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How a Palin nomination could expand Obama's playing field
A series of state polls released over the last few weeks suggest that if Republicans nominate former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2012 it could hand President Obama a considerable electoral vote margin next November.
"I'd say it is too early to tell, but almost every poll taken now says former Governor Palin would certainly lose a 2012 Presidential race in a landslide," said Republican consultant Mike Murphy. "She is the Obama White House's secret weapon to wipe out the GOP on election day 2012."
The latest survey to show a traditionally red state potentially swinging to Obama if Palin is the Republican nominee comes out of Tennessee. A Vanderbilt University survey found Obama at 42 percent to 37 percent for Palin even though nearly 54 percent of respondents said they disapprove of the job the president is doing. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won the state in 2008 by 15 points.
Tennessee hasn't been red forever, however. Bill Clinton won the state in 1992 and 1996. But Obama doesn't have the geographic connection Clinton had with Southern voters; and the South has only become more Republican in the past decade and a half.
(The majority of these polls were conducted by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning automated-caller firm. Auto-dialed polls remain controversial in the polling community.)
South Carolina hasn't gone Democratic since 1976; Obama did better than Al Gore or John Kerry in the state in 2008, but still lost by nine points. Obama picked up one electoral vote in Nebraska (it's one of two states that divides electoral votes by district) but overall the state went for McCain by a whopping 19 points. Georgia, on the other hand, was actually within Obama's reach in 2008, although would have to be considered a longshot for him in 2012.
In a December 2010 Washington Post/ABC News poll 49 percent of respondents in states won by McCain in 2008 said they would not vote for Palin in 2012. Only forty-eight percent either definitely would vote for her or consider the possibility.
When given a binary choice between Palin and Obama, however, more McCain-state voters pick the former Alaska governor. That data point suggests that when it comes down to it, some Republicans wary of Palin will still vote for her over the current occupant of the White House -- even if right now, polls suggest otherwise.
Todd Harris, a Republican media consultant, seconded that sentiment -- noting that speculating about what a Palin-Obama matchup might look like in November 2012 was pointless.
"The fact is the general election is almost two years away, and these hypothetical head to heads mean about as much today as they did four years ago when they showed Hillary Clinton handily defeating Senator What's His Name from Illinois," said the ever-quotable Harris.
Even if the state polls are to be believed, President Obama faces daunting odds to approach the past presidential records for electoral vote totals.
President Ronald Reagan set the bar with his 525 electoral vote landslide over Walter Mondale in 1984. Franklin Roosevelt won 523 votes against Alf Landon in 1936 and Richard Nixon racked up 520 votes against George McGovern in 1972.
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Poll Finds Broad Support for Tougher Gun Laws
MONDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A large majority of Americans, including members of the National Rifle Association, support a wide range of policies to reduce gun violence, according to a new survey.
Latest Mental Health News
The survey, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, found that 89 percent of people support background checks for all gun sales, 69 percent support a ban on the sale of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons and 68 percent support a ban on the sale of large-capacity ammunition magazines.
The national poll was conducted in January, several weeks after the Dec. 14 school shootings in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 young children and six adult staffers dead.
The poll also found that most Americans support prohibiting high-risk people from owning guns, including those convicted of a serious crime as a juvenile (83 percent) and those convicted of violating a domestic violence restraining order (81 percent).
There was also strong backing for many measures to strengthen oversight of gun dealers and to restrict gun access by people with mental illness, the researchers said.
Overall, the more than 2,700 respondents supported all but four of the 31 gun policies asked about in the survey, which included gun owners and non-gun owners living in homes with guns.
"This research indicates high support among Americans, including gun owners in many cases, for a wide range of policies aimed at reducing gun violence," study lead author Colleen Barry, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a school news release. "These data indicate broad consensus among the American public in support of a comprehensive approach to reducing the staggering toll of gun violence in the United States."
Study co-author Daniel Webster, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, said: "Not only are gun owners and non-gun-owners very much aligned in their support for proposals to strengthen U.S. gun laws, but the majority of NRA members are also in favor of many of these policies."
The survey revealed that 74 percent of NRA members support requiring universal background checks for all gun sales, 64 percent support prohibiting people who have been convicted of two or more crimes involving alcohol or drugs within a three-year period from having a gun, and 70 percent want a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for a person convicted of knowingly selling a gun to someone who is not legally allowed to own one.
"These data indicate that the majority of Americans are in favor of policy changes that would ultimately increase safety," study co-author Jon Vernick, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, said in the news release. "This consensus should propel forward comprehensive legislation aimed at saving lives."
The researchers also conducted another national survey of more than 1,500 people to assess attitudes about mental illness, and found ambivalent attitudes. Sixty-one percent of respondents favored greater spending on mental-health screening and treatment as a way to reduce gun violence, and 58 percent said discrimination against people with serious mental illness was a major problem.
Half the respondents, however, thought people with serious mental illness are more dangerous than others, and two-thirds said they would be unwilling to have a person with a serious mental illness as a neighbor.
"In light of our findings about Americans' attitudes toward persons with mental illness, it is worth thinking carefully about how to implement effective gun-violence-prevention measures without exacerbating stigma or discouraging people from seeking treatment," Barry said.
The findings from both surveys were published online Jan. 28 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Gun violence claims 31,000 lives in the United States each year, and the rate of gun-related murders in the country is 20 times higher than in other wealthy nations, the researchers said.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: Johns Hopkins University, news release, Jan. 29, 2013
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This database details those persons enumerated in the 1790 United States Federal Census. In addition, the names of those listed on the population schedule are linked to the actual images of the 1790 Federal Census, copied from the National Archives and Records Administration microfilm, M637, 12 rolls.
Enumerators of the 1790 census were asked to include the following categories in the census: name of head of household, number of free white males of sixteen years and older, number of free white males under sixteen years, number of free white females, number of all other free persons, number of slaves, and sometimes town or district of residence. The categories allowed Congress to determine persons residing in the United States for collection of taxes and the appropriation of seats in the House of Representatives. This first United States census schedules differs in format from later census material, as each enumerator was expected to make his own copies on whatever paper he could find. Unlike later census schedules an enumerator could arrange the records as he pleased. This database is certain to prove useful for those seeking early American ancestors.
The United States was the first country to call for a regularly held census. The Constitution required that a census of all "Persons...excluding Indians not taxed" be performed to determine the collection of taxes and the appropriation of seats in the House of Representatives. The first nine censuses from 1790-1870 were organized under the United States Federal Court system. Each district was assigned a U.S. marshal who hired other marshals to administer the census. Governors were responsible for enumeration in territories.
The jurisdiction of the original thirteen states canvassed an area of seventeen present states. Schedules survive for eleven of the thirteen original states: Connecticut, Maine (part of Massachusetts at the time), Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Vermont. (Vermont became the fourteenth state early in 1791 and was included in the census schedules).
Enumerators were only required to make one copy of the census schedules to be held by the clerk of the district court in their respective area. In 1830, Congress passed a law requiring the return of all decennial censuses from 1790-1830. At this point it was discovered that many of the 1790 schedules had been lost or destroyed. Thus, we have about two-thirds of the original census from the time period. The 1790 census suffered district losses of Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and Virginia. However, some of the schedules for these states have been re-created using tax lists and other records. Virginia was eventually reconstructed from tax lists as well as some counties from North Carolina and Maryland.
Taken from Chapter 5: Research in Census Records, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy by Loretto Dennis Szucs; edited by Loretto Dennis Szucs and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking (Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry Incorporated, 1997).
