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According to data compiled by the UN, the Global Footprint Network, and Dr. William Rees at the University of British Columbia, total human consumption already exceeds the Earth's capacity by 30 per cent. This is known as biological 'overshoot'. The UN estimates that most natural services to human societies - forests, fish, fresh water and clean air - decline annually. As human population and consumption grow, our collective overshoot increases.
Meanwhile, the wealthy 15 per cent use about 85 per cent of the resources - the total energy and materials - the 'stuff' - that Earth provides. The 'wealthy' includes anyone who has a home, job, transport, access to education, hot showers, convenient fuel and food every day: people in the so-called 'developed' world. If you have those things, you live among the wealthy 15 per cent who use most of the world's resources.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Bageant could well meet an end like Socrates, and for the same reason. Image via WikipediaJoe is the author of a great book, "Deer Hunting with Jesus." This excerpt is from his blog post "One party has no heart, the other no spine":
Unfortunately, we have an economic system and national philosophy based on the idea of every man getting rich. Impossible, unsustainable and bound for disaster from the start. Mankind's entire idea of what constitutes an economy is about to come into question at some point soon. Not just in America, but all the other (over) developed nations too. We cannot manufacture our way out of it, or spend or invest pour way out of it, through a free market "green economy." That's what got us here in the first place. Superheated spending to pump up a malignant economic system that devoured the earth.
No American political party is ever going to admit that. And no party will ever represent the constituencies that cannot speak for themselves, much less raise hell. The trees, the animals, the rivers cannot cry out from their appointed courses, nor the oceans from their beds that, "Hey, we are not your resources. We are the only god damned shot you have at survival!"
I never expect to see politicians tell the people: "Quit buying. Quit using all that electrical stuff. Quit traveling all over the world. Quit driving. Just eat, be happy you are breathing and work to grow your mind and soul and let's see if we can come to understand this ruined world around us and how to heal it -- or at least do less damage. Let us change our entire idea about what constitutes governance, and work and happiness."
That's what it will take. . . .
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Treatment for Alzheimer's probably needs to begin years or even decades before symptoms of the disease start to appear, scientists reported at this week's Society for Neuroscience meeting in New Orleans.
"By the time an Alzheimer's patient is diagnosed even with mild or moderate Alzheimer's there is very, very extensive neuron death," said John Morrison of Mount Sinai Medical School in New York. "And the neurons that die are precisely those neurons that allow you to navigate the world and make sense of the world."
Once those neurons die, he says, critical brain circuits involved in thinking and memory are gone forever, Morrison said. "We need to move way back in time and intervene before there's extensive neuron death."
Morrison and others said it's possible that several recent trials of drugs for Alzheimer's have failed because the drugs were given after symptoms had already started to appear.
"It's possible we've tested things and discarded them prematurely," said Sam Gandy, also at Mount Sinai. "Now that we can see the changes in the brain that underlie Alzheimer's, we really should re-evaluate some of the things we've looked at."
It's still not clear just how early treatment would have to start.
But one study presented at the neuroscience meeting suggested it could be a decade or more.
The study has been following 121 people as they age, said Lori Beason-Held of the National Institute on Aging. Participants have undergone periodic scans that measure the function of certain areas of the brain, she says.
"Our study has discovered changes in the brain that occur up to 11 years before any symptoms occur," Beason-Held said.
But it's likely that the process that leads to Alzheimer's begins even earlier, she said.
"If we need to stop things before they even start, it could be 20 years before somebody develops the symptoms," Beason-Held said. "If it turns out that we can reverse some of the pathology then it might be, say, 10 years."
The new interest in early intervention has some scientists reconsidering experimental drugs that appeared to fail in people. But to retest these drugs, they would have to be administered to younger people who are not experiencing problems with thinking or memory and might never get Alzheimer's.
That raises some tricky ethical issues, Gandy said. "People have to understand the risks and make the decisions for themselves, with their physician, whether it's right for them to begin a drug for which the long-term risks might not be known," he said.
One group that might take part in that kind of experiment is people with a family history of early-onset Alzheimer's, researchers said.
Despite the setbacks in the search for treatments, many scientists at the neuroscience meeting still think they're closing in on drugs that will work.
One reason is the relatively recent discovery that neurons don't die just because someone is getting older. They appear to to remain healthy as long as the connections between them, known as synapses, remain intact, Morrison said.
So it may be possible to prevent Alzheimer's by giving middle-aged people drugs that protect these synaptic connections, he said
"This current thinking that neuron death is not inevitable is a far more optimistic view," Morrison said. "And I think we will get to a point where we push back the average onset of Alzheimer's and may even decrease its prevalence."
But some scientists said they were discouraged by the recent failures with Alzheimer's drugs.
"Twenty years ago when I [began] this work I was hoping by 65 I was going to have a pill for myself," said Fred van Leuven, a researcher from KU Leuven in Belgium. "That's next year and I don't have a pill yet."
But during the neuroscience meeting, Van Leuven also presented a study showing that a new type of drug was able to help mice with an Alzheimer's-like condition.
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How To Conduct An Effective Meeting
Source: Executive Business Advisers
Everyone participates in meetings or is the host of a meeting. Many are productive and others are a complete waste of time. The meeting should have a specific purpose that you should communicate before you start. List what you want to discuss and who will lead those discussions. Put topics that require the most brain power first. Know the audience. Anticipate attitudes and positions. Speak the language of the participants. Invite individuals who can contribute to the meetings discussions and decisions. This paper will gives list of techniques for planning and holding effective meetings.
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The 8 worst countries on Transparency International's list
The 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index, released annually by Transparency International, shows northern Europe continues to be perceived as the world's least corrupt region, with six countries taking the top 10 spots. The island-state of Singapore climbed into first place this year with New Zealand and Denmark.
The United States fell behind Chile and into 22nd place, marking the first time it failed to rank in the top 20. Russia ranked worst among global powers, falling from 146th place to 154th place, tied with Cambodia.
Nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index were below five on a scale of 0 (high corruption) to 10 (low corruption). That means not just the following countries have a corruption problem.
Ranked fifth from last, Chad is as unstable as it is corrupt. "Growing oil wealth, complex ethnic ties that transcend borders (in this case, with Sudan), and ambitious presidents aiming to stay in power longer than their constitutions originally allowed" are all factors that make Chad something of a microcosm for the conflicts in Africa, the Monitor has reported.
Chad ranks 178 out of 180 in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report. According to the US State Department's 2010 Investment Climate Statement, a nationwide anticorruption campaign has attracted broad public support, but its impact on the business climate "remains to be seen." "Corruption exists at all levels of government, along with impunity, particularly for those in uniform," according to the report.
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CAVANAUGH: This is the time of year when we are all asked to think of those less fortunate, from Salvation Army red kettles to holiday toy drives. We're asked to spread our good fortune to others. Now policy makers in Washington are being asked to do their part. San Diego groups are sponsoring the screening of a documentary which pushes for more federal help for the poor, and the passage of a crucial farm bill before the end of the year. My guests, Jennifer Tracy is executive director of the San Diego hunger coalition. Welcome back to the show.
TRACY: Thanks, Maureen.
CAVANAUGH: And Hannah Gravette is a community organizer at the San Diego organizing project. Welcome to the show.
GRAVETTE: Great to be here.
CAVANAUGH: Timothy King is on the line with us. Executive producer of the documentary I was talking about, it's called The Line.
KING: Thanks for having me.
CAVANAUGH: Here's a man explaining what The Line means in a clip from your documentary.
NEW SPEAKER: The Line is the firing line at which people face survival or death. And sometimes the person holding the gun is their neighbor, and sometimes it's their Congressman or their alderman who's not doing enough to help them.
CAVANAUGH: Another woman talks about The Line as the one poor people want to rise up to and middle class people don't want to fall below. Can you talk more about this idea of The Line and why it's so significant in American society?
KING: Yeah, one thing that we realized when we first started thinking about creating this film is that people so often don't understand what poverty in America looks like today, especially since the recession started. The face of poverty in America hasn't come out for a lot of people. There's a lot of stereotypes or old stories or kind of ways of thinking about poverty that people have. And our hope with this film was to bring out the real faces, the real voices, and the real stories of people who are struggling to get by. When it comes to poverty in America, one of the things that we see is it's a lack of opportunity and a lack of freedom for people to live as they want. And we wanted to make sure that there was a way that people could engage with the stories of folks, some people who look like them, who might not look like them or have the same background, but that they could see the different ways that Americans are struggling every day to stay up and above and beyond that line, and oftentimes continuing to fall beneath it.
CAVANAUGH: Now, you focus in The Line, the documentary, on four people living in poverty. Tell me in what ways their stories challenge assumptions about poor people.
KING: So often you hear people who think that those who are living in poverty almost want to live in poverty or that the only reason why someone is poor in America is because they aren't working hard enough or they aren't trying hard enough or it's their own fault through bad choices. But you know what? In life all of us make mistakes and bad choices, but often what we see with folks living in poverty today are those who have been hit by some circumstances often beyond their control. Sometimes 1 story was a woman who had worked herself out of poverty but then tripped and fell down the stairs at a train platform and became disabled. Another man who had gone to a great school, had done well on his SATs, making six figures a year, and suddenly found himself a victim of the recession. Other folks, and I think one being a lot of people relate to, is that the economy changes. And the livelihood you used to have, what you trained for, what you were best at no longer exists. And so one of the things that we really wanted to show is that you know what? It's a tough thing, but poverty can happen to anyone in America. And that's why we need to be good neighbors to one another and we need to make sure that we support the charities and organizations that help folk when is they're down on their luck but also make sure that we support the government programs that give people that safety net and that bounceback that they need.
CAVANAUGH: Now, you have actually sent copies of The Line documentary to every member of Congress. What is the message that you want congressmen and senators to understand from this film and what would you like them to do about it?
GRAVETTE: Right now in DC, there's a big partisan showdown around the budget. And one of the things that we're worried about is that we know that business people, they're got their lobbyists on the hill who are making sure that their interests are taken care of when we look at our budget and when we talk about how to reduce our deficits. We know that wealthy people are making their donations and that people are looking out for their interests. And what we're worried about is that when all of these other interests kind of stake their claim and are fighting for their piece of the pie that what ends up happening is when Congress tries to reduce our deficit, which is an important thing to try to do that over the long run, the people who end up paying the price are those who can least afford T. It's the poor, the vulnerable, hardworking but struggling families who don't have a voice right now in DC. And because they don't want have a voice, they're the ones who could end up bearing the burden of deficit reduction. So one of the things that we've asked is before any member of Congress goes and votes on any deal around this fiscal cliff, before they look at any deal for deficit reduction that they watch this film and they hear the stories and they know that these are real people, real lives, real struggles. And that they need to remember those faces, those names, and those stories before they vote on anything. So we've made it available to every member of Congress, and it's up on the movies website, thelinemovie.com.
CAVANAUGH: Thanks for joining us,
KING: Thanks so much for having me.
CAVANAUGH: Jennifer, the stories told in The Line are about people in Illinois, they're in North Carolina, they're in Louisiana. Why did you want to bring this film to San Diego?
TRACY: We have about half a million people in San Diego County who struggle to get enough food to eat each year. We have a poverty rate of about 14%, and our child poverty rate is about 19.5%. So about 1-5 children in San Diego live in poverty. And we wanted to make sure that we could have a way to move forward the conversation about poverty. It's one of the main factors that affects hunger.
CAVANAUGH: So you've given us numbers, and I'm glad that you did. Those numbers are very important. But is it that a movie like this puts a face on those numbers?
TRACY: Exactly. For people who've never experienced poverty or hunger or never had to ask for help, it's a better opportunity to better understand the issue. And the hope is that the increased understanding will improve the public dialogue about poverty and help us find better solutions to address the problem.
CAVANAUGH: These stories are all very compelling. Was there 1 story in the four people profiled in The Line that really resonated with you?
TRACY: Yeah, the man who was a single father who had lost his job working at a bank resonated with me a lot. When I was younger, my dad would lose his job seasonally with the work that he was in. So we relied on programs like these to help make sure we had enough to eat. So knowing that that can happen to anyone and that people work really, really hard and still fall on hard times, that story in particular I could see how that made sense.
CAVANAUGH: And that man talks about his falling from grace, so to speak, having this huge income, and then going have to go and get food for his family, the kids don't understand that -- they're not getting it. Did you get it when you were younger and your dad had to go through that?
TRACY: I knew that we were low income, and I knew that we couldn't afford a lot of things. But luckily I never went hungry because we had access to the food stamp program, we received reduced price meals at school, and we also received help frommure on church. So it made a big difference for us.
CAVANAUGH: Hannah, what story in the film represents a personal history that you know about here in San Diego?
GRAVETTE: I think for me it was -- the woman who had worked her way out of poverty and then fell downthe steps and was struggling again to find and keep work. And it makes me think about a woman that I know here in San Diego, a very similar story. She grew up in poverty. She grew up in a family where both her parents were working very hard to make ends meet, and they just weren't able to provide the same level that other families in San Diego are able to provide for their children. But she did manage through some government grants and other types of support to go to college and get a good job. And she also came down with a health problem, and because of her condition wasn't able to work and keep that job, and now has $16,000 worth of medical bills that she's really struggling under. She'll probably never be able to crawl back out of that hole without some kind of help.
CAVANAUGH: And again, somebody who was in a situation where they were making progress in their lives, doing great, just one fall, just one accident, just one bad move, and they find themselves in a situation where they are now one of the statistics that you were talking about. I'm wondering, Jennifer, I know that the San Diego hunger coalition has been working with San Diego County to improve the food stamp process here in San Diego. How has that been going?
TRACY: Well, we had to start from a low level. So we've been working our way up to improve access. So we have increased participation in other program, there's more people enrolled who are eligible. And I know the county of San Diego is working really, really hard to improve efficiency and the effectiveness of their eligibility system. But there's still work to do. There's still things that are systemically happening that are barriers for people. And we'd still like to see some of the stigmas addressed within the system as well that are related to low-income people.
CAVANAUGH: In your working the idea of improving the amount of participation in food stamps is seen as a victory. But I remember back during the campaign, are the fact that the food stamp assistance had gone up under President Obama was used as an issue against him. I'd like you both to address this. Is that part of a particular attitude interest poverty do you think?
TRACY: I think it's a stigma that people have alternatives. It's the assumption that low-people choose to be poor, or if they just got a job, they'd being okay. But the reality is we had a significant recession. The program is counter cyclical. So it's going to automatically expand as people need help, and it will automatically contract as the economy improves. The most common reason people leave the program is because they find work. So a lot of the things that were said in the campaigns were really based on stigmas and stereotypes that simply aren't true.
CAVANAUGH: And Hannah, a lot of people believe the government cannot afford to help people who need assistance like this: At least not all of them, and that people just have to pick themselves up and go to work and fend for themselves.
GRAVETTE: Well, and I think to that I would say that we also simply cannot afford to let people live in poverty because it's a symptom that will impact everybody. It impacts every level of our economy, every level of our society, of our social life. And I do think even our local county, they're dependent. They distribute resources that actually come from the federal government or from the state. And right now, and Mr. King talked about this a little bit when he was speaking, that even right now our federal government are debating whether or not we should solve our country's deficit simply by making cuts to programs that really impact these people we're talking about, people living in poverty. Our neighbors, our family members. And we need to make a decision. Our country needs to make a decision right now. Do we want to solve our nation's deficit only by asking all of these people to suffer more? Or do we want to ask everybody to contribute and pay their fair share to solve this problem?
CAVANAUGH: Tell us about, Hannah if you would, what would be the impact here in San Diego if indeed this budget is approved that solves the problem by cutting social programs or if the farm bill is not approved by Congress by the end of the year.
GRAVETTE: Well, so the house budget, there will still be more compromise, but the house budget that has been passed, they would like particularly with food stamps in the country they want to cut 8-10 million families from food stamps. I do have numbers here locally, in California for Medicaid or Medi-Cal, the healthcare program that many of these approximate families depend on, there would be 11.1 million people that would be cut from those programs. And when people don't have access to healthcare, it's something that all of us in the long run do actually end up having to pay for. So we can't afford to make these cuts. We simply can't.
CAVANAUGH: Jennifer, what are you hoping will be the result of this screening? Why is this coming to San Diego?
TRACY: I'd like them to start talking to the people they care about about these issues. And when they hear stereotypes, that they make an effort to better understand what the reality is. I think it's time we elevate the dialogue above stereotypes and start talking about real people and real solutions. When you have access to food, you're more likely to be stable enough, to go find work instead of waiting in a food line for three hours. Hunger costs us over $90 billion every year. So we'd like to have this be more of the public dialogue to find strong solutions.
CAVANAUGH: You want people to get involved with their member of Congress?
TRACY: Calling their congressional representative would be a really big step to, make sure they hear the voices of people. We know that Americans support making sure people have access to food. So we'd like to see those sentiments reflected in the actions of Congress.
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Wood Energy Not 'Green' Enough, Says Mass.
Originally published on Mon August 20, 2012 6:02 pm
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
When it comes to renewable energy, wind and solar get a lot of attention. But wood actually creates more power in the U.S., and Massachusetts state officials are scaling back their efforts to encourage wood power. It may be a renewable resource, they say, but that doesn't mean it's good for the environment.
NPR's Elizabeth Shogren has that story.
ELIZABETH SHOGREN, BYLINE: Power plants that turn wood into electricity aren't anything new. They're called biomass plants. They've become more popular as states have tried to reduce the use of fossil fuels. The idea is wood is a renewable resource. You can always grow more, but the state of Massachusetts decided it wasn't enough to be renewable. It wants climate-friendly fuel, so it kicked most power plants that burned wood out of a program that helps renewable electricity plants earn more revenue.
Mark Sylvia is commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
MARK SYLVIA: I think what it says is that Massachusetts is very curious about focusing on our climate goals.
SHOGREN: Massachusetts wants to cut its greenhouse gases 25 percent by 2020 and power plants are a huge source of greenhouse gases, so the state asked some scientists to take a hard look at the greenhouse gas footprint of power plants that burn wood.
John Gunn of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences was one of the researchers who did the study. He says the results challenged conventional wisdom.
JOHN GUNN: Basically, we found that if you're going to switch from using fossil fuels for energy to using more wood for energy that, for a period of time, the atmosphere would see an increase in greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
SHOGREN: Gunn says these wood power plants emit about 30 percent more carbon dioxide than coal plants and 66 percent more than natural gas. The biomass industry criticized the study. Peter Bos, a developer of biomass plants, says it doesn't reflect that the power plants use a lot of waste wood instead of trees.
PETER BOS: We're talking about tree trimmings from tree service companies, land clearing by builders, storm damaged trees, diseased trees, sawmill residue and a number of other what you would call clean waste wood sources.
SHOGREN: Bos has done his own analysis. He says, if not burned, these wood scraps would decay and produce even more greenhouse gases. Bos says there are human costs of the new rule, too. He'll probably have to cancel a proposed plant in Russell, Massachusetts, and he says that means the community will miss out on millions of tax dollars and hundreds of jobs.
BOS: So I feel sorry for Russell, Mass. and other communities that could have benefited from these plants.
SHOGREN: Bob Cleaves, president of the Biomass Power Association, says existing plants will probably have to shut down, too.
BOB CLEAVES: There is an overabundance of natural gas in the United States today that's driving down electricity costs, making renewable energy harder and harder to compete. And, as a result, without that premium, it becomes very difficult in terms of cost to be able to continue to operate.
SHOGREN: Still, scientist John Gunn says Massachusetts was right to set the bar high for biomass because using trees for inefficient power isn't a positive solution for the forests or the planet.
Are you stepping in as a modern day Lorax here?
GUNN: Ha. You know, I had the Lorax as my Facebook icon for a little while there.
SHOGREN: Gunn says the Dr. Seuss book was a major inspiration in his childhood and he's glad to have had a chance to speak for the trees. Elizabeth Shogren, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
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Gautam Saha: DURGA IN THE HINDU RELIGIOUS TRADITION
The Hindu diaspora today celebrates Durga pooja with much fanfare all over India and in all the continents, wherever there is some aggregation of Hindus in any given city or town, in any part of the world. In India, Durga Pooja is celebrated with much fanfare in West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, the north eastern states and of course, in all other states of India, though on a smaller scale. It is also celebrated with much fanfare in Bangladesh, where Muslims patronize and whole heartedly support and nurture the culture and celebration by Hindus of Durga Pooja. It would not be wrong to state that though today Durga Pooja is patronized and celebrated by all Hindu communities, it is primarily organized by the Bengalis residing in that particular town or city. Bengalis worship the ten handed form of Mother Durga riding a lion.
Durga is also worshipped by other Hindu communities in the forms of Bhavani ( eight handed ), Parvati, Chandika, Narayani, Devi, Sati, Mayadevi, Annapurna, Kali, Bhadrakali, Mahakali, etc; some of these forms have six hands and some have four hands. Most of these forms show the mother goddess riding a tiger / tigress.
In the narration of the pastimes of the gopis in Brindavan, it is mentioned that they worshipped the goddess Katyayani ( Durga ) for benediction in their love life with Lord Krishna. There is also evidence in the Ramayana that Sita worshipped Durga to obtain Lord Ramachandra as her husband.
The significance of Durga in the Hindu cultural and religious tradition has been ingrained since Vedic times. For most Hindus, the idol of Durga killing the demon Mahisasura with a lance, after he appears from the slain body of the buffalo in which he had been hiding, is ingrained into the Bengali psyche and of most Hindus as well. By this slaying, Durga personifies the victory of good over evil, something that all spiritually inclined persons would seek and cherish.
WHY HINDUS WORSHIP DURGA
The mother goddess Durga is thus portrayed as the most powerful ‚Äėmother‚Äô who protects her children. Durga protects, Durga provides, and Durga punishes. When children are beaten or chastised by their mother, all of them invariably think that they are ‚Äėinnocent‚Äô and that they have been unjustly punished. Durga is the personification of the material forces that govern all processes in the material world.
Material life is invariably full of happiness and distress which come and go on their own, without our even having to make an effort for them, The Srimad Bhagavad Gita warns ( 2.14 ) : ‚ÄúO son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of the winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.‚ÄĚ
Material nature is very powerful. At every moment of our lives we are under its influence. The circumstances and situations through which each of us passes are all determined by the various actions and interactions of material nature. Since mother Durga represents the full force and fury of material nature, Hindus generally worship devi Durga for protection and succour.
THE INDIVIDUAL AS PART OF THE MATERIAL CREATION
Each jiva or atma is a separate and independent fragmental part of the Lord, Who is also known as paramatma, similar to Him in quality, just as a drop of water is similar in quality to the vast ocean. At some point in time, each jiva desired to ‚Äėenjoy‚Äô matter separately from the Lord. It is immaterial to know at which point in time the individual jiva desired to enjoy separately from the Lord. In response, the Lord, who grants everyone his wishes, put the countless jivas into play by injecting them into material nature. ‚ÄúIt should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father .‚ÄĚ ( Srimad Bhagavad Gita 14.4 ).
Once the jiva or atma or the living entity is injected into material nature into any one of the 84,00,000 species of wombs, he has to act under the overall jurisdiction and superintendence of the material energy, also known as maya, and personified by the goddess Durga. And so, as individual living entities, even though we feel that we are moving and acting independently, we are all under the strict rules and regulations imposed by material nature, which includes the processes of birth, ageing, disease and death. Hence Durga, also known as Mayadevi or just maya, is the personification of the material creative forces.
Since all manifestations and energies in the whole of creation are emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the power of devi Durga is also a part of the Lord’s inconceivably tremendous power and potency. The Lord is full of various potencies. The individual jiva or atma is a fragment of His internal spiritual potency ( just as a drop of water is of the same quality as the vast ocean ). On the other hand, the material energy which manifests and transforms the whole of the material creation, and keeps it in a constant state of flux, is also a marginal potency of the Lord, and is called bahirangi maya, which is the sum total of all material creations and processes.
DURGA IN THE LORD’S OVERALL SCHEME OF THINGS
Where does devi Durga stand in the Lord’s overall scheme of things ?
The Srimad Bhagavatam states ( 1.3.2 purport ) : ‚ÄúMaterial nature has no power to create without the power of the purusa, just as prakriti, or woman, cannot produce a child without the touch or connection of a purusa, the man. The purusa impregnates while the prakriti delivers. We should not expect any independent creative powers from prakriti, or the material ingredients. We must believe in the power of the purusa, who impregnates prakriti or material nature.‚ÄĚ
It is advised by scriptures such as the Srimad Bhagavad Gita as well as the Srimad Bhagavatam that we should be less obsessed with the material condition and be more concerned for the journey of our soul, which is eternal. Our material concerns in this life will end with this body. Yet we are obsessed with this body and its attainments, its successes, its honour, its glory, its material possessions, bank balance, familial connections, etc; instead of being periodically punished and thrashed by maya, we should strive to come out of her clutches, since we are just her playthings, like a doll in the hands of a child.
The Srimad Bhagavatam states ( 1.2.29 purport ) : ‚ÄúTherefore, all culture of knowledge, austerities, sacrifices, and activities should be aimed at changing the quality of the influence that is acting upon us, the living entities. For the present, we are all being controlled by the external energy of the Lord ( apara prakriti ), and just to change the quality of the influence to the internal superior energy of the Lord ( para prakriti ), we must endeavour to cultivate spiritual energy. In the Bhagavad Gita (9.13-14), it is said that those who are mahatmas, or those whose minds have been so broadened as to be engaged in the service of Lord Krishna, are under the influence of the internal potency, and the effect is that such broad minded living beings are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord without deviation.‚ÄĚ
In our desire to lord it over material nature, we, as individual living entities, think that we are masters of all we survey and that we shall achieve this and we shall achieve that. But each achievement is also attended by countless anxieties, frustrations, sufferings, and sometimes, complete reversals. Each individual has strong aspirations to enjoy, and there is competition among living beings as to who will be able to garner the maximum enjoyment. But ultimately all our efforts are thwarted by death, and sometimes much earlier too. In the material world, every individual is given the chance to enjoy, and side by side, also the chance to understand his true constitutional position as an eternal servitor of the Lord. Those fortunate living entities who catch the truth and surrender unto the lotus feet of Lord Krishna after many, many births in the material world, join the eternally liberated souls and are thus allowed to enter the spiritual kingdom.
Hence the worship of mother Durga is just a preliminary or intermediate stage in our journey to develop lasting love for the Supreme Lord Krishna. In our attempt to progress toward the eternal and ultimate Truth, the Supreme Lord, we are dazzled, intimidated and foxed by His variegated displays in the form of natural phenomena and the powerful interplays of material nature ( His external marginal potency ). In the process, we tend to forget or overlook the Lord Himself and His eternal spiritual form in Vaikuntha, where He resides in His satchitananda vigraha form ( eternally full of knowledge and bliss ), surrounded and lovingly served by His pure devotees and associates. As we progress steadily in our spiritual path, we begin to realize that maya can no longer have any effect on us and that we come directly under the Lord’s personal protection, and we begin to reestablish our broken relationship with Him, which is a result of our past foolishness and desire for independence from Him.
The difficulties placed in our devotional path by maya is indeed like the tough and very difficult questions in an examination for a very high degree or exalted position. Durga, or maya, is the Lord’s authorized agent, assigned the responsibility of separating the men from the boys.
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4 Jul 2012
Has the LIBOR scandal caused repossessions?
If you hadn’t heard of LIBOR at the start of last week, chances are that you have by now. MPs are grilling former banking boss Bob Diamond as I type!
This key interest rate is a measure of how much it would cost banks to borrow from each other. It is used as a benchmark interest rate for trillions of pounds of financial transactions around the world, and last week the FSA fined Barclays for attempting to manipulate it.
Mortgage interest rates can be influenced by LIBOR, and yesterday the press were quick to seize on a statement by the Housing Minister Grant Shapps which suggested that Barclays’ actions may have led to a higher rate of repossessions.
His precise statement was that:
‘all the research into homelessness proves that there are a lot of different causes, of which the LIBOR rate may have [been] a contributory factor, if indeed it transpires that mortgage rates have been adjusted as a result.’
Now, there’s a big ‘if’ in that statement. The nature of how LIBOR is calculated makes it very difficult for one bank acting alone to significantly influence the reported rate – at least to a level that would affect mortgage holders – and only a handful of specialist lenders offer mortgages where the rate is specifically pegged to LIBOR rather than another type of rate (like a fixed rate deal or a tracker that follows Bank of England base rates).
For customers on Standard Variable Rate mortgages, it’s possible that changes in LIBOR would have affected the amount of interest they pay. However, in these cases it would be almost impossible to disentangle the various factors at play and point to LIBOR manipulation as the single reason for a given rise or fall in interest rates.
Even if it were possible, before 2007 traders most likely exploited small fluctuations in the LIBOR rate, which would have been unlikely to have much effect on homeowners, and after 2007 Barclays kept its LIBOR submission artificially low, so if there was an impact on mortgage rates it would have been a downwards one.
While the manipulation of such an important interest rate is incredibly serious, the link to possible repossessions is remote and could take the focus from the real issues facing homeowners today.
Last year in the United Kingdom there were more than 37,000 repossessions. While this is lower than the peak in 2009, repossessions remain more than 40% higher than their pre-crisis level, and this is despite the fact that the base rate of interest remains at an historic low.
The main challenge facing many homeowners today continues to be over-stretched incomes that are failing to keep pace with the cost of housing, an all too common scenario that tragically for some ends in the loss of their home.
As always, whatever the cause of mortgage difficulties, Shelter’s advice to anyone at risk of arrears is to seek advice as early as possible.
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Category Archives: Auto Racing Photos 1894 – 1942
We here at The Old Motor feel fortunate to have as a foreign correspondent young Pavel Novitski. Included here are some of his photos from two events held last weekend in the United Kingdom, the 2013 Donnington Historic Festival and The Warren Classic. Our featured photo above, shows us an Alfa Romeo and a Bugatti and the first six thumbnails (below) we see some of the rare vintage Grand Prix racers that help make the Donnington event, now in it’s third year, such a memorable one.
Below L to R top, Maserati, Bugatti, Maserati and bottom center, a Talbot-Lago
A fine selection of road going machinery covering every era from Veteran cars up to and including today’s most exotic Supercars was on view at the first ever Warren Classic. With an entry limited to one hundred cars, Pavel shows us some of the very best of the type we think will appeal to our readers in the thumbnails below. You see more of Pavel’s excellent work here.
We at The Old Motor want to join with the vintage racing community to express our sympathy to the family and friends of Christian Devereux of Chiswick, London who succumbed to injuries sustained during an unfortunate accident this year at Donnington.
San Francisco Here We Come!
By Jeff Mahl:
After traveling from NYC and reaching Chicago the teams hoped for the end of the snow that they were forced to endure so far. The snow would soon end but the mud would then begin and it was a thick, sticky sand and clay mixture the racers would call “gumbo”. The greater problem would be the hundreds of pounds it would add to the Flyer’s already too heavy weight, rapidly approaching 3 tons! With still freezing night time temperatures, leaving the mud on the car would result in a solid block only to be added to the next day.
Entering a small midwest town, Schuster spotted a local firehouse. After finding the chief, the alarm soon sounded and the firemen responded with a horse drawn “pumper” wagon powered by four men. Rocking the handles on either side of the apparatus by the men, pressure was created in the fire hose which an additional two firefighters used to squirt off the mud from the Thomas. Little did they realize, they had created what we know today as a “car wash”. It was so effective that the Flyer crew planned stops around towns large enough to have a well equipped fire station.
By the time they reached Cedar Rapids on March 1, T. Walter Williams, the New York Times, reporter had reached his limits. This would be the end of the line for a reporter who had traveled with President Teddy Roosevelt covering his African Safaris. However, this was not a Presidential excursion; this was brutal and exhausting daily ordeal. He thought the rest of his team mates would surely die if they continued! Giving his reporter’s notebook and camera to Schuster, he took the next train back to New York City. With the task of keeping the Flyer running, George had no time to write news dispatches, so the job of reporting back to the Times was left to the Associated Press and local newspaper reporters along the way.
Miller, Hansen and Schuster in coon skin coats to protect themselfs from the Alaskan cold
The empty seat would soon be occupied by Capt. Hansen in Omaha, Nebraska, who you may recall quit the French De Dion team in Chicago. E.R. Thomas had asked Schuster if he would accept Hansen on the Flyer Team. With Hans living in Siberia, able to speak Russian and knowledgeable of Arctic conditions, it seemed like a good idea to all concerned.
Arriving at Cheyenne, Wyoming meant the planned departure of Monty Roberts, as he had a prior commitment to drive in the Briarcliff Race back east. Before he departed, Monty gave George the Automobile Club of America 45 star U.S. flag which the winning team would return for a $1000 prize. That flag would become one of the most precious items that George was responsible for in traveling around the world. Mr. Morse, the Thomas Factory sales manager was also in Cheyenne to give Schuster $500 cash for expenses (worth $12,500 today). He asked George if he had a gun, where upon Schuster displayed a .32 caliber Savage pistol he had carried in his jacket pocket since Times Square. Morse replied “Get a real gun and carry it in a holster”! George then purchased a .38 caliber Colt with a six-inch barrel. Charles Duprez, a N.Y. Times photographer, had also purchased an Iver Johnson pistol at the same time.
While in Cheyenne a 13 year old youngster named Floyd Clymer (son of a doctor in Berthound, Colorado) came 60 miles to see the Flyer Team and the Thomas. After a three minute ride in the Flyer, he went back home and started to advertise that he was handling the Thomas. Clymer was already famous as the “Kid Dealer” of the West, and later went on to become well known as a publisher of automobile books.
