries to kill Lee in the hospital, only to be postponed by Naruto and Shikamaru, the only thing keeping Gaara from killing both of them was Shikamaru's Shadow binding jutsu. He then reveals a small bit of his
past and his views on friends and family to pass the time while Shikamaru
slowly loses chakra. Gaara reveals that he has a monster inside of him, and that made Naruto
both nervous and scared of Gaara.
When Shikamaru's jutsu loses effect, Gaara then tries to kill them both, only to be stopped by Might Guy, again. Guytells him to save his energy for the finals, and everyone leaves.
After the month-long wait for the Chuunin exams finals, the contenders gathered for the fight.Due to the fact that Dosu Kinuta was not there, Gaara was paired up with Sasuke instead, who was also a no-show until right before the match.
Before the Final rounds Sasuke would have all to easily been defeated by Gaara.
But, with his new-found speed and strength, along with his powerful new jutsu-Chidori, he was able to put up a very good fight against Gaara, even able to give Gaara a very bad injury near his left shoulder.
After a while, Gaara gave into the demon inside of him, and his brother and sister had to take him into the Forest of Death, only to be chased down by Sasuke, and eventually Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi's tracker dog, Pakun. Sasuke was defeated by Gaara's half demon form before Naruto could reach them. Gaara's attempt to kill Sasuke was stopped by Sakura, who stood in front of Sasuke with a kunai. This gave Gaara painful memories of his Uncle Yashamaru and Guy. He pushed Sakura aside, sealing her onto the side of a tree with constricting sand that grew tighter as time passed, giving Naruto even more reason to fight his best.
Naruto started off with a barrage of all of his shadow-clones until Gaara used his sand shuriken technique. Eventually, Gaara used his play-possum jutsu, allowing him to summon the full sized Shukaku demon, that planned to get rid of Naruto quickly with a sabaku-kyu attack. The only thing that saved Naruto was his last minute breakthrough with the demon foxes chakra, allowing him to summon the chief toad Gama-Bunta.
The battle escalated into a large scale fight with massive "bullet" attacks from both of the large fighters. Naruto used a transformation jutsu to turn Gama-Bunta into the Demon fox, which allowed for the chief toad to grab ahold of Shukaku, leaving the sleeping Gaara wide open for Naruto's attack, waking him up and releasing the seal of Shukaku's complete possession.
Naruto then rushes straight at Gaara, only to be surrounded by sand just as he gets within striking range. Seeing no other way, Narutoheadbutts Gaara with all of his strength, and, seeing as both were all out of chakra,caused both huge fighting entities( Gama-Bunta and Shukaku) to disappear, thus sending both fighters colliding into the trees. Both warriors then leaped at each other for the final blow, with Naruto landing his punch straight into Gaara's face. The two shinobi both fell onto the ground, as Sasuke catches the unconscious Sakura in mid-air. Naruto then tries to talk to Gaara and ask him why he acts the way he does.
Gaara yells at him and tells him not to come any closer, but Naruto did not heed his words and continues to crawl forward inch by inch with only his chin. Naruto then tells Gaara how much alike they really are, and how he made it out of the darkness.
Gaara's siblings then come to rescue him, and, to their surprise, he tells them that he is sorry for what he'd done and then proceeds to ask them for forgiveness.
Kankuro and Temari tell him that they would, and that it was fine.
Gaara's next appearance is during the battle against Kimimaro. He appears right at the last second to save Lee.
The fight then proceeds, with both warriors being put to their limits. The final blow would've killed Gaara and Lee if it weren't for Kimimaro's lethal disease killing him right before his blow would've landed.
Two years later, Gaara is the Fifth Kazekage (Wind Shadow) of Sunagakure, and has finally gained complete control over the demon within him, The One-Tailed beast, Shukaku. And now, the Akatsuki are after the jinchurichi (the people that hold the demons within themselves), and apparently see Gaara as one of their first targets. Deidara and Sasori are the two members who go after the powerful warrior. Sasori uses a puppeteering jutsu to take over the mind of Yura, the head guard of Sunagakure.
After infiltrating the guard system around the city, Deidara went in over head on a clay bird that he formed. Gaara notices the bird flying high above them, and leaves his office.
Meanwhile, Deidara scouts over the village with his scoped left eye, and after finding the Kazekage's residence, lands on top of the building and prepares for a fight.
However, Gaara was already there waiting for him.
"Whoa..." said Deidara, very surprised at the speed of the warriors arrival. "But how did you know, hmmmmmm?" he asked.
"There are no such birds...in this desert." Gaara replied, pointing at the huge avian behind them.
Gaara wasted no time in sending sand flying straight towards Deidara. Deidaraleaped on his bird and flew high into the sky. Gaara leaped onto his sand and flew after him in pursuit with startling speed.
"Ho, that's quite useful...." Deidaracomplimented, but Gaara did not take any notice.
Gaara raised both of his arms over his head, as the entire desert raised itself behind him. Deidarawas left to simply stare in awe as it surrounded Gaara in an unbreakable protective shield. And as it began to engulf him. He barely had a way out at all, and still had his arm get snagged, and then crushed with unimaginable force. His options were growing thin, as Gaara stared at him with his cold, expressionless face.
"Grrr..... I'm tire of your expressionless face! I'm going t wipe that look off of it forever!!!" Deidara said, obviously infuriated that Gaara had just ripped his arm off. The kazekage just stared at him blankly through the small hole that was in his shield.
He was very open in his attempts to kill Deidara, and sent the sand flying at him every second or so, and refused to give Deidara a second's rest.
However, Deidara had a plan, and it would require that Gaara choose between himself and the village. It was then that Deidara sent some of his specialized clay birds to exploit Gaara's shield. The small birds were then inside of Gaara's shield, and rather than let the explosion impact the entire Village Hidden in Sand, he enclosed the explosive clay Avian's within his shield and took the full fore of the blast in a valiant, noble act.
"Hmmmm....leave it to the Kazekage to take the sand himself and hold it up...when it would have been so much easier to dump it on 'em...heheheh" Deidara said as his huge clay bird clutched the fallen Kazekage in it's claws.
"Gaara...." Kankuro said with a sad expression on his face. He knew that his brother had saved the entire village, and he was proud.
Deidara and Sasori take Gaara to their hideout. Where Akatuski begins the extraction of the Shukaku from Gaara. The extraction take three days and three nights. The extraction is complete and Gaara dies from the Shukaku no longer residing in him. During his time of death, Sakura and Chiyo (one of the elder syblings of the Sand Village) take on Sasori which ends in Sasori's death. Naruto and Kakashi takes on Deidara. And Team Guy takes on a fake Itachi and Kisame. After the battles are over, the rest of the sand ninja arrive. They decided they were going to help their Kazekage, the one who protected them. Chiyo then decides to give the remainder of her chakra to Gaara in a forbidden jutsu that brings back the dead. When she didn'th ave enough Naruto lend her som of his to finish the jutsu. After the jutsu was complete Chiyo died. She traded her life, for Gaara's. When Gaara awoke, he found out once and for all, that he is not alone in this world, and that many people really care about him.
When Naruto and the others left, Gaara showed that he still has the ability to conrtol sand, but to what extent is still unknown as he hasn't appeared in the series since.
Gaara returns in Shippuden, getting ready to set off to the meeting of the five Kages. With his siblings, Temari and Kankuro as his bodyguards.
Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara have switched roles. Sasuke being one of the protagonist and Gaara being one of the antagonist. After a while Sasuke became an Antagonist and Gaara becomes one of the Protagonist
Powers and Abilities
Gaara has the power to control sand. He can summon it anytime he wants and it well does so. He can summon a lot of sand, enough sand to shield or cover a person. If anytime Gaara runs out of sand he can break down the ground to have lots more sand. He can control dry sand, if he uses regular sand it makes him tire very easily because it takes more chakra. That’s why he always keeps a calabash looking gourd with him, that’s from the sand on the back of him. The sand is already combined with Gaara's chakra; it makes it faster and stronger because it is easier to control.
When Gaara fights, he is very slow he is always in one spot, he hardly even uses taijutsu. One of his first moves he learned was the Desert Coffin. Gaara uses the sand to cover the rival's whole body then drowns the rival in it making the rival suffocate. After this blow he does a move called Sand Burial then forcefully crushes the rival very hard into the ground.
Another time in battle if the rival was to ever attack Gaara and uses the sand to block every attack. Unless the rival has great speed and is too fast for the sand to block then he will get hit, just like in the third chunin exam when Rock Lee was fighting Gaara he was fast to get an hit but Gaara's sand was too strong. Gaara can put a forcefeild made of sand around himself to protect himself.
Gaara can also make sand replicas of himself called Sand Clone. Gaara can use this clone for distraction and battle. He can also summon sand for making himself a platform for flying; he can also summon a sand eyeball for spying.
He also has a demon inside of him called Shukaku, making himself have more power. Shukaku takes over Gaara's body more and more when after the transformation for it. But, he grows more and more destructive as it grows. With the demon he obtains more powers. He can now use "Sand Shurikan" and throw shurikans made out of sand. "Wind Style: Sandstorm Devastation" is another jutsu he obtains. He can throw up sand everywhere which is dangerous to the rival and the land.
Gaara can summon any time he wants if he uses the jutsu called "Play Possum Jutsu". It's a jutsu that makes Gaara sleep giving Shukaku a chance to take over. When Gaara wakes up he gets control back over his body.
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The Senegalese state-controlled radio and TV Corporation, Radio Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS), is experiencing an internal struggle for editorial freedom as Senegal moves toward a presidential election on February 26, 2012.
RTS journalists and other employees are not only calling for the resignation of their managing director, Babacar Diagne, on accusations of mismanagement but demanding change in the station's editorial line. On July 20, the local media trade union, SYNPICS, held a sit-in at the gates of RTS studios to protest the station's editorial line, which, they said, is "too dedicated to the electioneering propaganda of PDS," the ruling party of President Abdoulaye Wade. Wade is facing--for the first time after 10 years in power--strong protests linked to incessant power cuts, and his firm commitment to stand for a third term.
It is rare to witness such a public expression of discontent in the country's state-owned media, known for its docility. The anger of RTS staffers has been directed at Diagne, who has maintained a policy of systematic propaganda while at the helm of RTS since the regime of President Abdou Diouf, who lost to Wade in the 2000 election. Compounding the anger of RTS journalists was the fact that Diagne received an extension of his employment contract despite reaching having hit retirement age.
In an interview with CPJ from his office in the capital, Dakar, Diagne sidestepped accusations of political propaganda, referring queries to the state-run National Broadcasting Regulation Council (CNRA). "RTS now broadcasts five political programs," he said, adding that there had been none before he took office.
This "rebellion" of workers at RTS--which the private press in Dakar calls "Rien Tous les Soirs" (Nothing Every Evening)--is a clear indicator of the tensions between Wade and the Senegalese media. Tensions have been heightened since June 23, when the Dakar and several cities were in the grip of riots following Wade's failed attempt to amend the constitution to reduce the proportion of votes needed to win a presidential election. A week later, the president blamed the violence on the fact that "the Senegalese media are nests for opponents who will not come to terms with themselves!"
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Marvel Two-In-One was a American comic book series published by Marvel Comics that featured the Fantastic Four member, the Thing, in a different team-up each issue with a different character. The series continued from the team-up stories starring the Thing in the final two issues of Marvel Feature (1971 series), and lasted for 100 issues, from January, 1974, through June, 1983. Seven annuals were also published. As the series progressed, many of the characters paired with the Thing were more obscure superheroes (or, on occasion, supervillains). Although popular, the series never attained the commercial success of Marvel Team-Up, which featured Spider-Man in the same format of different guest stars each month.
Marvel Two-In-One ended with a "team-up" between the Thing and Ben Grimm, his own human alter ego, in issue 100; this team-up was enabled by the Thing travelling to a parallel timeline in which he was not the Thing. The alternate Ben Grimm seen here had first appeared in Marvel Two-in-One #50. Immediately following the cancellation of Marvel Two-In-One, the Thing was given his own solo title, sans team-ups, in which the Thing decided to leave the Fantastic Four and remain on the Beyonder's alien planet where he could control the transformation to his rocky form.
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I’ve just finished watching this webside chat by Larry Lessig a presentation made at the OpenVideoAlliance webside chat on February 25, 2010.
I’ve previously written about and vlogged about copyright, the remix manifesto, and Larry Lessig. I’m also very interested in the concept of stretching the boundaries of learning beyond what is commonly accepted. So it was a delight for me to come across a school media studies class (mrmayo’s blog), which is heavily influenced by Creative Commons, working creatively with digital media. And not only that, but participating in a Q+A session with Larry Lessig over Skype.
Q+A Part 1
Q+A Part 2
That Larry, a Professor or Law at Stanford Law School, is willing to participate in such an interaction is simply brilliant! It also serves to encourage us all to ask and interact with noted experts across the globe. More and more the barriers of institutions are breaking down and enabling the potential for greater access to education for all.
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This message was posted on Thursday 20 June 2013 at 9am.
Up to 130mm of rain fell in the South Canterbury and Waitaki Valley foothills and plains from early Sunday 16 June to late Monday.
All foothill rivers in the area peaked on Monday afternoon and flows have dropped.
ECan staff are assessing the damage to the river systems and stopbanks. Stopbank breaches on the Lower Waihao River have reduced considerably the flood carrying capacity of this river. Other rivers may also have suffered damage.
Overnight Wednesday (19th) and into Thursday (20th) some rain has continued to fall in South Canterbury with most coastal raingauges recording between 15mm - 40mm. This rain has been steady but with only low to moderate intensity. Further back in the catchments (above 200 - 300m elevation) this precipitation is mostly falling as snow.
Due to the saturated ground conditions, the continuing rainfall will cause rapid increases in the flows of small streams, creeks and drains on the plains as well as general ponding in lower lying areas. Water on roads and their margins will also be common and motorists need to take care.
The presence of snow higher in the catchments should limit the flows of the larger foothill rivers and ECan doesn't anticipate any problems with flooding from these rivers, but all farmers adjacent to rivers are advised to continue to check their own situation as even modest amounts of rain, in the lower catchment may result in a some rise in river levels.
Coastal Swell Warning
The metservice has also issued a swell warning for the coastal area from the Waitaki River to Banks Peninsula. The forecast is for southerly swells up to 5m overnight Thursday/Friday with high swells continuing through the weekend. These swells coincide with a period of higher then usual high tides (perigean tides). Landowners adjacent to the coast need to monitor their situation and stock or equipment in low-lying coastal areas should be moved.
High tide times over the weekend are: Friday 0030hrs & 1300 hrs. Saturday 01:30hrs and 1400hrs and Sunday 0220hrs & 1450hrs.
This message will updated if the situation changes significantly.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland
Kirkland says voter photo ID law is reverse step toward ‘bad old days’
HARRISBURG, March 19 – State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-Delaware, today said last week had to be one of the worst for Pennsylvania in a long time, headlined by the passage and signing of the voter photo identification law.
“On March 11, we turned our clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time,” said Kirkland. “Three days later, Governor Corbett turned them back 100 years.”
Kirkland said by requiring photographic identification, the new law threatens to disenfranchise up to 700,000 Pennsylvania voters who do not have a driver’s license. Many are urban residents, are a member of a minority, depend on mass transit instead of a car, and the majority tend to vote Democratic.
“If you don’t have a driver’s license or other specific ID, you will be stopped from voting,” said Kirkland. “The only option will be the drawn out process involved in casting a provisional ballot. It echoes of the rigged literacy test used to keep down the black vote in the old south.”
Kirkland said that while many of the bill’s supporters may not have advocated for it on racial grounds, the end effect will be much the same.
“Hearing the ridiculously shallow arguments in favor of the bill, and all but three Republicans voting in its favor, gave me a taste of how black members of state assemblies in the South must have felt a few years after the Civil War,” Kirkland said. “Reconstruction was sabotaged and the rights of blacks reduced to dust for another century.”
In addition to affecting many urban minority voters, the voter photo identification law will likely impact a significant number of elderly residents across the commonwealth, he said. They would be those that no longer have a driver’s license and don’t have a birth certificate to get a state-issued photo identity card because they were born at home, and no birth certificate was issued.
Kirkland said that in addition to an expected legal challenge to the bill, he and other legislators and organizations will establish programs to help people without a driver’s license obtain the proper photo identification before the requirement goes into effect for the November election.
Video of Kirkland’s floor argument against enactment of the law can be seen on his website at www.pahouse.com/Kirkland and clicking on ‘video’ in the left hand column.
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Fiscal cliff deadline approaching
The President and Congress are heading back to Washington just days before a deadline for the nation going over the so called fiscal cliff. That's a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes that take effect unless a deal can be reached to ease the federal deficit and extend some tax cuts. YNN's Bill Carey says deal or no deal, the impact could be painful.
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UNITED STATES -- Even long term members of Congress, who thought the pressure of an approaching fiscal cliff would force Washington into a compromise on tax hikes and spending cuts, now aren't so sure.