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Ruth Chapter 3
Viewing the Standard King James Version (Pure Cambridge). Click to switch to 1611 King James Version of Ruth Chapter 3
13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
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Matthew Henry's Ruth Chapter 3 Bible commentary...
The directions given to Ruth by Naomi. (1-5) Boaz acknowledges the duty of a kinsman. (6-13) Ruth's return to her mother-in-law. (14-18)1-5 The married state should be a rest, as much as any thing upon earth can be so, as it ought to fix the affections and form a connexion for life. Therefore it should be engaged in with great seriousness, with earnest prayers for direction, for the blessing of God, and with regard to his precepts. Parents should carefully advise their children in this important concern, that it may be well with them as to their souls. Be it always remembered, That is best for us which is best for our souls. The course Naomi advised appears strange to us; but it was according to the laws and usages of Israel. If the proposed measure had borne the appearance of evil, Naomi would not have advised it. Law and custom gave Ruth, who was now proselyted to the true religion, a legal claim upon Boaz. It was customary for widows to assert this claim, #De 25:5-10|. But this is not recorded for imitation in other times, and is not to be judged by modern rules. And if there had been any evil in it, Ruth was a woman of too much virtue and too much sense to have listened to it.
6-13 What in one age or nation would be improper, is not always so in another age or another nation. Being a judge of Israel, Boaz would tell Ruth what she should do; also whether he had the right of redemption, and what methods must be taken, and what rites used, in order to accomplishing her marriage with him or another person. The conduct of Boaz calls for the highest praise. He attempted not to take advantage of Ruth; he did not disdain her as a poor, destitute stranger, nor suspect her of any ill intentions. He spoke honourably of her as a virtuous woman, made her a promise, and as soon as the morning arrived, sent her away with a present to her mother-in-law. Boaz made his promise conditional, for there was a kinsman nearer than he, to whom the right of redemption belonged.
14-18 Ruth had done all that was fit for her to do, she must patiently wait the event. Boaz, having undertaken this matter, would be sure to manage it well. Much more reason have true believers to cast their care on God, because he has promised to care for them. Our strength is to sit still, #Isa 30:7|. This narrative may encourage us to lay ourselves by faith at the feet of Christ: He is our near Kinsman; having taken our nature upon him. He has the right to redeem. Let us seek to receive from him his directions: Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? #Ac 9:6|. He will never blame us as doing this unseasonably. And let us earnestly desire and seek the same rest for our children and friends, that it may be well with them also.
Keith's Ruth Chapter 3 comment on 2/27/2013, 10:31am...
How old was Ruth when she had her baby? Thanks.
Miriam's Ruth Chapter 3 comment on 1/22/2013, 7:39pm...
Ruth was a wise woman.
Bill's Ruth Chapter 3 comment on 11/11/2012, 9:13am...
Mindy, yes she sleeps with him, but not to have sex but to make it LOOK like they did. (As you imply, there's already quid pro quo, ie she's been presented a generous gift of grain). She's humbly putting herself in the position of a prostitute for the good of her mother-in-law, trusting that the goodness of Boaz will result in their full redemption. Even more, she's making HIM choose between marrying her or having a reputation of one who buys sex. Like Abraham "bargaining" with God over the number of righteous in Sodom, you can never go wrong "forcing" God to His promises of grace, mercy, and rescue. This is a "type" of Christ taking on the sin of the world to "force" God to forgive mankind, the ultimate "trick" that defeats Satan.
Mindy's Ruth Chapter 3 comment on 11/08/2012, 7:13pm...
She’s good yes, but is she not prostituting for food?
Freda's Ruth Chapter 3 comment on 10/22/2012, 10:58am...
Ruth had to sleep with Boaz to get what her and her mother in law needed for survival. True Ruth was obedient. So obedient that following Naomi advice, she ultimately was married to Boaz and found a family. Ruth 3:3-14
Timothy Wayne George's Ruth Chapter 3 comment on 9/02/2012, 9:59pm...
Ruth was obedient to the command of her mother-in-law, and waited for Boaz to lie down. She knew that he was the Goel or Kinsman redeemer. Boaz agreed to do the duty of the Goel, but there was one closer than he, so he had to give him the chance to redeem her. Jesus is our Goel, and He went to the cross, and shed His blood for us; He rose the third day victorious. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We must wait for Him to come again to take us home to be with Him in heaven for the marriage supper of the Lamb. We are like Ruth today, and we must wait and see how it will be.
Delores T. Dowling's Ruth Chapter 3 comment on 8/08/2012, 7:31am...
Ruth was an obedient woman who listened to the voice of wisdom. She reaped the benefits because of her obedience to her mother-in-law. If a woman waits on the Lord and continues to pray and do good God will give her the desires of her heart even when we do not know what our desires are or should be.
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by Cora Currier ProPublica, Jan. 11, 2013, 1:14 p.m.
You might have heard about the “kill list.” You’ve certainly heard about drones. But the details of the U.S. campaign against militants in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia — a centerpiece of the Obama administration’s national security approach – remain shrouded in secrecy. Here’s our guide to what we know—and what we don’t know.
Where is the drone war? Who carries it out?
Drones have been the Obama administration’s tool of choice for taking out militants outside of Iraq and Afghanistan. Drones aren’t the exclusive weapon – traditional airstrikes and other attacks have also been reported. But by one estimate, 95 percent of targeted killings since 9/11 have been conducted by drones. Among the benefits of drones: they don’t put American troops in harm’s way.
by Paul Kiel ProPublica, Jan. 8, 2013, 9:13 a.m.
The Independent Foreclosure Review was supposed to be a full and fair investigation of the big banks’ foreclosure abuses, and it was trumpeted as the government’s largest effort to compensate victimized homeowners. Federal regulators, who designed the review, forced banks to spend billions to carry it out. Millions of homeowners were eligible and hundreds of thousands submitted claims. But Monday morning, the very regulators who launched the program 18 months ago announced that it had all been a massive mistake and shut it down.
Instead, 10 banks have agreed to pay a total of $3.3 billion in cash to the 3.8 million borrowers who had been eligible for the review. That’s an average of around $870 per borrower. But typical of a process that’s been characterized by confusion, delays and secrecy, regulators said the details of how the money will be doled out were not yet available.
by Suevon Lee ProPublica, Jan. 7, 2013, 9:28 a.m.
U.S. gun policy is set by both state and federal law. We previously published an explainer on the ways states have eased gun restrictions. But federal policy, too, has become more gun friendly in recent years — and we’re not just talking about the 2008 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the handgun ban in Washington, D.C., and held that people have a right to keep guns in their homes.
Here, we outline five federal policies relating to guns you may not have known about:
1. A federal firearms trace database is off-limits to the public.
How often do federally licensed gun dealers sell guns that are then used in crimes? It’s hard to know, because for nearly a decade such gun trace data has been hidden from the public. Even local law enforcement had been, until recently, barred from accessing the database for anything but narrow investigations.
by Paul Kiel ProPublica, Dec. 31, 2012, 10:33 a.m.
As the sixth year of the foreclosure crisis comes to an end, the percentage of loans in foreclosure remains a staggering eight times higher than it was in 2005. About 5.3 million homeowners — about 11 percent of all borrowers — are behind on their payments.
But 2012 was also the year that home prices hit a bottom and have started to very slowly climb. The number of new homeowners falling behind on their payments has dropped substantially since the peak. The government also took a dramatic step: a $25 billion settlement with the five biggest mortgage servicers.