The Flyer departed from Cheyenne the morning of March 9. A moving picture cameraman left Cheyenne just ahead of the Flyer and captured the Thomas driving through a Wyoming canyon. This was the second of two known films made of the Flyer. The first was taken at the start of the Race in Times Square by the American Vitagraph Company on February 12, 1908 showing the competitors in front of Hammerstein’s. It was titled Starting of The Around The World Automobile Race, and was played in movie houses on Broadway. The American Film Institute Catalog also refers to it in a Variety Magazine article dated February 22, 1908. The quest continues to find either of those two historic films.
- The original Union Pacific train order making the Flyer Engine #274
One of the problems west of Cheyenne would be the terrific beating the Flyer took with no roads. Upon reaching Carter (a stop on the Union Pacific Railroad), they could go no further. It was there Schuster telegraphed the UP offices back in Cheyenne for permission to drive on the railroad bed. Driving on the steel rails would have disqualified the team, but nothing in the rules said they could not straddle the rails and drive on the ties. With permission granted, and a UP conductor making the Thomas Flyer an “official” Union Pacific locomotive #274, they started west. With no stone between the ties as you would see today, they didn’t get far on the unballasted bed and soon blew a tire. This repeated problem nearly meant the total destruction of the Thomas and her crew by an oncoming locomotive with the Flyer stuck square in the middle of the tracks and unable to move. After a narrow escape, they continued west.
The Flyer narrowly escapes a westbound Union Pacific Express – Painting by Peter Helck
Finally the American team reached the Rocky Mountains. Though it was then mid-March, snow still blocked the mountain passes and the Southern Pacific Railroad officials near Ogden, Utah refused permission to use their tracks as the tire chains had seriously damaged the Union Pacific ties. So the team was forced to change direction and turned south through Nevada, which would mean traveling into Death Valley and then approaching San Francisco to the north west by traveling through California.
In 1908 there were no bridges as are seen today for stream crossings, just rocks which were strewn across creek beds, that were used by ranchers for crossing with wagons or horses. One particularly bad crossing was at a place called Twin Springs, notorious for its quick sand bottom. Part way across, the Flyer drive train was severely stressed on the uneven footing and six teeth were broken from the drive pinion.
With no parts stores or overnight Fed Ex, which modern racers would turn to today, George set out on foot walking to Tonopah, Nevada some 75 miles away. In the town was a Thomas that had been sold to a local doctor, and the plan was to secure the needed pinion from his car and then return to the creek bed to make the repairs. After walking, buying a horse for $20 and finally getting a ride in a Simplex the plan worked out. Schuster then returned to the creek and had to tunnel out under the partially submerged Flyer. He replaced the damaged pinion gear and once again the Flyer was on its way to San Francisco. You can hear the actual sound of the Thomas Flyer engine in this audio clip
The other crews had suffered their own perils. Lieutenant Koeppen with the German Protos contracted “mountain fever” west of Cheyenne. The Protos had also become mired in a stream bed, and Koeppen set out on foot for help to a place called Rock River. Walking on a path at 2,600 meters high (8,600 feet) he collapsed. The staunch German Army officer would later recount in his memoirs: “ Stretching myself out to collect new strength for the continuation of the march. It was a feeling of desolation and dejection, which I had never thought to be possible”. Fortunately, a rancher found him before Koeppen could have possibly frozen to death. The New York to Paris Race was to become the ultimate long distance automobile endurance test of men and machines, never since equaled.
The young Italian lads in the Zust had fared a bit better, though still far behind. They did not seem to share the same sense of urgency as the other teams. Young Antonio Scarfoglio would write of their journey through California approaching San Francisco, after finally arriving on April 5:
“It is called El Camino Real, the name which was given to it by the Spaniards on account of its regal beauty. And I am quite unable to imagine anything more grandiose and splendid than this marvelous road. It is flanked by numerous towns, lost in a wealth of flowers; Los Olivos, Ventura, Santa Clara, through which we pass as quickly as possible so as not to yield to the desire, so delicious are they, to put on our brakes and dismount beside one of these gardens, near one of these white robed women who send us smiles and kisses on the tips of their fingers, and to finish here our race and our lives”
Thomas Flyer arrives in San Francisco (note famous clock tower in background)
On March 24, just 41 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes and 3,836 miles from Times Square, the Thomas Flyer, with George Schuster now in charge, arrived in San Francisco. He had become the first man to travel across the country in an automobile during winter. Well in the lead, it was now time for the Flyer to be loaded on the City of Pueblo steamer bound for Seattle, on route north to the final destination Valdez, Alaska. Little did anyone realize, the most treacherous and grueling part of the ordeal was yet to come…
Click to view previous Parts 1-5
For more information, pictures, and video visit: www.TheGreatAutoRace.com
Copyright 2013 © Jeff Mahl – Great Grandson of George Schuster – All rights reserved
A Falcon cyclecar, about to depart on a successful reliabilty run from Cleveland, Ohio to Staunton, Virginia, a distance of more than 400 miles.
Today, we have the second installment in our series about cyclecars. In the United States, these diminutive devices enjoyed a brief period of popularity from about 1912 to 1915, a time in which Ford had not quite yet cemented the reputation of their Model “T” as “The Universal Car.” Dozens of car builders set up shop all across the country and began cranking out vehicles that they hoped would appeal to both economy minded and sporting buyers.
The company that produced the little Falcon pictured and seen above was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1913 but moved to Staunton, Virginia after only six months. No doubt this epic drive co-incided with their relocation. Powered by an air-cooled two cylinder engine rated at 10 horsepower, front suspension was by twin parallel transverse leaf springs that also served as suspension control arms. Steering was cable operated and of the center pivot (non-Ackermann) type as seen in fourth drawing in the center thumbnail (below) from the January 15, 1914 issue of The Automobile magazine. There you can read more about the many other different types of steering, seating and suspension systems used by other builders in this 1st part of the article, which will be continued soon.
The Falcon sold for $385. When the price of Ford’s basic roadster dropped from $525 in 1913 to $440 in 1914, the cyclecar’s fate in this country was effectively sealed. The company that produced the Falcon was one that could not compete, closing their doors in 1914.
Cyclecars enjoyed greater success and a longer heyday in Europe where they were the choice for inexpensive and exciting transportation before and after the war. In the three thumbnails below from the National Library of France archives, the only car we’re able to positively identify is the first one, a Bedalia. In the center image, we see a very limber and courageous co-driver demonstrating the “body English” cornering technique necessary in voiturette racing. And on the right, these two gentlemen are looking thoroughly Gallic in their expression and with their moustaches, cigarettes and chapeaux. Look back to Part I of our series about cyclecars and see Part III here.
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Is it possible to use the broken calculator in this Subtangent activity to make a given set of numbers?
There are six levels of difficulty in this activity starting with whole numbers, then introducing negative numbers and decimals.
The broken keys vary at each level giving the opportunity to use the memory function and power keys, which will challenge students’ knowledge of square numbers.
A worksheet, which could be used as an introduction, accompanies this game. Students are required to show how they would use each calculator to generate the numbers from one to twenty.
HEALTH and SAFETY
Any use of a resource that includes a practical activity must include a risk assessment. Please note that collections may contain ARCHIVE resources, which were developed at a much earlier date. Since that time there have been significant changes in the rules and guidance affecting laboratory practical work. Further information is provided in our Health and Safety guidance.
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Bolgatanga, Feb. 11, GNA- Five thousand youths are to be trained in Leather works in the Leather Works Project under the Trades and Vacation Modules of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).
The project which is expected to commence in March 2012, seeks to train and set up youths in the Ashanti, Volta and the Upper East Regions to ensure job creation.
Mr. Henry Kangah, Executive Director of Craft Pro Limited, made this known during the graduation of 1000 beneficiaries in straw basket weaving and the official launch of the Upper East Leather Works Project at Bolgatanga.
He noted that every region had its indigenous trades that could be tapped and improved upon to enrich the Youth in employable skills, and said similar projects would be implemented and vocations of high economic value would as well be exploited to create sustainable jobs in the country.
Mr Kanga said the artifact market was growing locally and internationally, adding that the project would serve as an avenue for the promotion of Africa and Ghana's cultural heritage.
Mr Abuga Pele, National Coordinator of the NYEP, indicated that government's actions had resulted in the creation of employment for an estimated two million youths in the last decade.
He said the Leather Work Project would bring on board practical hand-on skills development and business set-ups that have corresponding demands in urban and rural settings.
He noted that the use of local resource persons would as well ensure continuous mentoring and shared production delivery.
In an address to launch the project, Ms Lucy Awuni, Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, stated that in creating jobs for national growth and sustainable development, the Government would build on multi-sectoral strategic frame work for development of the private sector.
This she said would provide the vehicle for delivering the change urgently required in making Ghana's Private Sector locally and globally competitive.
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When you do some research you will learn about trends in pricing for oil paintings. This painting by British artist Thomas Sydney Cooper sold for £15,000 in 2009. Ten years ago, it could have sold for £50,000.
For thousands of years, human beings have sought to create images of the things around them in a variety of mediums. From early cave paintings to magnificent 17th-century Dutch masters and controversial modern day works, our civilization has been shaped, interpreted and understood through our art. The best and most fulfilling reason to collect art is because you love it. Theophile Gautier, the 19th century French art critic, called it “l’art pour l’art,” meaning “art for art’s sake.” On a purely aesthetic level, the art that you collect and love will be a constant source of pride and pleasure. But be warned: collecting is an addictive hobby and can easily become a lifelong obsession. Your wallet may also require a little therapy along the way!
When you first decide to invest in paintings, you have two choices—buying purely for pleasure or buying for investment. The two reasons can often overlap, but the latter is an exact science and takes a great deal of research, dedication and, sometimes, risk. When buying for pleasure or purely aesthetic purposes, the golden rule is: buy what you like. I cannot stress this enough. The art market is a fickle beast and changes greatly over time. So if you are unable to re-sell a painting due to a change in the market, you’ll still own a nice piece that you enjoy hanging on the wall.
Pictures can gain in value over time, but they can also drop. Victorian oil paintings are a good example. In the last five years, there has been a big drop in these, mostly affecting the lower and mid ranges. It’s not because they are any less attractive or well-painted, but simply because tastes, fashions and opinions change. Ten years ago, a large idyllic country landscape with cattle by the famous British artist Thomas Sidney Cooper could have fetched upwards of $50,000. Today you could probably buy the same painting for half the price.
Buying paintings for investment can be a rewarding and profitable pastime. As you begin to learn and grow in confidence, your appetite for investing will increase. Before you know it, you will have amassed a good foundation on which to build your knowledge and expand your collection. In the early days, you should regard it in the same way you would gambling; it’s not without risk, and you must be prepared to make mistakes (lose money). However, this is good in the long-term, because there really is no better way to learn than from your mistakes.
This unsigned oil on canvas painting in the British School, 19th century, of figures on a bridge in a Highlands landscape was estimated to sell for between $1,500-$2,500 in a auction held on Feb. 3, 2012, at Skinners Antiques and Appraisers. The buyer made away with a nice buy, getting it for $889.
Before you even think about buying, you first need to invest your time. Auctions are an excellent place to learn what to buy. Most houses will sell a variety of paintings, from as little as $20 up to many thousands. Auction houses can seem like scary places, but they are free to visit and anyone can look around. Learn to love them; they’re quite addictive. Also, buy a catalogue, as they are a good investment because they’ll have a description of each lot and an estimated price. Furthermore, they provide a useful source of information later on. Engage with the auctioneers and sale-room assistants, as they will often be delighted to impart their knowledge and answer questions. There will usually be a viewing period of a few days before an auction, when you can walk around and see everything on offer.
The next step is simple but important: attend the auction. It may seem hard to follow at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of it. Use your catalogue and follow every lot as it comes up. Jot down prices, and note items that seem to be hotly contested. This instantly puts your finger on the pulse of the art market, as you can see up-to-date prices, what’s doing well and what isn’t. For example, after attending a few auctions in your region, you might notice that early 20th century modern art is doing well, whereas dark Victorian oil paintings have less interest and more lots unsold. This enables you to build up a good idea of your local art market. Watch for trends and pay attention to an artist who’s pictures seem to be steadily increasing in price.
Art galleries and shops also provide a good source of information. You may be surprised at the difference in prices compared to auction houses. Be a little more wary with an art gallery, as they will be keen to sell you whatever they have. Most galley owners are excellent and helpful, but some may just tell you what you want to hear.
After auction houses and galleries, the third—and perhaps easiest—source of information is the Internet. Recently, many “art price” websites, including Invaluable, ArtPrice and WorthPoint, have sprung up and become popular. They store the prices for all art sold at auction throughout the world, together with other useful information, such as artist biographies. You may have to subscribe, but what you get back in knowledge is well worth it. Some sites also list forthcoming items for sale at auction.
After investing some time learning what’s popular and what sells, you’re ready to make your first purchase. Hopefully, by now you will have decided on a genre you like, be it Impressionist landscapes, Victorian portraits or Dutch still lives; the choice is yours and there’s plenty to choose from. Don’t feel pressured to buy the first thing you like, as there’s no rush, so bide your time and wait until the right piece comes up. Let your heart guide you to the right piece, but then buy it with your head. You should also expect to be outbid by stronger buyers. Set yourself a price ceiling and stick to it; if you lose a piece, save your money and wait for something else. You should also be aware of buyer’s commission rates. You’ll pay anywhere from 10- to 25- percent premium on top of the “hammer” price. It’s important to buy from a reputable source and one you’re familiar with; that way, if you have a problem, you have some protection. For example, if you buy a lot cataloged as by a certain artist and it later turns out to be a copy, then you have course for recompense.
“View with a Young Shepherdess on a Fjord,” by Hans Andreas Dahl (Norwegian, 1881-1919), an oil on canvas painting measuring 40 inches by 60 inches, held a presale estimate of $25,000-$35,000 in the same Skinners auction. It realized $20,145.
Inspect the painting you are interested in before buying it. If need be, take it off the wall and check the reverse side. Condition is important and there are many things that may slip past the untrained eye. First, ask the auctioneer or seller for a condition report. This should cover any damage, restoration or other problems. Then check it out closely for yourself. Once you have seen and handled many paintings, these will start to become obvious. Small areas of damage, over-painting, restoration, problems with the frame are all things that can have a detrimental effect on value. Dirty oil paintings often just require cleaning to restore them to their former glory. Don’t worry too much about frame condition; the important bit is the painting itself.
You may also hear people talking about “provenance.” This is essentially the history of the painting. Genuine provenance is important and you’ll find great emphasis is placed upon it. The catalogue may state any known history, such as where it came from, who owned it and when it was previously sold. The back of the painting can also tell a story, with old labels, hand-written notes, gallery stickers and sometimes original artists’ labels. These details themselves paint a nice picture and are an added attraction for a collector. Sadly, whenever an artist sells well, unscrupulous people will fake their work, and even the experts can be fooled. Fakes and forgeries are a separate topic, but for now I’ll say this: buy from a reputable source and you should be OK. But use common sense; if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Collecting paintings is a real joy and there is a great deal you can accomplish. Indeed, many people make a living from buying and selling art. As your collection grows you may choose to sell some of your earlier acquisitions to make room for better pieces. The choice is yours. Amass your collection slowly, lovingly and enjoy it. But above all, remember the golden rule; buy what you like, because a thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Aubrey Dawson is an experienced art & antiques auctioneer and appraiser in the United Kingdom. He also regularly works as an expert valuer for several antiques television programs in the U.K. He can be contacted at aubreydawson [at] me [dot] com, via www.AubreyDawson.com and you can follow hiim on Twitter at @aubreydawson.
WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth
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Your 5-Minute Guide to Protecting Your Identity
By MSN Money Staff
Here are 20 steps to protect yourself from identity theft -- and seven ways to clean
up things if you become a victim.
Thieves may sell your information on the black market or use it to obtain money,
credit or even expensive medical procedures. Unless you're vigilant in protecting
your records, you'll have to work even harder to repair the damage to your credit.
The average victim spends 30 to 40 hours rectifying the problem.
Some of the e-threats to your identity are:
Phishing. You get an e-mail that appears to be from your bank or
an online service, most often PayPal or eBay, instructing you to click on a link
and provide information to verify your account.
Pharming or spoofing. Hackers redirect a legitimate Web site's
traffic to an impostor site, where you'll be asked to provide confidential information.
Smishing. This is phishing done with text messaging on your smart
phone. It instructs you to visit a bogus Web site.
Spyware. You've unknowingly downloaded illicit software when you've
opened an attachment, clicked on a pop-up or downloaded a song or a game. Criminals
can use spyware to record your keystrokes and obtain credit card numbers, bank-account
information and passwords when you make purchases or conduct other business online.
They also can access confidential information on your hard drive.
You don't need to have a computer to become a victim.
Vishing -- voice phishing. You get an automated phone message asking
you to call your bank or credit card company. Even your caller ID is fooled. You
call the number and are asked to punch in your account number, PIN or other personal
Bank-card "skimming." Crooks use a combination of a fake ATM slot
and cameras to record your account information and PIN when you use a cash machine.
Your credit or debit card also can be skimmed by a dishonest store or restaurant
worker armed with a portable card reader.
Crooks will steal your wallet or go through your mail or trash.
More than half of identity theft cases involve credit card fraud. Checking accounts
are the second most popular target. But some crooks have other plans:
At least 250,000 people have been the victim of medical identity theft in the last
several years. Crooks use fraudulently obtained personal information to get expensive
medical procedures or dupe insurance companies into paying for procedures that were
The victims of about 5% of reported identity theft cases are children. The fraud
often goes undetected for years -- until the young adult applies for credit.
20 tips to protect yourself
You can take steps to protect yourself from identity fraud:
Keep your confidential information private. Your bank or credit card company won't
call or e-mail to ask for your account information. They already have it.
Keep an inventory of everything in your wallet and your PDA, including account numbers.
Don't keep your Social Security card or any card with your Social Security number,
such as an insurance card, in your wallet.
Stop getting banking and credit card information in the mail.
Monitor your bank and credit card transactions for unauthorized use. Crooks with
your account numbers usually start small to see if you'll notice.
Keep your vehicle registration and insurance forms in a sealed envelope in your
glove box and lock it and your car when at home or away.
If you conduct business online, use your own computer. A public computer is less
secure, as is wireless Internet.
Look for suspicious devices and don't let anyone stand nearby when you use an ATM.
Take your card and receipt with you. Keep your PIN in your head, not in your wallet.
Don't store credit card numbers and other financial information on your cell phone.
If you're job hunting using resume Web sites, don't apply unless the employer has
a verifiable address.
Protect your computer from vulnerability:
Keep system and browser software up to date and set to the highest security level
you can tolerate. Install anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protection, and
keep them up to date as well. When possible use hardware firewalls, often available
through your broadband connection router.
If you use wireless Internet access, make sure that you get help from someone who
understands wireless security when you set up your access point or router.
Back up your data and store it way from your computer.
Don't open e-mails from strangers. Malware can be hidden in embedded attachments
and graphics files.
Don't open attachments unless you know who sent them and what they contain. Never
open executable attachments. Configure Windows so that the file extensions of known
file types are not hidden.
Don't click on pop-ups. Configure Windows or your Web browser to block them.
Don't provide your credit card number online unless you are making a purchase from
a Web site you trust. Reputable sites will always direct you to a secure page with
an URL starting with https:// whenever you actually make purchases or are asked
to provide confidential information.
Use strong passwords: at least six characters, including at least one symbol and
number, and no reference to your name or other personal information. Use a different
password for every site that requires one, and change passwords regularly.
Never send a user name, password or other confidential information via e-mail.
Consider turning off your computer when you're not using it or at least putting
it in standby mode.
Don't keep passwords, tax returns or other financial information on your hard drive.
7 steps to clean up the mess
If you suspect your identity may be compromised, place a fraud alert with the three
credit bureaus. When you place an alert, you are entitled to a free copy of your
credit report. After that, take advantage of the free annual reports the bureaus
are required to give all consumers. Stagger your requests so that you get a report
every four months.
If you are the victim of identity theft, take the following steps:
Make an identity-theft report to the police and get a copy. File a complaint with
the Federal Trade Commission.
Also, contact the office of your state's attorney general; you may be able to file
a report there.
Close accounts that have been tampered with. Contact each company by phone and again
by certified letter. Make sure the company notifies you in writing that the disputed
charges have been erased. Document each conversation and keep all records.
Place a seven-year fraud alert or a "freeze" on your credit reports.
Begin the process of having the fraudulent information removed from your credit
Consider purchasing identity theft insurance. It cannot protect you from becoming
a victim of identity theft, but it can help you pay the cost of reclaiming your
Find victim support at the Identity Theft Resource Center.
Reproduced with permission of MSN Money.com, from Your 5 minute guide to protecting
your identity, MSN Money Staff , 2008; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance
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|Hours of Operation
|HOW IT WORKS
POTTERY: Pick a piece, paint it, and we glaze and
fire it to be ready one week later. So that one week
later your washable food-safe masterpiece is ready
to be picked up.
FUSED GLASS: Glass fusing is hot! We teach you
2 easy skills and you can make any of the projects
we have displayed! You start with a base of glass
and then lay your colored glass pieces on top. We
fire it in our kiln, and like magic...it's all one piece. If
you would like your glass to take a shape such as a
bowl, business card holder, plate, pendant light or
votive holder, we can fire it a second time into one of
our molds. Glass is all food and dishwasher safe.
Oh, and you can also make pendants, earrings, pony
tail holders, pins and bracelets. Glass is priced by
the size or piece (such as night lights) and there is no
studio fee on glass.
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A Civil War Biography
Benjamin L.E. Bonneville
Bonneville was born 14 April 1796 in Paris, France. He emigrated to
the United States in 1803. He graduated from West Point in 1815 and
was assigned, as an engineer, constructing military roads in the
Southwest. In 1821 he was assigned to Fort Smith in the Arkansas
Territory. In 1825 he became a captain in the 7th US Infantry.
In 1832 Bonneville took a leave of absence from the army and led a
110 man expedition, partially funded by John Jacob Aster supposedly
to trap and trade, into the Wyoming Territory. The expedition was a
failure as far as fur trapping was concerned but the knowledge
obtained of as yet unexplored territories proved valuable. The
expedition to the Rocky Mountains proceeded up the Platte River
through parts of what are now Colorado and Wyoming into the Great
Salt Lake basin and on to California. There were two trips to the
Columbia River in the Oregon Territory.
Although he had been stricken from the army's active rolls, when
Bonneville returned in 1836 he was returned to active duty. His
accounts of his explorations were edited and somewhat amplified by
Washington Irving. They were published under the title "The Rocky
Mountains: or Scenes, Incidents, and Adventures in the Far West;
from the Journal of Captain Benjamin L. E. Bonneville of the Army of
the United States (2 vols., 1837)". Subsequent editions would bear
the title "The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, U.S.A., in the
Rocky Mountains and the Far West". Bonneville became a major in
1845, and was brevetted lieutenant colonel for gallantry in the
battles of Contreras and Churubusco during the Mexican War. He was
promoted to colonel in 1855 and commanded the Gila river expedition
against the Apaches in 1857. He commanded the Department of New
Mexico from 1858 to 1861.
Although he retired in 1861, he served during the Civil War as
recruiting officer and commandant of the barracks at St Louis,
Missouri. Bonneville was brevetted brigadier general US Army on 13
March 1865. He died at Fort Smith, Arkansas on 12 June 1878.
Although his expeditions never took him there, the Bonneville Salt
Flats, the remnants of a glacial lake which once covered what is now
northwestern Utah, were named in his honor.
Return to Biography Index
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Enver Masud, "New Iraq
Constitution a Pretext for Exploitation," The Wisdom Fund, September 16, 2003
Robert Fisk, "How We Denied Democracy to
the Middle East," Independent, November 8, 2003
"Fuelling Suspicion: The Coalition
and Iraq's Oil Billions," Christian Aid, June 28, 2004
Ed Harriman, "Iraq: Where Has All The Money
Gone?," London Review of Books, July 7, 2005
Francis A. Boyle, "Iraq and the Laws of War,"
International Clearing House, October 14, 2005
Doug Struck, "Iraqi Parties Complain of Vote
Irregularities," Washington Post, December 18, 2005
Doug Struck, "Sunnis Allege Fraud, Demand New Iraq Elections,"
Washington Post, December 20, 2005
[The election marks the final shipwreck of American and British hopes of
establishing a pro-Western secular democracy in a united Iraq.
Islamic fundamentalist movements are ever more powerful in both the Sunni
and Shia communities. Ghassan Attiyah, an Iraqi commentator, said: "In two
and a half years Bush has succeeded in creating two new Talibans in
Iraq."--Patrick Cockburn, "
Iraq's election result: a divided nation," Independent, December 21,
[The three blocs include the Unified Iraqi list, headed by the former prime
minister Ayad Allawi--Shafika Mattar, "Iraq
opposition groups call for new elections to parliament," The Scotsman,
December 27, 2005]
Ellen Knickmeyer and Naseer Nouri, "Chalabi Lacks Votes Needed to Win Spot in Iraqi
Assembly," Washington Post, December 27, 2005]
Sabrina Tavernise, "UN Observer in Baghdad Calls the Voting Valid," New York Times,
December 29, 2005]
[The alliance received 128 seats out of 275, with Kurdish parties gaining 53
and the main Sunni Arab bloc 44.--"Iraqi
Shias win election victory," BBC News, January 20, 2006]
election results confirmed," BBC News, February 10, 2006
[President George W Bush has made it clear that he does not want Ibrahim
al-Jaafari to remain prime minister of Iraq . . . "The Americans are very
firm about this," said a senior official." They don't want Jaafari at any
price."--Patrick Cockburn, "
Americans' call for removal of Iraqi PM threatens rift with Shias,"
Independent, March 29, 2006
[The Iraqi Prime Minister was apparently only given five minutes' notice of
Mr Bush's arrival. The two leaders met in the former palace of Saddam
Hussein - now the US embassy - where Mr Maliki had been invited on the
pretence he would be taking part in a video-conferenced "joint cabinet
meeting" with their American counterparts.--Rupert Cornwell, "Iraqi
PM given five minutes' notice of Bush's flying visit," Independent, June
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Manufacturing Execution Systems
By building our solutions on MES technology which is aligned to the ISA 95 standard, EmsPT is able to deliver Manufacturing Operational Excellence by design in all our solutions.This standard outlines a common terminology and set of information and operations models which define the structure and flow of information between Enterprise and Control Systems.
By following the ISA 95 standards to build activity, functionality and object models, it is possible to define an integrated MES Solution where people, information and their place in the model is understood.The models produced by this exercise can then be ‘plugged in’ to our technology, which follows the same fundamental concept of modelling both plant and data.
Both ISA 95 and the Purdue Reference Model for Control Hierarchy break industrial control and manufacturing into ‘levels’ of operation, placing people, systems and functionality into a number of levels within the operation. By viewing the business as a logically layered structure, and following standardised data exchange protocols information from disparate systems can be integrated with the minimum of effort.
The diagram below summarises the Purdue model for Control Hierarchy, showing that EmsPT and the technology we use occupies the space defined as ‘level 3’.
Our ISA 95 compliant technology enables EmsPT to provide a flexible and modular approach to Enterprise and Control System integration which is expandable, versatile and ultimately simpler to implement and maintain.
Industry best practices and guidelines, as defined by MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association) identify the need to follow these standards, and to understand the Control System and Enterprise integration activities in terms of business layers. Using technology which is built on the ISA 95 standard means that EmsPT solutions are designed and built against the ISA 95 standards ‘out of the box’, and that the Control System and Enterprise interactions must be modelled as per the ISA 95 standards as a function of designing and implementing the system using our technology.
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Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
June 8, 2012 - Jodi Burnsworth
Built on 269 acres of the Henry Flesher farm across the West Fork River from Weston, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was authorized by the Virginia legislature in the early 1850. Politics may have been the overriding reason in choosing its site; Lewis County, a Democratic island in a sea of Western Virginia Whigs, exercised considerable influence in Richmond.
The hospital’s huge main building, two-tenths of a mile long, was designed by Richard S. Andrews of Baltimore, whose other work includes the south wing of the U.S. Treasury Building in Washington and the Maryland governor’s mansion. A committee toured similar institutions in several states to determine what features were required. The General Assembly appropriated $50,000, and construction was under way by the end of 1858.
The Civil War interrupted the work. Virginia’s Confederate government demanded unused funds be returned for state defense, but the money was saved by sending it to Wheeling. In 1862, the pro-northern Reorganized Government of Virginia added $40,000. Work resumed and continued through the rest of the war. In 1863, the name changed to West Virginia Hospital for the Insane, and Dr. James A. Hall was appointed its first superintendent. He was replaced by Dr. R. Hills, formerly of Columbus, Ohio, just as the first patients entered in October 1864.
By 1868, 200 patients were being cared for at the hospital. The legislature voted $110,000 in 1870 for additional buildings, and separate rooms for black patients were added in 1873. The hospital had its own farm, dairy, waterworks, and cemetery. Ultimately, it grew to house about 1,200 patients. In 1913, the West Virginia legislature changed the name of the hospital to Weston State Hospital.
On October 3, 1935, a patient started a fire in the main building that destroyed six men’s wards and caused a cupola to fall through the roof. The building was repaired and remained in service for nearly 60 more years. It closed in May 1994, replaced by the new $27 million William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital. The building, now privately owned, is operated as a tourist attraction under its original name, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.
For the complete history of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, read “A Short History of Weston Hospital” by Joy Gilchrist-Stalnaker.
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Front gate of the Weston State Hospital. Photo courtesy of www.trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com.
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(PRWEB) September 14, 2012
"Labrum tear being treated now at the center for regenerative medicine," according to Dr. A.J. Farshchian MD, medical director for the center for regenerative medicine.
The labrum is a fibrocartilaginous rim which attaches to the acetabulum cavity (This is where the hip joint is located). Its job is to protect the femur (or the hip bone) and decrease any unevenness in its surface. The labrum is important since it decreases stresses between the joint surfaces, by producing a "sealing effect". It acts as a bumper which deepens the joint socket and helps keep the head of femur in place.
The vascularity or blood flow is minimal which is not a good thing at all, this factor makes self healing hard to come by.
Although not very specific the FABRE test (see picture) could be positive in presence of a tear. Here the examiner is anchoring patient's ankle against the opposite knee and pressing on the knee reproducing pain and tenderness in the anterior hip (medical lingo: front).
MRI with contrast is a more specific test allowing the physician to actually visualize the tear.
The condition is painful and annoying since it interferes with activities, This entity may be a risk factor future arthritis and problems to follow. This condition is not common at all but the several times that I have seen it it has involved aggressive physical activity such as jumping on a trampoline or sports injury.
The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami, Florida concentrates on helping arthritic and injured people to get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic medicine. The center's expertise is in treatment of conditions of spine, knees , shoulders , and other cartilage damages. We have developed non-surgical and rehabilitation techniques focused on treatment and management of joint pain. Our team includes health professionals organized around a central theme. their website is http://www.arthritisusa.net
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(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, announced that a bill to provide a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) of 1.7% for America’s veterans has passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent. Senator Murray fought hard for COLA passage, after an unnamed Senate Republican blocked the traditionally non-controversial bill in late September. The Veterans COLA will affect several important benefits, including veterans’ disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. It is projected that over 3.9 million veterans and survivors will receive compensation benefits in Fiscal Year 2013.
“A cost-of-living increase for our veterans is well deserved,” said Senator Murray. “Particularly in this difficult economy, our veterans deserve a boost in their benefits to help make ends meet. I am so glad we were finally able to move forward with passage of this bill. Caring for our nation’s veterans should never be a partisan issue.”
The COLA is designed to offset inflation and other factors that lead to the rising cost of living over time. The COLA rate will match the annual increase provided to Social Security recipients and is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.
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Door County roads are a little safer after the Sturgeon Bay Police and Door County Sheriff Departments have completed participation in the five month 2012 Seatbelt High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Deployment program.
That's according to Door County Sheriff's Department Lt. Jeff Farley, who was impressed with the stats the program produced.
The HVE deployment was funded through a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation. The funding paid for three extra officers from the county and two from the city to patrol, focusing solely on traffic and seatbelt enforcement and OWI detection.
Over the course of eight enforcement days in September, 200 traffic citations were issued, 142 traffic warnings given, and 4 non-traffic related arrests made from the stops.
Farley says in many cases, the officer's level of training allowed them to detect other violations than what the stop was originally intended for. Farley hopes that this year's success with the program means a repeat next year.
September Deployment Results
- 275 traffic stops were made during the deployments that covered 32 hours.
- 200 traffic citationswere issued:
- 142 Seatbelt
- 27 Speeding
- 2 OWI (operate while intoxicated)
- 4 OAR (operate after revocation) and OWS (operate while suspended)
- 2 Vehicle registration
- 23 Miscellaneous violations (i.e.: stop sign / no insurance)
- 142 traffic warningswere issued:
- 93 Speeding
- 11 Vehicle registration
- 9 Vehicle equipment
- 29 Miscellaneous violations
- 4 non-traffic arrests from the stops:
- 1 Possession of marijuana
- 1 Possession of drug paraphernalia
- 1 Possession of illegally obtained prescription
- 1 warrant out of Kewaunee County
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“To what purpose then require the co-operation of the Senate? I answer, that the necessity of their concurrence would have a powerful, though, in general, a silent operation. It would be an excellent check upon a spirit of favoritism in the President, and would tend greatly to prevent the appointment of unfit characters from State prejudice, from family connection, from personal attachment, or from a view to popularity… He would be both ashamed and afraid to bring forward, for the most distinguished or lucrative stations, candidates who had no other merit than that of coming from the same State to which he particularly belonged, or of being in some way or other personally allied to him, or of possessing the necessary insignificance and pliancy to render them the obsequious instruments of his pleasure.” (The italics are mine.)
