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Because of what cancer took away, Florence Lucas never got to meet the grandmother who shares her name. It’s in her memory that Lucas is leading the largest student-organized community service event on UC’s campus on April 24.
Florence Lucas, a 20-year-old University of Cincinnati secondary education major from Akron, Ohio, is event chair of a UC student committee organizing “The Greatest Cause on Earth.” That’s the theme for the 2009 American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life at UC that gets underway at 5:45 p.m., Friday, April 24, on McMicken Commons, and runs through noon, Saturday, April 25.
Lucas says the Relay, called the largest student-organized community service event on campus, has set a 2009 goal of raising $135,000 to support American Cancer Society efforts to wipe out cancer by funding research, treatment and education programs.
She has a very personal connection to the cause. Her paternal grandmother, whom she was named after, died of cancer before Lucas was born. Both of her maternal grandparents, Jim and Ann Richie of Akron, Ohio, are cancer survivors.
The student-organized Relay For Life at UC has been a spring campus tradition since 2003. So far, 165 teams and more than 1,400 people are signed up for the 18-hour event in which teams take turns walking the Relay route on McMicken Commons.
Lucas, a UC junior, has played a role in organizing the UC Relay since her freshman year. Lucas and UC sophomore Megan Hathaway, a University Honors student and civil engineering major, are event chairs of Relay For Life at UC.
Fellow University Honors student and Relay Team Development Chair Michelle Prinzo of Akron, Ohio, a UC sophomore early childhood education and communication major, adds that faculty and academic advisors also are involved in the Relay, and that one of the top 2008 teams representing Campus Services is taking part in the 2009 Relay. “We have more student teams representing UC Athletics than in years past. We have a lot of teams representing UC’s Greek organizations, and we even have a team participating from Cincinnati Public’s Hughes Center,” says Prinzo.
“I really feel like UC is set up so that, if you want to make something happen or if you have a dream, there are so many people at UC who will help you make it happen,” Lucas says. “I’ve never had that feeling at any other time in my life.
“There are so many resources, so many opportunities and so many people to help – I really am amazed at how much I felt UC was invested in me. It makes me feel really invested back in UC,” says Lucas.
When she graduates and becomes a teacher, Lucas says that she wants to teach at a high school where she can introduce future Relay For Life events for high school students and their community. She says she has wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl, and as an RA in Daniels Hall, she says she likes to help tutor peers who are struggling in math.
She says her decision to pursue her education at UC was pretty easy to make, because the university offered her the best financial deal to attend college. Her Cincinnatus University-level scholarship, combined with a special National Merit scholarship awarded from UPS and her position as an RA, will allow her to graduate debt free.
As a student in the University Honors Program for academically talented students, she gets to enhance her educational experience at UC through coursework and out-of-the-classroom activities focusing on the themes of community engagement, global studies, leadership, research and creative arts. With an emphasis on experiential learning, the University Honors Program serves more than 1,600 UC students representing every undergraduate college on campus.
Her connections to campus outside the classroom include serving as a voluntary Bearcat ROAR tour guide for UC Admissions and being a member of the RallyCats spirit organization and Chi Omega sorority. The Chi O’s will be among the teams representing UC’s Greek organizations at Relay For Life.
The UC Bearcat Band helps Relay For Life get underway at 5:45 p.m., Friday, April 24, on McMicken Commons. A special survivor lap to honor cancer survivors, an emotional moment in the Relay, gets underway at 6 p.m.
After dark, during the emotional Ceremony of Hope, lighted bags called luminaria represent a person affected by cancer as well as those who were touched by that experience. UC’s Luminaria Ceremony will take place at 10 p.m., Friday, April 24.
Even Lucy the Bearcat is lending support to the Relay. Representatives of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden will accompany Lucy at Relay For Life at UC from 7:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, April 24.
For those who can’t attend the Relay, contributions can be made online through the Relay For Life Web site.
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I recently found out I'm pregnant. I took a home test which showed a distinctly dark blue line. I am showing a lot. How early can a twin pregnancy be detected?
Ultrasound can show a baby's heartbeat at six weeks of pregnancy; it could show two if they were there. Talk to your OB about your concern and maybe he can order an ultrasound for you to check for twins.
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Despite the controversy we just heard about, John Brennan was confirmed by the Senate, making him the next director of the CIA. Scott Shane covers national security and intelligence issues for the New York Times. We asked him what kind of CIA John Brennan will inherit.
During a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, John Brennan was sworn in as the director of the Central Intelligence Office by Vice President Joe Biden.
According to the White House, Brennan took his oath by putting his hand "on an original draft of the Constitution, dating from 1787, which has George Washington's personal handwriting and annotations on it."
The AP reports that with Brennan, President Obama's national security team is set for a second term.
The Senate easily confirmed the nomination of John Brennan as CIA director, that following the dramatics of Sen. Rand Paul, who filibustered against it for nearly 13 hours on Wednesday night. Is this the dawn of a new era of these, old-school, "talking" filibusters? Tamara Keith talks to Audie Cornish.
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August 24, 2011
Women's health care just as important as men's To the editor: New health insurance plans are now required to cover women's preventive services without charging a co-payment, co-insurance or a deductible. Since there is a disparity in incomes between men and women, this is not something that should even be debated. If men can get happy pills, pumps, vasectomies and Pro-Vas Occlusions, what is the big problem providing for women as well? Too often, the combination of women's lower incomes and burdensome health costs means that women forgo necessary preventive services, making even more cost to society at large and women in particular.
December 16, 2009
NEW YORK (AP) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has been named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" for 2009. Last year's winner was then-President-elect Barack Obama. The 2007 winner was Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Other recent winners have included Bono, President George W. Bush, and Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Bezos On the Net: www.time.com/
May 30, 2009
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Natalie Bonner Snyder, one of 380 Jefferson High School seniors who graduated Saturday in Shepherd University's Butcher Center, remembered her class' early days as freshmen. "Days and weeks went by and, before we knew it, we started to forget who was from Charles Town, Shepherdstown or Harpers Ferry and we simply became the Cougars of Jefferson High School," she said. Snyder, one of 134 seniors to graduate with honors, said in remarks to her class, "During our four years walking those halls, sitting in those classrooms and being with each other, we have had many accomplishments that have reflected the group we are and the individuals we have become.
May 3, 2009
Picture it: Somewhere in a red state, an unhappy woman sits down at her computer and starts brainstorming for her latest chain e-mail against the country's 44th president. She bangs out ideas on her keyboard: "Barack Obama used stimulus money to tear down a bald eagle sanctuary. " "Barack Obama wants to tax grocery-coupon savings. " She stares at the screen, wondering which idea to run with. That's when she notices the squiggles. Underneath the president's first and last names are Microsoft Office's telltale sign of a misspelled word.
March 11, 2009
"To the letter about Darwin from Dr. Ernest Arnold, which I have no idea what he's a doctor of: I just wish you'd understand one thing. With a doctor in front of your name, I assume that means you're a very intelligent person, but I sure am glad, as a born-again Christian, that I am such a dumb person that I believe the Bible as being the true and the only infallible word of God. How you could have that much faith to believe in evolution. ... " - Hagerstown "Our economy has gone from bad to worse.
January 27, 2009
Last week, Sen. Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th president. We all know what the adults of America thought, but what are the young people of our community thinking about this historic event? "President Obama's goals are well for this country. Obama has the right mind set to help the people not just the government," said Bernard Cabatit, 14, a ninth-grader at North Hagerstown High School. "He had a great way to show that he was ready to lead before he was even elected, because the day before he was out painting a house for the homeless and poor.
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A handsome, classic-looking Jesus standing and talking with a Nazi soldier and carrying the soldier’s rifle and bag for him.
An exhausted businessman lying in Jesus’ lap, seeking relief from economic turmoil he battles every day at work.
An attractive young woman dressed in jeans, dabbing lipstick while sitting at a well next to the same Jesus figure.
These are just a few scenes from the fine art photography collection of Michael Belk, a successful fashion photographer and evangelical Christian.
Called “Journeys with the Messiah,” the project was released last month and includes a book with inspirational messages about each photo.
Visit this link, www.thejourneysproject.com, to see the collection and a video about it.
Belk spoke at the recent Religion Newswriters Association conference I attended about his work, saying he chose Matera, Italy, the same Italian town where Mel Gibson filmed “The Passion of the Christ.” He hired Italian actors, including a model who portrayed Jesus.
The project, funded by the 61-year-old Belk, mixes contemporary images of people with recognizable biblical scenes and some that are purely creative arrangements.
At one point while taking the photos, Belk broke down in tears, he said, because a lamb — symbolizing Jesus — stayed still while sitting at a table in full cooperation while the scene was shot.
Belk emphasized his motive for the work was to challenge thought about Christ’s life and remove the religious preconceptions that may keep the public from seeing Jesus in modern society.
– Abe Levy
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Low-Temp Locales Lay Claim to Worst Winter Weather, Slug It Out in Court Over Teeth-Chattering Title
Posted Mar 1, 2008 3:05 AM CDT
By Brian Sullivan
When it comes to tourism and development, big bucks tend to flow into areas that can boast of warm temperatures and sun-splashed fun.
Then there’s the—almost literally—polar opposite of that, places where residents celebrate bone-chilling deep freezes that can be endured by only the hardiest of souls.
These places might actually relish being known as the Icebox of the Nation—even consider it a badge of honor, something worth fighting for.
International Falls, Minn., and Fraser, Colo., are locked in such a battle. Both towns claim ownership of the Icebox designation and have taken the issue to court.
The slogan had been used by both towns for years when Fraser agreed to use the slogan only in Colorado in the late 1980s. Int’l Falls had a trademark on it but let it lapse. Fraser noticed and applied for the trademark in November, which led to the current court clash.
International Falls city attorney Joseph Boyle, who claims that local radio shows first used the slogan in the 1940s, says the matter will come down to the issues of original use and continuous use.
Fraser’s mayor at one time jokingly suggested the matter be settled by a snowshoe race. The mayor of Int’l Falls countered with the suggestion of a snowball fight.
Fraser town manager Jeff Durbin says both communities have a passion for who they are, and he hopes the matter can be settled amicably.
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STOW: Some local children would argue that there is no better way to spend a chilly Sunday afternoon than reading to their favorite furry friends at the library.
Nearly every other Sunday, Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library allows a special select group of therapy dogs to visit and invites readers from kindergarten through sixth grade to come read to them.
"You just never know what connections are going to be made," said participant Ruth Drew. "We have kids who are afraid of dogs who come. We also have kids come who have just lost their dog and are grieving. It's therapeutic."
Drew said she loves to see the smiles on the children’s faces when they read to the therapy dogs.
"It's good way to encourage them to read," she said.
All the therapy dogs at Bow Wow Book Buddies have a story that makes them unique.
Like Micadoo, a border collie, whose owners Amanda and Vanessa Burke adopted him from Paws and Prayers. Prior to his adoption, Micadoo lived in the pound. It was suspected that his previous owners might have abandoned him.
Micadoo's owners were inspired by his story because in spite of everything the dog went through he still had a good temperament and loved people.
"He loves kids," participant Amanda Burke said. "I love seeing how excited he gets. The joy that it brings is so cool."
Amanda and Vanessa Burke wrote a book entitled "Micadoo Blue" that is inspired by their favorite furry companion. The book is due to be published in early spring.
The book is about Micadoo trying to fins his place and trying to fit in. In the book, Micadoo has a blue tipped tail that makes him different.
"Everyone is different in one way or another," Amanda Burke said.
Amanda said she just wants her younger readers to realize that, "it's OK to be different."
Addison Snider, 6, made sure to greet all the furry visitors at the library. She has a dog at home, but she said that she couldn’t read to him because he is "too crazy."
Micadoo let her read to him and, according to her mother, he looks a lot like her dog at home.
Addison also read "Finding Nemo" to a Shih Tzu named Ernie and she made certain to show Eddie all the pictures.
Ernie laid peacefully and quietly next to Addison as she read to him.
When she finished reading to him she thanked Ernie for "really listening."
The next Bow Wow Book Buddies event will be from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the library, located at 3512 Darrow Road.
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Thirsty & DryRiddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
I'm on the Earth.
I'm in the sky.
Without me dearth,
Thirsty and dry.
What am I ?
It covers most of the earth and clouds are in the sky.
Without it there can be drought or dearth and you would get thirsty.
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this riddle, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Back to Top
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The second of a two-volume set of Kerouac’s interminable correspondence, containing letters from the publication of On the Road until his death. Hundreds of pages of hundreds of letters follow a brief introduction by respected Kerouac scholar Charters. The correspondence to Kerouac’s cohorts, including important participants in the Beat movement, such as William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Gary Snyder, illuminates how these writers perceived one another and their art. Kerouac’s candid words expose his raw reactions to the often harsh critical reception (what he refers to as “phoney criticisms”) his writing received. He rhapsodizes—at times eloquently, at times excessively—over family life and his extensive travels, his legal proceedings, and his love affairs. Kerouac also ponders Buddhism, though the enlightenment potential of such remarks as “A golden giant has finally pulled the dharma out of my eyebrows” must stand as minimal. We see a man at his most vile as well: his virulent misogyny, his puffed-up sense of self-worth, and his alcoholism. Charters’s shrewd commentary, in the form of brief introductions to the letters and footnotes to explicate their more arcane references, judiciously provides the reader with sufficient information to decipher the more esoteric passages, which would remain impenetrable to all but the most devoted fans without her assistance. The question to ask yourself about this book is: How much do you care that on April 18, 1963, Kerouac wrote that his works are “too complicated for average readers” and thanked Robert Giroux for a loan? If you do care, this book is indispensable to your understanding of Kerouac; if you don’t, reread his fiction, which is so autobiographical that it at times makes the letters redundant.
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An honest account of media misinformation after the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy has to take into account Rupert Murdoch’s tweet about the need to ban “automatic weapons,” when none was used to kill any of the 26 people. Can the chairman of News Corporation, the parent of Fox News, be this ignorant about the nature of gun laws and guns in America?
He asked, “When will politicians find courage to ban automatic weapons?” He urged Obama to exercise “bold leadership” on the issue.
Deep inside his story about the comments, Gabriel Sherman of New York magazine noted, “Despite Murdoch’s plea, automatic weapons are already illegal in the United States; Adam Lanza [the killer] used semiautomatics.”
In fact, automatic weapons are not technically illegal but are subject to extensive regulation and are very difficult to obtain.
One interesting aspect of this controversy is that left-leaning reporters such as Dylan Byers of Politico publicized Murdoch’s comments without correcting him. Others followed suit. “Rupert Murdoch demanded tighter gun control in the aftermath of the horrific shooting in Newtown, Connecticut,” reported The Huffington Post, without noting that his remarks were inaccurate and the “gun control” he talked about was already in effect.
This is fascinating because, in the past, liberal media have tried to claim that Fox News personnel spew misinformation about current events, leading to a lack of knowledge about important matters of public policy. Here is a case of the owner of Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and other properties saying something that is completely erroneous and irrelevant to what happened in Newtown, Connecticut.
But why would liberal publications not want people to know that Murdoch was in error? There are several possible explanations:
- They do not understand gun laws, either, and didn’t realize Murdoch was wrong.
- They don’t care that Murdoch was wrong and wanted to use his mistaken comment to spread misinformation to the public about the killings.
- They know Murdoch was wrong but wanted to use his comment to send a message to Fox News Channel hosts and commentators that they should get on the “gun control” bandwagon with their boss.
Some conservative-oriented news sites did correct the media mogul. “Early news reports indicate that automatic weapons were not used in yesterday’s school shooting,” Breitbart News reported, in a brief story about Murdoch’s comments. Indeed, no evidence of automatic weapons being used has turned up. Twitchy Media noted, “Closer attention to the reports coming out of his media properties would have informed Murdoch that automatic weapons weren’t used in today’s mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.”
Also oblivious to the facts, Malcolm Turnbull, who reportedly knows Murdoch, replied by saying that the politicians would act when pressured by the media and that “I suspect they will find the courage when Fox News enthusiastically campaigns for it.”
This, then, is why the comment is getting so much attention from the left. The political progressives saw it as an effort to send marching orders to the conservative news channel to back Obama’s controversial call for more legislation.
Media Matters, the George Soros-funded left-wing organization, jumped on the comments, contrasting Murdoch’s “Call For [A] Weapons Ban” with how Fox News Channel commentators supposedly were guilty in the past of “Extreme Pro-gun Rhetoric.” The “rhetoric” consisted of comments in favor of the constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
The New York Post, another Murdoch property, has already demonstrated Murdoch’s influence by following his lead and running an editorial on December 18 insisting that Lanza’s semi-automatic rifle somehow functioned like a “fully automatic” weapon. The editorial seemed like an attempt to justify Murdoch’s erroneous comments.
“It is very discouraging that Murdoch thinks that machine guns have anything to do with these attacks,” noted John Lott, the author of More Guns, Less Crime.“There are strong self-defense reasons for people to have semi-automatic weapons.”
In addition to such figures as Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America, Lott has been willing to take on those in the media, especially on CNN, who are guilty of spreading misinformation about the massacre. But he has not been invited to appear on Fox News to rebut gun grabbers like Murdoch.
Referring to Lott’s credentials as a FoxNews.com columnist, Eric Wemple of The Washington Post notes that the Fox News Channel is failing to use its “go-to guy on hand” to counter federal calls for more “gun control” legislation. He said Lott’s “low profile” on FoxNews.com since the killings suggests that the network and its website are “treading carefully” on the subject.
Rather than “treading carefully,” it appears that the Fox News Channel is marching to Murdoch’s directives, as revealed on his Twitter page. Perhaps Lott’s willingness to rebut Murdoch on his blog helps explain why he in particular is not being effectively utilized by the channel.
What’s worse, as Gabriel Sherman has reported, a Lott column about the differences between semiautomatics and so-called military style assault weapons was actually killed by FoxNews.com.
What we are seeing here is a coordinated attempt to use Murdoch’s erroneous comments to further a political left-wing agenda. Murdoch’s employees are capable of understanding that the comments are being exploited for political purposes. But it is quite another thing to say on the air that the boss is wrong and to keep churning out facts that contradict Murdoch’s dubious position.
We appear to be witnessing self-censorship on the part of Fox News, in order to serve Murdoch’s agenda.
Fox News has to be carefully monitored in the weeks ahead to see if the Murdoch comments have a continued impact on the channel and are used to muzzle the case for gun rights as Obama and his other media allies lay the groundwork for further restrictions on the Second Amendment.
The information source many conservatives go to for accurate and informed coverage appears to be going the way of the liberal media.
Photo credit: World Economic Forum (Creative Commons)
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I am a self-proclaimed herb freak. I would say that I have an all around voracious appetite for anything verdant, but herbs are my favorite of all. In the Summer, there is no dish that comes out of my kitchen that does not have a tinge of fragrant green. My hummus has speckles of basil and mint throughout, my black bean salad is loaded with mint and cilantro, and pasta is always tossed with herbs and garlic in any sort of shape or form.
Throughout the season I try to keep as many herbs on hand as possible. And I am very particular about where I source each one at the market. In fact, some of my market days are dictated by what herbs I can buy. I get my anise hyssop and za’atar (wild oregano) from Norwich Meadow Farm; my thyme, rosemary, and mint from Keith’s Farm; and parsley and basil I get from Lani’s (formerly Yuno’s). All of this sourcing makes a difference. If you have ever had the rosemary from Keith’s, then you know what I am talking about. It is what rosemary is meant to be, and the herb transforms whatever it touches. For that reason, my heart aches when I don’t make it to the market on Wednesdays.
Herbs are the perfect expression of terroir, or how the geography, climate, and soil of a region affect the flavor of its products. They are also the perfect example of how variety is so important in maintaining a healthy food culture. Rosemary grown at an organic farm in Orange County, New York, will taste very differently from rosemary grown out in California, or even from the one that you grow in your backyard. You might think that mint is mint is mint, but have you tried Apple Mint? Pineapple Mint? Spearmint? Chocolate mint? Orange mint? Kentucky Colonel Mint? Now which one would you choose to make mint ice cream? Or how about a Mojito? Now a Mint Julep? Once you start exploring all of the varieties of mint, you never stop. Each variety has a slightly different flavor, which will increase the depth of flavor in what you are cooking. Think about that when you go to buy herbs at the supermarket, where they come in plastic containers and smell very stereotypical and fresh, but maybe not quite so nuanced.
Now on to recipe ideas, aka, the fun part. Cocktails: One of my favorite cocktails this Summer still does not have a name, but I will call it something sooner or later. You take a whole lot of basil and mint (I have been using the Kentucky Colonel from Keith’s), a good shot of vodka, a good drizzle of agave, and the juice of two limes. Shake it up over ice and strain. It doesn’t get more refreshing than that. I have also thrown in some nettle water, but I don’t want to scare you. If you are interested, I will post what that is.
Appetizers: I haven’t really touched many ingredients this Summer, because all I have been eating has been hummus, hard-boiled eggs, and potatoes. I can’t explain it, but that is that. But I have been adding a ton of basil and cilantro to my hummus, as well as a serrano pepper for some oomph. It is velvety and green, with a nice twist of fresh and spicy. Other herbaceous apps and sides: Corn on the Cob with Herb Oil, Shiso Salsa Cruda, and Carrots with Carrot Top Chermoula.
Entrees: I eat a lot of beans. Tuscans are known as “fagiolini”, because they eat a lot of beans, so I like to call myself a “Fagiolina”. These dishes could count as appetizers, but I eat them as mains. I love my hummus garbanzo salad with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and hard boiled egg tossed with olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice. I toss in some fresh oregano, thyme, and/or mint, and dried za’atar (the spice mix). Or my Latin Black Bean Salad with Peaches, cilantro, mint, basil, red onion, corn, tomatoes, scallions, and anything else that is fresh. That dish was inspired by something Autumn Stoschek made for us when we visited Eve’s Cidery, and I eat it at least once a week in the Summer. I also love to do a cannelini salad with rosemary and sage, and maybe some chopped preserved lemon. Other dishes to try: Classic Pesto Genovese; Michael Orkin’s Sage, Basil, and Rosemary Burgers; and Zucchini with Corn, Clams, and Scallops.
Desserts: It might sound strange to have herbs in desserts, but they go so well. Chocolate Rosemary Ice Cream is a delight, and so is our Oregano Muhallebi (a sublime oregano-infused milk pudding). These drier herbs have a lovely affinity for milk, and the sharper mints and basils go great with fruits.
Pretty soon, herbs will start to fade from the market, and it will become spice season again, but in the meantime we have a lot herbs to explore.
If you haven’t noticed the golden cherry tomatoes that are everywhere at the markets these days, you are missing out on a true treasure. I bought two pints the other day. I kept one of the pints raw for salads and popping into my mouth while I am cooking, and the other pint I slow-roasted for fun. Slow roasting is a technique to use that will soften your vegetables and concentrate their flavor times 10. I loved the result of slow roasting the tomatoes, as it amplified their sweetness and made them ready for adding to salads and garnishing other dishes (like black beans). I tossed them with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, added some fresh rosemary and oregano, and then put them in a 200 F oven for about 2 hours. My apartment smelled incredible, and I have been enjoying them in many different dishes since. Try it at home!
I am usually disturbed by the food commercials that appear on television. This is because it is very rare that a food that you actually should eat is actually advertised. Fresh organic peaches from a local farm at the market certainly are not, neither are heirloom beans, nor artisan bakers for that matter. Not only do they do not have the money to pay for ad space during the Today Show, but I also think it must seem ridiculous to the producers of these products to advertise something that in its purity advertises itself. This leaves junk food, or what unfortunately many people think is normal food, to be targeted at millions of people daily.
There is one ad on the television these days that I find particularly offensive. The ad is for a name-brand cereal bar with fiber in it. Even though I am used to the ridiculousness of these commercials, this one threw me over the edge. In it, there is a man who is handing out samples of these bars, which have added fiber in them. They also have chocolate chips, which always seems like a strange addition to supposedly “healthy” foods. Why on earth are there chocolate chips in breakfast bars (why are there breakfast bars?), energy bars, and granola? Anyway, the first woman in line who samples the bar cannot believe that it is that delicious and has fiber. She is convinced that the sample man is playing tricks on her. When a second woman (a similar demographic to the first) comes up to sample, the first one continues to ask in an excited tone what she thinks of the bar. How can it taste good and have fiber in it is the question they ask. The comparison of fiber to “cardboard” is mentioned.
I was stunned when I saw this commercial. The fact that we are so dumb to think that we need a bar with added sugar and who-knows-what-else-in-it to give ourselves a basic nutrient speaks very strongly about the depth of our country’s nutritional crisis. What I find so offensive about the commercial, though, is that the company is convincing the viewers that fiber, in fact, does taste like cardboard, and not like apples, strawberries, oatmeal, rice, beans, beets, almonds, or any other delicious food that is in fact healthy for us. Let me add that these foods are delicious in their natural state or a very basic preparation. It is also trying to persuade us that fiber is this hard to attain star of a nutrient that we can only rely on a bar with chocolate chips to provide us with. I could go on, but I think I made my point.
Do yourself a favor and avoid foods you see advertised on television. Chances are they are not made with your health in mind.
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Great blue heron capture huge bullfrog. Photo by Cathy Navarro, Livermore, CA
I went camping at Lake Camanche, CA, this past weekend and took this photo of a great blue heron eating a bullfrog right in front of our campsite in the Peninsula campground. Thought you might like to run this photo.
Cathy Navarro, Livermore, California
What a great shot! People rarely get a chance to observe a great blue heron capturing a bullfrog, let alone get a photograph of it! Nice going!
At over 4 feet tall (50+ inches) great blue herons are the largest (and most beautiful, in my opinion!) heron in the U.S. and with that long, sharp, sword-like beak, they can tackle just about anything, including this HUGE bullfrog. With their long legs, they wade through shallow water, spearing and feeding on frogs, aquatic insects and fish. They also commonly hunt on dry land, looking for small birds, mammals, lizards, snakes and anything else that moves, wiggles or crawls.
They are also frequently spotted in marshland areas around the San Francisco Bay Area. I regularly see one as I travel between Walnut Creek and Benicia, hunting in the large marshy area around the Marina Off-ramp off of northbound Hwy. 680, just before the Benicia Bridge.
Back in the days (1970s) when I used to run the wildlife rescue center at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek, CA, I required all my volunteers to wear heavy gloves and unbreakable clear plastic face shields when caring for the occasional injured great blue that was brought to our center.
I didn’t want anyone to end up like this bullfrog! /Gary
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McDonald’s recalls Shrek glasses
June 04, 2010 | Canadian Press | Comments
McDonald’s Canada is recalling all four versions of its Shrek-themed drinking glasses after a mass recall south of the border.
Earlier Friday, McDonald’s in the U.S. recalled 12 million Shrek glasses because of cadmium in the painted design.
McDonald’s Canada said its recall was made “in an abundance of caution” following consultations with Health Canada.
It said the voluntary recall was made after it learned of the changing assessment of standards for cadmium in consumer products in the U.S.
McDonald’s Canada said the Shrek glassware was evaluated by an independent third-party laboratory and was fully in compliance with all applicable Canadian requirements when it was made and distributed.
Customers are instructed to stop using the glasses.
McDonald’s said information on how to return the glasses and get a refund will be released shortly.
The 16-ounce glasses were being sold as part of a promotional campaign for the movie Shrek Forever After.
The U.S. recall notice states “long-term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects.” Cadmium is a known carcinogen that research shows also can cause bone softening and severe kidney problems.
In the case of the Shrek-themed glassware, the potential danger would be long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium, which could leach from the paint onto a child’s hand, then enter the body if the child puts that unwashed hand to his or her mouth.
“A very small amount of cadmium can come to the surface of the glass, and in order to be as protective as possible of children, [Consumer Product Safety Commission] and McDonald’s worked together on this recall,” said U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson. He would not specify the amounts of cadmium that leached from the paint in tests, but said the amounts were “slightly above the protective level currently being developed by the agency.”
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Changes are being recommended on what many consider a dangerous stretch of roadway.
Route 460, between Bull Hill Road and Hines Road in Prince George, has been the scene of several deadly accidents. Now, a new study highlights problems and possible solutions to increase safety.
One of the biggest problems is motorists speeding. To put the brakes on the problem the 55 mile per hour speed limit will be lowered to 50 miles per hour.
It's a change county resident Curtis Stith calls, long overdue. He's had a few close calls while traveling on 460.
"When you're slowing down a lot of the time they don't want to slow down for you and at times you got to hurry to get off 460," said Stith.
In June, after a fiery multi-vehicle accident that left two dead and several others injured, the county began working with VDOT on another safety study.
The study found: motorist speed, the crash rate is low, fatalities and injuries are high and that most fatal crashes along the corridor involve a vehicle drifting into the opposing travel ways.
"Anytime we lose a life or property or whatever it might be it's a serious situation for everyone. We want to try and avoid that at all cost," said Prince George County Administrator, Percy Ashcraft.
Recommendations in the study include an increased police presence, adding paved shoulders, and a lower speed limit to 50 miles per hour.
"We have two stretches already on that highway that are 45 mph and that's what the board would have preferred but we'll take any reduction we can get," Ashcraft added.
The study points out Route 460 is one of few undivided lane highways in the state -- which can increase the risk of a deadly collision.
The recommendations outlined in the study will be implemented within the next 30 to 45 days.
Copyright 2012 WWBT NBC12. All rights reserved.
WWBT-TV NBC 12
P.O. Box 12
On Your Side
Video and Pics
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After almost two decades, displaced sisters finally get a place of their own
News Stories, 18 October 2010
JABLANICA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, October 18 (UNHCR) – After living for the past nine years in a cramped and dilapidated collective centre in the southern Bosnian town of Jablanica, Devla and Mevzeta finally have a place of their own.
The elderly sisters fled their village near Gacko, in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, some 18 years ago to escape an ethnic conflict that left tens of thousands of people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced from 1992-1995.
They have since spent almost all of their time in the Gornja Kolonija collective centre in Jablanica, which at one time was home to more than 1,500 internally displaced people. The dire residence was finally closed late last month and the last nine people living there, including 65-year-old Devla and Mevzeta, 70, were moved to a brand new four-storey block elsewhere in the riverside town.
The new building, which has eight flats, was built on land provided by the Jablanica municipal authorities. UNHCR provided the funding for its construction as part of an integration programme for the most vulnerable people who cannot return to their homes. The collective centre lacked adequate fresh water and sanitation facilities.
Devla and her sister Mevzeta were clearly delighted with their new rent-free home, which boasts a regular electricity supply, hot and cold running water, a modern kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. But what most impressed them was the privacy and security they now have.
"For nine years we lived together in one room. When we wanted to use the bathroom or cook anything, we had to wait for others to finish using the shared facilities. We never had any time to ourselves, any space to feel comfortable in," recalled Devla.
Over the years, UNHCR has been working with the Jablanica authorities to find solutions, including social housing, for those still stuck in the collective centre, which was set up as temporary emergency housing for the forcibly displaced.
Many of the last residents of Gornja Kolonija came from eastern Herzegovina, an area of the country which saw severe human rights abuses and war crimes. All are vulnerable and old and some cannot earn a living. A few receive small pensions and the municipality is subsidizing their utility bills.
Naveed Hussain, UNHCR's representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said at the opening of the new building that the project in Jablanica was "an excellent example to other municipalities of what can be achieved and what practical steps need to be taken to provide displaced people with the assistance they urgently require."
Some 113,000 people remain displaced within Bosnia, including 7,000 who live in collective centres, often in appalling conditions. UNHCR continues to advocate with the authorities at all levels to find solutions for the remaining displaced people.
By Darragh Farrell in Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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I purchased my CupCake CNC Deluxe Kit from MakerBot Industries. This machine is from batch #8, and it’s serial #000305. Future batches may be slightly different, so don’t use this as an exact guide for making your own CupCake CNC. Here’s what MakerBot Industries says about this version of the kit:
This kit has everything you need to build a MakerBot CNC and get started in DIY digital fabrication. Not only have we included all of the parts you need to build a CupCake CNC, but we’ve also included all the tools that you’ll need to put it together and have the build go smoothly.
What exactly is included in the $950 deluxe kit?
- The laser-cut parts to assemble a CupCake CNC machine.
- 3 x NEMA 17 motors to drive your machine
- The nuts, bolts, and various hardware to assemble it.
- The belts and pulleys for it to move things around.
- All the bearings to make your machine nice and smooth.
- The highest quality precision ground shafts for the X and Y axes we could find.
- Pre-assembled 3rd generation electronics to drive it better, faster, and stronger.
- Magnetized, detachable build platform to make removing your finished prints easier.
- Pinch-wheel Plastruder to make things in plastic.
- 1lb of natural ABS to get you started printing in 3D.
- USB2TTL cable to talk to it
- cat5e cables to wire things up
- Standard ATX power supply
- Tools kit with all the hex keys, wrenches, and other bits you need to construct it.
- Full 5lbs of ABS plastic so you can print your heart out (in addition to the 1lb of ABS)
- Extra acrylic build surface, and a spare build platform
- SD card to buffer your prints
You can also save some money by purchasing the Basic CupCake CNC Kit for $750. Check out the link for more information about what is, and isn’t, included in the basic kit. Then again, you could always build your own from scratch since it’s totally open source.