Earlier this year, ProPublica focused on one homeowner — Sheila Ramos, who lost her home in Florida and ended up living in a tent in Hawaii — to pull together all the threads of the crisis and give readers a single story that explains the causes of the crisis, the bumbling response by the big banks and Washington, and the human toll exacted by the whole debacle. It is also available as a Kindle Single, which includes extra material.
by Theodoric Meyer ProPublica, Dec. 28, 2012, 12:34 p.m.
President Obama will meet with congressional leaders today in another attempt to avert the fiscal cliff — the automatic tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1 unless Congress can strike a deal. The cuts and tax hikes, which total more than $500 billion, are so large and so sudden that many economists fear they would plunge the country back into recession.
As Washington tries to hash out a deal, we’ve taken a step back to break down the numbers behind our deficit — how it grew so big, why it is actually shrinking and whether a deal can bring it under control.
How much are we in debt?
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State of Alaska > Natural Resources > Parks and Outdoor Recreation > History and Archaeology
Although many early interior sites
have some common characteristics, e.g., topography and aspect, there are
also significant differences. Evidence suggests that most sites can be classified
as either seasonal campsites, which served as headquarters, or "spike"
camps from which small hunting groups operated. Tool manufacture and maintenance,
along with domestic chores such as food processing and skin working, were
routine activities. Large animals, e.g., bison, elk, and even mammoth were
hunted, killed (or scavenged), and butchered away from camp. Hides, meat,
and raw material, such as antler, bone and ivory would have been transported
back to the campsite for further use.
"Mammoth" ivory tusk fragments and artifacts found at the three Shaw Creek sites indicate that such material was obviously available to Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene human populations in the region. Thus far, no post cranial remains of mammoth have been found at the sites. It may be that ivory, along with hide and meat, was obtained at kill sites located away from the bluff top campsites and brought back to camp for use as raw material. Radiocarbon dates on ivory from the Broken Mammoth and Mead sites indicates that "fossil" ivory in the range of 15,000 to 17,000 years old was collected for use as tools. However, dates of 11,500 and 12,000 yr. BP obtained on ivory collagen from the Broken Mammoth and Swan Point sites is close in age to hearth charcoal dates to strongly suggest that mammoth and humans coexisted.
The data provide a picture of small, highly mobile groups whose strategy for survival was to move around seasonally to exploit various resources such as caribou in the Fall or migratory waterfowl in the Spring. These people were highly knowledgeable about the environment and the animals they hunted. The evidence suggests that mammoths were a part of their resource base. The resources being exploited were changing during that period, and the human populations were adapting with new technologies such as changes to projectile point forms.
What is almost completely missing from the archaeological record are sites interpreted as "kill" sites. By kill site I mean a location at or next to an ambush or capture location, where successful hunting parties may have momentarily rested while they butchered their prey, cooked a meal, and repaired their equipment. One example of such an early "kill" site may be the Erode away Site in the upper Nenana Valley. A single radiocarbon date of c. 8,500 yr. BP was obtained on charcoal from one of two small hearths. The artifact inventory consists of numerous biface projectile point fragments, apparently broken during the hunt and discarded around the two hearths. The rather small amount of flaking detritus was indicative of biface manufacture, repair, and re-sharpening. Unfortunately, very little faunal material was preserved in the shallow silt matrix. What is notable about the Erode away Site is that the site is not located on a bluff or promontory, but in a rather mundane setting along a glacial out wash feature of low topographic relief. Without extensive stripping of the ground surface in preparation for highway construction, it is unlikely that this site would have been discovered.
Research during the past two decades in the Nenana Valley and more recently in the Middle Tanana Valley has led some archaeologists to conclude that the earliest well-documented Late Pleistocene culture in Alaska consisted of a non-microblade industry. This further led to speculation about deriving mid-latitude North American Paleoindian lithic technology and populations from Alaskan populations that did not have a microblade industry, i.e., the Nenana Complex. The 1993 test excavations at Swan Point have clearly shown that microblades belong to the earliest lithic assemblage for the region.
For years there has been debate over how the early material from Healy Lake, defined by Cook as the "Chindadn Complex", fits or doesn't fit into the non-microblade Nenana Complex and the Denali Complex which relies on microblade technology. The inclusion of Chindadn into Nenana accepts the characteristic "Chindadn" points but denies the inclusion of microblade technology. On the other hand some Denali Complex proponents are reluctant to accept the Chindadn points as belonging to Denali. At the same time others are content to include both Nenana and Chindadn complexes within a greater Denali Complex, although a Denali Complex more ancient than originally thought. John Cook and others who have examined the bifacial material from Broken Mammoth and Swan Point have noted similarities to some "Chindadn" point forms. If it turns out to the case that there is a Chindadn component at Swan Point, then it should be accepted that the Chindadn Complex includes microblade technology. Evidence now supports the presence of microblade as well as non-microblade assemblages in central Alaska 11,000 to 12,000 yr. BP. Archaeologists now need to reevaluate the hypothesis that Clovis and other mid-latitude Paleoindian cultures were closely related to eastern Beringian cultures. It no longer appears tenable to propose that microblade technologies, exemplified by the Denali Complex, arose in Alaska following a pre-11,000 year BP non-microblade using culture like the Nenana Complex. It seems more plausible for microblade technology to have come into Alaska early from western Beringia. Once this technology became established here it appears to have stayed throughout almost the entire Holocene, at least in central Alaska.
Although there is ample evidence to show that humans were present in central Alaska before 11,500 yr. BP, there is circumstantial evidence that people were here even earlier. The fact that many of these oldest sites, e.g., Broken Mammoth and Swan Point, contain obsidian artifacts identified as coming from the Batza tena source and from John Cook's Group A, implies the following: (1) First, these obsidian sources had to have been discovered and exploited. It could have required some time for the first emigrants to find these sources. (2) Next, it also must have taken time for the obsidian raw material to have become widely known and distributed among geographically separated groups through some form of social interaction. This too must have taken time for effective trading relationships to become operational between small populations throughout central Alaska.
What this leaves us with is a vast, geographically diverse land mass - Eastern Beringia that has an archaeological time depth of at least 12,000 yr. BP. But with only a handful of identified archaeological sites for this early period and an even smaller handful of fully excavated sites. Reconstruction of ancient landscapes (including an understanding of paleoenvironmental parameters and prey animal behavior) are essential in developing testable predictive models of site locations that will better delineate the full range of human settlement at the terminal Pleistocene.
Office of History and Archaeology (OHA)
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Different countries of the world have had one sad story or another to tell since the beginning of 2011. The United States has been at siege in the hands of Hurricane Irene in the past two weeks.
Already, 21 persons had been killed by the hurricane in the east coast of the U.S. since it landed in North Carolina. Baghdad and Kabul have had fatalities arising from recent suicide attacks. But for Nigeria and Libya last week was particularly too bad. While Libya was under the throes of an ongoing internal rebellion Nigeria was held in the jugular by terrorists. The situation in Libya has remained tense as rebel forces comb the country in search of pro-Gaddafi forces! Already the rebels are a few kilometres to Sirte – Gaddafi’s birthplace - believed to be home to a stockpile of sophisticated ammunition. The war in Libya started in March this year after the successful revolution that toppled the governments of Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Ben Ali of Tunisia. Since then over 2000 lives have been lost, many of them civilians caught in the crossfire between Gaddafi’s forces and the rebels, including some airstrikes involving NATO’s warplanes. However, the war has dragged on beyond the time earlier stipulated to get it done with. This has prompted NATO to prolong its operations in the country at extra costs in men and materials.