“It's the first time that I feel that it is more likely that we will go over the cliff, than not,” Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman said.
Most Americans, who've been focused on the holidays, could be in for a very rude awakening if there is no deal by the first of the year.
“I would say between that $50,000 and $200,000 mark, those are the people who are going to pay, probably, $4,000 to $10,000 more in taxes if we fall off the fiscal cliff, so to speak,” said Mike Reilly of Dannible and McKee.
Businesses are also bracing themselves, wondering just what will happen to their tax bill.
Reilly said, “They're going to have less capital to work with, because they have to pay taxes. They're probably going to cut employment, effectively and try to run more efficiently. They're going to purchase, potentially, less equipment.”
The reality of political pressure on Congress will likely force some step, if even retroactively, to extend tax cuts for middle class taxpayers, thus avoiding the painful hit on take home pay in the new year. There will also be some steps to make sure that many small businesses are spared.
But that still leaves a deficit issue to contend with and lawmakers are moving more and more toward taking a close look at spending cuts that could take away some key programs. There is also talk of sweeping reforms of the tax code to try to bring in more revenue. Some of those steps could be very difficult.
“Eliminating or reducing mortgage interest, real estate taxes. The state taxes that we pay to New York, which is currently a deduction on our Schedule A for itemized deductions, they're talking about possibly eliminating that,” said Joseph Hardick of Dannible and McKee.
The outcome of the crisis, no matter how it is resolved, will be far from painless.
The U.S. Senate is due to go back into session in Washington on Thursday. Leaders there say they are prepared to act on any "fiscal cliff" deal. There is no word on when the House of Representatives will go back into session.
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The global variable "app" is the Window ID. It's the result of: app=OpenWindow(#PB_Any,).
My mistake, I meant to put is app the window handle or the Unique ID created by OpenWindow(), but somehow I kinda put a garbled mess
. but in the case of the PlayMovie() (according to the manual), app should be the window handle eg. PlayMovie(music,WindowID(app)). not the identifier created by open window alone.
Also, I'm playing MP3s with this code, not an actual video. Sometimes they play (mostly), but now, since Win 7 64-bit, I'm getting errors like the above.
I knew that already... contrary to popular belief I can read...
it is possible that you have a bad codec, but that wouldn't explain your other problems... or maybe it would? That is something I cannot answer without being sat at your desk
netmaestro is right, too. The variable "app" has nothing to do with it. Why is the value of "music", being 0, getting into the wrong part of the decision? The status message should show instead. And no, "music" is not used in a thread and getting changed anywhere else.
I didn't disagree with either of you on the point of the if music=0 thang... Now, that is the part which I didn't understand myself. I could not reproduce it. The only obvious thing that stood out to me was app wasn't wrapped in WindowID(app). but it still didn't explain that particular problem.
But I am sorry my contributions aren't useful to you. I'll keep quiet next time.
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http://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=38171&view=previous
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from the whose-master? dept
We aim to provide a great experience for our users and have developed over 200 signals to ensure our search algorithms deliver the best possible results. Starting next week, we will begin taking into account a new signal in our rankings: the number of valid copyright removal notices we receive for any given site. Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in our results. This ranking change should help users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily—whether it’s a song previewed on NPR’s music website, a TV show on Hulu or new music streamed from Spotify.The company notes that it's just one signal of many and that they will only demote the results, but not remove those sites from the index. In fact, they point out, correctly, that "Only copyright holders know if something is authorized, and only courts can decide if a copyright has been infringed; Google cannot determine whether a particular webpage does or does not violate copyright law."
Since we re-booted our copyright removals over two years ago, we’ve been given much more data by copyright owners about infringing content online. In fact, we’re now receiving and processing more copyright removal notices every day than we did in all of 2009—more than 4.3 million URLs in the last 30 days alone. We will now be using this data as a signal in our search rankings.
As I understand it, the plan is that for people who search for, say, "watch dark knight rises free online," Google will try to push results that are likely to be unauthorized down the list, and try to have more "authorized" results higher up in the list (though, with a search query like the one above, there may not be any "authorized results" that provide what the person is searching for).
It's that last point where this gets to be troubling. Part of the reason people are searching for such things is that there isn't an easy and legitimate way to get that content. The best result would be for Hollywood to get its act together, realize that its whole windowing procedure is a disaster from the consumers' perspective, and provide more of what consumers want. Instead, the end result is going to be that people do these searches and just get equally frustrated. I don't see how that's good for Hollywood or for Google.
My other concern is that things things that later turn out to be quite legitimate and massive opportunities for authorized and legitimate content, are quite frequently demonized as tools of piracy early on. Imagine an equivalent of this announcement today in the early days of the VCR, when the MPAA insisted that it was evil and infringing. Imagine if when you went into a store to buy a VCR, the store instead pointed you to the movie theater down the road. That might be what Hollywood thought it wanted, but the end result would have been a much smaller home movie market -- not a market that ended up being bigger than the box office market just a few years after Hollywood insisted it was illegal.
Same thing with the first MP3 players. The RIAA sued the Diamond Rio as being a tool for infringement. Imagine if when you went to buy an MP3 player, stores decided to instead tell you you should buy some cassette tapes instead. It enforces an older way of doing business, rather than a new way.
And this applies online as well. Obviously, there's still an ongoing lawsuit against YouTube for copyright infringement, and YouTube certainly gets a ton of "valid copyright removal notices." Would Google demote search results to YouTube based on this? In the past, Google has punished the search results for other parts of its own business, for violating its rules, so it's entirely possible that YouTube results could get demoted under this system -- though I would imagine that Google believes that the many other "signals" it uses to determine legitimacy would minimize the likelihood of this being an issue.
But... that might not apply to a new up and coming site. Take, for example, the cases of Veoh and MP3Tunes. What both of those companies did was deemed legal by the courts, but both companies went bankrupt due to massive legal fees from being sued by the legacy entertainment industry. Imagine if, on top of that, Google also demoted the results from those sites at the same time. Already, Google is facing antitrust scrutiny for what some companies claim was a policy that demoted Google search results to their pages. While I think those claims are pretty bogus, is Google just opening itself up to a similar antitrust attack on that point?
I recognize that Google has a tricky balancing act here -- trying to keep the entertainment industry off its back, and the governmental pressure that comes with that, while still providing the "best" search results for its users. And I'm sure that Google has tried to use an approach that minimizes the concerns I raise above. But we've already seen, quite clearly, how Google's automated systems often fail when it comes to copyright issues, and the risk for both abuse and bad results seems quite high. At the very least, it's going to bear very close scrutiny to see how Google handles legitimate sites, who get swept up in claims of infringement when they're actually providing legitimate services.
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Canadian manufacturing up in February
Canadian manufacturing sales rose 2.2 percent to $42.9 billion in February, the first increase since last July, Statistics Canada reported from Ottawa Thursday.
The increase was largely fueled by a surge in automotive production in Ontario, where motor vehicle manufacturers reported a 34.5 percent sales gain and parts sales were up 38.5 percent, the agency said.
Excluding that gain, all other manufacturing sales were down 0.2 percent, the seventh monthly decline in a row.
Primary metal manufacturers reported a 3.5 percent increase in February, while petroleum and coal product sales decreased 3.3 percent following an 11 percent gain in January, StatsCan said.
Ontario led the way with a 7.2 percent increase in February following six months of decreasing sales, the report said.
Even with February’s gain, total manufacturing sales in Ontario remained almost 20 percent below year-ago levels.
Two other provinces posted notable manufacturing sales increases, as Newfoundland and Labrador rose 8.4 percent and Saskatchewan saw a 3 percent gain.
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the combined license for two new AP1000 reactors at Georgia's Vogtle nuclear plant Thursday afternoon -- the first time since 1978 a new nuclear plant has been licensed in the U.S.
Southern Company has made substantial progress since obtaining an early site permit in 2009, and the final COL is critical to the construction schedule. The approval was long anticipated, with the NRC issuing a final safety evaluation report for the project last August. But the final approval was slowed by a review of the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor design, which was delayed as regulators evaluated design ammendments to meet enhanced aircraft impact resistance requirements. The AP1000 was approved in late December.
"Vogtle units 3 and 4 will represent a new era of nuclear safety," Commissioner William D. Magwood said following the COL approval. He also noted the mandatory hearing alone took 7,000 staff hours, and that he and other comissioners felt there was no reason to stop progress on new nuclear plants while the commission is reviewing safety regulations in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan.
Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko cast the lone dissenting vote on the COL approval, saying it should include some binding commitment that changes in federal requirments arising from the NRC's post-Fukushima work would be implimented at the new units before their completion.
Southern is building the new reactors with Oglethorpe Power Corporation (holding 30 percent ownership), the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (22.7 percent) and Dalton Utilities (1.6 percent). The project is expected to cost $13.3 billion, and Southern estimates it will create 5,000 construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs. Southern filed its application for the COL in 2008.
(click pictures to enlarge)
GREAT NEWS for sure!
One giant step for U.S. nuclear!
Nobody does it better than Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.
Wonderful news....Sanity actually prevailed.
Bring on Levy County/Crystal River.
This should help stimulate the economy.
Why BWR? Why not MSR?
Finally we take a big long awaited step!
5,000 construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs; Holy Crap!!! I want one in my backyard... make that ten!
Looks like a great place to work for us scaffold builders! Where do us Detroiters sign up? Goodluck everybody and have a safe working environment.
Does anyone have a contact number for jobs at the Vogtle build
I agree. Chicago Bridge & Iron's history proves it. Go get 'em CBI !
M Cohn -- You can find the project's employment page, including contractor phone numbers, here: www.southerncompany.com/.../job_opportunities.aspx
Best of luck,
Nuclear Street News Team
WoW It is about time.We need Nuclear POWER. Congrats, Keep it going and good luck and safety.
ARE YOU ALL INSANE?!
Have you all conveniently forgotten Chernobyl? Is that too far in the past for your stupidly short memory?
Well, how about the Fukushima incidents from LAST YEAR?
Good gosh, you people are absolute MORONS. "Ten in your backyard," indeed.
Sacrifice the health and safety of humankind and nature for the sake of employment.
Read up on your history! Nuclear accidents are INEVITABLE. As long as humans are imperfect creatures, there will be mistakes with nuclear power.
I suppose you don't realize the first people to die of exposure and Acute Radiation Sickness are the plant workers. The next ones to die after a nuclear disaster (or "minor incident," as you all probably think of it) are the firefighters and rescue teams. Then the innocent plants and animals and, finally, the unsuspecting citizens who die of complications related to the radiation exposure. Children--do you understand? CHILDREN develop CANCER of the thyroid, HEART defects, lung problems.
Does this really fail to disturb any of you? NO ONE deserves to die that way. I cannot begin to comprehend the lack of foresight and human compassion you all possess.
Your collective stupidity is STUNNING.
I'm not sure if you are aware of this but the type of nuclear reactor being built here is an AP1000. It's cooling system does not rely on diesel generators like those of Chernobyl and Fukushima. Instead it relies on natural forces like gravity and natural circulation. They are designed to work even if nuclear operators do not take action. Thus, they are immune to human error.
While nuclear accidents are inevitable the United States has done a stellar job in containing them. Look at three mile island for instance (the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history), there have zero confirmed deaths. In fact there have been no confirmed deaths in radiation related incidents from nuclear power in the United States in over 50 years. That's a pretty good track record. Far better than coal, which supplies most of the electricity for the United States, which kills thousands per year and has made diseases like asthma and bronchitus as prevalent as they are today. They are even known to release more radioactivity into the environment than coal power.
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Iran and Syria want to be seen as a stabilising force in Iraq, in contrast to the failure of the US, but there is little they can do
Jonathan Steele in Irbil, northern Iraq
Friday November 24, 2006
"Never have there been so many competing visions of the Middle East. Viewed from Israel, the central issue is an axis of evil that starts in Iran, passes through Syria (perceived as Tehran's client number one) and moves on to the secondary clients, Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
Seen from Baghdad, Iran and Syria assume different roles. They are powerful neighbours who hold the keys to the country's security.
In Kurdistan, Iraq's uniquely stable northern region, the struggle is viewed as one between modernisers who believe in a democratic "new Iraq", and traditionalists who held power and privilege during Saddam Hussein's long regime and want revenge for his ousting.
Finally there are those, such as King Abdullah of Jordan, who perceive the issue as a battle between a newly awakened Shia minority against centuries of Sunni dominance throughout the region.
The Bush administration is now split between advocates of these competing visions. Neocons who share the Israeli and Kurdish view and once believed the US could impose democracy on Iraq, both for its own sake but also to put pressure on the authoritarian regimes in Iran and Syria, are in retreat.
Sectarian civil war and the virtual collapse of law and order in Iraq, coupled with the nationalist insurgency's unrelenting attrition of American soldiers' lives, have "trapped" the US in Iraq, in the words of Kofi Annan this week. During the Vietnam war the word was "quagmire", but the message is the same. American voters are frustrated and pessimistic. Several US columnists who supported the invasion now favour prompt withdrawal.
As a result, realists such as James Baker are gaining the upper hand. They want to bring Iraq's neighbours into the picture and move the focus of US policy from regime change to regional stability, to hand the problem to Iraq's neighbours then let the US pull back, keeping bases but no longer supplying frontline troops.
As US influence wanes, neither Tehran nor Damascus can fill the void. Iraq has become a calamity that outsiders can only watch in horror. If cure there is, Iraqis will have to find it on their own."
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I just read this article about U.S. military on prescription pills. I don't know what I think about that. I think there is far too much stigma, still, over PTSD, which is a normal reaction to extraordinary stressors.
But being on some of those heavy medications...how can they even think fast? Aren't a lot of anxiety pills sort of like muscle relaxants in that they slow down brain activity? if so, how is that helpful in war? it seems dangerous. I can't say marijuana would be much better, when you're short term memory is temporarily shot. It seems like it would be better though, if taken in smaller doses. I don't know.
I'm getting my medical permit for migraine soon.
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Courtesy of Parabounce
Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013 | 2 a.m.
- Las Vegas’ next thrill: High-flying balloon ‘bumper cars’ (Nov. 17, 2010)
Nevada’s economy killed Stephen Meadows’ plans the first time around.
The recovery is gaining steam, however, so Meadows is once again seeking a spot to erect a domed structure for his invention, the Parabounce, either on the Strip or in downtown Las Vegas.
Parabounce combines an oversized helium balloon with a pedal-powered bike — a Parabike — that hangs below and allows the pedaler to go up and down, left or right.
Meadows' gizmos have flown thousands into the air at various events around the country — in 1999, one floated into Rockefeller Center in New York, picked up TV personality Katie Couric, and lifted her 100 feet into the air.
All of those have been outside. Meadows wants the first indoor Parabounce site — a Paradome — to be erected in Las Vegas. A permanent, indoor site is preferred because helium, a byproduct of natural gas, is expensive. Helium expenses can be minimized in a controlled environment because the balloons stay inflated much longer.
Meadows, who has been fascinated by lighter-than-air flight since childhood, said that once he finds a site, the 200-foot-high inflatable dome covering 4 to 5 acres could be completed within a year.
He has enlisted the help of Las Vegas attorney Matt Callister to find a dome site. Callister admits he’s pushing Meadows to bring it downtown because “that’s where everything is happening.”
Callister wouldn’t say where that might be, but several acres of land lie empty adjacent to the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Symphony Park.
Then again, sites near the Strip were touted just a year or so ago as spots for a future stadium.
Meadows said project costs would vary based on the site and other factors. He said he’d negotiate for a five-year lease with an option to renew.
Meadows, an architect and former actor who was once married to television personality Leeza Gibbons, said he has put several million dollars into the project. Callister said that other entities are “also committing more than adequate funds” to build the dome. The cost could range from $15 million to $20 million.
Belying his 62 years, Meadows' voice gets childlike with excitement when talking about the project.
“We can put in surround sound and clouds on the ground so people feel they are really above the clouds,” he says. “Then there’s a harness that’s similar to a parachute harness and, for adrenaline junkies, they can go up 150 feet and spin 200, 300 times, if that’s their thing.”
The Parabounce itself looks like something you’d see in a Saturday morning cartoon. Its design is simple: a balloon about 20 feet in diameter is tethered to a Parabike, which looks like a stout, short airplane. The driver has a seat, steering wheel and pedals.
The Parabounce is ballasted to equal the rider’s weight, so it goes up with barely a push and returns to ground just as softly.
Meadows said a child as young as 8 and a 98-year-old great-grandmother have ridden them. To showcase their safety, Meadows is hoping to ride a balloon over a portion of the Grand Canyon, perhaps coinciding with the grand opening of the Paradome.
The dome will include digital images of mountains, the Las Vegas skyline, outer space and other skyscapes projected onto the dome’s walls.
“When people come in, they get a completely new and otherworldly experience,” he said.
Parabounce has been set up at many events through the years. People have waited 45 minutes or more for a ride. Meadows said he has offered people the chance to take a number and return when it was their turn.
“But they say, ‘Oh, we just want to watch until it’s our turn,’” he said with a laugh.