Harriet Miers is not just the close confidante of the president in her capacity as his staff secretary and then as White House counsel. She also was George W. Bush’s personal lawyer. Apart from nominating his brother or former business partner, it is hard to see how the president could have selected someone who fit Hamilton’s description any more closely. Imagine the reaction of Republicans if President Clinton had nominated Deputy White House Counsel Cheryl Mills, who had ably represented him during his impeachment proceedings, to the Supreme Court. How about Bernie Nussbaum?
As the quote from Hamilton suggests, the core purpose of Senate confirmation of presidential nominees is to screen out the appointment of “cronies,” which Merriam-Webster defines as “a close friend especially of long standing.” Cronyism is bad not only because it leads to less qualified judges, but also because we want a judiciary with independence from the executive branch. A longtime friend of the president who has served as his close personal and political adviser and confidante, no matter how fine a lawyer, can hardly be expected to be sufficiently independent — especially during the remaining term of her former boss.
By characterizing this appointment as cronyism, I mean to cast no aspersions on Ms. Miers. I imagine she is an intelligent and able lawyer. To hold down the spot of White House counsel she must be that and more. She must also be personally loyal to the president and an effective bureaucratic infighter, two attributes that are not on the top of the list of qualifications for the Supreme Court.
To be qualified, a Supreme Court justice must have more than credentials; she must have a well-considered “judicial philosophy,” by which is meant an internalized view of the Constitution and the role of a justice that will guide her through the constitutional minefield that the Supreme Court must navigate. Nothing in Harriet Miers’s professional background called upon her to develop considered views on the extent of congressional powers, the separation of powers, the role of judicial precedent, the importance of states in the federal system, or the need for judges to protect both the enumerated and unenumerated rights retained by the people. It is not enough simply to have private opinions on these complex matters; a prospective justice needs to have wrestled with them in all their complexity before attaining the sort of judgment that decision-making at the Supreme Court level requires, especially in the face of executive or congressional disagreement.
Even a star quarterback with years of high school and college football under his belt takes years of experience and hard knocks to develop the knowledge and instincts needed to survive in the NFL. The Supreme Court is the big league of the legal profession, and Ms. Miers has never even played the judicial equivalent of high school ball, much less won a Heisman Trophy.
Ms. Miers would be well qualified for a seat on a court of appeals, where she could develop a grasp of all these important issues. She would then have to decide what role text and original meaning should play in constitutional interpretation in the context of close cases and very difficult decisions. The Supreme Court is no place to confront these issues for the very first time.
Given her lack of experience, does anyone doubt that Ms. Miers’s only qualification to be a Supreme Court justice is her close connection to the president? Would the president have ever picked her if she had not been his lawyer, his close confidante, and his adviser? Of course, Hamilton also thought that the existence of Senate confirmation would deter the nomination of cronies:
“The possibility of rejection would be a strong motive to care in proposing. The danger to his own reputation, and, in the case of an elective magistrate, to his political existence, from betraying a spirit of favoritism, or an unbecoming pursuit of popularity, to the observation of a body whose opinion would have great weight in forming that of the public, could not fail to operate as a barrier to the one and to the other.”
While the Senate once successfully resisted President Lyndon Johnson’s attempt to nominate his own highly able crony, Abe Fortas, to be chief justice, perhaps the performance of senators during the Roberts nomination reduced the deterrent effect of “advise and consent.” Judiciary Committee Democrats spent half their time making speeches rather than questioning. What questions they did ask were not carefully designed to ferret out the nominee’s judicial philosophy, favoring instead to inquire about his feelings, or whether he would stand up for the “little guy,” or bemoaning his refusal to telegraph how he would rule on particular cases likely to come before the court.
For their part, Senate Republicans were content to parrot the empty line that a judge “should follow the law and not legislate from the bench.” Sit tight and vote seemed to be their approach. By refusing to demand a nominee with a judicial philosophy of adherence to the text of the Constitution — the whole text, including the parts that limit federal and state powers — Republicans did nothing to induce the White House to send up a nominee who was at least as committed to limits on federal power as Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor had been.
Times like these demand a justice with a firm grasp on constitutional text, history and principles. Someone who can resist the severe pressure brought by Congress, by the executive branch, by state and local governments, and also by fellow justices to exceed the Constitution’s limits on government power. Does anything in her record suggest that Harriet Miers will be that sort of justice? We do not need to wait for Senate hearings to answer this question. What hearings will tell us, however, is whether the Senate, too, will succumb, in Hamilton’s words, to “a spirit of favoritism.”
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Most Active Stories
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KUT News Staff
After Trayvon Martin Killing, a Closer Look at Texas ‘Castle Doctrine’
The killing of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17 year-old African-American, by self-described neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman, has sparked a national discussion about racial profiling and vigilante justice.
It has also prompted a more critical look at so-called “stand your ground” laws in Florida, the state where the incident took place, and across the nation, including Texas.
Police in the Orlando suburb of Sanford have yet to arrest Zimmerman, as Florida law permits the use of deadly force in self-defense. (Despite reports that he was the party to instigate the confrontation, Zimmerman says he did act in self-defense.)
While Florida has one of the broadest self-defense laws in the nation, similar but less permissive “castle doctrine” laws are in effect in numerous other states.
News non-profit ProPublica surveys how Florida’s law compares with other states:
In 2005, Florida became the first state to explicitly expand a person’s right to use deadly force for self-defense. Deadly force is justified if a person is gravely threatened, in the home, or “any other place where he or she has a right to be.” In Florida, once self-defense is invoked, the burden is on the prosecution to disprove the claim.
Most states have long allowed the use of reasonable force, sometimes including deadly force, to protect oneself inside one’s home—the so-called Castle Doctrine. Outside the home, people generally still have a “duty to retreat” from their attacker, if possible, to avoid confrontation. In other words, if you can get away and you shoot anyway, you can be prosecuted. In Florida, there is no duty to retreat. You can “stand your ground” outside your home too.
Texas’ castle doctrine law, Senate Bill 378, “creates a presumption of reasonableness” in deadly incidents of self-defense, provided the following criteria are met: that the actor
1) knew or had reason to believe that the person against whom the force or deadly force was used unlawfully and with force entered, or attempted to enter, the actor's home, vehicle, or place of business or employment; unlawfully and with force removed, or attempted to remove, the actor from the home, vehicle, or place of business or employment; or was committing or attempting to commit certain serious crimes;
2) did not provoke the person against whom the force or deadly force was used; and
3) was not otherwise engaged in certain criminal activity at the time the force or deadly force was used.
The Trayvon Martin conversation shows no sign of abating: the Department of Justice is investigating the situation, and yesterday, a “Million Hoodie March” was held in New York, where thousands assembled to protest Zimmerman’s freedom, clad in garments similar to the one Martin was wearing when he was killed.
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Having a baby is one of the most monumental experiences in your life. It creates a large amount of change and one of the most significant transformations might be the amount of baby stuff you accumulate for your new little bundle. Having a baby can send you into a buying frenzy with the need for furniture, clothing, toys, and diapers. A baby really has very minimal needs though, so going overboard with baby purchases is not required. Also there are many options available today that are not only baby friendly, they are planet friendly as well. Raising a green baby is easier than you think if you consider some of the following ideas.
Since caring for a baby can be so time consuming, it is easy to see why parents choose the perceived convenience of disposable diapers. They just toss them in the garbage bin and forget them right? Well, green parents cannot forget that diapers account for an enormous amount of landfill waste that does not biodegrade. Luckily cloth diapers have become just as easy and convenient as disposable diapers. Forget the flat diapers you need to fold and pin together (although those are still around if you are so inclined). Cloth diapers today are fitted with elastic, they close with pins or Velcro, and are easy to clean. For those that do not have the time or the desire to do diaper laundry, there are diaper services widely available. Cloth diapers can last for years and be used by more than one child. Also flushable diapers, such as gDiapers, are another green diapering option.
Feeding Your Baby
Not only is breastfeeding usually the perfect food for baby it is also the most planet friendly way to feed your baby. By simply breastfeeding your baby you eliminate the need for formula cans and baby bottles. Breastfeeding is waste free! If however you need to pump milk and bottle feed there are green options there too. Glass baby bottles are reusable and able to be recycled or donated unlike their plastic counterparts which are prone to breakage and do not biodegrade. Helpful products for mom such as wool or cloth breast pads and organic creams are also available.
When your baby is old enough to eat solids you can continue to feed “green” by making your own baby food from organic fruits and vegetable that you are already eating. There is no need to buy boxes of baby cereal or tiny jars of baby food when you can mash or puree family foods and feed them those. They can be frozen inside ice cube trays for later use and convenience.
Clothing Your Baby
Farming with chemicals is hazardous for our planet and very unsustainable so when you buy clothing for your baby try to buy clothing made with sustainable fibers. Organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and wool in natural colors or dyed with low impact dyes are all good choices. The absence of chemicals is also better for your baby’s tender skin.
Consider buying used clothes instead of new. Buying second hand clothing that someone has recycled is much more sustainable an option than buying brand new. Look for used clothing at thrift stores, on local lists such as Craiglist, or through family and friends. This option is also much easier on the pocketbook.
When we bring a baby into the world we want that world to be as friendly and hospitable as possible. These are just a few of things we can do to raise green babies and ensure that that world remains friendly and hospitable for generations to come.
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Question: "What does the Bible say about greed?"
Answer: There are many warnings in the Bible about giving in to greed and longing for riches. Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal… You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:19 and 24). Did Jesus pursue the acquisition of money? No. On the contrary, He became poor for our sake (2 Corinthians 8:9) and had “no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). The only disciple concerned with wealth was the embezzler Judas, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Greed and a desire for riches are traps that bring ruin and destruction. “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” and Christians are warned, “Do not put your trust in wealth” (1 Timothy 6:9-10, 17-18). Covetousness, or wanting more than we have, is idolatry. “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a man is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). The principle to remember is contained in Hebrews 13:5: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
It is the love of money, and not money itself, that is the problem. The love of money is a sin because it gets in the way of worshipping God. Jesus said it was very hard for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:16-22; Luke 10:17-31). By instructing him to give up his money, Jesus pointed out the young man’s main problem: greed. The man could not follow Christ because he was following money. His love of this world interfered with his love for God.
People are more likely to cry out to God when they are in need than when they have plenty. Too often, the wealthy become complacent and self-satisfied and ascribe their riches to their own efforts instead of acknowledging that every good gift comes from God. The easier our lives become, the more enjoyment we derive from our wealth, the greater the temptation to store up treasures on earth, instead of in heaven. If we focus on earthly things like material wealth and possessions, then we fail to give God the glory and worship He deserves. We are to serve God, not waste our time trying to become rich (Proverbs 23:4). Our heart’s desire should be to store up riches in heaven and not worry about what we will eat or drink or wear. “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:25-34).
© Copyright 2002-2013 Got Questions Ministries.
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[free-sklyarov] Another ebook "processor"
kreizykid at hotmail.com
Mon Aug 20 00:29:53 PDT 2001
Funny, I've learned more things about copyright from this list than any of
my high school teachers. Isn't a rich nation like the us supposed to be
teaching these basic concepts?
From: Bob Smart <bobds at blorch.org>
Reply-To: bobds at blorch.org
To: free-sklyarov at zork.net
Subject: Re: [free-sklyarov] Another ebook "processor"
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 09:32:37 -0700
On Friday 17 August 2001 01:26, you wrote:
> on Thu, Aug 16, 2001 at 11:04:41AM -0700, Jeme A Brelin (jeme at brelin.net)
> > On Thu, 16 Aug 2001, Sonja V. Tideman wrote:
> > > Copyright is a delicate bargain. The government creates a temporary
> > > artificial monopoly on a creative work to allow the creator to gain
> > > a profit.
> > This is the propaganda of the copyright industry and an absolute lie.
> It *is* the original intent of copyright.
Ummm...actually, not it most definitely is NOT the original intent.
Copyright was established as a mechanism to enrich society, and any economic
incentives for authors that accompany it are merely the means to that end,
not the end itself.
But don't take my word for it. Get it from Thomas Jefferson, who wrote
the reasons behind it at the time.
> > The public (through their agency, the government) restricts, for a
> > limited time, the natural rights of the majority to distribute copies
> > or derivatives of individual expressions of an idea and reserves those
> > rights exclusively, for that same limited time, for the creator of the
> > work AS LONG AS THE CREATOR MAKES THE WORK PUBLIC.
> Interesting thought, and it does raise some interesting avenues of
> thought, but I find it a highly dubious proposition.
Well, that's what the guys who ESTABLISHED our system of copyrights said
were trying to do.
> For the author of,
> say, a serial work, the power to impose a scarcity of competing versions
> of a work he's created himself can have a significant economic benefit.
> Consider, say, the prolific author of our times, Gates. Continued
> availability via public publication of earlier versions of his "Windows"
> saga would likely significantly impact sales of newer releases in the
> series. Copyright is the right to make, or not to make, copies.
Yes, let's DO consider Mr. Gates. He's not an author, he derives his living
from the intellectual effort of other people--and despite creating NOTHING,
he winds up with the billions, and the people who actually write the
wind up with considerably less. This is copyright as a mechanism for
enriching speculators and merchants--but clearly NOT a mechanism that
enriches the creators of the works.
Authors have historically been forced to sell their rights to publishers at
dirt-cheap prices, since that was the only market available, and then the
publishers have been free to gouge without mercy while the author gets
pennies on the dollar AT BEST. As long as self-publishing and direct sales
remained impractical, there wasn't much the artists and authors could do
about it. Now, however, the game has changed.
Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; charset="us-ascii";
What I wrote above is hereby dedicated to the public domain and may be
used, in whole or in part, with or without attribution.
More information about the Free-sklyarov
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The final manufacturing report of 2012 has come out and respondents have expressed uncertainty about government regulations, taxes and global economics in general approaching the year ahead.
This attitude seemed to be the trend for almost the entirety of 2012 and comments from the panel this month are mixed, with some seeing a strengthening of demand while others report continuing softness.
The PMI registered 50.7 percent, which is an increase from November’s reading of 49.5 percent. This indicates expansion for only the third time in the last seven months. The New Orders Index remained the same as November’s, registering at 50.3 percent and indicating growth for the fourth consecutive month. The Production Index decreased 1.1 percentage points also indicating growth. In December there was a resumption of growth for the Employment Index of 51.5 percent that follows only one month of contraction since September 2009. The Exports and Import Indexes are also in the growth category following periods of contraction prior and both registered at 51.5 percent.
Seven out of the 18 manufacturing industries are reporting growth in December. One Machinery panelist remarked, “Many Chinese sources are coming to us with cost reductions to maintain their current business volumes.” And one Fabricated Metal Products respondent noted, “The election is over; unemployment is dropping; consumer confidence is increasing as are home sales prices. We seem to be turning the corner.”
Are we turning a corner? What kind of turning a corner will the fiscal cliff deal mean for manufacturing?
Let’s see here, it has been long argued that raising the top marginal income tax rates will only affect 3% of small business owners. It all depends on what the definition of “small- business” is. What it boils down to is that with all this uncertainty, there is and will continue to be more Americans less willing to take the risk of being an entrepreneur. The fiscal cliff deal only adds to the unpredictability that small business owners already face. “How the Fiscal Cliff Deal Affects Small Businesses With Higher Taxes” an article featured in The Inquisitr details this predicament, “Many of these businesses have income levels that are concentrated in the $200,000 to $500,000 category. Based upon the Fiscal Cliff deal, if your small business makes less than $400,000 and files single, or less than $450,000 on a joint return, your top ordinary rate is still 35 percent just like in past years. Above that it climbs to 39.6 percent, amounting to a 4.6 percent tax increase for small business owners.
For the sake of the ease of calculating, let’s start with $400,000 and calculate how much the new taxes will cost. The tax increase of 4.6 percent amounts to $18,400 which is worth about one employee making a little under $9 hourly before benefits. A small business making $1 million would be forced to lay off a middle class employee making $46,000. So either small business owners are going to be forced to lay off one person, raise prices on their services and goods, or they’re going to have to figure out how to cut other costs to make up the difference.”
Besides the fiscal cliff deal, other battles lie ahead that will surely affect the state of the economy and all who contribute to it: the debt ceiling and a continuing budget resolution. 2012’s close has positioned the year ahead an indeterminate sentence of ambiguity and uneasy instability for small business owners.
Therese Yacenda is the Social Media Manager at Accelerated Buy Sell, Inc. and Manufacturing Web Solutions as well as a contributing author to the blog. She orchestrates the social media landscape for the “Accelerated Group of Companies” that provides tools and services to help manufacturers grow and exit strategies to maximize dollars when they are ready to retire or sell their manufacturing business. Accelerated’s group of companies that provide services to the manufacturing industry includes:
www.AcceleratedBuySell.com – Provides Online Industrial Auction Services, Used Equipment Auctions, Capital Equipment Auctions, Plant Liquidations, Industrial Plant Cleanout Services, Used Machinery Location Services, Certified Machine Tool and Equipment Appraisals, and more.
www.AcceleratedMfgBrokers.com – Specializes in Manufacturing Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions. We help manufacturers develop exit strategies to maximize retirement dollars, and successful manufacturers expand through acquisition of other manufacturing companies, product lines and customer lists. Manufacturing Companies for sale throughout the United States are listed on this site.
www.AcceleratedRE.com – Provides Industrial Real Estate Brokerage Services, Online Real Estate Auctions, Sealed Bid Real Estate Auctions and complete industrial facility cleanout services.
www.IgniteMfg.com – Provides funding for products made in the USA, and engineering/manufacturing educational needs through Crowd Funding.
www.MfgWebSolutions.com – Provides web development and social media services for manufacturers at under-market rates.
Therese Yacenda is a contributing author to:
blog.AcceleratedBuySell.com - A site that provides the latest manufacturing news, statistics and opinion. It also provides information on how to grow a manufacturing business, and what to do if you are a manufacturing company that needs to close.
MFGWebSolutions.com/blog - Provides the latest information on social media and web development for manufacturers. It gives manufacturers tips and tricks for boosting their web presence.
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- Can Ince, professor1,
- Anne-Marije van Kuijen, PhD candidate2,
- Dan M J Milstein, postdoctoral research fellow3,
- Koray Yürük, PhD candidate3,
- Lars P Folkow, professor4,
- Wytske J Fokkens, professor2,
- Arnoldus S Blix, professor4
- 1Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University Rotterdam, ‘s-Gravendijkwal 230, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 3Department of Translational Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
- 4Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, Norway
- Correspondence to: C Ince
- Accepted 12 November 2012
Objective To characterise the functional morphology of the nasal microcirculation in humans in comparison with reindeer as a means of testing the hypothesis that the luminous red nose of Rudolph, one of the most well known reindeer pulling Santa Claus’s sleigh, is due to the presence of a highly dense and rich nasal microcirculation.
Design Observational study.
Setting Tromsø, Norway (near the North Pole), and Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Participants Five healthy human volunteers, two adult reindeer, and a patient with grade 3 nasal polyposis.
Main outcome measures Architecture of the microvasculature of the nasal septal mucosa and head of the inferior turbinates, kinetics of red blood cells, and real time reactivity of the microcirculation to topical medicines.
Results Similarities between human and reindeer nasal microcirculation were uncovered. Hairpin-like capillaries in the reindeers’ nasal septal mucosa were rich in red blood cells, with a perfused vessel density of 20 (SD 0.7) mm/mm2. Scattered crypt or gland-like structures surrounded by capillaries containing flowing red blood cells were found in human and reindeer noses. In a healthy volunteer, nasal microvascular reactivity was demonstrated by the application of a local anaesthetic with vasoconstrictor activity, which resulted in direct cessation of capillary blood flow. Abnormal microvasculature was observed in the patient with nasal polyposis.
Conclusions The nasal microcirculation of reindeer is richly vascularised, with a vascular density 25% higher than that in humans. These results highlight the intrinsic physiological properties of Rudolph’s legendary luminous red nose, which help to protect it from freezing during sleigh rides and to regulate the temperature of the reindeer’s brain, factors essential for flying reindeer pulling Santa Claus’s sleigh under extreme temperatures.
The nasal microcirculation has important physiological roles such as heating, filtering, and humidifying inhaled air, controlling inflammation, transporting fluid for mucous formation, and delivering oxygen to the nasal parenchymal cells. The pathophysiology of many nasal conditions, such as congestion and epistaxis, is based on the regulatory mechanisms of the microcirculation. Moreover, the nasal mucosa plays an important part in the uptake of drugs and responses to allergens. Despite the important role of nasal mucosa in health and disease, few studies have dealt with the function and morphology of its microcirculation in humans. Studies have been hampered mainly by the unavailability of techniques suitable for assessing the nose and by difficulties with nasal access from cumbersome microscopes. Some early studies used laser Doppler flowmetry,1 2 3 4 but most information on the microcirculation of the healthy and diseased human nose is from immunohistochemical studies on biopsied material.5 6
The introduction of hand-held intravital video microscopes has enabled direct visualisation of the nasal microcirculation in humans.7 8 9 These imaging instruments have had a special impact on intensive care medicine as they have shown the nasal microcirculation to be the most sensitive haemodynamic indicator of outcome and response to treatment.9 10 11 12 These instruments have also identified the microcirculation as a key factor in a wide range of other diseases, including diagnostic support and treatment responses in oncology.13 14 15
Using the novel technique of hand-held vital video microscopy we characterised the microvasculature of the human nose and applied the same technique to reindeer for comparative purposes. Based on the central role of the nasal microcirculation16 17 18 19 in the temperature regulation of reindeers’ brain and an appreciation of the importance of this for flying reindeer who have to deal with extremes of temperature while pulling a sleigh, we hypothesised that the infamous red nose of the most well known of Santa Claus’s reindeers, Rudolph, would originate from a rich vascular anatomy with a high functional density of microvessels.
We recruited five consecutive volunteers from the department of otorhinolaryngology in the Academic Medical Center. Inclusion criteria were adult non-smokers aged 18 years or more with no history of systemic or nasal disease and who were not taking prescribed drugs. A short medical history was obtained from the volunteers before investigations began. Moreover, vascular reactivity of the nasal mucosa was tested in one of the healthy volunteers by local application of 100 mg cocaine,2 a drug routinely used in ear, nose, and throat medicine as a local anaesthetic and vasoconstrictor. Also, we evaluated the utility of hand-held video microscopy to identify irregular microcirculatory networks in nasal disease by assessing a patient with grade 3 polyposis.
Measurements were carried out at room temperature (18°C (SD 1°C)) on two adult reindeer (Rangifer tarandus, fig 1⇓) under light anaesthesia using a single intramuscular injection of 0.2 mg/kg medetomidine hydrochloride (Zalopine; Orion, Espoo, Finland) delivered by a dart syringe.20 We used the hand-held microscope to video record and quantify the properties of the nasal microcirculation.21 22 Anaesthesia was terminated by an intramuscular injection of 0.7 mg/kg atipamezole hydrochloride (Antisedan; Orion).
Microvascular imaging technique, measurements, and analysis
The microcirculation was imaged using a hand-held intravital video microscopy system (sidestream dark field imaging technology).8 One investigator (AMvK) obtained clinical measurements of the volunteers in one room kept at a constant temperature of 22°C (SD 1°C). Participants were seated upright in a chair with their head on a headrest. We measured the microcirculation of the reindeer in a similar manner to the clinical measurements by gently inserting the imaging probe, covered with a sterile disposable lens cover, into the nasal cavity.
Offline data analysis was by semi-automated microvascular imaging software developed by our group.22 We quantified the vascular density of blood vessels <25 μm to determine the perfused vessel density (mm vessel/mm2) and the microvascular flow index: absent (0), intermittent (1), sluggish (2), or normal (3).21
A Mann-Whitney test was used for non-parametric comparative analysis of perfused vessel density and microvascular flow index. We considered P values of differences less than 0.05 to be significant. Data are presented as means (standard deviations).
Five healthy volunteers (four men and one woman, mean age 30 (SD 8) years), of which one was exposed to a cocaine challenge to test vascular reactivity of the nasal mucosa, and a male patient with grade 3 nasal polyposis agreed to participate in the study. In all volunteers the contrast of the nasal mucosa was enough to visualise the microcirculation, which consisted of flowing red blood cells (fig 2⇓; also see the supplementary video recording). High quality images were obtained from the nasal septum and the inferior turbinate. None of the volunteers experienced discomfort or pain during imaging. The plexus, or Kiesselbach’s area, was clearly visible in the anterior nasal septum (fig 2). Discrete, circularly arranged capillaries were observed throughout the nasal mucosa in all the healthy volunteers. The capillaries contained a central lumen-like structure (large circular structure in fig 2) and were observed at different locations throughout the nasal septum. The central circular structure seemed to be a gland for the excretion of mucous. Quantification of the nasal microcirculation in the healthy volunteers showed a mean perfused vessel density of 15 (SD 3.2) mm/mm2 with a microvascular flow index of 3.0 arbitrary units.
The microvasculature of the inferior turbinate presented a characteristic hairpin-like morphology analogous to other mucosal tissue surfaces. The arrangement of the capillaries varied with location, with only the tops or arches of the loops visible in some areas and the entire loop structure with its afferent and efferent arms visible in other areas. The images consistently portrayed capillaries but no large blood vessels; big venous structures could be observed only out of focus (fig 2). In addition, the configuration of the vasculature surrounding the gland-like structures on the inferior turbinate was the same as that of other capillary loops found in other mucosal tissue surfaces.
A transitory cessation of microcirculatory flow was observed in the healthy volunteer after a vasoconstrictor challenge using cocaine (fig 2). In addition, the nasal microvasculature of the patient with nasal polyposis was irregular and the characteristic angioarchitecture and hairpin-like capillaries were absent (fig 2).
Why Rudolph’s nose is red
The reindeer’s nasal mucosa was richly vascularised with an abundant microcirculation ferrying a rich concentration of red blood cells; the mean perfused vessel density was 20 (0.7 mm/mm2) with a microvascular flow index of 3.0 arbitrary units (fig 3⇓). An infrared thermographic image of the reindeer obtained with an AGA Thermovision IR camera (Model 750 (spectral range 2-5 µm)) connected to an AGA Thermovision Colour Slave Monitor (Model OM 701; AGA, Stockholm, Sweden) after a treadmill test showed that they do indeed have red noses.23 In addition to the nose having a high microvascular density (fig 3), the nasal mucosa also revealed an abundance of ring-like vascular arrangements, similar to those in humans (fig 3).
The microvascular networks and hairpin-like vessels of the nasal microcirculation in reindeer were similar to those observed in humans. The functional vascular density of the reindeers’ nasal mucosa was 25% higher than that in humans (fig 3). Interestingly, the reindeers’ microcirculation was pumped in pulsatile intervals with a complete lack of red blood cells in the lumen of the microvasculature during diastole followed by forceful flow hyperaemia during systole. As this effect cannot be properly justified in a static image, we produced a video recording (see supplementary material).
The microcirculation of the nasal mucosa in reindeer is richly vascularised and 25% denser than that in humans. These factors explain why the nose of Rudolph, the lead flying reindeer employed by Santa Claus to pull his sleigh, is red and well adapted to carrying out his duties in extreme temperatures.⇓
Intravital video microscopy allowed observation of the complex architecture of the nasal microcirculation, including the kinetics of flowing red blood cells, and provided new insights into the adaptive behaviour of vascular structures under varying clinical conditions. An interesting finding was the presence of gland-like structures in the nasal mucosa. The most plausible explanation for the function of these circular vascular structures is mucous secretion. These structures are scattered throughout the nose and maintain an optimal nasal climate during humid weather and extremes of temperature as well as being responsible for fluid transport and acting as a barrier. Such structures were also identified in the two reindeer, although the vascularisation was slightly different and of a higher density than in the human volunteers. Histological studies would need to be carried out to determine the exact function of these gland-like structures.
Despite successfully imaging the nasal microcirculation of both the human volunteers and the reindeer, we were limited by the diameter of the light guide on the video microscope (1 cm), at least in the humans, and could obtain measurements on only certain nasal surfaces. Further miniaturisation of the dimensions of nasal endoscopes and conventionally used imaging probes for video microscopy should resolve this limitation, allowing a more comprehensive evaluation of the nasal microcirculation. These practical concerns may be resolved by the introduction of a third generation hand-held intravital imaging computer controlled sensor based microscope.9
Using hand-held vital video microscopy for imaging the human nasal microcirculation in health, interventions, and disease, we were able to solve an age old mystery. Rudolph’s nose is red because it is richly supplied with red blood cells, comprises a highly dense microcirculation, and is anatomically and physiologically adapted for reindeer to carry out their flying duties for Santa Claus.
What is already known on this topic
The introduction of hand-held intravital video microscopes has enabled direct visualisation of the microcirculation in human organs but has not previously been applied to the nasal microcirculation
These instruments could be used to unlock the mystery of why Rudolph, the legendary flying reindeer, has a bright red nose
What this study adds
The nasal microcirculation in humans consists of hairpin-like vessels, microcirculatory networks, and crypt-like structures surrounded by capillaries
By comparison, reindeer have a more richly vascularised nasal microcirculation, with a vascular density 25% higher than that in humans
This high vascular density answers the age old mystery of why Rudolph has a bright red nose
Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e8311
We thank Santa Claus for his enthusiastic support. He was as keen as us to unravel the mystery of his friend’s nose.
Contributors: CI conceived, designed, and supervised the study and together with AMvK drafted the manuscript. They contributed equally to the study. AMvK, DMJM, and KY analysed and interpreted the data and performed the statistical analysis. WJF supervised and evaluated the clinical study. LPF and ASB designed and performed the study on reindeer. All authors had full access to the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. All authors have contributed to and approved the final manuscript. Rick Bezemer of the Department of Translational Physiology of the Academic Medical Center vouches for the validity of the study.
Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf (available on request from the corresponding author) and declare: no support from any organisation for the submitted work; CI is the inventor of sidestream dark field imaging technology and holds shares in MicroVision Medical and was a consultant for this company more than four years ago but has had no further contact with the company since then. He has no other competing interests in this field other than his commitment to promoting the importance of the microcirculation during patient care; and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
Ethical approval: This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Academic Medical Centre of the University of Amsterdam for the human study and the Norwegian Animal Research Authority of Norway for the reindeer experiments (Permit No 4414).
Data sharing: No additional data available.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non commercial and is otherwise in compliance with the license. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/ and http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/legalcode.
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What does a worker who has only been out of work for a month have in common with one who has been unemployed for six months to a year? It appears they are both just as likely to be rejected for job based on their employment status (or lack thereof), even as legislators move to make "unemployed discrimination" illegal.
A recent Huffington Post article discusses a study in which 47 human resource professionals were asked to review resumes that were identical except that half stated the candidate was currently employed, and the other half indicated the candidate had been unemployed for one month. The HR professionals gave the currently employed candidate higher marks for competence and hireability.
The study also found that unemployed candidates who are laid off are not viewed any more favorably than those who quit their jobs. However, candidates who were laid off because the company went under do appear to get more sympathy.
Employer's preference for selecting candidates who are currently employed is nothing new, but the practice came under fire last year when job postings emerged specifically stating that unemployed candidates would not be considered. As a result, lawmakers on both the state and federal level have considered legislation against unemployed discrimination. New Jersey passed a law last year banning job ads that are found to discriminate against unemployed candidates. This past May, the District of Columbia took it a step farther with legislation that made unemployed status a protected class, according to the Littler Mendelson law firm. The law makes it illegal for employers in the District of Columbia to refuse to hire candidates based on their employment statuses.
So what are you seeing out there in the trenches? Do employers tend to reject unemployed candidates, even if they have only been out of work a short amount of time?
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Daniel Smafield - BA, International Studies
Global Education/Study Abroad Student: Argentina
Unfold a map and you’ll find many exciting places to study abroad. Unfold the story of a student’s life and you’ll find many creative pathways leading to a global education. And not every journey starts with a high school diploma.
Daniel Smafield, first-generation college student at the University of Colorado Denver, did not immediately graduate from high school; instead, he spent several years working in his small hometown in Michigan while he developed his growing interest in national and international affairs, in particular, in events impacting disadvantaged communities. After Hurricane Katrina hit the country, Smafield looked for a way to serve the larger community and joined AmeriCorps. (AmeriCorps NCCC/National Civilian Community Corp has a mission of providing opportunities for individuals to help others and meet critical needs in communities; it is funded by the U.S. federal government.) He was sent to Denver where he learned first aid, team building, cultural sensitivity, and budget management; and here he also received the Congressional Silver Medal Award for his service to the community.
Smafield found a number of ways to help that included organizing clean-up crews in New Orleans, creating summer educational programs for Somali immigrant youth in Minneapolis, park reclamation work in Big Bend National Park in Texas, and tutoring of youth in Boys and Girls Club in inner cities in California.
He especially liked Denver, and returned to enroll at the University of Colorado Denver. One of his first professors was from Argentina; which further intrigued Smafield with broadening his own world view. He studied Spanish and chose a major in International Studies.
CU Denver’s Study Abroad/Global Education program enabled Smafield to directly experience what he’d been learning about in the classroom. His first trip landed him in Argentina for the school year, where he learned more about the peoples and cultures of the region. “The family life and the way people interact are very different than in America. I saw extremes of poverty and learned about a different international perspective,” said Smafield.
He became an advisor for CU Denver students bound for Study Abroad programs, particularly ones to Latin America. As a recipient of a $5,000 Gilman Scholarship, Smafield also provides guidance on scholarship applications for overseas education.