The gains made by the rebels, especially since Thursday last week, have baffled watchers of the situation in that country.
Overnight the rebels overran Tripoli, making fun of the so-called Gaddafi’s impregnability. Contrary to the wide-held view that the entry of the rebels into Tripoli was a ploy by Gaddafi to lure them into a trap and annihilate them the rebels have tenaciously held on to their conquered territories and even gone ahead to push for the overthrow of Sirte – his last stronghold. Feelers from Tripoli and other parts of Libya have revealed horrific scenes of the atrocities committed by Gaddafi and his troops as they escaped from Tripoli. Last Saturday, mind-boggling and horrendous discoveries were made of mass graves and decaying bodies all over Tripoli.
Pro-Gaddafi soldiers were being fingered. According to media reports the bodies were those of civilians and soldiers earlier detained by Gaddafi and who were hurriedly executed before he and his troops ran away from Tripoli as the rebels advanced. One particular scene showed over 53 charred bodies – people shot and set on fire in cold-blood by Gaddafi’s troops. As I write this article, the National Transitional Council is working round the clock to set up a new government to oversee affairs. On its priority list is the restoration of essential amenities and services in the capital, Tripoli. The International Community has responded to the call for aid by donating medical supplies, food and water to ameliorate the sufferings of the people before it degenerates to a humanitarian disaster. Back in Nigeria, the situation might not be as widespread as Libya’s but what happened in Abuja last Friday was equally as despicable. The bombing of the UN Nigeria office by a suicide bomber has left the entire world traumatized forcing it to view the attack as an unwarranted aggression against the rest of the world.
Over 21 innocent lives, including a Norwegian’s, were lost in the senseless attack. From reports gleaned from the scene of the Friday attack the suicide bomber drove a car at top speed into the ill-fated building through the exit gate, ramming the car into the gate, tearing it off, and ending up in the building where the explosion-laden car exploded. The sound of the explosion reverberated across the Abuja Metropolis, sending hundreds scampering for safety. The response of the world to the attack was also spontaneous. They agreed that what happened was an affront on the global community and vowed to fight it head on. The manner of the attack in Abuja, including the timing and widespread damage caused, has reinforced the fear that Nigeria is gradually becoming a terrorists’ haven. It is the kind of things that happen in Afghanistan, Iraq and other flashpoints across the world. The commando-style suicide attack tells one story: Nowhere is safe in Nigeria anymore. It is painful that the world is heading for self-destruction going by the strange things that have been happening of recent. I remember warning of an impending catastrophe in Libya if world leaders failed to take drastic steps to call Gaddafi to order. I gave the warning when Egypt and Algeria were being ravaged by internal insurrection geared toward dethroning their sit-tight leaders. While the pro-democracy struggle in Egypt and Algeria ended on positive notes, with the successful change of leadership and less human fatalities, the crisis in Libya has taken incredible toll on innocent citizens, and created a humanitarian situation threatening the lives of over 3 million inhabitants of Tripoli.
My position at that time was informed by the fact that while Mubarak and Ben Ali were merely headstrong and power-thirsty persons Gaddafi was in addition a globally-acclaimed terrorist. It was preposterous that the world could believe him when he publicly claimed to have turned a new leaf and offered to cooperate in dealing with the menace of terrorism. The records show that Gaddafi was involved in diverse dastardly terrorism attacks prior to his heart-mending pledge to be a good man. The one that readily comes to mind is the downing of an American Airliner, PAN-AM flight over Lockerbie, in which over 280 lives were brutally terminated. The incident ruffled feathers and pitched Gaddafi against America, Scotland and the rest of the world. Despite the potential threat Gaddafi posed to the world he was left in control of power in Libya. This afforded him sufficient time to dig in and stockpile ammunition to protect himself in the event of any attempt to overthrow him. What the world is doing now to pluck his wings it should have done some 20 years ago. Not that removing Gaddafi would pose a big problem to the world. What is in contention is how legitimate such an action would be without adducing a sufficient, genuine reason to do so. Even though it is hiding under the guise of protecting civilians to deal with Gaddafi the world knows quite well that the cost of its action will be stupendous in the end. With enormous financial muscle, international connections, and support base among the tribal leaders in Libya, removing Gaddafi is a Herculean task. From what has happened in the past 5 months, it is clear that he will not go down without fighting.
The 5-month-old effort to effect a change in leadership in Libya has cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives, and led to the destruction of properties valued at over 10 billion dollars. What about the cost of repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring law and order? Only God knows!It is sad and grossly senseless to incur such huge losses for the sake of one greedy and blood-thirsty man! Who is Gaddafi that the whole world should stand in awe of him? He has succeeded, no matter how anybody looks at it, in taking the whole world to task and demonstrated that he is a threat. Forget that he is calling for a transitional government belatedly Gaddafi remains a formidable force and threat to Libya and the world. Look at the thousand of loyalists he commands across Libya. What happens to them, even where Gaddafi is killed or imprisoned? Some of these loyalists are ready to die for him and will do anything within their power to immortalize him and carry on with his ideology. This is where the real problem lies. Let us pause and consider what a post-Gaddafi era may look like: I see a situation where the country will be polarized across regional and ethnic lines just as is happening in Iraq. Have we asked for how long the rebel Transitional Council will hold on together before the centre breaks? Since the council is a conglomeration of persons of divergent ideological views and tribal orientations will there not come a time that they would squabble over trivial things to the point of creating a problem that will pull the country into a more serious internal conflict? The initial opposition of South Africa to the UN effort to defreeze some of the assets of Libya for use by the Transitional Council in the rebuilding of Libya is a sign that Gaddafi still commands some influence among world leaders.
Nobody could believe that South Africa which won its freedom in similar circumstances could be a stumbling block to the effort of the UN to liberate another country from internal colonialism. Who is sure some other countries will not come up in future to act the way South Africa did? That is where the real threat lies. Where do China and Russia stand in all of these? What the world should do at the moment, as a matter of urgent importance, is to come together and remove Gaddafi and try him for crimes against humanity; support the consolidation of power by the Transitional Council in rebuilding Libya; send a UN force to ensure that the new regime stabilizes; and sponsor surreptitiously the overthrow of any illegitimate and sit-tight leaders across the world. It should not shy away from these goals for the simple reason of legitimacy. It should approach the situation in Syria with all the seriousness it deserves. Hundreds of people are killed weekly by the crazy regime in that country. It is certain that President Assad will fall very soon, but at what cost. The man should be shoved aside now before he does more harm to his hapless people. In the case of Nigeria, something drastic should be done to restore security of lives and properties. Nigeria may not be fighting a civil war at present; nonetheless, what is happening at present is as serious as a civil war. What else is civil war when people are killed with impunity and when law and order have broken down irretrievably in some parts of the country? Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack on the UN building in Abuja. What was the motive behind the attack? Simple: to pitch Nigeria against the global community and create a semblance of insecurity in the country in order to scare away investors and satisfy the self-aggrandizement of the perpetrators and their sponsors. In all sincerity, Nigeria does not deserve any form of terrorism considering the peculiar circumstances of our nationhood. Since independence till 2009 Nigeria never witnessed any form of terrorism.