Let the unboxing begin:
The first thing I found was a nice letter from the MakerBot team and a couple of postcards. I’m going to keep these filed away in a safe place. Maybe one day I’ll be on the Antiques Roadshow and the host will let out a delighted *gasp* when I whip out my original, signed MakerBot Industries letter. Hey, you never know?!
Also, I found the pick-list with a mysterious QRCode sticker. More rack 9, shelf E please!
I figured the QR Code was a link to makerbot.com, but who knows? Sure enough, after downloading a free version of QuickMark, I snapped a picture, and it was a link to the MakerBot website. Neat! OK, let’s get to the good stuff.
First up is a box filled with laser-cut wood. It looks to be the structural components of the CupCake CNC. There are a lot of parts, and for now I am going to leave them in the bag and check out the rest of the kit.
Next is the power supply. Nothing special here, it’s a standard 400W switching power supply.
Next up is the box labeled “Plastruder MK4″.
This box is filler with lots of laser-cut acrylic, a geared motor, and two bags of miscellaneous parts.
I noticed that all the acrylic parts are laser-etched with descriptions. Nice touch MakerBot! This is going to make building the Plastruder a lot easier.
Next up, a fairly heavy priority mail box.
Inside is a mix of electronics, pulleys, lead-screws, cables, tools, and the infamous hardware burrito.
One of my favorite finds so far is the bag of 3D printed pulleys. It’s cool to finally see what the machine can do. They seem fairly accurate, and very strong. Neat!
OK, enough drooling over a plastic pulley. In the next box I found three NEMA 17 stepper motors.
The steppers are even branded by the MakerBot folks. Not that I mind. In fact, I’m noticing a lot of little details everywhere. It makes me think this is a really well thought-out kit.
Last but not least are the two rolls of ABS plastic. My kit came with 1 lb of natural, which is a light cream color, and 5 lbs of black. And no, it didn’t come with an iPhone, I added it to the picture as a reference point. This is a lot of 3mm plastic filament!
Wait! One more thing! What is this? I found it on the bottom of the box, and I’m not sure if I need it, but I will hang onto it until I finish making the entire kit. It looks like a plastic bushing and/or bearing.
Questions & suggestions:
Is it possible to make a special feed for this series so I don’t miss it in the deluge of other make posts? Thanks!
Ask questions! Do you want to see a better picture of a particular part, a different camera angle, a video perhaps? Maybe you have a suggestion for a cool mod or hack? Let me know in the comments. I’ll try to answer them as best as I can. Thanks!
Having just arrived home from a quick trip to the hardware store, I was pleasantly surprised to see a large, unmarked, cardboard box sitting on my front steps. This isn’t an uncommon event, since I am constantly checking out cool products and projects for the Maker Shed, however this box was a bit larger than normal.
And so the adventure begins! I’m going to document my “out of box experience” with a MakerBot. How many posts will the series be? I’m not sure since I’ve never built one. How often will I post about the build? Again, not sure, but I’ll try to do at least one a week, maybe more, it all depends on how much free time I have between all my other maker-ly projects.
A little background: My CNC experiences
I’ve been tinkering with CNC for about 10 years, and consider myself an enthusiast, not an expert. I do own a few CNC mills, routers, and lathes. I have retrofitted old mills, and even build one from scratch. Pictured above is my mobile CNC machine, dubbed the “MobileC.” I stuffed all the components into a mobile tool cart so I could bring it to hackerspaces, workshops, and events, all in the hopes of helping out fellow makers.
The mill is a Sherline 5400 that I retrofitted for CNC. Also, I added a few extra parts to make it even more useful. It has a longer reach, thanks to the headstock spacer block on the column, and a larger table that I simply mounted to the stock table. It’s a sweet machine. I love my little Sherline!
All the electronics are housed in the cart too! There is a 19″ LCD monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse, desktop computer, and CNC controller. It’s a tight fit, but it works perfectly. There is even an extra full-size drawer for tooling and accessories.
I’m thinking of replacing the computer, keyboard, and mouse with an HP TouchSmart, but I have to save a few more pennies for that upgrade.
Does anyone want to know more about my MobileC? Let me know in the comments. After I build my CupCake CNC, maybe I should do a series of articles on CNC machining?
I purchased the CupCake CNC kit with my own hard-earned cash. I waited several weeks for it to arrive, just like everyone else that placed an order. No favors, no freebies! Why did I buy one? Well, for two reasons.
- Reason #1 – I like what MakerBot Industries is doing for the open source community and open manufacturing, so I wanted to support them!
- Reason #2 – I am going to document the build for Make: Online, and if I like it, I’ll let you know, and if I don’t… well, I’ll let you know that too! No biased reviews here.
Reason #3 – I am a CNC junkie, and I had to have it, even if my wife was questioning whether I really needed another machine in my studio! “Ha!” I said, “You can never have too many machines!”Oops, only two reasons, right?!
Questions & suggestions:
Ask questions! Do you want to see a better picture of a particular part, a different camera angle, a video perhaps? Maybe you have a suggestion for a cool mod or a hack? Let me know in the comments. I’ll try to answer all of them as best as I can. Thanks!
- Part 1: Introduction & background
- Part 2: Unboxing
- Part 3: Electronics
- Part 4: Update & burning the bootloaders
- Part 5: Pulley & enclosure finishing
- Part 6: Building the enclosure
- Part 7: Building the Y-stage and adjusting the Z-stage
- Part 8: Building the X stage
- Part 9: Installing the X & Y stages
- Part 10: Building and installing the Z stage
- Part 11: Building the plastruder & testing
- Part 12: Installing the electronics & software
- Part 13: First print!
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Transition to Teaching
|Grantee Name:||University of Central Arkansas|
|Project Name:||The University of Central Arkansas Partnership Transition To Teaching (P3T)|
|Project Director:||Diana Pounder 501-450-5402|
|Partner Districts/LEAs:||Little Rock School District, North Little Rock School District|
The University of Central Arkansas, (UCA) in partnership with Little Rock School District (LRSD) and North Little Rock School Districts (NLRSD) is requesting Transition to Teaching Program grant funds to recruit, prepare, place, and retain 120 highly qualified new STEM teachers at a rate of 30 per year in four annual cohorts who will teach mathematics and science in twelve middle schools and seven high schools in these two urban school districts (LEAs). The goal of the UCA Partnership Transition to Teaching (P3T) is to develop and expand the capacity of the University’s partnership with the school districts to recruit, prepare, place, and retain mathematics and science teachers to work in the partner high need schools, which have documented the need for teachers in these subject areas, as well as the need for teachers in their districts who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM including minorities, individuals with disabilities, and women.
The participating teachers will earn provisional teaching licensure and credentials in one year while working as university intern teachers in the targeted partnership school districts. For this alternative accelerated route, the partnership will recruit recent graduates, career changers, paraprofessionals, and STEM majors committed to pursuing single-subjects credentials. This proposal builds on the current Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree program at the University of Central Arkansas in the College of Education. The MAT is a 36-hour graduate degree program that offers licensure options for Early Childhood, Middle Level, and Secondary teachers and is structured to accommodate most working students’ schedules.
The program activities will be structured for cohorts of candidates without teaching credentials who have earned baccalaureate degrees in specific content areas and want to become teachers in an expeditious fashion. Other unique features include the recruitment of recent graduates from the UCA College of Mathematics and Natural Sciences’ (CMNS) STEM Residential College and throughout the state of Arkansas. Candidates will engage in high quality, innovative STEM educational opportunities and professional development activities through the UCA STEM Institute. These activities will be aligned with state and national initiatives to include common core standards in mathematics.
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The Center for Academic Success provides tutoring in a wide range of subjects including all core courses. The tutoring is designed to support students with their courses by providing them with content-specific assistance accessed through individual tutoring, study groups, or online tutoring.
Students can have one-on-one sessions with a certified tutor who can assist them with a specific topic or course. Students can call to make an appointment, or just walk-in.
Study groups are available for students who want to study with their peers. This group process will not only contribute to the environment of learning, but also offer students psychological support and a greater sense of community.
The Center for Academc Success is committed to providing only the best services to our students. All of our tutors receive ongoing training according to the National Tutoring Association standards in order to achieve national certification. By certifying our tutors, we help foster an environment of professionalism while providing students on campus with leadership opportunities and recognition for their contributions. National certification will ensures all peer tutors are kept current regarding best practices in their field of study.
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Description: EMD E9B Union Pacific for City of Los Angeles |
The E8 and E9 diesel locomotives share the similar "bulldog nose" carbody style as the shorter, more popular F7 and were powered by two separate 12-cylinder prime movers (i.e., diesel engines) capable of producing 2250/2400 hp. E8 and E9 locomotives also rode on A-1-A trucks (powered axle-idler axle-powered axle), resulting in an exceptionally smooth ride favored by crews. The E8 and E9 were produced in both A-units and cabless B-units; the A-units were usually built to railroad specification of either single or dual headlight and freight or passenger pilot. Like the F3 and F7 of the same time period, the E8 and E9 were utilized in both passenger and freight service.
The Kato EMD E8 and E9 locomotive both come in A and B (cabless) variations, similar to that of their smaller F unit sister locomotives.
- Locomotives will be equipped with a mix of body and truck mounted KATO magnetic knuckle couplers
- Locomotives feature directional Golden White LED headlights and illuminated preprinted numberboards
- Locomotives have a powerful five pole motor with all wheel electrical pickup and blackened wheels
- Locomotives are DCC friendly
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http://www.theshortline.com/p/KAT1765353N.html
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Data Analysis, Service Are Keys to RetentionTwo to three years ago, online adoption was growing rapidly, e-businesses could rely on a constant flux of new users to justify their revenue models, and Internet entrepreneurs preached the importance of customer acquisition and popularized phrases such as "first-mover advantage."
The key to a successful online business model, it seemed, was to dominate the respective market space first and worry later about how best to serve the customers.
Today, the Nasdaq has dropped more than 50 percent since its high last spring. Hundreds of dot-coms have failed, and other new-economy stalwarts such as Amazon and Yahoo have seen their market caps plummet. Growth of Internet adoption has slowed, making it harder to acquire new customers. Companies initially able to dominate their market spaces are realizing they cannot sustain their advantages without a better understanding of who their customers are and what they want. The lower cost of retaining an existing customer vs. acquiring a new one, coupled with slower online adoption growth, has made customer retention and loyalty more important than ever.
Customer loyalty programs that reward frequent shoppers with free products or services, discounts, cash and other incentives can be popular retention tools.
In the online space, adults participating in frequent-shopper programs are among the most valuable consumers. They are well-educated, wealthy, tech-savvy consumers who spend more money online than adults not using such programs do. They have average annual incomes of $80,000 and spend more than $1,500 online each year (the average online purchaser spends about $1,000). When properly applied, such a program can take an already lucrative consumer segment and further increase its value and spending.
The problem is knowing when and how to apply frequent-shopper programs. Though users of these online programs are valuable, they also are fickle. They have a propensity to switch brands or cancel purchases, and they demand first-rate customer service. More than 80 percent indicated that customer service features were important in determining whether they would return to an online shopping site.
Frequent-shopper programs are important in driving high-value customers to buy at a particular Web site, but customer service is needed to retain them. And while online features such as a frequently-asked-questions page or an e-mail reply service have gained popularity, the most popular and crucial customer service offering across all online segments is a toll-free number to a live person. If a frequent-shopper program is not supported by a customer service package that includes offline telephone support, it will be just another wasted promotion.
A final consideration is that frequent-shopper and other loyalty programs are not just about getting customers to spend more money, at least in the short term. They are a means of gathering consumer information. A well-run loyalty program will track purchases, log customer service requests and gather demographic information.
Once enough data is collected, retailers can develop profiles, enabling them to manage relationships at individual levels. The profiles can be used to create models that predict how to upsell and cross-sell based on customers preferences and characteristics.
Frequent-shopper and other customer loyalty programs are invaluable in retaining and growing market share, and an adult signing up for an online frequent- shopper program likely is a wealthy and big-spending customer. But if a retailer fails to support its loyalty program with multichannel customer service offerings and does not establish an effective system for warehousing and using consumer data, it is failing to make use of the customer retention and revenue expansion potential that loyalty programs offer.
• Ben Cutler and Alexandra Goodrich are analysts at Cyber Dialogue, New York. Reach Cutler at firstname.lastname@example.org and Goodrich at email@example.com. All figures referenced in this article are from Cyber Dialogue.
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I have always loved computers, as long as I remember. I remember my dad bringing home a computer when I was very young, and using a modem (which was a cradle for the rotary phone's handset) for something-or-other.
The summers between my early elementary school years I took some computer science classes for kids. We programmed in BASIC on some mainframes at the university. One of my teachers was a woman, but I don't remember the gender makeup of the class.
I do remember being the only girl in the electrical engineering class I took the next year, though. I was self-conscious about it because I was just learning about gender roles and the fact that my interests were not typical for those with a matching 23rd pair of chromosomes. I think I was a bit overwhelmed by the boys in the class, but I did learn a lot about resistors and capacitors and other interesting things.
When I was nine, we got our own home computer. It had two floppy disk drives, no hard drive, and a monochrome (amber) monitor. You had to boot it from the A drive. It had BASIC so I was able to write some programs, just like I had done in my computer science classes.
In junior high, I was interested in joining the computer club, but I was intimidated by the boys in my class and did not join. They weren't just loud and boisterous; they actually made fun of me for wanting to join the computer club, urging me to return to the kitchen where I belonged. So it was not a welcoming or safe space for me and I stayed away.
I went to a math, science, and technology magnet school for high school. In my math class my sophomore year, we wrote programs in Quick Basic, so no line numbers were necessary. I remember for our final exam we had to write a code that would determine whether the number you input was prime, and that I wrote a program to do this in no time flat, while the rest of the class was struggling with it. (Of course, the method I used, namely counting by odd numbers and testing whether the number was divisible by any odd number from 3 to the square-root of the number in question, is not scalable for large numbers, but that is beyond the scope of this post.)
There was an advanced computer science course offered, but at the time I had found that I had a great interest in chemistry, so I took AP Chemistry instead of computer science. I enjoyed playing on our computer at home, but my formal computing education waited until college.
In college, I took a class on FORTRAN for engineers. It was really easy and I aced the programming projects and the exams. At that time I was majoring in chemical engineering, but I soon switched to physics.
I thought I wanted to be an experimental scientist until I did a summer internship simulating physics on a computer. At that point I discovered where my heart really was! So I did a concentration in computational physics for my major. To do that concentration, I took a class on numerical methods, and aced it. It was in that class that I got the first inkling that maybe I could go into computer science. I got a problem set back with a 100% grade and a personal note from the professor: "Have you considered graduate school in computer science? I would love to have a student like you!"
I took an extra year to complete my undergrad and took some additional CS classes that final year. I was overjoyed to discover that I was admitted to the institution from which I eventually earned my Ph.D. some seven years later.
(Stay tuned for Part 2!)
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Pacific Briefing: Steady Growth in Gross Transnational Cool
UCLA project devoted to Tokyo-LA interactions in art, fashion, food holds workshop on 'LA as Offshore Japan.'
Although youths are a minority group in more than 50,000 Japanese residents in L.A., their motivation and lifestyle reflect an emerging transnationalism.
Thriving metropolises located on opposite sides of the Pacific Rim of Fire, Los Angeles and Tokyo have more in common than their famously mild "earthquake weather." UCLA sociologist Adrian Favell is leading a group of researchers in a study of trans-Pacific movements of art, fashion, food, and people who set trends in all three endeavors. Favell and his colleagues plan to conduct about 100 in-depth interviews with creative people in both countries.
The project has attracted funding from the Japan Foundation, awarded through the Social Science Research Council, and UCLA grants including a mid-sized faculty grant from the International Institute and a Sasakawa grant from the Paul I. Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies.
Departing from writer Douglas McGray's term "gross national cool," Favell discussed J-Pop music, Anime cartoons, and other artistic products in the American mainstream as indications of the Japanese experience in Los Angeles. He called attention to the Giant Robot stores and to the former Westwood Internet hotspot Rooms café and introduced the audience to West L.A.'s Sawtelle Boulevard. With central hangouts for Asian young people and fans of Japan creative imports, it a hub of the "cool industry."
Though discussants noted Korean influences on Anime and J-Pop, Favell maintained that "Japan has a high-end grip" on these cultural products.
In her introduction, Nukaga looked at the demographics and social variety of the local Japanese communities in Little Tokyo, Sawtelle, and Torrance. She identified Japanese Americans, Japanese nationals, temporary residents, and permanent residents as constituent groups.
Also at the workshop, Fuminori Minamikawa, an American Studies professor at Kobe City University, discussed his work on migration patterns of Japanese youths, focusing on temporary residents of Los Angeles County.
"Some young Japanese enter the United States as students, live in Los Angeles, and often work part-time illegally," he said. "Although they are a minority group in more than 50,000 Japanese residents in L.A., their motivation and lifestyle reflect [an] emerging transnationalism among younger generations in Japan."
This transnationalism, Minamikawa observed, is not the product of a collective travel plan among Japanese youths, but of individualized efforts to go abroad. Traveling to the United States as students of English, Minamikawa concluded, these Japanese students invariably bring their individual life narratives with them.
Published: Thursday, May 25, 2006
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Portland police and other emergency service providers will have a new place to bring mentally ill people in crisis besides the county jail or local hospitals.
Multnomah County, the city of Portland and the nonprofit Central City Concern reached a final deal Thursday, June 17, to build and operate a mental health intake center above the Hooper “sobering center” east of the Burnside Bridge, 20 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Groundbreaking for the new Crisis Assessment and Treatment Center is planned in August, with completion expected about six months later.
The $5.3 million facility will feature professional and peer counselors who can work with mentally ill people experiencing breakdowns or other crises, and 16 beds where they can be lodged in a safe, dormitory-style setting.
Officials have talked about the need for such a center for years. But the need became more urgent in the aftermath of the September 2006 death of James Chasse Jr., a schizophrenic, who died in police custody from serious injuries suffered when he was tackled during his arrest. Two others – the Jan. 29 shooting of Aaron Campbell at a Sandy Boulevard apartment complex, and the May 12 shooting of Keaton Dupree Otis in the Lloyd District – also involved people who were said to suffer from various mental illnesses.
Emergency services providers often lack the skills to identify and handle mentally ill people undergoing episodes or outbreaks, and the results can sometimes be tragic.
“This helps fill a very important gap in our mental health system,” said County Chair Jeff Cogen, after the cooperative agreement was finalized with the city and Central City Concern, which operates the Hooper center. The complex agreement, in the works more than two years, called for Central City Concern to relocate its Hooper Detox Center to a renovated facility at a former Ramada Inn, at North Williams Avenue and Weidler Street near the Rose Quarter.
Drunks picked up by police or other authorities are brought to the sobering center for medical treatment until they sober up, and then moved to the detox center, a residential program that allows them to continue to receive substance abuse treatment.
The new mental health intake center was seen as a good fit for the sobering center on the ground floor.
The new facility isn’t going to solve all the problems with the mental health system in the city and the county, said Central City Concern Executive Director Ed Blackburn. But “not a week goes by” when there isn’t a need for such a facility, he said.
Portland Mayor Sam Adams helped expedite the allocation of $2 million in promised city urban renewal funds to speed up development of the intake center. The state provided $1 million, the county put up $842,000 and $1.4 million came from New Market tax credits.
Operating the center will require more than $3 million a year, most of it from federal and state Medicaid funds. The city and county agreed to split the remaining costs, which are estimated at $550,000 a year for each entity, said Dave Austin, a county spokesman for human services programs.
Multnomah County will seek bids from an outside entity to operate the new Crisis Assessment and Treatment Center, Austin said.
Central City Concern could be one of the nonprofit or other groups bidding to run the program.
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You are sending a link to...
The Baseness of Acid
by Theodore Dalrymple (June 2011)
Revenge, said Lord Bacon, who was not himself completely foreign to the impulse, is a kind of wild justice, which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out. Furthermore, he says, it does the revenger harm, psychologically, for he goes on to say: This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well. more>>>
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http://newenglishreview.org/blog_email.cfm/blog_id/35358
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Picture a classic car in your head: likely it’s an American icon like a late ‘60s Mustang or even earlier like a ‘50s Fairlane. Maybe your taste is a bit more exotic and you’re imagining a classic Ferrari or even a British sports car like an MG or Triumph.
Times are changing, however, and so is the definition of what a classic car is. Increasingly the vehicles that come to mind for a younger generation of auto buffs are early, race-bred Japanese classics, like the Toyota 2000GT, Datsun 240z or Mazda RX3.
Don’t laugh at the suggestion. According to classic Japanese car enthusiast Ryan Rudd, prices for Japanese classic cars are steadily rising.
“I believe the Japanese classics will reach the prestige and price of the American and European cars, in fact, in many places, they already have. For instance, a 1970 Nissan Skyline GTR can go for well over $100,000 in Japan.” Rudd said. “In the U.S., the following of classic Japanese cars is growing at a very high rate as well.”
Rudd works at one of a popular Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) restoration shops in Utah. JDM Legends was “born out of passion for JDM cars” and is a go-to place for restored (and modified) classic Japanese cars.
For a long time Japanese cars have been thought of as too common and too cheap to become serious collector material. It seems those ideas are changing.
“As the younger crowd takes its place in the car world, they are going to have the desire to own the cars they loved in their childhood years,” Rudd said, “It is easy to see the different generations, and which cars they loved.”
Traditional outlets for classic cars seem to be oblivious to the changing attitudes. A representative from Barett-Jackson even told us that they “haven’t seen much in the way of Japanese classics at their auctions.”
Rudd, however, does see the trend. “It seems as if the generation that is now starting to have some extra spending money for a classic car, really appreciate the racing heritage of many of these classic Japanese cars, as well as the designs which were coming out of Japan in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.”
A recent example of a Japanese classic reaching the prestige of its American and European counterparts is a 1967 Toyota 2000GT, that was sold for $375,000.
The 2000GT is valuable thanks to its racing heritage. Back in the ‘60s the 2000GT set FIA records for speed and endurance in a 72-hours test. Additionally, a pair of 2000GTs competed against the likes of Porsche 911s and Lotus Elans in races sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America.
The success of the cars was not without a strong American connection, however, with the team being run by none other than the legendary Carroll Shelby. Thanks to his expertise, the pair finished the series in second and third place, even though they had less power than their rivals.
Rudd believes that cars like the 2000GT will reach the highest value when it comes to Japanese collectors. He specifically pointed out the Nissan Skyline, Toyota Celica, Datsun 240z, Datsun 510, Honda S600/800 and Mazda RX3. “These seem to be the cars which have the largest followings, and we have seen the price of them begin to climb over the following years,” he said.
Rudd has a specific formula for guessing which cars will be most popular: “I think what really determines which classic Japanese cars will have a high value in the future is, racing heritage, the very low production numbers in comparison to many of the classic American cars, and simply the general styling of the cars.” He explained.
There are other opinions about what makes a desirable classic Japanese car.
“JDM cars can be interesting for rarity, but a very clean or well restored USA-spec car can have a more nostalgic and emotional connection to the Japanese cars we remember from when they were new,” said Randy Nonnenberg from Bringatrailer.com, a site that aims to connect vintage car enthusiasts with the vehicle of their dreams.
“Up and coming classics like period Japanese racing cars and rare models that were not offered in the USA are getting the attention of collectors,” he says.
Nonnenberg sees many cars posted at his site, but mentions “The Japanese vehicles on bringatrailer.com bring just as much response from our readers as the European and American cars.”
He explained that there’s a changing trend in terms of vintage car enthusiasts, which helps with Japanese collector cars.
“The vast majority of our readers have hands on experience with Japanese cars, which isn’t always the case with exotics and more expensive Euro models. The connection to the marques of Japan is often based on real seat-time instead of just posters on your wall as a kid,” Said Nonnenberg.
When asked which cars are likely to reach the prestige of European and American classics, Nonnenberg’s list was exactly the same as Rudd’s.
Generally, all the cars they mentioned have similar design cues, many of which are still vaguely present in cars today. In fact, Toyota looked to the design of the 2000GT as inspiration for its latest car, the Scion FR-S/Toyota GT 86. With companies like Toyota looking back to their roots to draw inspiration for more modern machines, these older machines are certain to soon achieve both full fledged classic car status, and value.
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Joe Brennan is a Discovery Educator who serves as the Visual Literacy Facilitator at Niles West High School and Niles North High School in Skokie, Illinois. Joe was awarded a scholarship from The Discovery Educator Network to attend the T+L Conference in Denver last week, and he has written his reflections of a very productive and enjoyable week in the Mile High City:
"We’ve all heard that it takes a village to raise a child,but we tend to forget it takes families to make a village. Nine strangers who are active educators gathered with a number of Discovery Education employees (many of whom have been teachers) at the National School Board Conference in Denver on the last Tuesday in October. By the end of dinner on Wednesday night we were a family, ready to help start a village that can harness the videos, images, and tools of unitedstreaming to help raise students with 21st Century skills and access to 21st Century resources.
It all started with an inspiring workshop on Digital Storytelling with Bernajean Porter on Tuesday (http://www.digitales.us). We broke into six teams and attempted to harness a variety of skills to turn Walt Whitman’s mid-19th century poem "O Captain, my Captain" into visually compelling stories for early 21st century citizens. By the end of the day we were able to blend our just-in-time acquired skills of storytelling, sound production, image manipulation, and video editing into six quite different and moving videos based on the same piece of literature.
The conference itself started on Wednesday and we fledgling DEN members found ourselves free to roam and learn from the many fine presentations and scores of vendors. After the regular sessions ended we met for an hour with John Kuglin (http://www.kuglin.com) who gave us an idea of the synergy possible with current technologies and Discovery/unitedstreaming resources. That night we gathered around a huge round table in a our own circular room for a traditional Italian family dinner. In spite of the daunting distraction of the Chicago White Sox sweeping their way to the World Series title, we ate and talked and ate some more as we shared our own personal stories and gained appreciation for each other’s work.
Speaking of appreciation, Thursday started out with us coming together as a Discovery Education focus group. What an empowering feeling it is to be able to share your opinion and have an opportunity to discuss your vision of everything on unitedstreaming, from the interface to the actual content!
I am truly looking forward to the upcoming months as the discussion and DEN family/community building continue."
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Villanova seeks to ensure that each qualified student has the opportunity to join our community, regardless of the family’s ability to afford the full cost of a Villanova education. If your family has made it a priority to invest in a Villanova education, we promise to work with you to make it happen!
The high school years are the most formative in a young person’s life. Villanova offers a community of motivated teachers and learners to ensure success in and out of the classroom. The Villanova student body is global and while each of our student’s backgrounds may differ, their desire to learn and to succeed are the same.
In this rigorous academic environment steeped in Catholic values, students are comfortable taking risks, trying something new and accepting personal responsibility to achieve more than they ever thought possible. Villanovans score nearly 300 points higher than the state and national average on the SAT exam and all receive college acceptances, many with substantial merit scholarships. We invite you to have a conversation with us to discover the way, together, we can make the Villanova experience possible for your family.
The Villanova Promise is our commitment to bridge the gap between what the family can contribute and what it actually costs to attend the school. When your family commits to making a Villanova education a financial priority, Villanova promises to work together with you to make it happen. In 2012-13, more than $800,000 was awarded to 130 families representing a broad range of income levels. Villanova utilizes objective financial analysis gathered through the School and Student Service (SSS) for Financial Aid applications, administered by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
Download the Financial Aid form here. Please be sure to submit all items by February 11. Awards may not be available if submitted after this due date.
The SSS by NAIS provides the Family Guide to Financial Aid to help you become familiar with the financial aid process. This publication can be found at the SSS website http://sss.nais.org/parents, along with the necessary Parents Financial Statement (PFS) that is a vital component to this financial aid application. You may complete this form online or mail it directly to SSS. Contact the admission office if you would like us to mail you a printed copy of the PFS.
The Financial Aid Committee reviews the recommendations of the School and Student Service, your tax return, and other requested information. Decision notifications for all financial aid applications completed by the due date will be mailed in early March.
Villanova makes every effort to meet the need of all eligible applicants. However, decisions are influenced by the availability of School resources, the number of qualified applicants, and overall budgetary constraints.
In addition to the need-based financial aid pool, Villanova also offers the following awards and scholarships. Students may only be awarded one of the following scholarships and, therefore, may only apply for one of the named scholarships. Click on the title of the scholarship to obtain the necessary application. Students awarded the Villanova Merit Scholarship will not be considered for a named scholarship.
Villanova Merit Scholarship – Each year Villanova awards a number of Villanova Merit Scholarships to incoming freshmen students who score in the top 3 percentile in the country on the High School Placement Test or on the Secondary School Admission Test on either of their first two attempts. A second attempt of the same test cannot take place within 60 days of the first attempt. A student achieving these high scores on the placement test, and who demonstrates a commitment to excellence through his or her application and interview process, will be eligible to receive the Villanova Merit Scholarship. This award does apply throughout all four years of attendance at Villanova, as long as the student remains in good standing academically and otherwise.
Fr. John Glynn, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students of promise in one or more foreign languages
An Augustinian dedicated to learning and students, Fr. Glynn taught at Villanova for 38 years. Latin was his first love, Spanish and French came later. “A second language enables a person to be twice-over whatever skills and talents he or she develops.”
Fr. John Glynn, O.S.A. Scholarship is awarded to students of promise in one or more foreign languages. Students should be actively learning a new language, which increases their understanding of another culture.
Fr. John Howard, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students with leadership experience
As our first Headmaster, Fr. Howard’s leadership in bringing Villanova to life with steadfast energy and purpose is an example of one person’s ability to form community and shape an organization for lasting good. Development of servant leadership for the common good is a gift Villanova cherishes.
Fr. John Howard, O.S.A. Scholarship is awarded to students with leadership experience. Students should intend to continue fostering these leadership skills and are expected to be actively involved in student leadership at Villanova Prep.
Fr. Patrick Keane, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students who are active participants within the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish of Ojai
Fr. Keane gave himself to the service of the people of the Ojai Valley as pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas parish, Ojai. As a distinguished educator in previous assignments, he gave special attention to the young people of the parish. This award continues Villanova’s special concern for students from the Valley.
Fr. Robert McGrath, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students who are active participants within the Catholic community of Ventura County
A 1928 Villanova Prep graduate, Fr. McGrath was the son of one of the founding Oxnard families of the school and the first Villanova grad to be ordained a priest. This scholarship renews the heritage of Oxnard and Ventura families who sought a local Catholic high school for their children. Fr. McGrath taught at Villanova for twelve years.
Br. Stephen McKenna, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students of promise in the study of history and social studies
Brother Steve was a history enthusiast, a Civil War re-enactor and an engaging teacher of religion and social studies. With an historical perspective on world cultures, he gave special pastoral concern to resident students and encouraged students in their study of history.
Br. Stephen McKenna, O.S.A. Scholarship is awarded to students of promise in the study of history and social studies. Students should be academically successful in their current social sciences courses and show an interest in this area of study.
Fr. Thomas McLaughlin, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students of promise in math and science
Father McLaughlin was an example to Villanova students of dedication to the faith and the sciences. Well known for his white scientist’s jacket put on over his Augustinian habit he taught several generations of Villanova scientists and was the school’s spiritual leader.
Fr. Thomas McLaughlin, O.S.A. Scholarship is awarded to students of promise in math and science. Students should have an interest in and be academically successful in math and science.
Fr. John Sanders, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students with exemplary service within the Catholic community
Fr. Sanders began his teaching career at Villanova in 1974. While teaching religion and social studies, he was deeply involved in connecting Villanovans with the Ojai community. With great enthusiasm he enriched community life and student activities, he originated Villanova’s signature Wildcat Day event.
Fr. John Sanders, O.S.A. Scholarship is awarded to students with exemplary service within the Catholic community. Students should have a minimum of twenty hours completed with a particular organization or project, with the intent to continue that service.
Fr. John Sparrow, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students of promise in writing and language arts
Fr. Sparrow, with a Ph.D. in English and former teacher at Villanova University, brought a depth of knowledge and love for learning to Villanovans for thirteen years. His love for literature was shared in his vigorous teaching style and high expectations of students.
Fr. John Sparrow, O.S.A. Scholarship is awarded to students of promise in writing and language arts. Students should be academically successful in their current language arts or literature course and show an interest and talent for writing.
Fr. Anthony Wasko, O.S.A. Scholarship – awarded to students of promise in performing arts
With special skills in speech and drama, as headmaster and teacher Fr. Wasko brought Villanova’s programs to new levels. The remarkable tradition of student success and opportunities for student expression in Villanova’s speech and drama programs is a credit to his memory.
Fr. Anthony Wasko, O.S.A. Scholarship is awarded to students of promise in the performing arts. Students should have experience in one or more of the performing arts and are expected to continue this involvement and share their talents with the Villanova community.
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August 15, 2012
Regarding your recent editorial on holding juvenile offenders in adult detention centers, here are some specific recommendations that might assist in salvaging the lives of some of these misguided youth ("A broken system", Aug. 7). •Discipline and respect could be inculcated by engaging a local military reserve unit for drilling exercises, and eventually organizing the youth into military like groups to perform these exercises themselves. •Community involvement to develop a positive attitude among residents could be strengthened by having juveniles choose to donate half their lunch or dinner each week to a local organization that serves the needy.