Of course, getting the project off the ground is going to take some doing. Meadows received preliminary approval for a Paradome site near the Strip in 2008.
At that time, “Parabounce was met with a market … that fell apart,” said Lisa Mayo Deriso, who is handling public relations for Meadows.
The economic landscape is slowly changing; a recent report by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority touted a record 39.7 million tourists in 2012. By 500,000 people, that beat the previous record set in 2007, right around the time Meadows' first time trying to bring his Paradome to Las Vegas.
Parabounce should be affordable for most. Meadows said a ticket would likely cost $20-$25 for a five-minute ride.
While the ride is a for-profit venture, Meadows said he is working out a plan to donate much of his profit to charity. His interest in giving stems from a visit to the children’s ward of a hospital when he played football for the University of Georgia some 40 years ago.
“There were these kids pinned down by the arms and legs who had to be attended to for every bodily function, and it just broke my heart,” he said.
Through the years, Meadows has volunteered in Mother Teresa’s home for the destitute and dying in Peru; and his company, One Giant Leap, sponsored a 2000 fundraiser in Los Angeles co-chaired by Al Gore and actor Sidney Poitier. In one day it raised $780,000, all of it donated to four charities.
“At the end of our lives, we’re either givers or takers; we’ve either done one or the other,” he said. “A big part of me is making certain that I help underprivileged people or those with physical challenges. This is part of that.”
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Rescue crews in the Philippines grappled with washed-out roads, downed power lines and poor communications in search of hundreds of people missing after a typhoon that killed more than 300.
More than 180,000 people were left homeless after Typhoon Bopha raked the large southern island of Mindanao with heavy rains and sustained winds of up to 175 kph (110 mph). As of Thursday morning, the storm had left 325 dead, 411 injured and 379 missing, the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported.
Many of the missing were in remote highland towns. The storm wiped out the mountain village of Baculin and killed at least half of the residents of nearby Kinablangan, the official Philippines News Agency reported Wednesday. Bopha also severely damaged almost all of the homes in the villages of Boston, Cateel and Baganga, Davao Oriental Gov. Corazon Malanyaon told PNA.
"I felt like there was an earthquake because the winds and rain were so strong," said Herbert Yepis, a staff member of the humanitarian group World Vision working in Mindanao.
Bopha, known in the Philippines as Pablo, continued to work its way through the island nation Wednesday, making its fourth landfall in the northwestern province of Palawan, PNA reported.
The storm had begun to move offshore by Wednesday afternoon, but continued to wash Palawan with heavy rain. It wasn't expected to fully clear the Philippines until Thursday.
It left chaos and death in its wake.
At one point, at least 319 people were missing in the Mindanao town of New Bataan alone, CNN affiliate ABS-CBN reported, citing Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas.
"Entire families may have been washed away," ABS-CBN quoted him as saying.
At least 180,000 people were living in shelters, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the federal emergency management agency. The Philippine Red Cross put the number at 216,000.
Fresh water is scarce -- ocean water has contaminated many wells -- and sanitation and hygiene are looming problems, said Philippine Red Cross head Richard Gordon.
Bopha struck first and hardest on Mindanao, which is rarely in the direct path of tropical cyclones.
Bopha's heavy rains set off sudden, violent floods in several parts of the hilly and remote region, washing away houses and dozens of people.
The storm damaged 2,970 homes in northern Mindanao, wiping out nearly half of them, according to the country's emergency management agency.
Bopha even thwarted some of the authorities' efforts to relocate people in vulnerable areas to safer places.
"In one case in Davao Oriental, the evacuation centers -- public buildings and schools -- were also victims of flash flooding," said Camilo Gudmalin, assistant secretary at the Department of Social Welfare and Development. "And as a result, some people who were in an evacuation center died."
The storm damage and remote location of many of the affected villages made it hard for rescue workers to reach some victims, Gudmalin said.
"We have difficulty communicating with our teams because power lines and communication signals are down," Gudmalin said.
The storm also damaged at least five bridges and nine major roads, the government said. Fishing boats were delivering relief supplies to some areas.
The storm disrupted ferry services, and about 5,000 travelers were left stranded at ports across the country Wednesday. The national disaster agency warned that sea travel remained dangerous in places because of high swells.
The storm brought back memories of Severe Tropical Storm Washi, known in the Philippines as Sendong, whose heavy rains swept away entire villages in the same region in December 2011.
More than 1,200 people died in that storm, which caught many people off guard.
This time, local authorities did a better job of relocating people out of vulnerable areas and preparing evacuation centers for Bopha, the Philippine Red Cross said.
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Matthew Yglesias, Matt Stoller, and myself have all pointed out a rarely noticed, elitist aspect of the constant calls for greater bipartisanship by the likes of David Broder and many other pundits. Here is Matthew Yglesias summarizing the argument:
Pushing things further, though, I would make the case that polarization is a good thing. Polarization means you know, as a citizen, how to translate political activity -- voting, volunteering, donating -- into policy results. If every Democrat is to the left of every Republican on some issue, then if you want to move the status quo to the left you support Democratic candidates but if you want to move it to the right you support Republicans. Under conditions where there's very little polarization, like the congressional politics of civil rights in the 1950s, you get chaos. Perhaps a certain Democratic incumbent is slightly better on civil rights than his Republican challenger. But the Republican ranking member on some key committee may well be better on civil rights than is the Democratic incumbent. Thus it's possible that backing the incumbent is good for civil rights unless beating the incumbent would cause the balance of power to shift and bring the Republican ranking member into the majority. What's a voter to do? Who knows?
Weak parties make the life of a Washington power broker more interesting. Basically, there's more power brokering to do. There are more horses to trade. There's more dealing to wheel. Politics becomes a fascinating game of three dimensional chess. Polarization is boring. Two parties lay out there programs, people vote, and depending on the election outcomes and the veto points in the system, legislation results. But polarization is simpler for voters. It connects actions to results. And it brings about higher levels of participation as a result.
Simply put, polarization creates transparency in the impacts of voting, while bi-partisanship creates more obscurity. When you know what Democrats stand for, then you know what you get when you vote for Democrats. When you know what Republicans stand for, then you know what you get when you vote for Republicans. When it isn't clear what they stand for, or when there is wide variance among individual Democrats and individual Republicans, then the process becomes far more obscure for everyone who isn't a Washington, D.C. insider.
I bring this argument up to place context around a new claim I want to make: there is also a distinct element of elitism among many non-partisan politics, including many of the tax-exempt 501c(3) and 501c(4) organizations that serve as the institutional framework for non-partisan politics. While some such organizations are based on small donations (PIRG), mass membership (Sierra Clud), or communicate with the public and / or grassroots on a regular basis, many are hermetically sealed from everyone except elites. The organizations I have in mind are funded almost entirely by large donations from people with a net worth of seven figures or more, communicate and direct their activities only at political and media elites, and are staffed by professional political elites who are either good at talking working the latter or raising money from the former. It is a hermetically sealed elite circle, with no need to ever come into contact with the grassroots. In such an environment, it stands to reason that even the progressive organizations that operate in such an elite political ecosystem will ultimately engage in a type of politics that is only responsible to the concerns of the elite.
This is a bit abstract, since I have not identified any specific organizations that operate in such a manner, but bear with me. Compare this elite ecosystem to electoral campaigns for federal office, which are often decried as being solely about money or considered disgusting because they raise so much money for their campaign. While Clinton, Obama and McCain have combined to raise about $450 million so far in 2007-2008, all of their donors are disclosed and huge percentages of it are now coming from small donors. In fact, in February, about 80% of their fundraising came from small, online donors, now that most of their larger contributors have maxed out. In order to do this, they all had to make direct appeals to grassroots activists, and then publicly disclose who those activists were. By contrast, some c3s and c4s never have to make an appeal to the grassroots at all, and never have to disclose their donors. Now, you tell me: which situation is more of an example of organizations who are only accountable toelite donors, and which situation is more democratic? The answer is obvious, and I think it throws into question exactly where in politics is money a problem.
Or, consider life as a blogger. In order to make ends meet, we full-time bloggers need to sell advertising, hold fundraisers, and pick up second jobs on the side. In order to sell advertising, you need a decent amount of readers, and in order to pull that off without any advertising budget of your own you need to appeal to grassroots, political junkies who can't get enough of politics. In order to hold fundraisers, you need to have a few hundred highly dedicated fans who not only read your blog, but who are willing to support it financially. And, even if you can manage this, then still every article you write, every job you take, every advertisement that appears on your site, and every gift you accept is heavily scrutinized for potential biases, conflicts of interests, or other potential disservices to the cause. Consider, for example, that after a few emails, I felt it was necessary to post an explanation for why I am in Israel right now, even though someone else is picking up the tab. The level of interaction with and direct accountability to the grassroots that bloggers face is truly extreme.
However, far from being a negative, the level of accountability that bloggers have to the grassroots is, I think, on balance a huge net positive. If all political organizations, including c3s and c4s had anywhere close to this level of accountability to the grassroots, then our political system would change dramatically. Right now, it is mainly responsive to elites, because in general it just doesn't have to deal with the grassroots. Maybe this is all not only very abstract, since I don't name any names, and perhaps this is all a little goo goo (good government) idealist of me, but if you have to go through a different group of people in order to get anything done, and if you interact with a different group of people in your political life, then you will end up engaging in a different type of politics with different sorts of outcomes. How different it would be, I have no idea. However, right now our political system is pretty much only responsive to elites, and the growing dominance of c3s and c4s that are hermetically sealed within an elite political, financial and media ecosystem is one of the reasons for this.
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KiltyCol wrote:If any government introduces carbon caps, they should apply them equally to rich and poor. So far, taxation only stop poor people producing CO2, while the rich can carry on doing what they like.
Taxation is not a fair way of dealing with the problem, if indeed, it is right to cut CO2 in any case. It only penalises the poor.
However, there are a few things certain in life:- Birth, Death, TAXES, Love and War.
CO2 caps hurt everyone, it isn't a rich and poor issue. Even if you can afford to pay them, companies still have stockholders to deal with and managerial goals on profitability.
If the government adds this expense to manufacturs, they aren't going to eat that cost. They'll either raise their prices (if the market will allow), slash jobs to offset the cost, or move their operations to where the cost of doing business is cheaper.
The government needs to stop playing chicken with corporations. We live in a global economy and the government consistently makes it more difficult to do busines here. Everyone loses when jobs are lost...wellexcept maybe the Democratic Party.
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Who's Been Hacked By China? Better Question Might Be: Who Hasn't?
Originally published on Thu February 21, 2013 6:51 am
This week's stories about alleged cyberthieves based in China have news outlets chasing related angles. Today's include:
-- "Chinese Cyberspies Have Hacked Most Washington Institutions, Experts Say."
According to The Washington Post, if you "start asking security experts which powerful Washington institutions have been penetrated by Chinese cyberspies, and this is the usual answer: almost all of them. The list of those hacked in recent years includes law firms, think tanks, news organizations, human rights groups, contractors, congressional offices, embassies and federal agencies."
-- "Some Victims Of Online Hacking Edge Into the Light."
The New York Times writes that "Hackers have hit thousands of American corporations in the last few years, but few companies ever publicly admit it. ... But in the last few weeks more companies have stepped forward. Twitter, Facebook and Apple have all announced that they were attacked by sophisticated cybercriminals. ... The admissions reflect the new way some companies are calculating the risks and benefits of going public."
Those reports follow Wednesday's news that, as The Associated Press says, "the Obama administration announced new efforts to fight the growing theft of American trade secrets, a broad but relatively restrained response to a rapidly emerging global problem that was brought into sharp focus this week by fresh evidence linking cyberstealing to China's military." (Chinese authorities, as NPR's Frank Langfitt has reported, say such attacks are not government-sponsored and that China too is a target of cyberthieves.)
The AP adds that "the administration ... didn't threaten any specific consequences for theft of trade secrets, and no new fines or other trade actions were announced." But it announced "five actions to protect American innovation":
— "Applying diplomatic pressure by senior officials to foreign leaders to discourage theft."
— "Promoting best practices to help industries protect against theft."
— "Enhancing U.S. law enforcement operations to increase investigations and prosecutions."
— "Reviewing U.S. laws to determine if they need to be strengthened to protect against theft."
— "Beginning a public awareness campaign."
All Tech Considered
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By Arshad Mohammed
LONDON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested on Thursday Syria's opposition will ultimately arm itself and said she would bet against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's staying in power.
Speaking directly to Russia and China, which have blocked U.N. Security Council resolutions designed to end the violence in Syria, Clinton said the government's "brutality" against its own people was unsustainable in the internet age.
"The strategy followed by the Syrians and their allies is one that can't stand the test of legitimacy or even brutality for any length of time," Clinton told reporters in London.
"There will be increasingly capable opposition forces. They will from somewhere, somehow, find the means to defend themselves as well as begin offensive measures," she added.
"It is clear to me there will be a breaking point," Clinton said. "I wish it would be sooner, so that more lives would be saved, than later, but I have absolutely no doubt there will be such a breaking point."
Speaking ahead of a gathering of Western and Arab powers on Friday, U.S. officials separately said the group planned to challenge Assad to provide humanitarian access within days to civilians under assault by his forces.
The officials, speaking before a "Friends of Syria" meeting expected to gather more than 70 nations and international groups in Tunis, did not say what specific consequences would follow if Syrian authorities failed to provide access.
If Assad fails to comply within 72 hours, a senior administration official in Washington said repercussions from the Tunis group might include new steps to plug the gap in sanctions Syria has tried to evade, including efforts to move money through Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe.
Another possibility, the official said, would be broadening an arms embargo already enforced by the United States, the European Union and Turkey, and being more rigorous in forcing the revocation of insurance for any ships that might carry weapons to Syria.
ARMING THE REBELS?
The official said members of the "Friends of Syria" group were likely to pledge specific amounts of aid but did not expect them to consider arming the opposition. Arab diplomats have suggested, however, that formal or informal moves to arm the rebels may be discussed.
The Syrian military pounded rebel-held Sunni Muslim districts of Homs city for the 20th day on Thursday, despite international protest over the previous day's death toll of more than 80, including two Western journalists, activists said.
"One of the things you are going to see coming out of the meeting tomorrow are concrete proposals on how we, the international community, plan to support humanitarian organizations ... within days, meaning that the challenge is on the Syrian regime to respond to this," said a U.S. official.
For more than a year the Syrian opposition has called for Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for four decades, to step down in the latest of the "Arab Spring" uprisings against authoritarian rulers in the Middle East.
The continued strife reflects both Assad's determination to remain in office as well as the major powers' inability to agree on a strategy on whether to try to ease, or force, him out.
Russia has said it will not attend the gathering in Tunis.
Russia has repeatedly said it does not want a resolution to become a pretext for regime change, something it believes took place when the Security Council authorized the use of force to protect civilians in Libya and that ultimately helped drive former dictator Muammar Gaddafi from power.
Clinton, however, suggested Russia and China may not be able to sustain their opposition for ever.
"The pressure will build on countries like Russia and China because world opinion is not going to stand idly by. Arab opinion is not going to be satisfied watching two nations, one for commercial reasons one for commercial and ideological reasons, bolstering a regime that is defying every rule of modern international norms," she added.
BETTING AGAINST ASSAD
Residents of Homs fear Assad will subject the city to the same treatment his late father Hafez inflicted on the rebellious town of Hama 30 years ago, when 10,000 were killed.
"When Assad's father conducted his horrific attacks back in the early '80s, there was no Internet, there was no Twitter, there were no social communication sites. There was no satellite television," Clinton said.
"It's much harder, and thankfully so, to have that level of brutality - shelling with artillery your own people - not be known by everyone, most particularly your own people, not after the fact but in real time," she added.
Clinton did not offer details about what the United States and its Arab and European allies might do if Assad refused to let humanitarian aid in, though she spoke of tightening existing sanctions and possibly considering new ones.
"In the event that he continues to refuse, we think that the pressure will continue to build," she said. "So it's a fluid situation. But if I were a betting person for the medium term and certainly the long term, I would be betting against Assad."
Some U.S. officials have avoided answering questions on whether the "Friends of Syria" group may discuss arming the opposition. The United States, in a change in emphasis, on Tuesday suggested it could become an alternative.
The official in Washington said formally cutting diplomatic ties with Damascus was not imminent but the United States wanted to help put the Syrian opposition on the path to legitimacy and recognition.
(Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick; editing by Sophie Hares and Todd Eastham)
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With so many others applying for the same job as you, how do you make yourself stand out in the interview, that you are the candidate that gets the callback?
The following tips will help you to cinch that all-important interview:
- Be prompt and have a firm handshake
When the hiring decision come down to two equally qualified candidates, a decision will be based on the little things, a firm hand shake, being prompt, a professional attitude.
- Dress for the interview
While a manufacturing interview does not require a suit, do dress to impress. Dress pants or khakis, a button down shirt tucked in and a belt. The assumption is that if you look neat and tidy, your work will also be neat and tidy.
- Be specific about your experience and what skills you have.