Not until 2009 when one Farouk Muttalab dented the image of Nigeria when he was intercepted with an explosive device aboard an American Airliner jet heading for Detroit. That singular incident marked a watershed in our nation’s history, and attracted unsavoury global attention. For good 6 months after the incident, even now, Nigerians are looked upon with suspicion at entry points all over the world. The situation assumed a worrisome notoriety when Nigerians were marked out for embarrassing frisking by security agencies at airports outside Nigeria. It was not until our authorities protested vehemently that it abated. With the turn of events in Abuja, it is almost certain that the klieg-lights will be beamed on Nigeria again. It is a huge embarrassment that Nigerians, once known for their peacefulness and candour, are being viewed as terrorists. What in the whole wide world do those who perpetrate these evils stand to gain? Why should a rational human being agree to die in a suicide mission in the belief that he would go to heaven thereafter? Have such people thought about the recompense for their evil deeds? The Bible, I am sure the Koran too, forbids and condemns the taking of another’s life under whatever circumstance, let alone through suicide attack. Did the man or woman who carried out last week’s attack ever contemplate the grievousness of his or her action before embarking on the mission? Did he ever reason that such an attack would involve massive loss of lives and properties? He sacrificed his own life in exchange for 28 others. That is how some people may look at it. But in my own thinking the life of a suicide bomber is not worth eve the blood of a fowl. This is true because the lives he took along he did not create, neither did he have the capacity to re-create any. All he succeeded in achieving was wasting innocent lives and leaving their families in pain and agony.
It may be auspicious at this point to advise all those agitated in any way to seek redress in some other legitimate ways rather than resort to unwholesome, unlawful actions that will in the end earn them a place in the pit of hell. I read in one of the dailies that the attackers wanted to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Jonathan. To me, that is arrant nonsense! Okay, let us assume the attack was aimed at discomforting Jonathan; how has it succeeded in achieving this goal when innocent citizens’ lives were wasted. Is it not misdirected aggression? What those who engage in suicide bombing do not realize is that they are doing a great disservice to themselves and the nation. Does bomb know who is who? If somebody senselessly agrees to embark on a suicide mission how would he be able to know if his or her own relation will not be present at the time the bomb will go off? Check it out: the latest Abuja bombing must have affected the bomber directly or indirectly.
That is the complex nature of the whole stuff. Jonathan’s emergence as President should not cost the nation its peace and unity that our forbears fought hard with their blood to win for us. If it is true that Boko Haram was responsible for the bombing, as reported by the papers, then something is wrong somewhere. I know that Islam does not encourage suicide bombing or any rascality, for that matter. So, those who kill in the name of religion are simply enemies of such religion. Let me advise my brothers and sisters in Boko Haram to sheathe their swords and embrace peace. Nigeria cannot make any progress in an atmosphere of rancour and bitterness. If what I heard about the origin of the group was true, then Boko Haram should be in the vanguard of the struggle to reposition Nigeria for growth and development. In my own opinion, we should allow Jonathan to carry on with his plans to take Nigeria to another level of greatness. Who knows, he may make it. I know for sure that those aggrieved by how the last general elections were conducted or the process that threw up the candidates of the PDP may have their reasons, but none of it is reasonable enough to throw Nigeria into anarchy.
After all, the President is working on the process of constitutional review that will address many of the grey areas in our national life, top of which is election management. I advise Mr. President to embark on genuine reconciliatory moves that will placate all the aggrieved persons and reduce the spate of violence in our polity.
He should not see such an action as compromising. As a leader it is expected of him at times to apply tact and diplomacy to achieve set objectives. Bravado and obduracy do not pay all the time.
Nigeria and Libya share some things in common. As two top oil producers both countries are important to the advancement of the global economy. This is why the world should pay more than passing attention to what is going on in them. The world cannot afford to see Nigeria and Libya in chaos. If that should be allowed to happen then we are simply courting a global cataclysm, which time is nigh.
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NAIROBI, Kenya — British woman Judith Tebbutt, 56, has been released by Somali pirates after being held hostage for more than 6 months.
Sources in Somalia say that a ransom was paid, possibly as much as $1 million, scraped together by family and friends. A similar amount secured the release for the British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler in November 2010 after more than a year's captivity. Like the Chandlers, Tebbutt was being held close to the town of Adado in central Somalia, in a similar location to where American aid worker Jessica Buchanan and her Danish colleague, Poul Hagen Thisted, were rescued by Navy SEALs in January.
Tebbutt was kidnapped from a luxury resort on the Kenyan coast on September 11, 2011. Her husband was killed in the attack and she was whisked away by boat.
A handful of private individuals remain in the hands of Somali pirates who increasingly operate as straight-up kidnapping gangs. These hostages include two female Spanish aid workers kidnapped from Dadaab, a complex of refugee camps in northeastern Kenya, in October.
That Tebbutt's family was able to raise the money for a ransom payment makes her lucky, and very unusual. Rick Blears of the pressure group Save Our Seafarers joined others in welcoming the news of Tebbutt's release but added, "Her release has highlighted the fact that the media spotlight is firmly on kidnapped civilians rather than any of the 233 working seafarers who are currently in captivity and have been so many months.
"Many of them are kept in appalling conditions while slow ransom negotiations with shipping insurers take place. Many of their families are just far too poor to pay any kind of ransom," said Blears.
GlobalPost reported on this issue as part of the recent series Pirate Wars. The other concern that Tebbutt's release highlights is that the paying of ransoms may only encourage more abductions of foreigners whether in Somalia or elsewhere.
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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-3, 14.
Some of the most beautiful passages in all of the Bible. Jesus, second person of the triune Godhead became one of us. God became flesh and dwelled (tabernacled) among us. That is something to meditate on and to grasp. Jesus, even before the foundation of the world already knew that He would become one of us and to voluntarily lay down His life for mankind.
“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1Peter 1:20, 21.
Jesus came despite the fact that He would be rejected by His people, He came into the world as prophesied long before by the prophets. He became the suffering servant spoken of in Isaiah 53. It blows my mind, thinking about Jesus becoming one of us, because God’s love for us is so big that He gave His only begotten Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
God in the flesh, who died for the sin of the world. He was full of grace mercy and love. He demonstrated the love of God on the cross at Calvary. His ministry lasted only about 3 1/2 years and He healed the many sick and forgave their sins. He showed love to everyone, without any partiality.
Although He is God, at that time He humbled Himself. Paul put it this way: Let “this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Phl 2:5-8.
Jesus was in full obedience to the Father, fulfilling the plan of redemption for mankind. This humbleness is something to be behold and comprehend. Even the night before His death on the cross, Jesus was the servant. The disciple on many occasions, argued who would be the greatest among them. Jesus knew man’s heart and He gave the disciples an example that night, that they would never forget.
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” John 13:3-5.
It was custom in the middle eastern culture to wash the feet of guest before entering the home. It was regarded however one of the lowest task. Here Jesus who is God in the flesh, stoops down and washes the feet of the disciples. I think they must have felt pretty bad, considering that they argued so many times about who’s being the greatest. Jesus was giving an illustration and He explained it to the disciples after Peter wanted no part of the washing, acting like he was so much more humble than the other disciples over there.
“Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.” So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” John 13:8-15.
Jesus makes a point here, the believers in Him are already washed of their sins, being human however the believers will not be sinless in these earthly fleshly bodies. All of us who believe need our feet washed, the body is already clean but we walk in the filth of this world. If we do stumble or fall or step into some dirt, Jesus will wash our feet.