“In the same way that my Argentinian friends made me feel comfortable, I like to be a good host, in a sense, to the international students on the Denver Campus. As our nation moves forward and economies become more globally interdependent, we can’t afford not to have a global perspective in each classroom.”
Smafield feels that learning about other cultures ignites a spark of interest that makes students want to learn more about their own American culture. In the future, he would like to continue on to graduate school and work with global non-profit organizations that assist in building small businesses in other countries.
“Especially coming from my background, and with my experience in service and learning work in America and abroad, I will always be involved in helping those who are underserved.”
In addition to his role as a student and advisor at CU Denver. Smafield is volunteering for Metro CareRing, a Denver-based local hunger relief organization. To discover more about Study Abroad/Global Education programs, Office of International Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, visit online: ucdenver.edu/studyabroad.
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Finding A Natural Remedy For Anxiety
You should seek for a natural remedy for anxiety when you have too much anxiety.
Certain forms of stress are not as bad as they can help with certain functions. Some people even feel better under stress, but too much and frequently stress can lead to anxiety attacks.
A natural remedy for anxiety could be as simple as taking some time out from a chaotic schedule, and just focus on breathing. Take a 10 minutes break every hour, at least once or twice a day. During those breaks, take slow deep breaths and then exhale.
Drinking less caffeine is another natural remedy for anxiety, as caffeine is a stimulant. Small doses of it increase the bile stimulation and decrease the cholesterol, but too much caffeine can increase stress levels.
Natural Supplements Help Reduce Anxiety
If you decide to add supplements as a natural remedy for anxiety, you have to check with your doctor first to be sure they won't interact with other medication you may be taking. Also he will tell you if the supplements are safe if you suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes.
If you make the decision of taking a natural remedy for anxiety, you might start with one supplement at a time. If you take several at the same time and you feel any unwanted side effects, you won't know which one is causing them.
It is possible to mix different herbs to make a natural remedy for anxiety which will work for you, but this should be done only under the guidance of a licensed naturopathic physician.
Vitamins such as B6 and B12 are useful in fighting stress, as they improve the body's nervous system. Kava Kava was approved by many European countries as a treatment for anxiety and insomnia without drowsiness and addictive side effects. However, Kava Kava does not combine well with alcohol, depression prescriptions such as Valium and Xanac, or with many sleeping pills.
St. John's Wart, a popular anti-depressive herb, it's a good natural remedy for anxiety. These herbs must be taken for a number of weeks before the effects can be felt. Research show that this herb lowers stress levels without fogging your thinking.
Valerian, very popular in Europe, is a natural sedative and isn't addictive as many chemical sedatives. It is used as a natural remedy for anxiety. It generally induces sleep, so it isn't convenient to take Valerian if you are taking prescription sedatives.
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BRUSSELS, Belgium — Attention all culture-craving couch potatoes: Cultural riches from over 2,000 years of European civilization are going digital.
It's part of a new European Union online library project that is set to rival Google and aims to create a one-stop-shop to access history, art, literature, cinema and music from across the continent.
Items have been collected from 1,000 museums, national libraries, galleries and archives — including the Louvre in Paris and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam — so users can scour for books, paintings, audio files, maps, videos and other artifacts in one Web site.
Subjects are as varied as the recipe for a French ham and cheese "croque monsieur" to Homer's epics and the life of Mozart.
"You can see all aspects of (Mozart's) life in the works and material that comes from our museums, libraries, audio visual collections and archives across Europe," said Jill Cousins, director of the Europeana project.
She called up nearly 1,000 items related to Mozart in a sample search on the Web site, which is available in 23 languages including English, French, German and Spanish.
The site has 3 million items now and officials hope to get 10 million items on it by 2010. Even that is just a start, as only one percent of the historic works, documents and cultural artifacts across Europe have so far been digitized.
"You may download most of what is on there (for free)," Cousins said.
The project, which started two years ago, seems to be Europe's answer to Google's efforts to build a private digital library and is to be launched amid much fanfare by the EU's ministers on Thursday.
"Just imagine the possibilities it offers students, art-lovers or scholars to access, combine and search the cultural treasures of all member states online," said Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, which is co-financing the project.
EU officials say Europeana offers a better product than Google's Book Search feature. Google has been scanning millions of books stored in dozens of libraries around the world over the past four years to lure more traffic to its popular search engine.
"The Google Book Search project is a great project, but it's about books, it's not like Europeana; you see the difference," said Horst Forster, an EU official who helped coordinate the project. "What we have here does not have any commercial aims."
Santiago de la Mora from Google's European office welcomed the launch, saying Google hoped to collaborate with Europeana "taking part in what could become the biggest technological leap in disseminating knowledge since Gutenberg invented the printing press."
Most of the items on the site so far are from France, the Netherlands and Britain. Other countries in the 27-nation EU — such as Germany, Spain and Poland — were expected to submit more artifacts in the coming weeks and months.
"We were offered an embarrassment of riches, an enormous amount of material," said John Purday, who works on the project.
Europe's famous museums have little to fear, however.
"Actually, it encourages use of museums, because you give people a taste of what's there," Purday said.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. If you get depressed in the winter but feel much better in spring and summer, you may have SAD.
Anyone can get SAD, but it is more common in:
What causes SAD?
Experts are not sure what causes SAD, but they think it may be caused by a lack of sunlight. Lack of light may upset your sleep-wake cycle and other circadian rhythms. And it may cause problems with a brain chemical called serotonin that affects mood.
What are the symptoms?
If you have SAD, you may:
Symptoms come and go at about the same time each year. For most people with SAD, symptoms start in September or October and end in April or May.
How is SAD diagnosed?
It can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between nonseasonal depression and SAD, because many of the symptoms are the same. To diagnose SAD, your doctor will want to know if:
How is it treated?
Doctors often prescribe light therapy to treat SAD. There are two types of light therapy:
Light therapy works well for most people with SAD, and it is easy to use. You may start to feel better within a week or so after you start light therapy. But you need to stick with it and use it every day until the season changes. If you don't, your depression could come back.
Other treatments that may help include:
If your doctor prescribes antidepressants, be sure you take them the way you are told to. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. This could cause side effects or make your depression worse. When you are ready to stop, your doctor can help you slowly reduce the dose to prevent problems.
You may feel better if you get regular exercise. Being active during the daytime, especially first thing in the morning, may help you have more energy and feel less depressed. Moderate exercise such as walking, riding a stationary bike, or swimming is a good way to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
eMedicineHealth Medical Reference from Healthwise
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
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As you may remember, the December 2005 issue of FOCUS featured a “mystery photo” from the Mathematical Association of America Records at the Archives of American Mathematics. Many of you were kind enough to write or call with information on these photos. While some questions remain, your responses have helped to flesh out the story behind these images.
The original cover image appears here as the second photo in the second row of the contact sheet. The man on the left, who was the featured mathematician in this film, is Professor Leon Henkin. A Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley, Henkin currently lives in Oakland, California, with his wife, Ginette. Henkin also made the Mathematics Today film Mr. Simplex Saves the Aspidistra around 1962. Julian Henkin, Leon’s son, notes that Henkin got involved in the film after meeting R. L. Wilder in the early 1950s at the University of Southern California.
Harold Kuhn (Henkin’s brother-in-law) noted: “A major part of Leon’s career has been spent in trying to increase the representation of minorities on the Berkeley campus. In his honor, the University has established a Leon Henkin Award for the faculty member who has shown outstanding activity in those areas. Aside from being a world class symbolic logician, I know that Leon would like to be remembered for his efforts to increase the diversity of our universities.”
A contact sheet of photographs from the 1961 production of “Mathematical Induction,” a film in the Mathematics Today series featuring Dr. Leon Henkin. From the Mathematical Association of America Records, Archives of American Mathematics, Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
The identity of the man in the center of the cover photo is still uncertain, although it was suggested that he might be the film’s director. Any more information on the identity of this person would be greatly appreciated.
A critical perspective on the film is provided by Professor Marcia Ascher, Professor Emerita, Ithaca College: “In the mid-60s, as a faculty member at Ithaca College, I was very enthusiastic when I read of the MAA film series. We rented the film Mathematical Induction. My enthusiasm was based on the fact that the students would hear and see Dr. Henkin, renowned for his work in logic and foundations of mathematics. They would hear his perspective and presentation on mathematical induction, a topic that they encountered but which still seemed to puzzle them, and use of the film medium could do things we could not do in the classroom. We arranged for all of our College Algebra and Calculus I students to be at an auditorium showing of the film. I was exceptionally disappointed. The reasons for my disappointment are captured in the photo on page nine, which seems to show the filming of the presentation. For most of the presentation, the speaker had his back to the audience and covered what he had just written on the board. No advantage was taken of the film medium, and the contents of the presentation were much the same as our usual presentation. And, notice in particular, an oversized eraser on the blackboard ledge. For some reason, perhaps due to the camera focus on it, each time the eraser was used, the audience broke into unrestrainable laughter.”
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Great Shearwater (Puffinus gravis), East of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia: photo by JJ Harrison, 22 April 2012
What birds were they? He stood on the steps of the library to look at them, leaning wearily on his ashplant. They flew round and round the jutting shoulder of a house in Molesworth Street. The air of the late March evening made clear their flight, their dark quivering bodies flying clearly against the sky as against a limphung cloth of smoky tenuous blue.
He watched their flight; bird after bird: a dark flash, a swerve, a flash again, a dart aside, a curve, a flutter of wings. He tried to count them before all their darting quivering bodies passed: six, ten, eleven: and wondered were they odd or even in number. Twelve, thirteen: for two came wheeling down from the upper sky. They were flying high and low but ever round and round in straight and curving lines and ever flying from left to right, circling about a temple of air.
He listened to the cries: like the squeak of mice behind the wainscot: a shrill twofold note. But the notes were long and shrill and whirring, unlike the cry of vermin, falling a third or a fourth and trilled as the flying beaks clove the air. Their cry was shrill and clear and fine and falling like threads of silken light unwound from whirring spools.
The inhuman clamour soothed his ears in which his mother's sobs and reproaches murmured insistently and the dark frail quivering bodies wheeling and fluttering and swerving round an airy temple of the tenuous sky soothed his eyes which still saw the image of his mother's face.
Why was he gazing upwards from the steps of the porch, hearing their shrill twofold cry, watching their flight? For an augury of good or evil? A phrase of Cornelius Agrippa flew through his mind and then there flew hither and thither shapeless thoughts from Swedenborg on the correspondence of birds to things of the intellect and of how the creatures of the air have their knowledge and know their times and seasons because they, unlike man, are in the order of their life and have not perverted that order by reason.
And for ages men had gazed upward as he was gazing at birds in flight. The colonnade above him made him think vaguely of an ancient temple and the ashplant on which he leaned wearily of the curved stick of an augur. A sense of fear of the unknown moved in the heart of his weariness, a fear of symbols and portents, of the hawklike man whose name he bore soaring out of his captivity on osierwoven wings, of Thoth, the god of writers, writing with a reed upon a tablet and bearing on his narrow ibis head the cusped moon.
James Joyce: from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1914-1915, published in book form 1916)
Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae), Lake Joondalup, Perth, Western Australia, photo by JJ Harrison, 19 March 2012
White-necked Petrel (Pterodroma cervicalis), East of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia: photo by JJ Harrison, 4 February 2012
Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) in flight, East of the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia: photo by JJ Harrison, 4 February 2012
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Fallen heroes: Ten top fighters who died in the ring
By Paul Magno, Yahoo! Contributor Network
There's no sport more brutal or unforgiving than professional boxing. With approximately two thousand deaths directly attributed to in-ring battle since the adopting of the Marquis of Queensberry rules, boxing has established itself as the most dangerous sport in the world.
Here's a list of the 10 most recognizable fighters who literally gave the sport their all. Forgive any omissions and, please, feel free to honor other fallen heroes in the comment section of this article:
Benny "Kid" Paret (35-12-3, 10 KOs) (1937-1962)
Former world welterweight champ, Paret, lost his life in the third installment of his brutal trilogy with Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden. Paret's TKO 12 loss resulted in the Cuban star falling into a coma and dying 10 days later without ever regaining consciousness.
Davey Moore (59-7-1, 30 KOs) (1933-1963)
The former featherweight champ died from injuries sustained in a bout with "Sugar" Ramos in 1963 when his neck and brain stem suffered damage, hitting the bottom rope during a knockdown. The incident inspired the Bob Dylan song, "Who Killed Davey Moore?"
Johnny Owen (25-2-1, 11 KOs) (1956-1980)
Welshman Owen died after being knocked out by Lupe Pintor in a bid for Pintor's WBC bantamweight title. Owen would slip into a coma and eventually die from a respiratory infection related to his life support apparatus.
Deuk-Koo Kim (17-2-1, 8 KOs) (1959-1982)
South Korea's Kim lost his life after being stopped in the 14th round of a brutal war with Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini as he challenged for Mancini's WBA lightweight title. The nationally-televised death inspired the move to reduce the number of rounds in championship fights from 15 to 12.
Leavander Johnson (34-5-2, 26 KOs) (1969-2005)
Former lightweight champ, Johnson, would collapse in his dressing room following his TKO 11 loss to Jesus Chavez on HBO. He was placed into a medically-induced coma, but passed away five days later.
Jimmy Doyle (43-7-3, 14 KOs) (1924-1947)
Doyle lost his life in an attempt to take the world welterweight title from defending champ, "Sugar" Ray Robinson. A year prior to the TKO 8 loss to Robinson, Doyle had suffered head injuries against Artie Levine that were considered, "career threatening."
Yo-Sam Choi (32-5, 19 KOs) (1972-2008)
South Korea's Choi, a former world jr. flyweight champ who moved up to capture the WBO Inter-Continental flyweight title, died from injuries sustained in his successful title defense over Heri Amol. After the bout, Choi collapsed in the ring and was rushed to the hospital, never to regain consciousness. He was removed from life support eight days later.
Jimmy Garcia (35-5, 25 KOs) (1971-1995)
Two-time world title challenger, Garcia lost his life against defending super featherweight champion, Gabriel Ruelas, on the Oscar De la Hoya-Rafael Ruelas pay-per-view undercard. Garcia would collapse in his corner at the end of the 10th round and pass away from a brain injury 13 days later.
Pedro Alcazar (25-1-1, 14 KOs) (1975-2002)
Alcazar, a single parent of two, would collapse and pass away in his Las Vegas Hotel room 36 hours after his TKO 6 loss to Fernando Montiel in a failed bid to defend his WBO super flyweight title.
Willie Classen (16-7-2, 9 KOs) (1950-1979)
Former New York Golden Gloves winner, Classen, lost his life from a brain injury after a 10-round KO loss to top middleweight contender, Wilford Scypion at the Felt Forum in NY.
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Pelvic Floor - Mickie Elias
After childbirth, many women like Mickie develop pelvic floor discomfort along with stress incontinence. “When I worked out, it got much worse,” she said. “I put off surgery because it's just such a sensitive issue to talk about, but my surgeon made me feel so comfortable.” After a pelvic reconstruction at Summa Barberton Hospital, Mickie exercises and works on her feet every day without worry. “The staff was so kind and encouraging. It was the number one thing that got me through. It’s great to be back to normal!”
Did you know that one in three women suffers from a pelvic floor disorder such as urinary incontinence or pelvic prolapse? Summa Barberton Hospital specialists help women regain their freedom and quality of life through urogynecological and pelvic reconstructive surgery. Most of these surgeries are minimally invasive, with many performed on an outpatient basis.
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Michael F. Berry
B CUSP 117
Examines an important social issue such as ecology, art, political change, the power of media, educational reform, or the role of science in contemporary culture through interdisciplinary investigation and the lens of the visual, literary, and performing arts. Offered: W.
Music in Everyday life (Winter 2013): Scholars of music tend to focus on one of two broad areas: either close readings of musical works or studies of the cultures from which these works emerged. Both approaches “center” the musical object and relegate personal encounters with that work to the periphery. Few scholars have studied the ways in which communities and individuals use music in their daily lives. Through readings from the scholarly literature, discussion, and self reflection, this class will attempt to shed light on how music structures our lives and influences our behavior. Simultaneously, we will consider how our daily lives shape our understanding of music. We will consider topics such as workout music, elevator music and Muzak, music in retail establishments, iPod culture, ringtones, and general music listening habits. A semester-long journal project will provide students with an opportunity to study their own individual listening habits.
Student learning goals
1. Demonstrate a basic familiarity with musical terminology
2. Summarize the ways that members of other societies use music
3. Articulate the role of music in their daily lives
4. Critically assess the ways in which institutions use music to influence behavior
General method of instruction
The class will take the form of lecture and discussion.
NO reading knowledge of music or previous musical background is necessary.
Class assignments and grading
Assignments will include reading, participation in class discussion, a semester-long journal project, and a final research paper.
Grades will be assigned based on participation in class discussion, the journal project, and the final research paper.
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http://www.washington.edu/students/icd/B/bcusp/117mberry3.html
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- Available Now
June 7, 2008 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, California
Moonalice poster by David Singer
According to Moonalice legend, one of the tribe’s annual high holy days was called Burning Bud. It was a one-day event devoted to the building of a henge. The tribe was not very practical. It took them a while to figure out that you can’t build much of henge in one day.
The one-day limit led to much experimentation with building materials. They tried dirt. Then mud. They even tried water. They tried practically everything that was available. Then one day, someone decided to make a henge out of hemp.
They built the entire thing out of hemp and it was done in a day! It was huge!!! It smelled great!!! They wanted to call it Hemphenge. Then they set it on fire. They got really stoned. And a name came out of nowhere.
So began the festival of Burning Bud. With it began Fire Arts and people getting buzzed and running around naked in the desert. It is our understanding that some of these customs persist to the present day.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://moonaliceposters.com/2008/06/6-7-08-great-american-music-hall-san-francisco-ca-poster-by-david-singer/
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Meeting in the Middle
Because there wasn’t enough room for a conventional side-hinged door, the Mosleys installed a top-mounted, sliding one.
Master baths can sometimes be tricky to map out. Decisions must be made about where to put the water closet, tub, and sinks. And making the space bigger isn’t always the best solution. Even if there’s enough room to line up everything against the walls, what about the empty zone that inevitably occurs in the middle?
Staking Their Claim
Determined to give this proverbial no-man’s-land a purpose, Ben and Stacy Mosley configured their Nashville master bath based upon how they use the space. Instead of going the regular route of putting two his-and-hers sinks in a base cabinet, they created a central storage column with a sink on one side and a higher makeup countertop for Stacy on the other.
“Having just one sink is really not a problem; after all, how often do two people brush their teeth at exactly the same time?” says Ben. “Locating the prep and washup area in the middle enabled us to add extra storage cabinets.”
Like orbiting planets, the Mosleys’ shower, water closet, and tub hug the surrounding walls, giving the central column full walk-around space. With both the walls and the cabinetry sheathed in maple-veneer plywood, the bath possesses an open and streamlined appearance. Composed of both drawers and touch-latch doors, the cabinets keep toiletries, clothes hampers, and other necessities from collecting on the countertops and floor.
Another feature that helps to keep the circulation flowing is the barnlike door found at the bath entrance. Because a side-hinged version would have gotten in the way, Ben installed top-mounted gliders on the panel and hung it on a metal track. This idea is also a great solution when doors can’t recess into walls due to plumbing or other obstacles.
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<urn:uuid:30e02da0-3592-4d8a-8920-8e57ac143c7b>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/meeting-in-middle-00400000034165/
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“I wasted years because I didn’t think I fit into their conception of Islam or God. And I don’t. But God is greater than all that. There are as many ways to Him as there are people on the planet.” (Ayesha Mattu, “The Opening,” p. 54)
Edited by Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi, who also contribute with “The Opening” and “Last Night on the Island” respectively, Love InshAllah is a compilation of stories by American Muslim women, writing on the challenges of finding love within Muslim communities across the United States. These are personal and often candid accounts of Muslim women (gay and straight) engaged in romantic relationships whilst simultaneously reconciling their faith with modern dating rituals and practices. Themes covered in the stories include the role family and friends play in bringing couples together (or, for that matter, keeping them apart); coming-of-age anecdotes on dating and commiserations on “first times”; finding love the second (and third) time around; and finally discovering their significant other in the most unexpected of places, a common, reoccurring thread in all stories contained in the book.
Most stories have happy endings – they are personal accounts of how two people meet and, despite cultural and socio-economic odds and expectations, find themselves committed to each other. “Leap of Faith” exemplifies this, where a young couple agrees to marriage after having known each other for only a brief period. Similarly, “Otherwise Engaged” by Huda Al-Marashi is a story of young, Iraqi couple and briefly references the Sayed/non-Sayed marriage taboo which serves to highlight the complexities of finding a spouse, one that meets clan and caste specifications within Muslim culture. “It Will Be Beautiful” is about a Hindko/Pushto-speaking accountant, Yasmine Khan, who finds solace with Yasser, a divorcé with a young daughter.
Some stories are accounts of women marrying outside their respective ethnicities. In the case of Mattu’s “The Opening,” the story unfolds in a post 9-11 time-period. “Love in the Time of Biohazards” by Melody Moezzi tests the resolve and patience of a young couple surviving the author’s sickness. While all the stories in this book are exceptional and unique in their own way, the following quote from Moezzi’s chapter further echoes the “finding-love-through-God” element found in all the stories:
“I had seen God in everything there, the people I met, the lakes I swam in, the glaciers I slid down, the wildflowers I couldn’t pick, even the bears and moose that terrified me -and I had fallen in love with Him. . . [A]nd just as Northwestern Montana was in many ways the place that brought me to God, Mathew was the person” (p. 15).
Not all the stories have triumphant rom-com endings – many are simply accounts of how their faith helped them grow as individuals in their respectively relationships. “A Prayer Answered” follows the story of Tolu Adiba, a gay Muslimah who asks God for a “pious spouse”. Her prayers are answered with Hafsa, a fellow niqabi, and while the relationship does not last, the author is grateful for their time together. Suzanne Syeda Shah’s “Kala Love” is a brutally honest account of love and sex for an American Muslim of Bengali origin. She also makes references to the emotional abuse suffered for being “dark skinned”, hence the reference to “kala” or “black” in the title. Kala, unlike the word black, has far more a derogatory tone and if not spoken in the correct context can be considered offensive in parts of South Asia. I was particularly saddened while reading this account, for there is reference to a rape, what the writer considers “her only experience with sex” (p.254).
Premarital sex features in some of the stories, and while this may offend some readers, the authors’ stories – and more importantly their journey in love – are still immensely relevant. If there is one major underlying theme in all the stories, it is the relationship each woman has, sustained, or even gained with God, despite the personal challenge each faced in their tenuous relationships.
One of my favorites happens to be “Love in the Andes,” by Angela Collins Telles. I lived in Buenos Aires and visited Bariloche, and while my South American experience was amazing, it always felt so far from home. Other than a smattering of Muslims of Iranian origin, the Islamic community was small, which makes this story all the more magical. It truly does feel like God’s work to have brought two people together, in a bar no less, in Argentina.
The editors acknowledge the controversy surrounding the subtitle “The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women” (further exploited by the cover, depicting a negligee, lying on a mussed duvet) which may be construed as feeding into an “Orientalist fantasy of Muslim women.” They write that they had hoped to use this book to dispel American stereotypes of Muslim women in romantic relationships. They have succeeded in their goal, and I imagine that non-American Muslim women too can identify with these stories. Islam and its inherent role in culture influence Muslim communities around the world, whether in predominantly Muslim nations or countries with large Muslim populations. With exposure to education and an increasing sense of empowerment, Muslim women everywhere are learning to strike a fine balance between expected social customs and personal choices when it comes to the complexities of love and relationships. Their stories are powerful and relevant, and further demonstrate the full spectrum of experiences amongst Muslim women.
This post originally appeared in Patheos’ Muslimah Media Watch blog.
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<urn:uuid:dd8e4584-04c3-42f3-9206-f5bf26214493>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/altmuslim/2012/02/love-inshallah-explores-the-love-lives-of-american-muslim-women/
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en
| 0.956003
| 1,262
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sydbox is a ptrace-based sandbox implementation. It intercepts system calls, checks for allowed filesystem prefixes, and denies them when checks fail. It has basic support for disallowing network connections. It has basic support to sandbox execve calls. It is based in part on catbox and strace.
Pito is a set of C++0x header libraries to facilitate writing system call interceptor libraries based on LD_PRELOAD wrappers. The program "pito" is also provided for loading Unix commands with such wrappers. This system is capable of passing command line arguments to loaded plugins for easy configuration. Pito is supplied with a powerful system call sandbox library to prevent modifications to supplied filesystem locations and a system call logging library.
uevalrun is a self-contained computation sandbox for Linux, using User-mode Linux for both compilation and execution of the program to be sandboxed. The program can be written in C, C++, Python, Ruby, Perl, or PHP. uevanrun enforces memory limits, timeouts, and output size limits in the sandbox. The primary use case for uevalrun is evaluation of solution programs submitted by contestants of programming contests: uevalrun compiles the solution, runs it with the test input, compares its output against the expected output, and writes a status report.
Multi-Sandbox Lua Engine (MSLE) is a modified Lua interpreter which supports creation and maintenance of multiple "100% tight" sandboxes from within Lua. "100% tight" means that the amount of memory used by a sandbox (counting both code and data) is strictly limited, a feature Lua did not offer before.
FBAC-LSM is a security mechanism for Linux which retricts applications based on the features they provide, such as "Web Browser" or "Image Editor". By restricting the actions of applications, the damage which can be caused by malware or software vulnerabilities can be significantly reduced. Reusable policy abstractions, known as functionalities, can be used to grant the authority to perform high level features (for example using the Web_Browser functionality) or lower level features (such as using the HTTP_Client functionality) or to grant privileges to access any specified resources. Functionalities are parameterized, which allows them to be adapted to the needs of specific applications. Functionalities are also hierarchical; that is, functionalities can contain other functionalities.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://freecode.com/tags/sandbox?page=1&sort=popularity&with=&without=15210
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en
| 0.911486
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Description: This Pew Hispanic Center poll, released Sept. 18, 2008, was based on a bilingual telephone survey of 2,015 Hispanics age 18 and older. Interviews were conducted from June 9 through July 13, 2008.
This poll found that overall, on the question of, “Are you better off than you were last year?” half of Latinos would say “no.” Those born in other countries were even more likely to say that conditions of Latinos have deteriorated.
On the topic of presidential politics, those surveyed preferred Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., over Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., 66 percent to 23 percent. 55 percent of respondents said Obama is a better candidate for Hispanics, while 11 percent said the same of McCain.
About half, 49 percent, of respondents said the Democratic Party has more concern for Hispanics, while 7 percent said the same of the Republican Party. According to the survey, “Most of this gain for the Democrats comes from a reduction in the share of Latinos who say there is no difference between the parties.
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<urn:uuid:59519992-bdc5-455b-b8bd-563262af0676>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://americasvoiceonline.org/polls/2008_national_survey_of_latinos/
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.97584
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- Pat Hoddinott, senior clinical research fellow and general practitioner 1,
- David Tappin, clinical senior lecturer in child health2,
- Charlotte Wright, professor of community child health2
- 1Centre for Rural Health, University of Aberdeen, Inverness IV2 3BL
- 2Paediatric Epidemiology and Community Health Unit, Section of Child Health, University of Glasgow, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow G3 8SJ
- Correspondence to: P Hoddinott
- Accepted 10 March 2008
Clinicians know that breast feeding is crucial to infant health in developing countries, but they may be less aware of the potential longer term health benefits for mothers and babies in developed countries, particularly in relation to obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol, and cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breast feeding (breast milk only, with no water, other fluids, or solids) for six months, with supplemental breast feeding continuing for two years and beyond. Governments in the United Kingdom have adopted this recommendation, but it presents an enormous challenge for countries like the UK and the United States, where breast feeding rates have been low for decades and can seem remarkably resistant to change. In this review, we will focus mainly on developed countries, with reference to the global context. We will summarise the evidence for the beneficial effects of breastfeeding on health, discuss the epidemiology, and provide practical guidance for managing problems associated with breast feeding. We highlight new developments in infant growth charts and current controversies around HIV and donor breast milk.
Sources and selection criteria
We searched several databases—including Medline and Embase—using the keywords “breastfeeding”, “breast-feeding”, “breast feeding”, and “infant feeding”. We also searched Issue 4 2007 of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines, World Health Organization systematic reviews, Clinical Evidence, and personal reference archives.
How does breast milk differ from formula milk?
Formula milk is just a food, whereas breast milk is a complex living nutritional fluid that contains antibodies, enzymes, and hormones, all of which have health benefits. In addition, some methods of delivering formula milk expose the baby to serious risks of infection. Early intake of colostrum, which is rich in antibodies, is especially important in developing countries, and the small volume of colostrum helps to prevent renal overload when the newborn baby is adjusting …
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<urn:uuid:0e5c1401-a4fb-45af-80c6-e08ad44e69cf>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.bmj.com/content/336/7649/881
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.913879
| 516
| 2.640625
| 3
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Rescue crews in Brevard County had to use a ladder to reach a man who was stranded after a shark flipped over his kayak.
24-year-old Stamatis Stomouli was fishing at Sebastian Inlet Wednesday afternoon when he hooked a shark. He told rescuers the shark then flipped his kayak and put him in the water.
While in the water, the strong current threw the man onto rocks on the north side of the fishing pier.
When rescuers arrived, they had to use a 24-foot ladder to reach the stranded man. Crews then put the man in a basket and used a rope to slide him up the ladder to safety.
Rescuers told Florida Today they were prepared for this rescue after dealing with a similar rescue within the last six months. During the previous rescue, crews didn't bring a basket, making the rescue difficult.
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<urn:uuid:a6e907c0-fd8e-4262-b18f-3ef089e3ca26>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Man-rescued-after-shark-flips-kayak/-/1637132/17675836/-/xvdrrv/-/index.html
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.975486
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Before you ask... it's Greek. And, so is Johnson (via translation). It's a long story... Soterios Johnson seemed strangely drawn to the news, even as a young child.
Court Rules FDNY Unfair to Minority Firefighter Recruits
Thursday, July 23, 2009
New York, NY –
A US federal judge has ruled that the Fire Department of New York used recruitment exams that discriminated against blacks and Hispanics. The ruling is the result of a lawsuit filed against the city by a black firefighters' organization and the US Department of Justice.
It found the predominantly white FDNY discriminated against minority firefighter candidates in written exams given between 1999 and 2007.
Joining us now to discuss the ruling and what may be next is Richard Levy with the law firm Levy and Ratner. The firm represented the Vulcan Society a fraternal order of black firefighters, in the class action suit.
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<urn:uuid:5c6ebb39-2b34-4f88-8d69-b74dbff033f7>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2009/jul/23/court-rules-fdny-unfair-to-minority-firefighter-recruits/
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
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en
| 0.955239
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Business 101 suggests three strategies to strengthen future sales and profits. First, redefine the core business; in this case, shift from relying on tobacco and expand into a broader nicotine business. Second, acquire start-up companies developing leading-edge technologies that deliver nicotine in novel ways. And third, bring in new customers who will sustain the core business into the future.
In 2007, the seeds of these strategies were planted in the U.S. — not in tobacco fields but in high-tech labs. That season’s robust harvest featured electronic cigarettes, also called e-cigarettes or e-cigs. And the potentially addictive consumer habit propelling this market’s growth is called vaping.
Vaping is vernacular for “smoking” electronic cigarettes, a technology invented allegedly by a pharmacist in China that allows nicotine to be atomized and delivered through electrically powered pseudo-cigarettes. E-cigs produce no odor, and what appears to be smoke is actually vapor, thus “vaping.” Street argot for this 21st century technology includes “eGo,” “tailpiping,” “juice carto,” “throat hit,” and “dripping.”
On the one hand, electronic cigarettes can be construed as a blessing. E-cig smokers receive atomized nicotine mixed with compelling flavors called “smoke juice.” Imbibers don’t inhale roughly 70 known carcinogens associated with burning tobacco products. Their exhalations purportedly don’t disseminate harmful second-hand smoke.
Vaping provides an alternative habit for long-term cigarette smokers, helping reduce some of their risks for developing lung and heart diseases. Potential public health benefits are noteworthy and persuasive.
On the other hand, this new nicotine-delivery technology has foreboding implications, especially when coupled with sophisticated marketing techniques promoting vaping behavior via traditional media and online.
First introduced in Europe in 2006 and then in the U.S. in 2007, e-cigarettes heralded a significant alternative to traditional cigarettes, buttressed by claims that e-cigs reduce carcinogens and other toxicants to below harmful levels. The sales potential did not go unnoticed by the tobacco industry.
In April 2012, Lorillard, Inc., the third largest cigarette manufacturer in the U.S., purchased one of the niche brands called blu ECigs for $135 million. And that’s when the marketing game really changed. This was a watershed moment in the short timeline of e-cigs.
Manufacturer and marketer of stalwart cigarette brands such as Kent, Newport and True, Lorillard has amassed the resources and marketing sophistication that consumers associate with classic cigarette advertisers. And they’re applying these assets to their newest acquisition, blu.
Tobacco companies dominated advertising share-of-voice on television in 1969. But just before midnight on December 31, 1970, American television viewers witnessed the final national ad supporting nicotine-based, smoke-able products on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Nevertheless, in the fall of 2012, blu rolled out nationally with a black & white television spot featuring actor Stephen Dorff.