This is very important, especially in manufacturing. In manufacturing, experience is key. If you have experience for the exact job they are hiring for, that is good, but if you have a variety of experience, but less specific, you may still be a more valuable employee.
- Be enthusiastic and ask questions
Show them that you are truly interested in working for their company. Prepare some questions to ask, directly related to manufacturing, such as; “do you use lean manufacturing techniques?” or, “What is your safety record?” Remember to thank them for the interview.
Remember interviewers see numerous people with similar experience. Machine operators and assembly people are plentiful, so the decision on who to hire usually comes down to the details, which put some effort into the interview. The interview is your time to show them you are prepared, professional and that you are the employee that will go the extra mile.
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The Boy Scouts of America is considering changing its longstanding policy against allowing openly gay members, according to a news release from the organization.
The organization, which has 2.7 million members, is "potentially discussing" doing away with its national policy after months of protest, including hundreds of angry Eagle Scouts renouncing their hard-earned awards and mailing back their red-white-and-blue medals.
Many parents of Scouts across America found the national policy excluding gays confusing -- and at odds with basic scouting ideals.
Social media were abuzz with outrage over the policy; gay men who used to be Scouts spoke out in first-person blogs. On her TV talk show, Ellen DeGeneres featured a California Scout who had been denied his Eagle rank because he is gay.
Members of the organization's national board are expected to bring up the issue at a regularly scheduled biannual meeting in February. Any change would be announced after that.
In the Scouts' statement Monday, the group indicated that the national board may consider passing any decisions on gay membership to the local level. Each troop's charter organization would be able to decide "consistent with each organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs."
"The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," the statement said.
The statement itself is remarkable. Some members will see the fact that Scouting's national leadership is even discussing a policy change as a softening of its stance on gays and lesbians.
But some Scouts and Scout parents say that passing the decision to the local level will have little effect on the ground, because many troops have been ignoring the national policy anyway.
The announcement comes after Scouting's national headquarters received numerous complaints from a grass-roots campaign targeting the policy.
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Tag: school principal
5.51K Views4 Comments0 Likes
There are few dull moments for school principals. From training teachers to having heart-to-heart talks with troubled students, principals are the people who keep schools running smoothly on a daily basis. Being the principal of a school is not a 9-to-3 job with summers off, however.
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April’s theme for Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free! (a blogging event created by Naomi Devlin of Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried) was about food inspired by your favourite children’s book and we had an excellent turn out of inspired and delightful recipes.
This was such a fun theme that I’d love to do it again. While there were some books and stories I was familiar with, there were a couple that I wasn’t – or hadn’t heard of before at all! Plus, it was an exciting way to learn about different cultures and a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen (more than a couple of those who participated are parents of young children).
Click after the jump to see the full round-up!
First, we begin with Max’s Earthworm Cake from Paula of Live Free, Gluten Free. Paula’s sons love reading the Max and Ruby books, about two bunnies that are a brother and sister, so they made Max’s earthworm cake from Bunny Cakes. Head over to Paula’s post to read about the story behind Max’s earthworm cake and how they made their edible version.
I regularly use millet flour in my baking, but I’ve yet to use the whole grain like in this Millet Porridge from Tessa the Domestic Diva. Tessa describes how her daughter came to try millet porridge (this one from The Whole Life Nutrition Book) after reading a version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. (Another bonus of food inspired by literature: kids generally like to eat or try what their favourite characters are eating!)
Slightly more contemporary, this Hunger Games Lamb Stew with Dried Plums came by the way of Danielle from Against All Grains. Remember in the announcement post for this theme how I joked about Hunger Games-inspired recipes? Well, Danielle’s recipe might have changed my mind! The combination of lamb and plums (dried or fresh) sounds succulent.
Heather from Discovering the Extraordinary was inspired by Amelia Bedelia to make these Chocolate Cream Puffs. I loved reading Amelia Bedelia when I was a kid – she’s always taking things literally and consequently gets in trouble. She always ends up saving the day, though, with her kitchen skills – and even that, she usually has literal interpretations of. (Dressing the chicken, for example, or making chocolate chip cookies with potato chips.)
These Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes are from Amber at The Tasty Alternative and are inspired by the book Blueberries for Sal. Amber made the cupcakes (also SCD friendly!) after her children cast their vote. I wasn’t sure if I’d read Blueberries for Sal before, so I read about it on Wikipedia and it’s a charming story.
Have you heard of the stories of Abkar and Birbal? I hadn’t! Raj from Flip Cookbook made Khichadi, or Indian Rice and Lentils, after being inspired by the short stories of Abkar and Birbal she read, and was read to, when she was little. This dish sounds superbly simple and can be made with ingredients that are likely already in your pantry. (Raj is also hosting May’s Go Ahead Honey theme, Mother’s Recipe Box, in celebration of Mother’s Day.)
I love Anne of Green Gables and I’m Canadian, so I was delighted with seeing Valerie’s (of City | Life | Eats) contribution! She made a reinterpreted version of the Pudding Sauce that was supposed to be served with Marilla’s Plum Pudding. Head over to Valerie’s post to read more about the Pudding Sauce and her version of the recipe.
Finally, my contribution for this theme. I made Scrambled “Green” Eggs, inspired by Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham. I had originally planned to make the eggs sunny-side up, with spinach covering the yolks, but I decided scrambled was easier since spinach has a tendency to slide off the yolks, even once wilted.
May’s theme for Go Ahead Honey is for Mother’s Day – Mother’s Recipe Box – and is being hosted by Raj at Flip Cookbook.
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Travel report Geneva
Geneva, according to travel reports, is not only Switzerland’s second largest city but, after Zurich, also its second largest financial centre. Yet Geneva is much more than a city of banks. Travel guides point to the city’s international importance as the home of the United Nations Office (UNOG), the World Trade Organization and the Red Cross. The Palace of Nations and the Art and History Museum are just some of the places of interest in the city. Geneva is often referred to as the “city of parks” as over 20 per cent of the city consists of parks and green spaces; the English landscape garden, the ‘Jardin Anglais’, is especially worth seeing. The city’s location on the largest lake in Switzerland, Lake Geneva, makes Geneva especially attractive. The fountain in the middle of the Rade, Geneva’s harbour, is a special attraction on the lake.
To the official tourist site for Geneva
Here you can convert your currency accurately, using today’s exchange rate
Country, people, climate, history, food: information on every aspect of your travel destination will put you in the mood for your holiday.
Airport information on Geneva Airport
To help you on your way to the best city tips in Geneva after landing at Geneva Airport, you will find everything you need to know about Geneva Airport here. As well as a detailed site plan that you can print out, you can find out about addresses, hiring a car, public transport, car parks, accessibility and where to shop.
Information on Geneva Airport
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The president of Scambook.com reveals why honest self-assessment is the key to launching a Web-based business, and other great advice he's received.
Most college students are worried about what party to attend next, but I was busy thinking of innovative ways to make my first million. I built Tatto Media from my dorm room, sold it a few years later for $60 million, and continued forward with big plans for my future. It's a daunting task for a start-up business to try and get off the ground amidst the social media boom. Here are the three best pieces of advice I ever received that helped make me a successful entrepreneur:
- Self-assess honestly and find supplemental teammates. Be honest with yourself when evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, and look for team members who will balance you out. While studying at Babson College, I had a lot of major ideas, but not necessarily all of the architectural knowledge behind it to turn these ideas into a lucrative plan. I took the advice of Professor Leonard Green, CEO of Green Group, in asking for help where I needed it. I was realistic that I had holes to fill in my business plan and needed other people to help me work through these areas. I teamed up with fellow classmate Lin Miao, who balanced out my weaknesses and helped me with the company finances.
- Don't underestimate information flow; value every relationship. Being kind and respecting everyone is a must. I was at a board meeting when Baupost Group's David Drubner told me to look around the table and point to the most important person there. He then pointed to his secretary, who had worked for him for 30 years, and said that she while may not hold the highest status in the room, she knows the right people and everything that is going on. Understanding how the information flow works when building yourself is crucial; you never know which relationships you will need in order to make it, so being respectful to everyone you come into contact with is crucial.
- 100% of nothing is still nothing. Don't let greed stand in the way of your ultimate dream. I've seen countless numbers of people who have great ideas, but too much aggression too early on. You don't need to be a one-man show to be successful. An entrepreneur's career may include 30 or 40 ventures; each one should be a stepping stone and learning experience, so there's no need to get greedy over one deal. Too many people walk away from great things because they expected too much.
While most think of an entrepreneur as a self-made one-man operation, I credit the help of others for being as important as any one person's idea creation. With these tips in mind, you can make your vision a reality.
Andrew Bachman is the president of Scambook.com, a leading consumer-complaint platform based in Los Angeles. He blogs about philanthropy, health, business, and life www.andrewbachman.tv. @andrewbachman
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Alice Kuipers joined us this week, with an interview about writing, her books, and the process of figuring it all out. She also talked about reading fifty pages a day, and her habit of buying a book a week in her chosen genre.
These are important habits for a writer. The simpatico between reading and writing cannot be overstated. I've noticed over the past year or so, that my reading material has changed in some interesting ways. I'm reading Ibsen's dramas, sixteenth century plays and poetry, literary anthologies (those clonky honker books you were forced to buy for your Introduction to English Literature class), sociology books, history, and short story. I have so many books on order at the library I have my own shelf in the "hold" section.
This is unusual for me. Often, I have two books at a time on the go, a fiction and a non-fiction. I very much like to keep up with current releases, and I follow some of my favourite publisher's releases (yes, I have favourite publishers). So what's going on with my reading selections? I've made a list of my observations about my reading that I think might be useful to other writers.
1. Reading sometimes takes us where we're going, not where we are right now as writers.
The unusual assortment of classic literature, plays, and poetry piled by my bedside isn't an attempt to appear cultured (the pile is in my bedroom, the only people who see it is me, my husband, and our kids. And the dog, but she only likes the comics). I'm not trying to be a smartypants, I'm hunting for something. I don't even know what it is I'm looking for, but my brain--which often operates independently of me--knows where I lack as a writer, and has decided that the answers lie in pursuing dense literature. My only hope is that when my brain figures out what it needs, it will tell me and then we'll both know.
I'm not implying that I intend to write dense literary novels. What I hope is that, one day, I will produce a novel of substance. Something enduring because it hits the right human notes. The more I read diverse, dense literature, the closer my brain gets to figuring out how I might accomplish this.
2. Enduring literature (classics) deserve our adult attention.
I'm ashamed to admit I don't own a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. That's just wrong. I further admit that I merely skimmed The Grapes of Wrath in high school. The Old Man and the Sea numbed my sixteen year old mind so thoroughly I avoided Hemingway completely until I was over thirty-five. These, and so many other novels, endure because they are important, yes, but also because they are the perfect blend of right-now culture, human struggle, and culturally transcending truth. I need to learn this. I need to erase the prejudice from my youth, and embrace these novels as an adult. Whatever I think about them is wrong. I need to discover them anew.
3. Reading plays sharpens skills for creating plot.
Ibsen was a complete failure until he was a smash success. Once he ditched the idea that his plays should be written in rhyming couplets, he allowed plot to take the wheel and he produced plays of such shocking humanity certain countries forced him to re-write the endings. Plot revealed completely through dialogue. Mastering such a skill promises boundless possibilities to the novelist. It is my vow to study as least three plays a month.
4. Poetry is nonnegotiable.
I was dumb for too long, believing all that smugness about good poetry versus bad poetry. Intimidated, I avoided the question entirely for years. Believed I could live without poetry, that I wasn't missing anything important either as a reader or as a writer. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Happily, my brain, which was, once again, acting without first consulting me, caused me to pick up a collection of poetry complied by Garrison Keillor. I began to read. I rummaged in the basement and found old collections, thick with dust. I am converted. I now turn to poetry as I do the Psalms. Writer, read poetry. Period.
Share with us a bit of your reading life. Has it changed recently? What are you learning about how and what you read?
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Crash victim now Ironman triathlete
Doctors say Brian Boyle should have died when his car was crumpled by a dump truck in 2004. But having beaten all odds, Boyle is now an Ironman triathlete.
In July 2004, Brian Boyle's life was changed in an instant. His car was sideswiped by a speeding dump truck in Maryland. First responders thought Boyle was dead.
"Heart went across my chest, shattered ribs, shattered pelvis, collapsed lungs, pretty much every major organ was damaged," Boyle said.
In additions, Boyle lost 60 percent of his blood and spent two months in a medically induced coma. Boyle remembers waking up unable to move.
"It was like waking up into a living nightmare," Boyle said.
With the lift of a finger or a simple smile, each movement after the crash was a milestone -- especially the first step, after doctors said Boyle would never walk again.
A typical human body has, on average, 10 pints of blood. Boyle received 36 pints -- or four and a half gallons -- during transfusions, all donated by volunteers.
"I'll never meet these people but they're out there, they donated for me, that one hour of time saved my life," Boyle said.
Because of the experience, Boyle is now an ambassador with the American Red Cross. Boyle completed his first half Ironman triathlon just three years after the accident. That's more than 70 miles of swimming, biking, and running. Boyle said despite the obstacles, he wouldn't change a thing.
"It's much more than a car accident. It's taking life and making the most of it. Taking those moments of grief and obstacles and making the most of them," Boyle said.
Copyright 2012 by KETV.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The Upper East Regional Library, since its establishment about 45 years ago, has never seen any renovation works, resulting in some parts of the roofing leaking badly whenever it rained.
Some books and other learning material have also been damaged as a result.
Some chairs in the library are so old and weak such that if one is not careful, one would fall down when sitting on them.
The library, which serves both the Bolgatanga Municipality and the entire region, does not have bright lightening systems, thus making reading difficult.
In an interview with the Regional Librarian, Mr. John Ayeseya, on the situation, he said a series of reports had been written to the necessary authorities to address the devastating situation, but to no avail.
The Librarian also lamented that though the library had an ICT center it lacked funds to connect the computers to internet.
Mr. Ayeseya was not happy that in spite of limited books in the library, some readers continued to steal the books, while others tear potions which meet their interest.
Mr. Ayeseya, however, debunked the assertion that the introduction of ICT had taken over reading, which had made people losing interest in reading.
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Your credit score is like your financial GPA. In good times, it determines how much interest you will pay on any kind of loan, from credit cards to your mortgage. Today, because of the credit crisis and the recession, having a high score is more crucial than it has ever been. Financial expert David Bach has developed a 10-step action plan to get your score up quickly—and keep it there.
So let's get started. The simple truth is that raising your score isn't that hard if you know what to do. It just takes time. As I noted above, it's mainly a matter of understanding the factors that FICO weighs and then figuring out which of them you can change for the better. Over the years, I've coached literally thousands of people on fixing their credit scores, and based on that experience I've developed a 10-step action plan to get your score up quickly and keep it there. I promise you—regardless of where you are starting from, if you follow this plan, in six months your score will be higher than you thought possible.
1. Get your credit report and check it for errors.
There is only one place you can get a truly free copy of your credit report: www.annualcreditreport.com, a centralized service for consumers to request free annual credit reports run by the three nationwide consumer credit-reporting companies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You must do this first, because it's extremely likely that there are errors in your report. A 2004 survey by the National Association of State Public Interest Research Groups found that 79% of all credit reports contained incorrect information. There is no reason to believe that things have gotten any better since then. Once you get your report, go through it with a fine-tooth comb. If you find any damaging errors (for example, late payments that were actually paid on time or credit limits that are lower than they should be), get them corrected as quickly as possible. You can do this by sending the credit agency a certified letter that explains what information was inaccurate, including copies of documents (such as bank records or mortgage statements) that verify what you're saying, along with a copy of your credit report with the disputed information circled in red. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, both the credit-reporting agencies and the banks and merchants that provide them with data are required to correct inaccurate or incomplete information in your report when it's pointed out to them. (Occasionally, errors can help you, as when accounts you closed are listed as being open; don't feel obliged to correct these.) You can find sample correction letters on my website at www.finishrich.com/creditletters.
2. Automate your bill paying so you never miss a deadline.
Even if it's only a few days late, just one overdue payment—whether it's for your mortgage, a utility bill, an auto loan, a Visa account, or any of a hundred other credit obligations—can seriously damage your FICO score. FICO pays a lot of attention to whether you make a habit of missing due dates, so a series of late payments can really hurt your score. By the same token, a consistent record of on-time payments can improve it. Although FICO says it takes as much as two years of on-time payments to bump up your score, my experience is that if you pay all your bills on time for a year, your score will improve. This is why it is so important to set up the kind of automatic bill-payment plan I described in Step 3. If you haven't already done this, go back and reread that step and put the plan in place—it will protect your credit score and ultimately raise it.
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Professional marketing, friendly budgets, great ideas…
Posts Tagged ‘marketing tips’« Older Entries |
Friday, April 8th, 2011
I have to say I get 'slightly' annoyed when I see creative design and "marketing" companies talking about your brand, as if brand is all about the logo, look and visual style of your business.
Your BRAND is more than just a logo!