Oh, the humbleness of Jesus. I see many so-called servants of God today exalting themselves, the wear fancy religious outfits, giving themselves titles and have others bow down to them. The wear gold, purple robes and live a life of luxury, getting served and love to rule over the people. They are put in offices and exercising power over people. They drive around in a bullet proof car, allowing themselves to be worshiped. There are many that think very highly of themselves. That is not humble and a far cry from what Jesus demonstrated. Jesus my Lord and Savior who is God, humbled Himself. He left the glory of heaven to come down to this fallen world and to redeem man. He shed His blood for us, it is He who should be exalted and not these arrogant puffed up so-called religious leaders. Thank you Lord Jesus for your love and your mercy and grace. I bow my knees before you and thank for your sacrifice
and that by believing in you I will have eternal life and spend eternity with You.
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:10.
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,..” 1Peter 5:6.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mat 11:28-30.
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Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Ultra-deepwater and Unconventional Resources Program)
Enhancing Appalachian Coalbed Methane Extraction by Microwave-Induced Fractures
The goal of this research is to determine whether the permeability of coal seams under in situ stress conditions can be enhanced by induced fractures generated by short-time exposure to microwaves. To achieve this, it must be shown that microwaves can cause new cleats (fractures) to form in coal with exposure times on the order of seconds. Once produced, the aperture, petrographic location, length, and surface roughness of the fractures will be quantified and the permeability to methane gas measured. The potential for enhancing the permeability of coalbed methane reservoirs through microwave stimulation will then be assessed.
Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802
Nottingham University, Nottingham, England
Methane can be extracted from coalbeds for use as a fuel, but because it is adsorbed to the coal matrix, release of the gas can be very slow. Residual gas levels may be as great as 32% for high-volatile bituminous coals. To improve the economics of coalbed methane production, the gas release rate must be increased by increasing the permeability of the coal, particularly near the wellbore.
Microwaves are known to induce fractures in coal in the absence of confining stress. This research is an attempt to provide “proof of concept” that fractures can in fact be induced by microwaves in coalbeds under in situ stress conditions, thereby providing a potential mechanism for augmenting permeability in the subsurface. The mechanism under which this occurs is presumed to be through the flashing of the coal’s natural moisture to steam, resulting in high localized stresses. These stresses result in the creation of new cleats and/or the expansion of existing cleats.
A core obtained from an Appalachian bituminous coal seam will be split into two lithographically equivalent half-core slabs and exposed to water vapor in a humidity-controlled atmosphere. The cores will then be scanned using high resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT). Cleat identification and cleat aperture calibration will be carried out by means of optical microscopy and the coal’s permeability to methane will be quantified. One core will be exposed to microwaves and then rescanned and re-evaluated to measure its post-microwave permeability. The other core will undergo the same tests while placed in a microwave-transparent pressure vessel where in situ confining stress representative of the depth of the coal core sample site will be simulated. Comparisons will be made between the original scans and the rescanned cores. Permeability to methane will be contrasted between the exposed and unexposed cores. Additionally, selected cleats from exposed cores will be evaluated for surface roughness on opposing cleat surfaces and compared to the surface roughness of cleats in unexposed cores.
Project deliverables are to include monthly status reports, a final report, a technical presentation and paper at the International Coalbed Methane conference, a technical presentation at the North American Coalbed Methane Forum, and a paper submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
While it is known that microwaves can induce fractures in coal, it is unknown whether microwaves can induce fractures under in situ stress states in coalbeds. It is also unknown whether these fractures or cleats, once created, can remain open. If this research demonstrates that short bursts of microwaves can indeed enhance permeability in coal under its natural stress state, it will increase the likelihood that microwave technology could be developed to enhance production of methane gas from coalbed methane wells. It could also result in technologies to enhance the degassing of coal seams to improve coal mine safety. If coalbeds are drained of methane prior to mining, the chance for an explosion would be reduced, and the energy needed for mine ventilation would likewise decrease. Coalbed methane emissions from coal mines would also be lessened, reducing their impact on climate change. The research, if successful, could lead to the development of microwave-stimulation technologies that would be applicable to both coalbed methane extraction and the sequestration of carbon dioxide in unminable coal seams.
Work on this project began on November 21st 2008 and as of yet there have not been any major accomplishments to report with this initial summary.
Five tasks are slated to be accomplished in conjunction with the research. The key tasks are summarized below. Work is currently under way on the first two of these tasks.
Complete project management plan. A work breakdown structure and supporting narrative will be developed with the objectives and approach stated for each task and subtask. Schedules, expenditures, milestones, and decision points per task will be included.
Perform technology status assessment. A summary report will be prepared that details the state-of-the-art of the proposed technology as well as the positive and negative aspects of any existing alternatives to the proposed technology.
Prepare and Scan Core. A coal core obtained from the Pittsburgh Coal seam, will be cut into two lithographically equivalent sections and exposed to water vapor in a humidity-controlled atmosphere for two months or until there is no significant change in mass. The core will then be scanned and the permeability to methane gas quantified. Once scanned, the core will be sent to Nottingham University where it will be exposed to short bursts of microwave energy. Part of the core will be removed and polished at Nottingham and then will undergo image analysis. The plane polished section will be examined at Nottingham through optical techniques for the determination of aperture and length of cleats and fractures. The remaining core will be re-scanned in the X-ray CT facility at PSU. A rescanned image of the exposed core will then be compared to the original scan. Permeability to methane in the exposed cores will also be compared to permeability in the unexposed cores. The induced cleats will be mapped in 3D, and for selected cleats, the surface roughness of opposing cleat surfaces will be identified with the optical profiler.
Expose coal to microwaves at in situ stresses. The remaining core that was split from the initial core from CONSOL Energy will undergo the same treatment in the humidity-controlled atmosphere as in the previous task and will be scanned and tested for permeability to methane. At Nottingham University, this core will be exposed to short bursts of microwaves within a constructed microwave-transparent pressure vessel. The core will then be re-scanned in the X-ray facility at PSU and then compared with the original scan. Permeability to methane will be re-evaluated and then compared to the permeability of the unexposed core. The induced cleats will be mapped in 3D, and part of the core will be sent to Nottingham where it will be polished and undergo image analysis and correlation of the induced fracture and lithotype occurrence.
Execute technology transfer. Technology transfer activities will take place throughout the project’s duration and will include at a minimum the presentations and papers listed as deliverables.
Project Start: November 21, 2008
Project End: November 20, 2009
DOE Contribution: $79,409
Performer Contribution: $36,556
RPSEA – Kent Perry (email@example.com or 847-768-0961)
NETL – Virginia Weyland (Virginia.Weyland@netl.doe.gov or 281-494-2517)
Performer Company –Pennsylvania State University- Dr. Jonathan P. Mathews (firstname.lastname@example.org or 814-863-6213)
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GIGABYTE releases 6 Series SATA Check utility to help optimize performance of P67 & H67 mobos
The news of the SATA 2.0 issues with Intel 6 series chipsets has sparked a lot of uncertainty about how this will affect those of us who upgraded to the new Sandy Bridge architecture. Essentially, if you’re using 1 or 2 SATA devices then this chipset issue need not affect you at all because you can connect your devices to the 2 white SATA 3.0 ports. However, if you’re using 3 or more SATA devices, you may want to prioritize your more important devices on the white SATA 3.0 ports (e.g. hard drive with your operating system on it) and the less important devices on the Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports (e.g. a DVD ROM).
To help our customers optimize SATA performance on their 6 series mobos, GIGABYTE has created an easy to use utility called the GIGABYTE 6 Series SATA Check
that tells you if the SATA ports that you are using are in fact the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports. It also recommends that you change your SATA devices to the white SATA 3.0 ports. The utility is a simple program that will work on any 6 series chipset based mobo, and has 3 possible scenarios that offer different advice for users to configure their SATA devices. Please copy this utility to P67/H67 system’s Windows desktop and unzip, double click the “67sfck.exe” file.