Known for his film roles such as the evil vampire Deacon Frost in the superhero horror movie, Blade, Dorff addresses television and online viewers with macho self-confidence as he defies forces that have limited his twenty-year smoking habit. Dorff pronounces, “We’re all adults here. It’s time we take our freedom back. Come on guys, rise from the ashes.”
Through Dorff’s forthright declarations, viewers might perceive other contextual messages. Blu seems to be appealing to iconoclastic young men since men tend to take up smoking in larger proportions than women. Vaping can be also about asserting independence, even defiance of conventional social standards, much like the movie and TV characters portrayed by Steve McQueen, the late Hollywood icon who promoted Viceroy cigarettes.
Lorillard may be resurrecting classic tobacco branding techniques by associating its blu brand with macho self-reliance and anti-authoritarianism, the DNA of emerging manhood, similar to some of the emotional triggers that so successfully hooked adult males on cigarettes in the 1950s through the 1970s.
Considering over 60 years of tobacco marketing history, especially tactics popular during the 1950s and 1960s, it seems reasonable now to wonder if the e-cig marketing focus might shift from current cigarette smokers to prospective vapers, from nicotine retention to trial, and from middle-age users to young adults, even teens. E-cig marketers appear to be embracing all the subliminal and obvious consumer associations between their new products and tobacco cigarettes — except unsavory association with cigarette smoking (as in producing carcinogenic smoke, second-hand smoke, anti-smoking).
Although industry proxies profess that their e-cig marketing targets only the 45 million active adult smokers through mass media advertising, marketers also know that two principles govern ad delivery in mass media. The target may indeed be adult smokers and ads have indeed been placed with age-appropriate programming; however, the broad reach of television and other mass media inevitably has significant spillover to nonsmokers and even teens under 18.
NJOY King, an aggressive competitor to blu, ran a national television ad during the 2013 Academy Awards program, reaching a potential cumulative viewing audience of 42.40 million, most certainly including significant numbers of pre-teen and teen viewers. In this television spot, a vigorous, unshaven man appears to smoke a traditional cigarette, from ash tip to filter. He exhales smoke with an expression of sublime pleasure. The pack looks like the real deal. The background sound bed comes from Foreigner’s 1977 debut song, “Feels Like the First Time.” (One can only wonder how many teen viewers considered an e-cig for the very first time.)
Why might reaching under-18 prospective customers be valuable, as closeted as this strategy might be? According to the Federal Food and Drug Administration and the American Cancer Society, 90 percent of today’s adult daily smokers had their first cigarette before age 18.
The Lorillard/Dorff television commercial reveals only one other color in its retro black & white ad: an eye-catching LED tip blazes with each puff of a blu e-cigarette. If that’s not enough to draw attention to a blu e-cigarette smoker, the pack logo also lights up, and the pack can vibrate when the user is near another blu smoker or product retailer.
This innovative “social feature” arguably could engage a “tribe effect,” wherein users can discover each other in nightclubs and entertainment venues. This social stimulator could be appealing to young people inherently searching for new peer relationships and social identity — “an exciting way to break the ice,” claims an online blu instructional video.
Then there are the exotic vapor flavors. Two currently available flavors evoke traditional cigarettes: Classic Tobacco and Menthol. But flavor formulators have also conceived — and sell direct-to-consumers via online shopping — alluring flavors such as Java Jolt, Cherry Crush, Vivid Vanilla, Peach Schnapps, and Piña Colada.
To some imbibers these devices must look much cooler than their smoky, ashy cousins. And vaping should be happening more ubiquitously going forward. Under current laws, e-cig smokers can legally vape at basketball games, inside government buildings, at stadiums, and within nightclubs.
E-cigarettes could provide a revolutionary and currently legal pathway to hook today’s youngest generations on nicotine, rated by some experts as the most difficult-to-quit addictive substance of all, exceeding heroin and cocaine for the attributes of dependency.
Public policy experts presently don’t know if an emerging vaper tribe effect, coupled with the powerful allure of nicotine addiction, might engender a wholly congregated, self-perpetuating sub-culture that dramatically elevates current nicotine/smoking/vaping percentages among Millennials and younger cohorts.Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, echoes growing concerns about e-cig marketing:
“A (recent) study published by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a significant increase in awareness and use of electronic cigarettes, which are not currently regulated by any government agency to protect public health. Manufacturers have exploited this regulatory loophole to aggressively market e-cigarettes, often with claims that they can help smokers quit or that they are a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes. Due to the lack of regulation, no one knows how much nicotine and other substances are in the different e-cigarettes, and manufacturers have not had to provide any scientific evidence to support their claims or to comply with public health regulations intended to protect consumers from deceptive claims.”Unfettered e-cigarette marketers and their glowing LED lights might not have a huge problem with making e-cigarettes a raging success among young people. UBS projects that e-cig sales -- which have doubled annually since 2008 -- will reach $1 billion in 2013.
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Breathable Foods Inc.
Each plastic canister of AeroShot contains 100 milligrams of caffeine powder, about the amount in a large cup of coffee.
Move over, coffee and Red Bull.
A Harvard professor thinks the next big thing will be people inhaling their caffeine from a lipstick-sized tube.
AeroShot is available for sale on its website. It went on the market last month in Massachusetts and New York and is also available in France.
Each plastic canister contains 100 milligrams of caffeine powder, about the amount in a large cup of coffee. A single unit costs $2.99 at the online store.
Breathable Foods Inc. said AeroShot is puffed into the mouth -- not the lungs. The blend of caffeine and B vitamins is a fine powder that dissolves in the mouth, the company said.
Critics say the product is not without its risks.
But professor David Edwards says AeroShot is safe and doesn't contain additives used to amplify the caffeine effect in common energy drinks.
However, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer wants the Food and Drug Administration to review AeroShot. He said he fears it will be used as a club drug so that young people can drink until they drop.
An FDA spokeswoman declined to comment.
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Looking beyond the bottom line
TNT has allocated $12.8 million to World Food Programme projects this year.
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ON CNNI TV
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(CNN) -- Most large companies claim that making the world a better place is one of their key goals.
Yet while all managers would recognize the PR potential of the occasional charitable donation, it's feeding the bottom line that counts.
But when Peter Bakker, the CEO of European logistics company TNT, decided he wanted to do something to tackle world hunger, he quickly discovered that having a social conscience had business benefits of its own.
Bakker was on a long-haul flight between Amsterdam and Sydney when a magazine article challenged him to make the world a better place.
"I banged out a few ideas when I landed in Singapore, I sent emails to about 10 people sharing my ideas and when I got to Sydney eight hours later they had all reacted and all very favorably," recalled Bakker.
"The idea was very simple: Can this company -- the best logistics company in the world -- do something to distribute health and wealth?"
In December 2002, TNT's parent company TPG set about testing that idea when it launched a partnership with the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP), the world's largest humanitarian aid agency.
But before the final decision was made, Bakker presented employees with a choice. TNT would either sponsor hunger relief or enter the glamorous world of Formula One motor racing sponsorship. At a series of meetings around the world, staff and shareholders backed the former.
"Companies cannot solve worlds problems all on their own, that's not what we are trying to do with our partnership with WFP," said Bakker.
"We are trying to use our skills our people sometimes our planes or our systems to try and help WFP fight hunger in a better way. That's what this partnership is all about."
In 2003, TPG provided five million euros ($6.4 million) of cash, services and assets, working alongside WFP staff to enhance their logistics capacity, fundraising and accountability. This year TPG has committed a further 10 million euros ($12.8 million) to the partnership.
TNT also enabled volunteers from within its staff to take part in relief work, reporting back to their colleagues on their experiences.
In supporting the partnership, staff also showed support with their feet, by taking part in the company's "Walk the World" event. More than 40,000 people participated in 200 locations across 70 countries, raising more than one million euros ($1.3 million) for the WFP in addition to TPG's contribution.
Peter Bakke believes TNT's costs in setting up the partnership are more than repaid by the benefits delivered by staff through pride in their company.
"If you look at what makes a service company successful it is two things; how it satisfies its customers and how you motivate people to do that. So if we find ways to make our people a little more proud to work for TNT then they will do a little better job, and they will make customers a little more happy and that will make our business big. That is the simple philosophy behind it all.
"It's no longer good enough to focus on the best profits or the highest markets or whatever old fashioned matrix there are. They are important, but next to that you've got to be a social leader.
"In the beginning people looked at us rather skeptically, but, now people are beginning to see our success, I am convinced that more boardrooms will ask themselves, 'what is it that we can do?' I'm convinced those companies will find their own examples of where they can help."
-- CNN's Neil Curry contributed to this report.
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If Buonomano turns out to be right, he will have explained only our fastest time telling, because after half a second, the brain’s ripples dissipate. On the scale of seconds to hours, the brain must use some other strategy. Warren Meck of Duke University argues that the brain measures long stretches of time by producing pulses. But the brain does not then count the pulses in the way a clock does. Instead, Meck suspects, it does something more elegant. It listens to the pulses as if they were music.
Meck first began to develop his musical model when he discovered how to rob rats of their perception of time. He had only to destroy certain clumps of neurons deep inside the brain. Some of these neurons, known as medium spiny neurons, are unlike any other neurons in the brain. Each one is linked to as many as 30,000 other neurons. And those linked neurons can be found throughout the cortex, the outer rind of the brain that handles much of the brain’s most sophisticated information processing. Certain neurons come from regions that handle vision, others from areas that apply rules to what we perceive, and so on. By receiving so many signals from all over the brain, Meck believes, the medium spiny neurons give us a sense of time.
Imagine you are listening to a 10-second tone. At the beginning of the tone, neurons around your cortex reset themselves, so that they all begin to fire in sync. But some fire faster than others, and so at any moment some are active and some are quiet. From one moment to the next, a medium spiny neuron receives a unique pattern of signals from the neurons that link to it. The pattern changes like chords on a piano. When the 10 seconds are over, the medium spiny neuron can simply “listen” to the chord to tell how much time has passed.
Meck has found support for his model by recording the electrical activities of neurons and in other researchers’ studies on people with a skewed sense of time. Certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, control pulsing neurons. Drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine alter the brain by flooding it with dopamine, and studies have shown that they also change the second-to-second perception of time. In one experiment at UCLA, reported in 2007, scientists rang a bell after 53 seconds of silence. Healthy people estimated on average that 67 seconds had passed. Stimulant addicts guessed 91 seconds. Other drugs have the opposite effect on dopamine and compress the subjective experience of time.
In real time
Even in a healthy brain, time is elastic. Staring at an angry face for five seconds feels longer than staring at a neutral one. It may be no coincidence that the pulse-generating neurons are directly wired into regions of the brain that handle emotionally charged sights and sounds. And recent experiments by Amelia Hunt at Harvard University hint that we may actually backdate our mental time line every time we move our eyes.
Recently, Hunt had people stare straight ahead with a ticking clock off to one side. She asked people to move their eyes over to the clock and make a note of the time when they had done so. On average, they reported seeing the clock about four hundredths of a second before their eyes actually arrived there.
Moving time backward may actually serve us well, by letting us cope with an imperfect nervous system. Each of our retinas has a small patch of densely packed, light-sensitive cells called the fovea. In order to get a detailed picture of our surroundings, we have to jerk our eyes around several times a second so that the fovea can scan them. On its own, this stream of signals from our eyes would produce a jarring series of jump cuts. Our brains manufacture the illusion of a seamless flow of reality. In the course of that editing, we may need to fudge the time line—both in anticipation of an event and after the fact.
But the most radical reworking of time may come as we inscribe it in our memories. We recall not just what happened but when. We can recall how much time has passed since an event occurred by tapping into our memories. Injuries and surgeries that destroy a particular part of the brain can give some hints about how the brain records time in memory. French scientists in 2007 reported their study of a group of patients who had suffered damage to a region known as the left temporal lobe. The patients watched a documentary, and a familiar object appeared on the screen, then reappeared a few minutes later. The patients had to guess how much time had passed. On average, the patients thought an 8-minute period was roughly 13. (Normal subjects were off by only about a minute.)
These experiments are helping scientists zero in on the regions of the brain that store memories of time. Exactly how those regions record time is still mysterious. It’s one thing to listen in on the brain’s music, recognizing chords that mark the passage of five minutes. But how do the brain’s memory-related neurons then archive those five minutes so that they can be recalled later?
At Humboldt University of Berlin in Germany, scientists have been building a model of how memory may store time. When neurons produce a regular cycle of signals, some signals come a little sooner and some come a little later. The researchers propose that as neurons pass these signals along, they can add tiny advances, some bigger than others. With these tiny wobbles, the brain can compress memories of time from several seconds down to hundredths of a second—a small enough package to store for later retrieval.
As it stores time in memories, the brain may alter it in another way that is even more radical. It may record time so that our brains recall events in backward order. Scientists at MIT discovered reverse memories in an experiment on rats. They had rats run down a track and then stop to eat food at the end. When rats (and humans) become more familiar with a place, individual neurons start becoming active when the rats reach particular spots. The scientists identified “place cells” that fired when the rats moved to different spots along the track. When the rats stopped to eat, the scientists eavesdropped on their brains again. They heard the place neurons fire again—probably as the memories of the track were becoming stronger in the rat brain. But the place neurons at the end of the track fired first, and the ones at the beginning of the track fired last. It’s possible that we reverse time in our memories in order to focus our brains on goals (for the MIT rats, the goal was the food at the end of the track).
We are not free from time, in other words, but we are not its slaves. We stretch and twist it to serve our own needs. Time, in other words, is just a tool.
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The EU has issued a Directive and the government has made a law via the Information Commissioners Office concerning cookies and your ability to decide whether you accept one or not.
What the Government and the EU have failed to acknowledge is that you already have the ability to control cookies and these controls can be found in the Options folder of your favourite browser.
Internet Explorer – go to Tools, Internet Options and the Browsing History Section. Checking the box will mean that all your browsing history will be deleted each time you end a browsing session. Clicking on the Settings button gives you more options.
Firefox – go to Options/Options and you’ll see that (as usual) Firefox gives you more control of cookies and your browsing history than Internet Explorer.
Chrome – go to Tools/Options and click on Under the Bonnet and then Content Settings to manage cookies.
Safari – go to Tools/Preferences and click on the Security tab to set your cookie preferences.
Opera – go to Settings/Preferences and then click on the Advanced tab.
Be aware that if you make certain settings in some browsers you will be prompted to accept a cookie each time you visit a website. If you don’t want this the best option is to delete cookies when you close your browser.
You don’t have to use Internet Explorer as your browser, Firefox and Chrome are both better although Chrome cannot handle some SaaS applications. Downloading and installing an alternative browser is easy, will give you more control of what’s stored on your computer and a better user experience.
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New Video // 2003 // 87 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge Lacey Worrell (Retired) // February 15th, 2005
"Safe at last from physical danger and hunger, a world away from home, [Peter] and [Santino] find themselves confronted with the abundance and alienation of contemporary American suburbia."
This unflinching look at the immigrant experience in America is given a unique twist as it follows two young men who survived genocide in their native land, where young boys are forced to form surrogate families in order to survive refugee camps and then, if they are chosen for it, life in America -- which, as this documentary unflinchingly points out, is not always the fairy tale it is made out to be.
Peter Kon Dut and Santino Majok Chuor lost their parents in the bloody, catastrophic civil war that occurred in the Sudan in the mid-1990s. After barely escaping with their lives and spending years in a refugee camp, each is granted asylum by the United States and is relocated to low-income housing in Houston, Texas. Once in the land of opportunity, both find that while there is great pride to be found in making enough money to pay rent, afford automobiles, and send money back home, the jobs they work at are menial and the opportunity for education is not what they thought it would be. In a successful bid to earn an education, Peter even relocates to Olathe, Kansas, where smack in the middle of the Bible Belt he finds well-meaning new friends who, while sympathetic to his plight, have no possible way to understand the many lives he has lived in less than two decades on earth. Lost Boys of Sudan follows the two young men as they determinedly make their way in a foreign land with only their fellow refugees for emotional support.
What makes this documentary so moving and effective is its avoidance of the usual voiceovers; instead, Peter and Santino tell their story, which is often subtitled to compensate for their accents. If this had been a Hollywood retelling of their story, all the usual clichés would be present: mean-spirited, prejudiced classmates who end up clapping spontaneously as the boys beat all the odds, villainous teachers who attempt to block the boys' attempts at an education. Because this is real life, however, it contains the giddy highs and excruciating lows one might expect. Peter and Santino, by the very nature of their circumstances, have suffered far more than most, but past suffering is no buffer or guarantee against present and future difficulties. They handle these with good-natured, if at times confused, grace, and their sheer determination to beat the odds is far more inspiring than anything a screenwriter could put down on paper.
The protagonists' expectations of the fairy-tale America are akin to those of a bride who prepared for marriage by reading wedding magazines; on paper it sounds romantic and wonderful, but the reality, while not always a negative experience, is far different. They are the pioneers; no one has come before them to show them the ropes. In many instances, they must find their own way.
The culture shock is at times overwhelming; the Lost Boys must be taught how to use an electric stove, having never seen one before. Imagine it. Something most or all of us grew up with, as much a part of the architecture of our homes as the roof or the kitchen floor, is as foreign to these young men as cooking over an open flame three times a day would be for those who come from Western society.
Viewing the United States -- especially what is considered rural, wholesome America -- through the eyes of outsiders who remain on the outside for the duration of the documentary is an unsettling but highly enlightening experience. At times, Peter's and Santino's attempts to fit in while at the same time honoring their own culture are heartbreaking. They feel isolated not only from whites but from American blacks as well. Their skin is darker, their accents are different, their customs are foreign. Peter must balance the difficulty of living a solitary life in Kansas while working, going to school, and managing requests for money from his sister back home who has no way of understanding how challenging life in America is for him. Most of the time he does this without complaint, just with a grim acceptance that this is a means to an end. Peter's and Santino's frustration stems from the fact that receiving their education is not necessarily a given, and they must fight to get it. The fact that they do fight, and refuse to just settle for the menial jobs they work, gives this documentary heart and spirit.
Be sure to catch the 15-minute interview with the filmmakers, who offer a great deal of perspective on the filming process in addition to behind-the-scenes details on how Peter and Santino were selected, as well as the emotional difficulty of filming the young men's tribulations. It would have been nice to know more about Peter's and Santino's lives before they came to the United States, but a 90-minute documentary can only cover so much territory. The where-are-they-now updates are helpful, however. It should also be noted that children as young as 11 or 12 years old will be able to appreciate the content of this documentary, and viewing it as a family may spark some interesting discussions.
After experiencing this documentary, you may well want to ask yourself if, after losing everything and everyone in the world, you would be able to move to a foreign land, assimilate to the language and customs, and create a successful life.
Lost Boys of Sudan is one of those rare films you will think about long after its conclusion; make it the next film you see. And tell some friends about it while you're at it.
Review content copyright © 2005 Lacey Worrell; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2013 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Studio: New Video
* Full Frame
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English, with Arabic, Dinka, and Swahili)
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Release Year: 2003
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
* Filmmaker Commentary
* Filmmaker Interviews
* Deleted Scenes
* "Where Are They Now?" Updates
* Filmmaker Biographies
* Official Site
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By Stephanie Ila Silver-Silberstein
Young or old, if you love musical theater, New York City is certainly the place to be. And just a few blocks south of Times Square, TADA! Youth Theater has been providing high-quality musical theater productions performed by talented kids for family audiences for 25 years. TADA! provides a safe, creative and nurturing place where kids can harness their inherent energy, build their self-assurance and realize their true potential through the unique collaborative art form that is musical theater.
This month, the whole family can enjoy TADA’s latest production, “Rabbit Sense”. Based on the tales of Uncle Remus, “Rabbit Sense” tells the story of Kris, a bullied youngster who is in need of a friend. Brer Rabbit and a host of other fable characters take Kris on a journey and show him that by using some ‘rabbit sense,’ even the smallest creatures can outsmart the biggest beasts. This New Orleans-inspired musical theater production is not only entertaining but educational as well. After the 4pm show on February 6th, there will be a panel discussion about the show’s theme of bullying. The panel will feature both specialists and kids speaking about their experiences.
This Drama Desk Award-winning theater for youth makes theater accessible through classes, school residencies and a free youth development program for the most talented kids in the area. Through TADAs high-quality work, young people gain confidence and learn commitment, responsibility, communication and teamwork skills that are critical to their success both in school and in life. To purchase tickets to “Rabbit Sense” and to learn more about TADA’s exciting season and theater programming, visit http://www.tadatheater.com.
Rabbit Sense, with book by Davidson Lloyd, music by John Kroner, lyrics by Gary Gardner, directed and choreographed by Joanna Greer, Jim Colleran as Musical Director, Set and Lighting Design by Steve O’Shea, and Costumes by Virginia Monte.
Performances begin on January 21st and will run through February 20th, 2011
15 West 28 Street
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PhD Dissertation Is a Serious Piece of Writing that Needs a Great Effort
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WILLMAR -- Partnerships with other organizations have helped the Willmar Community Education and Recreation Department expand its reach in the community.
The department would not be able to offer all that it does without collaborating with other groups, Director Steve Brisendine told the Willmar School Board in his annual report last week.
Willmar Community Education and Recreation is a joint operation between the Willmar School District and the city of Willmar with an annual budget of more than $2 million.
The department's many programs regularly work with community groups to help deliver services, he said.
"Every chance we get to partner, we'll do it," Brisendine said.
He listed a number of the partners the department has, including area school districts and Ridgewater College in the case of Adult Basic Education.
Early Childhood Family Programming works with a number of government and nonprofit organizations, including United Way of West Central Minnesota. The program works with WRAC8 public access cable and Encyclopedia Britannica to develop a children's program, "Ben and Bella Read Along."
Youth Recreation works with local associations in basketball, swimming, base-ball/softball, wrestling, football, track and hockey.
Brisendine reported heavy use of the community's athletic and recreation facilities as well. The city auditorium, for example, is booked from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night, all year long, he said.
The community has enough baseball fields to handle all activities, but "some need some TLC," he said, and there's still work to do on scheduling.
Brisendine said the department also couldn't operate without the support of the school district and the city.
The past year was a busy one for the department, he said. The biggest event was a move from Washington Learning Center on Willmar Avenue to the larger Jefferson Learning Center on Kandiyohi Avenue. The Washington building was closed and put up for sale.
"Jefferson has been a good location for us," Brisendine said. "We are using the space tremendously."
Adult Basic Education was able to expand and use more classrooms than at Washington. In the past, 40 to 45 students would be considered a busy day, he said, and now the program regularly has 70 or more in a day.
The addition of the Child Guide Program to Willmar Community Education and Recreation has been a good fit, too, Brisendine said.
The guides, who work with children in the elementary and middle schools, have been able to give the department more understanding of the types of programs younger children need, he said.
The guides have had enough financial support from the community to keep the program funded into the next school year.
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Rising Out Of The Shadows (ROOTS) has two primary programs: Friday Feast and the Young Adult Shelter.
University Temple United Methodist Church incorporated ROOTS as a 501(c)(3) in August 2000. University Temple created this organization in order to support and expand its local mission programs serving homeless and street involved youth and young adults. In April 2002, Shalom Zone amended its By Laws and expanded its Board of Directors in order to transition from a church-based organization to a community-based organization founded in faith.
ROOTS is committed to serving persons in the University District who lack the essentials of food, shelter and clothing, with a focus on homeless and street-involved young adults (ages 18-25). As the University District's newest nonprofit organization, ROOTS has brought together a unique and wide-ranging set of players in the University District including the business community, the University and advocacy groups as well as service providers to support existing critical services. ROOTS currently oversees the University Temple Young Adult Shelter, the only shelter program in King County dedicated to providing for the unique needs of homeless and street-involved young adults (18 –25 years of age). In addition, ROOTS sponsors Friday Feast, a community feeding program that has repeatedly received top honors from Real Change. Presently, primary funding for ROOTS comes from City of Seattle Human Services Department and University Temple United Methodist Church.
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Bee pollen is well known as a potent aphrodisiac with fertility-improving properties. Pollen can reduce prostate problems in men as it rejuvenates sexual organs due to it's content of seminal substances. Additionally, it may increase hormone levels and sexual strength. Raw, organic honey is helpful in treating impotence in men and problems related to infertility in women.
The young flesh of the coconut (spoon-meat) is the best builder of male sexual fluids of any food. In the Ayurvedic understanding, it takes thirty-five days to refine food all the way from its basic state when you first chew it up, through all the seven different levels of transformations, until it reaches its final stage, which is your reproductive fluid. Coconut spoon-meat can get there in one day! In women, the young spoon-meat can be instantly developed into breast milk. Coconut and coconut products in general are valuable foods for pregnancy, post-pregnancy recovery, and breast feeding.
Honey Bee Fertile Smoothie
- 1 1/4 cup organic coconut water
- 1 serving Body Ecology frozen coconut meat
- 1 tbs organic bee pollen
- 1 tsp raw organic honey
A word on nonorganic and non-wild honeys and pollens
It's important to be aware that the bees from which nonorganic and non-wild honeys and pollens are collected are often inhumanely treated by corporate honeymakers. This can include feeding the bees high fructose corn syrup (rather than leaving them a portion of their own honey to consume), smoking out the hives and spraying toxic nicotine-based pesticides on the plants and trees from which the bees gather pollen. It is important to support those beekeepers that interact with their bees kindly and lovingly by using only organic methods of beekeeping.
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1999-07 Mary Gray and Eleanor Marx [Buick]
From the Socialist Standard, July 1999.
A number of papers of Mary Gray (1854-1941), an active member of the Social Democratic Federation before the First World War, have been donated to us. They contain some interesting material, including two previously unpublished letters from Marx’s daughter Eleanor.
The SDF had been founded in 1881, mainly on the initiative of H. M. Hyndman, as the Democratic Federation, a federation of London Radical (i.e. leftwing Liberal) clubs. In 1883 it proclaimed Socialism as its aim and changed its name to Social Democratic Federation. However, it kept its programme of "advanced" reforms to be achieved within capitalism, or what its 1892 Programme and Rules (which are amongst these papers) described as "measures called for to palliate the evils of our existing society". In 1884, over this issue of retaining a reform programme as well as over the authoritarian behaviour of Hyndman, part of the membership (including William Morris) broke away to form the Socialist League. However, the SDF survived, and was always the bigger organisation.
After the demise of the Socialist League following its take-over by bomb-throwing anarchists, the SDF was the only organisation in Britain propagating the ideas of Marxian Socialism. Most of the early members of the SPGB had been members of the SDF, the Socialist Party being a breakaway from the SDF in 1904 for the same reasons that had led to the SL breakaway 20 years earlier.
Mary Gray joined the SDF in 1890. She had been born Mary Rogers near Wokingham in Berkshire, the daughter of a baker, in January 1854; in 1876 she married Willie Gray, a stonemason, and lived in Reading where their daughter, Florence, was born in 1879. Later the family moved to Battersea in London.
Mary Gray became a very active member of the SDF. In 1895 she stood as an SDF candidate, and was elected, as a member of the Battersea Board of Poor Law Guardians. She was a speaker and lecturer for them, and not just in London. Amongst the papers is a handbill advertising two meetings by her in Coventry in November 1896, one on "Socialism, The Only Hope of the Worker" and the other on "The Economic Position of Women". There is also a press cutting from an Ilkeston paper of an outdoor meeting she addressed in the market square there in July 1897 on "Society As It Is". For a time she was on the Executive Committee of the SDF.
As the title of the second lecture in Coventry shows, Mary Gray was interested in what was then called "The Woman Question", not just votes for women but also the economic position of women generally under capitalism. She was on friendly terms with two other prominent women members of the SDF, Marx’s daughter Eleanor and Edith Lanchester.
Eleanor Marx lived with fellow Socialist Edward Aveling without getting formally married. This was a daring thing to do in the 1890s as Edith Lanchester found to her cost. A schoolteacher who at the time lodged with Mary Gray, she stood as SDF candidate in West Lambeth for the London School Board elections in 1894. The next year, when she decided to follow Eleanor Marx’s example and live with a man without getting married, her family found a doctor to certify her and she was locked up in a private mental asylum. As a result of the outcry and campaigning that followed she was released after three days. Various items in connection with this campaign are included in the papers.
The papers also contain two letters from Eleanor Marx, or Eleanor Marx Aveling as she called herself. Eleanor Marx was not simply Karl Marx’s daughter but an active Socialist in her own right. She had been amongst those who had left the SDF in 1884 to found the Socialist League but had resigned a few years later because she disagreed with the anti-parliamentary position it eventually took up. She rejoined the SDF in 1896 and was a frequent attender at the classes at the SDF offices at 337 The Strand, where Aveling lectured on economics.
Eleanor Marx’s letters to Mary Gray are not political but we reproduce them as they have not been published before. The first, dated 25 September 1896, is a short note which reads:
Dear Mrs Gray,
As you cant come Wedy you + Florrie must fix some other day. But try & come tomorrow night to 337. First because of classes, but also to fix up an evening to come here.
Eleanor Marx Aveling.
Florrie was Mary Gray’s daughter, who was then aged 17, and "here" was The Den, Jews Walk, Sydenham, London, where Eleanor Marx and Edward Aveling lived.
The second letter, dated 24 January 1898, is longer:
My dear Mrs Gray,
I had a letter from Edith on Saturday — + if you have any news of her please let me know. I’ve written to Sullivan to ask if I cd see Edith. Is n’t her boy lovely? I am quite in love with this delightful little man.
I shd have been to see you — but as you know, Edward has been dangerously ill. He is now at Hastings, but though the lung trouble seems better, it seems certain that he must soon — in a week or so — undergo a most dangerous operation for the abcess he has so long suffered from. The operation is so serious that there is the utmost danger. But without operation there seems no hope at all.
So you will see, dear Mrs Gray, that I have very great trouble. Of course, I have not said anything to Edith in my letter of this — it wd be unwise for her, but I tell you, as I am so sure of your kindly sympathy.
Hearty greeting to Mr Gray + Florrie + you, + a big kiss to the sweet little man.
Eleanor Marx Aveling.
"Edith" is Edith Lanchester and "Sullivan" is James Sullivan, the man she lived with and the father of the baby boy mentioned in the letter. What is poignant about this letter is that within two months Eleanor Marx was dead. While he was on the South Coast, Aveling—who had never been highly regarded in the Socialist movement for his personal integrity—married an actress he knew. Eleanor felt she had no alternative but to commit suicide, at the age of 41. Those who believe in some form of immanent justice will be reinforced in their belief by the fact that Aveling did not survive the year.
Mary Gray is credited with founding the first Socialist Sunday School, in Battersea in 1892. Battersea happened to be one of the SDF branches which contained many of the founding members of the SPGB—the protest meeting which eventually led on the founding of the Socialist Party was held in Battersea Town Hall—and it is interesting to note that the Battersea branch of the SPGB continued the Socialist Sunday School tradition, a report from the branch in the Socialist Standard for November 1904 reading: "A Sunday School class for the children is held every Sunday afternoon, and is well attended, and after the school a communal tea is provided to which all comrades are most heartily invited".
There existed a Socialist Sunday School Union, organised from Glasgow, though it seems to have been more of an ILP rather than an SDF movement, using progressive teaching methods and preaching a kind of "ethical socialism" but which was still recognisably socialist in general terms. For instance, a handbook published in 1923 which is amongst Mary Gray’s papers gave two definitions of socialism, one of which was:
Socialism is the co-operative ownership and control of the vital industries (connected with food, clothing, housing, transport, etc) and the means of education by all the adults of a national community, and it implies the abolition of rent, interest, profit and the wages system.
Also, a model lesson on "Money" ends as follows:
When the fields and factories, the trams and the houses, and all the material wealth of the world shall belong to all the people, and shall be used for the happiness and welfare of the people, no money will then be needed nor any millionaires.
At least this shows that socialism, as we have always defined it, is not our own invention but was once the more or less widely accepted definition.
Mary Gray was well-entrenched on the reformist wing of the SDF and wouldn’t have had any sympathy whatsoever for those who broke away from the SDF to set up the SPGB. The papers include a poem she wrote in 1903 on the first birthday of her grand-daughter which contains twelve excruciating lines describing an SDF meeting held to celebrate Hyndman’s recovery from an illness at which "the cheers that went up showed the love and reverence" of "his comrades and friends".
The papers have nothing on her political views after 1903 but she remained in Battersea until at least 1935 before moving to Hampshire and then Wiltshire. She died in 1941.
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Things may go smoothly during your early riding instruction. You’re thrilled at what fun it is to learn horseback riding and can’t wait until your next lesson.
Then you move onto a new movement and – for some inexplicable reason – you can’t master it and frustration sets in.
Get in the Right Mind Set
Think like professional riders when they hit a problem: be confident that this is a temporary setback.
Learning riding is a long-term, gradual process for everyone. Don’t expect progress during every single lesson: a lot of saddle-time is consolidating what you already know and making it part of your muscle memory.
When your body automatically does the right things, you’re ready to move onto another phase. This doesn’t mean you’ll immediately be good at it. You may even find that some things you did correctly you now do worse.
Ride a Different Horse
Take some riding instruction on an easier horse, if you can. He’ll give back your confidence as a rider when you manage to perform your ‘problem’ movement on him, making you more relaxed and ready to return to your original horse.
Put Another Rider on Your Horse
If this isn’t practical, get an experienced rider to sit on your horse. Often another rider – who doesn’t have a ‘beef’ with this mount – can calmly assess what the issues are. Is the horse being uncooperative, or should the rider do something differently?
We often get into a riding rut without realizing it, and our horses become very good at ‘pressing our buttons’ the same way children do. A fresh rider can quickly correct this, because he or she is not used to the horse.
Remember: It’s Supposed to be Fun!
Spend some ‘down’ time with your horse and re-establish good relations. This will make you want to work harder and advance with your riding.