Your business brand is the very essence of your business and your visual "brand identity" is simply the representation and communication of your brand values. And a visual one that can help your customers and potential customers recognise you with ease and consistency.
So for me, and the team at Just Too Busy, when we help you create your brand, we are doing MORE than just designing you a new logo (although this is something we do very well, I have to say!).
Your business brand consists of key elements that you need to understand and define, so that you can communicate those brand values and positioning to your identified target audiences. If you don't pay attention to this side of your brand, and we think it is the most important side, then a pretty logo that has no meaning or deliberate thought involved in its creation, will just not "do it" for you (or your business).
SO… When we say your brand is more than just your logo… We REALLY mean it!
If you would like to learn a little more about how to create your own business brand then click here to sign up for this FREE Just Too Busy webinar.
Tags: brand development, brand identity, brand secrets, branding, business brand, creating a brand, creating my brand, creative design, logo design, Marketing, marketing advice, marketing help, marketing tips, small business marketing
Posted in Just Too Busy, Marketing, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
I love the process of creating a brand (and this is more than just a logo – watch this space for my next post) and for small businesses this often involves their entire business proposition and positioning.
So when I work with my clients, the majority of whom run small businesses, when we talk about brand, we are talking about their whole business, their offering, their target markets and how they can differentiate themselves from the competition and entice their target markets to spend their money with them.
Many small businesses will start marketing and promoting their small business without really thinking through what it actually is they are marketing and promoting and this often means they end up spending money on marketing that’s not working as well as it should for them – because they haven’t thought it all through. So here are the three key things I get my clients to think about when we are defining their business brand in preparation for marketing it.
The WHAT, the WHO and the WHY…
If you know inside out, in detail, with clarity (you get the picture) WHAT it is you are offering then you can clearly communicate that offering in your marketing.
If you know WHO you are offering your products and services to then not only can you identify the particular needs of your target market but you can create communications to them that are targeted specifically for them and to address those needs – this means they are more likely to respond to your marketing because they will relate to what you are saying and how you are saying it.
If you WHY your target market would buy from you rather than a competitor – i.e. you know the benefits of your business for your target market and you know your competitive advantage – then again communicating this information to that target market becomes easy and more focused.
If you would like to know more about defining the WHAT, WHO and WHY for your business to make your marketing more effective and get more business then please feel free to contact us on 0845 272 3539 or visit our website for more information.
Tags: branding for small businesses, branding strategy, business brands, business marketing, Marketing, marketing for small businesses, marketing tips, small business marketing, successful marketing
Posted in Just Too Busy, Marketing | Comments Off
Friday, September 17th, 2010
I was reading a great post the other day about how to write a great FAQ page – you can see the whole post here. One of the tips (number 6 actually) was about Being Available to your customers. The point in this case was put a link to your contact page if the customer (or potential customer) has a question that hasn’t been addressed by the FAQ page. And the complaint in this blogger’s case was companies who don’t put their contact details on their website.
And I totally agree. If you don’t put your contact details on your site then it screams “don’t trust us!”. Ok you might not want your address on your site if you work from home (like I do) but there are sites out there that provide products or services but do not have any way for their customers to contact them
I find this so annoying and frustrating especially when it is a business that provides an online service and the only way to get help is to go to their help section which never really does the job. There are many companies out there that seem to be saying “hey thanks for your business and here is what we think you will need to know when using our product or service but if it isn’t then tough”.
I spent hours on one particular online service provider’s site trying to find a phone number or an email and could I? I think you know the answer.
So what’s my point? Well there are two.
If you use your website as a place for your customers to find out more about you or manage the service they receive from you then it is crucial to make sure they can contact you as easily as possible.
So make sure your contacts details are on your site and that when someone does get in touch you try to get back to them as soon as you can. Customers only stay customers if they feel valued, and that means they need to feel they are important enough for you to stay in touch with them and to let them get in touch with you.
Monday, April 26th, 2010
It’s a blind date and you’ve been set up by your BFF with one of her boyfriend’s work colleagues. You’ve spent most of the afternoon getting ready, you’re on your way to the snazzy restaurant you both settled on and you’re starting to get a little nervous and wondering if he’ll be attractive, nice, interesting or funny – or all of the above.
Then you walk through the door and none of that matters. He takes one look at you and bolts through the back door! What did you do wrong? You didn’t even get to say hello. What on earth could have caused him to flee so suddenly?
Do you think the fact that you are wearing a wedding dress just might have had something to with it? Err duh! Of course! Who turns up to a blind date in a wedding dress? It screams D E S P E R A T E!!! And no-one wants to go out with someone who is that desperate – do they?
So is your business wearing a wedding dress?
What I’m really asking is: are you desperate for more clients? Has the last year and the economic crisis had a negative impact on your business? Is your business struggling? Would you do anything to get a flood of new clients through the door?
If you answered YES to any of these questions or would answer yes to anything remotely similar then your business is wearing a wedding dress and your clients and potential clients can probably tell that you are – just as easily as that guy could see the wedding dress (and his blind date) walking through the door of that snazzy restaurant!
The one thing that won’t get you more clients, more business, more money is looking like you are desperate for any of them. The key to having clients that are confident in you and your business is to maintain that confidence yourself. After all, most small businesses go through a quite patch at some point – mine did last summer – but what I didn’t do was panic.
Yes I was worried – it’s not nice to have a quiet time when you run your own business it’s lonely out there – but I stayed confident in what I was offering and the one thing I didn’t do was turn up in a wedding dress.
So what does a business wearing a wedding dress look like?
Quite simply it looks like any business that is doing this:
- Slashing their prices left, right and centre
- Over-marketing to the same groups of people or subscribers – this includes too many emails or too much follow-up
- Knee-jerking by trying to create new services or products without really planing them properly or thinking them through
- Coming on too strong in potential sales situations and then giving away too much too easily
- And many more
And just as turning up to a blind date in a wedding dress can be a bit frightening to the other party, so are the actions of any business that is panicking. People are turned off by it and may ultimately wonder if there is something wrong with your business which is causing you to panic.
So, even if times have been or still are tough -and they are for many – the one thing not to do is panic. Your customers and potential customers will know it and this will not encourage them to walk through your door but rather run the other way.
Confident marketing and branding is always important but never more so when things are hard and it’s easy to have a wobbly. Have a sit down and think about what it is that is keeping customers away (it’s usually more than just money) and see what you can do to fix it in terms of your marketing or your business model. Get creative and have fun with it – after all you have some time on your hands so you might as well stay positive and put it to good use!
Just remember to keep that wedding dress locked tightly away in the closet and make sure you have your best Marc Jacobs or Caroline Herrera outfit on!
Monday, February 15th, 2010
How to quick-start, kick-start your marketing….
If you know you should be doing marketing for your business but aren’t getting round to it then here are a few ideas to get your marketing off the ground, quickly:
- Find ONE networking group in your area and go along as a guest – more groups will let you participate as a member and you can meet new people quickly and easily without spending a fortune. It will also give you the opportunity to see if you might even want to join that networking group. If, however, you don’t think it’s for you then you haven’t spent a fortune to find this out.
- Sort out your email signature – if this doesn’t have – at the very least – your website address and your phone number in it – along with your logo, then you are wasting a FREE marketing opportunity every single time you send out an email. Ideally your email signature should also have a client testimonial in it and you can think about changing that every few months or so and perhaps promoting any special offers you have going on.
- Either start a blog or find one that perhaps you can guest post on. This is more simple than it sounds: go into Google Reader, browse or search for different types of blogs that have a relevance for your area of expertise or knowledge, visit the blog and send the owner an email offering your guest post services. You will get yourself some quick and easy online exposure (especially if it is a well-read blog) as your post will have your name, business and web link in it.
That’s it: a 1,2,3 way to quick-start, kick-start your marketing. It’s always hard to find time to market your business but if you need more customers then, without marketing, how do you think they are going to know about you?
Go on, get started today!!
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Spreading the word – proving your expertise!
- Establishes your knowledge and expertise on your chosen topic
- Enables you to communicate with your target market (and more) on any topic of your choice (of course it should be relevant to them)
- Provides a forum via your author biography or article resource box for you to ‘brazenly’ promote your business (in conjunction with the expertise piece this works really well)
- Creates inbound links to drive people to your website or blog (as long as you remember to include the URL in your bio or resource box!)
- Raises your profile and adds to your credibility as an expert
- Gives your target market the opportunity to learn more about your field of expertise (and your business) in a non-sales way
- Has a positive impact on your website’s page ranking and SEO results rankings
- Provides you with a range of information that you can leverage in a number of other ways such as using the information for a newsletter, a blog post, put it on your website, use in a presentation, part of an ebook or series and more….
So you can see that just by writing one article and submitting it online the results of that can be impressive. Of course, the more articles you write the better and more impressive the results will be. It won’t work just to submit one article – but it is a start!
And that’s where most people STOP!
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
This post covers what I think is one of the most effective ways of generating leads for your business: Networking – the traditional face to face type.
As most networking groups wind down for the Christmas break, now is the perfect time to look at what your networking strategy is going to be for the New Year. And by strategy I simply mean how are you going to be using networking to promote your business?
Networking is Marketing
If you aren’t doing any networking as yet for your business, it is certainly something you should be thinking about. Networking is a very useful marketing strategy. To get the most out of your networking, however, you need to consider the following:
1. Networking is a long-term strategy. You may think that if after your first networking meeting you don’t walk away with a new client then it has been a waste of time. Wrong! Although it is certainly possible to walk away from your very first meeting with a new client (or a potential one), it is not how you should be viewing your networking strategy. Networking is about meeting new people, developing relationships with them and establishing your credibility with those people.
2. Networking is NOT selling. I like to think of networking as a press release rather than an advert. You do not walk into a networking event and shout, “Hey I’m from Just Too Busy, I do marketing, come and buy from me or send me people who will!” That’s networking as advertising and there are some groups who think this is how it works.
What you should be doing is talking and listening to people at the event, perhaps making some suggestions based around your area of expertise, offering advice, giving feedback – basically being helpful and demonstrating that you know what you are talking about and are not at all interested in the sell, but in building relationships with your fellow networkers.
3. Networking is about brand. Taking into account points 1 and 2 above, your networking is about your brand. Your brand is the essence of your business and should be what you aim to promote at every single networking event. Promoting your brand means ensuring that you have a clear “elevator pitch” – one that tells people what you do without the sell attached. It also means that you have a very clear understanding of your business brand including your service/product offering and your target market.
4. Networking is about getting business. At the end of the day, networking should be about getting new business for your business. This must be the point of any marketing in the end. But it is how you approach that getting of new business that defines the type of marketing strategy you use. Networking is essentially about building relationships, establishing your credibility and promoting your business with a long-term view. Any networking that promotes quick wins or instant referrals isn’t promoting the type of networking that really works, the type that I like to call “authentic networking”.
So what is Authentic Networking? For me Authentic Networking is:
* Long-term investment of time (not just money)
* Developing new relationships (not just buyers)
* Being there to establish your credibility (not just status)
* Looking to gain freely given testimonials (not just pressured referrals)
* Helping your fellow networkers where you can (not just looking to sell, sell, sell).
So, whether you are already networking or whether you have yet to start, I hope these points will help you approach it in a way that in the long-term, both for getting you new business and for your reputation, will, I think, do you and your business the most good.
If you have any questions about your networking strategy then feel free to get in touch firstname.lastname@example.org.
Tags: business marketing, business networking, how to develop your brand, marketing for small business, marketing tips, networking for your business, networking is marketing, successful marketing
Posted in Just Too Busy, Marketing | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 13th, 2009
Use joint ventures to cut your marketing budget in half and double your list…
Small businesses are always looking for ways to save money – especially right now. Joint venture marketing is a perfect way to do this. You share the costs and you share the list.
And it’s EASY!
So in this installment of the Marketing Basics: 17 Ways to Generate Leads for your Business, I am going to give you some ideas on how you can generate leads for your business while keeping your costs down using joint venture marketing. (more…)
Tags: business marketing, joint venture marketing, Marketing, Marketing basics, marketing budgets, marketing for small business, marketing tips, small business marketing, successful marketing
Posted in Just Too Busy, Marketing | Comments Off
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
How to break free of the marketing activities
that everyone else says you should be doing!
As a small business owner, responsible for pretty much everything from running the finances, to making the tea, from organising your diary to doing the marketing, have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the different marketing activities you think you should be doing – because everyone else is?
I know I have done in the past!
I have spoken to three people in the last week or so where the topic of conversation was just this: what marketing should I be doing and how do I know it’s the right thing?
With more and more ways to communicate with your target market, it seems that the choices for marketing activity is just growing. The explosion of social media has just compounded this. For example some people say that to be effective in your marketing you SHOULD be doing a monthly email newsletter, a weekly or daily blog, Twittering like crazy and regular online networking etc.
WRONG! Your marketing, your specific marketing for your specific small business, is just that: specific. Just because other people are doing those things, doesn’t mean you have to or SHOULD.
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"We are doubling up on blankets, putting coats and jackets on the animals, and we have tarps we lower in the evening over the kennel and secure to the front to keep out the wind and the rain," Humane Society of the North Bay manager Bobbi Durston said. "We built a nursery inside for the smallest and youngest guys. We have a mama and her seven puppies and one single 3-month-old old miniature poodle in there now."
Steve Anderson of the National Weather Service said temperatures at the Napa County Airport are expected to reach a low of about 30 degrees and high of 53 degrees through Monday. Fairfield temperatures are expected to fall to 28 and Concord's to 30 degrees.
Napa hit a record low of 26 degrees in 1949, Anderson said.
Maria Guevara, whose Vallejo Together organization helps Vallejo's homeless population, said that although people have responded to an appeal for more blankets, not enough thick, warm ones have been donated.
"We've been getting extra stuff, but mostly thin, decorative blankets, so, we need more warm, thick ones, and waterproof tarps, warm scarves, and thick jackets and socks," Guevara said.
Donations can be made over the weekend at 33 Buss St., and people can visit Vallejo Together
Vallejo's Christian Help Center is offering a warm, dry place for those who don't have one during the freeze, Executive Director Norma Ramos said.
"What we always do in a cold snap, if we have people who don't want to come to stay, they can stay out of the elements in our multi-purpose room," Ramos said. "They would come and check in every night. We do that whenever it's in the 30s or below."
Though the space is available, and the center provides mats for the floor and blankets and pillows, the center has yet to be taken up this year on their offer of a warm, dry place to stay, Ramos said.
"We only get one or two coming in from out of the cold," Ramos said. "We've been waiting to see if people would come by, and there hasn't been anyone this winter yet, but they're welcome. Staff is on the lookout for anyone who needs shelter. And they could stay for breakfast, which is at 7 a.m."
At Mission Solano, a homeless shelter serving Solano County, the number of people seeking shelter from the cold is already increasing, Chief Operating Officer Rod Malloy said.
"We have already seen our shelter overflow and we fit as many people as we can in each of our nomadic shelters in various churches," Malloy said.
Malloy said that the Mission Solano Community Outreach Center is providing shelter at 740 Travis Blvd., Fairfield on Saturday.
In addition to people, plants and small pets should be brought inside, too, Anderson said.
"There are precautions people can take when it's this cold for this long, including bringing sensitive plants inside if they're potted, or cover them," Anderson said. "Small pets, also. Big ones can stay in a dog house or something."
Durst said that's debatable.
"My rule of thumb is if I'm cold, they're cold," she said. "Especially short-haired animals. I bring in everybody in weather like this, or get them in nice warm sweaters and jackets."
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's animals all have temperature-controlled enclosures, spokeswoman Nancy Chan said. And the Napa County Airport's manager Martin Pehl said he's not worried about the cold.
"To put it in perspective, compared to South Dakota, for instance, this is balmy," he said. "There are no problem here."
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- Advice & Education
- Community Support
- International Family Equality
- Legal & Financial
- News & Politics
- Travel & Vacations
Timothy Kurek, described himself as once being a "homophobic Christian." After a friend came out to him, he questioned his faith and the implicated repercussions of being gay. So Timothy decided to live the life of a gay man for a year and write a book about his experiences.
After Kurek 'came out,' he says his family was supportive: “My family was very supportive initially. They treated me with the love and respect I expected. I don’t think they quite knew how to react to having a gay family member, but, you know, that was the religious barrier there that we are all kind of captive to.”
Kurek spent time in the LGBT gay areas of Nashville, Tennessee, visiting bars, coffee shops and bookstores, reports the NY Daily News.
Kurek told MSNBC: "...the book itself is not at all about what it is like to be gay, but only about how the label of gay impacted my external life and how those things kind of altered my faith and challenged my beliefs."
His book will be released in October.
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When Debby Lucast first met Mystie, she was a neglected toddler who couldn’t walk or talk. Debby and her family have known a lot of children in need, after taking in nearly 90 foster children over the years. But it didn’t take long to see that Mystie was something special, despite her many challenges: intellectual disability, seizure disorder, ADHD, scoliosis, etc. “She has a lot to deal with,” says Debby, ”but all that really matters is that she’s a great kid.”