August 31, 2011
When writer Lisa Kawata mentioned the term “social enterprise” to me a few months ago, I nodded vaguely, wondering to myself if that had something to do with Facebook. Once she'd explained the concept to me, I was enamored with it. These are people who value giving back so much that they've built it into their business model. Or, as Loyola professor Peter Lorenzi puts it, they have a sense of “intangible wealth.” Greenbridge Pottery in Dayton is one such local business.
February 4, 2011
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has suspended its diversion programs for troubled youths, a decision that officials said is not related to a recent portrayal on the A&E network show "Beyond Scared Straight. " The programs, which typically send youths into prisons with hopes of deterring them from a life of crime by having them interact with inmates, were stopped last week, said Rick Binetti, the department's director of communications. In a Jan. 20 episode of the A&E show, set at the state's Jessup facility, an inmate threw a teenager into a bathroom to show what happens behind bars.
October 7, 2010
Is anybody in charge of Maryland's chronically disorganized and dysfunctional Department of Juvenile Services? You'd be hard-pressed to think so given two scathing reports this week. They found the DJS is plagued by sloppy paperwork and lax security procedures that may not only have contributed to the death last year of a youth detention facility staff member but also caused the agency to needlessly waste millions of dollars while failing to rehabilitate troubled youth or safely reintegrate them into their communities.
August 16, 2010
It's certainly welcome news that conditions in the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center have improved enough to persuade the U.S. Department of Justice to lift federal oversight of the youth lockup it has held under scrutiny since 2007. But just because the facility has been found to be "in substantial compliance" with minimum federal standards doesn't mean officials there won't continue to face huge challenges dealing with the city's most troubled youths. The center, which opened in 2003, was originally intended to house up to 144 youths, most of whom were either awaiting trial in the juvenile court system or long-term placement in a rehabilitation program.
August 11, 2010
Federal monitoring of the long-troubled Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center is likely to end soon, state juvenile services officials said Wednesday, making it the third youth facility in Maryland to be lifted from such oversight in little more than two years. The officials said a U.S. Department of Justice monitor has told them the city facility appears to be in "substantial compliance" with an oversight plan laid out in May 2007. Federal officials sought to make the facility safer by improving suicide prevention programs, education and behavior management, said Jay Cleary, a spokesman for the state Department of Juvenile Services.
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2000 Hyundai Accent Repair Question
Jack the front up, remove the wheels, and run it in gear. Watch for a caliper that is moving back and forth sideways as the rotor turns. Look for spots of rust buildup between the rotors and hubs that prevent them from sitting flat. If this started weeks or months after you replaced the rotors, they might be Chinese parts. There's nothing wrong with them but cast iron parts need to "age" 90 days before they are machined. Chinese parts are cast, machined, and shipped right away, then they age on your car. A simple machining will usually solve the problem permanently.
17,280 answers provided
If your pedal pulsates when you apply the brakes:
* Pedal pulsation is caused by excessive run-out in the rotors or drums that are out of round. These conditions occur due to excessive heat.
* It is important to differentiate a warped rotor condition from ABS operation. When the ABS kicks in the driver may experience pulsation in the brake pedal. This could be confused with a warped rotor.
50 answers provided
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http://www.2carpros.com/questions/2000-hyundai-accent-breaks
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THE Catholic Church has settled thousands of claims of child abuse outside of its internal complaints' system, Melbourne Response, in an attempt to silence them, a victims' group says.
The Melbourne Response, and its national equivalent, Towards Healing, were launched by the church in 1996 to handle abuse complaints and give pastoral care to victims. The church has traditionally referred to both processes to argue that its approach to abuse has improved over time.
In Good Faith & Associates' director Helen Last told a state inquiry into child abuse on Monday that about 2000 victims had been through alternative ''portals'' facilitated by the Catholic Church, which offered them larger amounts of compensation than they would otherwise have been entitled to.
Ms Last said the Melbourne Response's independent commissioner, Peter O'Callaghan, QC, the Melbourne Archdiocese's business manager and the Catholic Church's lawyers at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, were personally involved in private settlements with victims.
''The Melbourne Response is not the only door through which victims can go to get settlements and have processes done,'' she said. ''There are lawyers and barristers who relate to him that are doing lawyer-to-lawyer settlements with the archdiocese,'' she said.
''They may go to Corrs Chambers Westgarth, who are the lawyers for the [Melbourne] archdiocese and the archbishop and do them there.
''If you know how to open the door then you can go in there and do your process and get a good settlement. That's above the ceiling for the public Melbourne Response. You can get more than $75,000. This is a truly shocking situation for victims.''
Ms Last said that while the Catholic Church was in ''chaos'' before 1996, trying to put ethics pages and codes of practices together, its handling of victims' claims was then ''much better than the huge systemic betrayal and the misdemeanours going on now.
''This has to be made equal, it has to be looked at as what it's doing to people in its inequity and dysfunction.''
Victims of clergy abuse often struggle to make successful compensation claims in court because it is often many years before they report childhood abuse. The Catholic Church is also an entity that is immune from civil lawsuits.
University of Technology Sydney law lecturer Dr Jane Wangmann told the inquiry that the statute of limitations should not apply to institutional child abuse claims, which she said should be heard on their merits.
Dr Wangmann pointed to the problem of private settlements.
''So one claim will settle and the next individual claim has to start again. The lack of transparency around settlement impacts the ability for other claimants who have similar arguments … [who do not have] anything to base their claim around.''
Dr Wangmann said that while class actions awarded much higher compensation than redress systems ''the clear disadvantage is very few of these claims have been successful''.
The Catholic Church declined to comment. Peter O'Callaghan was not available for comment by deadline.
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http://www.portnews.com.au/story/970032/churchs-secret-compensation-deals/?cs=7
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by Richard Gottlieb of USA Toy Experts, Inc.
I am always amazed at the people that some companies choose to lay off during an economic down turn. It is usually someone who has a staff job or is in some other way seen as disposable. Typically, they have been with the company a long time and make a salary at the high end of their job description.
What companies sometimes fail to realize is that these people are a repository of the company’s history. They know who did what, what was done right and what was done wrong for the last ten, twenty or even thirty years.
Think about it. Most people stay with companies two or three years and then leave. That means that most of the company’s personnel don’t know what happened before they got there.
So, to my way of thinking, letting what of these old timers go is like having a stroke. It’s as if part of the company’s brain cells that control memory have been suddenly wiped out.
When you see the results of some of these layoffs you realize just how devastating this can be.
Laying off veteran employees to a company is like suffering an institutional stroke.
In one fell swoop, they have wiped out a big part of their institutional memory. There is no longer anyone there who remembers what happened more then two or three years earlier.
Let me give you a couple of real life examples of how companies suffer when they in so many words get “dumber.”
A large toy company decided to move all of its shipping to a new location in another state. In doing so, they decided to let the existing staff go.
Well, it seems that the old staff knew all of the rules and guidelines for the company’s retail customer base. They knew how to mark the cartons, what freight lines to use, how to pack the pallets and more.
The new people knew none of this so everything went haywire. Shipments were late, carton markings were wrong and customers were furious. It took them months to correct the problems but by the time they did they had devastated their customer relationships. They are still struggling to get back on track.
In another example, a number of years ago, a retailer (who by no coincidence no longer exists) decided to let all of the longest serving sales clerks go. These people made the most money and were seen as complacent because they had been working for the company for so long.
What the retailer failed to think about was that these people had, over the years, developed relationships with many of the consumers who visited the stores. As a result, long time customers ceased to visit. Why, because the charm was in going to a place where someone knew their names, remembered how old their kids were and understood what they were looking for.
When the company fired these clerks they lost that company memory and with it a big part of their customer base.
In times like these, when the need to cut staff becomes, in some cases, a matter of survival, companies need to think clearly about who they are letting go and what the results may be. Are they killing some company brain cells? Better figure that out now before becoming to dumb to figure it out later.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.fentonreport.com/entrepreneurs/laying-off-veteran-employees-is-like-suffering-an-institutional-stroke
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KOREAN PENINSULA — The U.S. envoy to North Korea's nuclear talks said Saturday that a 2-month-old disarmament plan lacks "momentum" as North Korea failed to meet a deadline for shutting down its main nuclear reactor and processing facility.
"We don't have a lot of momentum right now," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters in Beijing before meeting his Chinese counterpart, Wu Dawei.
The disarmament plan, reached in February after nearly four years of arduous negotiations, laid out a timetable for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programs. The plan was unexpectedly disrupted by a dispute over frozen North Korean funds in a Macau bank that Washington said last week was finally resolved.
On Friday, Hill did not say what the consequences would be if the North missed the Saturday deadline.
As part of the disarmament agreement, the North was supposed to gain access to $25 million in frozen funds at the Banco Delta Asia bank in the Chinese territory of Macau. Washington blacklisted the bank in September 2005 for allegedly helping the North launder money and pass counterfeit $100 bills.
The funds were unblocked last week, but North Korea's Foreign Ministry said Friday that it was still confirming the release. The ministry said the country would carry out its side of the February agreement "when the lifting of the sanction is proved to be a reality."
Items compiled from Tribune news services.
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http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-04-15/news/0704140208_1_state-christopher-hill-banco-delta-asia-wu-dawei
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KHQ.COM – Australian Sailor, Glenn Ey, alone on his yacht at sea, found himself scared for his life and helpless when an enormous 70-foot wave, in the midst of extremely rough seas, flipped his thirty-six-foot yacht, breaking the mast. He had been en route from Pittwater, Sydney to New South Wales but suddenly found himself stranded hundreds of kilometers off the coast, low on fuel and constantly drifting further and further from shore.
Knowing that his tiny yacht in the middle of the ocean was comparable to a needle in a haystack, he wondered when and if anyone would be able to find him. Luckily, 16 hours after his craft capsized, an unexpected rescue team spotted him from above.
On Tuesday, October 8th, an emergency beacon notified the Australian Maritime Safety Authority at 8:15 a.m. that Ey was in distress. An Air Canada commercial jumbo jet en route from Vancouver to Sydney happened to be the closest aircraft to Ey's estimated location. Captain Andrew Robertson was piloting the flight carrying 270 passengers and 18 crewmembers and was contacted by Australian air traffic control asking to help find the yacht. After confirming the jet had enough fuel he accepted the call to action and without a single complaint from passengers, dropped the plane down from 38,000 feet to 5,000 feet.
With boinoculars provided by a passenger on board and many eyes searching the sea, a crewmember spotted something almost right away. Capt. Robertson then descended to about 3,700 feet, a pretty low level for a 777 to be doing a search and rescue, but getting closer gave them a much better look and sure enough, they had located Ey and his yacht.
A few hours after being spotted, Ey was rescued, returning to Sydney nearly 24 hours later.
Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick reported that everyone on board was extremely happy about the outcome, even though it added an extra 90 minutes to their flight.
NBC news quoted Ey saying, "It's extraordinary. The noise is like an explosion. You are upside down, smashing around inside the boat filling up with water.
"A wave came along, a huge wave, and it just rolled me over and I smashed into the roof of the yacht and then I was back on the table of the yacht. The boat flooded with water. You do think your number's up."
Today, he is still thanking the captain, crew and passengers aboard the jet for possibly saving his life and says he's grateful for the little things.
This story was filed and written by KHQ's Nichole Mischke. Email her at Nichole.Kiefer@KHQ.com
Do you think most passengers today would be just as willing to divert their flight to search for someone lost at sea?
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My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads, round and green, these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land, and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear. When I look back at some of these early resting places--the boisterous home of the Catholics, the soft armchair of the Christian Science mom, adoption by ardent Jews--I can see how flimsy and indirect a path they made. Yet each step brought me closer to the verdant pad of faith on which I somehow stay afloat today.That One Ridiculous Palm
The railroad yard below our house was ringed in green, in grass and weeds and blackberry bushes and shoulder-high anise plants that smelled and tasted of licorice; this wreath of green, like a cell membrane, contained the tracks and the trains and the roundhouse, where engines were repaired. The buildings rose up out of the water on the other side of the bay, past Angel Island, past Alcatraz. You could see the Golden Gate Bridge over to the right behind Belvedere, where the richer people lived; the anise was said to have been brought over at the turn of the century by the Italians who gardened for the people of Belvedere.
Tiburon, where I grew up, used to be a working-class town where the trains still ran. Now mostly wealthy people live here. It means shark in Spanish, and there are small sharks in these parts. My father and shy Japanese fishermen used to catch leopard sharks in the cold green waters of the bay.
There was one palm tree at the western edge of the railroad yard, next to the stucco building of the superintendent--one tall incongruous palm tree that we kids thought was very glamorous but that the grown-ups referred to as "that ridiculous palm tree." It did not belong, was not in relationship to anything else in town. It was silent and comical, like Harpo Marx with a crazy hat of fronds.
We took our underpants off for older boys behind the blackberry bushes. They'd give us things--baseball cards, Sugar Babies. We chewed the stems off the anise plants and sucked on them, bit the ends off nasturtiums and drank the nectar.
When I was five and six, my best friend was a Catholic girl who lived about fifteen minutes away, on foot, from our house--kids walked alone all over town back then. I loved the Catholic family desperately. There were dozens of children in that family, or maybe it just felt that way, babies everywhere, babies crawling out from under sofas like dust bunnies. We only had three kids in our family; my brother John, who is two years older than me and didn't like me very much back then, and my brother Stevo, who is five years younger than me, whom I always adored, and who always loved me. My mother nursed him discreetly, while the Catholic mother wore each new baby on her breasts like a brooch. The Catholic mama was tall and gorgeous and wore heels to church and lots of makeup, like Sophia Loren, and she had big bosoms that she showed off in stylish V-necked dresses from the Sears catalog. My mother was not much of a dresser. Also, she was short, and did not believe in God. She was very political, though; both she and Dad were active early on in the civil rights movement. My parents and all their friends were yellow-dog Democrats, which is to say that they would have voted for an old yellow dog before they would have voted for a Republican.
I was raised by my parents to believe that you had a moral obligation to try to save the world. You sent money to the Red Cross, you registered people to vote, you marched in rallies, stood in vigils, picked up litter. My mother used to take the Greyhound out to Marin City, which was a terrible ghetto then, and volunteer in an after-school program for boys and girls from impoverished families. She tutored kids in reading while other grown-ups worked with them in sports. My mother majored in the classics in college. She always brought along little paper candy cups filled with the fanciest candies from Blum's or the City of Paris to give to the children after their lessons. It used to make my father mad that she'd buy such expensive candies, but this didn't stop her.
My Catholic friend and I used to spend hours sitting on the couch with the latest Sears catalog spread across our knees, pretending that we got whatever was on our side of the page. I played this game with anxiety and grief, always thinking that the better dresses and shoes were on my friend's pages and that I would have been OK if they had just been on mine--and
if I'd had her tall stylish mother, with the wonderful cleavage showing like the bottom of a baby in her low necklines. I knew I was not pretty because people were always making jokes about my looks. (Once, at a pizza joint, a stranger had included me in a collective reference to the Catholic children, and you would have thought from the parents' outrage that he had included a chimpanzee.) And I knew I was not OK because I got teased a lot by strangers or by big boys for having hair that was fuzzy and white. Also, I got migraines. I got my first one midway through kindergarten and had to lie down with my face on the cool linoleum in the back of the room until my father could come get me.
My friend and I gathered blackberries from the bushes in the train yard, and her mother made pies. She made apple pies too. We peeled each apple with precision, aiming for one long green spiral of peel, and my first memory of watching someone be beaten was on a night after we'd prepared apples for pie. My Catholic friend and I had been left with a baby-sitter and all those babies, and after we had sliced up and spiced the apples, we'd gone to bed without throwing out all those green snakes of peel, and I awoke with a start in the middle of the night because my friend's father was smacking her on the face and shoulders, fuming alcohol breath on the two of us in our one twin bed, raging that we were slobs, and I don't know how he knew to beat her instead of me because I don't remember there being any light on. We both cried in the dark, but then somehow we slept and in the morning when we woke the mother was frying up bacon, a baby slung over her shoulder, and the dad was happy and buoyant, thunderous in his praise of the pie now in the oven.
It was Sunday morning and I got to go to church with them. All the children got dressed up. The parents looked like movie stars, so handsome and young, carrying babies, shepherding the bigger kids, smooching in the car.
I loved every second of Catholic church. I loved the sickly sweet rotting-pomegranate smells of the incense. I loved the overwrought altar, the birdbath of holy water, the votive candles; I loved that there was a poor box, and the stations of the cross rendered in stained glass on the windows. I loved the curlicue angels in gold paint on the ceiling; I loved the woman selling holy cards. I loved the slutty older Catholic girls with their mean names, the ones with white lipstick and ratted hair that reeked of Aqua Net. I loved the drone of the priest intoning Latin. All that life surrounding you on all four sides plus
the ceiling--it was like a religious bus station. They had all that stuff holding them together, and they got to be so conceited because they were Catholics.
Looking back on the God my friend believed in, he seems a little erratic, not entirely unlike her father--God as borderline personality. It was like believing in the guy who ran the dime store, someone with a kind face but who was always running behind and had already heard every one of your lame excuses a dozen times before--why you didn't have a receipt, why you hadn't noticed the product's flaw before you bought it. This God could be loving and reassuring one minute, sure that you had potential, and then fiercely disappointed the next, noticing every little mistake and just in general what a fraud you really were. He was a God whom his children could talk to, confide in, and trust, unless his mood shifted suddenly and he decided instead to blow up Sodom and Gomorrah.
My father's folks had been Presbyterian missionaries who raised their kids in Tokyo, and my father despised Christianity. He called Presbyterians "God's frozen people." My mother went to midnight mass on Christmas Eve at the Episcopal church in town, but no one in our family believed in God--it was like we'd all signed some sort of loyalty oath early on, agreeing not to believe in God in deference to the pain of my father's cold Christian childhood. I went to church with my grandparents sometimes and I loved it. It slaked my thirst. But I pretended to think it was foolish, because that pleased my father. I lived for him. He was my first god.
My mother and her twin sister had come over from Liverpool with their mother after their father died, when they were twelve. My mother had a lifelong compassion for immigrants; she used to find people waiting for boats to their homeland or waiting for money to be wired from the East so that they could catch a bus home, and she'd bring them to stay with us until everything was straightened out. She and my aunt Pat had been confirmed as Episcopalians in England--I have their confirmation picture on my mantel, two dark-haired beauties of twelve or so in long white baptismal-style dresses. But that was the last of their religious affiliation. My aunt Pat married a Jew, with a large Jewish family in tow, but they were not really into Moses Jews; they were bagelly Jews. My closest cousin was bar mitzvahed, but other than accusing you of anti-Semitism if you refused second helpings of my uncle Millard's food, they might as well have been Canadians.
None of the adults in our circle believed. Believing meant that you were stupid. Ignorant people believed, uncouth people believed, and we were heavily couth. My dad was a writer, and my parents were intellectuals who went to the Newport Jazz festival every year for their vacation and listened to Monk and Mozart and the Modern Jazz Quartet. Everyone read all the time. Mt. Tamalpais loomed above us, and we hiked her windy trails many weekends, my dad with binoculars hanging around his neck because he was a serious bird-watcher. He worshiped in the church of Allen Ginsberg, at the Roger Tory Peterson Holiness Temple, the Tabernacle of Miles Davis.
We were raised to believe in books and music and nature. My mother played the piano most weekend nights, and all of us kids knew the words to almost every song in the Fireside Book of Folk Songs.
When my parents' friends came over on the weekends and everyone had a lot to drink, my mother played piano and everyone sang: English ballads, spirituals, union songs, "The Golden Vanity," "Joe Hill," "Bread and Roses."
Excerpted from Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott. Copyright © 2000 by Anne Lamott. Excerpted by permission of Anchor, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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NEW YORK TIMES (DETROIT
) — "Employment in the auto industry will return to prerecession levels by 2015, with carmakers and their suppliers adding about 167,000 jobs by then, according to estimates by an auto industry research firm.
The job growth would represent a 28 percent increase over current levels but would still replace only about a third of the jobs lost in the last decade. And much of the increase is made possible by labor agreements ratified this fall that allow the Detroit automakers to hire more workers on the lower of their two pay scales.
The industry group, the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., said it expected the Detroit automakers to hire 14,750 hourly employees in the next four years. They would receive entry-level wages of $16 to $19 an hour. Workers hired before 2007 earn about $29 an hour. The group projected that about 15 percent of the new jobs would be at Detroit automakers, and nearly 80 percent would be at suppliers. Foreign automakers would account for the rest.
The two-tier system was created in 2007 to help the automakers cut labor costs as they were hemorrhaging money, but only recently were they able to begin hiring new workers in large enough numbers for the savings to have a noticeable effect on the bottom line.
About 590,000 people now work in the auto industry, 13 percent more than in July 2009, when G.M. emerged from bankruptcy. That figure is expected to grow to 756,800 in 2015. Much of the job growth will happen in Michigan, where the three Detroit automakers cut more than half of their jobs since 2001."
MP: One way to think about U.S. auto manufacturing over the last several decades is to consider that it was suffering from an "unsustainable wage bubble" (thank to Tim Kane for that reference), especially for the UAW wages paid by Detroit automakers. Now that auto wages are more realistic, competitive, and more closely aligned with market forces with the new 2-tiered wage structure, the wage bubble has burst and the auto jobs are coming back.
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<urn:uuid:5358267e-263e-46d9-9b05-1b033678de72>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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By Andrea Shalal-Esa
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Airbus should create about 2,500 construction jobs to build a new $600 million airliner assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama, and 400 to 500 full-time jobs once production starts in 2017, a source familiar with the plans said on Saturday.
The European planemaker, owned by EADS, is poised to announce plans to build the plant for its single-aisle A320 passenger jet that will begin producing four planes a month in 2017, according to multiple people familiar with the plans. The announcement may come as early as Monday.
Over the longer term, the facility is also expected to attract a number of key suppliers to the region, including jet engine makers and companies that produce key aircraft components that require on-site quality control, the sources said.
Historically, aerospace manufacturing facilities result in at least twice the direct employment at the plant.
But the initial job opportunities in Mobile will be focused on the building trades, with some estimates projecting creation of about 2,500 jobs over the next three to four years, said one of the sources.
The new plant may result in more jobs for the Mobile region than an earlier Airbus plan to assemble some commercial freighters there.
Airbus had offered to build the assembly plant there to sweeten EADS' bid for a $35 billion military refueling plane contract it first won in 2008, but then lost to Boeing Co during a bitterly contested rematch last year.
One local official told Reuters on Friday that the plant would create a significant number of direct jobs, and could attract many other companies that would provide components for the new passenger planes.
That's good news for a state that is projected to lose over 24,000 jobs if Congress fails to avert an additional $500 billion in defense spending cuts due to take effect in January - on top of $487 billion in cuts already slated over the next decade.
The cuts already slated will affect Australia's Austal, since the Navy is sharply curtailing its order for the company's Joint High Speed Vessel, which is also built in Mobile.
The new plant will also help beef up the state's annual aerospace and defense revenues of around $7.8 billion a year, according to an estimate included in recent study by Deloitte.
The Mobile plant will be the second assembly facility outside Europe for Airbus's most popular jet. Airbus produces 37 planes a month between France and Germany, and 3 a month in China. By the end of this year, it plans to reach 38 in Europe and 4 in China.
EADS also builds helicopters in Columbus, Mississippi.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Philip Barbara)
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Central’s strong liberal arts education prepares students for citizenship in a global society. Active civic engagement and environmental stewardship are distinguishing characteristics of Central’s academic curriculum.
Offering over 37 majors, Central focuses on helping students acquire in-depth knowledge in their chosen major area and integrated knowledge from a variety of perspectives.
When you graduate from Central, you'll leave with more than just a degree.
You'll have an education that has prepared you with critical thinking skills, a cultural perspective, and effective communication skills that will take you farther than you ever dreamed.
Learn more about Central's classroom, faculty, internships, and more!
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Mike Wallace, the newsman whose confrontational and often controversial manner made his a household name and helped make the TV news program "60 Minutes" a consistent ratings winner, died late Saturday. He was 93.
Wallace's career spanned decades, but he was not always a hard-hitting newsman. He was a radio entertainer in the 1940s, then moved to television as host of game and other shows in the early 1950s. Later that decade, he turned full-time to news coverage. It was a propitious step. As a newsman, he won 21 Emmys, five DuPont-Columbia journalism awards and five Peabody Awards.
Wallace was on the initial staff of "60 Minutes, " in 1968 and was associated with the program until his official retirement in 2006, though he still contributed to CBS news programs as a "correspondent emeritus" until ill health brought his career to an end in 2008. All in all, he did more than 800 pieces for "60 Minutes."
The show became must-see TV, a program whose familiar "tick, tick, tick" introduction was known by up to 40 million viewers in its heyday. It quickly became a ratings leader -- and major moneymaker for CBS. It remains so today.
Much of that success can be traced to Wallace, whose style and determination to get an interview often made him a part of the news as well as a chronicler of it. His interviews with seven U.S. presidents, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini, China's Deng Xiaoping, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Dr. Jack Kevorkian and entertainer Barabra Streisand, to name a few, are considered broadcast news classics.
Indeed, his interviews were so likely to produce informative and entertaining fireworks that one prominent businessman took out newspaper ads that read: "The Four Most Dreaded Words in the English Language: Mike Wallace Is Here."
Wallace's career was not all accolades and awards. He was embroiled in a highly publicized lawsuit involving Gen. William C. Westmoreland, who sued for libel following a "CBS Reports" documentary on Vietnam. He was caught in the crossfire of a tobacco-industry scandal that his network first refused to air, but later did broadcast.
Wallace later said that he became so depressed during the Westmoreland case that that he required hospitalization for depression and tried to commit suicide. He recovered with the help of antidepressants and psychiatric care. He learned from his bout with depression. He became a highly vocal and public advocate for better federal funding for depression research.
Through it all, Wallace remained a newsman whose work helped establish the highest standard in broadcast journalism. It's unlikely we'll ever see or hear a journalist like him again. That's our loss.
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It is, of course, an election year, which means there is even a greater interest than usual in all things presidential.
Even the children's story hour at the Maryville Public Library struck a political note Saturday with a book about Bo, the Portuguese water dog famously purchased by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for daughters Malia and Sasha after the family moved into the White House.
What made the regular late-morning book party special was the reader. Dick Schott, a retired Navy corpsman and educator who lives in St. Joseph, knows Bo personally.
Schott's daughter, Michelle, is a U.S. Navy nurse who provided personal medical care to President George W. Bush during his second term and continued in that role for 18 months in the Obama White House.
A man with nine grandchildren, Schott knows how to read a children's book, and he took his young audience on a leisurely trip through "First Pooch: The Obamas Pick a Pet" by Carole Boston Weatherford, broadening the tale with stories about his own visits to the White House and his daughter's life as a member of the president's official family.
After all, it's not every proud father whose child calls him from Air Force One just to tell him where she'll be that night and not to worry.
Schott had done his homework, and he leavened Weatherford's book with history lessons about other presidential canines, a doggy tradition that goes back to George Washington, who kept fox hounds.
Other notable presidential pets mentioned by Schott included Fala, Franklin Roosevelt's Scottish terrier, whose name was used as a password by American GI's during the Battle of the Bulge, and Buddy, Bill Clinton's chocolate Labrador retriever.
Schott also talked about how the Obamas had at first wanted a shelter dog of a breed distinctly associated with the United States — no German shepherds or English bulldogs for the America's first family.
"When you get older," Schott said, "you'll find out that this is called politics."
In the end of course, the desire for political correctness was frustrated because of Malia's allergies, and Bo was purchased thanks to his breed's purportedly hypoallergenic coat.
In addition to reading Weatherford's book and telling stories about his family's experiences in the White House, Schott also passed around a picture of his daughter and her family standing with President Obama in the Oval Office. Another image showed Schott doing a photo op with Bo himself.
One of Schott's more interesting observations was how Bo was acquired in order to fulfill a presidential promise, one of the White House's most time-honored traditions. Calvin Coolidge, he said, guaranteed "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage." John F. Kennedy pledged to send a man to the moon.
President Obama, on election night in front of a television audience of millions, promised his little girls they could have the puppy they'd been asking for, proving that while some political pledges are kept and some are broken, one, at least, barks.
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A war of words has broken out between environmentalists and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection over the cancellation of a meeting on the state’s testing of water from water wells near natural-gas drilling sites.
A meeting of 25 environmentally themed groups, the department’s oil and gas division and the state Department of Health’s Bureau of Laboratories had been set for Jan. 24 after the disclosure last November that department scientists had omitted data on some toxic metals found in water taken from a site in southwestern Pennsylvania.
On Jan. 22, the department informed the groups that the meeting was being deferred until an unspecified date, according to Iris Marie Bloom, director of Protecting Our Waters, a group based in Philadelphia that had planned to take part.
On Tuesday, the environmental groups issued a statement urging the Department of Environmental Protection to be more transparent about its testing procedures. “The D.E.P. seems more interested in protecting its own information than protecting the environment,” Nadia Steinzor of the Earthworks Oil and Gas Accountability Project, one of the groups that was due to meet DEP officials, was quoted as saying.
A spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, Kevin Sunday, said the agency put off the meeting because it objected to a statement issued by one of the environmental groups, Marcellus Shale Protest, that it planned a “takedown” of Michael Krancer, the department’s secretary, at a public meeting in Harrisburg, Pa.
“That language and that reference is unacceptable in the forum of civil public discourse and dialogue,” Mr. Sunday wrote in an e-mail. “We are working with the remainder of the invitees to reschedule the meeting.”
Mr. Sunday said that Mr. Krancer had been “very transparent” on the subject of water testing and oil and gas investigations in recent months.
Concern that the department had reported only partial results from water tests surfaced after Taru Upadhyay, technical director of the Bureau of Laboratories, testified last September in a legal deposition that her office had reported on the presence of only eight of 24 metals it tested for in one set of water samples.
The samples were taken from a water well owned by a resident who is suing the gas driller Range Resources and more than a dozen of its contractors, asserting that their activities had contaminated his water with the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.
The resident, Loren Kiskadden, and six other plaintiffs who live near a Range gas site in Washington County, Pa. say they have suffered from nausea, breathing difficulties, bone pain and other health complaints because of their exposure to fracking chemicals.
Among the metals detected but not reported in Mr. Kiskadden’s water were copper, nickel, zinc and titanium, all of which may be hazardous to human health, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Ms. Upadhyay said she had omitted some metals from her test report because they had not been requested by the Department of Environmental Protection’s oil and gas division. In early November, Mr. Sunday said that some metals were excluded from the test report because officials wanted to see only those deemed relevant to determining whether drinking water was being contaminated by gas drilling and production in the Marcellus Shale.
In the e-mailed statement on Tuesday, the environmental groups asked the agency to explain why landowners are not routinely provided with quality-control measures and to clarify when and how certain testing protocols are used.
They also called on the department to specify its criteria for determining whether water contamination was caused by natural gas development.
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WASHINGTON — As if soaring prices for food and gasoline weren't enough of a worry, most senior citizens in Medicare's prescription program are paying considerably higher monthly premiums for coverage this year, according to a study to be released Thursday.
Those in the 10 largest plans -- which account for nearly three-fourths of seniors signed up for drug coverage -- are paying an average of $26.39 a month, or 16 percent more than last year, according to the analysis by Avalere Health, an information company serving the health-care industry.
The rise is modest in dollar terms, and some of the top plans actually lowered their premiums for 2008. But on average, the percentage increase for the prescription plan is greater than the change in Medicare's Part B premium for outpatient care, which rose 3 percent in 2008.
"A 16 percent increase is significant in and of itself, because premiums are rising rapidly at a time when Medicare beneficiaries are finding it harder to afford it," said Dan Mendelson, president of Avalere. "These are individuals on a fixed income who are facing rapidly rising prices elsewhere in the economy."
Premiums for many seniors appear to be going up faster than the cost of coverage for commercial insurance plans that serve workers and their families, he said. Data from Mercer, a benefits consulting firm, show that drug-benefit costs rose a little more than 9 percent last year for large employers. Both kinds of coverage are delivered by private insurers, but because the Medicare plan is heavily subsidized by taxpayers, a precise comparison is difficult.
While seniors are one of the most important groups of voters, Medicare has not been a major issue in this year's election thus far. But the rise in prescription premiums may boost Democratic proposals to authorize Medicare to negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical industry. On the Republican side, presumptive presidential candidate John McCain supports giving Americans the right to import lower-cost medications from countries, such as Canada, where governments set prices.
Medicare officials say the prescription program, with more than 25 million beneficiaries, is a successful example of how private companies can improve the delivery of government benefits. They point out that in many cases, monthly premiums are lower than estimated at the program's inception and they credit that to competition among private plans.
But independent experts say the initial estimates may have been too high for several reasons, such as the government had no experience with such a program.
Medicare officials said senior citizens can find better deals if they shop around for coverage during the annual open-enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31.
But most seniors don't switch.