Take your horse on trail rides, preferably with an experienced riding friend. Go on quiet jaunts and talk about anything other than riding. You and your horse will have a rest from infuriating each other and bring the fun back.
Talk to other riders – the confident ones will admit to having had problem phases and be happy to help you through your bad patch. (Ignore anyone who tries to make you feel bad – they’re the ones with the problem, not you.)
Once you get through this tough phase, you’ll be in a much stronger position to deal with future issues and put them where they belong – behind you.
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Rule 3.8 Special Responsibilities Of A Prosecutor
The prosecutor in a criminal case shall:
(a) refrain from prosecuting a charge that the prosecutor knows is not supported by probable cause;
(b) make reasonable efforts to assure that the accused has been advised of the right to, and the procedure for obtaining, counsel and has been given reasonable opportunity to obtain counsel;
(c) not seek to obtain from an unrepresented accused a waiver of important pretrial rights, such as the right to a preliminary hearing;
(d) make timely disclosure to the defense of all evidence or information known to the prosecutor that tends to negate the guilt of the accused or mitigates the offense, and, in connection with sentencing, disclose to the defense and to the tribunal all unprivileged mitigating information known to the prosecutor, except when the prosecutor is relieved of this responsibility by a protective order of the tribunal;
(e) not subpoena a lawyer in a grand jury or other criminal proceeding to present evidence about a past or present client unless the prosecutor reasonably believes:
(1) the information sought is not protected from disclosure by any applicable privilege;
(2) the evidence sought is essential to the successful completion of an ongoing investigation or prosecution; and
(3) there is no other feasible alternative to obtain the information;
(f) except for statements that are necessary to inform the public of the nature and extent of the prosecutor's action and that serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose, refrain from making extrajudicial comments that have a substantial likelihood of heightening public condemnation of the accused and exercise reasonable care to prevent investigators, law enforcement personnel, employees or other persons assisting or associated with the prosecutor in a criminal case from making an extrajudicial statement that the prosecutor would be prohibited from making under Rule 3.6 or this Rule.
(g) When a prosecutor knows of new, credible and material evidence creating a reasonable likelihood that a convicted defendant did not commit an offense of which the defendant was convicted, the prosecutor shall:
(1) promptly disclose that evidence to an appropriate court or authority, and
(2) if the conviction was obtained in the prosecutor’s jurisdiction,
(i) promptly disclose that evidence to the defendant unless a court authorizes delay, and
(ii) undertake further investigation, or make reasonable efforts to cause an investigation, to determine whether the defendant was convicted of an offense that the defendant did not commit.
(h) When a prosecutor knows of clear and convincing evidence establishing that a defendant in the prosecutor’s jurisdiction was convicted of an offense that the defendant did not commit, the prosecutor shall seek to remedy the conviction.
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Posted by Adrian P. Thomas on September 25th, 2008 | 1 Comment »
WILL CONTEST FLORIDA
Proving Incapacity: How Can You Determine Whether Dementia Played a Role in the Will Change? Tested Methods for a Challenging Evidentiary Task
In an earlier blog, I reminded readers that Florida is home to the nation’s largest geriatric population, many of whom are vulnerable to exploitation due to the infirmities of age and diminished mental capacity. A recent study discovered that the prevalence of dementia is estimated to double every five years in the elderly, growing from a disorder that affects 1 percent of persons 60 years old to a condition afflicting approximately 30 percent to 45 percent of persons 85 years old.
It Just Doesn’t Make Any Sense
Many times I am asked to represent persons who don’t live in Florida and don’t see their elderly Florida relatives on a daily basis. During their visits to Florida they notice a change in their elderly relative’s behavior, but don’t take any drastic measures because they don’t fear that their relative is in danger and because they are only visiting and don’t want to upset their elderly relative. After death, these persons then discover that their relative wrote a new will at the eleventh hour of their life with provisions that don’t make any sense. To the now disinherited family member who is looking for answers, I often ask whether their elderly relative could have been suffering from diminished capacity to an extent that the should be invalidated.
The Doctor Is In
It is at this point that the inquiry delves into a myriad of factors. One of the first things I look at is the medication that the elderly person was taking. Many doctors believe that some of the many forms of dementia are treatable and reversible and will make efforts to treat the diseases through various prescription drugs, for example: Aricept. Also, elderly persons frequently experience battles with debilitating depression which physicians will attempt to combat with prescription drugs. Often, there will be a change in dose or other medical evidence indicating whether or not the elderly person responded favorably to the medication or whether their condition continued to deteriorate.
In Florida, testamentary capacity is the ability of a person to make a valid will. It requires that the person making the will understand the nature and extent of the property they own at the time the will is executed; the nature and effect of signing the will and an understanding of the planned disposition in the will. Finally, and most importantly, the person making the will must have knowledge of their natural relatives and the nature of their relationship with the person making the will.
Florida is unique in that its state decisional case law recognizes that a person might not lack capacity all the time for all purposes. What has developed in Florida is a principle of law called “partial insanity.” Under this principle, partial insanity may invalidate a will. See, In re Supplee’s Estate, 247 So. 2d 488 (Fla. 2d DCA).
I have had success where family members kept notes that were contemporaneous with their observations of their elderly relative, or where there is some evidence other than their own testimony pointing to the conclusion that their relative was suffering from progressive forms of dementia that affected their judgment at the time they executed the will. This evidence can take many forms, for example, I had one case where the evidence included my client’s father who went out driving a golf cart in his underwear. This one episode, coupled with other evidence that he had forgotten that one of his pieces of real estate had already been sold years ago, led to the conclusion that he did not understand the nature of his property at the time he executed the will.
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Asian soybean rust made it into Indiana this past October. Greg Shaner, Purdue University disease specialist, found it in Tippecanoe County, in the form of spores. Other official sightings were reported in some southern Indiana counties, in southern Illinois and in Kentucky.
The gaps from southern Indiana to Tippecanoe County are likely because people weren't looking. It doesn't necessarily mean spores weren't in those locations. Since it was so late in the season, there was no concern that the disease would develop and cause problems.
"All that it really proved is that the spores can travel this far north," says Shaner. Asian Rust spores were not detected inside Indiana borders in '05.
The disease has been ballyhooed as a significant threat to soybean growers since the fall of '04, when spores were found in the deep South. That meant the disease had finally arrived in the U.S. from Brazil. It has been a concern and threat in parts of Brazil in South America now for several seasons. Much of what disease and Extension specialists are learning about monitoring for and controlling the disease is based on what has worked and not worked in Brazil.
Will the disease arrive in Indiana in '07 in time to be a threat? That's a question that's impossible to answer, Shaner says. However, he believes the key area to watch will be what happens in Louisiana and eastern Texas over winter and into spring. The rust spores survive on kudzu and other host plants, but can't survive in the Midwest during the winter due to cold temperatures and a lack of green vegetation.
Based on air circulation patterns monitored over the past two years, Shaner believes that if spores arrive into Indiana, they will come from the Louisiana/east Texas area. He doesn't see the discovery of spores or active disease in other more eastern parts of the South, such as Georgia, to hold much implication for what might occur in Indiana.
He's basing his expectations upon prevailing wind patterns. Weather models exist that allow weather forecasters and agronomists to predict which way spores could be carried across the country.
"The other thing that you need is for a storm or showers to scrub the spores out of the air," Shaner says. "Otherwise many of them remain airborne aloft. They eventually will settle out, but it's more dramatic if a rain event scrubs them out of the atmosphere."
Shaner and many more Extension personnel will be watching as the '07 growing season unfolds. He will once again maintain sentinel plots across Indiana to help in early detection of soybean rust. And he will be in contact with Extension personnel across the country who are also working with early-detection sentinel plots.
Watching the weather models will also be important, Shaner says. If infection develops in key areas, such as Louisiana, then models depicting likely air pattern movement and storm activity will become extremely important.
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stories left before being redirected to Clickshare to login or register.
Conn. River dam licensing offers chance for change
Sunday, September 23, 2012
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Five big hydroelectric projects on the Connecticut River are up for federal relicensing, providing a once-in-a-generation chance for environmentalists, recreational river users and others to recommend changes to the dams' operations.
The projects affect a roughly 85-mile stretch of the river, which forms the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire, bisects Massachusetts and Connecticut and then flows into Long Island Sound.
"It's a huge opportunity for the public and project operators to think about not just one location but a whole stretch of river," said Andrew Fisk, executive director of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, based in Greenfield, Mass.
Site visits set for the first week of October will kick off a process of environmental reviews and public meetings that's expected to take five to six years.
It's too early to know what issues will garner the most attention during relicensing, environmental group leaders and dam owners TransCanada Corp. and FirstLight Power Resources of Glastonbury, Conn., said last week.
The dams provide low-cost power without big carbon emissions, as well as jobs and big tax revenues in the communities where they are located, spokesmen Grady Semmens of TransCanada and Charles Burnham of FirstLight said.
Fisk said one area of study may be the impact that raising and lowering river levels behind the dams has on fish and wildlife species, particularly at Wilder. A second issue may be whether enough water is being left in the river to support fish populations below the Turners Falls dam.
Relicensing begins less than three months after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it was abandoning a nearly half-century effort to restore populations of Atlantic salmon that had dwindled in the Connecticut basin after the dams were built, saying the program had not been successful enough to justify the continuing cost.
The dams' need for new licenses was not part of the decision to discontinue the salmon restoration program, said Bill Archambault, regional assistant director for fisheries with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Our decision was really based on the science and where we were (with) the program," he said.
Salmon are born in inland streams, and migrate to the ocean before returning to the rivers to reproduce. Salmon were so plentiful in the Connecticut when Europeans arrived in New England four centuries ago that indentured servants had provisions written into their contracts limiting the amount of times per week they could be fed it.
New fish ladders and passageways were built in recent decades to try to get the salmon around the dams, but those efforts proved unsuccessful. Fisk said, though, that a bigger problem has been heavy fishing for salmon in the Atlantic. Fish stocked in the Connecticut and its tributaries have made it to the ocean but have not returned.
As the process unfolds, Fisk said his group will be looking for members of the public to be voicing any concerns, including calls for better environmental stewardship or recreational opportunities.
"It's your river. You've given a private entity a very legitimate right to operate on it, but the public needs to get something in return for that," he said.
They five projects include three hydroelectric stations owned by TransCanada on the river between New Hampshire and Vermont and two in Massachusetts, owned by FirstLight. From north to south they are:
— The 41-megawatt Wilder station, which dams the river between the Wilder section of Hartford, Vt., and Lebanon, N.H.;
— The 49-megawatt Bellows Falls station between the village of Bellows Falls in Rockingham, Vt., and Walpole, N.H.;
— The 37-megawatt Vernon station, between Vernon, Vt., and Hinsdale, N.H.
— The Northfield Mountain Pump Storage Facility, in Northfield, Mass., a 1,119-megawatt station where water is pumped from the river to an uphill reservoir during times when power demand is low and then released to generate power as it flows downhill when demand for electricity is high;
— The 68-megawatt Turners Falls station in the Turners Falls section of Montague, Mass.
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1. Republicans take control of Walker County
When Walker County residents voted in November, an overwhelming majority voted Republican, which has changed the political landscape of elected offices within the county.
A total of 28,736 voters cast their ballots in this year’s general election. Of those voters, 6,546 cast a straight-party Republican vote, which is the highest GOP straight-party vote in the county’s history.
While many county residents did split their ticket, the majority voted for Republican candidates. In the presidential election, Walker County voters highly favored Mitt Romney with 21,633 votes, compared to Barack Obama’s 6,551. Voters in the county also gave the nod to GOP candidates in every statewide race on the ballot.
For at least the last couple of decades, the county has voted Republican in national and statewide elections, but Walker County has consistently been a Democrat-favored county in local elections since the two-party system has existed.
The Walker County Commission became Republican-controlled after the November election with three of four commission members now Republican. Keith Davis, Bobby Nunnelly and Steven Aderholt are the first Republican commissioners in the county in more than 100 years.
Billy Luster became the county’s first-ever Republican commission chairman when he took office in mid-November.
Only three Democrats were able to pick up wins in the general election — Rick Allison (probate judge), Dan Wright (commission district 2) and Hoyt Elliott (circuit judge).
2. Industrial growth brings jobs
It’s not very often that a governor makes a trip to Walker County, but Gov. Robert Bentley visited Jasper in August for the announcement of more than 100 new jobs coming to the area due to an expansion by global automotive supplier Amtex, now known as Hayashi Telempu North America (HTNA).
“Any time I can come announce new jobs, that’s something that I want to do,” Bentley said during his trip to Jasper. “One hundred and ten new jobs for this area, comparatively, is as significant as 1,000 in a large city.”
HTNA is adding a new plant on 60 acres in the Bevill Industrial Park. Local industrial officials have hinted that the 110 jobs that have been announced are only Phase 1 of the expansion. The number of jobs could skyrocket in the future.
Later in August, another major industrial expansion was announced when Fontaine Trailer Company, the world’s largest flatbed trailer manufacturer, said it would invest more than $5 million in new business opportunities and expansion at its Jasper campus. The company, which is headquartered in Jasper, has established two new businesses, Fontaine Intermodal and Fontaine Renew. Both are located in Jasper.
Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey toured Fontaine during a recent trip to Jasper. She called the business “top-notch.”
“What you’ve done is a great testimony,” Ivey told Fontaine officials. “Fontaine has been here, and you’ve made the decision to stay here. More importantly, you’ve made the decision to expand. That is a message that doing business in Alabama is good for business.”
Another move to bring industrial jobs to Jasper took place in February with the opening of Charles Bishop Industrial Drive, which will allow commercial access to the 400-acre Jasper Industrial Park.
“Without this road, there would not be a Jasper Industrial Park,” Jasper Mayor Sonny Posey said when the road opened in February.
3. New leadership in area municipalities
Three local mayors were voted out of office and two others decided to step down in this year’s municipal elections.
In Cordova, 25-year-old Drew Gilbert forced two-term incumbent Jack Scott into a runoff for the mayor’s seat. In his first political campaign, Gilbert received almost as many votes as his two challengers combined and narrowly missed the percentage needed to win the election outright.
He went on to receive nearly two-thirds of the votes cast in the runoff.
Sipsey Mayor Anita Sanders, who like Scott saw her last year in office defined by 2011’s deadly tornadoes, was defeated by challenger Belinda McCain in August. McCain received 101 votes to Sanders’ 74.
Oakman residents also voted for a change in leadership this year. Incumbent Mayor Joyce Todd went head-to head with council member Dennis Welch in an October runoff and lost by a vote of 152 to 104.
Residents in Carbon Hill and Dora received new mayors after the incumbents in those cities, Chris Hart and Chris Edwards, chose not to run again after serving one term.
James “Pee Wee” Richardson, a former Carbon Hill mayor and council member, beat Jacque Allred 419-382 in a runoff.
In Dora, Randy Stephens received 462 votes to win the race outright in August against challengers John Jackson and Henry Morgan.
4. Long-term recovery continues
April 27, 2012, marked the one-year anniversary of the deadly tornadoes that forever altered the landscape of Walker County and changed the lives of hundreds of residents.
Former professional athlete and Auburn alum Bo Jackson made the day a little easier for storm survivors by bringing his “Bo Bikes Bama” fundraiser to Jasper and Cordova. Proceeds from the five-day, 300-mile bike trek benefited the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund.
The Walker County Long Term Recovery Committee continued to play a central role in the local disaster relief effort. Its primary task was tackling the area’s $4 million in unmet needs from the tornadoes.
Hundreds of volunteers from all over the country worked countless hours on construction projects. LTRC’s first total rebuild was completed this year, and several house blessings and dedication ceremonies were held for grateful families.
As months passed, Cordova residents grew increasingly frustrated with the perceived lack of progress in their town. Demolition never occurred in the devastated downtown, which was further damaged by two fires in 2012 as well as one in fall 2011.
The city’s only grocery store, Piggly Wiggly, reopened in March but in the neighboring city of Dora. As the year drew to a close, Gov. Robert Bentley revived hope in the city with the announcement that Cordova has been awarded nearly $1.4 million to rebuild its grocery store.
5. Retail growth across county
While a major shopping center on I-22 didn’t happen in 2012, Walker County did see its share of retail growth throughout the year.
The Love’s Travel Stop opened on I-22 in May and has provided a positive impact on Jasper’s sales tax revenue.
“That’s new tax money to the city,” Mayor Sonny Posey said earlier this year. “Those are cars that were driving by on the interstate, and now they have a place to stop.”
Restaurant openings in Jasper have included Sakura Japanese Restaurant and Daylight Donuts. An announcement was made in August that the great white whale of restaurants will be coming to Jasper. Posey announced Cracker Barrel had purchased land near the Love’s. While many called the announcement a campaign stunt, the Daily Mountain Eagle spoke to Cracker Barrel officials who confirmed the purchase of the property and the intent to build the restaurant. Restaurant officials said the company typically doesn’t hold groundbreaking ceremonies before construction begins and does not have a timetable for when the restaurant will be opened.
In other areas of the county, Dora’s economy got a major boost with the opening of Piggly Wiggly in March. Almost every part of the county now houses a Dollar General store, and each municipality has seen growth in locally-owned businesses throughout 2012.
6. Sumiton goes wet
Sumiton became the fourth city in Walker County to allow the sale of alcohol inside the city limits. The city earmarked the tax revenue earned from alcohol sales for the construction of the city’s new fire department.
Voters in the municipality approved the sale of alcohol by a vote of 224-111. The vote also signified a remarkable change in the attitude of these votes. Votes in 2011 in Carbon Hill and Dora became heated battles that polarized the communities, while Sumiton’s vote seemed uneventful.
Although the vote passed by a two-to-one margin, the vote represented only a small portion of the city’s more than 1,800 registered voters. Alcohol sales had already been approved by neighboring Dora, which city officials believed played a role in minimizing the voter turnout.
“You can tell by the numbers of people who came out to vote that it just isn’t as big an issue to most people, because we’ve got it just across the street,” Mayor Petey Ellis said after the results were announced.
7. Smith Lake named to Alabama Bass Trail
Tourism in the area was improved substantially when Lewis Smith Lake was named in March as one of 11 stops on the Alabama Bass Trail.
The Alabama Bass Trail features 11 premier bass-fishing areas and is a cooperative effort between the governor’s office, the Alabama Tourism Department, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association. The 10 other areas included in the trail are Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lay Lake, Lake Jordan, the Alabama River, Lake Eufaula and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.
Linda Lewis, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, said Smith Lake being a part of the trail will provide a tremendous boost to the local economy.
“This is big for Walker County,” Lewis said. “We couldn’t be happier. We are excited to be a part of the Alabama Bass Trail.”
Kay Donaldson, the trail’s program director, said anglers currently spend more than $700 million in Alabama each year. Donaldson has spent much of 2012 promoting the trail across the state and the nation, including a few trips to Jasper to speak at the chamber’s annual luncheon and to civic groups.
Smith Lake will host a major FLW tournament in March 2013, which is expected to bring millions of dollars to Walker County.
8. Law enforcement (Suspects charged in murders)
The work of area law enforcement is constantly a source of front page material for the Daily Mountain Eagle.
In 2012, several area murders were solved by local investigators.
In February, Brandon Reid, a 26-year-old Cordova resident, was found stabbed and shot to death in front of his home. About three weeks later, Cliffton Rexford Akins, 24, and Joseph Grant Lewis, 32, both of Jasper, were charged with Reid’s murder. Both men pleaded guilty to the murder and are now serving time in state prisons.
In June, the body of Jesse Brandon “Money G“ Joseph was found near the Frisco Community Cemetery, just outside the Jasper City Limits. In September, Ralonte Terrell Swain, 20, of Jasper, pled guilty to shooting Joseph “in a fit of rage.”
In September, a Detroit native was charged with one count of capital murder in the death of Greg “Homie” Johnson. The shooting death happened on July 13, 2011, and was Jasper’s only murder that year.
9. Law enforcement (controversy)
While area law enforcement provided many positives to the community in 2012, there were also several instances where local police were the subject of much controversy.
In late September, Scottie Wilkins, a former Jasper police officer was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after being charged with taking a $5,000 bribe to influence a case in state court.
In early February, the former director of the Walker County Narcotics Enforcement Team died after a single-car collision in the Townley community. Paul Kilgore’s death was surrounded with wild rumors, but an Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences report obtained by the Daily Mountain Eagle confirmed his death was a suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Kilgore was a highly-respected member of the Walker County Sheriff’s Office for more than 30 years. Hundreds of area residents and members of law enforcement attended his funeral service on Feb. 10.
In August, a Sumiton police officer at the center of an Alabama Bureau of Investigations inquiry also killed himself. Sumiton Police Department had requested the investigation into allegations of improper conduct between Officer Christopher Daugherty and inmates. Daugherty killed himself at his home on Aug. 17.
An ongoing police controversy in 2012 was allegations against former NET agent Adam Hadder, who was terminated by the Walker County Sheriff’s Office in late September.
Jasper attorney Thomas Carmichael filed a civil suit in August on behalf of Gerald Garrison, a process server who was allegedly arrested by Hadder for attempting to serve him with a subpoena. Carmichael cited posts made by Hadder on the Daily Mountain Eagle Facebook page as evidence that he tried to intimidate and threaten Garrison and others, which led to Hadder being suspended from the sheriff’s office.
Hadder has said the suit, as well as others filed against him by Carmichael and Jasper attorney Byron McMath, is a personal vendetta against him. Hadder has appealed his termination and the appeal is expected to be heard by the Walker County Civil Service Board in January.
“None of these allegations have gone to trial, and they are simply allegations by attorneys,” said Gail Gear, Hadder’s attorney, in September . “The public needs to know that my client has worked successfully and uneventfully protecting them for 15 years. He looks forward to having a full hearing and clearing his name.”
10. Skull found under Jasper home
Jasper Police reopened an old missing person case after a renter in South Lowell discovers a human skull beneath his house. The residence was the last-known permanent address of 104-year-old Mary Cobb and her 83-year-old daughter, Wynona Delvecchio. The women were reported missing in 2005 by Cobb’s son, Henry Cobb. Subsequent searches were made of the residence and neighborhood using earth-penetrating sonar equipment owned by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and a canine cadaver team.
The skull was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensics in Huntsville and Jasper Police Chief Connie Cooner Rowe reopened the missing person case.
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Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa (GSGI) can’t wait to kick off the 2013 cookie season, set to run from Feb. 1 through March 17. This year, the organization will be introducing a new cookie and all new cookie boxes, which help explain how important the cookie program truly is.
“Our cookie program helps girls develop the skills they need to succeed in the world today, skills that last a lifetime,” GSGI CEO Jamie Boersma said.
“We are thrilled about the new boxes and know Girl Scout cookie lovers will love them, too. Not only have they received a complete makeover, but they now showcase what we’re all about here at Girl Scouts: girl leadership,” Boersma said.
For the first time since 1999, all boxes of Girl Scout Cookies have an updated look and pur-pose: to elevate the significance of the Girl Scout Cookie Pro-gram, a $790-million girl-led business.
The iconic Girl Scout Cookie package now features the five financial literacy and entrepre-neurship skills that the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.
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Hello dear linuxians ! (that's what "we"'re called, right ?)
Anyway ... I'm a new linux user. My job requires me to start dealing with this OS :) I'm trying to see what I can do with a graphic environment (GNOME and KDE), and I have some questions about virtual desktops which remains really hard to understand.
Is there any kind of virtual desktop in command-line mode or is it a pure graphic thing ?
if the question above has a positive answer: How does that work? Do you have any guide or something? And is there any way to switch between graphic mode and command-line mode? I tried to ask google about that, and I didn't get any answer :( .
Thanks in advance for your replies :)
PS : Excuse my poor English, this is not my mother tongue: I'm French :blush:
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An ancient custom that's only found in or around the borders of Derbyshire. Well dressing might date back to the celts, or perhaps even earlier. Well dressing at it's simplest, is the art of decorating springs and wells with pictures made of growing things. Kniveton will have four wells dressed. These will be the children's well opposite the Church, school well, pump well and Chapel well.
Derbyshire, DE6 1JF
Map reference: SK 188459 Lat: 53.01007 Long: -1.72124
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How to prepare a roadside emergency kit for your car
When making preparations for emergencies, one of the things that is most important is likely to be your car. Even if you don’t plan to bug out, you will want to make sure that if you change your mind, you will have a vehicle capable of going where you want it to go! You really don’t know in advance what exact type of auto emergency you might have, so it’s a great idea to cover your bases in advance by having an emergency roadside kit. Remember: doing all you can to assure your road safety during an emergency can literally save your life. Plan now, so you won’t have to scramble so hard later!
Is your cell phone ready and available?
Depending on the emergency, you may not be able to contact roadside assistance if you run into trouble, but just in case, be sure you have your cell phone – and charger - with you and a list of the numbers either pre-programmed into your phone, or available on a list in your glove compartment. Realize that if you are traveling and you need to call 911, the operator will not be able to tell your location, so be sure you know at all times where you are. Pay particular attention to exit signs, street corner signs, large landmarks, and buildings you can use to tell the operator how to get to you.
Be sure to include First-Aid supplies in your emergency roadside kit. AAA has assembled a 121-Piece Emergency Roadside Kitthat is compact but has a lot of items that are necessary. Clear windows make it possible to see exactly what you need, and it has a carabiner for fastening to your belt, backpack, or securing in your vehicle. The case is small enough to even use in a Smart car, even though it carries enough supplies to be useful for a small family. This kit is suitable for home, vehicle or outdoor use. For fire issues, don’t be without the First Alert Auto Fire Extinguisher. This convenient type of fire extinguisher is effective on oil, grease, gasoline and electrical fires, and it features easy-to-read instructions for quick reference and a mountable safety bracket.
Don’t let a flat tire stop you!
The Slime PowerSpare 48-piece Tire Repair Kit has a heavy-duty 12-olt tire inflator with 16 feet of coiled air hose. Time to inflate is approximately 3 minutes, and there are multiple adapters for different inflatables. You can connect direct to the battery with the included alligator clip, and the Slime tire sealant seals punctures up to 1/4″ instantly. This kit is packaged in a durable case to store easily in your vehicle and keep everything in one spot.
Don’t forget to warn others!
While you might not necessarily want everyone else to know exactly what you are up to, if you are stranded, keeping people from running over you becomes a pretty high priority! This set of Triangle Warning signs is weighted to keep them from blowing away, and fits legal standards for this type of sign. Also, this set of three weather-resistant Emergency Flares come in a compact poly bag for storage and have a magnetic base.
Even if the chances of getting stranded are low, you should still be prepared for a worst case scenario. By having an emergency roadside kit in place, you can greatly increase your chances of survival when disaster strikes. Start with the products mentioned, then customize your own with other additions you know you will need.
If you have suggestions for other items to include in your emergency roadside kit, I’d love to hear them!
© 2012, DFW Preppers and Survivors. All rights reserved.
Tags: 911, auto, behicle, bug out, car, cell phone, charger, electrical fires, emergencies, emergency flares, gasoline, grease, oil, roadside assistance, roadside kit, stranded, tire repair kit, warning signs
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President Obama has reversed a Bush administration restriction on U.S. financial support for organizations, including the United Nations Population Fund, that include the provision of abortion among their offerings. That is not to say such organizations 'promote' abortion. For the most part, their mission is empowering women, providing contraception, preventing unintended pregnancy and HIV transmission. But support for all of this was curtailed if abortion was an option.
Predictably, right-to-life groups have impugned the decision, and the President, as being pro-abortion. I counter with my own view that this is utter nonsense, and say with regard to our new President: Bravo! You've been in office a couple of days already -- what took you so long?
This is not because I am 'pro' abortion, any more than, I suspect, our President is. But rather because I am pro-people, and against hypocrisy. My own views -- some of you may have read them here in an earlier blog -- are posted here.
The best way to avoid abortions is not banning them -- that has never worked very well, but has simply ensured that the procedures done are apt to be more dangerous. The best way to avoid them is to minimize the number of women who ever even need to consider one.
I agree with Steven Sinding, formerly director-general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, who was quoted in the New York Times as saying: "It is actually a great day for those who oppose abortion. This will help many of the most effective providers of family planning services to enable women to avoid unwanted pregnancies."
I would add that 'those who oppose abortion' actually include both the pro-choice and pro-life constituencies. It is, in fact, the pro-choice contingent that opposes it more constructively.
This could just be one guy's opinion, but for the fact that a consistent body of scientific study has shown that comprehensive sex education programs and the provision of contraceptives do, indeed, curtail unwanted pregnancy. In other words, we have data to show that the very programs that make safe abortion available reduce the numbers of women ever needing to avail themselves of this undesirable option.
Anyone willing to look past ideology to the dispassionate data of epidemiology should be willing to embrace President Obama's decision. You do not need to be 'pro' abortion (who is?) to embrace policies that, while allowing for such procedures, do everything possible to make them go away by making better options universally available.
To express one's opposition to abortion by fighting for policies that increase the number of women likely to want or need this extreme remedy is, in the objective glare of epidemiologic scrutiny, counter to the goals of pro-life and pro-choice groups alike. Policy predicated on ideology, oblivious to epidemiology, is ill-conceived. If conceived nonetheless, it should be aborted as soon as possible to curtail its harms. In this case, as soon as possible is, apparently, right now. It has been a long time in coming, and a great deal of avoidable suffering has been the consequence- - including some number of abortions that might never have been necessary.
Along with others, I write in part simply to express my relief, and my support of the President. But I aspire to the loftier goal of getting us to glimpse the possibilities of common ground if we scrutinize the actual effects of the causes we sometimes all-too-unquestioningly serve.
Sound off on more controversial health topics:
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The outpouring of support for those impacted by the Colorado wildfires is nothing short of amazing.
However well-intentioned, though, an offer you might think is helpful can in fact create problems. From HelpColoradoNow.org, here are some helpful hints for would-be benefactors:
Donate only things that are requested by those in charge and bring them to the officially designated collection centers; items that are not needed may go to waste and get in the way of relief efforts.
Cash allows disaster agencies to purchase exactly what is needed.
Double-check before handing over cash or merchandise. For a list of reputable agencies, call 2-1-1 or 1-866-760-6489.
Meal donations from restaurants are needed for some local personnel and volunteers supporting response efforts. No home-cooked meals can be accepted. Read more…
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EMBL Forum Lectures
James P. Mallory
Monday 12 April 2010, 16:00 Large Operon
James P. Mallory, Queen’s University, Belfast
Problems in the correlation of languages and genes in Europe
Geneticists have become increasingly interested in employing the genetic signature of modern populations as a means of tracing not only past patterns of gene flow but also speculating about the dispersal of languages in Europe. Often the results have led to a very simple paradigm in which the current distribution of languages is assigned to either the Palaeolithic/Mesolithic or the Neolithic. This seminar will attempt to investigate how robust this paradigm is and whether it can be improved.
James P. Mallory was born in 1945 and received his AB in History from Occidental College in California in 1967 and his PhD in Indo-European Studies from UCLA in 1975. He has worked at Queen’s University Belfast since 1977 where he is Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology and the Director of Research for Past Cultural Change. His research focuses on issues involving the relationship between archaeology and language, especially the dispersal of the Indo-European languages He is the author of In Search of the Indo-Europeans (1989), co-author with Victor Mair of The Tarim Mummies (2000), joint editor of the The Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture (1997) and The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World (2006). He also edits the Journal of Indo-European Studies.
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Another problem with Phariseeism is the need for men to be in charge and have a places of honor. Phariseeism seeks to bring into the Kingdom of God what is important to men. Instead of changing their center from worldly/fleshly priorities to what God considers important, they try to change God by representing their own preferences as God's Divine order or Creation Order.
I mentioned in the previous post the importance of the Top Ten and Top Two (commandments from Old and New Testaments respectively) and the Golden Rule. And how men are undermining those rules and commands by their interpretation of the words of Paul.
I want to look further into the words of Jesus and how they support His commands and rules.
Most are familiar with the following passage.
Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Vs 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Vs 25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Vs 26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Most people know that the eye of a needle is actually the name of a gate in Jerusalem. A gal in my church actually has been there and walked through it. She said she had to duck a bit to get through. A child could walk through it easily, and upright.
But a camel is a different story.
In order for a camel to get through. all the packs on its back have to be removed and it has to get on it's knees.
Most people know that this means you can't take earthly, material treasures into heaven when we die.
But what most people miss is that you cannot take your earthly prestige and place of honor that men give to each other on earth into the Kingdom of God on earth and expect God to honor it.
Yet this is what entire groups are trying to do. Instead of knowing people by the Spirit they look upon the flesh and decide who is deserving of the places of honor in the Kingdom.
Instead of taking the words of Jesus and making them the foundation of all other words that follow and precede His coming, instead of using the words of Jesus to define or keep in balance the words of His apostles, they use the words of the apostles to completely IGNORE the words of Jesus on how He wants to build His kingdom.
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force by doing violence to the text of scripture and conforming it to the preferences of men.
Men who do this are Pharisees.
And here is what Jesus has to say about them.
Matthew 23:6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
Vs 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'
Vs 8 "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. Vs 9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
Vs 10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
Vs 11The greatest among you will be your servant.
Vs 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:23"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Vs 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
The Pharisees strain at roles and human made restrictions over people yet swallow the false doctrine of human hierarchy within the Kingdom of God.
Pharisees love the places of honor and raising up some and lowering others by their own hand/teaching then hiding behind 'thus saith the Lord' if anyone calls them on it.