The Lucast family eventually adopted Mystie, who joined their family of three other adopted children. Mystie grew into a lovely girl, yet she found many things were difficult for her. She tried hard, but was often withdrawn, ducking her head down, avoiding conversation and eye contact.
Debby tried to find activities that would help bring Mystie out of her shell, but that wasn’t so easy. “She’d tried dance and gymnastics, but she really couldn’t keep up with the other girls,” says Debby. Then Mystie got involved in Special Olympics Missouri and found a new comfort zone. The program gave her a foundation to grow and thrive – and Mystie gained both sports skills and social confidence. “It’s been great,“ says Debby. “It’s been a huge self-esteem builder for her. Everyone’s positive and it motivates her.”
Mystie has tried Special Olympics softball, flag football, track and basketball. But right now, it’s all about skating, especially since the 14-year-old has been chosen as one of the youngest members of Team USA’s figure-skating team. And Mystie is pretty excited!
“She’s excited, but we’re all excited. She’s been skating up a storm. She’s at the rink four times a week, two hours a session,” says Debby.
And that girl who seemed to be withdrawn? She’s also been chosen for training as a public speaker at Special Olympics and other events. And so far, she’s doing great. Says Debby, “Special Olympics has helped her so much, socially, emotionally and so many other ways. I think every kid who qualifies needs to be in Special Olympics."
About Kate McKenna: Special Olympics Editorial and Multimedia Director
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As poverty is the preexistent condition for all living things in our natural world, the same principle can be applied to an unfortunate condition within the nature of man ... the poverty of the mind. Ignorance!
Though it may be futile to relegate equal responsibility to such a low minded order of being and unreasonable to expect that "it" would ever understand what is fair, just and tolerant, it is more noble to accept the reality that the uncaring creature is not reliable.
After all, it is its fateful practice to annihilate. But for those of a high mind, magnanimity becomes essential in the personal battle with the "real evil" in our world.
In this regard the uncaring collective becomes essential as well and as for those of a higher mind will discover, the margins are the safest place to be. This is where the best thinkers and creators find their precious solitude.
It is from these margins that the most generous contributors and accomplishments of humanity have been made. Solitude can never be found within the chaotic distraction of conformity. It is therefore most advantageous for the best of us to seek the margins.
Moreover, if we are to call ourselves "noble," then we must not allow the ignorant to rule our lives. And, if we should every allow ourselves to be lead in an ignoble direction, it would be an immense tragedy. This is why the noble being must always remain magnanimous.
To the Naropa University faculty member I ask simply that this catalyst be your call to greatness.
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509th Operations Group
||This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013)|
|509th Operations Group|
Emblem of the 509th Operations Group
|Branch||United States Air Force|
|Type||Wing Operations Group|
|Role||B-2 Combat and Training Operations|
|Part of||Air Force Global Strike Command|
|Garrison/HQ||Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri|
|Motto||Defensor Vindex- Defender Avenger (Approved 10 July 1952)|
The 509th Operations Group (509 OG) is the flying component of the United States Air Force 509th Bomb Wing (509 BW), assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. It is equipped with all 20 of the USAF's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. Its 394th CTS also uses T-38 Talon trainers.
Redesignated the 509th Bombardment Group, Very Heavy in 1946, the group was one of the original ten bombardment groups of Strategic Air Command. The unit was also the host organization at Roswell Army Airfield, New Mexico in July 1947 during the alleged Roswell UFO Incident.
The 509th Bombardment Group was inactivated in 1952. In 1993, the unit was reactivated as the 509 OG, as part of the Objective Wing organization implementation of the 509th Bomb Wing.
The 509th OG consists of four component squadrons:
- Originally activated as the 325th Bomb Squadron on 6 January 1998. Re-designated the 13th BS ("Grim Reapers") on 23 September 2005, when that unit, flying B-1 Lancers as part of the 7th Operations Group, was inactivated.
- The 393rd BS ("Tigers"), a traditional squadron of the 509th, was activated as a B-2 squadron on 27 August 1993.
- A Flying Training Unit (FTU), the 394th CTS conducts all flying training connected with the B-2.
- A non-flying squadron, the 509th OSS ("Hawks") controls all airfield activities at Whiteman.
In addition to its official insignia, during B-2 stealth bomber test flights, some members of the 509th Bomb Wing procured an unofficial insignia involving an alien, the legend To Serve Man (referring to a famous Twilight Zone episode), and the inscription Gustatus Similis Pullus (Dog Latin for "Tastes Like Chicken"). A second variation carried the term "Classified Test Flight" instead of the Twilight Zone reference, and both harkened to the 509th's connection to the "Roswell UFO incident".
- For additional history and lineage, see 509th Bomb Wing
World War II
The historical roots of the 509th OG begin on 17 December 1944 when the 509th Composite Group was formed at Wendover Field, Utah under Second Air Force. The 509th was formed with one mission in mind: to drop the Atomic Bomb.
The group deployed to the Western Pacific in May 1945 and was assigned to the Twentieth Air Force 313th Bombardment Wing, stationed at North Field, Tinian, in the Mariana Islands. Operations of the group, however, were controlled by Headquarters, USAAF with the 313th Bomb Wing providing logistical support.
The 509th CG made history on 6 August 1945, when the B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay," piloted by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The B-29 "Bockscar," piloted by Major Charles Sweeney visited the Japanese mainland on 9 August 1945 and dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
In November 1945, the group returned to the United States and was assigned to Roswell Army Air Base, New Mexico. For a brief period of time from January to March 1946 the 509th was assigned to the 58th Bomb Wing at Fort Worth AAF, Texas, before returning to Roswell. The Group was assigned to Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946, being one of the first eleven organizations assigned to SAC. At the time SAC was formed, the 509th Composite Group was the only unit to have experience with nuclear weapons and thus is regarded by many historians as the foundation on which SAC was built. In April 1946 many of the group's aircraft deployed to Kwajalein as part of Operation Crossroads, a series of atomic bomb tests. The remainder became the core of two new squadrons activated as part of the group, the 715th Bomb Squadron and the 830th Bomb Squadron.
On 10 July 1946, the group was renamed the 509th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and the 320th TCS was disbanded. With the creation of the United States Air Force as a separate service, the group became the combat component of the 509th Bomb Wing on 17 November 1947, although it was not operational until 14 September 1948, when Col. John D. Ryan was named commander. As a result of postwar reductions only the 509th was equipped for the delivery of atomic bombs.
The group was redesignated as a medium bomb group in 1948 as part of the Strategic Air Command, and acquired an aerial refueling mission with the assignment of KB-29s. Its 27 operational Silverplate B-29s (the 309th had ultimately received 53 of the 65 produced) were transferred in 1949 to the 97th Bomb Wing at Biggs Air Force Base, El Paso, Texas, when the group converted to B-50D Superfortresses. The B-50D was the last derivative of the B-29 family and designed specifically for the atomic bombing mission. It was one of the last piston-engined bombers built, having a top speed just short of 400 mph (644 km/h), faster than many World War II-era propeller-powered fighters still in service at the time.
During the Korean War, the 509th remained in the United States as President Harry S. Truman wasn't willing to risk extensive use of the USAF strategic bomber force, which was being used as a deterrent for possible Soviet aggression in Europe.
Its squadrons were removed on 1 February 1951, and assigned directly to the wing, effectively ending its operations. The 509th was inactivated on 16 June 1952 as part of a SAC (and later Air Force-wide) phase-out of groups with the adoption of the Tri-Deputate organization.
The 509th Bomb Group was redesignated as the 509th Operations Group and activated on 12 March 1993 as part of the 509th Bomb Wing's reorganization under the USAF Objective Wing plan. All flying squadrons, as well as an Operational Support Squadron (OSS) were assigned to the 509th OG. The first B-2 Spirit stealth bomber arrived and was assigned to the 509th on 17 December 1993 (the date was the 49th anniversary of the activation of the 509th Composite Group and the 90th of the Wright brothers' flight).
On 17 September 1996, three 509th B-2s dropped three inert GBU-36 weapons, the highly accurate Global Positioning System-Aided Munitions (GAM) which used the GPS-Aided Targeting System (GATS). The B-2s made the drops at the Nellis AFB, Nevada, bombing range. Range officials, inspecting the area after the releases, were astonished to find that the GBU-36s had fallen seven, four, and four feet, respectively, from the target. A month later, the 509th repeated this impressive feat—only this time, they used live weapons. On 8 October 1996, three B-2s revisited the Nellis range and released 16 2,000 lb. class GBU-36 bombs from an altitude of 40,000 feet. Again, amazed range personnel discovered all sixteen projectiles hit close enough to their targets to be confirmed as 16 kills. The results so impressed USAF Chief of Staff General Ronald Fogleman that he announced at a mid-December press conference the 509th and the B-2 would reach limited (conventional) operational capability on 1 January 1997.
Operation Allied Force
The B-2 first saw combat 23 March 1999, during NATO operations in Serbia and Kosovo, the first sustained offensive combat air offensive conducted solely from U.S. soil. Over a period of two months, the 509th generated 49 B-2 sorties flown roundtrip from Missouri to targets in Southeastern Europe.
Although the B-2s accounted for only 1 percent of all NATO sorties, the aircraft's all-weather, precision capability allowed it to deliver 11 percent of the munitions used in the air campaign. The missions lasted an average of 29 hours, demonstrating the global reach of the B-2.
On the night of 7–8 May 1999, during the Kosovo War B-2s flying out of Whiteman attacked the Belgrade embassy of the People's Republic of China, killing three and causing heavy damage. Although a strike was authorized against a target called 'Belgrade Warehouse 1', the CIA-provided coordinates pinpointed the embassy's location. Neither the aircrew nor the US Air Force were found to have any responsibility for the affair.
Operation Enduring Freedom
Following the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. on 11 September 2001, the 509th quickly transitioned to a wartime mode by joining forces with the 314th Airlift Wing, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, and the Missouri Air National Guard's 139th Airlift Wing, St. Joseph, Missouri, to send Missouri Task Force-1 to assist rescue efforts at the World Trade Center.
In October 2001, the B-2 led America's strike force in Afghanistan, hitting the first targets in the country to "kick down the door" for the air campaign which followed. The bombers again flew from Missouri to their targets before landing at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to exchange crews while the engines continued to run. The combat missions lasted more than 40 hours, with the aircraft operating continuously for more than 70 hours without incident before returning to Whiteman.
After twice proving its ability to fly combat missions from Missouri, the wing stepped up efforts to deploy the B-2 from forward locations. By late 2002, the Air Force had completed special shelters for the aircraft at Diego Garcia. The shelters provided a controlled climate similar to the facilities at Whiteman for specialized work on the aircraft skin in order to maintain its stealth characteristics. This ability to sustain operations from a forward location added a new dimension of flexibility to potential air campaigns.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
The new shelters were put to use when the B-2 bombers again led a coalition air strike against the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein, on 21 March 2003. The famous "shock and awe" campaign saw unprecedented use of precision-guided munitions by the B-2 in an effort to minimize collateral damage and destroy key targets. The campaign also marked another milestone for the 509th, as B-2s flew combat missions from both Whiteman and a forward deployed location simultaneously.
Only a decade after delivery, the B-2 was now a proven weapons system, a veteran of three campaigns and first-ever forward deployment. In recognition of the maturity of the system and the unit, the Air Force declared the B-2 fully operational capable.
Since 2003, the B-2's forward presence has become a reality and proved the aircraft can deliver combat airpower, any time and any place. The deployment to Guam, which began in February 2005, provided a continuous bomber presence in the Asia Pacific region and augmented Pacific Command's establishment of a deterrent force. The 80-day tour, the longest in the bomber's 13-year history, also marked the first B-2 deployment since the aircraft was declared fully operational.
- Established as 509 Composite Group on 9 December 1944
- Activated on 17 December 1944
- Redesignated: 509 Bombardment Group, Very Heavy, on 10 July 1946
- Redesignated: 509 Bombardment Group, Medium, on 2 July 1948
- Inactivated on 16 June 1952
- Redesignated 509 Operations Group on 12 March 1993
- Activated on 15 July 1993
- Second Air Force, 17 December 1944
- 315th Bombardment Wing, 18 December 1944
- 313th Bombardment Wing, c. June 1945
- Second Air Force, 10 October 1945
- 58th Bombardment Wing, 17 January 1946
- Fifteenth Air Force, 31 March 1946
- Eighth Air Force, 1 November 1946
- 509th Bombardment Wing, 17 November 1947 – 16 June 1952
- 509th Bomb Wing, 15 July 1993–present
- 13th Bomb Squadron: 9 September 2005–present
- 320th Troop Carrier Squadron: 17 December 1944 – 19 August 1946
- 325th Bomb (later, 325th Weapons) Squadron: 6 January 1998 – 9 September 2005
- 393d Bombardment (later 393 Bomb) Squadron: 17 December 1944 – 16 June 1952 (detached 17 November 1947-14 September 1948 and 1 February 1951 – 16 June 1952); 27 August 1993–present
- 394th Bombardment (later, 394 Combat Training) Squadron: 6 November 1996–
- 509th Air Refueling Squadron: 19 July 1948 – 16 June 1952 (detached 19 July – 14 September 1948 and 1 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 715th Bombardment Squadron: 6 May 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 17 November 1947-14 September 1948 and 1 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- 830th Bombardment Squadron: 6 May 1946 – 16 June 1952 (detached 17 November 1947-14 September 1948 and 1 February 1951 – 16 June 1952)
- Wendover Field, Utah, 17 December 1944 – 26 April 1945
- North Field, Tinian, Mariana Islands, 29 May – 17 October 1945
- Roswell AAFld (later, Walker AFB), New Mexico, 6 November 1945 – 16 June 1952
- Whiteman AFB, Missouri, 15 July 1993–present
- "509 Bomb Wing Organization". 509th Bomb Wing. Archived from the original on 22 July 2006. Retrieved 28 July 2006.
- Esprit de Corps, New York Times, 2 April 2008
- "509th Bomb Wing Insignia", by Dennis G. Balthaser, 2 February 2004
- Bock, Frederick (ed). 509th Composite Group: 50th Anniversary Reunion, Albuquerque NM, 5 August to 10. 1995 (Revised and Corrected Edition 1997).
- Bowers, Peter M. Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Stillwater, Minnesota: Voyageur Press, 1999. ISBN 0-933424-79-5.
- Campbell, Richard H. The Silverplate Bombers: A History and Registry of the Enola Gay and Other B-29s Configured to Carry Atomic Bombs. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-7864-2139-8.
- Hess, William N. Great American Bombers of WW II. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks International, 1999. ISBN 0-7603-0650-8.
- Krauss, Robert and Amelia Krauss. The 509th Remembered: A History of the 509th Composite Group as Told by the Veterans Themselves, 509th Anniversary Reunion, Wichita, Kansas 7–10 October 2004. 509th Press., 2005. ISBN 0-923568-66-2.
- LeMay Curtis and Bill Yenne. Super Fortress. London: Berkley Books, 1988. ISBN 0-425-11880-0.
- Mann, Robert A. The B-29 Superfortress: A Comprehensive Registry of the Planes and Their Missions. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2004. ISBN 0-7864-1787-0.
- Marx, Joseph L. Seven Hours to Zero. New York: G.P. Putnam Son's, 1967.
- Ossip, Jerome J. (ed). 509th Composite Group History – 509th Pictorial Album. Chicago, Illinois: Rogers Printing Company, 1946.
- Pace, Steve. Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, United Kingdom: Crowood Press, 2003. ISBN 1-86126-581-6.
- Rhodes, Richard. The Making of the Atomic Bomb. Simon & Schuster, 1986. ISBN 0-684-81378-5.
- Thomas, Gordon and Max Morgan Witts. Enola Gay. New York: Stein & Day Publishing, 1977. ISBN 0-8128-2150-5.
- Thomas, Gordon and Max Morgan Witts. Ruin from the Air: The Enola Gay's Atomic Mission to Hiroshima. London: Hamilton, 1977. (republished in 1990 by Scarborough House)
- Tibbets, Paul W. Flight of the Enola Gay. Reynoldsburg, Ohio: Buckeye Aviation Book Company, 1989. ISBN 0-942397-11-8.
- Wheeler, Keith. Bombers over Japan. Virginia Beach, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1982. ISBN 0-8094-3429-6.
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State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) represents parts of four counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Walworth. Her Senate District 28 includes New Berlin, Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners, Muskego, Waterford, Big Bend, the town of Vernon and parts of Greenfield, East Troy, and Mukwonago. Senator Lazich has been in the Legislature for more than a decade. She considers herself a tireless crusader for lower taxes, reduced spending and smaller government.
Proponents of large cigarette tax increases like to point to the additional revenue the tax hikes will bring in to the state Treasury. There is one problem with that assumption. What happens if many of the revenue sources, the cigarette smokers, stop smoking?
Maryland politicians are now dealing with that very scenario. While they begrudgingly admit some satisfaction with fewer cigarettes being sold in Maryland, they are less than thrilled that the smokers have simply gone to nearby Virginia where the cigarette tax is much cheaper. Maryland has lost sales and much-needed revenue and has reacted by making it a crime to carry two packs of cigarettes that weren't purchased in Maryland.