"The tendency for many people is to stick with the plan they have from year to year," said Patricia Neuman, a Medicare expert with the Kaiser Family Foundation.
- - -
Of the top 10 Medicare prescription program plans, six raised their premiums for 2008, while four reduced them. Average premiums for the most popular plan, AARP MedicareRx Preferred, rose by 15 percent to $32.08 a month, according to a study out Thursday. The plan, offered by UnitedHealth Group, has more than 2.7 million members.
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However, the SSO’s 61 core musicians have dwindled to 40, according to French horn player Jon Garland, and he fears more will leave as they find positions at other orchestras.
With the 2012-13 musical season around the corner, it is time to ask if any successor organization to the SSO is possible.
The remaining players face two options.
They could continue self-management, incorporate and go it alone. They could hire administrative help, engage freelance musicians, and market themselves. The Louisiana Philharmonic is such an orchestra, and it has operated that way since 1991. The celebrated Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in New York City has adopted some elements of self-management.
A second option is for the musicians to recreate the old structure, but with a new board and mission. But who in the community would step forward to partner with them?
To its credit, Syracuse University tried. It failed because the SSO musicians were largely cut out of a planning process that would have taken five years to create a replacement orchestra of uncertain quality.
Quietly, for the past six months, Garland, the leader of the musicians, has been working with Bob Daino, the head of WCNY. Daino jumped into the void in part because he believes a new orchestra is of value to WCNY-FM, the classical music station. He is convinced an orchestra can take much better advantage of radio, television and the Internet to create audiences and revenue streams.
Daino is energetic and unencumbered by the past. He is not a passionate classical music fan; he is a businessman who sees opportunities where others may not. (Full disclosure: I serve on the board of WCNY and have watched him break the public broadcasting model to produce new revenues.)
Daino won Garland’s confidence, and the two have hammered out a possible future for a new musical group.
They agreed that the 2010-11 SSO budget of more than $7 million cannot remotely be achieved. The projection is for a budget of about $2 million, a huge blow to the musicians, but one they are prepared to absorb.
All parties agree that any budget depends on guaranteed revenues, not pie-in-the-sky projections. The musicians will play in many venues in all sorts of combinations, including brass quintets, string quartets, string orchestras and jazz bands. They will play all sorts of music — whatever the market dictates.
The big problem is cash flow. How can this venture be started so that it will not quickly collapse again, perhaps ending hopes for a permanent orchestra forever? As Garland says, “If we announce something, we had better follow through and do it.”
There are four pieces to this start-up puzzle, and all four must lock into place at the same time for this project to be launched.
First, Onondaga County has to buy in, because it could provide up to $400,000 a year. Deputy County Executive William Fisher says County Executive Joanie Mahoney’s support is “strong but conditional.” She must be assured the players have a business plan that can work.
Fisher congratulates Garland and Daino for making “tremendous progress” and putting us “in a good position.” But the county is not quite ready to say yes.
Second, the Syracuse Symphony Foundation, which has provided nearly $200,000 to Symphony Syracuse over the past 15 months, must sign on. It could also provide $400,000 a year. David Ridings, chair of the foundation, is strong in his praise of Daino — “charismatic, energetic, a great salesperson” — but he, too, is waiting for the full picture to develop.
Third is ticket revenue. Daino has wisely decided to escrow all advance ticket income so that Syracusans will not be left holding worthless tickets if the effort collapses. That happened in 2011, most painfully for a Yo-Yo Ma concert. But it means ticket revenue can’t be spent until engagements are played.
Which leaves puzzle piece No. 4: donors. Fisher estimates that if the organization could raise $200,000 now, the other pieces would lock in and a season could be announced. This is not a lot of money in our era of PILOTS and Empire Zone giveaways. Are there 10 music lovers out there with $20,000 each willing to help make this happen?
If not, this effort could collapse. Syracuse Opera would be affected. Holiday concerts would be affected. The number of top-flight musicians in the area would continue to dwindle.
For lovers of live classical music in Syracuse, the future is on the line. Now.
-- David M. Rubin, former dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, is an occasional columnist with The Post-Standard. Email him at email@example.com.
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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand
New Zealand police say the confirmed death toll from an earthquake that struck Christchurch city last week has risen to 159.
Superintendent Dave Cliff said on Wednesday that four more bodies had been pulled from the rubble from the Feb. 22 disaster, taking the total tally to 159.
Many more people are still missing and Cliff has said the final death toll is likely to be around 240.
Cliff said the remains of some victims may never be able to be retrieved because they were too badly damaged by the force of collapsing buildings.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) - The jackhammers fell silent, church bells pealed and a Maori lament filled the air as New Zealand came to a standstill to mourn the estimated 240 people killed in an earthquake one week ago Tuesday.
Flags were lowered to half-staff and people gathered in groups in cities and towns to bow their heads for two minutes of silence at 12:51 p.m., the moment when the quake struck Christchurch.
The hundreds of rescue and recovery workers in the shattered city of 350,000, who have been clambering over and through the wreckage nonstop since the quake struck, took a moment to pause and turn dusty faces to the sky or the ground. Friends and neighbors hugged each other. Traffic halted in the streets.
"I was born here, I've lived here all my life and I'll die here. It's my home and it hurts so much to see it in this way," said Mike Cochrane, fighting back tears.
Cochrane had climbed out of his car at one of the city's busiest intersections to sit under a tree on a traffic island to observe the commemoration, climbing back in and driving off when a second peal of bells signaled the moment of silence was over.
Nearby, Rosie MacLean had left her realtor's office to stand in the street, a spontaneous act matched by thousands of others who also preferred to be outside.
"I suppose this is about hope, really, to realize we've got a future somewhere, but that's just hard to find at the moment," she said. "I guess this means we've reached a point where we can all acknowledge it together, which is a beautiful thing."
Prime Minister John Key had asked the nation's 4.5 million people to join in a show of unity for people "enduring tragedy beyond what most of us can imagine." And they did.
In the capital, Wellington, a traditional Maori lament rang out over the Parliament building.
Police said Tuesday they have pulled 155 bodies from the wreckage, and said the number of others missing and feared dead indicated a final death toll higher than previously thought.
"The figure ... of around 240 is solidifying," Superintendent Dave Cliff told reporters.
The magnitude 6.3 quake struck within a few miles (kilometers) of downtown Christchurch, when the southern city was bustling with workers, shoppers and tourists going about their activities. It brought down or badly damaged office towers, churches and thousands of homes across the city.
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This is an interesting article with regard to incentives for low income people to buy homes. I think the most important part however is the last section with regard to "Pushing too Hard".
Homeownership bill: political currency
$400 million effort aimed at minorities delights industry
By Steve Kerch, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 3:41 PM ET Oct. 2, 2003
CHICAGO (CBS.MW) - Efforts to increase homeownership among minorities got a boost this week as the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $400 million bill that provides down-payment and closing-cost aid to 80,000 lower-income buyers over the next two years.
Dubbed the American Dream Downpayment Act, the measure authorizes grants averaging $5,000 for first-time buyers whose incomes are less than 80 percent of a local area's median. The House passed the Republican-sponsored bill on a voice vote; a companion bill is pending in the Senate.
The bill's sponsors estimate it could result in construction of 1,000 new homes and the creation of 2,500 jobs.
But the first spin-off is the political spin being put out by GOP leaders going out of their way to point out the benefits to minorities.
"African Americans and Latinos will benefit from the new legislation since it provides much needed money to assist residents in the purchasing of a home," said Pamela Mantis, Republican National Committee deputy press secretary. "The benefits of this bill will not only help new homeowners, but will also contribute to job creation, adding to the increased momentum of the nation's economic recovery."
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez noted that President Bush asked Congress to fund the American Dream Downpayment Initiative as part of the administration's "Homeownership Challenge" to increase minority homeownership by 5.5 million families by 2010.
The initiative is certainly a noble one. Two-thirds of all American households own their own home, but the homeownership rate for African Americans and Hispanics is less than 50 percent. While that rate picked up throughout the 1990s expansion, the gap between minority and white homeownership remains large.
"Down payment and closing costs are the biggest hurdles to homeownership for many American families. By helping those struggling to meet these costs, we can give more families an opportunity to build assets, we can get more Americans into homes, we can create jobs, and we can boost local economies," said House Financial Services Committee Chairman Michael Oxley, R-Ohio
Last year, HUD released a report that concludes adding 5.5 million minority homeowners will stimulate an additional $256 billion in benefits to the U.S. housing sector. In addition, HUD created The Blueprint for the American Dream Partnership, a coalition involving every housing-industry segment to build broad support for the President's goal of increasing homeownership opportunities for minority families.
Realty industry climbs aboard
It was no surprise real-estate trade groups jumped on the Republican praisemobile. The National Association of Realtors added at least two Democratic proponents of the bill to its greeting card.
"Realtors applaud the Bush administration and (U.S.) Reps. Oxley,, Barney Frank, D-Mass., Bob Ney, R-Ohio and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., for their outstanding leadership and commitment to helping more families achieve the American dream of homeownership," NAR President Cathy Whatley said.
"Although our homeownership rate is at a record high, one out of seven American families still faces critical housing needs. The American Dream Downpayment Act is a tremendous program that would not only create thousands of housing opportunities but also help sustain the housing market, which has been the pillar of our economy."
The Mortgage Bankers Association of America heaped on more accolades, for the leadership of the House Financial Services Committee, the sponsor of the bill, Rep. Katherine Harris, R. Fla., and for Martinez.
"The ability to come up with a down payment and closing costs remains a challenging hurdle to many families," said Kurt Pfotenhauer, MBA's senior vice president of government affairs. "Today, thanks to this legislation, more families will be able to overcome this hurdle and enjoy homeownership."
Pushing too hard?
It is true that down payments and closing costs are an added barrier to homeownership. And providing some cash to strapped borrowers will no doubt convince some to dive into homeownership.
But the fact is that the private mortgage market has already been doing its best to make everybody a homeowner, with plenty of zero-down options and in many cases allowing closing costs to be rolled into mortgages themselves. And it may be we've already pushed the envelope too far. See previous Resident Authority.
Mortgage delinquencies, while not near the records of previous recessions, are still high by the standards of what should be economic recovery. And there is ample evidence that the delinquency and foreclosure rates on subprime loans -- the loans most likely to go to homebuyers on the margins of creditworthiness -- are massively higher.
The bottom line is that the issues involved in providing decent, affordable housing to lower-income Americans are much too complex to be solved by a $5,000 check. But you can bet they'll be plenty of them cut - if not to average Americans, then at least by the housing-industry lobbyists to all the politicians they are now fawning over.
Steve Kerch is the real estate editor of CBS.MarketWatch.com in Chicago.
CBS and the CBS "eye device" are registered trademarks of CBS Broadcasting, Inc.
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It ain't how much you know, it's what you do with what you do know!
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A group of musicians and major donors pose with Lionel Hampton's vibraphone at the 2013 Jazz Appreciation Month launch. From left: Mark Dibner of The Argus Fund, drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Fran Morris Rosman of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, pianist Randy Weston, Richard Rosman of the Ella Fitzgerald foundation and Smithsonian American History Museum Director John Gray.
The 12th official Jazz Appreciation Month began when April did. But today, the Smithsonian Museum of American History, which founded the JAM campaign, kick started its own celebration with a series of performances, discussions and ceremonies.
Join WRTI through the month of April as we celebrate the art form that is our lifestyle...Jazz! During each jazz shift, WRTI hosts will feature music by an artist who has shaped jazz into the multi-faceted genre that it is today. You'll hear the great vocalists, bandleaders, instrumentalists and composers, as well as the stories behind their jazz innovation.
You can expect to hear these featured artists at 7 pm, 10 pm, 1 am and 5 am each day. Also, keep an ear out for special jazz interviews and tidbits sprinkled throughout our regular programming.
Put some swing into your spring...check out all of the jazz events around town this month. Plus, on WRTI we’ll broadcast special jazz tributes every night in April. You’ll hear short biographical sketches of jazz musicians (past and present) with regional ties. And after each sketch, we’ll play music from the featured artists. You’ll be able to catch our vignettes every day at 7 pm, 10 pm, 1 am, and 5 am.
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Sticking to those aspirations doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. Just follow a few expert tips and you’ll look and feel great in no time.
Leading fitness expert and celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor Kristin McGee has partnered with CalNaturale Svelte to help busy adults maintain overall health and wellness. Her top tips for an effective yet healthy summer slim-down include:
The weather is nice, so why not take your workout routine outdoors? So many outdoor activities are natural calorie-burners, plus they’re a lot of fun. Ride bikes on the weekend, run around and play tag with your kids, or play fetch with the dog. Infuse your social activities with fitness, too. For example, finish a date night with a romantic walk outside, or have friends over for an outdoor barbecue and dance party.
Light foods pair well with warmer weather, so take a fresh approach to meal time. Visit your local farmers market to pick up fresh, seasonal food and get creative in the kitchen. Incorporate water-based fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and pineapple into meals. For dessert, freeze grapes for a sweet treat after dinner.
Look for snacks and drink options made from pure and simple ingredients. CalNaturale Svelte is a premium protein shake that can serve as a delicious meal replacement. This dairy- and gluten-free shake is also perfect as a pre- and post-workout drink or an anytime on-the-go snack. Each tasty flavor helps control hunger and provides vital nutrients for sustained energy, important for keeping up with the bustle of summer to-do’s.
Stay hydrated by stocking the fridge with healthy drink options. A big pitcher of cold water with slices of strawberries, cucumbers and lime is a refreshing drink that’s readily available. This low-calorie drink quenches on even the hottest days.
Rise and shine
Get some fresh air first thing in the morning; it will keep you energized all day long. Take a quick walk or practice yoga outside – try it during sunrise for a great way to start your day. You’ll be surprised with how cheery and upbeat you’ll feel.
Green your thumb
Gardening is a great way to enjoy the warm weather, plus you burn calories without even knowing it. Try planting your own herb garden. It’s a simple activity you can even do with your kids. Plus, you will have quick access to fresh herbs when you want to add a healthy flavor boost to your dishes.
Try new activities
Warm weather is the perfect time to try something new. Take tennis or golf lessons, or meet friends on a weekly basis to play a different sport. Hit the sand with the family and try some beach body Pilates; do a few crunches on your towel, try some planks in the sand, and even some crab walks. Don’t forget sunscreen and sunglasses to protect your skin and eyes.
For more healthy tips and information from McGee, visit www.sveltebrand.com.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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Celeste White is a 34-year-old mother of two who practices law in Lafayette and enjoys reading and running.
I’ve been breastfeeding my 8-month-old son since the day he was born, and I’m a true believer that breast is best. But I have to admit that when I heard that NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg was pushing a controversial city-wide breastfeeding initiative to increase breastfeeding rates I immediately thought he was going too far. I had to fetter out the details to learn that it was more an encouragement than a demand. It didn’t sound so bad in that light. Included in the initiative are rules that, roughly, require hospital staff to: provide breastfeeding support (baby positioning, latching, recognizing hunger and fullness cues); ban putting formula in goodbye gift bags; and require notation in the baby’s file as to each formula feeding. The rules apply only to women desiring to breastfeed, allow supplementation for babies needing additional nourishment and, contrary to early reports, do not require hospitals to hide or lock up formula, nor do they restrict access to it for those who want it; mothers can request and be given formula at any time.
In my larger social circle, the rules predictably rankled “nanny state” naysayers, but it also prompted a debate among several of my friends whose positions I would not necessarily have predicted. One formula-feeding friend praised the initiative, making me wonder whether an unsupportive hospital staff in any way contributed to her decision to stop breastfeeding early on. A friend currently breastfeeding her 7-month-old said she would support breastfeeding initiatives when they included requirements that employers provide paid breaks for employees to pump and a safe/clean space for them to do it. “Until then,” she said, “the breastfeeding debate feels like classic mommy guilt.” Several women noted that it seemed that hormonal early motherhood was a really bad time to slather on the guilt. A couple others replied that when you’re that susceptible to suggestion, maybe a little restraint on the part of those around you could go a long way. Good points all, I say. What do you think? Join the conversation by posting a comment below.
David Calhoun and Elizabeth “EB” Brooks are the first two employees of Lafayette Central Park Inc., the nonprofit charged with turning Lafayette Consolidated Government’s 100-acre Johnston Street Horse Farm property into a passive public park. Calhoun was named executive director, and Brooks is director of planning and design.
Is it a crime for citizens to photograph, video, or take notes of a police officer in the line of duty, or a right protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? Locally, such activity, as witnessed recently, will at the very least result in a night spent behind bars.
There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
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There are 2 main aspects to this discussion, as far as I can see:
- Bad security model - security getting in the way
- Bad user model - not understanding what allowing access to a machine entails.
In the example of the linked question, you present a perfect case for 1 - the system security is causing you a significant delay when starting your machine, which would be a non-issue if you didn't have to interfere halfway through to satisfy some academic security requirement which isn't actually an issue for >50% of home users.
But also there's the problem of people allowing too much access to their machines - like sharing their whole disk with the world and allowing anyone to read and write anywhere, just so that they can copy files to it from work.
At the end of the day, I guess most, if not all of this, is really down to a bad security model - even if technically it's right, if the only thing a user can do to actually use a system is turn off security, then, at the very least, the user interface is wrong.
However, given that the vast majority of security models are wrong in some way and do cause issues, what do you do about it?
A lot of the time, the question's asked on forums are second degree questions, as opposed to first degree questions - for example, someone will ask how to enable worldwide sharing to their disk. If you directly answer that question for them, their machine will probably be totally compromised within a few minutes. If, however, you get them to ask the first order question "How do I share files between home and work", you might be able to give them a much safer answer.
Usually, this is the case - that people start to solve a problem using the tools they have, then hit a wall where the system doesn't behave as they want, and easiest way forward intellectually at that point is to break down that wall rather than back up a bit - hence the bad questions.
Equally, it doesn't help if someone says at the outset "How do I share files between work and home", and the answer comes back "don't be stupid, that's a security risk". Pointing out security implications is part of the answer, but the requirement still stands, if the question isn't answered properly, then how is anyone to know the security difference between sharing a single folder, non-suid, non-exec, fully audited, IP filtered and certificate controlled, vs just opening up the whole machine?
From what I've seen, SO is generally quite good at getting to the first-order questions. That's really the key of the whole thing, that and respecting the validity and requirement of these questions.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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Hotsite Testing Points the Way To Quick Data Recovery
- Published on Sunday, October 28, 2007
- Written by Ira Goodman
Disaster planning is acknowledged to be essential for corporate survival. But, unless disaster plans are thoroughly tested periodically, they can actually lull companies into a state of inadequate semi-preparedness.
Fortunately, the Mead Corporation realized the importance of hotsite testing their data recovery process before it was too late. In preparing for their first hotsite test, Al Tokarsky, Senior Systems Programmer, realized that with Mead’s existing data recovery system, at least three days would be required to restore business critical applications—such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), spreadsheet applications, financial analysis packages, and an internal communications application—in the event of a disaster.
“We had been using the same approach to data recovery for a number of years,” he says. “But as we started getting more concerned with disaster recovery, I looked more closely at how our backup and restore product worked. It soon became evident that we’d be in real trouble if we had to rely on that product in an actual outage.”
Tokarsky’s first step in remedying this situation was to identify recovery standards. “My original goal,” he recalls, “was to fully recover the entire VM system in a hot-site test in under five hours.”
That original target has been slashed as a result of a recent hot-site test when Mead finished a complete base restoration of critical business data in just two hours and thirty-five minutes. With the knowledge gained through the hot-site test, however, Tokarsky now believes the recovery period can be cut even further.
“We’re still in the process of streamlining recovery procedures,” he says. “We found that by running a stand-alone module of our restoration system directly we can simplify the environment so that we won’t have to depend on any other tape management products in the recovery process.”
The base tapes used in recovery operations are created weekly and shipped offsite along with a listing of all the tapes that would be required for recovery, including NSS (named saved system) tapes, and the key restoration system tapes.
“Every week we take a complete base backup — essentially a snapshot of all of our data as it exists at the time,” Tokarsky explains. “This physical, cylinder for cylinder representation of the DASD can be restored faster than incremental backups because it is not dependent on the CMS file structure, and verification of each file is not required.”
In addition, Mead makes two incremental backups daily, sending the first copy offsite for secure storage, and keeping the second copy onsite for ad hoc file restores. The daily incremental tapes are cumulative, and include all data changed since the previous base backup was made. Each incremental backup typically incorporates 5000-6000 user IDs, while the full base generally has over 7700.
The problem with Mead’s previous backup and restore system was that when the base backups were made the data had to be compressed — and decompressed — before the backup tapes could be used in a recovery operation.
“This presented a Catch 22 situation,” Tokarsky says, “where we had to have a base system up in order to decompress the files, but we needed those files in order to get the base system up. If our hot-site was down for any reason and we were forced to migrate to a cold site, restoration would be virtually impossible.”
Mead’s new system, called SYBACK, solves this problem because it can operate as a stand-alone module and does not require uncompressed files. “All we do,” Tokarsky says, “is enter the hotsite, verify the tapes are there, and load the key tape containing the two catalogue files and the stand-alone module. Since the Vol Sers needed to run the job are all in these files, no full file catalogue product is needed. The system then uses one file as input for the base restore, and with all DASD virtually attached, the job proceeds automatically. All we do is mount tapes as prompted by the system. Less than three hours later we’re done.”
Once the base is fully restored, Mead then restores the incrementals, a process which in their most recent hotsite test took just one hour and 40 minutes. But again, Tokarsky stresses, with additional hot-site tests, that number is expected to be reduced to as little as one hour.
“Hot-site tests not only demonstrate that our disaster plans work, but also provide us the opportunity to improve the process and trim valuable minutes,” he says. “When dealing with business critical applications, absolutely minimizing restore time is critical because every minute cut from the restoration process can translate into thousands of dollars saved.”
Ira Goodman is Software Services Manager at Syncsort, Inc., Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, developers of SYBACK, Mead’s data backup and restoration system.
This article adapted from Vol. 4, No. 3, p. 21.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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Managing Stress When Caregiving
Consider these suggestions to help ease the emotional and physical strain when you've become the caregiver.
Joan Johnson remembers when her parents started becoming dependent on their children. She remembers her brothers and sisters talking at length about their care options. A nursing home, an assisted-living facility, hiring in-home care.
Ultimately, family members chose to care for their parents themselves.
"We thought it would be easier than it was," says Joan. "My mother and father ended up needing 24-hour assistance, and while we were happy to do this, we should have been taking better care of ourselves. It was difficult, emotionally, to see them deteriorate, and the mounting responsibilities really took a toll."
Providing day-to-day and even minute-to-minute care for an aging parent can be tremendously stressful. Caregivers suffer symptoms so severe that they themselves become known as "hidden patients;" they fail to notice the signs of stress in their own lives.
When the attention is so focused on their parent, numerous and potentially harmful symptoms go unnoticed in the lives of the adult children. What's more, the warning signs of stress can attack so subtly that they're difficult to detect—and this can create a real danger.
Studies show that more than half of all caregivers suffer from depression, while the majority experience what's commonly referred to as "caregiver stress."
It's no wonder, considering many who care for a parent also juggle a multitude of responsibilities. Full-time jobs, parenting their own children and household duties all add to already high levels of stress. In the process, it's common for caregivers to put their own health, feelings and well-being aside. The results can be damaging: anxiety, sadness, guilt, and a whole host of physical ailments.
If you are in a caring for aging parents, recognize the warning signs, then deal with the stress immediately.
- Unusual sadness, moodiness or anger
- Social withdrawal from activities and friends
- Fatigue, exhaustion and difficulty sleeping, either too much or too little
- Change in eating habits, and weight loss or weight gain
- Recurrent headaches, stomachaches and colds
- Difficult concentrating on other areas of your life, possibly resulting in a decline in work performance
- Unexplained irritability
- Feelings of dread, hopelessness and depression
If you care for others, it is also imperative to make your own health a priority. Consider these suggestions:
Create lists and establish a daily routine. Keep track of tasks, then balance, prioritize and delegate responsibilities. Most importantly, modify your schedule to avoid anxiety and exhaustion.
Ask for help when you need it. Enlisting the support of friends and loved ones does not make you appear weak. It is of utmost important that you care for yourself in order to provide good care for your parent. Looking beyond immediate loved ones, many cities provide adult care and other services for the elderly, and many churches offer programs for seniors. With safe, friendly environments and plenty of activities, use outside care to give yourself and your parent a break.
Take care of your body and mind. Besides fitting exercise into your schedule and maintaining a balanced diet, it's crucial to find time to relax, pursue a hobby and connect with friends. While leaving a parent in someone else's hands is difficult, getting away at least a few hours a week is critical. Neglecting your own physical and emotional health leaves you vulnerable to disease and exhaustion.
If you feel depressed, get help. Caregivers are at tremendous risk for depression, yet many do not realize that they are depressed. These feelings can develop over time and will become progressively worse if not treated. Instead of hoping this condition will just go away, seek medical help; it'll make all the difference.
Regularly talk with a counselor, support group or close friend. Even though you may not want to discuss your feelings and frustrations, it's beneficial to find an outlet. A parent may have behavioral issues—yelling, hitting, wandering from home—that stir up unfamiliar and very painful emotions. A sympathetic listener could provide the support, comfort and perspective you need to get through the day.
It's worth noting that caring for an aging parent—while challenging—can have many positive effects on the whole family. There's an added sense of purpose, the ability to nurture an intergenerational bond and the knowledge that you're making a difference in the life of your parent.
Giving proper care and attention to yourself and your loved ones will create a healthier, happier environment sure to improve everybody's quality of life.
Copyright © 2007 Carol Heffernan. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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This division of medicine combines pulmonary and critical care medicine and it offers care for acute and chronic pulmonary disorders. The pulmonary service evaluates patients with sleep apnea, asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung disease and lung cancer, as well as patients with a cough. Patients may be evaluated in the clinic as outpatients or during a hospital stay. Pulmonary diagnostic laboratory staff can measure lung function and offer exercise testing and stimulation of the lower respiratory tract. We take care of critically ill patients, including care of patients with multi-system disease and organ failure and management of sepsis and shock.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.pennstatehershey.org/web/pulmonary/community/overview
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Yang hitam manis, pandang tak jemu.
I am si hitam manis. Nonetheless, I used to be darker during my childhood. The fact was made prominent by my younger brothers' fairness. One day in standard six, upon my exit from the teachers' room with Cimi in tow, a teacher, being confident that it was out of my hearing, remarked, "kasihan ya, adik lelakinya putih, kakaknya hitam!"
At kindergarten age, my defense against colour discrimination was to sulk. It worked just fine as my maternal grandma, uncles, and aunts, started calling me Putih, instead of teasing me about the stark contrast of my skin colour as compared to the younger brothers'.
Last Friday night, on the way back to Rembau from a family friend's open house in Seremban, with Kamal and I being in the same car as my parents, the old joke of si hitam manis arose. Surely, the teacher's remark was hilarious. Then, the surprise:
"You used another defence mechanism when you were in standard three."
"Yes. You came up with a pantun."
"Mak, are you sure?"
"Putih putih hampas kelapa dibuang orang. Hitam hitam baldu songkok dipakai sayang."
It became a secret joke between my parents. Ha ha ha!
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://beingchechmak.blogspot.com/2006/11/yang-hitam-itu-aishah.html
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After more than five years of effort promoting a model solution for post-consumer paint management, in July NPCA/FSCT was instrumental in passing the first-ever paint product stewardship law in the United States in the state of Oregon. NPCA/FSCT has created a new 501(c)(3) organization — "PaintCare" — to run the program, which will pilot an industry-lead end-of-life management program for post-consumer paint. This pilot program addresses the need for industry to combat state by state and local approaches to the issue of post-consumer paint; particularly "Extended Producer Responsibility" approaches being pursued by some governments, which would require producers to pay for expensive government-run programs. Product Care — an established product-stewardship organization running similar programs for paint in Canada — has agreed to partner with PaintCare to design the program for a start date of April 1, 2010, and to implement the program over the next four years.
In Orgeon, House Bill 3037 "providing for the development and implementation of an architectural paint stewardship pilot program" (referred to here as "the Act"), was signed into law by Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski on July 23, 2009. The legislation creates the first-ever paint-stewardship program in the United States, and enables the industry to implement the program, providing for a level playing field among manufacturers and retailers, a sustainable financing system, and an antitrust exemption for activities pursuant to the program — most notably the financing system. The Act states that "it is in the best interest of [Oregon] for architectural paint manufacturers to finance and manage an environmentally sound, cost-effective architectural paint stewardship pilot program, undertaking responsibility for the development and implementation of strategies to reduce the generation of post-consumer architectural paint, promote the reuse of post-consumer architectural paint, and collect, transport and process post-consumer architectural paint for end-of-product-life management, including reuse, recycling, energy recovery and disposal"
On Oct. 21, 2009, PaintCare was officially incorporated in the state of Delaware. PaintCare will be the stewardship organization that is defined in the Act as "a corporation, nonprofit organization or other legal entity created by a producer or group of producers to implement the architectural paint stewardship pilot program." NPCA/FSCT is the sole owner of PaintCare, which will have a Board of representatives from architectural paint companies who will be directing the program. In addition, members of NPCA/FSCT's Pacific Northwest Paint Council, who were instrumental in aiding passage of the legislation, will serve as an advisory council to the new organization. Product Care, which has been running similar programs in Canada for over 10 years, has agreed to partner with PaintCare for on-the-ground implementation of the program. Product Care has significant experience and expertise managing paint stewardship programs throughout Canada and is familiar to NPCA/FSCT members doing business there.
PaintCare and Product Care are currently working on formulating a budget for the program, which will lead to the paint stewardship assessment amount or "PaintCare Recovery Fee" that will fund the program. The architectural paint stewardship assessment is defined under the Act as "the amount added to the purchase price of architectural paint sold in [Oregon] necessary to cover the cost of collecting, transporting and processing the post-consumer architectural paint managed through a statewide architectural paint stewardship pilot program." This assessment will be paid to PaintCare by producers for all architectural paint sold in Oregon. Under the Act, it must be added to the wholesale price of paint to all distributors and retailers and included in the final purchase price of paint to all Oregon consumers. The assessment can not be called a recycling fee, so the program is recommending PaintCare Recovery Fee. The architectural paint subject to the program is defined under the Act as "interior and exterior architectural coatings sold in containers of five gallons or less," but "does not mean industrial, original equipment, or specialty coatings.
Several factors need to be determined before the PaintCare Recovery Fee can be determined. First of all, collection infrastructure must be identified. As such, Product Care is reaching out to current government collection sites to determine their interest. Additionally, retail partners are being sought, which will be beneficial for the program not only from an economic standpoint, but from a service standpoint as well when looking to fill in gaps in the current infrastructure. Secondly, a request for proposals was dispatched in September for transportation, processing and disposal providers. PaintCare received eight proposals, and Product Care is in the process of analyzing them for environmental sufficiency and economic viability. And finally, local advertising and marketing firms were interviewed and proposals evaluated in order to determine the best strategy and costs for education and outreach services.
While the legislative deadline for the program is not until July 1, 2010, the program is currently being slated for an April 1, 2010, start date in a good faith effort to bring the program to the state earlier and in order to address political pressure from other states interested in paint product stewardship. A plan for the program, including the budget and PaintCare Recovery Fee, must be approved by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). PaintCare and Product Care are currently drafting this program plan and intend on submitting it by the end of the year in order to give the DEQ ample time to review, request revisions if necessary, and approve before the April 1, 2010, start date. The program plan and final PaintCare Recovery Fee will be approved by the PaintCare Board before submission to the DEQ.
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<urn:uuid:de61d202-05c7-4095-96a4-58d249185702>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.coatingsworld.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2009-12-15/npca-fsct-forms-paintcare-its-pilot-program-for-a-/
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While most of the neighbors in her west Charlotte subdivision were closely following the election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Elvia Gordils was much more preoccupied with another presidential race. Gordils is the president and founder of Venezuelans in the Carolinas, a group dedicated to organizing local expats who hail from the South American country. Each year, she organizes a potluck at a public park where hundreds of Venezuelans gather around trays of succulent roast pork, fried plantains, shredded beef, empanadas and Venezuela's most iconic food, arepas, or griddled corn cakes. Last fall, however, she spent her time organizing that group for a more weighty cause — defeating Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in the 2012 election.
"We had a local family who moved to Texas shortly before the election but were still registered to vote at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C.," she said. "Our group came together and paid for their plane tickets."
Gordils also went to the embassy, filled with hope as she and thousands of Venezuelans cast their votes Oct. 7 for opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski. But her dreams of a Venezuela free of Chávez were shattered that evening when the leftist president won his fourth term in office, with 55 percent of the vote.
But Chávez was never sworn in as president on Jan. 10, as the constitution mandates. At the time, he was in Cuba undergoing surgery for cancer about which the details are scarce. In a highly disputed interpretation of the constitution, the ruling party in Venezuela decided to postpone the swearing in until Chávez was well enough to perform his duties.
"As far as I'm concerned, Venezuela doesn't have a president at this time," said Gordils. "No one has been sworn in."
Straight out of a novel
There is a literary genre popular in Latin American called magical realism — a style in which fantastical elements are incorporated into an otherwise mundane environment. Many Venezuelans feel as if they are living in a novel written in that very vein.