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Connect to share and comment
A series of deadly attacks in 2011 — most recently the death of a 17-year-old boy — suggest sectarian strife is only getting worse.
discrimination in their daily lives. However, many claim that after the ouster of President Mubarak, violence and hatred towards them have increased substantially. In Mellawi, Copts feel that they are marginalized compared to Muslims. In Upper Egypt particularly, many have complained about the excessive discrimination in the educational system. Arabic teachers specifically, many Copts say, too often distort and insult children because of their Christian faith.
The year 2011 has been ill-fated for Christians from the beginning. On midnight of the New Year’s Eve service more than 25 people died and many others were injured. After a lengthy investigation, former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly announced that the Palestinian militant wing Hamas was behind those attacks. But the attacks did not stop. More church burnings took place.
Tensions between Muslims and Christians here have boiled over periodically throughout the last few decades, but have increased significantly over the past few years. But many observers say tensions have increased significantly over the past few years. And after the January 25 uprising, the tensions escalated even further.
There are few facts in Ayman Labib’s case and much confusion over how it happened, but one thing is clear: This family and the mourners surrounding them have joined hands in fear.
For Ayman’s family what started as a peaceful day, by its end, left them devastated by the death of their son and brother who was described by those who knew him as having a bright future ahead of him.
As she walked into his quiet, empty room, Evon began to weep. She grieved more as she stood by Ayman’s bed amid the religious pictures he had posted on his walls and his bookshelves, hundreds of images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus in different sizes. At least 15 images of Jesus hung over his bed at the center of the room.
Evon recalled the morning of Sunday, October. 16 when she received a call from a friend informing her that she had lost Ayman. Two of his fellow students at Mellawi Secondary School had beaten him to death.
“They dragged him down from his neck and beat him until he died,” she said.
Nabil, Ayman’s father, sat in the makeshift memorial on the street outside his home telling the story of his son’s death. But he stopped when two young men arrived.
Their wrists didn’t bear the blue tattoo of a cross on their wrists, which is a custom for Copts, and the men were taken to be Muslims. When the two sat down not far away from Nabil, other friends and family members expressed the need to go inside their home to speak freely.
Nady Atef, the human rights advocate, tried to interrupt the father’s discussion, accusing him of hiding the truth about the alleged religious motivation for his son’s beating.
The bed where 17-year-old Ayman Nabil Labib slept.
“His son died because of sectarian tension,” Nady said of Nabil.
Nabil asked Nady to stop accusations until the official investigation takes place.
Two days later, on October 20, two lawyers in Mellawi filed a case against Nady, accusing him of “inciting sectarian tensions” as he was distributing a flyer that referred to the case as “sectarian hate crime” during a recent march in solidarity with Ayman’s family.
One of Ayman’s older brothers, Antonius, who came in late, wept as he remembered Ayman. Another brother, Mina, who was the closest to Ayman said that instead of saving his money, he would spend his money buying gifts for his family.
Mina added that high school bullying is a common act both within groups of Muslim and Christian students and between them.
“I had Muslims who were my best friends, I do not understand what is the reason behind hatred. Maybe it is the way people are raised,” said Mina.
Ayman also had a 14-year-old brother, Youssef, who is mentally disabled. Watching his family weep over Ayman, he broke his silence as he took a closer position to a GlobalPost reporter
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Perfect 10 Lifestyle Dashama's Blog
If you are in the process of making healthy changes, share your endeavors with those around you! Whether your organization is your family, church, community group or workplace, healthy habits can be shared and encouraged among friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers. Group involvement enhances participants' success by creating camaraderie for the pursuit of common goals. Incorporate wellness activities to stimulate a change in the organization's culture. Not all suggestions are feasible for every organization, but they are worth trying.
1. Form a walking group. Incorporate walk breaks into lunch hours at a worksite or organize a post-dinner family walk.
2. Initiate a weight-loss challenge. The challenge can create healthy competition for a healthy cause. If participants pay an entry fee, the money collected may be used as prize money for the top "losers," the people who lose the most weight.
3. Coordinate a healthy recipe potluck. Many work sites have meetings that include food, and many churches hold covered-dish socials. Try adding a rule to encourage more nutritious food selections. Establish entry criteria such as the inclusion of two vegetables or fewer than 20g of fat to ensure entries meet healthful standards.
4. Identify a wellness observance each month. Recognition of a National Wellness Observance increases awareness of a variety of health topics. The National Wellness Institute provides a 12-month calendar that highlights wellness observances for each month, and it is linked in the Resources section. Designate one day each month, or create a bulletin board display that highlights information on a selected topic. For example, October is national Breast Cancer Awareness month.
5. Set up on-site fitness classes. A group fitness class can be as simple as providing digital versatile discs (DVDs) and a television set. If a community room is available, create a schedule of classes or a schedule of when the DVDs will be shown. If a live class is preferred, invite group fitness instructors to lead the classes for your organization.
6. Promote camaraderie by forming a team for a road race. Organize a team for a road race. Many road races offer categories for team competitions. Organize a group of runners, joggers and/or walkers. Team members can encourage one another through training and build team spirit.
7. Promote total wellness in a relaxing environment. Establish a stress-free zone. Create space in a break room or other location, and provide relaxing music, calm lighting and comfortable seating. The stress-free zone can be a place where someone can take a timeout and relax.
8. Lead by example. Mahatma Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." If you want to stimulate progress, begin with yourself. People often underestimate the impact they can have on others. See if you can become a catalyst for healthy changes.
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May 25, 2012
Senator Patty pays female staff less
There ought to be a law. Senator Murray pays her male staffers $21,000 more on average than the females. Is this discrimination?
So Senator Patty is proposing a law. She and four other female senators Wednesday announced the proposed Paycheck Fairness Act. Free Beacon It would facilitate large punitive damage claims in discrimination suits and is up for a vote following the Memorial Day recess.
But there already is a law. Obama is very proud of Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. He brags that it was the first bill he signed. Weekly Standard
Despite the Lilly Law: Free Beacon
Murray, who has repeatedly accused Republicans of waging a "war a women," is one of the worst offenders. Female members of Murray's staff made about $21,000 less per year than male staffers in 2011, a difference of 35.2 percent.
That is well above the 23 percent gap that Democrats claim exists between male and female workers nationwide. The figure is based on a 2010 U.S. Census Bureau report, and is technically accurate.
A significant "gender gap" exists in Senator Feinstein's office, where women also made about $21,000 less than men in 2011, but the percentage difference--41 percent--was even higher than Murray's.
Senator Boxer's female staffers made about $5,000 less, a difference of 7.3 percent.
The Free Beacon used publicly available salary data from the transparency website Legistorm to calculate the figures, and considered only current full-time staff members who were employed for the entirety of fiscal year 2011.
However, as CNN's Lisa Sylvester has reported, when factors such as area of employment, hours of work, and time in the workplace are taken into account, the gap shrinks to about 5 percent.
But Murray doesn't claim this smaller gap when she is complaining about women being discriminated against.
Why does she pay her female employees less? Did the Senate exclude itself from the Lilly Ledbetter law?
Posted by Ron Hebron at May 25, 2012
08:55 AM | Email This
This is most likely a non-issue based on gender differences such as area of employment, hours of work, motherhood, etc.
But it is funny to see Democrats hoisted on their own political petard. These PC diversity idiots should be exposed whenever and wherever possible.
As with most things Left, the hypocrisy is always glaring.
2. Too many unknown variables to draw a sensible conclusive analysis. :)
3. Too many unknown variables to draw a sensible conclusive analysis. :)
Sensible's got nothing to do with it.
There's a new wingnut meme out there and Ron's gonna do his part to spread it. Even Jeff recognizes that it's a likely non-issue.
4. There's a new wingnut meme out there and [Every nutty democ-rat] are gonna do [their] part to spread it.
Fixed that for you, scottd. You may want to pull your head out of god knows where and look around sometime. Then you'll realize it isn't the right that are spreading mythological "war's". That would be wingnut's like yourself and the democ-rat party.
Duffman: Too many unknown variables to draw a sensible conclusive analysis.
Entirely true. However, Murray doesn't allow for these unknown variables when she attacks businesses who have similar (though not as bad) gaps. She can't have it both ways. Either she is guilty of a war on women, or the people she's attacking are not.
scottd: There's a new wingnut meme out there and Ron's gonna do his part to spread it. Even Jeff recognizes that it's a likely non-issue.
It is a non-issue ... except to the extent that it exposes that Murray is either lying, or a hypocrite.
6. Patty faithfully follows the democrat gospel: ONLY FOR THEE, NOT FOR ME.
7. their is a picture of patty in Websters dictionary next to HYPOCRITE!could not happen to a bigger phony.enjoy the weekend
Murray is not as dumb and clueless as she appears to be otherwise she would have not been reelected 3 times.
She knows exactly how to be manipulated by the Democratic Party and has always been that way "Don't do as I do, do as I say".
That doesn't mean she has an original thought in her head and chronically does not tell the whole truth (as here) - she follows the Democrat playbook and lies by leaving out the relevant facts.
9. Murray is not as dumb and clueless as she appears to be otherwise she would have not been reelected 3 times.
Nope. It was the majority of the dumb King County voters that put her in office and the pork she sends home to appease them that keeps her there. Inertia and pork: the price of a non-thinking King County voter.
It's a shame Rossi wasted his last chance against Murray. He would have fared much better in this 'fed up with Democrats/incumbents' mood and against our very own bog-turtle Cantwell.
"But Murray doesn't claim this smaller gap when she is complaining about women being discriminated against."
Murray herself is too stupid to comprehend the contradiction.
Her handlers haven't needed to exhaust themselves to market her as acceptable to equally stupid Washington State Dimocrat voters.
11. except to the extent that it exposes that Murray is either lying, or a hypocrite.
If you weren't too lazy to present an actual example of Murray lying, I might be able to respond.
So let's just stay on topic and look at the central premise that Ron (and you) so dutifully parrot. The premise is that Murray's a hypocrite for pushing the PFA because the average pay of all women in her office is less than the average pay of all men. Of course, the PFA says nothing about simply comparing the average pay of men vs the average pay of women without considering differences in job category, experience, etc.
So, does that mean Ron is lying? Lemme know...
"If you weren't too lazy to present an actual example of Murray lying, I might be able to respond."
@14 - Why don't you do that yourself ? You would also be lazy for not even attempting it. It would compromise your ideology, but it would also give you some substance for a change. FYI- I have previously provided evidence why I believed Bush-43 to be a bad president.
One idea - why does she talk about equal pay for genders when she doesn't even provide equal gender pay for her staff as stated in the article. She was a mouthpiece for the phony war on women that the Democratics ginned up also. You don't have a lack of material - no excuses...
You don't have a lack of material...
Indeed. Patty "Nitwit in tennis shoes" Murray is, as they say, a "target-rich environment."
14. "war a women," ?
15. when facebook.mobi is often a web site and not just a redirect, i'll get energized
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A lot of people are doubtful in this day and age. There are many who are buying propaganda put forth by those with a materialistic world view. Among some of the founders of those proposing a doubtful view of the reliability of the bible was a man named Julius Wellhausen. He was a Doctor in Old Testement theology, later went to study Islam and eventually moved into New Testament theology. He openly claimed that the Old Testament was not historically accurate and doubted the miracles in the Old Testament ever took place.
Since Wellhausen’s day, many more proofs have become available. One of them is the Mesha Stele also known as the Moabite stone. This is one of the earliest inscriptions refering to YHWH and ancient Israel. On the inscription it discusses the “House of Omri”. 1 Kings chapter 16 discusses Omri and his ascent to power in the nation of Israel.
The Mesha Stele is just one of many examples validating the bible as a historically accurate record of the past. The next time someone doubts the validity of the bible, just tell ‘em “Meshe Stele”!
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Running more than three miles at a competitive pace requires grueling effort, practice and discipline. When training for cross country, you need to focus primarily on endurance; but don't make the mistake many cross country athletes do of avoiding the weight room. This ends up restricting the number of valuable ways you can improve and generally stay healthy. (See Strength Training For Cross-Country.)
To maintain intense training, you need to add specific strengthening exercises to your program. Add these five exercises from Core Blend Training to gain the strength you need to stay healthy and keep improving on the course.
This exercise helps strengthen the knees for the repetitive pounding they take when you run long distances. Stand up on your toes, then squat down, continuing to hold your heels off the ground. Perform one set with your toes pointing out, one with toes straight ahead and one with toes pointing in.
Glute Bridges strengthen the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. With your heels on a physioball or a bench, the rest of your body on the ground and your knees at a 90-degree angle, raise your hips up until your body is in a straight line, then lower back down.
These help strengthen back muscles that tighten up when you run for a long time. Holding a band or a rope attachment, pull your hands horizontally toward your face, ending with your hands next to your face.
Chin-Ups strengthen the parts of the back that are not hit by the Face Pull exercise. They also engage the biceps. Pull yourself up above the bar and lower back down with control. If you are doing more than twelve reps, add weight with a belt or vest.
Strengthen your entire core with this essential stabilization move. Resting on your elbows and toes, hold your entire body straight for time.
// Train like a National Guard Solider
// 100% FREE
// Click below to get started
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Chipmaker AMD has ruled out developing an app store as a method of pushing its GPGPU approach.
Xbit claims that AMD might be missing a trick by not adopting the app store model to popularise software that can use GPUs for computing.
The argument is that GPGPU has not taken off because punters do not know which programs support GPGPU and continue to buy applications that use x86 processing cores.
Neal Robison, senior director of content and application support at AMD said that he looked at setting up an app store to make sure consumers got the right software or recommend them the programs, but axed the idea.
AMD was interested in helping consumers get good applications but was not focused on creating a commercial app store.
He didn't rule out a centralised, one-stop location where users can easily find applications that are accelerated by AMD Fusion APU-powered PCs and Fusion education material.
But, he is worried that encouraging consumers to get only APU/GPU-accelerated programs may not be a good idea from a marketing perspective.
Some punters might get the impression that AMD Fusion-based platforms can run only some applications truly well when this is not the case, he said,
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Creating Park Stewards for Tomorrow
Starting in 2009, National Park Trust created several youth initiatives with the idea that our in order for our nation’s youth to become the conservation leaders of tomorrow and continue the legacy of protecting our parks, they must first learn to appreciate these places through valuable outdoor experiences.
Where's Buddy Bison Been?™
Buddy Bison is your travel companion to America's parks and public lands and water. Buddy Bison is NPT's pint-sized wooly mascot that encourages everyone to "explore outdoors, the parks are yours!" Take Buddy Bison to a park in your community or to a national or state park, Army Corps site, wildlife refuge or forest. On land or on water, take him along!
Buddy Bison School Program
Our Buddy Bison school program engages culturally diverse children in dynamic conservation and educational activities. We create opportunities for students to visit local, state or national parks and work directly with educators and park rangers who utilize our wooly mascot Buddy Bison and his toolkit as a teaching tool to enhance existing curriculum.
National Kids to Parks Day
National Kids to Parks Day is a nationwide grassroots movement which was established as part of National Park Trust’s ongoing efforts to connect youth across the country with nature and encourage them to explore outdoors – especially at parks in their communities. National Kids to Parks Day is held on the third Saturday every May and is responsible for bringing more than 100,000 kids and families to parks.
Mapping Our Progress
Our Buddy Bison Schools
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I hear and read stories about people who feel miserable in their jobs, but can't risk quitting in today's job market. Some who have held onto their jobs are even expressing envy toward those who have been laid off. It reminds me of a line from an old TV drama about an impending nuclear attack: "The living will envy the dead."
That's a bit melodramatic, but it does seem highly ironic to be jealous of someone who's collecting unemployment while you're drawing a steady paycheck. Still, there's enough misery among the employed that I'm sure some of them have wished for their own layoffs. ("You mean I don't have to put up with this miserable job anymore and can sleep in?!? Excellent!!)
Even the optimists among the still-employed may be more apt to ride out the recession before they look for new jobs. Based on the results of a recent survey, 54% of employed adults in North America are at least somewhat likely to look for new jobs once the economy turns around.
That's understandable if: (1) They didn't like their jobs or companies even before the recession struck but feel they need to stay put until job prospects improve, or (2) They wound up working more hours and spending less time with their families after they took on more work following a round or two of layoffs.
Meanwhile, there's no shortage of stuff on the web that says how being laid off can be an incredibly exhilarating experience that gives you time to recharge yourself, learn something new, spend more time with the family, and, heck, maybe even win a Nobel Prize. In 2002, during my own 7-month-long layoff, I did all that (except the Nobel part), and while it kept my spirits up, the depressing feeling of being jobless didn't go away. It's an awful feeling, even if it lasts for only minutes. Trust me, you don't want it.
All this led me to wonder how people are faring in this recession. If you're employed, how are things at work? If you're unemployed and looking for a job, what are you doing to stay focused and optimistic amid your job search?
Take our poll below and drop in a comment.
4 Visions of the Post-Recession Workforce
You Know the Job Outlook Is Bad When …
Jobless? Sometimes You Gotta Leggo Your Ego
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At yesterday’s TedxOilSpill, I spoke to the crowd about the questions I hear most from people who don’t see eye to eye with me on why the disaster in the Gulf is our call to action.
Here are my responses to the naysayers -- feel free to use these with any clean energy skeptic you come across.
1) Isn't the Deepwater drilling disaster just like an airplane crash? We don't shut down aviation when a plane crashes.
No. In an airplane crash, most of the victims are those who were on the airplane. In this case, most of the victims are the millions of people living in the Gulf. This is more like the guy who built a campfire in the dry season, against regulations, and burned down the national forest and all the towns and cities alongside it. That's why we have regulations against building campfires during the dry season: Not because every camper burns down his campsite, but because all we need is one. We have laws against dry season campfires, and we should have laws against ocean oil drilling.
2) There are 3600 drilling platforms in the gulf. Are you going to shut them all down?
We're not calling for a shutdown of the platforms, just of drilling. Once the wells are drilled, the risks go down. The pumping can continue, but the drilling has to stop.
3) So then isn't this just a deep-water problem? Can't we continue in the shallow water?
Ocean drilling in shallow water is also very risky. One of the top three oil drilling disasters of all time, Ixtoc 1, was in 160 feet of water. And last August, the Montara rig blow-out near Australia, which took 11 weeks to control, was in just 250 feet of water.
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The fossilised track of a giant water scorpion that lived 330 million years ago has been found in Scotland.
The six-legged water scorpion, Hibbertopterus , was about 1.6 metres long and one metre wide, and left a large track.
Dr Martin White, researcher at the University of Sheffield, discovered the large fossilised trackway in sandstone rock. When the giant water scorpion was alive, this would have been the shore of a lake or a swamp.
This is the first time Hibbertopterus has ever been recorded on land and the fossil trackways are some of the largest ever found. Larger trackways from the same animal are known in South Africa.
Survival out of water
The trackways indicate the creature could survive out of water. This was probably only for short periods though, perhaps to move from one pool of water to another. 'The animal would have dragged itself across wet mud, but it is debatable whether this was in or out of water,' said Dr Paul Selden, sea scorpion expert at the Natural History Museum.
Dr Paul Selden explains how the fossil was created after the animal moved across the mud. 'Sand would have washed over the mud and into the imprints, forming a natural cast of the trackway in the mud,' he said.
Hibbertopterus belongs to the group of extinct animals called Eurypterida, sometimes called sea scorpions. These giant creatures seem to have fed by sweeping up particles in muddy water and evidence suggests they were amphibious.
Despite being the size of man, Hibbertopterus was not an aggressive animal.
The Natural History Museum has a giant Carboniferous eurypterid in its collection, but not on public display, called Woodwardopterus. This is the closest relative to the infamous 'giant spider' Megarachne from Argentina - Dr Selden re-classified Megarachne as a giant eurypterid, not a giant spider, earlier this year.
From sea to land
The date of the fossil corresponds to the Carboniferous period of around 360 to 300 million years ago, a time when it is thought the earliest tetrapods, ancient four-legged creatures, were making their transition from the sea to land.
Dr Martin Whyte's research is reported in the journal Nature .
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A Digital Trail Of Evidence Linked The NYT Hack To China
Grady Summers of Mandiant, a cyber security firm hired by the Times, appeared on PBS Newshour last night to describe how they figured out it the attack was coming from China.
"We take this issue of attribution very seriously—we don't just casually toss out a country or particular threat actor," Summers said.
He then details how Mandiant's method is like that of a real-life detective.
Watch Summers describe the process:
Through Mandiant the New York Times figured out that the hackers from China was attempting to access the emails of a few China-based journalists. The writers had just published a piece of investigative journalism on Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
From the Times:
The timing of the attacks coincided with the reporting for a Times investigation, published online on Oct. 25, that found that the relatives of Wen Jiabao, China’s prime minister, had accumulated a fortune worth several billion dollars through business dealings.
The Times says that through cyber espionage, the hackers were hoping to find human sources of information for the aforementioned article.
Oddly enough though, the journalists say all the information was in Chinese public records.
China's hack on the New York Times is yet another of many headlines we've seen over the past year, and emphasizes the Defense Department's push to gird America's cyber-offensive and defensive capabilities.
Get Military & Defense Emails & Alerts
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A reader asked:
How applicable is the Good Lives Model (book review HERE) to working with people who have transgressed in ways other than sex offending?Answer:
The theory was not developed for sex offenders in particular. It is being adopted for use with sex offenders under the premise that their patterns of desistance from crime are similar to those of other criminal offenders. Many types of rehabilitation programs are turning to the Good Lives Model and other positive psychology approaches. By way of illustration, here is a testimonial from a Canadian psychologist who uses it with men who have engaged in family violence:
We have been using the Good Lives Model (GLM) in a family violence program for men who batter for the past year. The framework allows us to maintain all the traditional processes one might typically see in an offender program. It also supports the use of a variety of strategies pulled from narrative therapy, solution focused therapy, zen psychology, biofeedback, cognitive behavioural, learning theory, etc. while maintaining a cohesive theoretical perspective.Thanks to Ann Marie Dewhurst, Ph.D. of Edmonton for giving me permission to post this example of the Good Lives Model in action.
The GLM approach supports a stronger focus on offender engagement. We find that the men are more able to see what their role is in therapy. We have been conducting exit interview with clients as they complete the program. It is interesting to hear how the values embedded in the program are translated into their narratives. I rarely heard this kind of ownership of change from men when we were teaching a relapse prevention-style group.
I found that shifting to the GLM from a purely cognitive-behavioral, relapse prevention, risk-needs-responsivity approach allowed me to align my understanding of what constitutes good therapy from the effective counselling literature (i.e., the therapeutic engagement of the client). At times I have found the strict manualized approaches to treatment to be more "psycho-educational" than therapeutic.
Our population is largely non-convicted, self-referred men where drop out rates are typically very high. People are finishing this program. Our outcome measures suggest clients experience an increase in self-monitoring, emotional self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility, with reductions in perceived levels of anger and aggression.
I did relapse-prevention sex offender programming for many years and continue to integrate those materials and strategies into the current curriculum. We just get to add a lot more and have the theoretical underpinning to back up our efforts.
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Less than $300 from Spotify. More than $45,000 from iTunes.
Talking about how he makes money, the independent musician Jonathan Coulton has compared his business to a "special engineered cow who eats music and poops money." Coulton doesn't have any idea what happens inside the cow's gut, but that's okay. Money comes out the business end.
And that's how it is for most online musicians, or artists generally, in today's digital economy. If they're lucky enough to make money, they may not heavily analyze the particulars. They feed the cow music, and out comes the money.
So it's rare that we, as consumers or fans or fellow artists, get the ability to see exactly how successful makers support themselves: to look at the source of their earnings, and to glance up into the cow's -- well, I'll cut this metaphor now.
The avant garde cellist Zoe Keating has allowed us see her revenue model. Earlier this summer, she posted the details of her Spotify earnings, revealing that every time someone listened to one of her songs, she made about three tenths of a cent. She also posted her iTunes earnings at the time.
But yesterday, she augmented that data with new material: what she makes from Pandora, radio plays, and her participation in the royalty-collecting American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (which everyone calls ASCAP).
During those six months, Zoe Keating made (before taxes) $84,385.86. This is where that money came from:
Just taking a first look at these data, it becomes clear that buying music from artists directly -- through iTunes, Amazon or Bandcamp -- is the best thing you can do to support their music-making. Keating made 97% of her revenue through people just buying her music, whether through physical sales or digital download. Spotify subscribers pay their ten bucks a month for the service, and that even feels like a healthy little monthly gift to music-making. But it's not nearly as helpful to the artists as buying an album or a song from iTunes, Bandcamp or Amazon.
And this is a point Keating makes herself: that digital distribution -- even through iTunes -- most helps artists because it removes the middle man. In notes attached to her Google Doc, she writes:
The income of a non-mainstream artist like me is a patchwork quilt and streaming is currently one tiny square in that quilt. Streaming is not yet a replacement for digital sales, and to conflate the two is a mistake. I do not see streaming as a threat to my income, just like I've never regarded file-sharing as a threat but as a convenient way to hear music. If people really like my music, I still believe they'll support it somewhere, somehow. Casual listeners won't, but they never did anyway. I don't buy ALL the music I listen to either, I never did, so why should I expect every single listener to make a purchase? I think that a subset of my listeners pay for my music, and that is a-ok because...and this is the key.....there are few middlemen between us.
And there's one more point here, about streaming services and their similarity to radio (which, for Keating, means income from NPR in both its satellite and terrestrial broadcasts).
When Keating first revealed her streaming revenue, many compared her earnings from Spotify to radio royalties. That is, they're not worth much by themselves, but in the aggregate, they bring in some cash. The two have little in common as services -- when listening to the radio, you're not your own DJ -- but today's numbers both do and don't support that economic thesis.
During the fourth quarter of 2011, Keating made $77 from NPR and $149 from Spotify. But zoom out a bit, and it seems that a great month in radio reaps profits that streaming services can't touch. Last year, from April to December, Keating made $271 from Pandora -- and $640 from NPR. Radio helped Keating far more than streaming did. And advertising data might support that: according to this Mary Meeker slideshow, while Americans spend 11% of their time listening to radio, advertising companies (who drive the worth of the medium) spend 15% of their budgets there.
Ultimately, though, data from Keating alone don't provide enough evidence to know how the music business works right now. "I admit I have grander designs" than revealing the innards of her music-making cow, writes Keating in the Google Doc:
[I]f we are going to discuss the ideal structure of the new music industry, we need to know how recording artists make a living today or we're just spouting hyperbole. So, in the interest of evolving the discussion, I am making myself into a data point. I encourage other artists, if they are able, to do the same.
Let's hope so.
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Prints, Drawings, and Photographs
Sam Gilliam, American, born 1933. Printed by Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia. Book published by Hudson Hills Press, New York and Manchester.
Color offset lithograph
Currently not on view
2009-61-93cGift of the Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia, in memory of Anne d'Harnoncourt, 2009
LabelPainter Sam Gilliam created this print for the deluxe edition of the book Three Decades of American Printmaking: The Brandywine Workshop Collection, which was published to commemorate the workshop’s thirtieth anniversary. In 1975, Gilliam was the first visiting artist to make prints at Brandywine. Visiting artist residencies (typically one or two weeks in length) became the core of the workshop’s programming. The residencies provide opportunities for both emerging and established artists to focus on printmaking, removed from other obligations and working in a supportive environment with a master printer for technical guidance. By actively seeking artists from outside and within Philadelphia, the workshop broadens the experience of its young interns and apprentices, as well as community audiences who participate in its educational programs.
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Built in meadow in Yosemite Valley is a unique and historic Chapel, the oldest building in Yosemite. Located just off the Yosemite Valley Loop Road, this church was built in a New England style 130 years ago, completed on June 7, 1879. Originally built at the base of the “Four Mile Trail”, it was moved to the current site in 1901.
The chapel is an interdenominational church. In fact, the Yosemite Union Chapel Association deemed it so, in its incorporation in 1878 at ground breaking at the base of the “Four Mile Trail”.
On June 7, 1879 with John Muir as speaker, the chapel took its place in Yosemite history. Today, the chapel is used for Sunday services and numerous weddings and memorial services. Most noted, Former President Ulysses S. Grant visited Yosemite Valley in October of 1879, and when he died in 1885, memorial services for Grant were held in the Chapel.
Due to the proximity of the chapel to the Merced river, the dangers of floods were a reoccurring event each year. In 1966, the chapel was raised 5 feet by installs pilling under the structure. Even with this added height, the chapel was nearly destroyed by the flood of 1997. After reconstruction in the following year, marker plaques were mounted to show the water level within the church. It is amazing this 130 year old house of worship withstood this catastrophe.
On the upcoming June 7th anniversary of the Chapel, the granddaughter of Arthur Pillsbury will present her grandfather’s revolutionary photography works on the subject of Yosemite. In 1927, he built the first microscopic motion picture camera. A film showing some of his Yosemite accomplishments will be shown at the Chapel. Come to Yosemite in June and be part of this historic event.
Keywords: Yosemite Chapel, Yosemite Valley Loop Road, Four Mile Trail, John Muir, Ulysses S. Grant, Yosemite Union Chapel Association, Arthur Pillsbury, camera
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|A few days ago, news broke that Max Payne 3 would require ~35GB of storage space. That's a huge number; even Rage, released last year, came in at a hair under 20GB. If you've followed game development at all, you've undoubtedly come across figures showing how the cost of developing a next-generation title has risen at an geometric rate over the past 20 years.
Up and to the right, with a business model driven right into the dirt.
Much of that increased cost has gone towards creating art assets, with another sizeable chunk for hiring actors to do voice-over work. It's not a question of whether better graphics are something gamers want (they are), or if Max Payne 3 is gorgeous (it is). The cost curve is unsustainable over the long term, particularly given the trend towards handheld gaming.
What all of this suggests is that the game industry is in desperate need of an overhaul. Gamers aren't going to accept $80-$100 games, especially not with mobile prices in the 99 cent - $4.99 range and with food and gas prices on the rise. Attempts to seize the used game market and turn it into a profit source are liable to backfire and won't generate enough revenue to solve the problem in any case.
There's been some confusion on the point of this story, so I'm inserting a paragraph to address it directly.
If the long-term cost curve isn't sustainable and better art/special effects/voice overs are primarily responsible for rising costs, game developers need to find more sustainable ways of building better games. Unlike investments in art, which may only be useful for 1-2 titles, investing in building better games through improved AI routines, imaginative storytelling, and finding ways to make gamers feel more a part of the story can be carried over from engine to engine or even between console generations.
Solving The Problem One Headache At A Time:
As part of our positive approach to the problem (our therapist says it's a necessity), we've put together a list of some of the industry's most annoying game play clichés, from scripted sequences to impossibly incompetent NPCs -- and how they might be solved. Hopefully *will* be solved, because some of these techniques are older than dirt.
If You'd Only Been A Little Faster
Original game ad from PC Magazine. The left-hand side is a "typical shooter"
This mechanic made a major debut in Half Life, where it helped set the tone of the entire game. After (accidentally) kicking off the Resonance Cascade, Gordon stumbles out of the test lab and back into the main complex. There are a number of places in the early game where you'll see scientists abruptly yanked into ducts, ensnared and eaten by barnacles, or killed by headcrabs. Half Life was one of the first FPS games to offer this sort of scripted event, and it was a big deal. Previous games, like Quake II, relied on a silent-protagonist-against-the-world approach; Black Mesa, in contrast, felt much more organic.
We were thrilled to have other characters on screen that weren't trying to kill us.
It was a different time.
That was 1998. Fourteen years later, games still rely on exactly the same mechanic. The problem with this approach is that it breaks the idea of control and briefly transforms the game into a movie. Nothing kills the sense of being "in" a game more quickly than realizing that the redshirt running ahead of you or the civilian you unexpectedly encounter as you turn the corner is going to die, period, no matter what.
Fixing this can be as simple as allowing for the possibility of success. I'd argue, however, that these micro-scenes, properly harnessed, can be a potent force for increasing game immersion. Stumble upon a wounded marine fighting off an alien, and maybe it's possible to kill the alien, only to have the marine die from his wound, unless you're willing to sacrifice a medkit or have an appropriately high Medicine score (depending on the type of game).
Ideally, these sort of events would happen whether the player is there to witness them or not. If you're moving slowly through the level, maybe you only find the marine's body -- if you're slightly closer, you hear the sounds of the battle but may not arrive quickly enough to save his life. The true difference between a static event you witness and a dynamic event you play through is that the latter creates uncertainty -- and uncertainty is critical to keeping a game exciting.
|Conveniently Indestructable Objects|
|Suddenly, Unbreakable Glass
This difference between this cliche and the previous one is typically a matter of degree. The previous example refers to short scripted events while UGS (Unbreakable Glass Syndrome) tends to occur during plot sequences. One moment, you're walking through the game world carrying enough weaponry to devastate a mid-sized country. Suddenly, you catch sight of something important. You race forward, only to come up short against a pane of glass or other barrier.
You can tell this is an important plot sequence because I'm standing there like a moron.
To add insult to injury, the main character will often hammer on it. With a fist. As opposed to the FleshRend 9000 or Phase Transition Cannon strapped across his back. Avoiding this trend is more about good storytelling and scene creation than anything else -- giving players reasons not to do things is a much better way to handle the situation than arbitrarily forbidding them from doing so. In a game like Dead Space, pictured above, the reason could've been the risk of vacuum exposure or the high likelihood of killing the two hostages. Instead the doors are conveniently locked and none of my weapons even scorch the paint.
Monsters can smash through whenever it's convenient.
In this case, right after killing my captain. I stoically watched.
Ideally, let's just get rid of invulnerable structures, period. No more chain-link fence that moonlights as a solid surface, no more flimsy wooden doors capable of withstanding tank fire. A few games, like the Red Faction series, have played with this -- DICE has the right idea with Battlefield 3, which allows for a significant amount of environmental destruction, but such titles are a distinct minority.