The 1st scenario is where there are no devices connected to the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports, and the utility will let you know that your “SATA configuration (is) OK”.
The 2nd scenario is where your devices are all connected to the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports, and the utility will advise you to “Please move 1 or 2 devices from (the) Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports to the free SATA 3.0 ports".
The 3rd scenario is where you have devices connected to the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports and the SATA 3.0 ports are also populated. Here the utility will advice you that “Use of (the) Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports is not recommended”.
The GIGABYTE 6 Series SATA Check utility is already available from the GIGABYTE website
You can also contact us for any questions about GIGABYTE motherboards based on 6 series (P67/H67/P65/PH67/B65) chipsets which have this issue (based on B2 stepping) under this special email address
(for UK & IRL residents only). Users from different countries are free to contact us through GGTS
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Spray drying unit from GEA Niro
No one knows more about the role of industrial spray drying than GEA Niro. GEA Niro has data gained from more than 70 years of experience and a reference list of some 10,000 plants across the globe. We have 30,000 test reports from our test center and we are equipped to engineer the properties you want into your products – and the processes needed to produce them. Our experience ranges over a wide variety of areas, including: food and dairy products, chemical and ceramic products, polymers and pharmaceutical products.
The spray drying process
Spray drying is the most widely used industrial process for particle formation and drying. It is well suited for a continuous production of dry solids in powder or agglomerated particles form from a liquid feedstock. The feedstock can include solutions, emulsions, and pumpable suspensions. The technology is ideal when the end-product must comply with precise quality standards such as particle size distribution, residual moisture content, bulk density and particle morphology.
During spray drying, an enormous heat and mass transfer takes place within a fraction of time. It starts with the atomization of a liquid feedstock into a spray of droplets (1 liter of concentrate is atomized to 1,5 x 1010 droplets with a diameter of 50 microns with a total surface of 120 m2 and the evaporation takes place from the surface of all these particles). The small droplets are created by an atomizer - either a rotary wheel or a high pressure nozzle. The droplets are introduced into a hot airstream, which is cooled down due to the evaporation of the water or a chemical solvent from the concentrate. This now colder and humid air is discharged from the dryer through a cyclone, bag filter or a combination of the two. After separation of the now dry particles, the air is discharged into the atmosphere. The dry particles can be cooled and bagged off after separation from the process air.
The spray drying process entirely depends on the composition of the product. Some products are very easy and others very difficult to dry. In this context it should be stated that a GEA Niro dryer is designed and the process parameters selected to ensure:
- Best product quality
- Low energy consumption
- Protection of the environment
- Long operation time between cleaning
- Fulfill EU Directives
To support our design engineers when they select the spray drying parameters and thereby the size of the spray dryer, use our DRYNETICS™ method is used.
Read more about the spray drying technologies for the specific industries:
Dairy spray dryers
Food spray dryers
Chemical spray dryers
Pharmaceutical spray dryers
Pilot and small scale spray dryers
Every dryer consists of:
The drying characteristics and quality requirements for the thousands of products GEA Niro spray dries vary widely. Thus, the solutions we select for individual customers will be based on individual specifications.
Three conventional configurations
When configuring a plant, it is essential to choose the most appropriate configurations. This includes mode of operation, equipment design, and powder collection system. We offer a wide range of different solutions and configurations to meet your specific requirements.
Download flash versions of the above configurations in the Animation download area.
The right equipment for quality and economy
When selecting process equipment, it is important to carefully understand two things: the properties of the liquid to be dried and the expectations for the produced powder. GEA Niro offers a wide variety of spray dryer designs - each with its own particular features.
The atomizing device, which forms the spray, is the heart of the process. The choice of atomizer depends upon the properties of the feed and the desired characteristics of the dried product.
More than 75 pilot plants in GEA Niro Test Centers worldwide
You can depend on GEA Niro, whether you are conducting R&D or are interested in small-scale or full industrial production. We offer powder engineering solutions and proof of concept through laboratory and pilot-plant testing. We also possess an unmatched scale-up experience and global project execution according to your specifications.
GEA Niro has more than 75 pilot plants in GEA Niro Test Centers worldwide and an international team of test engineers and process technologists. We represent the world's largest pool of talent specialized in tackling challenges within spray drying.
Read more about the Test Center in Denmark.
A solid partnership
Working with GEA Niro means entering a solid partnership every step of the way, from process testing and design to specification of the software controlling your plant. In our test centers, we work together with our clients to fulfil specific requirements for our customers.
This regards final powder functional properties and to develop new products – all under strict confidentiality. Our comprehensive After Sales program ensures that your return on investment is optimized throughout the lifetime of the plant.
Download our brochures on Spray Drying:
Dairy spray drying plants
Food spray drying plants
Chemical spray drying plants
Pilot & Small Scale dryers
Pharmaceutical spray dryers
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Define Your Customer Before Marketing
Know Your Target Market So Your Marketing Will Reach Them
By Susan Ward, About.com
Don't make the mistake of marketing your product or service before you've defined your customer or client. If you do, you're just throwing your marketing money away.
Marketing isn't just a matter of placing ads. It's a method of attracting new business. Before you can hope to achieve this, you have to know exactly who you want to target with your marketing. You need to know your target market before you can reach them.
What's the point, for instance, in buying an advertising spot on TV if you're trying to sell whitewater rafting adventures? Are these sorts of people really going to be sitting in front of the tube?
Define your customer by getting to know everything you possibly can about him or her. Think carefully about your product or service. Exactly who would want to purchase it? How old is this person? What is her marital status? Where does she live? How does she like to spend her spare time? What are her hobbies? What other products does she buy? Where does she go on vacation?
You need to develop your target market as specifically as possible if you're going to market your product or service effectively. So think of your "ideal" client or customer as a person. Visualize him or her in detail. "See" what he or she does, thinks, and wants.
If you can't visualize this person clearly and distinctly, then you need to research your potential customer or client until you can. Because until you can define your target market, you won't be able to make the decisions that need to be made about marketing, such as how, where, and when to advertise.
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WebMD Medical News
Laura J. Martin, MD
April 28, 2011 -- Adults with arthritis are more likely than those without arthritis to be obese, according to a new government study.
''The frequency of obesity is 54% higher among people with arthritis compared to those without,'' says Jennifer Hootman, PhD, an epidemiologist with the CDC.
She is the co-author of the report, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
"That was higher than I thought [it would be]," she tells WebMD. "I thought it would be 30% or 40%."
An estimated 72.5 million U.S. adults ages 20 and older are obese; 50 million have arthritis, according to the report.
The CDC researchers wanted to evaluate how many people with doctor-diagnosed arthritis were obese compared to people who do not have arthritis. They analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the years 2003 to 2009.
The BRFSS is a telephone survey conducted annually with adults from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Data on arthritis and obesity are collected in odd-number years.
Survey takers asked the participants if they had any diagnosis of arthritis. They asked about osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, also called ''wear-and-tear'' arthritis, is more common than rheumatoid arthritis, which involves chronic joint inflammation. They also asked about gout, lupus, and fibromyalgia.
For each of the four years analyzed, the prevalence of obesity for the 50 states and D.C. was higher among adults with arthritis than those without.
In 2003, 33.2% of those with arthritis from all 50 states and D.C. were obese, while 21.4% of those without arthritis were.