"How does the Venezuelan government expect me to believe that the president is ill, or that he is still alive, or that he is back in Caracas, when there are no pictures, no videos, no real proof?" asked Joswar Acosta, a Venezuelan who has lived in Charlotte since 1999. "During his last campaign, he told the Venezuelan people that he was cured, that he was cancer-free, and now nobody has seen or heard from him in ... months because he's supposedly receiving medical treatment. Does he think the Venezuelan people are stupid?"
The events surrounding Chávez' health aren't the only fantastical elements to his presidency: Chávez himself is an out-of-this-world character. As the leader of Venezuela for the last 14 years, he has called President George Bush "the Devil" in a speech to the U.N.; been told to 'shut up' by the king of Spain; given speeches lasting up to nine and a half hours; made up songs about Hillary Clinton; and described, on national television and in vivid detail, an uncomfortable bout of diarrhea.
In much the same way we love or hate characters in a literary novel or television soap opera, Chávez is adored by his supporters and loathed by the opposition. Yet for all Venezuelans, whether they support or oppose him, he has redefined the meaning of the term "presidential."
The next chapter
His name comes up often in my household. As a Cuban-American married to a Venezuelan-American, Chávez and Fidel Castro are permanent fixtures in mine and my husband's conversations. My Cuban-American friends like to describe the situation in Venezuela as the sequel to a terrible movie they are very familiar with — the only difference being that, in the Venezuelan version, the main character is clean-shaven.
On the other hand, my husband's mother, a retiree who lives under Chávez' rule, is an enthusiastic supporter of the president and has touted his healthcare programs and the increase in her pension since he took office. On the day of his recent surprise return to Caracas after undergoing surgery in Cuba, she called us to share her joy about her commander's arrival to the homeland.
Still, nobody knows for sure what his return to Venezuela means. Has he exhausted all the medical treatment Cuban physicians can offer and gone home to die, as the opposition believes? Or has he returned to Venezuela because he is getting better, as his supporters so faithfully hope?
Whether you see him as a villain or a hero, there is little doubt that he is the central character in the Venezuelan narrative. Plot developments in coming weeks will define the next chapter in the country's history.
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Buyer's Guide: 33 things you don't need if you have an iPhone
Thanks to the apps that come pre-packaged with the iPhone and the more than 100,000 third-party offerings now available in the iTunes Store, the iPhone has gained functionality that might have seemed hard to fathom under three years ago when Steve Jobs first announced the device.
"A widescreen iPod with touch controls... a revolutionary mobile phone... a breakthrough internet communications device... these are not three separate devices. This is one device." So Steve Jobs told us all back at Macworld Expo 2007. But since then, the iPhone has grown to be much more than just those three concepts.
What follows is a sort of anti-buyer's guide, a list of products and devices that you may never need or even want to buy again (or receive as a gift) if you have an iPhone. Some of these are certainly open for debate, but more than a few of them are products that, for all intents and purposes, are completely unnecessary if you have an iPhone. (Items in bold also apply to the iPod touch).
Telephone - Because it does so much more than simply make and receive calls, the phone part of the iPhone is the device's most easily overlooked feature. With many people abandoning their landlines for mobile phones, the aisle in Office Depot with nothing but bulky handset telephones looks like a relic from another century. I still have a landline in my house, but I've used it maybe five times in the past year and a half.
Calculator - Not only does the iPhone come with an extremely useful simple calculator, in landscape view it expands to a full-featured scientific calculator. And the App Store even has several graphing calculator apps, most of them costing $0.99, that can easily replace a TI-84 that costs far more. The only time I can see a use for a standalone calculator is for students at university -- examiners will inevitably protest against students using an iPhone for their exams, for some odd reason.
Personal Organizer (diary, address book, appointment scheduler) - Remember those electronic organisers people use to carry around with them five years ago? Those seem quaint enough, but go back even farther than that and you might recall people carrying around little black books with paper entries for appointments, addresses, phone numbers, to-do lists - all completely irrelevant now thanks to the iPhone's Calendar, Contacts, and Notes apps.
Calendar - Other than the novelty of having pictures of cute puppies, supermodels, or a Far Side comic looming over today's date, the traditional paper calendar doesn't even come close to being as useful as the iPhone's built-in Calendar app.
Wall Clock/Alarm Clock/Watch - The writing has been on the wall for all three of these devices since mobile phones started becoming popular. I haven't had a wall clock in my home in at least ten years, and haven't owned an alarm clock or watch since getting my first mobile nearly six years ago. Not only can the iPhone tell you the time and date without even having to unlock it, the Clock app can give you the time anywhere in the world, it also has a full-featured alarm clock that will never die on you if the house's electricity goes out overnight. As if that wasn't enough, it also has a stopwatch and a timer. Wall clocks and alarm clocks can't compete with those features, and the only advantage a watch has over the iPhone's clock is that you don't have to haul it out of your pocket to see what time it is.
Rolodex - Speaking of antiquated items -- has anyone actually used a paper rolodex in the past ten years? -- the iPhone's Contacts app handily replaces this.
Dictionary - I chuckle a little bit every time I pass the electronic dictionaries in an office supply store. Sure, I could spend $30 and up for a device nearly the size of a netbook that does maybe 1% of what a netbook does. Or I could buy an actual paper dictionary and haul that sucker around instead. Or I could bypass both of those options and download any of a number of dictionary apps from the iTunes Store. I use the app from Dictionary.com [iTunes link]; there are probably better apps out there, but the one from Dictionary.com has a definite price advantage -- it's free.
Voice Memo Recorder - Whether it's one of the old-school recorders that still uses tapes or one of the new models that has flash memory, no standalone voice memo recorder I know of enables you to e-mail your recordings to someone with the simplicity of the iPhone's built-in Voice Memos app. (Also works with iPod touch 2nd Gen and up with an external microphone.)
Pen/Paper - If you hate the iPhone's keyboard, this one might not sit well with you. Personally, I have no issues with it, especially in landscape view -- I can type about 30-35 words per minute on the iPhone's keyboard -- so the iPhone's Notes app initially replaced pen and paper for all my "I need to jot this down" needs, at least until I discovered WriteRoom [iTunes link]. I still carry a pen around with me, but only for two rare instances: when I need to sign something, or when I need to write something down for someone else.
Digital Photo Frame - Want to display a shuffled series of pictures of your wife and kids on your desk at work? Buy an iPhone dock and use the built-in Photo app instead. The iPhone's screen may not be as big as some of the digital photo frames out there, but it has the distinct advantage of being far less expensive and far more versatile.
USB Drive - This is another one that's a little less cut-and-dried. If you're one of those geeks who carries around bootable OS recovery discs or slimmed-down versions of Firefox with you everywhere on a flash drive, then the iPhone won't be a viable replacement for your needs. But if all you need is portable access to your files, the iPhone has one major advantage over a USB drive: not only can you carry files around, you can also view them. And if you're already paying for MobileMe, you can use the iPhone to access your iDisk from anywhere, giving you access to 20 GB or more of files while on the go.
If you hate MobileMe or just don't feel like paying for it, you can get Dropbox [iTunes link] instead -- it does pretty much the same thing as the iDisk app, with one advantage: a 2 GB account is free. The only time I've ever needed to use my USB drive since getting my iPhone has been when I needed to print something on a computer that didn't have access to my e-mail; in every other instance, I'd just e-mail the doc to myself and bypass the increasingly irrelevant 512 MB flash drive I bought several years back when 512 MB seemed like a lot of space.
Wireless Mouse - There's a number of apps in the App Store that replicate the functionality of a wireless mouse, and all of them are less expensive than even the cheapest mouse you'll find. I use Air Mouse Pro [iTunes link], and since buying it, my old wireless
Remote Control - Those little "presenter" remotes that sell for $15 and up? Don't give them a second glance. Once again, Air Mouse Pro can replace all of the functionality of a "presenter" remote, and other apps, like Apple's own Remote.app [iTunes link] or VLC Remote [iTunes link] each give you access and control over your computer's media files that rivals or surpasses the abilities of those $100 media center remotes from Logitech. The white remote that came with my wife's MacBook (back when they were still free -- those were the days) has sat forgotten and forlorn on a shelf since I got an iPhone.
3G Modem/Dongle - Unfortunately, U.S. readers need not apply (thanks a million, AT&T!). For almost everyone else in the world, using your iPhone to tether over 3G completely obviates the need for a separate 3G modem for your computer, especially since iPhone data rates are often cheaper than the plans offered with standalone modems.
Maps/Atlas - I have a glovebox full of maps that I never use anymore thanks to the iPhone's built-in Maps app. Not only can you do away with using maps for directions, if you use Google Earth [iTunes link], you can pretty much do away with using an atlas as well.
Compass (iPhone 3GS only) - Thanks to the 3GS's built-in magnetometer, there's no need to carry around a separate compass for navigation anymore. And apps that take full advantage of the compass, like MotionX GPS [iTunes link] make hiking trails far easier than a traditional compass.
GPS Nav Unit - If you have someone in the passenger seat to navigate and call out directions for you, you can easily get by using the free, built-in Maps app. If you're on your own, there's a glut of turn-by-turn apps in the App Store that replicate the functionality of standalone units like a TomTom, and all of them cost far less.
Digital Camera (iPhone 3GS only) - This one will likely be a bit contentious, but there's a well-worn saying even professional photographers live by: the best camera is the one you have with you. That said, I wouldn't recommend the awful camera in any iPhone before the 3GS as a replacement for even the cheapest point-and-shoot camera. The low resolution and lack of adjustable focus on the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G make their cameras next to useless for anything but the most utilitarian of shots.
The 3GS's camera, with its slightly beefier resolution, the ability to adjust focus, and the capacity to shoot, edit, and e-mail video, all make its camera perfectly acceptable for day-to-day use. Would you want to shoot your vacation pictures with it? Probably not. Would you want to try and take artistic shots with it? Almost definitely not (although some people are advocating it). But if all you want is a camera you can take with you everywhere for the odd shot here and there, the 3GS's camera is a perfectly acceptable substitute for a cheap- to mid-range point-and-shoot.
Digital Audio Player - Steve Jobs called the iPhone the best iPod they've ever made, and he's definitely right about that. Once I got an iPhone, my old iPod 5G got sold off almost immediately. The only advantage an iPod nano or shuffle offers over an iPhone is smaller size and comparative indestructibility, making them more useful for workouts than the iPhone. In almost every other way, the iPhone is the king of the hill when it comes to music players.
Portable DVD Player - This will be the first of a few entries where if screen size is a major issue for you, you might want to argue the point. Portable DVD players generally don't have very big screens in the first place, though, and every one of them is extraordinarily bulky next to the iPhone. Rather than carry one of these monsters and a booklet full of DVDs around, just rip some DVDs using Handbrake and put them on your iPhone instead. (Note: legality of ripping DVDs varies depending on where you live and who you ask. Personally, I don't worry about it at all when it comes to DVDs I own, but I'm just a rebel like that.)
Amazon Kindle - Once Amazon released their free Kindle for iPhone app [iTunes link], I knew I would never, ever drop northwards of $250 on a Kindle device. Some people swear by the Kindle's ease of use and readability, and those same people would probably balk at reading an entire novel on the iPhone's much smaller screen. Plus, last time I checked you still can't buy Kindle books directly from the app itself. However, I'm willing to accept those tradeoffs if it means saving $250 and not having to carry around a separate device.
The Complete Works of Shakespeare - To some people it might approach sacrilege (or induce blindness) to read Shakespeare's works on the iPhone. To other people (like me) the ability to carry around every extant Shakespearean play and poem with me everywhere I go and read them anywhere, at any time, with the Shakespeare app [iTunes link] far outweighs those considerations. To haul around a ten-pound book or a 65 MB application that lets me easily search through the text: that is the question, and it's an easy one for me to answer.
Any classical novel with an expired copyright - With the Stanza app [iTunes link] and its access to Project Gutenberg, thousands of classical novels are at your fingertips. Why spend $15 on Frankenstein at Barnes and Noble when you can get it for free? Project Gutenberg saved me literally hundreds of dollars during my undergraduate coursework, and thanks to Stanza, I have free access to an entire library worth of books wherever I go.
Portable Game Player - If you want to play AAA titles like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on the DS or Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for the PSP, the iPhone is obviously not going to be your platform of choice. Twitch-heavy first-person-shooters also often don't translate well to the iPhone's touchscreen. But for casual games that you can just pick up and play in the supermarket line or on your lunch break, even Nintendo's DS can't compete with the vast sea of games offered in the App Store. Granted, the vast majority of those games are shovelware, but there are diamonds in the rough: iShoot [iTunes link], Flight Control [iTunes link], Hero of Sparta [iTunes link], Peggle [iTunes link], and 2079 [iTunes link] are just a few of the games that have gotten me through many minutes spent in queues or waiting rooms.
Pedometer - With built-in support for Nike+, a traditional pedometer simply can't compete with the 3GS or iPod Touch's ability to keep track of your workouts. If you don't want to spend $20 on the Nike+ shoe transmitter (contrary to popular belief, you don't need to use Nike's Nike+ shoes at all), or if you have an iPhone 3G with no Nike+ support, you can buy an app like RunKeeper [iTunes link] instead.
Flashlight - This is another example of "The best [thing] is the one you have with you." The iPhone's screen isn't as bright as the eye-piercing halogen monsters or the tiny but laser-like LED flashlights you'll find at the store, and it also doesn't double as a shillelagh the way a Maglite does. But with an app like Flashlight [iTunes link], you can easily navigate your way through the house if the power goes out or even grab someone's attention with a strobe effect in an emergency.
White Noise Generator - Tinnitus sucks. Trying to sleep in an otherwise silent room with a constant eeeeeeeeee piercing through your brain is pretty much the worst thing ever. You can either drop $50 or more on a decent white noise generator, or you can spend $0.99 on Ambiance [iTunes link] instead, with access to over 500 free sounds to help you relax and fall asleep.
Guitar Tuner - Other than picks, guitar tuners are probably the one thing guitarists lose most often. Fortunately, there's an alernative to going to the music store and buying a new one -- go to the App Store and get a tuner on your iPhone instead. There are many free ones, though paid apps GuitarToolkit [iTunes link] and Cleartune [iTunes link] appear to be among the best-rated and most feature-rich. (Also works with iPod Touch 2nd Gen and up with an external microphone.)
One More Thing:
Netbook - When people wonder why Apple hasn't gotten involved in the current netbook craze, there's usually three schools of thought on the subject. The first is that Apple simply doesn't care about netbooks at all and doesn't want to cater to that market. Second is that the perennially forthcoming Apple Tablet, if/when it comes out, will do to the netbook market what the iPhone did for cellphones and the iPod did for audio players. Third is that Apple already has a netbook equivalent on the market: the iPhone.
Whether you see the iPhone as an acceptable replacement for a netbook will depend on a few things.
First is your relationship with the iPhone's keyboard. As I said earlier, I have no problems with it at all, especially since OS 3.0 came out and extended landscape functionality to almost every app. Some people out there have freakishly huge hands compared to mine, however, and for them typing more than a few sentences on the iPhone's keyboard is tantamount to Purgatory. As for me, I've written entire posts for TUAW on the iPhone's keyboard without issue, including this rather lengthy one.
Second is how willing you are to spend a large portion of your day staring at the iPhone's small screen. 480 x 320 as a resolution isn't competitive with even the cheapest of netbooks, but when using Safari this issue is largely alleviated by the ability to zoom in and out using Multi-Touch.
Third is what you're going to be using the iPhone for. If you're a weekend business road warrior who needs to edit Excel spreadsheets on the fly, then maybe you should stick with an actual computer. If all you're going to be doing is browsing the internet, sending short e-mails, or composing short documents, so long as the keyboard and screen aren't a problem for you, the iPhone is a perfectly acceptable replacement for a netbook. It also has the singular advantage of running (an admittedly very slimmed-down version of) OS X without resorting to hacks.
Anecdote time: On a trip to the States, Canada, and Fiji back in July, I left my MacBook Pro at home in New Zealand and used my iPhone as my primary computer for over three weeks. I certainly wasn't able to edit or even view any of the photos or video footage I shot, but as long as I had access to Wi-Fi, I was able to do almost everything else generally reserved for my MacBook Pro. I kept on top of e-mail from friends and relatives, kept an eye on the weather and news, listened to music, wrote up the first draft of two 1000-word+ posts for TUAW, wrote up more than 2500 words of impressions from the trip, kept up with schoolwork by reading three Shakespearean plays, kept myself entertained on 12-hour plane rides across the Pacific and hours upon hours of waiting in airport terminals by playing Peggle and iShoot... and all with a device that, unlike any netbook out there, fits in my pants pocket.
Does the iPhone do everything a netbook can do? No. But does any netbook do everything the iPhone can do, as well as the iPhone can do it? Definitely not.
That's all for the anti-buyer's guide. There's probably at least one item on this list that you can point to and say, "Yeah, I already have an app for that. Please, Grandma, don't get me this for Christmas this year, or at least make sure you get a gift receipt if you do."
More than a few of the items on the list are certainly debatable, especially the last one, but the point remains: in only three years, the iPhone has seen an explosion in functionality that very few people could have predicted when it was first introduced. It's become the electronic equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife, capable of duplicating or outright replacing many standalone devices and items and rendering others completely obsolete. It seems somewhat counterintuitive that something that costs as much as an iPhone could actually end up saving you money in the long run, but if you can actually manage to replace all 33 items on this list with an iPhone as I have, you'll end up coming out way ahead.
Deals of the Daymore deals
Software Updatesmore updates
- Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 available, bringing new characters, physics and more
- Agile Partners releases Lick of the Day 2.0
- Google announces new Hangout app to hit iOS today
- Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Update 14.3.4
- Pixelmator 2.2 available with over 100 new features and improvements
- DabKick for iPhone lets you share photos, watch videos and now listen to music in real-time
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Running out of things to talk about? Facebook is starting to roll out a feature that will show you when more than one of your friends is discussing the same topic. While Google’s Circles make it easy to define people in the ways that you see them, this move from Facebook is more of an automated curation tool that should be based off of its search algorithm.
As spotted by Tipdesk, you can see here that Facebook is placing similar topics into a single, informational post that is generated by the site rather than by your friends themselves:
It’s important that the feature works well, so that a friend talking about oatmeal-based soap doesn’t get grouped with a friend talking about eating a bowl of oatmeal, but we’re probably some time away from seeing how Facebook’s algorithm handles those semantic clues. It’s worth nothing, though, that TNW reader Chris Brandrick has seen what happens when the results go wrong:
If it does work well, then Facebook’s 750+ million users will be going head-to-head against Twitter’s trending topics in a way that’s more readily available for brands to track. What we have to hope we don’t see, of course, is promoted topics that work their way up your news feed.
We’ve dropped an email over to Facebook to see what the company has to say about this topic aggregation, and it isn’t terribly surprising:
We’re always working on new ways to surface relevant and interesting information, and this particular feature is designed to show people any trends among what their friends are saying.
In short, things should get better over time. At least if Facebook plans on making the feature more useful than just a keyword search.
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- From make + bate. (Wiktionary)
“But after all he pays well that pays with gold; and Mike Lambourne was never a makebate, or a spoil-sport, or the like.”
“[Sidenote: 2 Object.] [Sidenote: A makebate.] [Sidenote: Tenterden steeple.]”
“Barillon was therefore directed to act, with all possible precautions against detection, the part of a makebate.”
“Troublemakers: scapegrace ` wild and unprincipled, 'rakehell ` lewd and dissolute,' scarebabe (- bairn in Scotland), drawblood, flingbrand, blowcoal, makebate (as in ` debate '), stirpassion and stirstrife (why the wildflower loosestrife is accused of this propensity I know not), spitfire and shitefire”
“(25, 294) See also bunkum. makebate, n. contentious person.”
“Grandfather Adams discusses a petition opposing the Erie Canal which was signed by every makebate, dawplucker and mal-content. meteorastic, adj. denoting a school of medicine that believed that all diseases came from the air.”
“Angus answered somewhat sulkily, that “he was no makebate, or stirrer-up of quarrels; he would rather be a peacemaker.”
““It is not necessary you should altogether abandon him, though you dismiss him to another service, or to a calling better suiting his station and character,” said the preacher; “elsewhere he maybe an useful and profitable member of the commonweal — here he is but a makebate, and a stumbling-block of offence.”
“All this, as was most natural and proper, only stimulated the Lady’s curiosity; neither was her importunity to be parried with, — “Thank God, I am no makebate — no tale-bearer, — thank God, I never envied any one’s favour, or was anxious to propale their misdemeanour-only, thank God, there has been no bloodshed and murder in the house — that is all.””
“Your lordship knows with what unwilling ears we listen to evil surmises against those whom we love; and I thank Heaven I am no makebate or informer, to be the first to sow them.””
These user-created lists contain the word ‘makebate’.
Namely, compounds consisting of a verb with a direct object immediately after it, without inflection
Ay, ay, the best terms will grow obsolete: damns have had their day. -- Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816)
Obsolete, rare, and obscure words culled from my Wordie/Wordnik Curio Cabi...
insults, epithets, etc.
Looking for tweets for makebate.
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Our top priority is providing the highest-quality of veterinary care to each pet we treat. Every policy and medical procedure supported by our practice has been put in place with the health and wellness of pets in mind.
Our veterinarians perform a surgical onychectomy if they believe that a cat cannot be trained to refrain from using its claws destructively in the home, or poses a danger to family members. Unfortunately, all cats are not amenable to behavior modification and we believe that this surgical procedure will result in fewer cats being abandoned or euthanized. Once declawed, it is recommended that your cat live indoors since the ability to defend itself is compromised.
We also believe feline onychectomy should be performed only with the medically appropriate use of anesthetics and analgesics and adherence to careful surgical and post-surgical protocols. If you are shopping around for a competitive price on this procedure, be sure to question the type of anesthetic used, the type of pain management provided, and the monitoring equipment and procedures followed. All of our surgery patients have IV catheters placed and receive IV fluids. We use several monitoring devices during your pet’s anesthetic. A veterinary technician continually assesses your pet’s vital signs during the procedure.
Your pet’s safety and comfort are our primary concerns when performing a declaw. We use advanced pain management techniques in conjunction with anesthesia to make sure your pet is as comfortable as possible during the procedure and after they are discharged. Our declaw patients receive 2 or 3 injectable pain medications during the procedure and go home with oral pain medication. We perform nerve blocks of the feet that provide additional pain relief immediately after the surgery. Our declaw patients stay with us overnight so that we can be sure they are comfortable, to remove their bandages in the morning, and to assess the surgical area before going home. It is very common to see these kitties pawing playfully through the kennel door following this surgery.
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This is a very troubling article to write. Because it is about how sinister black Americans can agree with white Americans about how they can rip off the people of African nations for quick money. It is ugly but somebody has to call it out. Since I am the one who first noticed it, I guess it is my Christian duty to call it out. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) is meant to enhance trade
activity and business development
between entrepreneurs in Africa and the United States. It allows business transactions between firms in the certified nations of Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States to ship products from those African nations into the United States free of tariffs. In the beginning, it was a beautiful roadmap for enhanced business activity and wealth building. I was happy to see it enacted but was curious as to why two white congressmen, very conservative Philip Crane of Illinois and very liberal Jim McDermott of Washington, got together and crafted the bill. If this is a bill about African nations’ economic progress shouldn’t some members of the Congressional Black Caucus be involved? That was the first hint.
The bill passed with much support from black activists. However, President Bill Clinton never got around to signing it. Eventually, President George W. Bush willingly signed the bill and trade enhancement with the Motherland was established. This made sense as President George W. Bush would do more for Africa’s advancement than any other American president in history. We were all overjoyed. I remember sitting next to basketball great Hakeem Olajuwon at the signing at the White House. He was so happy that his motherland Nigeria would participate in this new trade agreement. We were all excited. But as the saying goes: “The wolves are of another mind.”
Enter the Textile Lobby. They would hire a black lobbyist with the assignment of working on a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. The assignment would be to craft an amendment that would open the doors for very cheap China cotton to be included in AGOA. China cotton is the cheapest cotton in the world as prisoners process it (slavery). Somehow, a CBC member agreed to it and the Third Country Fabric Exemption was amended to AGOA. Believe it or not, this allowed China to ship its cotton to African nations, make apparel and then ship it to America duty free under AGOA. This dirt-cheap cotton quickly knocked our African cotton farmers and textile mills right out of business. It had a devastating impact on the Agra-Business of African nations. Instead of being an enhancement for African commerce, AGOA became a cancer.
I saw it for myself. I was in Nairobi, Kenya and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry took me to a new textile mill. Prior to going, the Kenyan Cotton Farmers Association met me in the lobby of my hotel and protested the fact that the United States had set up cheap China cotton to destroy their industry. They had been cut out and were going out of business. I went to the facility that was extremely high tech. There were dozens of women making clothing for $50 per month. The facility was managed by a citizen of India. When we observed the inventory it was ceiling high with bales of cotton that was marked “Product of China.” This is what enraged the Kenyan cotton farmers. They were being cut out of AGOA via the Third Country Fabric Extension Amendment, placed by black lobbyists and a black congressperson. On the site were representatives of Walmart, Target and JC Penney to approve the production. I became sick at the sight. I quipped to the guide “Who owns this, Kabaki?” Kabaki is the president of Kenya. He replied, “How did you know? It is in his sister’s name.”
The damage has spread beyond Kenya. Lesotho, Nigeria, Tanzania and many other nations in Africa have had their textile industries destroyed by this sinister amendment. The amendment was due to expire in 2009 and I pressed to ensure the expiration. The textile industry was waiting for the NBCC and successfully prevented us from letting the expiration take affect. It was extended for another three years and it set to expire in September 2012. This time we will do our “homework” and create a groundswell of opposition to this sinister act. We cannot let the textile industry pimp Africa and cannot let hired flunkies do their bidding. AGOA is a good act but we must keep it pure.
Africa is the fastest growing economy among all the continents and we must ensure that our Motherland gets the maximum result from its efforts. Woe to those who try to get over at the expense of our Motherland!
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Olfactory function after total laryngectomy in Swedish patients after rehabilitation with the Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver
After a total laryngectomy the upper and lower airways are disconnected resulting in a wide range of adverse effects, e.g. deterioration of nasal functions in breathing, loss or decrease of normal sense of smell and taste, as well as loss of normal voice. Recently, a new method that can restore the sense of smell in laryngectomized patients has been developed, the Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver (NAIM). The overall aims of this thesis were: 1) to describe the olfactory function in laryngectomized patients and to assess the results of repeated interventions with the NAIM; 2) to evaluate the long-term results 6 and 12 months after intervention; 3) to assess olfaction, health-related quality of life (HRQL) and communication 36 months after NAIM intervention; and 4) to use a clinical protocol to follow changes in the NAIM technique over time. The study population consisted of 24 laryngectomized patients. Olfaction acuity was examined with the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test (SOIT). The patients were categorized as smellers (normosmia or hyposmia) or non-smellers (anosmia) based on the SOIT results. Their self-estimation of smell, taste, health-related quality of life and communication were measured with validated questionnaires. According to SOIT, 18 of 24 patients (75%) had impaired sense of smell before NAIM rehabilitation and 72% improved their sense of smell after 3 NAIM rehabilitation sessions. Further improvement was also seen at the 6 and 12 month follow-up, i.e. 83% and 88% respectively, were categorized as smellers according to SOIT results. Three years after NAIM rehabilitation all patients still alive (n=18) were re-examined and as many as 78% were still smellers. In addition, the patients reported an overall good HRQL and no mental distress. According to a structured protocol it was possible to identify improvements in NAIM key variables associated with improvements of the sense of smell over time. It was concluded that olfactory impairment is common in laryngectomized patients, that NAIM is an effective method for restoring the sense of smell, and that the improvements endure in long-term. Consequently, olfactory rehabilitation according to the NAIM should be incorporated into routine rehabilitation programs for all laryngectomized patients. Furthermore, a protocol is a useful and reliable tool for evaluating use of the NAIM. Moreover, HRQL questionnaires should be complemented with more diagnose specific questionnaires when evaluating olfaction and communication in laryngectomized patients.
Source Type:Doctoral Dissertation
Keywords:MEDICINE; olfaction; total laryngectomy; Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver; health-related quality of life
Date of Publication:01/01/2009
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Britain to Seize Gadhafi’s Billions
Posted on Feb 24, 2011
The British treasury suspects that Col. Moammar Gadhafi and his government have more than $30 billion stashed in the U.K., and British authorities are prepared to seize those assets in an effort to force the dictator to step down.
The Telegraph via WikiLeaks:
The funds are expected to be seized within days. The Treasury is understood to have set up a unit to trace Col Gaddafi’s assets in Britain, which are thought to include billions of dollars in bank accounts, commercial property and a £10 million mansion in London.
In total, the Libyan regime is said to have around £20 billion in liquid assets, mostly in London. These are expected to be frozen as part of an international effort to force the dictator from power. A Whitehall source said: “The first priority is to get British nationals out of Libya. But then we are ready to move in on Gaddafi’s assets, the work is under way. This is definitely on the radar at the highest levels.”
The Laird of Oldham (CC-BY)
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PARIS, TX -- The Texas State Legislature is debating budget cuts for community colleges.
Paris Junior College says if these cuts are enacted, it could further hinder their school.
Nicolette Schleisman spoke to the president and a teacher who are already seeing a hike in their work load.
Paris Junior College could face nearly a million dollar loss in state funds if the Texas Legislature passes deeper cuts to the state community college fund.
"it is a reduction each year of $894,000. Its basically a 10% reduction, and that is very scary," said Pam Anglin, President of Paris Junior College.
The Texas Association of Community Colleges says the draft budget recommendations would reduce funding by 5 to 6 percent.
But Paris Junior College President, Pam Anglin says, it is too much. She says they are already extremely efficient with their budget, and these cuts could hurt them more than other colleges in the state.
"We are at a point where we are lean. And we have a lot of people that are really stretched thin. But if we end up with this kind of cut, we are going to end up losing some positions. And we are not going to be able to do some things that we need to do," said Anglin.
Jason Taylor is a biology instructor at PJC, he already has taken on more class loads and seen larger class sizes. And that is before these new proposed cuts.
But Taylor says the larger classes and higher work load does not bother him yet.
"Where we have to worry about increase in number size are laboratories and fitting enough people into the lab," said Taylor.
Anglin says tuition will likely have to be increased if these cuts are enacted.
But the students continue to be the college's main priority.
"We're going to do every thing we can to keep serving the people of this part of the state and to make higher education available. That's our mission," said Anglin.
A mission that may become much more difficult to achieve by May of this year.
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After hearing all the blah blah blah about the Bush tax cuts I’d like to propose that anyone with a salary above $500,000 be hit with a 2% to 5% tax that goes solely to retraining the bottom of the work force. As per the previous post we need some massive educational effort to really move people who were in construction, real estate, the car industry, heavy industry in general, and other segments of the economy that have gotten hit so hard to new segments that will actually exist and grow over the next decade. And mostly this means towards green energy, computer fields, and service based industries.
Or we go with plan B, we legalize weed and tax the living hell out of it. I’ve seen estimates that claim California alone could reap 1.4 billion a year from that, let’s dump that all into retraining our work force (and possibly buying them delicious Doritos).
Over the last 50 years the USA hasn’t had to worry about training too much, globalization was still a distant worry and our economy was doing well. Now we are being forced to evolve and remember what it’s like to have a little competition in what is becoming a more equal playing field with graduates from India, China, Brazil and other countries being able to compete for jobs that were once out of their reach. So, if your job is not very hard to do, and with modern technology we can outsource it for half the pay and a 10% increase in management cost, guess where your job is going?
Just look at cashiers at grocery stores, they are slowly being replaced with computers that enable consumers to do the checkout process, in five to ten years with RFID the computer might just read what is in your cart. There will always be some cashiers but that is not a job market that is going to grow, and that is certainly not one that is going to see their pay raise over the next ten years. Similarly a lot of low paying jobs will probably always exist but technology is going to allow us to reduce those work forces, and unless the government gets involved those will not be much more then whatever the minimum wage is at. This kinda sucks but reality does suck sometimes.
So how to retrain people? That is a hard question and one I have a lot of ideas on but I’m not sure if there is a right answer besides spending a lot of money and try a lot of different things…
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The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is a standardized test used as an entrance examination for the majority of medical and dental schools in the UK. Its purpose is to test the likely aptitude of a candidate for a clinical career.
Tag Archive: preparation course
Regular readers will forgive me a brief moment of self-indulgence by reblogging this announcement. Written by my GeMS co-founder and I, I hope UKCAT For Dummies helps many prospective medical students get into the university of their choice!
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The technology boom has enabled people to do things today that could only be dreamed of twenty years ago. This technological renaissance has opened up so many unbelievable opportunities for businesses to get their name out there. One such way is through Social Media, and we are at the beginning of what I believe will be a Social Media explosion!
So what is Social Media? Wikipedia.org defines social media as: "...online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies." There are countless forms of Social Media and businesses all around the world have jumped on this bandwagon for marketing, and its working!