The Maryland experience demonstrates the folly of government depending on cigarette tax increases. Read more in the Wall Street Journal.
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|Updated: 8/06/2012 4:39 pm
||Published: 8/06/2012 2:22 pm
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the state’s request for Fire Management Assistance Grants for seven fires that burned the last week.
The grants will help reimburse local governments, volunteer fire departments and other first responders for costs associated with responding to the fires.
The grants were secured for the July 30 fire in Stillwater, the August 2 fire in Geary, the August 3 fires in Luther, Norman/Noble/Slaughterville and Creek County, and the August 4 fires in Drumright and Glencoe.
The authorization makes FEMA funding available to reimburse 75 percent of state, local and tribal government eligible firefighting costs for the designated fires. Federal fire management assistance is provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster.
Eligible firefighting costs covered by the aid must first meet a minimum threshold for costs before assistance is provided. Eligible costs covered by the aid can include expenses for equipment use, repair and replacement; tools, materials and supplies; and mobilization and demobilization activities.
OEM will continue to assess the need for additional federal assistance.
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(Page 2 of 2)
Hundreds more Palestinian attacks have been thwarted by Israeli and Palestinian Authority security personnel. Interestingly, settler attacks have risen, from 168 in 2009 to 411 in 2011, while Israeli deaths from Palestinian attacks have declined steadily from 451 in 2002 to 48 in 2008 and two so far this year. The fewer the attacks, it seems, the stronger the reaction. Still, Israel’s current soul-searching is a watershed.
The Wisconsin attack, by contrast, produced no such soul-searching. It elicited grief, sympathy, breast-beating over gun-violence and calls for stricter gun laws — but virtually no discussion of the right-wing extremism that plainly gave rise to the attack. The gunman, Wade Michael Page, was a member of a neo-Nazi rock band. His extremist views had previously drawn the attention of authorities. The attack was shocking but not surprising.
The August 5 attack was the latest and most violent in a series of attacks on Sikhs mistaken for Muslims across the country in recent years. It came in the midst of a two-week wave of attacks against mosques in August that began when a mosque was burned to the ground in Joplin, Mo., and included incidents in Oklahoma, Florida, and Illinois. But there have been no high-level calls, presidential or otherwise, for a national soul-searching. Some Muslim organizations condemned the attacks. The Anti-Defamation League expressed “horror” and called for a federal investigation. That’s about it.
A more telling response came three days after the Wisconsin attack and 70 miles south, when Republican Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois addressed an August 8 town hall and railed against the “radical Muslims” who he said are “trying to kill Americans every week.” The Illinois attacks against the mosques occurred on August 10, 12 and 16, all in Walsh’s district.
Walsh had it backwards. According to an ADL report published in August 2011, and recently reposted on the league’s website, deaths in right-wing terrorist attacks in America since September 2001 have outnumbered deaths from Muslim terrorism by more than 10 to 1. Of 201 people killed in domestic terrorist attacks, the league reported, only 14 were killed by Muslim terrorists — all but one of them in the 2009 Fort Hood massacre. Fully 85% were killed by white supremacists. The rest were killed by anti-government and anti-tax extremists. (A more recent study has shown 33 deaths in Muslim attacks, still a fraction of the rightest toll).
Despite the numbers, federal law enforcement invests far greater resources in tracking Muslim terrorism than the nativist kind. Until 2009, the intelligence division of the Department of Homeland Security had 25 investigators assigned to Muslim terrorism and six on the domestic right-wing beat. That changed in April 2009, when the domestic unit produced a report citing a sharp uptick in violent right-wing plots in the wake of President Obama’s election. The report prompted a furor among congressional Republicans, who accused the department of demonizing conservatives and forced Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano to dissolve the domestic unit. Today just one agent is assigned to domestic non-Islamic terrorism, according to former unit chief Daryl Johnson.
Congressional Republicans are still fuming over the report. Napolitano appeared before the House homeland security committee in late July and was raked over the coals by Republicans, including Walsh of Illinois, for focusing on conservative, Christian and pro-life activists and ignoring the Muslim terrorist threat.
You can’t really blame the Republicans for getting upset. As I reported recently, one Republican on the committee, Paul Broun of Georgia, sounded almost plaintive when he complained to Napolitano that when agents detail the profile of the domestic terrorist — gun-owner, Christian-conservative, pro-life — “you’re talking about me.”
Contact J.J. Goldberg at email@example.com
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Year Ender 2011 of the PCPD
The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (“the Commissioner”) Mr. Allan Chiang briefed today (14 February) the major work accomplished by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (“PCPD”) in 2011, as follows:
1. Complaint Cases
From January to December 2011, 1,486 complaint cases were received, which represent an increase of 26% on the number of cases received in 2010 (1,179) and an increase of 48% on that of 2009 (1,001). Of these complaints, 1,101 cases were made against the private sector, 131 against the public sector/government departments and 254 against individuals. Of the complaints made against the private sector, financial institutions ranked highest in the number of complaints received (200 cases), followed by property management (137 cases) and telecommunications (122 cases).
With regard to the nature of complaints, the highest number of complaints related to the purpose and manner of data collection (723 cases), followed by complaints about the use of personal data without the consent of data subjects (681 cases), data security (223 cases), accuracy and duration of retention (125 cases), and use of personal data for direct marketing (119 cases). The figures of the first four items are higher than those of 2010, reflecting a rise in public awareness of personal data privacy protection. On the contrary, the number of cases on the use of personal data for direct marketing purposes has decreased from 157 in 2010 to 119 in 2011, which may represent an improvement in the practices of the relevant industry players.
In 2011, the Commissioner issued one enforcement notice, directing the data user concerned to take specified steps to remedy the contravention. In 224 cases, the Commissioner issued warning letters and provided advice or recommendations to data users complained against. In 15 cases, the Commissioner accepted written undertakings by data users complained against to take steps to rectify the contraventions.
In addition, the Commissioner published eight investigation reports in 2011. This compares with 15 investigation reports in all published previously since the Ordinance came into effect in 1996. More frequent publication of investigation reports, coupled with the practice to name the corporate data user since June 2011, has effectively served to invoke the sanction and discipline of public scrutiny and discouraged non-compliant behavior on the part of data users facing similar investigation.
2. Conviction Cases
In 2011, 12 contravention cases were referred to the Police for consideration of prosecution. In the same period, in 4 cases the data users complained against were convicted of contravening sections 34(1) and 64(10) of the Ordinance. Compared with 10 convictions in all since 1996 when the Ordinance came into effect, this is a considerable achievement.
In the above conviction cases, the complainants had requested the data users complained against not to contact them for the purpose of direct marketing. However, the data users continued to contact them despite their opt-out requests. Under section 34(1), a data user should stop contacting the individual who has made an opt-out request.
3. Enquiry Cases, Compliance Checks and Matching Procedures
In 2011, the PCPD received a total of 18,680 enquiry cases, a rise of 4% as compared with 18,000 cases in 2010. Major issues of enquiries involved human resource and personal data, data access requests, use of personal data in direct marketing, and collection of ID card numbers or copies.
Moreover, the Commissioner carried out 154 compliance checks in 2011 to review the practices of data users suspected or alleged of contravening the Ordinance and urge them to take appropriate remedial measures. This represents an increase of 21% on the figure of 127 compliance checks carried out in 2010.
4. Review of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance
The Ordinance came into force in 1996. To ensure the adequacy of the level of personal data privacy protection afforded under the Ordinance, the Government carried out a comprehensive review of the Ordinance with the assistance of the Commissioner. The Government formally commenced work in 2009. On 13 July 2011, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau submitted the Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Bill 2011 (“Amendment Bill”) to the Legislative Council. The First Reading and Second Reading of the Amendment Bill have been carried out, and the provisions of the Amendment Bill are being examined. The Commissioner’s submissions on the Amendment Bill has been presented to the Government and members of the Bills Committee. The Commissioner has also met many members of the Bills Committee, representatives of relevant industries, and the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs to explain PCPD’s stance on the Amendment Bill and exchange views with them. Please see the two latest submissions by the PCPD to the Bills Committee at (www.pcpd.org.hk/english/files/review_ordinance/legco_paper_20111212_e.pdf) and (www.pcpd.org.hk/english/files/review_ordinance/standpoint_annex_e.pdf).
5. Promotion and Education Work
There is heightening public awareness of privacy rights regarding personal data. To ensure that data users understand their responsibilities and data subjects understand their rights under the law, the PCPD developed a number of new initiatives in promotion and education in 2011.
In 2011, young people were the targets of PCPD’s promotion and education efforts. Hence, the PCPD took an active role to incorporate the message of personal data privacy into Liberal Studies and Other Learning Experience under the New Senior Secondary curriculum. In order to encourage young people to convey the message of personal data protection, the PCPD launched the “Privacy Protection Student Ambassador Programme”, in which over 700 students from 31 secondary schools have enrolled as student ambassadors to promote the message of “respect personal data privacy” in their schools by various means.
Moreover, the PCPD published the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance Liberal Studies Teaching Kit to assist secondary school teachers in teaching students how to protect their personal data and respect others’ personal data privacy in Liberal Studies classes.
The PCPD has organized a large-scale first-of-its-kind educational programme on personal data privacy protection for university students. The PCPD visited ten universities/post-secondary schools in Hong Kong to promote the importance of personal data privacy protection among university students and show them how they can protect their personal data and those of their friends in everyday life.
Furthermore, in 2011, the PCPD conducted a total of 212 seminars and workshops (with a total audience of nearly 20,000), representing an increase of 76% over the previous year. There were three categories. First, free introductory seminars on personal data protection were offered to the public. To cater for increasing demand, the frequency of these seminars has increased from once per month to three seminars each month since February 2011. Secondly, the PCPD organized public seminars on topical issues. Starting from March 2011, seminars on the theme “Promotion of Personal Data Privacy – Proper Use of Technology in Daily Life” have been conducted once every month to educate the public on data protection in the use of Internet and advanced communications products, including social networking. Thirdly, the PCPD provided tailor-made courses in response to requests from individual organizations and demand from specific sectors. Since January 2011, free seminars have been specially arranged for university undergraduates and secondary school students.
The PCPD has launched a series of professional compliance workshops to suit the needs of executives dealing with personal data in different work contexts. The initiative received the support of 26 professional organizations and trade associations. A total of 52 workshops were held in 2011.
6. Guidance to assist Compliance
Guidance Notes on special subjects have proved to be extremely useful to professionals as they provide comprehensive and practical advice on compliance with the law based on our enforcement experiences and developments in the interpretations of the law. In 2011, two guidance notes (namely, electioneering and property management) were revised and three new guidance notes (namely, Internet services, use of portable storage devices and personal data erasure and anonymisation) were issued. In addition, three leaflets on specific data protection issues were issued/ revised to assist the general public’s understanding of data protection. These included “Making an Opt-out Request from Direct Marketing Activities under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance”, “Protecting Online Privacy – Use Social Networking Sites Smartly”, and “Exercising Your Data Access Rights under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance”.
7. Highlights of the 2012 Work Plan
The Commissioner expects that the Legislative Council will complete the review of the Amendment Bill and implement the amendments soon to offer better protection of personal data privacy. The PCPD will prepare for the implementation of the amendments, including the setting up of a new system to provide legal assistance to aggrieved parties to take civil action against data users.
In the area of public education, the PCPD will continue to carry out different promotion and education activities as well as to put efforts in the promotion and public education in relation to the new amendments for both data users and data subjects.
In enforcement work, the PCPD will strive to enhance efficiency to cope with the increasing workload.
Regarding the Data User Returns Scheme, the PCPD will continue to work with the four regulated industries (i.e. banking, telecommunications, insurance, and government and public bodies). It is expected that the Scheme will be gazetted in 2012 and implemented in 2013.
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Each month, ETF Channel sorts through nearly 1,000 exchange-traded funds to find funds–from 12 categories–with the largest trailing twelve month gain paired with the lowest expense ratio. This month’s list includes a fund that is designed to track the price of the Swiss Franc and a fund that provides entry into precious metals.
Two factors to consider while researching ETFs are the fund’s expense ratio, and its track record. Because an ETF’s expense ratio determines how much is subtracted from an ETF’s assets each year, it is important to keep an eye on this number. Many investors ignore expense ratios, instead focusing on total return numbers. However, consider two identical Index ETFs—one with an expense ratio of 0.25% while the other is 0.50%. While a quarter of a percentage point may not seem like a lot to worry about, over the course of 25 years that seemingly tiny extra expense will cost you more than $1,300 on a $20,000 initial investment.
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- Available In:
- Men's, Women's
- Headline Shirts - www.headlineshirts.net
Many people know the name Che Guevara, but few know his full story. Che was a prominent figure in the Cuban Revolution, as well as a guerrilla warrior who helped lead rebellions in South America and elsewhere. After his execution, he became a martyred hero by leftists worldwide. Lesser known is his run on the TV show Magnum P.I., in which he starred as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living in Hawaii. The show was a breakout role for Guevara and gave him an opportunity to showcase his much-overlooked comedic chops. Later, Guevara would star alongside Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson in the 1987 smash hit Three Men and a Baby, just before his death at the hands of the Bolivian army. Wait, are you guys sure that's Che Guevara? I'm pretty sure that's Tom Selleck. For the hundredth time, we need to do a better job fact checking!
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ST. TAMMANY, La. -- A flood warning continues for people along the Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish tonight.
And while the water is still rising, the river's crest is now predicted to happen a day later, giving the water more time to flow into the lake instead of homes.
The waterway is the last in St. Tammany to get rid of Hurricane Isaac's rainfall and surge. The swollen river is already flowing across many roadways and creeping into a few neighborhoods.
"It's been pretty high before, but I think, I've been here about three years and this is the highest it's ever been, about a half-foot or so," said Charlie Dennis, who lives along Porter's River, which runs off of the Pearl River.
Dennis' neighbor, Tommy Smotherman said, "During Katrina we had about 7 feet of water there. The parish did raise the road up about three feet, but still, it's going to be impassable probably within the next couple of hours."
Some neighborhoods have been spared the river's overflow thus far, but that doesn't mean their watch over it stops.
"I was very concerned because the 19.5 river is similar to the 1980 flood we had here and in the 1980 flood, all of Gum Bayou in the from of Magnolia Forest, all those houses went under water," said Barry Bagert.
Even though the National Weather Service reports the worst case scenario is likely out of the picture, the parish is still warning of the potential, and the river's neighbors are still watching for it.
"I'm a little nervous, but I think it'll be okay," Dennis said. "I'm hoping it's going to be fine."
The crest is forecast to hit the Town of Pearl River 6 p.m. Tuesday at 19.5 feet. Flood stage is 14 feet.
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Software | News
FIU, CareCloud Partner to Provide E-Health Record Software Access to Master's Students
Master's students at a Florida university are now able to get hands-on experience using electronic health record software due to a recent partnership between the school and a health-care software company.
Tom Packert, chief technology officer at electronic health record software company CareCloud in Miami, recently announced on the campus of Florida International University a partnership between his company and FIU that provides Master of Science in Health Informatics and Management Systems program students full access to all the features of CareCloud Charts.
CareCloud Charts is a cloud-based electronic health records platform that integrates with third-party medical systems. It has an interface that allows users to review a large amount of patient data, monitor outcomes, and complete federal reporting. In addition, the platform is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which sets guidelines for privacy and security of patient information, and uses role-based log-in.
While on campus, Ian Bjorsvik, CareCloud electronic health record specialist, provided students with details about the CareCloud system, and Packert talked about health-care technology and cybersecurity. As part of the collaboration, each student will receive his or her own secure log-in credentials.
"The partnering between FIU and CareCloud is an example of how a major institution of education can work with local, innovative companies to prepare students for leadership positions once they graduate. By integrating health care management with training in the use of health information technology, FIU is working proactively to prepare a cohort of master's students for their role as agents of transformation in health-care delivery," said Professor Neera Bhansali, faculty director. "This program combines practical applications of health information theories and concepts for more effectively managing an organization's resources and improving the delivery of health care services."
Miami-based Florida International University is a four-year public research institution. It has more than 50,000 students enrolled in 180 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs. The Master of Science in Health Informatics and Management Systems program is intended for students who want to become information systems professionals, doctors, healthcare managers, nurses, and others involved in healthcare delivery and technology.
For more information, visit carecloud.com or business.fiu.edu.
Tim Sohn is a 10-year veteran of the news business, having served in capacities from reporter to editor-in-chief of a variety of publications including Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, and wire services. He can be reached at email@example.com and followed on Twitter @editortim.
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TAGS: vending machine snacks, food service crackers, 34 Degrees, 34° Natural Crisps, Australian crisp bread, Craig Lieberman, latitude of Sidney
DENVER CO -- New from 34 Degrees is a snack-size package of its popular 34° Natural Crisps. The thin, savory crackers originally were inspired by Australian crisp bread.