Giving players the freedom to re-shape terrain does create certain challenges, but not as many as you might think. There's a reason why soldiers in the real world don't go around firing rocket launchers inside of buildings or hurling blocks of C4 at the opposing side.
Not Pictured: The original building
Physics, it turns out, is a really nasty end boss. The over-enthusiastic use of explosive ordinance in confined spaces could kill innocents, destroy valuable upgrades and ammo, completely ruins any chance of a stealth mission, and creates clouds of dust that choke and blind a player. At the same time, destructible environments open up more avenues for players to experiment and have fun inside the game.
|Press the Win Button!
One of the reasons why the Wing Commander and, to some extent, Freespace franchises were so great is that both of them allowed you to fail. They handled the concept differently -- Wing Commander had a "Losing Tree" of missions that was separate and distinct from the main game, while Freespace handed you difficult mission objectives that you could fail without losing the game. Both approaches created uncertainty and left the player wondering if better performance in-mission would change elements of future missions.
In contrast, virtually every game today demands uniform success. Fail an objective and you die. Success becomes something scripted rather than one option out of several, and the fact that the gamer knows there's no other possible outcome takes away from the fun of playing through a second time. Every now and then, a game like Call of Duty will throw in a mission where failure, is inevitable, but these are so obviously scripted that there's still no question as to whether you ever actually had a chance.
Obviously it's not possible to create an alternate outcome for every mission or scenario, but even a handful of alternatives goes a very long way to keeping a title interesting. Deus Ex: Human Revolution offers a great example of this sort of structure. At the beginning of the game, you've only got a certain amount of time to start the first mission. If you dawdle, a group of third-shift workers being held hostage end up dying. Later in the mission, there's a woman you can save—if you talk down the man with a gun to her head.
Meet Josie: MIddle-aged, a bit stout, and terrified.
Her reaction to her husband's death made me replay the mission to see if I could save him.
You know what happens if you let either the group or the woman die? The game, like life, goes on. People express reservations over whether or not you were ready for the job, and there's some discussion of your methods, but the player is left wondering whether you could've changed things or made different choices that resulted in a happier outcome.
Creating replayability is as much about offering different, legitimately interesting outcomes as it is about good AI or well-implemented difficulty. If you want people to come back for a second-helping of single-player, offer them a character that evolves into one type of person if he wins, another if he loses.
|Fetch Quests & The Chosen One|
We're Going to Split Into Teams... (Or the ridiculously limited plot)
Team A and Team B. Team A will consist of myself, Stan, Kyle, Eric, Chef, and Nurse Goodly.
Team B will consist of Kenny.
Back when computer gaming involved staring at an oscilloscope, it made sense to have a single protagonist--a Chosen One--on whom everything depended. Nowadays, it's a frustrating example of limited imagination. There's a fine line between being an important protagonist in a story and being the sole focus of the plot.
Dammit, Data, I said a fedora. A FEDORA.
Riker! Stop ogling the Romulan ambassador.
Imagine if every Star Trek episode consisted of watching over Data's shoulder as he fetched things for Picard or if Star Wars included a lengthy segment in which Han, acting under orders, gave Chewie a bath, combed his fur, and threw in a nice foot massage.
The face of satisfaction.
On second thought, actually, don't imagine that. Ever.
The point is, we accept ridiculously limited plot contrivances in gaming than in any other medium. NPCs rarely do anything of importance unless they're called upon to do so via a plot twist in which every other standard game mechanic is chucked right out the window.
Aerith's death in Final Fantasy VII is the gold standard for this sort of thing.
If this video doesn't make you sniffle, you have no soul.
Ironically, hyper-focusing on one character -- any one character -- makes it difficult to create a compelling story or interesting world. When everything revolves around the actions of a single character, the rest of the world is reduced to the status of cardboard cutouts. Taking the focus off the human player's character might seem counter-intuitive, but showing NPCs as bad-asses in their own right, giving them credible tasks to do, or making them an important part of a narrative rather than a mannequin for the player's romantic interests actually makes the game easier to care about.
|Honorable Mention: A Very Special Skyrim
Being an NPC in Skyrim requires that you pass some sort of terminal stupidity check. I've created a short multiple choice test below:
You're a small-time bandit living near Whiterun who enjoys Horker sandwiches, long walks through the countryside, and taking an arrow to the knee. There's a pair of possible marks walking close to the cave you and your handful of half-starved followers call home, seemingly unaware of your presence. As they approach, you notice that one is covered in gleaming black plate that flickers with magical energy and strange, demonic-looking runes. The other wears flexible scales with boney protrusions at the shoulders and the tough, weathered look of dragon hide. Both carry eldritch weapons of ancient design and terrible purpose.
As you spy on your potential prey, one of the figure makes a remark to the other. The second laughs -- and six birds drop dead out of the sky.
A) Fight to the death.
C) Hide. If they notice you, attempt to buy your life with the handful of gold coins and old cabbage you've managed to squirrel away.
If you answered anything but A, we're sorry -- you're just too smart to be a Skyrim NPC. Skyrim, to be fair, is far from the only game that uses this sort of mechanic, but the behavior of its NPCs stands out in what's otherwise an excellent title. Bandits and other low-level NPCs will continue to attack you on sight, despite the obvious disparity in your equipment and capabilities.
This sort of game design is irksome because it directly contradicts human behavior. In real life, criminals make decisions about who they will and won't waylay based on the person's size, bearing, and estimated capability for self-defence / violence. If you make your living robbing people, this is a vital job skill, which is why it's hilarious when would-be muggers pick the wrong targets.
Yes. Attack me. That's a good move.
In Skyrim, I'm wearing pieces of dragons I killed, I've got a demonic horse, an undead assassin helper monkey, and I can fling giants off a cliff with a well-articulated belch. I have a second deadly companion who follows me around as a pack mule. You have a broken sword and a badly-stained pair of pants.
This ties into another problem with Skyrim, which is that very few NPCs ever actually surrender. Instead, NPCs will cower when low on life, typically shouting "I yield!" Stepping back and sheathing your weapon doesn't lead to any sort of negotiated surrender or strategic retreat. Instead, they'll just start attacking you again. I've actually felt guilty for killing bandits who simply wouldn't stop whacking me ineffectually with a sword while I went about my business.
This sort of behavior earns an honorable mention because it's not the same as the clichés we've been discussing but it's still frustratingly immersion-breaking.
|Clichés only become clichés because they're popular. In the case of those we're discussing, some of them date back decades or were readily adapted from film. The concept of the Chosen Hero, of course, dates back to the beginning of recorded history -- or at least to The Adventure of Zelda.
We're PC gamers here, which means we arguably love eye candy more than the console crowd -- at the very least, we shell out for systems and games that track the technology curve far more tightly. All the same, if the figures don't work, they don't work.
When Half-Life came out, I played it on a K6-233 with 64MB of RAM and a 12MB Voodoo 2. Today I game on a system clocked more than 10x higher with 4x the cores, 256x as much RAM, and a GPU that fifty Voodoo 2's in parallel couldn't match. If Half-Life-style sequences are still the rage, it's not because underlying hardware hasn't offered the ability to deliver something different.
None of these alternatives are as easy as "make the monsters look better," but if the industry's cost projections are to be believed, that's a losing proposition in the long run. The best thing the game industry could do is to focus on improving how we interact with games and what sort of natural, immersive actions are possible, versus the lopsided situation we're in now where burning millions on building better pixels is the rage and game play takes a back seat.
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Exotic Wood- Bloodwood
is sometimes referred to as satine or cardinal wood, for its obvious
beautiful deep rose colour. With age it's colour does darken, but
not significantly so it is a great wood to use in intarsia projects,
pool cues, bloodwood humidors and jewelry boxes, and occasionally
the jewelry that goes inside.
I've had a few customers even use this exotic bloodwood lumber
for guitar bodies but usually laminated to a lighter wood on the
back to keep the weight down.
The Tree:(Brosimum paraense)
wood is very dense, with a tight fine, mostly linear grain. It is
relatively difficult to plane without good equipment as it can have
a tendency to tear out if your blades are not sharp.
Bloodwood wood can have a tendency to warp especially if resawing
thin boards. I've not found bloodwood to be the most stable wood
I've used, even once it has been dried properly, so if you are thinking
of resawing any material, remember not to leave it around without
weighing it down, or you'll come back in the morning and it will
be twisted. Once it is locked into position say in the panel of
a jewelry box, you rarely have trouble.
Weight: 24 lbs. Per cubic foot.
Bloodwood wood is relatively easy to finishes with no oils or sap
pockets that I've come across. Takes on a beautiful shine with limited
effort. The grain is so tight that you can get a jewelry finish
with polishing up to 1000 grit.
Machines moderately well. Very directional when planing. It sands
easily, into very fine particles, to a glass like finish, as long
as you use quality sandpaper, and take the time to work down the
grit sizes ... well worth the work..
As with most very dense exotic woods bloodwood is best to mill
just prior to glue up to get the best possible conditions for bonding.
Using a water proof PVA glue with its extra holding power is not
such a bad idea .. something like a Titebond III or Helmitin 805..
both handle exactly the same as a standard wood glue but of better
quality and strength for difficult woods like bloodwood.
APPALACHIAN DULCIMER: here's some interesting pictures of a
fellow making an appalachian dulcimer with a bloodwood fretboard.
And I thought I had heard-seen it all until I checked out this
fellows site that actually makes exotic
bloodwood circuit boards, just because he thought it would be
kind of cool. Seems like kind of a waste of such a beautiful wood,
but I guess each to their own.....
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H2Roma is a communication event on sustainability of energy, mobility and cars promoted by CIRPS - Interuniversity Research Centre for Sustainable Development - Sapienza University of Rome, CNR - National Research Council - Energy and Transportation Department, ENEA – Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development. The scientific coordination is assigned to Prof. Orecchini and his research section SEM – Energy and Mobility Systems of CIRPS.
The ambitious digital outreach project supporting the Treasures of the Bodleian exhibition (2011) resulted in a responsively designed website, interpretative QR codes and a mobile app focusing on one question: What is a ‘treasure’?
Defining a ‘treasure’ was a central theme for the physical exhibition in preparation for a permanent treasures gallery opening in 2015.
The digital project turned this central theme into the following objectives:
Cambridge recently set out an aspiration to improve the means by which it communicates with prospective applicants in the UK. This has resulted in a series of projects under the ‘Be Cambridge’ title aimed at prospective undergraduate applicants in Year 12 or equivalent (i.e. 16-17 year olds) from under-represented groups.
The project began with a scoping study to look at use of new media by our target audience. This included a detailed analysis of social media use, as well as focus groups across the country. The main findings were:
Real training and virtual backup: this is the project Sapienza Fashion – ModaSapienza, based on a series of seminars held by top managers, analysts and entrepreneurs who best represent the Italian and international fashion system. We produced the website www.seminarimodasapienza.it with its corresponding Facebook page (modasapienza) and twitter account (#modasapienza). The website was launched in January 2012 following a warm-up period in December 2011.
Jellyfish are taking over the world ocean, replacing fish. The fish-jellyfish transition is being perceived at the level of the public due to dramatic increases in stung people, impairment of fisheries (due to predation on fish eggs and larvae and on the crustacean prey of the fish juveniles), clogging of cooling systems of coastal firms such as desalinization plants, and power plants, impact on cage aquaculture.
Scientific Output Portal (PPC) is a software developed by SIGMA Gestión universitaria AIE (SIGMAAIE) (1) in collaboration with University Pompeu Fabra (UPF) , to show on an easy and intuitive way, all the scientific output of an institution, grouped by researcher, department, research center and/or research figure (research groups, units,…), accessible from the UPF institutional web site and with free access to the scientific community and society.
The Sex and History project, which is part of Sexual Knowledge, Sexual History at the University of Exeter’s Centre for Medical History, draws upon the world-leading research of Dr Rebecca Langlands and Professor Kate Fisher to meet the need for effective sex and relationship education. It empowers young people to discuss pressing contemporary issues in a supportive environment. At its heart is a methodology that uses historical objects from past cultures such as ancient Rome or China as a springboard for discussion, debate and creative responses.
The Centre for Creative Collaboration "C4CC" brings together leading researchers from London’s universities, creative industry practitioners and freelancers, SMEs and students, and delivers a proven neutral environment based on the principles of open innovation. New collaborative projects are conceived, developed, delivered and disseminated.
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In the influential essay in which he claimed that Jeremy Bentham was one of the "great seminal minds" of the age, John Stuart Mill described the characteristic intellectual approach deployed by this father of Utilitarianism. Although on the one hand Mill's presentation of Benthamite method makes it appear the very anthithesis of the poetic, on the other he shows that shares a characteristically Romantic emphasis — an emphasis upon particularity, detail, and specific fact. According to Mill,
Bentham's method may be shortly described as the method of detail; of treating wholes by separating them into their parts, abstractions by resolving them into Things, — classes and generalities by distinguishing them into the individuals of which they are made up; and breaking every question into pieces before attempting to solve it. The precise amount of originality of this process, considered as a logical conception — its degree of connexion with the methods of physical science, or with the previous labours of Bacon, Hobbes, or Locke — is not an essential consideration in this place. Whatever originality there was in the method — in the subjects he applied it to, and in the rigidity with which he adhered to it — there was the greatest. Hence his interminable classifications.
Certainly, the preceeding explanation of Bentham's analytic approach exemplifies precisely the abstract theorizing and classification attacked by a line of nineteenth-century Romantic writers from Blake and Keats through Carlyle, Dickens, and Ruskin.
Nonetheless, when Mill continues his description of Bentham's fundamental approach, he makes the Utilitarian sage and guru sound surprising like these Romantic and Post-romantic authors, all of whom fervently believe that one can only approach reality through specific details. As Mill, who shares this emphasis, points out,
It is a sound maxim, and one which all close thinkers have felt, but which no one before Bentham ever so consistently applied, that error lurks in generalities: that the human mind is not capable of embracing a complex whole, until it has surveyed and catalogued the parts of which that whole is made up; that abstractions are not realities per se, but an abridged mode of expressing facts, and that the only practical mode of dealing with them is to trace them back to the facts (whether of experience or of consciousness) of which they are the expression. [221; emphasis added]
Bentham as much as Keats or Ruskin completely opposes the emphasis of Pope, Johnson, and other neoclassical poets and critics upon generalization. Although very much a product of the eighteenth century — and of what contemporary trendy jargon calls the "Enlightenment Project" — Bentham clearly provides both a philosophical analogue to key aspects of Romanticism and a philosophical justification for it!
Bentham, Jeremy. An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907. First edition 1780.
Houghton, Walter E. The Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-1870. New Haven: Yale UP, [c. 1956], esp. 93-96.
Mill, John Stuart. "Bentham," quoted from Autobiography and Other Writings. Ed. Jack Stillinger. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1969. Original appeared in The London and Westminster Review 29 (August 1839): 467-506.
Last modified 28 February 2002
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Thermo UV microplates are designed specially for your applications adapted for the UV wavelength area. The performance is optimal down to at least 220 nm with fairly low absorbance background. Thus nucleic acid and protein determinations using this microplate made of UV light transmitting material are enabled at 260/280 nm. The microplate is also compatible with any standard microplate reading or liquid handling device.
(Ordering Quantity: 40 pcs/box)
Flat bottom microplates for absorbance measurements at the UV wavelengths Thermo offers a higher throughput alternative for expensive quartz cuvettes in a 96 well format for measurements at UV wavelengths. The UV plate has low background and offers great performance at the wavelengths most important for nucleic acid and protein determinations, 260 and 280 nm. The microplate is also robotic friendly having standardized microplate footprint and thus being perfect for use with Multiskan Spectrum or any standard UV/Vis reader.
Great performance for your DNA and protein applications The application areas of the 96 well UV Microtiter plate include protein and nucleic acid concentration as well as DNA purity determinatinos.
Write a review
Sharing your experience will help scientists like you. Achieve Reviewer Status and Win an iPad 3 (All reviews published will be entered into the next drawing on May 31st 2013).
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From the DVD case: The Innocents, a chilling adaptation of Henry James’ novella “The Turn of the Screw,” is one of the most frightening films ever made. Set in nineteenth-century England, this gothic ghost story centers around a governess (Deborah Kerr) taking care of two orphans in a foreboding Victorian mansion. As eerie apparitions appear and the children’s behavior becomes strange, the governess begins to wonder about the the fate of the previous governess and her sadistic lover. Could it be that their restless spirits are conspiring to corrupt the innocence of the children, or is this “haunting” a product of her own fears and imagination? (1961, b&w)
Mark says: This movie has everything going for it: a respectable lead actress in Deborah Kerr (as Miss Giddens), two fine child actors in Martin Stephens (Village of the Damned, The Witches) and Pamela Franklin (who later went on to star in such movies as The Legend of Hell House and Satan’s School for Girls) and a wonderfully atmospheric setting in an old, and possibly haunted mansion.
Add to that, fine direction by Jack Clayton, a screenplay by William Archibald and Truman Capote, which is based on a novella by Henry James, and you have a combination that is hard to beat.
The Innocents is as much a psychological chiller as it is a ghost story. Miss Giddens is a nervous and sensitive woman (similar to Eleanor Lance from 1963′s The Haunting) who finds herself in charge of two precocious children, Miles and Flora, in a large country mansion.
In this unsettling atmosphere, we are never entirely certain if the apparitions that Miss Giddens sees are real or of her own imagination. Miss Giddens could be wise to the way of the apparitions, or she may simply be mad. Throughout the movie, no other character admits to seeing the ghosts, but we are given cause to believe they may have their own reasons for denying their existence.
A key to this film is Miss Giddens fear that the children have been “corrupted” by the previous governess and valet. This corruption comes in the form of sexual knowledge. Miss Giddens fears the children may have even witnessed sexual acts between the two departed spirits, or even worse.
It is hinted that Miss Giddens has come from a strict, and perhaps repressed background. Furthermore, she may have unexpressed longings for the children’s uncle, who hired her for the job under the condition that she never bothers him with their affairs. However, none of this is clearly stated, and we are left guessing as to the state of Miss Giddens’ mindset. Are these apparitions a manifestation of her own discomfort with sexuality, or is her obsession with the “corruption” of the children founded?
We are treated to some genuinely creepy, and sometimes disturbing scenes as Miss Giddens tries to unravel the mystery of the house. I will never play a game of hide and seek in a large mansion after seeing this movie. I will also never allow children to hum haunting ballads while dancing in the rain beside a haunted lake. Just call me cautious.
The one fault I found in this film is that it seems to hit a plateau of eeriness too early. I was constantly expecting the spooky index to be kicked up a notch, and was a little disappointed when it wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, though, this film is plenty creepy and definitely worth your time.
I might add, you can watch this movie as a straight ghost story, and it is just as good.
Scene to watch for: That’s no way to kiss your governess.
Line to listen for: “What if the Lord just leaves me here to walk around? Isn’t that what happens to some people?”
Supplemental reading: An analysis of Turn of the Screw by Henry James.
Mark’s Rating: ! ! ! ! out of 5.
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Praise be to Allaah.
The fuqaha’ are
unanimously agreed that divorce may take place in writing, because divorce
may be understood from writing letters, so it is akin to speaking, and
because writing may take the place of words uttered by the writer. The
evidence for that is the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was commanded to convey the message, so he conveyed it
sometimes by speaking and sometimes in writing. So the writing by means of
which divorce takes place is clear writing, such as writing on a paper, a
wall or on the ground, in a manner that can be understood and read. As for
writing that is not clear, such as writing in the air or in water or
anything that cannot be understood and read, this does not count as a
divorce, because this writing is like muttering that cannot be heard. End
If the husband writes a
message to his wife saying “You are divorced,” whether that is via a mobile
phone or on a piece of paper or via e-mail, then it depends on his intention
at the time of writing. If he was determined to divorce her, then it counts
as a divorce, but if he wrote that without the intention of divorce, rather
he wanted to make his wife upset or some other reason, then it does not
count as a divorce.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Divorce
does not take place if the word of divorce (talaaq) is not uttered, except
in two cases, one of which is when a person is unable to speak, such as a
man who is mute; if he issues a divorce by means of gestures, then his wife
The second case is if the divorce is written; if he intended
it as such then his wife is divorced. This is the view of al-Sha’bi,
al-Nakha’i, al-Zuhri, al-Hakam, Abu Haneefah and Maalik, and it is the view
that is narrated from al-Shaafa’i.
If a man writes it without intending divorce, then it does
not count as such according to the majority of scholars, because writing is
open to interpretation, and he may have intended just to test the pen, or
improve his handwriting, or upset his wife, without intending it (as a
divorce). End quote from al-Mughni, 7/373
It says in Mataalib Ooli al-Nuha (5/346): If the one who
wrote the words of divorce says: I only intended to improve my handwriting
thereby, or I only intended to upset my wife, that is to be accepted,
because he knows best what his intention was, and he intended something that
may be interpreted as other than divorce… and if he intended to upset his
wife by making her think that he was divorcing her when in fact that was not
the case, then he was not intending to divorce her. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: a
man was sitting with his sister and his wife and he asked his sister to
bring him a pen, then he wrote on a paper: “Talaaq, talaaq (divorce,
divorce)” without referring to anybody. His sister got angry and took the
pen, then she wrote three times, Talaaq, talaaq, talaaq (divorce, divorce,
divorce).” Then she threw the paper to his wife and said to her: “Look, is
what I have written correct?” But he did not intend to write these words for
He replied: This divorce does not count as such for the wife
mentioned, if he did not intend thereby to divorce her. Rather he was simply
writing or he intended something other than divorce, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by
This view was held by very many of the scholars and some of
them narrated that it was the view of the majority, because writing is like
a metaphor, and a metaphor does not count as a divorce unless it is intended
as such, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, unless
the writing is accompanied by evidence that the intention was divorce, in
which case it counts as such.
In the incident mentioned, there is nothing to indicate that
the intention was divorce, so the marriage remains as it is, and actions are
judged by intentions. End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him)
We have received your question, from which we understand that
a man wrote one divorce to his wife So and so the daughter of So and so, and
that he added his signature and name to the writing, but he did not intend
thereby to divorce his wife at all. Rather he wrote the paper to scare his
wife and threaten her so that she would stop treating her husband badly. You
are asking whether this man’s divorce of his wife counts as such or not.
The answer: Praise be to Allaah. If the matter is as
described, and by clearly writing words of divorce to his wife he did not
intend anything other than to threaten her and scare her so that she would
stop treating him badly, and he did not intend divorce at all, then this
does not count as a divorce. And Allaah is the Source of strength. End
Fataawa Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem,
11/ question no. 3051
Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Ibraaheem was also asked about a man who wrote words of divorce to his wife,
intending thereby to upset his wife and threaten her. He replied:
It seems to us that this divorce does not count as such,
rather he intended thereby to upset his wife and threaten her. The scholars
have stated that if he intended by writing the words of divorce to improve
his handwriting or upset his family, then his intention is to be accepted
and the divorce does not count as such. It says in Sharh Zaad
al-Mustaqni’ (vol. 3 p. 150): If a man clearly writes the word of
divorce to his wife in such a way that it appears clear, it counts as a
divorce even if he did not intend it as such, because it is clearly stated.
If he says, “I intended only to improve my handwriting or to upset my
family,” that is to be accepted. End quote.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. End quote.
Fataawa Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem, 11/question no. 3050.
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Issue Spotlight: Milk
Today, June 1, is World Milk Day! The POPVOX team is taking this opportunity to spotlight bills related to milk and the dairy industry. We hope you weigh in, and share this list with your friends, networks or milk drinkers!
Issue Spotlight: Milk
- HR 1830 authorizes the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption (and S 1955).
- S 458 The Milk Quality Standards Act establishes and enforces a maximum somatic cell count requirement for fluid milk.
- HR 3372 The Dairy Pricing Deregulation Act deregulates the Federal milk marketing order program and publishes competitive milk price survey data.
- S 1714 The Dairy Producer Income Protection Act extends the milk income loss contract program and requires the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct hearings to assess the implications of transitioning Federal milk marketing orders from end-product pricing to a competitive pay pricing system.
- S 1640 The Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act requires the Secretary of Agriculture to determine the price of all milk used for manufactured purposes, which shall be classified as Class II milk, by using the national average cost of production.
- S 1682 The Dairy Advancement Act promotes growth and opportunity for the dairy industry in the US.
- HR 3062 The Dairy Security Act establishes a program for dairy producers under which producers can offset reductions in producer income when the margin between milk prices and feed costs is less than a specified amount and establishes a dairy market stabilization program for producers participating in the margin protection program.
- S 457 The Democracy for Dairy Producers Act allows modified bloc voting by cooperative associations of milk producers in connection with a referendum on Federal milk marketing order reform.
- HRes 153 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the school breakfast program (and SRes 98).
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.
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WEDNESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Off-road motorcycles are
safer than four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in riding and
racing crashes on trails, sand dunes and other rough terrain, a
new, large-scale study shows.
In findings that may surprise racing enthusiasts and even safety
experts, Johns Hopkins researchers found that victims of ATV
crashes were 50 percent more likely to die of their off-road
injuries than similarly injured motorcyclists.
In addition, ATV riders were 55 percent more likely to be
admitted to an intensive care unit and 42 percent more likely to be
placed on a ventilator.
The findings emerged from Johns Hopkins researchers' review of
data on 60,000 patients who were injured in an off-road motorcycle
or ATV crash between 2002 and 2006.
"There's a belief that four wheels must be safer than two," Cassandra Villegas, a researcher fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Surgery Trials and Outcomes, said in a Hopkins news release. "But we found the opposite. People involved in ATV crashes are more likely to die or suffer serious trauma."
The study was to be presented this week at a meeting of the
American College of Surgeons in Washington D.C.
It's not clear why ATV crashes result in more severe injuries
and increased risk of death, but the researchers suggested some
possible factors. All-terrain vehicle riders may wear less
protective clothing than off-road motorcyclists. Also, ATVs are
much heavier than off-road motorcycles and can cause severe crush
injuries when they land on top of crash victims.
The number of injuries in the United States involving ATVs or
off-road motorcycles increased from 92,200 in 2000 to 150,900 in
2007, according to Villegas.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission offers
ATV safety tips.
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Art Authority Ships K-12 edition, A Perfect Fit for the iPad mini
November 2, 2012 in Education
[prMac.com] Ashland, Oregon - The creators of the award-winning Art Authority app line announced that they have added a special K-12 iPad app to the line, timed to coincide with availability of Apple's new iPad mini. Art Authority K-12 for iPad, a full-featured "age appropriate" version of their award-wining iPad app, is available immediately through the App Store. The app includes access to works by the same 1000+ western artists as the rest of the line, but with nudity and other sexual content removed. Essential historical works, such as "Venus de Milo" and "Creation of Adam," are still included through special detailed views that avoid nudity.
"Teachers have been telling us they love Art Authority and want to use it in the classroom, but don't want to worry about inadvertently exposing students to inappropriate content," said Alan Oppenheimer, president of Art Authority co-developer Open Door Networks. "We wanted to be sure we still provided them with a complete historic view in the process. Art Authority K-12 happily accomplishes both goals. Plus it's a perfect fit for the new iPad mini, Apple's least expensive tablet."
Art Authority K-12 is available immediately through the App Store for a special introductory price of $3.99, and will be available through Apple's Education Volume Purchase Program. Details of all Art Authority products and services, including the recently announced Prints on Demand program, are available through the Art Authority Web site.
Art Authority for iPad is the only iPad Reference app to be named to Apple's Rewind 2011 and Rewind 2010 "best of" lists. It brings over 55,000 high-resolution classic works of art to users' fingertips. Hailed as "an experience unlike any other" and "visually dazzling," the app professionally displays paintings and sculptures by over 1000 major western artists from ancient times through current-day. The app is in use by Seton Hill University and a number of other educational institutions worldwide. Art Authority for Macintosh, iPhone, and Kindle Fire bring similar functionality to these devices.
Art Authority is the product of an innovative collaboration between two separate software companies, Open Door Networks and Project A. The mission of Art Authority is the design, development and deployment of the best ways for users to experience art on their modern-day devices.
* Requires iPad with iOS 4.3 or later
* 101 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Art Authority K-12 for iPad 1.0 is $3.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category.
Open Door Networks, Inc. was founded in 1995 by Alan Oppenheimer, co-creator of AppleTalk, the original network system for the Macintosh. Open Door is a leading provider of Internet and mobile solutions for Apple products. Copyright (C) 2012 Open Door Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
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U.S. Growth In Q4 Likely Stronger On Export Gains
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in December because exports rose while oil imports plummeted. The smaller trade gap means the economy almost surely grew in the October-December quarter — an improvement from the government's estimate last week that it shrank in the final months of 2012.
The trade deficit fell nearly 21 percent in December from November to $38.6 billion, the Commerce Department said Friday. That's the smallest in nearly three years.
Exports rose 2.1 percent to $186.4 billion. Exports of oil and other petroleum products rose to the highest level on record. Overseas shipments of agriculture goods and aircraft also increased.
Imports shrank 2.7 percent to $224.9 billion. Oil imports plunged to 223 billion barrels, the fewest since February 1997.
"All this is encouraging and ... it now looks like exports will continue to strengthen as the year goes on," said Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics. A survey of U.S. manufacturers, released last week, showed that export orders grew in January for the second straight month.
A narrower trade gap boosts growth because it means U.S. companies earned more from overseas sales while consumers and businesses spent less on foreign products.
Fewer exports were one of the reasons the government's first estimate of economic growth in the October-December quarter showed a contraction at an annual rate of 0.1 percent. The December trade deficit figures were not available when the government reported its estimate last week.
Jim O'Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, estimates the improved trade picture will add 0.7 percentage point to economic growth in the October-December quarter. That would show growth at an annual rate of 0.6 percent.
The government will issue its second estimate for fourth-quarter growth on Feb. 28. Sluggish restocking by companies and deep cuts in defense spending are expected to keep growth at the end of last year weak.
The trade deficit also narrowed for all of last year, shrinking 3.5 percent to $540.4 billion.
Many economists believe that trade will give the economy a small lift in 2013. That forecast is based on an assumption that the European debt crisis will stabilize, helping boost U.S. exports to that region, and economic growth in Asia will continue to rebound.
The politically sensitive trade deficit with China rose to $315.1 billion last year, the largest on record with any country. That could add to pressure on the Obama administration and Congress to take a harder line on China's trade practices. Some U.S. manufacturers contend that China keeps the value of its currency artificially low to make its exports to the U.S. cheaper.
"The record trade deficit with China will not disappear on its own," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. "Congress and the Administration must take on currency manipulation ... as well as China's persistent cheating on its trade obligations."
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CHAPEL HILL — Neighbors of UNC’s animal research facility in rural Orange County will get much of the information they want after the state asked the university for more details about its wastewater.
UNC is seeking state approval to modify and resume using its wastewater treatment system at the Bingham Facility, three buildings west of Carrboro that currently house about 150 dogs used to study hemophilia and other blood disorders.
Last month the Orange County Board of Adjustment denied neighbors’ request for a public hearing on a new permit when it determined the university’s plans fell outside the county’s jurisdiction and required only state approval.
In a Dec. 6 letter, however, the state Division of Water Quality asked the university for much more information about its plans.
The state wants to know what pollutants are in the wastewater, the effectiveness of proposed treatment of any carcinogens and isotopes, and a list of surfactants (detergents) used in washing down cages and throughout the facility.
The letter from environmental engineer Nathaniel Thornburg also asks UNC to reconsider how much wastewater it expects to generate and possibly scale back the irrigation field where it plans to spray the treated wastewater.
“It’s more than what we would usually ask an applicant to provide,” Thornburg said. “We want to address the public’s concern and get the information on the record.”
The state’s request, especially its suggestion that UNC consider downsizing its spray field, addresses neighbors’ major fear. They worry that a bigger field, plus the university’s purchase of three nearby properties, signals plans for a bigger facility.
Associate Vice Chancellor Bob Lowman, however, has stressed that the university has no plans to expand at Bingham
“We are very pleased,” said Laura Streitfeld , director of the grassroots watchdog group Preserve Rural Orange. “I consider it great progress and a victory for all of the neighbors who expressed the concerns. I think it’s terrific.”
The state has given UNC a Jan. 5 deadline to respond but says the university can request an extension.
The university has been spending about $3,500 a month pumping and hauling the Bingham Facility’s waste to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority treatment plant since it shut its system down two and half years ago, Associate Vice Chancellor Bob Lowman said. A three-month delay could cost about $10,000.
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Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma aids children with Summer Feeding Program
For the 10th consecutive year, the food bank will provide free breakfast and lunch to children at locations around Oklahoma City.
A. Jaye Johnson has seen many sack lunches and milk cartons provided in his time as unit director at the Memorial Park Boys and Girls Club in Oklahoma City.
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The free lunches are part of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma's Summer Feeding Program, which Johnson said has been a blessing since it began 10 years ago.
“When parents drop off their kids they always say ‘Make sure you eat,'” Johnson said. “I am proud to say the food bank has helped us do that.”
Last summer, the food bank served 114,017 meals at 49 locations. This year programs are set up at 59 locations in Oklahoma City that serve lunch, with some sites also serving breakfast.
Ryan Abernathy, program director for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, said the meals are important because 90 percent of students in Oklahoma City Public Schools are on free or reduced-price lunch plans during the school year and need meals during summer.
“Lots of kids are dependent on these meals when school lets out, so we try to provide them with a nutritious meal each day,” Abernathy said.
The meals are funded by the Summer Food Service Program, a nationwide program that provides food for children when they are not in school.
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