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By Michael Feingold
By Elizabeth Zimmer
By James Hannaham
By Christian Viveros-Faune
By Christian Viveros-Faune
By R. C. Baker
By Michael Feingold
By Michael Musto
Queer theater has lost its radical juice. No surprise, given that the queer movement, which began in the '80s as a politically confrontational response to the AIDS emergency, has been rendered almost completely moribund. Protease cocktails, the wonder drug we can't help anxiously wondering about, transformed the national view of the epidemic from a lethal battle over social injustice to a (keep your fingers crossed) medical maintenance phenomenon. But gratitude for the multitude of extended lives has kept us from acknowledging the persistence of the underlying societal inequities, to say nothing of the complexity of treatment issues. The connection between HIV risk and poverty hasn't changed, nor has the stymieing problem of health care accesshot-button issues that most politicians would prefer to keep buried with their sex scandals. How then did we move so quickly from the revolutionary theatricality of ACT UP to the decadent inanity of Will & Grace?
Sure, it's nice that the mainstream has welcomed us into their comfortable mediocrity. But assimilation has encouraged us to drop our communal guarda dangerous trend given that every gay and lesbian youth in this country remains a potential Matthew Shepard victim, domestic partnerships still aren't widely recognized, and the religious right dreams alternately of saving and outlawing us. As our mourning decreased, so did our militancya natural phenomenon perhaps, but troubling when a hard-won heightened consciousness devolves into an oblivion-seeking Queer as Folk mentality.
A telling sign of the depoliticized times is the way the current "Queer@Here" festival playbill defines "queer" strictly with its dictionary meaning, leaving out any historical mention of the way the word was reclaimed by AIDS activists as a rallying cry against a perniciously narrow status quo. That we still need queer theater artists to challenge the limited roles prescribed for us, as well as to give form to our underrepresented struggles, seems to have been lost sight of. Why, for example, haven't more playwrights followed in the footsteps of Craig Lucas's The Dying Gaul, which daringly questioned how we can live as sexual beings in an age of devastating loss and 24-hour Internet chat rooms. Suffice it to say that it's unlikely network TV will be airing such homo scenes as concern for an ex lover's long-term health, the erotic exile of middle age, or the quandary of monogamy versus open relationships. The theatrical silence post-Angels in America on meaningful gay and lesbian subjects has been appalling.
"Queer@Here" should provide a forum for dilemmas ignored by the rest of the entertainment media. But now in its sixth year, the event seems mired in its own perfunctory survival. Ogre-ish as it is to point out, the festival's marginalization stems not from any lingering sexual stigma but from the negligible quality of its offerings. If the work were better curated, more people would undoubtedly care. Yes, the impulse to reflect "the diversity of tastes, talents, and types that make up the alphabet of LGBT culture" is a noble one. But showcasing largely novices within a fuzzy framework of "witty, gripping and titillating queer performance" doesn't do much to enhance our political or aesthetic palette.
If I seem to be resisting writing about the festival's two opening theater pieces, it's certainly not because they aren't deserving of comment. Bogie the Faggot is a willfully sloppy cabaret created by Kyle Jarrow and Travis Chamberlain that registers more favorably as a style-in-progress than a finished product. The setup involves a private dick named Bogie (a punk queer with a men's-room sex habit and a Humphrey Bogart chapeau) and his piano accompanist, P-Man, whose musical interludes command more attention than the dopey noirish tale the two men seem bored to relate.
Though their antics border at times on amateurishness, the duo have a gay-dude comic rapport that's fun to watch. Jarrow, chain-smoking and downing beers, makes ironic sallies behind the piano, while Chamberlain, serving as emcee, routinely pulls out his water gun to revive his flagging audience. The boys need more time to theatrically bake, but they have definite promise as a Hedwig-style lounge act, minus the giddy transgender shtick.
Touchscape, a multimedia one-person show written and performed by James Scruggs that's billed as a work in progress, provides cartoonish sketches of gay African Americans. A father and son find themselves helplessly locked into a pattern of incestuous abuse. An insatiable "bottom" addicted to anonymous outdoor encounters realizes that his last stranger just lied about wearing a condom. An aging stud ogling the meat at a stripper joint confesses, "I could have had anyone, so I chose everyone . . . one at a time. . . . Now there's no one." Though nothing is rendered with dramatic force, there's an emotional authenticity that honors the complexity of regretful choices.
Still, as a gay man in his mid thirties who once held such hope for an integrated and engaged queer community, it's hard for me not to be disappointed by the lackluster turn in our theatrical and political affairs. But with insubstantial productions like these, who can you blame for staying home and watching a faggoty sitcom?
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Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and Nancy Goldstein has a good piece up explaining how far gays and lesbians have come since then, and how far they have to go. She cites bans on gay marriage, higher poverty rates, lack of health care, and DADT as examples. Sadly, 40 years after the Stonewall raid that led to riots from gays who were completely fed up with the way the cops targeted gay clubs for harassment, gays and lesbians still have to face police raids of bars based on flimsy excuses that result in police brutality.
Is it a coincidence that the Ft. Worth police chose the anniversary of the Stonewall riots to raid a gay bar called the Rainbow Lounge and arrest 7 people (hospitalizing one, who may have bleeding on the brain, according to the Dallas Voice) for public intoxication? Did you even know it’s a crime to be drunk in a bar? Probably not, because while it’s technically a crime to be intoxicated in public, it’s a minor one and usually you have to be a danger to yourself or other people. It’s in place mainly to arrest drunks getting into fights or people that are drunk and about to get behind the wheel. Or, it seems, if the cops want to honor the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots to intimidate gays and lesbians who thought that winning Lawrence v. Texas was the final step in making it legal to be gay in Texas. The blog at the Dallas Voice is bearing witness to what happened at the Rainbow Lounge Saturday night, and helping organize protests.
Some eyewitness accounts:
When it first started she went up to a cop and said thank you for coming out to keep us safe. This is a rough neighborhood. He said that’s not why we are here. She asked why they were there and he said a disgruntled employee had said that the bar was overserving people. She told him she had been drinking but that she had a designated driver. He told her that she was fine. She said they only arrested men and seemed to be targeting effeminate men.
This “disgruntled employee” thing keeps coming up, but the Rainbow Lounge has been open for a week, which doesn’t seem like enough time to develop disgruntled employees, even in the food and alcohol industry.
My name is Kayla Lane. I am a Ph.D. student at UC-Santa Cruz, staying with my sister, Kelly Lane, for the summer. We and a few of our friends went to the new Rainbow Lounge last night to dance and have some fun. I was in the VIP section when police officers started coming up there. The first arrest (that we saw) was right in front of me in that section.
They asked the guy if he had been drinking, and he said some, and they snidely replied, “Well, we’ll see how much!” and plastic handcuffed him as they read him his rights The guy was doing NOTHING wrong. It was utterly repugnant.
Once I saw this happen, I decided to try and speak with one of the police officers themselves, to go straight to the source and get their side. My sister Kelly and I simply started asking what they were doing here, stating how suspicious it seemed on this date and in this specific club, etc. This was a “State Policeman,” whose name I forgot, who tried to explain their actions by referring to “anonymous tips” and “disgruntled ex-bartenders.” We pointed out the place was open a week, so the disgruntled ex-bartender source seemed a bit unlikely! He wouldn’t really answer my questions. although he did try to grab my hand and flirt with me (which was completely uninvited).
There were protests yesterday, and in response, the Ft. Worth police and TABC admitted that they rolled into Rainbow Lounge to find and arrest people for being drunk. I’m not saying that it’s never been a practice in Texas to roll into bars and arrest people for being drunk, but I’ve never seen or heard of it. Cops linger outside of bar parking lots to grab drunk drivers, which is a much more reasonable thing to do, but if people are taking care of their own transportation and not causing any trouble, which is the case with the people arrested in this raid, then we have a problem. Again, how come, if they’re going to start doing this, show up at a brand new gay bar on the anniversary of Stonewall?
In case there’s any doubt left in your mind,* the Ft. Worth police statement has the telltale marker of bullshit on it.
In a statement, the Fort Worth Police Department said agents inspected three bars early Sunday and police arrested patrons at the Rainbow Lounge because they were drunk and tried to grope officers.
The eyewitnesses say differently, and say that patrons were arrested in the bathroom, standing at the bar drinking, and one just generally hanging out. But I’m sure this statement is crafted mostly to appeal to the homophobic population of Ft. Worth, who wants to believe that gay men descend in masses when cops enter bars and start groping them drunkenly. Because there’s something about a police uniform that says, “Fuck with me,” right?
Here’s what the cops were wearing:
I’d be more inclined to believe that drunken groping was the reason for the public intoxication arrests if the police were in plain clothes. Drunken groping in bars happens, though I doubt that straight men who grope women have anything to fear from the cops. As it stands, this, coupled with the eyewitness accounts, sounds like an excuse. The cops went in trolling for gay men to arrest and for an opportunity to disrupt a new gay bar, and drive away future patrons to put it out of business. And the Stonewall riot thing is unlikely to be a coincidence—the cops, after all, can’t be oblivious to what Pride celebrations are all about, since police are sent to public Pride events just like they are any other, and they’d probably find out that the events are honoring a riot bucking police authority through those means if nothing else. That has to burn their asses, so no wonder they’re looking for revenge.
The Ft. Worth police say they’re investigating the matter. I’m not holding my breath for any kind of discipline, even though it seems they slammed one man to the ground so hard he went to ICU with head injuries.
*And I was disheartened to find out recently, when Samhita wrote a blog post at Feministing talking about how the recent shooting in Oakland that left four cops dead would likely result in the cops trolling around Oakland looking for payback, how many supposed liberals will loudly and repeatedly defend the police against the charge that they abuse their power to intimidate and harass minority populations. If you’ve had the lifelong privilege of being the sort of person the cops ignore, then I suppose they could seem friendly and innocuous, but as this case shows, that is not the case.
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Gordon Tokumatsu, Dennis Lahti
Despite legislative efforts to keep charges at a minimum, bank fees are reaching all-time highs, according to a study from Bankrate.com. Jamie Court, of Consumer Watchdog, describes double ATM fees and checking account fees as an "abuse of power," but contends customers have control. Gordon Tokumatsu reports from Santa Monica for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Sept. 24, 2012.
Banking fees are reaching all-time highs despite legislative efforts to keep charges at a minimum, according to a study from Bankrate.com.
Fees are infiltrating areas of personal banking, like the checking account and ATM, that watchdog groups say many people are unaware of.
"I think most Americans don't realize that they get hit twice," said Jamie Court, of ConsumerWatchdog.org.
A bank charges on average $2.50 to use an ATM if the withdrawer does not have an account with that bank. That’s up 4 percent from last year.
And the average cost a bank charges to their customers when they use another bank's ATM is $1.57 – up 11 percent.
That makes the total someone has to pay to use an ATM at a bank where they're not a customer $4.07 per transaction. That's an increase of 7 percent, and a record.
Charging double fees at ATMs has become an industry-wide practice.
"To charge us an extra buck on the back end, in the fine print of our bank statements, and that's just an abuse of power," Court said.
Banks contend they have raised fees lately because of federal regulations on debit cards and overdraft policies that stand to cost them billions of dollars in annual revenue.
But some consumers, like college student Jordyn Crumey, say they feel like they're being "nickel and dimed."
"You have other stuff to worry about: gas, bills, stuff like that. All that stuff does add up," Crumey said.
Customers could "revolt," watchdog groups say, by threatening to leave their bank, as they did when Bank of America announced it would charge debit card fees.
Seventy-two percent of those surveyed by Bankrate.com said they would consider switching banks if it raised fees on checking accounts, up from 64 percent in March 2011.
Households with an income of $75,000 or more are the most likely to switch, at 82 percent, Bankrate said.
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In Ohio, a battleground state, thousands of former employees of General Motors' principal parts supplier, Delphi, blame the Obama administration for the deep cuts to their pension. NBC's Lisa Myers reports.
At first glance, David Kane, 63, appears to be solidly middle class. He has a home on a lovely suburban street in Sandusky, Ohio, and a boat docked in the nearby marina.
But looks can be deceiving. Kane doesn’t have television or even a functioning wristwatch. He and his wife Dianne live on their boat, a 1976 Trojan Tri-Cabin in need of repair, for part of the year to save on utility costs. He does outdoor maintenance at the marina to pay for the docking fees.
After a 35-year career at Delphi, the primary parts supplier for General Motors, Kane expected retirement to look much different. He left the company at age 54 as it was downsizing, and he was offered a buyout.
But in 2009, Kane received word that, as part of the bailout to save General Motors, the pensions that he and 20,000 fellow Delphi salaried employees were promised would be reduced 30 to 70 percent.
Kane lost almost half his pension and now receives only $1,600 a month. He says it has been devastating. “It’s just a beat down, day in and day out, to struggle to get through.”
What makes it more difficult is that other Delphi workers who worked alongside Kane, members of the powerful United Auto Workers union, did not suffer the same fate. They are receiving their full pensions.
When the government stepped in to bail out GM, providing a total of $50 billion from taxpayers, it also had to deal with Delphi, which already was in bankruptcy, because GM needed Delphi’s parts to build its cars. In the process, Delphi’s pensions were handed over to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBCG), a government-backed entity that insures private pensions. The PBCG terminated the pension plans, which were underfunded at the time.
Then General Motors did something that the Government Accountability Office, Congress’ investigative arm, later called “unusual.” GM agreed to top up the pensions of 22,000 Delphi members of the United Auto Workers union – at a cost of $1 billion. That enabled the UAW workers to still get their full pensions.
But there was no such sweetener for the company’s salaried employees or for the non-UAW hourly workers. And because the PBGC has statutory limits on how much it can pay in benefits, their payments were reduced sharply.
“We were the group that was just kicked to the curb like yesterday’s trash,” said Bruce Gump, vice-chairman of the Delphi Salaried Employees Association.
Now, two congressional committees and the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Recovery Program (SIGTARP) are investigating the basis and motivation for this decision. Was this a political favor for a powerful union that backed President Barack Obama, as critics claim? Or was this a business decision by GM, based, according to the company, on an agreement originally negotiated in 1999 during Delphi’s spin off from the automaker? What role did the Obama administration play?
Inspector General Christy Romero, has said she’s looking into “whether the (administration’s) auto task force pressured GM to provide additional funding for those pensions.”
In a later agreement with the new GM, two other unions, IUE and USWA, were also topped up. Members of the Delphi Salaried Employees Association say they do not begrudge the union retirees their pensions, because they earned them. The salaried workers just want equal treatment, and they want answers from the government.
Retirees hard hit by ‘broken promises’
Mary Miller, a divorced mother of four who worked at GM and Delphi for over 31 years, said the hit to her pension caused a true hardship.
“It's a struggle every day, and every time anything breaks, it's a near disaster,” she said, adding that she hasn’t had a working dishwasher for two years.
Miller had been counting on her full pension to help her start new career as a life coach.
“My plan was, ‘OK, I have a pension and I have health care. And I have a son in high school and sons in college -- and a daughter also. But if we live very simply, I can make that pension stretch so that I can really have my dream.”
Miller started the business anyway, but she says it is growing slowly because of the economy.
Miller has a friend, a former colleague at Delphi with whom she worked closely for several years in the same role, though he was paid hourly while she was drawing a salary. She can’t understand why he was treated differently.
“What made the work that that person did more valuable than the work I did? What was greater about the promise he received when he went to work for GM and Delphi than what I was told?”
Gump, who worked for General Motors and Delphi for almost 33 years and was a senior engineer when he retired, lost about 30 percent of his pension.
“Inside our organization we have lots of people that have seen their homes foreclosed,” he said. “They’ve had to declare personal bankruptcy. There’s been some families that have broken up over the stress associated with this. There’s even been a couple suicides.”
The DSRA retirees are a politically diverse group – Republicans, Democrats and Independents – but regardless of political stripe, many of them believe the Obama administration betrayed them. Howard Collins, a Democrat, said he voted for Barack Obama in 2008 but isn’t sure he would do so again.
“I don't know if I will decide until I actually go in the voting booth,” he said.
Did the government pick winners and losers?
As senior advisor on auto issues at the Treasury Department, Ron Bloom led the administration’s Auto Task Force. He insists the government was not involved in GM’s individual decisions but simply approved the overall plan as being viable and based on commercial rather than political considerations.
“What I think is a fair surmise is that General Motors made a judgment that there was a commercial necessity for treating the UAW the way they did,” says Bloom. There was concern that the unions might interfere with the flow of parts from Delphi to the auto company, which could harm new GM. Topping up the union pensions ensured the work would continue.
“The UAW had commercial leverage in this case, which they utilized.”
Bloom now says he feels for the Delphi workers. “There's no making it nice. There's no saying it's OK. The only thing one can say is that it was done in a responsible and fair way relative to the rules of the road in a bankruptcy.”
His position was echoed by Treasury Spokesman Anthony Coley, who told NBC News, "As has been exhaustively documented, Treasury's consistent approach to the auto restructuring was to defer to GM's business judgment and not approve or disapprove individual business decisions. While the GM restructuring involved painful concessions from all stakeholders, President Obama's decision to stand behind GM and the American auto industry saved more than a million jobs."
But Bruce Gump, the Delphi salaried workers representative, calls that justification a “smoke screen.”
“I believe that what really happened was that this administration simply wanted to take care of their political base,” he said.
The administration has turned over thousands of documents related to Treasury’s discussions between GM, Delphi and the PBGC, but not to the satisfaction of members of the House Oversight Committee, House Ways and Means Committee, or attorneys for the salaried Delphi employees They accuse the Treasury Department of stonewalling and withholding key documents.
Ron Bloom and key Task Force members Harry Wilson and Matthew Feldman refused to be interviewed by the special investigator general of TARP about the Delphi pension decisions for almost a year, until July, when they were called to testify before a house subcommittee. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, called their refusal to answer questions “a happy train of silence.”
The three have now complied and the special investigator general’s audit is nearing completion.
Emails and testimony from lawsuits and ongoing investigations suggest the administration was deeply involved in GM’s decisions and considered a list of “politically sensitive” issues, but so far there is no proof the pension decisions were driven by political favoritism.
For its part, General Motors maintains that by topping up the union pensions, the company was fulfilling an agreement made at the time of the Delphi spin-off. And GM holds that the fate of the salaried employees was in the hands of the new Delphi.
“Delphi’s salaried pension plan was fully funded, and it was transferred to Delphi at the time the new company was created,” GM spokesperson Greg Martin said in a statement to NBC News. “Responsibility for the future health of that plan – including funding levels and asset allocation – rested solely with Delphi. The new GM is not in a position to fund salaried Delphi pensions twice.”
In 2010, then UAW President Ron Gettelfinger expressed support for Delphi’s salaried pensioners.
"This is a grave injustice," Gettelfinger wrote in a letter to the Delphi Salaried Retirees Association. "While the restructuring of America's auto industry requires shared sacrifice and responsibility, Delphi's salaried retirees/former employees are being forced to bear extra burdens that are not warranted."
The salaried workers have bipartisan support for their cause.
Last week Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, sent a letter to Department of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and the White House Counsel requesting compliance with a congressional request for documents.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, has introduced legislation that would restore the salaried pensions using proceeds from the sale of the government’s shares of GM stock.
But legislation takes time. The group representing the salaried workers would prefer to receive their full pension directly from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which they say would not cost taxpayers a dime, because it receives its income from the premiums paid by the companies whose plans it insures.
Whether or not they believe the decision was made to appease an influential ally of the administration, the salaried retirees say that after a three-year struggle, it is just time to put things right.
“Really, that's in the past to be honest with you,” said David Kane. “You can't do anything about history. It's locked in. Where do we go from here? I'm more focused on what we do now to change the future. That's the only thing we can change.”
Kane’s wife, Dianne, lost her job around the same time his pension was reduced. Together, the couple has nine part-time jobs, but they are still barely making it.
“Our finances were based upon this scale, if you will, of expected income. And even with all the number jobs that we're working, it doesn't replace what we lost. It was easier sliding down the hill than to climb back up it,” Kane said.
Kane’s health has created additional challenges. Months before his pension was cut, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He also suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome.
Kane is still looking for full-time work but has had no luck. He suspects his age and poor health are a factor. Nevertheless, he remains hopeful.
“What I would like to see now is that portion of our pensions restored to the levels that they were before Delphi exited bankruptcy and did away with our pensions,” he said. “If I can get that portion back, I can make it. It's just too tough without it.”
Lisa Myers is NBC's senior investigative correspondent and Talesha Reynolds is an NBC investigative producer.
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The Man in the Rockefeller Suit
The One That (Almost) Got Away
A sophisticated gentleman known as Clark Rockefeller owned famous paintings supposedly worth hundreds of millions. But the gentleman—like the art collection—turned out to be a fake. Arrested in 2008 for the kidnapping of his daughter and now charged with the murder of his former landlord, the fellow born Christian Gerhartsreiter in Bergen, Germany, created a charmed life of lies. According to Mark Seal's riveting The Man in the Rockefeller Suit (Viking), from the age of 17, Gerhartsreiter began switching identities as a woman does lipstick, even, at one point, giving himself an aristocratic title. He conned everyone from college admissions officers to pastors to his own wife, a graduate of Harvard Business School. Was he born a psychopath? Seal never really decides, choosing instead to ask the question: Why did so many people fall for him? Would you?
— Carolyn Sun
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(Reuters) - Federal and state regulators are examining whether some of the largest U.S. banks are helping Internet-based lenders evade state laws that cap interest rates on payday loans, The New York Times said on Sunday.
Citing several people with direct knowledge of the matter, the newspaper said the FDIC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, D.C. are examining the role of banks in online payday loans.
It also said Benjamin Lawsky, who heads New York State's Department of Financial Services, is investigating how banks enable online lenders to make high-rate loans to residents of New York, where interest rates are capped at 25 percent.
Payday loans, typically a few hundred dollars in size, enable cash-strapped borrowers to obtain quick funds to tide them over until their next paychecks.
But the loans can carry effective annual interest rates that reach well into three digits. Some consumer advocates consider the loans a means to take advantage of financially desperate Americans, who nonetheless shell out $7.4 billion a year for them according to a February 20 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The newspaper did not identify the banks being examined.
But it said that while large banks such as Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Co do not make the actual loans, they do let lenders that do to withdraw payments from customers' accounts, even if customers have already begged them to stop.
According to the newspaper, 15 U.S. states ban payday loans, but lenders are setting up online operations in places such as Belize, Malta and the West Indies to more easily evade the caps.
Representatives of JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup Inc and Wells Fargo, the four largest U.S. banks, had no immediate comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The FDIC, the CFPB and Lawsky's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The newspaper said a Bank of America spokeswoman said that bank has always honored requests to stop automatic withdrawals, a JPMorgan spokeswoman said that bank is working to resolve open cases, and Wells Fargo declined to comment.
"YOU NEVER CATCH UP"
According to the Pew study, Americans on average pay $520 in finance charges for payday loans that average just $375.
Many of these borrowers find the process a never-ending cycle that leaves them in the same financial binds where they started, according to the study.
Fifty-eight percent of borrowers reported persistent problems paying their bills, and 41 percent found they needed help to repay the loans - such as by borrowing from friends or family, selling personal possessions, or taking out other loans.
Moreover, 27 percent of payday loan borrowers said the loans caused them to overdraw their checking accounts - enabling banks to charge fees for those overdrafts.
"It seems like you never catch up, and it, it's just check-to-check, and something breaks down, and the house needs work, kids have school, just never catch up," a storefront borrower in Chicago was quoted in the report as saying.
The borrower was then asked how long this had gone on. The response: "Twenty years."
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
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Do tax breaks truly benefit community?
The Dispatch welcomes letters to the editor from readers. Typed letters of 200 words or
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Letters to the Editor
34 S. 3rd St.
Columbus, OH. 43215
According to a New York Times article, states and cities have given $80 billion of incentives each year in the form of cash rewards, free buildings and lucrative tax breaks (“States, cities give up $80B in fight for jobs,” Dec. 2 Dispatch). The beneficiaries have been a wide range of corporations that made promises of thousands of jobs that never materialized.
For many communities, these payouts added up to a substantial chunk of their overall spending. One economist, Timothy J. Bartik at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Kalamazoo, Mich., asked, “How can you even talk about rationalizing what you are doing when you don't even know what you are doing?” Unfortunately, the corporate world is not alone in receiving incentives without much oversight in the form of data collection or meaningful guidelines. Religious organizations also have enjoyed tax-exempt status based on the assumption that they are performing good works. For this noble mission, religious organizations owning prime real estate and employing hundreds of thousands of people enjoy an unequal footing and subsequent advantage over the private sector, yet still require public services while exempt from paying their fair share.
What constitutes “good works”? Are outcomes documented? Are budgets transparent? The religious community should be free to practice beliefs, perform good deeds, build places of worship, etc. — but not free to benefit from tax “incentives” without public oversight, at the expense of their fellow citizens who make up their share of the tax burden.
It is ironic that folks object to religious-themed displays in public places but not the loss of tax revenue from billions of dollars worth of religious property.
Applying Bartik's view of “incentives” to the religious community, I ask: How can you even talk about rationalizing tax-exemption status for the religious community when you don't even know what it is doing?
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It’s been a wildly windy few days across California.
Northern California was the first to feel the lashing blasts, which spread to the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys then as far south as San Diego County.
In city, at least a dozen trees came down, police Officer John Tozzini told KGO-TV (Ch. 7), which reported that more than 20,000 utility customers lost power in the Bay Area. Read More
Bay Area residents may want to bundle up, as a cold-weather system is headed this way and will linger for several days, a National Weather Service forecaster said.
“Temperatures will start dropping” today, forecaster Steve Anderson said.
Daytime highs in the greater Bay Area are expected to be in the low 50s, and overnight temperatures will dip to about 35 to 40 degrees, he said. Read More
The rain-soaked Bay Area will get a slight reprieve from stormy weather for the next couple of days, a National Weather Service forecaster said Wednesday.
Isolated thunderstorms and hail hit parts of the region throughout the day Wednesday, but today is expected to be dry, forecaster Steve Anderson said.
Northern Californians slogged through another day of wet and windy weather as the second storm of the weekend moved through the region, causing headaches for people driving on freeways and delays for air travelers.After a bit of a break in the weather Saturday evening, a slow-moving but more powerful weather system delivered heavy rain and strong winds Sunday, said National Weather Service forecaster Diana Henderson. Read More
The third rainstorm to pound the Bay Area in the past five days disabled public transit, flooded storm drains and caused thousands of power outages across San Francisco on Sunday.
According to the National Weather Service, 1.03 inches of rain had fallen in downtown San Francisco by 11 a.m.
“It was a pretty intense band of rain that moved right through The City,” said Austin Cross, a meteorologist with the weather service. “It was a similar amount of rain as the previous storm, but it happened rather quickly.”
Road closures, flooding and power outages greeted commuters, as expected, Wednesday morning, and it was just the beginning of the storms expected to wallop the Bay Area this week.
Up to an inch of rain fell in parts of the region, which led to closures of roadways in Palo Alto and highway ramps in Marin County. In San Francisco, Great Highway was shut down in both directions by noon because of flooding, but otherwise no major flooding was reported in The City. Read More
A series of powerful rainstorms is expected to hit the Bay Area beginning Wednesday morning, dumping up to 8 inches of rain on parts of the region, a National Weather Service forecaster said.
The storms will start around the time of the morning commute Wednesday and continue through the weekend, bringing winds of 40 to 50 mph and 1 to 3 inches of rain to most parts of the Bay Area, forecaster Steve Anderson said. Read More
It’s been hella hot outside, but the heat wave is over.
In San Francisco, temperatures soared into the high 70s on Monday and Tuesday, but a cooling pattern today is expected to bring more typical weather for November, with rain possible.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in The City today will peak in the mid-60s — a whopping 20 degrees lower than the start of the week. By Thursday, rain is even forecasted. Read More
A streaking fireball lit up California skies and stunned stargazers Wednesday night, and professional observers say more meteors are on the way.
The exploding streak was visible over the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California, and there also were reports of a loud boom.
“It looked like a plane crash or rocket,” said Philip Terzian, an amateur astronomer who happened to photograph the meteor while atop a ridge around Palo Alto. Read More
Temperatures are expected to be above normal in the Bay Area through the rest of the week, but residents should have umbrellas handy — National Weather Service forecasters say the first major storm of the season could hit the region next week.
San Francisco will be about 75 to 80 degrees, five to 10 degrees hotter than usual, National Weather Service forecaster Steve Anderson said. Read More
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This book is impossible to put down, no pun intended.
Nancy Werlin, National Book Award Finalist, pulls readers into the fast-moving currents of a modern fairy tale. Based on verses from The Elfin Knight, an early version of Scarborough Fair, Impossible reveals the sinister nuances of an ancient ballad.
At the age of seven, Lucy Scarborough discovers a letter hidden in her bedroom. Barely able to read, she sounds out one sentence: “I look in the mirror now and see my mother and I am so afraid you will end like us: doomed, cursed…all sorts of melodramatic, ridiculous, but true things.” Lucy would ask her foster parents Leo and Soledad for help deciphering it all, but she doesn’t want an explanation. She wants it to be magic.
Ten years later, Werlin’s heroine is no longer the whimsical girl she used to be. Lucy is practical in all aspects of life, especially love. She’s certain that everything is under control when she goes to her prom with Gray Spencer, a boy “she could fight any day, and win.”
In spite of precautions, events spiral out of Lucy’s control: “It wasn’t Gray Spencer at all. That made no sense, but Lucy felt the truth of it in her bones. It was someone else, using his body.” An ironic twist leaves Lucy dealing with the impact of rape and teenage pregnancy, and the last thing she needs is to discover a curse that has passed down from one Scarborough girl to the next: she must fulfill three impossible demands of the Elfin Knight’s ballad, or fall victim to madness upon her daughter’s birth. What sets Lucy apart from her ancestors is the support of her devoted foster parents and Zach, her childhood friend who goes beyond the call of duty. Will it be enough?
There is not a lull in the plot as Lucy, Zach, Leo and Soledad struggle against time to break an age-old curse. This tale isn’t just about a checklist of magical chores. More miraculous than the impossible feats is the transformation of each character, underscored by Werlin’s poignant prose: “I understand now…You were afraid, like I am, but you did everything you could for me anyway.”
In Impossible, the story of innocence betrayed and love that fights back, the lyrics of Scarborough Fair take on a dark, powerful magic. But who’s to say that songs can’t be re-written? -J.M.
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Every day, an estimated 216,000 babies are born worldwide. Many suspect a spike in those birthed today, 9/9/09, as suspicious-minded mamas go for the trifecta date. Some will employ labor-inducing tactics while others may have picked the triple nine time for their scheduled C-section. Those who are still playing the waiting game may be more concerned with not having a babe two days from now on 9/11. A tragic moment in American history, many parents will do their best to keep their baby from making its debut on such an auspicious date. I know a few expectant ladies who are planning on keeping their feet propped up and never leaving bed this coming Friday to keep baby at bay for at least another day. Do you keep historical or superstitious dates in mind when labor is imminent?
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| 0.969895
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|
DNSSEC does get you something today because an answer is not "correct" if it is unsigned, or
the signature is invalid, and you were expecting a signed response.
If your resolver can determine a chain of trust from an anchor (ideally the root servers, but
today it might be the Swedish ccTLD registry) down the DNS hierarchy to the requested address,
then it can (and if configured to do so) will authenticate the response.
At the anchor you use a locally configured key to verify the signed information about the next
level, and if that information contains a public key, you can use that to verify the next lot
of signed information, and so on until you've reached the point in the hierarchy you were
interested in, or you don't get a key and fall back to unauthenticated DNS.
If you install the Swedish TLD's DNSSEC public key and configure your resolver and/or
recursive server to use it, then you will have working DNSSEC today, for however many 2LDs
there are in their registry which have decided to use DNSSEC, and for any of their 3LDs and so
on as appropriate. Once you have set this up, any queries for these addresses will either give
you the authentic answer, or fail in some way (e.g. because the owner forgot to update their
key and doesn't have a system which handles it automatically), spoofing becomes impossible.
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|
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|
The third page of an unbylined report with an early Saturday time stamp credited to "USA Today" carried at the Jackson, Mississippi Clarion Ledger (like USAT, a Gannett Company) claimed that "Walmart heiress Alice Walton expressed solidarity with Walmart's striking workers."
Putting aside whether or not an action taken by what the company estimated may have been fifty associates is a "strike" or a "temper tantrum," the claim was not true. USA Today fell for a hoax. Following the jump are several paragraphs from the Clarion Ledger report and an LA Times writeup identifying the hoax. Additionally, I learned that Alice Walton's Crystal Bridges Museum was the object of Occupy and union movement protests when it opened a year ago.
First, the USAT verbiage (bolds are mine throughout this post):
On the eve of Thanksgiving, Walmart heiress Alice Walton expressed solidarity with Walmart's striking workers, closing the Crystal Bridges Museum she founded and heads in Bentonville, Ark., in a show of support.
The 63-year-old philanthropist called on Americans to stay home with their families so that Walmart workers wouldn't have to report to work in the middle of their Thanksgiving meals.
Walton, in a statement on the museum's website, said she was "shocked to the point of disbelief" when she learned of the working conditions at the retail store her father founded in 1945.