"We recognized that fans of 34° Crisps craved the option to pair our crackers with cheeses, spreads, meats, vegetables and fruit outside of their homes," according to company founder Craig Lieberman. The handy snack packs were designed to meet this demand.
The light crisps come in five savory varieties: natural, sesame, cracked pepper, rosemary and whole grain. Each snack pack contains approximately five crisps wrapped in moisture-proof film, suitable in commercial foodservice settings as appealing adjuncts to meals, soup and salad bars, cheese displays and deli counters. Each case contains 144 0.22-oz. packages, which are available for nationwide distribution.
The latitude of Sidney, New South Wales, is 34° (S.); this is where Lieberman discovered his love of good food and wine during his graduate studies. In 2003, he launched 34 Degrees and began importing specialty foods from Australia. Lieberman phased out the importing enterprise in 2008 to concentrate on manufacturing 34° Crisps in Colorado.
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Our Child Care Philosophy
A Powerful Beginning to a Lifetime Love of Learning
Childtime’s educational daycare philosophy is based on the Reggio Emilia approach, named after the Italian city and the surrounding villages where the method took root after World War II.
Central to this philosophy is the belief that secure relationships with responsive and respectful adults provide the basis for all learning. With these relationships in place, children develop a capacity for trust, competence and independence that helps them grow as students and people. To learn more about Childtime, find a child care center nearest you.
Compare safety, curriculum and quality of all the programs you are considering with our decision checklist.Get Checklist
Take an inside look at a school near you.
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American Energy Development Corp. reported the progress of drilling the Cremer 1-1 well.
Located on the company's Dansville Prospect, the Cremer 1-1 well was spudded on April 24, targeting a Niagaran reef structure and reached total depth of approximately 4,500 feet on May 8. The geophysical logging data was carefully examined for density, porosity and water saturation in order to determine reservoir size, quality and deliverability. After evaluating findings of the log analysis and seeking opinions and options from the company's and operator's panel of geoscientists and engineers, it was determined that during drilling the well encountered the flank of the structure and detected presence of salt plugging in the drilled area of the formation.
Given the good porosity, permeability and oil shows in the structure, the drilling contractor has cement plugged the Cremer 1-1 well, which will enable the well to be re-entered when a final development plan has been determined. Options include sidetracking the well, targeting the top of the structure.
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VietNamNet Bridge – Feeling anxious about the liquidity of the gold market when the new decree on gold management takes effects as of May 25, a lot of people are rushing to sell gold.
In the last months of 2011, people jostled with each other at gold shops for buying gold, when the domestic price was 3-4 million dong per tael higher than the world price. Meanwhile, since April 2012, the precious metal trading has become quieter.
Investors retreat from gold market
Under the decree, from May 25, 2012, the use of gold in payment will be considered a behavior of violating the laws.
The domestic gold prices have been fluctuating regularly in the last few days, even though the new decree would only take effect in some 20 days. Early on the morning of May 4, the gold price dropped by 200,000 dong per tael to 42.25-42.45 million dong per tael, though the world price rose by 0.1 percent at the same time to 1636 dollars per ounce.
The gold price performance on May 4 continued the downward trend started on May 2, 3 and 4, though the world price has been recovering.
According to Nguyen Cong Tuong, a senior executive of the Saigon Jewelry Company SJC, when the gold price decreased to the 43 million dong per tael threshold, people have begun selling gold in large quantities. As there are more sellers than buyers, the domestic gold prices have been decreasing, going contrary to the world price.
The fact that gold keepers sell gold in large quantities (thousands of taels) shows that investors have begun to withdraw from the gold market, while people believe that it would be better not to keep gold as assets.
Dang Thanh Minh, a gold seller at SJC on May 4 fears it would be more difficult to sell gold after some weeks, when the new decree takes effect. He does not think that the gold price would regain the 43 million dong per tael threshold; therefore, he decided to sell gold at a loss.
Black gold market?
The new decree stipulates that from May 25, the payment in gold will terminate. The State will have the exclusive right for trading gold, while commercial banks will act as its agents.
For the last many years, Vietnamese people have the habit of hoarding gold, keeping gold not only for saving, but using gold in making payment. So, where will the gold go after May 25, when gold is no more used in payment?
Nguyen Trung Anh, Deputy General Director of Vina Gold, said there could be two scenarios. In case the enforcement of the new decree is not too strict, a black gold market would appear – the thing that is happening with the foreign currency market. In the past, Vietnam once had the “Vuon Chuoi gold market” in 1980s.
Meanwhile, if the central bank keeps loosened management, people would trade blank gold rings instead of bullion gold.
According to Tran Thanh Hai, General Director of VGB, though gold is not used in payment in the world, the precious metal still has been favored by people. It could become a safe shelter for people amid economic and political certainties. And Vietnam is not an exception.
The domestic gold market performance after May 25 proves to be unpredictable.
“There’s still high demand for bullion gold in the society, while gold sales agents cannot reach out to remote areas. I am afraid that the underground market would form up. If so, it would be even more difficult for the central bank to manage the gold black market than dollar black market, because dollar is less popular than gold,” Hai said.
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7 In Netbook
7 in netbook
Author = “Reza Firmansyah”
Netbook is the desktop variant is only different from the netbook computer including portable computer with a relatively smaller size when compared to laptop / notebook size, usually only between 7-inch netbook in terms of performance is still restricted / are under the laptop / notebook, the problem size is netbooks more attractive than a smaller form factor when compared to laptops and weight bias which is owned by the netbook range only average between 1-1.5 kg.
The processor used was the single-core processor, for example, is atoms processor from Intel. Clock owned by this processor is very small, only 1.6 Ghz.tetapi in its battery power problems for the netbook is superior because it is supported by the low processor installed on the netbook can even last up to about 6 hours, but for the new model netbooks can reach 8 – 10 hours.
In their role problems were capable of running multimedia netbook only very minor (listen to songs, watch a DVD / CD that even if there is a DVD / CD room, but not usually on the netbook is equipped with a DVD / CD room, and many other lightweight multimedia applications). Then the games can be played in the netbook just games – games that have a mild low specification.
Election netbook products must also have a predicate of electronic Grennpeace included into the netbook-friendly environment. From the results of a survey conducted by Greenpeace electronic survey of 2010, Acer TravelMate TM8172 Timeline X said to be the best. They said the netbook category this product is environmentally friendly. The results of electronic Greenpeace claimed that this netbook at least contain hazardous materials. Hazardous materials are still used in netbooks such as PVC, BFRs, Antimony, Phtalate, and it’s just lack of Beryllium which is owned by the Acer TravelMate TM8172 Timeline X Used only on RoHS exemptions. In addition to environmentally friendly material, including Acer TM8172 also excel in energy consumption and product lifecycle.
While this has not been found Greenpeace Electronic netbook which is 100% free of hazardous materials, other than that the producers are now starting to increase again the quality of their products and improve the security to consumers.
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|
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| 0.958226
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Struggling To Build Discipline and
"I will increase your Child's confidence, self esteem, teach them to avoid peer pressure, increase their motor skills, teach them to defend themselves, how to handle bullies, teach them life skills that will last a lifetime and much, much more."
will help get you into the best shape of your life, teach you self
defense, help you reach your goals, meet new friends, increase your
self confidence and
Please read this personal message from Master Connors...
What would you say if I said I can boost your self-confidence in less than 30 days?
What would you say if I told you I can boost your child's grade and improve his or her attention and focus...in less than 30 days?
What if I Guaranteed your results? Would you be willing to give it a try?
If you answered YES! Then Taekwondo is for you.
Taekwondo is a Korean martial Art that has become the a popular US Olympic Sport in just a few short years.
JC Full Force Taekwondo is "Grade A" instruction in Taekwondo. The kind of instruction that builds confidence, energy and spirit. Just after a few days of training - you, your child, in fact, any JC Full Force Taekwondo student will notice a feeling of power and being unstoppable.
Children and Adult classes are now being offered at our Warrington, PA location.
Let JC Full Force Taekwondo be your guide and we can achieve success together - I guarantee it!
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|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
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|
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|
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| 0.930041
| 324
| 1.578125
| 2
|
Long Beach is fully equipped with all the medical facilities for all kind of illness and need for medication. Many private and public hospitals are serving people with professional and efficient doctors, physicians, nurses, orderlies, and staff. Ambulance services are serving round the clock, responding to emergencies. They act fast in delivering patients to the safety of a hospital and leaving them in the capable hands of the doctors and nurses. Pharmacies and drug stores are stocked with all kinds of medicine needed for various kinds of illnesses. In Long Beach, physical therapy and rehabilitation clinics are giving quality services for those who have the need to recover from certain sicknesses or destructive hobbies. There are also pain and weight management programs in Long Beach which provide good results.
Elders in Long Beach are well taken care of. The Long Beach community has a deep concern for the old people. The society recognizes their need to have the best care in life and live their remaining years in the highest comfort and proper care. Long Beach elderly care and nursing services are committed to giving the elder people all the peace and comfort that they need, so they enjoy life as much as they did during their prime time.
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|
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|
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| 0.978279
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|
Yes! They are and actually, they are all over the place!
One of the reasons genealogy has become such a popular hobby is that so much information is now available online. In fact, when I began to trace my family tree I did most of the initial research online. Eventually you will need to get your lazy butt to a county courthouse or a cemetery, but the internet will probably be your best source for information and collaboration opportunities with other researchers.
While there are some commercial ventures out there that make a tidy profit from all this web traffic, there are also a lot of free sites with fantastic information. They might not have the best search engines (if at all) and it might take a little longer to get to what you were looking for, but most of the time you will find what you need. The obvious first place to go to is FamilySearch.org which is run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS or also knwon as the Mormons). One place to start is the pedigree resource file. Another great resource is RootsWeb (which is owned by Ancestry.com but is free to use). By the way, you can always get a free trial of Ancestry.com US Deluxe Membership and then cancel it before your subscription goes into effect.
Another great place to start (and once again, totally free) are message boards. You can find a lot of information as well as connect with other researchers who are working on the same surnames. One of the best boards is GenForum – it is very easy to navigate and you can easily find your surname and search within that board. Some of the posts tend to be on the ancient side and getting in touch with the researchers might be tough at times, but there is too much good information to pass it up. You should also check out the Ancestry.com message boards.
Keep a log of your searches and boards you have visited so that you don’t waste your time on redundant work. It’s also a wise idea to bookmark your favorite places or even sign up to an RSS feed if one is available for your board (if this is too technical for you right now, don’t worry about it, I’ll try to expand on this later). Don’t forget to save everything you find!
And of course there’s Google. But that’s a topic for a different time.
That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more step by step instructions to using online resources. Good luck!
|
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|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://tracemyfamilytree.info/categories/trace-family-history/
|
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|
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| 0.959215
| 524
| 1.648438
| 2
|
By MONICA DRAKE
Published: October 10, 2008
I KIFFE NY
For many years French culture has been almost synonymous with highbrow -- or, as in the case of films by Godard and music by Piaf, eventually came to be regarded as such. But the large influx of African and Arab immigrants into the poorer neighborhoods outside Paris, unknown to most Americans until the 2005 riots, has redefined French society, and therefore its art.
The French Embassy has taken up the challenge of presenting the culture of its changing society with I Kiffe NY, a three-week arts festival whose name is taken from a slang word derived from Arabic that means adore.
''When Americans think of French culture, the impression is Moli? and Victor Hugo,'' said Kareen Rispal, the cultural counselor of the French Embassy, who conceived of the event two years ago when she took her post. ''French culture isn't static. We wanted to present another image of France.''
The festival features music, dance, film and visual art that have a common starting point in the banlieues, the districts where the immigrants overwhelmingly settled. This weekend's programming at the French Institute Alliance Fran?se is studded with documentaries and panels examining life in the banlieues. Highlights include ''Slam, Ce Qui Nous Br?' (''Words Are Burning Us''), a 2007 film on the spoken-word scene in France. (A scene from the film is above.) It will be followed by a performance and discussion with the artists, known as slammeurs, and ''9/3, Histoire d'un Teritoire'' (''9/3, History of a Territory''), which sheds light on the banlieue where the riots occurred.
And it's not all sober intellectual fare: the hip-hop dance company Accrorap, to perform on Friday and Saturday, goes a long way toward dispelling the notion that French culture is to be consumed at muted volumes in staid settings. (Through Oct. 28, various locations. For information: frenchculture.org.) MONICA DRAKE
PHOTO (PHOTOGRAPH BY TEMPS NOIR)
|
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|
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http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E1DB123DF933A25753C1A96E9C8B63&fta=y
|
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|
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| 0.948322
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| 2
|
Published on 11 - March - 2011
The Greater Manchester Housing Retrofit Programme, launched this week is creating more than 1,800 employment opportunities in the city.
Green Deal housing project creates new jobs
In the largest scheme of this kind to date, improvements such as solid wall insulation and better heating systems will be made to 9,000 social homes in Manchester to make them more energy efficient.
The cost of the work will be paid upfront by the housing association - tenants will then meet this cost through the money they save on energy bills, which could be up to £500 per year. The project could create more than 1,800 jobs and bring a £100 million boost to local businesses carrying out the home improvements.
The development will test key features of the Green Deal - the Government's new way of making energy efficiency available to all, whether people that own or rent their property. Under the Green Deal, which will begin next year, the expected cash savings for homeowners and tenants will be greater than the costs to upgrade the property over the lifetime of the improvements.
Upgrades will initially be made to 2,500 properties within the Greater Manchester Housing Retrofit Programme, and will prepare the way for Greater Manchester's 260,000 social homes to take up the Green Deal.
Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: "With homes counting for a quarter of all UK emissions, we must and can do more to make our homes greener. That's why we're nailing down a zero carbon approach so tough new green standards can come into effect from 2016.
"But we also want to upgrade existing housing stock so everyone can enjoy the benefits of warmer homes and lower energy bills. That's why I'm delighted to announce for the first time, a large scale project to upgrade thousands of social homes.
"The scheme in Manchester will save tenants hundreds of pounds on energy bills, and create hundreds of jobs for local people. It shows that going green is not just an environmental necessity; it's also a huge economic opportunity for UK companies to expand their businesses, and become world leaders in the shift to a low carbon economy."
Chris Huhne, Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said:"Tenants in Manchester are getting an advance preview of key elements of the Green Deal: they're going to feel the real benefit of warmer and comfier homes at the same time as cutting their energy bills."
© Datateam Business Media Limited. Heatingandventilating.net news and feature articles may be copied or forwarded for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.
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|
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|
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| 0.930372
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For decades, large copper-gold mines have produced hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars in profit in the Kamloops region, principally at Afton Mine and Highland Valley Copper.
But a Vancouver-based firm is in the midst of developing a boutique-scale silver mine east of Hope that will see ore transported on a 70-minute drive to a mill under construction at the site of a former copper mine in the Nicola Valley.
On a typical day, about 40 miners are working on Huldra Silver's mine site at the Treasure Valley property, located about 15 kilometres east of the Coquihalla Highway near Hope.
When the mill at the site of the former Craigmont mine, located about ten kilometres west of Merritt, is complete about 100 people will be employed. The mill is forecast to be operational early this year, said CEO Ryan Sharp.
"We're just now in the final of the stages of the permitting process," he said. "We're picking away at the mill construction. Once permits are in place we can complete it."
The publicly traded company has held the Treasure Mountain property for decades. Several hundred feet of tunnelling, or decline, as it's known in the industry, was drilled. Work ceased in the early '80s when silver prices plummeted to $4 per ounce.
Silver trades at about $29 an ounce today. With much of the tunnelling already complete, along with possibility of more ore in the surrounding claim, economics became attractive for the high-grade deposit.
So is the tiny $15 to $20 million capital cost. That compares, for example, to the nearly $800 million cost for the proposed Ajax copper-gold project in Kamloops.
"The company came close to making it a producing mine in the late 80s and then did nothing for 17 years," said Sharp, who came on board two years ago to spearhead the project.
"There are not many underground mines like this in production anymore."
The mine is another piece of burgeoning industrial development in Merritt, which is also being buoyed by upgraded Hydroelectric power, construction on a new high-voltage line through to the Coast and opening of a biomass plant.
The silver mine "is a really good thing, especially to have the Craigmont site rejuvenated," said Merritt Mayor Susan Roline.
The Craigmont Mine closed in 1984, a devastating hit to the valley.
It has operated on a small scale more recently, processing magnetite from waste ore, something expected to continue for about two more years.
Roline said the prospect of new jobs is creating a buzz in the city.
"With this project, the biomass facility, upgraded Hydro, new Lower Mainland line and mills getting up to speed, we're doing pretty good," she said.
Aspen Planers' biomass mill, turning waste from mills and the forest into power, is scheduled to come on line with 16 full-time jobs in April.
Several hundred construction workers will be in the valley during spring and summer. There will also be several dozen trucking jobs in the valley for transport of the ore.
Sharp said several bulk samples have already been processed to help economics. There are reserves to run the mill for two and a half years. But the company is doing exploration and modelling in a bid to expand that to at least a decade, Sharp said.
|
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