"As a Walton, I cannot stomach the thought of our employees working for poverty wages, without sufficient health care, on a permanent part-time basis, or under threat of harassment, retaliation, or termination for organizing in their workplace. The workers of Walmart deserve better," she wrote.
She also decried what she called a "race to profit from cash-strapped deal-seekers to save a buck ..."
"This poor treatment of workers and crass commercialization of the holiday stamps 'Black Friday' with a whole new meaning: the black mark of shame," Walton added.
All completely bogus, as explained by David Ng at the LA Times:
The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., is the victim of an apparent email hoax linking founder and Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton with workers from the big-box retailer.
The email sent Wednesday said the museum would close its doors Friday in sympathy for Wal-Mart workers who are planning demonstrations over the holiday weekend.
A museum spokeswoman said that all information in the release is false. She said the museum is open Friday.
... The email hoax Wednesday featured the website crystalbridgesfoundation.com, which does not appear to be affiliated with the museum in any way. The fake message also stated the museum will host "a special temporary exhibition on labor in American art" that will open Saturday. No such exhibition appears on the museum's schedule.
The identity of the pranksters remains unclear.
The "crystalbridgesfoundation.com" web site Ng referred to is not the site of the hoax. "crystalbridgesfoundation.org" is, and it's still there. The hoaxsters appear to have gone to a great deal of trouble to copy the real museum's dozens of web pages, enough to make one wonder if they did the work for free, and if not, who paid for it.
USA Today itself has corrected its story authored by Doug Stanglin and Michael Winter. The existence of the original story at the Clarion Ledger shows that the corrected version has not yet filtered out to all of Gannett's sister publications which carried it. Perhaps it never will.
The Museum's actual site (crystalbridges.org) is here.
A year ago, the Occupy movement and OUR Wal-Mart attempted a protest at the museum's opening which appears to have been as ineffective as the Black Friday effort:
The art world isn't the only community greeting Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton's new Crystal Bridges Museum with skepticism. A group of Wal-Mart employees are planning workshops and educational events in half a dozen cities across the country on Friday to coincide with the opening of the multimillion-dollar, Moshe Safdie-designed institution in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Members of the Organization United for Respect at Wal-Mart (OUR Wal-Mart), an activist group dedicated to improving working conditions for the company's employees, will team up with branches of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Saint Louis, Miami, Oakland, and San Francisco to distribute information about the Walton family's labor practices and policies. "If there's ever a case of the one percent, it's the Walton family," OUR Wal-Mart spokesman Ben Waxman told ARTINFO.
The current and former Wal-Mart associates participating in the demonstrations take issue with the fact that Walton has spent millions of dollars on a museum while her family's organization, Wal-Mart, recently raised health care premiums and has capped salaries for many of its employees.
A Google News Archive search returns no post-protest news story. But it did return a column by Abigail R. Esman at Forbes, who lit into Ms. Walton's critics (additional paragraph breaks added by me):
How Alice Walton's Crystal Bridges Exposes The Foolishness Of Occupy Wall Street
Last week, Alice Walton’s shining new museum, Crystal Bridges, opened to the public in the most unlikely of places: Bentonville, Arkansas, population 36,800. Set on 120 acres amidst 500 dogwood trees, sculpture gardens, and springs, and boasting art works culled from private and public collections around the country that celebrate the American tradition in art, Crystal Bridges is the Wal-Mart heiress’s gift to the town where Wal-Mart first began as Walton’s Five-and-Dime in the 1940s.
Yet despite this love letter, as it were, to her community and to America, there remain those so wedded to the whining of the so-called 99 percent that they remain blinded both to the philanthropy and to the significance of the project.
Never mind that the museum has brought art works by American giants from Benjamin West and Georgia O’Keefe to Mark di Suvero and Joan Mitchell to a region that has, until now, had little opportunity to view the glories of America’s artistic heritage.
Never mind that some of these purchases – costing tens of millions of dollars – hang, not in private homes for the selfish enjoyment of the Walton family, but on public walls for the education and enrichment of the American people.
Never mind that funds used to purchase these treasures (and preserve and build nature trails and parks) for the simple purpose of giving them to Americans could instead have easily been used for, say, bracelets and private planes and mansions.
Never mind that Ms. Walton consciously chose to use local labor and – for the most part — local materials, or that through an additional $20 million gift, provided by the Wal-Mart Family Foundation, entrance to the museum will be free for the foreseeable future.
Never mind that there is no income reward in this for the Walton family – only expense.
Never mind that the museum will employ local workers and bring tourism (read: jobs and commerce) to the town.
All this, for the Occupy crowd, apparently means nothing. What matters to them is simply the fact that Ms Walton has the money to do any of this in the first place – and this, evidently, is an emblem of pure evil.
... Notably, too, corporations like GE, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, and Norther Arkansas Mercedes Benz have provided additional sponsorship ...
... In other words, Ms. Walton has done everything absolutely right. She has done for little Bentonville what one would want every one of her socio-economic comrades to do: used her wealth to create job opportunities, enhance education, and support the arts (at a time when Washington is cutting back).
Which is why I cannot comprehend why Occupy, which has yet, after nearly three months, to establish any kind of real platform (other than holding two sessions of yoga and meditation a day), has any gripes.
Because it's there, it's visible, and they were hoping to get attention, Ms. Esman.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
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is found desirable to conclude the game before a Nap has been secured, the amount of the kitty is to be equally divided between the players, or it may be drawn for, in which case a card is distributed to each player by the regular dealer, who has the cards properly shuffled and cut for the purpose, when the holder of the lowest card (ace here reckoning as highest) takes the pool.
MISERY OR MISÉRE.
This is the most common variation, and is the antithesis of Napoleon, inasmuch as the caller must not make a single trick. The caller leads off in the ordinary way--the suit led being trumps, as usual, unless it is agreed, as is sometimes done, that there shall be no trumps in this variation. The caller of misére must always follow suit, if he can, but is not obliged to trump if he has none of the suit led. He must, however, play the cards so as to avoid taking a trick. Should he be compelled to win one of the tricks, or should his original lead remain unheaded by any of the oth
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[47:0] In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
[47:1] Those who disbelieve and repel from the path of GOD, He nullifies their works.
[47:2] Those who believe and work righteousness, and believe in what was sent down to Muhammad—which is the truth from their Lord—He remits their sins, and blesses them with contentment.
[47:3] This is because those who disbelieve are following falsehood, while those who believe are following the truth from their Lord. GOD thus cites for the people, their examples.
[47:4] If you encounter (in war) those who disbelieve, you may strike the necks. If you take them as captives you may set them free or ransom them, until the war ends. Had GOD willed, He could have granted you victory, without war. But He thus tests you by one another. As for those who get killed in the cause of GOD, He will never put their sacrifice to waste.
[47:5] He will guide them, and bless them with contentment.
[47:6] He will admit them into Paradise, that He described to them.
[47:7] O you who believe, if you support GOD, He will support you, and strengthen your foothold.
[47:8] Those who disbelieve incur misery; He causes their works to be utterly in vain.
[47:9] That is because they hated what GOD revealed and consequently, He nullifies their works.
[47:10] Did they not roam the earth and see the consequences for those before them? GOD destroyed their works; all disbelievers will suffer the same fate.
[47:11] This is because GOD is the Lord of those who believe, while the disbelievers have no lord.
[47:12] GOD admits those who believe and lead a righteous life into gardens with flowing streams. As for those who disbelieve, they live and eat like the animals eat, then end up in the hellfire.
[47:13] Many a community was much stronger than the community that evicted you from your town; when we annihilated them, no one could help them.
[47:14] Are those enlightened by their Lord the same as those whose evil works are adorned in their eyes, and they follow their own opinions?
[47:15] The allegory of Paradise that is promised for the righteous is this: it has rivers of unpolluted water, and rivers of fresh milk, and rivers of wine— delicious for the drinkers—and rivers of strained honey. They have all kinds of fruits therein, and forgiveness from their Lord. (Are they better) or those who abide forever in the hellfire, and drink hellish water that tears up their intestines?
[47:16] Some of them listen to you, then as soon as they leave they ask those who were enlightened, "What did he just say?" GOD thus seals their hearts and, consequently, they follow only their opinions.
[47:17] As for those who are guided, He augments their guidance, and grants them their righteousness.
End of the World*
[47:18] Are they waiting until the Hour comes to them suddenly? All the signs thereof have already come.* Once the Hour comes to them, how will they benefit from their message?
Lã Elãha Ellã Allãh: First Commandment
[47:19] You shall know that: "There is no other god beside GOD,"* and ask forgiveness of your sins and the sins of all believing men and women. GOD is fully aware of your decisions and your ultimate destiny.
Exposing the Hypocrites
[47:20] Those who believed said: "When will a new sura be revealed?" But when a straightforward sura was revealed, wherein fighting was mentioned, you would see those who harbored doubts in their hearts looking at you, as if death had already come to them. They were thus exposed.
Proof of Faith During Muhammad's Era
[47:21] Obedience and righteous utterances are expected of them. If only they showed confidence in GOD, when mobilization was called for, it would have been better for them.
[47:22] Is it also your intention that as soon as you leave you will commit evil and mistreat your relatives?
[47:23] It is those who incurred a curse from GOD, whereby He rendered them deaf and blind.
Study the Quran
[47:24] Why do they not study the Quran carefully? Do they have locks on their minds?
[47:25] Surely, those who slide back, after the guidance has been manifested to them, the devil has enticed them and led them on.
[47:26] This is because they said to those who hated what GOD has sent down, "We will obey you in certain matters." GOD fully knows their secret conspiracies.
[47:27] How will it be for them when the angels put them to death? They will beat them on their faces and their rear ends.
[47:28] This is because they followed what angered GOD and hated the things that please Him. Consequently, He has nullified their works.
[47:29] Did those who harbor doubts in their hearts think that GOD will not bring out their evil thoughts?
[47:30] If we will, we can expose them for you, so that you can recognize them just by looking at them. However, you can recognize them by the way they talk. GOD is fully aware of all your works.
[47:31] We will certainly put you to the test, in order to distinguish those among you who strive, and steadfastly persevere. We must expose your true qualities.
[47:32] Those who disbelieve and repel from the path of GOD, and oppose the messenger after the guidance has been manifested for them, will never hurt GOD in the least. Instead, He nullifies their works.
[47:33] O you who believe, you shall obey GOD, and obey the messenger. Otherwise, all your works will be in vain.
The Great Disaster
[47:34] Those who disbelieve and repel from the path of GOD, then die as disbelievers, GOD will never forgive them.
[47:35] Therefore, you shall not waver and surrender in pursuit of peace, for you are guaranteed victory, and GOD is with you. He will never waste your efforts.
[47:36] This worldly life is no more than play and vanity. But if you believe and lead a righteous life, He will reward you, without asking you for any money.
[47:37] If He asked you for money, to the extent of creating a hardship for you, you might have become stingy, and your hidden evil might be exposed.
[47:38] You are invited to spend in the cause of GOD, but some of you turn stingy. The stingy are stingy towards their own souls. GOD is Rich, while you are poor.
Warning to the Arabs*
* If you turn away, He will substitute other people in your place, and they will not be like you.
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Are co-ops the answer to health care reform?by Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio
St. Paul, Minn. — A North Dakota senator says nonprofit cooperatives may be the solution the country's health care problems.
Kent Conrad, D-N.D., has been pitching insurance cooperatives as a compromise plan that would help get the votes needed to pass health care reform. He says the bill is doomed if it includes the so-called public option, or government-run, plan.
Minnesota is one of a handful of places that already has health care co-ops. In a Fox News interview, Conrad explained that consumer-controlled cooperatives are a proven model that will have bipartisan support.
"It's not government-run and government controlled," he said. "It's membership-run and membership controlled. But it does provide a nonprofit competitor for the for-profit insurance companies."
Conrad's proposal would provide government startup money to create private, consumer-owned, non-profit entities that would be similar to the electric, telephone and farm cooperatives operating throughout the nation. They'd also look a lot like existing health-care co-ops, including Twin Cities-based HealthPartners.
Donna Zimmerman, a vice president at HealthPartners, says the most important aspect of any health care cooperative is its governing board, which exists to please members, not shareholders. In the case of HealthPartners, Zimmerman says 15 elected board members oversee every aspect of operations. She says much of the board's attention is aimed at increasing quality and lowering costs.
"Having a not-for-profit organization that's run by consumers means that everything you do is focused on meeting the needs of the members themselves, because they're actually running the organization," she said.
Cooperatives like HealthPartners also have member committees that review appeals when other members have been denied benefits. Zimmerman says the debate around health care co-ops is a positive step in the national discussion.
"We think that that governance model is really what's needed basically across the country," she said. "And that would create a great improvement over what we see today."
But there are still few details about how a nationwide co-op system would take shape if it's included in the federal legislation. Health insurance is currently regulated by state governments, and some supporters of the cooperative approach say that could cause problems.
Adam Schwartz of the Washington-based National Cooperative Business Association says he wants health care co-ops to be able to work together across state lines to have more buying power and to compete more effectively.
"Take, for instance, North Dakota," he said. "Just given the population of that state, it would be difficult for a new co-op to get to the size and scale to form an effective competitor, which is certainly one of the goals of health insurance reform."
Some critics argue that startup subsidies would make the co-ops just another form of government-run insurance. Former Minnesota Republican Sen. Dave Durenberger, who now heads the National Institute of Health Policy at the University of St. Thomas, says a nonprofit health plan is no more accountable than the for-profit plans.
"Nonprofits are basically nonprofits," he said. "They aren't owned by anybody. They have to provide community benefit in exchange for tax exemption. But they are owned. There's nobody to hold them accountable. You can't hold any of our nonprofit plans accountable."
Durenberger is opposed to the so-called public option and the use of cooperatives.
He says genuine reform will come only when the entire health insurance industry agrees to assume more risk and maximize benefits.
- All Things Considered, 08/18/2009, 4:50 p.m.
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He makes an important point. But it goes both ways. It's also time for us rural folks to have an adult conversation with our representatives; because their politics in Washington are becoming less relevant to the challenges that confront us.
Take the farm bill, for example. The big fight was about whether farm payments would fit the form favored by Midwestern or southern interests. But the perfect payment won't help rural America if we lose our family farms. And as long as Washington provides unlimited farm and crop insurance subsidies to mega farms, it will subsidize them to drive family size farms out of business. But it's not being addressed.
Our small towns are also fighting for their lives - but not for lack of potential. There are promising small business opportunities in small towns. And we have learned from experience that providing aspiring entrepreneurs with reasonable credit, business training and help with business planning sprouts successful rural businesses.
But federal investment in rural small business and community development has fallen in half over the decade. We must invest in our future, if we are to have a future. But you don't hear that in the farm bill debate.
Washington politics are losing relevance. It's up to us - as
Chuck Hassebrook, firstname.lastname@example.org, Center for Rural Affairs.
The Center for Rural Affairs was established in 1973 as an unaffiliated nonprofit corporation under IRS code 501(c)3. The Center for Rural Affairs was formed by rural Nebraskans concerned about family farms and rural communities, and we work to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities.
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A 16-year-old boy from the east of England is hoping to become the youngest person to sail around the world - all by himself.
Michael Perham from Hertfordshire is already the youngest person ever to have sailed across the Atlantic alone.
He set sail on his latest record breaking attempt from Portsmouth on Saturday morning.
Before he left, Michael said he knows he's "a little crazy" to be attempting the journey.
Michael will be at sea for over four months, and the only contact he'll have with his family is over a special satellite phone.
He's expected to arrive back in Portsmouth some time around his 17th birthday, on 16 March 2009.
That means he'll be away for Christmas, so his family have put presents and decorations on board his yacht!
Michael's hoping to smash the current record held by Australian Jesse Martin, who completed his trip in 1999 when he was 18-years-old.
Michael said: "I'm a little bit nervous but otherwise really, really excited.
"It's just fantastic. But you don't look forward to the fact you are alone for about four months."
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History: Southern Cavern Edit History Back to page | View logs for this page Browse history From year (and earlier): From month (and earlier): all January February March April May June July August September October November December Deleted only For any version listed below, click on its date to view it. For more help, see Help:Page history. (cur) = difference from current version, (prev) = difference from preceding version, m = minor edit, → = section edit, ← = automatic edit summary (cur | prev) 23:29, January 9, 2013 Ozank (Talk | contribs) . . (193 bytes) (+79) . . (Adding categories) (undo) (cur | prev) 19:38, July 10, 2012 18.104.22.168 (Talk) . . (114 bytes) (+114) . . (Created page with ' Southern Cavern is a location in Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue. It has 50 floors and contains mostly Ground types.') Retrieved from "http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Southern_Cavern"
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Our world is being nearly reduced on any actual newspapers with the internet holding firm ground with its blogs, tweets, and the countless other networks. However to reach a potential amount of the reading population that is where you need to be. Whether you merely wish to have your say about something in particular spread to the world or you are trying to perform a service blogging is the choice.
A short list of the best blogging tools for the beginner blogger or the old pro are some of the following.
Penzu. This is one of the newest of the platforms available with privacy being it’s major feature. However, privacy can be the most important thing you should consider in your world of internet based contact. But it still remains the one tool designed for the few instead of the many, if your blog is more a personal contact format. Make Penzu your choice if journalism happens to be more of what you are after.
Next in the smaller blogging world Tumblr could probably be the one for you. It is more of a miniature style of the tweeting world, although it does allow far more characters for greater length. Like Penzu it offers quite a variety of themes for more of a personalized site.
Two more very similar tools that are easy to use in creation of your website are Joomla and Drupal. Both remain quite alike in their features and functions, Drupal however remains more towards the directions of social communities. Drupal does offer the wonderful feature of posting to your blog via email. Yet lacks terribly in the lack customizations possibilities.
The tool that is owned by Google, Blogger, is one of the first of the pioneers in blogging. A great tool which has improved over time and perfect for the least experienced blogger. One of the best features of this tool remains in the fact you require no hosting services and has zero fees to start. Yet the lack of expanding is a very bad point, in the instance that your blog takes off.
One of the most recommended of the blogging tools is found in WordPress. This powerful tool to the blogger takes you farther into the technological age that is the digital world. It will allow you the easiest, most flexible tools in designing your new blog. As well as support for your content management. Perfect for the blogger remains with the large amount of free themes for a variety of styles, and provides anything you need for e-commerce or social networking plug-ins for wonderful expansion of your site.
Lastly to mention is Movable Type, the most like the powerful WordPress. One of this tools greatest pluses is it’s ability to run multiple blogs after just one install. While still growing in uses it still remains a great source quite comparable to WordPress.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fred_Meek
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Giuliani's sorry crackdown on New York City's taxi drivers.
When he is not billing himself as the 9/11 candidate, Rudolph Giuliani bills himself as a law and order candidate. But when he was mayor of New York, Giuliani often acted as if law was for other people. Before he's handed the reins to the war on terror, the mayor's willingness to impose harsh and even illegal rules should be well understood. Giuliani's crackdown on taxi drivers—nearly all immigrants without a political stronghold—is a case in point.
The mayor's hostility to New York's cabbies started after his re-election. Beginning in 1998, the city enacted new rules that increased penalties on taxi drivers for reckless driving. Some cabbies threatened a work action (cab drivers have no union, so they cannot technically strike). Giuliani and the NYPD "crushed" it, as the tabloids put it, and the mayor bragged that he had "destroyed" the strike. With Giuliani nodding at his side, NYPD Commissioner Howard Safir compared the cabbies to a "terrorist threat."
The new rules were popular—most New Yorkers felt that taxi drivers did drive too fast. They were upheld by the courts, too, though the city was later found liable for violating the cabbies' right to freely assemble when it blocked their planned protest. With one crackdown under his belt, Giuliani was emboldened.
In November 1999, just as Giuliani geared up his Senate campaign against Hillary Clinton, movie star Danny Glover protested publicly that city cab drivers had bypassed him and other African-Americans. Such discrimination was certainly a problem, and in fact had been against the law for years. Within a week of Glover's charge, the mayor held a hastily planned press conference heralding "Operation Refusal": a new crackdown on cabbies who allegedly refused service. "We will take your cab away from you," he warned.
Announcing the plan, Giuliani praised his own political courage, predicting "screams and howls," and boasting of how solving problems others found intractable gave him "a great deal of satisfaction." Then he set about casting aside city procedures, taxi regulations, and the Constitution. While Giuliani assured the public, "We are perfectly entitled to do this," his taxi commissioner began to seize cabs, suspend licenses on the spot without any hearing, and revoke the licenses of cabbies found guilty by taxi commission judges. Headlines hailed the mayor for taking on "racist cabbies." For Giuliani, fresh from scandals involving Abner Louima and Amadou Diallou, both black victims of police brutality, it was all good politics.
But even as Giuliani was announcing the plan, his aides were drafting memos questioning the legality of the penalty scheme. This time, there were no public hearings, and the board of the taxi commission was not even consulted. Five hundred drivers had their licenses suspended. Almost 100 had their licenses revoked. Their livelihoods disappeared in a flash.
It took three years from the crackdown for a federal judge to declare the mayor's suspensions of the cabbies' licenses without hearings unconstitutional, in response to a lawsuit in which I represented the drivers. Finally, in 2006, the city agreed to a settlement by which it paid the cabbies it had suspended $7 million in damages. Along the way, the evidence showed that just 15 percent of the alleged refusals to pick up passengers involved race. The vast majority were based on destination.
The mayor, of course, knew better from the start, or should have known better. The taxi commission's own studies indicated that most refusals of service were based on destination, not race. Meanwhile, for all his bluster about taking cabs, the mayor knew that the vast majority of the cabs seized were owned not by the cabbies who were doing the driving but by owners of taxi medallions. The city was careful to quickly return the cabs to those owners, a more formidable group compared to the hapless cabbies, as quickly as possible.
As the Operation Refusal lawsuit progressed, city lawyers hid critical documents, such as the taxi commission's internal penalty guideline and the City Hall staff memos, and persistently fought demands that Giuliani answer questions. Operation Refusal was the work of underlings, they said. He was too busy, they said—never mind that he was now out of office and was making millions as a private citizen consulting and giving speeches. As a former "high public official," the former mayor should be immune, they argued.
Finally, in 2005, after the stonewalling became too egregious to ignore, a federal magistrate judge ordered Giuliani to testify. By this time, Giuliani was gearing up for his presidential campaign. His memory of Operation Refusal was hazy, he testified in a deposition, his tone now subdued. He said he could not even recall whether the plan was his idea.
Dan Ackman is a lawyer and journalist based in Jersey City, N.J.
Photograph of Rudy Giuliani by Les Stone. Photograph of taxi on Slate's home page by Getty Creative Images.
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Perhaps it's time to take a good look at your website. Sure it might look great on a desktop or laptop, but what does it look like on all the different screen sizes of the wide variety of available tablets and smart phones available today? The answer is most probably "not good". This is why you need to think about Responsive Web Design.
Responsive Web Design
There are 14 million web users in South Africa. Only 6 million of them access the web via desktop. This means that more people acces the internet via mobile devices than on desktop. Does your website target this market?
So instead of spending money on designing and maintaining an additional mobile site, why not just have one website that works on all devices? Responsive web design allows you to do just this. One website that displays perfect on all devices, from smartphones and tablets to laptops and desktops.
Your responsive web site will resize and re-order content depending on the screen resolution of the device it's being accessed from. Now, isn't that smart? Contact us to get yours.
The Mobile First approach
We need to keep in mind that users visiting your website via a mobile phone is doing so on the go. They want information quick and easy, no time to click around searching for content. If they can't find what they want in 2 seconds, you're losing a sale.
That's why we design for mobile first. Not only will we make your website display properly on all devices, we'll also ensure they have the best possible web experience. Navigating through your site, mobile visitors have no keyboard and no mouse. They have thumbs. Buttons need to be bigger so it's easier to click on. Content has to be cut. No time to read pages and pages of information. Keep it short and simple.
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Washington, D.C. - Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, welcomed the defeat of S. 2204, legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), which would significantly raise taxes on American energy produces and - as many Democrats have admitted - will do nothing to address the rising price of gas at the pump.
Republicans, meanwhile, offered several amendments to the Menendez bill that would increase American energy production and stop the stranglehold of regulations on energy producers here in the United States. The debate this week provided a clear contrast between Democrats who want to deflect blame for rising energy prices against Republicans who brought forward commonsense solutions to bringing down the price of gas at the pump. Unfortunately, Democrats refused to allow votes on any Republican amendments.
"I am pleased that President Obama and the Democrats' latest proposal to raise taxes on American energy producers was rejected today," Senator Inhofe said. "We all know that when you tax something you decrease supply and when you decrease supply prices go up. Last time they tried this, the sponsor of the bill, Senator Menendez, made the shocking admission, 'Nobody has made the claim that this bill is about reducing gas prices.' He's right, it's not about reducing gas prices, it's about attempting to deflect blame for their policies that continue to make gas prices go up.
"The Republican plan is about reducing gas prices. It's about increasing supply by taking advantage of the immense resources of oil, gas and coal that our nation possesses so that American families can have affordable electricity and lower prices at the pump. That is why I offered three common sense amendments that would dramatically spur American energy production and stop the overregulation by the Obama- EPA."
"During the Senate debate this week, Republicans provided a stark contrast to the Democrats' war on affordable energy. Remember when President Obama said that under his plan of a cap-and-trade system electricity rates would ‘necessarily skyrocket'? He went on to explain that this is 'because I'm capping greenhouse gases...they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.' Significantly raising taxes on oil and gas is just part of this same cap-and-trade agenda: those extra costs would be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices at the pump. There was never any way the Senate would pass such a measure, especially at a time when gas prices are already skyrocketing. Its defeat is a good thing for the American people."
Senator Inhofe filed the following amendments that Democrats refused to allow a vote on:
American Jobs and Domestic Energy Production Act, Amendment 1974
This amendment makes literally billions of barrels of oil and gas available that are currently being held back by the Obama administration. It allows drilling in ANWR - the north slope of Alaska. It opens up all of the Outer Continental Shelf, and it allows oil shale development in the Mountain West. Lastly, it reserves the right to regulate hydraulic fracturing to the states so the federal government cannot shut it down. While the Democrats want to address gas prices by raising taxes, this legislation actually solves the problem by unlocking supply, which will result in lower prices, faster economic growth, and - consequently - more tax revenue.
Gasoline Regulations Act of 2012, Amendment 1963
This legislation, which mirrors Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield's bill in the House, establishes and requires an interagency committee to conduct a cumulative impact analysis on certain EPA rules and actions that affect the price of gasoline and diesel fuel. These rules and actions include: Tier 3 Gas Standards, New Source Performance Standards for Refineries, RFS2, Ozone Standards as well as GHG permitting actions. This legislation would also put a pause on implementing Tier 3 Gas Standards, NSPS as well as Ozone Standards until at least six months after the final report is submitted so that consumers would be protected from a regulatory train wreck that promises to tax them at the pump.
Inhofe-Upton Energy Tax Prevention Act, Amendment 1967
This week, as the Obama EPA rolled out greenhouse gas regulations on new power plants, Senator Inhofe introduced his Energy Tax Prevention Act as an amendment, which will stop EPA's back-door cap-and-trade agenda from taking effect. It protects American families from the Obama administration's plan to impose skyrocketing gas and electricity costs; it prevents the EPA from destroying hundreds of thousands of jobs in America's manufacturing sector; and puts Congress - not unelected bureaucrats - in charge of our nation's climate policies, all while ensuring that the health provisions of the Clean Air Act remain intact.
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I got a couple curious letters accusing me of misinforming in my story yesterday about the voter suppression bill being readied in Wisconsin, and how it will be operative for the recalls. It seems that the Wisconsin State Journal, which first reported on this, now leads on the article linked in my story with a huge caveat:
Voters would be asked for a photo ID in the upcoming recall elections but would still be allowed to vote without one. They would then be informed that a photo ID would be mandatory beginning with the spring 2012 Primary.
Now this is a brand-new lede to the story. It wasn’t there when I wrote on the details yesterday afternoon. Here, in fact, is the lede on the article as it was forwarded to me by a source:
Amended voter ID bill would take effect before recall elections
CLAY BARBOUR | Posted: Monday, May 9, 2011 6:41 pm
Voters taking part in the upcoming recall elections would need photo identification, if the latest version of the controversial voter ID bill becomes law.
That’s how it read Monday night. Sometime between Monday night and Tuesday, the story changed.
Now this is actually fairly common, to see rewrites in a story from the first time it appears on the Web to press time. But this amounts to a negation of the entire story. If voters will simply get asked for photo ID for the recalls but allowed to vote anyway, then the urgency of passage is merely a function of Wisconsin Republicans getting the most possible right-wing bills into circulation before losing the state Senate. Because the Wisconsin State Journal has now lost credibility with me, I sought other sources, including the bill text, before determining that the photo ID provisions of the bill would not be operative for the recalls.
However, that doesn’t mean that other election laws wouldn’t change for the recall.
It also requires that voters live at their current address for 28 days, instead of 10, prior to an election. That change would take effect immediately after the bill is signed, meaning before any recall elections this summer. Six Republicans and three Democrats in the Senate — including four Republicans on the budget committee — are facing potential recalls.
It was important for the longer residency requirement to be in place before the recall elections, (Republican Sen. Joe) Leibham said.
That piece would definitely be operative before the recall. Other provisions, which would lower early voting down to two weeks from 30 days, and end straight party-line voting, would probably take effect afterwards.
There had to be a reason why Rep. Jennifer Shilling, running in the recall against Sen. Dan Kapanke, accused Republicans of rushing the bill because of “pending elections.” Indeed there are parts that would change the rules for the recalls. And furthermore, with the hoopla over photo ID in Wisconsin, even if it’s not in effect, people may have the impression that they need the ID, both before voting and even during it, if the election officials will indeed ask for ID. This has the potential to cause a lot of confusion at the polls.
Meanwhile, at least four recall petitions against Republican Senators have been verified, so we will absolutely see recalls in Wisconsin this summer. What the voting rules will be for those recalls is still up in the air, pending the voter suppression bill in the legislature.
Notwithstanding the Wisconsin State Journal blowing the story from the start, I hope this makes more sense to everyone.
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Millionaires Say They’re Better Off Than in 2007
CNBC Reporter & Editor
The good old days for the wealthy are now back.
A survey from Northern Trust found that three quarters of millionaires surveyed said they are better off, or as well off, as they were in 2007 — the peak for both wealth and sheer numbers of America's millionaires. Most cited improved investment returns as their reason for feeling better off.
(Read More: US Will Add Five Million Millionaires By 2017)
That confidence may soon start translating into hiring. Eighty percent of wealthy business owners say they plan to recruit more workers or keep their staff levels stable over the next 18 to 24 months. One in five plan to make capital investments in upgrading computers and other technology over the same period.
Still, the millionaires are less optimistic about the broader country. Two thirds of millionaires believe the country is worse off than it was in 2007. They blame the growing national debt and stubborn unemployment as the reasons.
Nearly a third blamed their negative outlook on the Obama administration.
In short, today's millionaires are feeling prosperous in their private life, but pessimistic about public life. "The survey results mirror our clients' divergent views around U.S fiscal policy," said Katie Nixon, Northern Trust's Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management.
(Read More: Cities That Are Minting Millionaires the Fastest)
When it comes to investment goals, more than a third of wealthy investors said growing wealth was their goal. About one quarter focus on generating income and the rest say capital preservation is their goal.
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This episode features the rise and fall of Johnny Eng, one of the most notorious drug traffickers in the history of Manhattan's Chinatown. A one-time informant for the DEA, "Machine Gun Johnny" thought he could snitch on all his rivals to monopolize the heroin trade on the eastern seaboard. The special task force set up by the DEA would chase Eng all the way to Hong Kong. Eventually extradited to the U.S., Eng would hire John Gotti's lawyer to defend him against a prosecutor known as "The Dragon Lady."
This episode explores the case of Luis Felipe, also known as "King Blood." From a prison cell, Felipe founded the New York chapter of the Latin Kings street gang. Felipe's own writings would incriminate him as the orchestrator of murders and crimes against his own members. He is now serving a life sentence in solitary confinement.
Explore our collection of famous black entrepreneurs, including L.A. Reid, Tyler Perry, Tyra Banks, Magic Johnson, George Foreman, Madam C.J. Walker, Wally Amos, Russell Simmons, Kimora Lee Simmons, Will Smith, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Queen Latifah, Richard D. Parsons, Robert L. Johnson, Sheila Johnson, Don King, Berry Gordy Jr., Beyoncé Knowles, Jay-Z, Usher and Oprah Winfrey.
Kick off a New Year with a look at the creative and influential people who were born in the month of January. Historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Jr., musical geniuses like Wolfgang Mozart and pop icons such as Elvis Presley all celebrated birthdays within the month of January. See the other famous people who were born in the premiere month of the year.
With innovative ideas and charismatic personalities, many African-Americans have made lasting contributions to the country, while also earning millions. Oprah Winfrey emerged as a world-famous one-woman brand with her show, eventually becoming the world's first black billionaire. Robert L. Johnson started BET, the cable channel geared towards African-Americans. Athlete Michael Jordan turned into a household name through numerous endorsement deals. These people were among the first African-Americans to overcome the obstacles of discrimination and achieve top honors in their fields. With talent and determination, each one reinvented not only what it meant to be an African-American, but also what it meant to be an American.
The American Dream is the notion that, with hard work, any individual can emerge from poor circumstances to a life of wealth and security. Despite the economic ups and downs of modern times, the notion of lifting one's self up is still ingrained in our mindset. Some of our most famous celebrities are, in fact, people who came from nothing. Talent, hard work, and good fortune aligned to make these individuals successful business leaders, actors, athletes and more.
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History of Brundage
50 Years on Brundage Mountain
The townspeople of McCall had a passion for skiing and ski jumping, dating back to the early 1900s. Fortunately, two businessmen and a former Norwegian Olympic ski champion shared the same passion for the sport. In 1959, businessman Warren Brown and Norwegian ski champion Corey Engen began discussing the need for a steeper and larger ski mountain for the residents of McCall and the surrounding region. After initial discussions and preliminary scouting trips with the local US Forest Ranger Wally Lancaster, they asked Jack Simplot to join the venture of opening a new ski area on Brundage Mountain.
In two short years the founders selected an ideal location for a ski resort, developed a master plan, arranged for financing, and assembled the manpower to build a ski lodge, installed a chairlift, and cleared two runs that were called North and South. Today they are known as Main Street and Alpine. On Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1961, Brundage Mountain Ski Resort opened to the public.
For the last 50 years, skiers and boarders have been coming to Brundage for the light, deep powder and a family oriented atmosphere. Today the ski area is owned by the DeBoer family, descendants of founding member Warren Brown. Judd and Diane DeBoer work diligently to preserve the family friendly environment, and they have also expanded and improved the area in recent years.
In 1965, Mary Alice Willson tried the new ski area called Brundage Mountain, based on the recommendation of Seattle KING-TV weatherman Bob Cram,who hosted the show Ski Nanny. “Our fate was sealed,” said Willson. “We had a marvelous week, staying at the Shore Lodge, of course. As I recall the cost for five nights lodging, five breakfasts, five dinners, five days lift tickets and five days of lessons was $87.50 a person. It might have been less than that. It was our first experience with the inimitable John Edwards, Shore Lodge manager, and with Corey Engen, head of the ski instructors. This was the first of about 25 ski vacations spent at Brundage, many of which included our children, and groups of friends with their children. Corey and his instructors taught our children well and they became very good skiers. I remember Corey’s special technique. He would say,‘“Ve go now,”’ and take off in perfect form, with the class trying their hardest to look half that good!”
Many local skiers remember the first year of operation; the triad ski lodge, the red double chair lift running up the mountain, and no grooming machine, which meant the slopes were packed by skiers side-stepping up the mountain. Retired US Forest Service Ranger Earl Dodds skied the first year at Brundage and is still an enthusiastic skier. He is continually on the lookout for new powder shots and has even been known to carry a chain saw on skis, so he can cut brush to improve a powder run.
During the mountain’s fiftieth year celebration, author Eve Chandler will be collecting stories about skiing and boarding at the resort to be included in a coffee table book featuring hundreds of photographs and telling the stories of Brundage Mountain. To tell your story of a memorable time at Brundage, contact Chandler at email@example.com
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after recently being moaned at again for indentation i am a bit mystified by this, its just so subjective, no matter what you do always someone will complain they find it hard to read because they are used to something different, basically i go with the indentation defaults that are produced by code::blocks, if i type a for loop and press enter after the opening curly braces the cursor gets indented and i am happy with that, a nested loop will be indented again and so forth, equally when i add the closing brace it automatically tabs it back in line with the opening braces for that statement block, happy days, i dont mind that at all, suits me fine and find it quite readable.
yet when i posted code with this layout recently i got moaned at by the first reply over dreadful indentation, why???
I have read loads of code online and in textbooks and have never seen one conventional style being adhered to, barely the broadstrokes concur, as i read in one C++ guide a nice comment about design was 'i am far more interested in shipping product than producing nice design diagrams and methodology and producing perfect indentation that everyone agrees is perfect. far too much is made of this.
i think this is a nice point!
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Just in case you still thought the capitalist model was the best thing since vogel bread.
“If the government cannot lower the cost of living it simply has to leave. If the police and UN troops want to shoot at us, that’s OK, because in the end, if we are not killed by bullets, we’ll die of hunger.” — A demonstrator in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
In Haiti, where most people get 22% fewer calories than the minimum needed for good health, some are staving off their hunger pangs by eating “mud biscuits” made by mixing clay and water with a bit of vegetable oil and salt.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the federal government is currently paying $225 for each pig killed in a mass cull of breeding swine, as part of a plan to reduce hog production. Hog farmers, squeezed by low hog prices and high feed costs, have responded so enthusiastically that the kill will likely use up all the allocated funds before the program ends in September.
Some of the slaughtered hogs may be given to local Food Banks, but most will be destroyed or made into pet food. None will go to Haiti.
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Eco Nazis & the Coming Global Famine
November 29, 2011left. Marina receives the Duke of Edinburgh medal from WWF's Prince Philip
Green Party pressure tried to force Congress to pass a law that would effectively destroy Brazilian agriculture.
Sao Paulo - Marina Silva is not a very known name, but you may think of her the next time you are at your supermarket checkout.
This woman, a senator in Brazil, has started a war against agriculture with the help of international NGOs such as (the Nazi) WWF and Greenpeace.
In the last decade, Brazil has become the second largest producer of food in the world, and exports 30% of its production. In a world where hunger is still a problem, with 13 million people at the risk of immediate starvation and 750 million in hunger, this is making a huge difference.
However, feeding the hungry contradicts the New World Order plan (elucidated in the UN's Agenda XXI and the Club of Rome papers,) to depopulate the Earth and concentrate people in super-crowded and controlled cities, while preserving vast amounts of land for the global elite to hunt and spend exotic vacations.
The key agent in this strategy is the Green Party, an international socialist organization dedicated to the spreading of the eco nazi ideology as a chic replacement of old-fashioned and blood-stained Marxism. In Brazil, many NGOs receive tons of money from the eco nazi global movement.
As a member of this Party, Marina was the Minister of Environment from 2003 to 2008 and made life a living hell for small farmers, with draconian regulations similar to those applied in the US by the EPA.
At the same time, the real criminals in the Amazon, foreign logging companies employing local Indians, are still untouched.
People in Marina's own state don't like her, and her popularity in the Amazon region is low, because they know what kind of demagogue she is.
She is popular in the urban south and with the Brazilian billionaires, actors and singers. Illuminati's puppet James Cameron of Avatar fame is a fan, helping to spread absurd lies in the globalist media.
(left. Illuminati play the Brazil card)
Green Party pressure tried to force Congress to pass a law that would effectively destroy Brazilian agriculture. After much backstabbing, slander and lies from the Greens, challenged by a grassroots reaction from the farmers, the Forest Code has been approved with modest changes. It is the most restrictive environmental law on the planet, by far.
Today, 76% of the Amazon region is already protected and untouchable. In the 24% where some agriculture is permitted, the farmers will have to keep 80% of the forest.
That means that 95,2% of the forest will stay untouched. Brazil has 64% of native forests. The UK has 11%. The US has 24%. China has 17%.
But Brazil is not only Amazon. Almost all agriculture is outside the forest.
The Greens are not satisfied and still want to destroy the 5,1 million small farms in the remainder of the country, by forcing them to stay away from rivers and hills (in Europe most farm land is just by the rivers) and reforesting land that has been cultivated for centuries.
They want President Dilma to veto the Code, even after it has been approved by the Senate. These people are dangerous. They already gave away half of a state (Roraima), the size of a country, to an Indian reservation for a few thousand Indians.
In the process, they destroyed century-old rice farming small businesses and sent dozens of thousands of people, including farmer Indians, to the slums of the capital cities.
If they are successful with their Nazi tactics, we can expect to see sky rocketing prices for food and many more pictures of starving children in the news.
See also: Prince Philip throws wildcard into Brazilian elections
Comments for "Eco Nazis & the Coming Global Famine "
Henry Makow received his Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Toronto in 1982. He welcomes your comments at
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Ducks Out of Water campaign - keep up the pressure!
How to reply to letters from supermarkets & DEFRA
Thank you for writing protest letters to the supermarkets and DEFRA as part of Viva!'s Ducks out of Water campaign. Your support is vital and has helped us to achieve several major victories in the past. All the major supermarkets - Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Somerfield, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's - stopped selling debeaked barbary duck and Harrods stopped selling all factory farmed duck meat.
Waitrose has also announced that all of their own-label ducks now have
access to swimming and outdoor paddocks. This is all because of Viva!'s campaign. The message is clear - consumer power works. We just have to stick at it!
However, it still sucks for most of
- they have been forced out of the ponds and riversides and are still being confined in dirty, stinking, windowless sheds in their thousands.
- these aquatic birds, in the wild, would eat, swim, dive, clean and play in water - and yet most never see it, except in their drinkers.
- they never see their mothers, and are killed after just seven short weeks.
- they live in cramped squalor and die in fear and pain.
Apart from Waitrose, no other major British supermarket sells duck meat
from birds who ever have access to the outside or access to water for swimming. By selling factory-farmed ducks these supermarkets are legitimizing this cruelty - don't let them get away with it. By writing again to them you'll be keeping up the pressure and forcing them to respond directly to your questions.
Here are some guidelines for your letter. If you have already written twice, you may have received a different response. Look through and see whether your original points have been fully answered (unlikely!) and then chase up the supermarket concerned. If you keep receiving a generic response then tell the supermarket concerned that if they don't answer your questions specifically then they obviously don't value you as a customer. Ask them to address each of your points directly, or they risk losing your custom.
Below are some ideas for writing to specific supermarkets based on the responses that have been received back, but many of the points can be used to question more than one of them.
The Viva! website has lots of detailed information on duck farming in the UK and the low down on the investigations into Britain's major duck meat producers Manor Farm Ducklings and Kerry Foods (who also supply most of the UK's leading supermarkets), you can also watch our undercover video on-line.
[updated: November 2006]
Marks & Spencer
The Co-op claim that their suppliers have developed a code of practice "aimed at maintaining the highest standards of welfare and husbandry". Yet, when we filmed at their supplier's sites we revealed filthy, dejected, fearful, ill and injured ducks living in squalor and neglect - anything but good animal welfare.
It would be laughable, if it weren't so tragic, that the Co-op tries to justify its factory-farming techniques by stating that, as ducks can be "extremely gregarious" and "flock together in large numbers" it is okay to cram them in to a windowless shed to spend their pathetically short seven week life with several thousand other birds. This is the sad reality for all of the Co-op's ducks, and it is disingenuous to claim high standards of animal welfare when wild-natured, aquatic birds are condemned to overcrowded sheds with no access to water.
The standard Co-op letter states that Viva! acknowledges the disease implications of allowing ducks access to water for swimming - suggesting we somehow support not offering ducks water! This is not the case. In view of the aquatic nature of all ducks and their need for water to remain healthy, water deprivation represents a serious welfare insult to them. Obviously, if a company took the cynical action of allowing 10,000 ducks access to water there would be problems! But Viva! does not view this as a genuine effort to improve duck's welfare - providing too little water to too many ducks is no way forward. Ducks are water animals and they must be allowed access to fresh, clean water - no compromise. The heart of the problem, of course, lies in the intensiveness of the farming - but it is always the ducks that pay the price. There are practical solutions to this - but they cost money.
What does the Co-op consider more important: animal welfare or their profit margin?
So far, the Co-op has told us it does not intend to introduce free-range ducks in the near future
but is currently using the newly-drawn up RSPCA Freedom Food standards for ducks. This is less than impressive and, on the basis of our past experiences, almost meaningless. The Freedom Food scheme claims to set the highest animal welfare standards when in fact they fall well short
of the Soil Association's standards and are usually little better than the legal minimum requirements. Despite the word 'Freedom', the scheme approves intensive, factory farming and does not in any way guarantee that the birds will be free-range. BBC Watchdog and other programme producers have filmed inside Freedom Food farms and exposed appalling conditions.
Having stated they will not be introducing free-range birds, we can be fairly confident that, despite carrying the name Freedom Food, ducks from the Co-op will
still be reared in large sheds providing no outside access and no water for
swimming. What's ethical about that? As things stand, the Co-op appears to be playing a game of PR bluff.
We have asked to see these newly Freedom Foods accredited farms, but the Co-op
has refused - which beggars the questions: what do they have to hide?
Write back to the Co-op and use the points above. Tell them that you think it stinks that a company that claims - and indeed promotes itself - as being 'ethical' is still factory-farming essentially wild birds.
If Waitrose can provide outdoor swimming for their ducks why can't the Co-op? If they want to give any credence to their claims of being ethical they should end the sale of all duck meat immediately.
Write to: Martin Beaumont, CEO, Co-op, PO Box 53, New Century House, Manchester M60 4ES
send a virtual e-card from here)
Call: 0800 0686 727
2. Marks & Spencer:
In 2004, Viva! and its supporters persuaded Marks & Spencer to drop factory-farmed whole duck, after countrywide protests outside its stores and a blitz of media attention. This followed Viva!'s undercover investigation, which found atrocious conditions at their suppliers M&S assured us that they intended to roll out this decision to all of their duck meat products, and had a commitment to "promoting free-range poultry". However, a recent undercover investigation has revealed that not only has the chain cynically gone back on its word but
was still taking factory-farmed ducks from the same supplier we exposed two years ago, Manor Farm Ducklings. This new footage shows the usual litany of misery: thousands of ducks crammed into a shed, filthy and dejected; soaking litter; ducks blinded from lack of water with which to preen; and ducks with open, bleeding sores.
M&S's response has been to drop MFD Foods as a supplier, whilst they undertake an investigation. Ask them, why if they operate such stringent controls time and time again investigations have revealed the same scenes of suffering and neglect. We've heard it all before. Please contact M&S to express your disgust that they have gone back on their word, and to tell them that they should drop factory farmed duck once and for all.
Waitrose are currently providing outdoor swimming for their free-range ducks.
M&S has announced that it will shortly be trialling providing water for
swimming. However, talk is cheap! Trialling is one thing - action quite another.
Insist that M&S at the very least follow the lead of their nearest competitor -
by dropping factory farmed ducks once and for all and give this most basic of
requirements for wild water birds - access to water for swimming.
Write to: Stuart Rose, Chief Executive, Marks & Spencer, Waterside House, 35 North Wharf Rd, London, W2 1NW.
send a virtual e-card from
Call: 0845 302 1234
3. Iceland: Ask them why they were sourcing duck meat from a supplier who doesn't even meet the bare recommendations for the welfare of ducks as set out by DEFRA. Ask them to justify the scenes of neglect and squalor we exposed when we filmed at two Manor Farm Ducklings sites, as well as the recent investigation from 2006 which showed identical scenes of suffering and neglect. Iceland haven't even gone as far as M&S, they are still taking ducks from MFD foods. Ask Iceland why if they are genuinely concerned about animal welfare they source from a producer that forces aquatic animals to battle for every drop of water from drinkers designed for chickens. If they are genuinely concerned they should not be selling factory farmed duck meat at all. It is unnatural to confine ducks in sheds and never allow them outside.
Write to: Mr Mike Coupe, Iceland Foods, Second Avenue, Deeside Industrial Park, Deeside, Flintshire, CH5 2NW.
Email Iceland from their website
Call: 01244 842842
4. Safeway / Morrisons: The Safeway response is hopelessly inadequate and does not address any of Viva!'s specific concerns. Ask what type of drinkers the ducks have and whether birds are able to immerse their heads under water (we have seen from the video taken at Manor Farm Ducklings, their supplier, this is not the case). Without being able to fulfil this most basic requirement, ducks find it hard to keep warm and may develop eye problems and even blindness (as is shown in the video). Say that as aquatic animals, ducks need to be able to swim and if water for swimming cannot be provided within the sheds then they should be allowed outside to bathe. Ask what they mean when they say they "adhere to all standards . as required by DEFRA"? DEFRA don't set standards, they only have non-legally binding set of recommendations which many producers can ignore safe in the knowledge they won't be prosecuted. Also ask why they claim to have been "recently" voted one of the top three supermarkets for their "commitment to animal welfare" by CIWF? When, in fact, that was in 2001; this year, they came fifth out a possible eight, and scored only half the available points!
Note: since Safeway was taken over by the Morrison Group earlier this year there is no executive board left, so write to Morrison's with your concerns (we sent them the video) - this will give you an opportunity to quiz them as well! Tell Morrison's that you believe there are more important things than just giving customers cheap food. Cutting animal welfare provisions is definitely not an acceptable way to cut costs. Recently, Morrisons announced they were no longer sourcing ducks from the Manor Farm Ducklings farm featured in the latest investigation. This seems to be a pattern: drop the individual farms and carry on using the supplier. Tell them this isn't good enough. They should drop all factory-farmed duck meat entirely.
Write to: Sir Kenneth D. Morrison, Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC, Hilmore House, Thornton Rd, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 9AX.
Call Morrisons: 01274 356000
5. Somerfield: Tell them that you are not satisfied with their response and that you want more information. Explain that you think it is cruel that the ducks they sell are kept on factory farms where they are "barred from getting to the outside". Ask them what exactly the on farm death rate is. 5% is a figure that is often quoted as the norm by producers, that may sound low, but when you consider
19 million ducks are killed each year in the UK for meat that means around a million of them die before they even reach seven weeks of age. Ask them whether the ducks are able to swim or immerse their heads in water and whether you can have details of the standards set in the producer's welfare code. The standard letter suggests the letter writer take up their concerns with MAFF. Ask them how you should do this seeing as MAFF hasn't existed since 2001! MAFF is now DEFRA. Perhaps suggest that this slip up on Somerfield's part suggests that they clearly don't take duck welfare very seriously if they haven't changed their reply letter for five years. Besides, tell them you believe that if Somerfield are selling meat from ducks reared in totally unacceptable conditions, it is Somerfield's responsibility to change that.
Write to: John Von Speckelsen, Chief Executive, Somerfield Stores, Somerfield House, Whitchurch Lane, Bristol BS14 OTJ.
Email Somerfield from their website.
Call: 0117 935 6669
6. Sainsbury's: Sainsbury's did sell free-range ducks in some of their stores, but when we met them in February 2005 they told us they had stopped. Despite this, their standard letter continues to claim that they sell free-range ducks in some of their stores, providing customers with "choice". Ask them to clarify what their real position is, and why they make this claim if it is not true.
Sainsbury's reply letter usually makes reference to them using the 5 basic freedoms as a basis for their welfare policies, but scratch the surface and it becomes less reassuring. Of course birds crammed in together in sheds will have 'the company of other birds'! They are only allowed to express 'most' normal patterns of behaviour (which patterns of behaviour are they allowed to express? They cannot develop family structures or fulfil any of their natural behaviour with regards to water). What is 'comfort'? In the sheds we saw, the straw was soaking wet. The sheds are only cleaned out at the end of each 'cycle' - in between new straw is simply heaped onto the old straw (not an easy job when thousands of ducks are in the shed). When they speak about 'freedom of movement', they don't give detail as to how much the ducks will be able to move. Just because the ducks are not kept in battery cages doesn't mean they are not overcrowded. Ask them to give you more information and reiterate your opposition to factory farming.
Waitrose are providing all their ducks access to water for
swimming right now. Why can't Sainsburys?
Write to: Justin King, Group Chief Executive, J Sainsbury plc, 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT.
Email Sainsbury's from their website
Call: 0800 636 262 (freephone)
7. Waitrose: Acknowledge that all of
the ducks that Waitrose sells are now 'free-range'. Say that you welcome the fact that their 'free-range' Pekin ducks have access to open paddocks and
that you are especially pleased that they have introduced outdoor ponds for
swimming. However, ask them if they have plans to reduce maximum flock sizes down from around
4,000 as you find it hard to imagine being able to maintain high animal welfare standards with that many birds.
Whilst the welfare standards are, comparatively, better than any other
supermarket, Waitrose ducks will still only live for 49 days (the industry
standard seven weeks). Ask them why their ducks live such short lives when, in
the wild they can live for ten years or more in the wild. Finally, ask them what plans for
duck welfare they have in the future.
Until January 2005 Waitrose sold factory farmed Barbary ducks (they stopped
partly because of pressure from us and our supporters). This was of real concern
to Viva! as Barbary ducks are naturally aggressive and can peck each other, something which is aggravated by being crammed together with many other birds. Waitrose
didn't de-beak these ducks but claimed to control their aggression by "light". It is common practice for some producers to keep poultry at very low light intensities to discourage activity and maximise growth rate. Research has shown that this results in inactivity, which causes increases in lameness and skin diseases and, at very low levels, the development of eye abnormalities. Tell Waitrose that you
are pleased that they no longer sell Barbary duck, and ask them to promise not
to reintroduce it.
Write to: Steven Esom, Managing Director, Waitrose, Southern Industrial Area, Bracknell RG12 8YA.
Call: 0800 188 884 (freephone)
8. Tesco: Viva! recently scored a
major victory against Tesco, forcing them to change misleading packaging which
showed images of bulrushes and reeds - giving the impression to consumers that
their ducks had access to the outside and access to water for swimming (neither
of which is true). Our complaint was supported by both The Food Standards Agency
and Trading Standards. In your letter to Tesco's, say that their packaging
should now tell the truth: that all of Tesco's ducks are crammed into industrial
sheds without access to water for swimming or access to the outside.
Tesco letters often claim that their Livestock Codes of Practice for duck production are based on RSPCA Freedom Foods standards.
It is true that the farms that supply Tesco with their ducks are Freedom Foods
accredited. However, this is less than impressive and, on the basis of our past experiences, almost meaningless. The Freedom Food scheme claims to set the highest animal welfare standards when in fact they fall well short the Soil Association's standards and are usually little better than the legal minimum requirements. Despite the word 'Freedom', the scheme approves intensive, factory farming and does not in any way guarantee that the birds will be free-range
(Tesco's certainly aren't), nor that they will have access to water for swimming. BBC Watchdog and other programme producers have filmed inside Freedom Food farms and exposed appalling conditions.
Tesco often boast that they have funded a project called The Food Animal Initiative (FAI), which supposedly looks at ways to improve animal welfare. Ask them to tell you exactly how many animal welfare improvements they have implemented - specifically in relation to ducks.
Like M&S, Tesco have recently announced that they will trial giving their ducks
access to water for swimming. Ask them to give you more information and tell
them that you believe it is impossible to have high animal welfare standards on
a factory farm - and, at the very least, they should follow Waitrose's lead by
providing free access to outdoor paddocks and uninterrupted access to water for
Write to: Philip Clarke, Chief Executive, Tesco, Tesco House, PO Box 18, Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Herts EN8 9SL.
Call: 0800 505 555 (freephone)
9. DEFRA: If DEFRA shares your concerns over the conditions in which ducks are kept, why aren't they taking action to change things? Explain that in your view, intensively farmed ducks are subjected to unnecessary distress on a daily basis by being deprived of their most fundamental biological requirement - water, except in their drinkers. However, you can say that you do not believe that welfare codes are effective because they are not legally enforceable. In any case, the code for ducks legitimises factory farming by suggesting stocking densities of seven ducklings per square metre. Ask what changes will be made when the code is updated to incorporate the Council of Europe's recommendations. Will ducks be provided with water for swimming?
Although ducks are supposed to be stunned before slaughter, they are known to "swan neck" - raising their heads when entering the electrical waterbath and so avoiding full immersion. These birds will not be stunned properly - if at all - and will be knifed whilst conscious. Ask whether DEFRA is taking steps to tackle this problem. Explain that overall, you do not agree that DEFRA has substantial provisions in place to care for the welfare of ducks and that on the contrary, they are doing their utmost to legitimise a barbaric industry.
Write to: Ben Bradshaw, Minister for Farm Animal Welfare, DEFRA, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.
Email DEFRA: email@example.com
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|Information for: Visitors | Applicants | Current Students | Teachers | Alumni|
English Language Institute
Welcome to the English Language Institute (ELI)
The University of Florida English Language Institute offers intensive English programs that prepare students for using English in the real world. Our programs are based on over 50 years of second language teaching experience and research. Our faculty and staff are committed to providing the quality service and education you deserve. We offer English instruction that prepares you for using English in an academic or professional context and the culture that is all around you.
New Summer C Students!
WISE Week is here! This is the week when we give you all the information you need. You'll learn about Gainesville, housing, medical issues, and more. Check out the calender of events for WISE Week.
Congratulations, Spring C 2013 English Language Institute graduates!
The Spring Semester, 2013 Edition of ELI Student Voices is out!
If you have any questions about the ELI, please check here
(Information about the ELI programs, classes, finding a place to live, and arrival instructions will be e-mailed directly to you) .
The ELI is also a member of FIEC and AAIEP and is accredited by CEA through 2016.
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
A day in the life of the internet.
Chris Anderson launched a book 'Free' recently - which has to be bought, of course.
(all of them worth a read)
As I read through these, a question came to my mind on a conversation I recently had with a Mac user in India. If it were not for piracy (well, almost free) would (see comment here) Microsoft still dominate the market as it does today? Assembled computers, pirated software have all played an (unacknowledged?) part in Indias (half) tech revolution. And many of those early pirate users have invested in the original. And India remains a largely untapped market for Mac.
Question: If it were not for rampant piracy of Microsoft in the 90s, would Microsoft still rule India? The difference in architecture is significant, but would India have been Linux country if there were "no" piracy? (Questions about Google cloud notwithstanding. Yes, Linux exists, but it is still far from significant.)
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I'm in the early stages of opening a pizza shop in Ohio. One big issue that I'm trying to work through is understanding how my dough recipe and rise needs to be adjusted and managed as I transition from making 3-4 pies to 300-400 pies in a day. Let me try to frame the question this way: If I am going to be cooking off 100+ pizzas in an evening, I'm trying to understand how long I can hold the dough and how early I can start batching and retarding the rise. I'd like to experiment with this process before I go much further, because I'm suspecting that it might change some proportions, particularly the yeast. Any suggestions, or has there already been some posts on this topic?
Thanks! - Andrew
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Laurence Weinbaum is director of the Jerusalem-based World Jewish Congress Institute for Research and Policy and the Israel Council on Foreign Relations (which operates under the auspices of the Institute). He has served as chief editor of its thrice-annual publication, the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, since it was established in 2006. Dr. Weinbaum joined the World Jewish Congress in 1993, and during his years with the WJC has written and edited more than 100 studies and policy papers on a broad range of issues of concern to world Jewry. During that time, he also served as the associate editor of Jewish Communities of the World, editor of inter-religious bulletin Dialogues, and was a regular contributor to its Hebrew-language journal of Jewish affairs, Gesher.
Dr. Weinbaum is a graduate of the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University in Washington, DC (where he was an assistant of the late Prof. Jan Karski). He earned his PhD in history from Warsaw University and during his doctoral studies was the recipient of Fulbright, IREX and Kosciuszko Foundation scholarships.
Lauence Weinbaum has written extensively on East Central European history and contemporary Jewish and Israeli affairs and is the author of a book, based on his PhD, on the relations between the Zionist Revisionist Movement and the Polish Government in the late 1930s and co-author of a book on the Yekkes (the German Jews of Israel). His latest book, Bohaterowie, Hochsztaplerzy, Opisywacze, Wokol Żydowskiego Związku Wojskowego [Heroes, Hucksters and Story-Tellers: On the Jewish Military Union in the Warsaw Ghetto], co-authored with Polish historian Dariusz Libionka, was published at the end of 2011 by the Polish Center for Holocaust Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences. For some fifteen years Dr. Weinbaum has taught courses on the history of the Holocaust as an adjunct lecturer at the Ariel University.
In May 2008, then Polish President Lech Kaczynski decorated Dr. Weinbaum with the Złoty Krzyż Zasługi [Gold Cross of Merit] for his ongoing contributions in fostering Polish-Jewish dialogue. In 2002, he received the medal of the Polish Society of the Righteous among the Nations.
He speaks English, Polish, Hebrew and German.
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By Cathie Pelletier from the recording ‘People Behave Like Ballads’ on MAXJAZZ Records
“When I look out in the audience from the stage and see a person in touch with something true, I know the music is doing what it should…music should be a public service.”
In the beginning, bards went from village to village, bringing folks the news of the day with their ballads. The oldest Anglo-Saxon term for this singer of words was “scop,” which means “shaper.” In other words, it was up to the balladeer to “shape the world” for those who cared to listen. Not all of those Medieval songs were about battles, about castles lost and kings dying. There were also songs that spoke of love and hope, of life and death, of joy and despair. In a harsh world, “Carpe diem” or “Seize the day,” became a favorite motif. Listening to the words of the traveling bard, any common villager, any man or woman or child would soon realize that they were not alone with their feelings, that others had the same thoughts hidden in their hearts and minds.
That’s how it started, with music as a public service. And yet, down through the years, and with the advent of technology and marketing, music often loses the purity those early storytellers – those “shapers”- meant it to have. In the new millennium, we seem to have forgotten what it was all about in the first place. Rebecca Martin is one who remembers: “Music should be a public service.”
Rebecca left her native Rumford Point, Maine, behind and made the big move to New York City in the spring of 1990. It was there that she met and formed a band with a musician and songwriter named Jesse Harris. They called the band Once Blue, and what happened next was one of those too-good-to-be-true show business sagas. In 1995, Davitt Sigerson, the newly-named president of EMI Records, had just left a nightclub in the city and was headed home. When he noticed an EMI limousine parked in front of the venue next door, he decided to drop in, see if anything special was happening. Something was: Rebecca Martin was on stage that night. When Sigerson heard her sing, he approached the stage and signed them on the spot.
The group’s self-titled debut drew rave reviews, and before long Rebecca and the band was touring with Shawn Colvin, Emmylou Harris, The Lilith Fair, and others. Unfortunately, a 1997 restructuring of EMI’s parent company incorporated EMI Records into Virgin and Capitol Records and Once Blue became a part of history. Jesse Harris went on to write songs for other artists and last year, won a GRAMMY for his song, “I Don’t Know Why,” which was recorded by Norah Jones.
While the big city might be the place to work and perform, after ten years there, it was no longer the kind of life Rebecca craved. So she packed up and headed upstate, back to those small-town sensibilities she had left behind in Maine. With nature and animals and the best people around her, Martin began to concentrate again on matters of heart and soul. By 1998, she had written and produced a solo recording, Thoroughfare, and soon after was signed again to a label, this time with Fresh Sounds/New Talent (Barcelona, Spain).
In 2002 when she released a collection of standards she produced titled Middlehope, it was selected by The New York Times for its annual Top Ten Best Jazz Albums of the year. That she was an artist who couldn’t be pigeonholed became obvious to the critics who praised her work. “This is a fresh jazz singer set loose in folk-pop, or vice versa; you never quite know which…and both sides of the equation come out well,” wrote New York Times’ music critic Ben Ratliff. “Her soprano voice recalls the range Joni Mitchell had in her younger years,” he added. In another of the many rave reviews Middlehope garnered, critic Phil DiPietro wrote that Rebecca Martin “is an incredible talent, a remarkable spirit, a true artist of substance.”
It was Middlehope that got the attention of Richard McDonnell, the founder of MAXJAZZ Records. McDonnell came to a New York City showcase on a summer afternoon last June and expecting to hear standards, was surprised to discover Martin had written all of her material. After performing some of those original songs for McDonnell that day, Martin was offered a contract to record for MAXJAZZ, a respected jazz label that had begun branching out to singer/songwriters.
The result is the newly released People Behave Like Ballads, a genre-bending collection that will come as no surprise to Rebecca’s fans. She has always cast aside labeling. “I don’t believe categories serve the fans well,” she says. “Categories are marketing tools, and don’t lend themselves to creative expression. That expression is important to me and encouraged me to sign with MAXJAZZ.”
With People Behave Like Ballads, Rebecca Martin explores the human condition, its relationships, its strengths and its vulnerabilities. The songs are proof that a return to her country roots has done her good: “When the rain comes to clear the cuts of summer skins, when the rain comes in, you will find out what you’re made of. Only then, when the rain comes in.”
Her clear and strong voice appears to have no range limits; and her understanding of and belief in close collaboration with her stellar musicians (Steve Cardenas and Ben Monder, electric guitar; Peter Rende, piano; Bill McHenry, tenor saxophone; Matt Penman, acoustic bass; Darren Beckett, drums) makes the recording seamless. Her writing is intense, visual, fearless – and lyrical given Martin’s lifelong love of literature. (The CD title comes from a collection by one of Martin’s favorite poets, Robert Tristam Coffin of Maine.)
When she sings, “Music is for anyone, who’s open to hear. There’s nothing between us, but notes in the air,” you know she means it. And it’s easy to tell that her life has had it’s own challenges when she delivers such heart-rending words as “The truth is what matters, but it’s twisted and mired, these bones are yours alone.”
With the release of People Behave Like Ballads, Rebecca Martin fulfills that promise first discovered nearly a decade ago. But her arrival has never been doubted by those who know and love her work. She also fulfills another promise, that of those first storytellers who traveled from village to village singing their own true ballads.
Rebecca Martin is a quintessential American artist, a balladeer in the purest sense, a necessary and honest “shaper.” With her latest release, she makes it clear that she is a mature artist brave enough to “Seize the day!”
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