By 2009, 35.2% of those with arthritis were obese, while 23.6% of those without were.
The number of states that had 30% or more of its residents with arthritis classified as obese rose from 38 in 2003 (including D.C.) to 48 in 2009.
The rise in obesity among those with arthritis increased enough to be considered significant from a statistics point of view in Puerto Rico and 14 states.
Those states are:
The finding that arthritis and obesity are linked is no surprise, says Patience White, MD, vice president of public health at the Arthritis Foundation. She reviewed the study findings for WebMD but was not involved in the research.
However, the magnitude of the effect of arthritis on obesity is surprising to her, she says.
"It's good to bring attention to this link," White says. By and large, she says, people are not aware of it.
Does arthritis lead to obesity, or does obesity lead to the arthritis?
"It could go both ways," Hootman says. "People have arthritis, their joints hurt, they don't exercise," she says. "We also know once someone has arthritis, obesity will make it worse."
From other research, Hootman says, it is known that obesity is one of the risk factors for osteoarthritis.
White agrees the link could go both ways. Those with arthritis may give up on trying to be active -- a mistake, she says -- and put on weight. The extra weight can worsen the arthritis by putting extra stress on the joints.
White tells those with arthritis who are overweight to focus on small amounts of weight loss. "For every pound you gain or lose it is like 4 pounds of pressure on your knee," she says. Losing just a few pounds can reduce the pressure and perhaps the joint pain, she says. Once the pain is reduced, it can be easier to resume regular physical activity.
"Swimming is a great option because that can help you be very active and you are not pounding on the lower extremities," she says. Walking and tai chi are also ideal.
SOURCES:Jennifer Hootman, PhD, epidemiologist, Arthritis Program, CDC, Atlanta.Patience White, MD, vice president of public health, Arthritis Foundation.Hootman, J. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 29, 2011; vol 60: pp 509-513.
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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of KOKI FOX23 - Tulsa
The Health News section does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.
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As long as the idea of switching to the use of the Chained CPI is in the news it’s worth emphasizing that though the scale of the cut to Social Security benefits implied by doing this is very small, it falls quite heavily on people who are very old since it compounds over time. Social Security Works has a table (PDF):
CAP’s Social Security proposal pairs a switch to Chained CPI with more generous benefits for the poorest retirees and with more generous benefits for the very elderly. On net, our proposal would reduce poverty among senior citizens. But if you simply do the C-CPI-U switch without changing anything else, you end up making Social Security’s adequacy problem worse.
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UC Davis researcher awarded $720,000 to improve promising cancer treatments
Research aimed at understanding mechanism that allows tumor immortality despite telomerase-targeted therapy
The American Cancer Society has awarded UC Davis researcher Lifeng Xu a four-year, $720,000 grant to conduct research aimed at better understanding how some cancer cells manage to remain immortal. The work promises to improve the efficacy of cancer therapies currently in clinical trials that focus on blocking the activity of an enzyme called telomerase.
"Telomerase is activated in about 90 percent of tumors," said Xu, a UC Davis assistant professor of microbiology.
Xu's research focuses on what happens in the other 10 percent of cancer cells that manage to remain immortal without the presence of telomerase.
Telomerase is an enzyme that prevents the constant loss of specific DNA sequences from the tips of chromosomes, called telomeres, during cell division. Telomerase is found in embryonic stem cells, which allows these cells to divide over and over during development in utero. Adult, or somatic cells, only express telomerase at low levels and only at certain times in their life cycles.
Nearly all forms of human cancer, however, express telomerase, and have acquired the ability to replenish their telomeres to sustain unlimited cell proliferation," said Xu.
Because telomerase is not essential for normal cell function, scientists have homed in on this enzyme as an ideal target for treating a host of cancers. Telomerase inhibitors are now being tested for the treatment of brain and breast cancers, for example.
"But there are still some cancers that use other mechanisms to replenish telomeres and keep cells dividing," said Xu. "Our goal is to understand these alternate mechanisms to design better drugs."
Every cell in the human body with a nucleus contains the identical DNA organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes. The telomeres found at the tips of these chromosomes become shortened every time cells in the body divide. Eventually, the tips become too short, and a reliable copy of the DNA cannot be made, and the cell dies.
Cancer occurs when genetic mutations cause a cell's normal brakes on cell division to fail. Once that happens, scientists believe telomerase activity kicks in. The enzyme works by adding DNA sequence repeats to the telomeres. Scientists believe it is telomerase that allows mutant cells to divide indefinitely.
And, while new drugs are in the works to block telomerase activity, the problem remains that the cells of some tumors do not express telomerase and can maintain their telomeres through a process that occurs during recombination, called homologous recombination-based alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway.
Although only a small number of tumors initially rely on ALT, ALT may be activated in larger number of tumors upon telomerase inhibition, allowing cells to survive telomerase-inhibition cancer therapy. Xu is studying how recombination-based ALT pathway may become activated in human cells.
Her research promises to give scientists additional tools for fighting the growth and spread of cancer by better understanding the regulation of telomere recombination. Knowledge obtained from the study could lead to future development of ALT-blocking drugs to be used in combination with anti-telomerase drugs to boost their efficacy.
"Our research will provide clues on how cancer cells activate the recombination-based ALT mechanism from which we can design complimentary anticancer therapy accordingly," said Xu.
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For Treasure Chest Thursday, a postcard from my files of the New York State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home, circa 1885:
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Homes, set up to provide for the flow of aging and infirm Civil War veterans, were forerunners of today’s Veterans Administration. My great-great grandfather, Martin Haigney, lived in two of them, off and on, from about 1900 until he died in 1911. This is the one in Bath, N.Y., where he was a resident until shortly before his death.
I owe this particular treasure to Robert E. Yott, who has written From Soldiers’ Home to Medical Center, a history of the Bath facility. Mr. Yott’s book has a lot of details about the history of the home, a great help in visualizing what daily life might have been like for my great-great-grandpa and other veterans like him who lived there.
Ancestry.com has an index of records for these homes: U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938 (subscription required, or you can do a 14-day trial membership).
I am lucky: My ancestors haven’t held any jobs with mysterious names, unless you count the maddeningly imprecise term “laborer.”
One of my great-grandfathers may have been a “puddler,” which is someone who worked at an iron furnace with a long-handled rake, opening the furnace and forming molten iron into a ball that could be rolled out into bars or sheets. Then again, he might just have been a peddler. It’s spelled both ways in a couple of places, and there is no hard evidence yet as to which spelling is the typo.
This same great-grandfather was later a steward on a tugboat in Brooklyn, which is a little mysterious, since I associate boat stewards with the care of passengers, who would seem to be in short supply on a tugboat. Finding a detailed job description for a tugboat steward in 1910 is another item on the to-do list.
In the first 20 years of the 20th century, there are a lot of waterfront-related jobs in my family tree: tugboat steward, tugboat fireman, dry dock worker, patternmaker in a shipyard. They were South Brooklyn people, and South Brooklyn was all about shipping in those days.
Still, I am jealous of people who have quirky job titles in their genealogy, and I like reading about them in case one ever crops up in mine. Here are some cool links about strange job titles:
• Old Occupation Names at the Hall family genealogy site: Really extensive, with detailed definitions.
• Ancestral occupations at Rootsweb: Another encyclopedic list, clickable from A to Z.
• The Strangest Names for Occupations: For the greatest hits, try this list. There are real gems here. (Being a “honey dipper” isn’t nearly as pleasant as it sounds.)
The first 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy challenge from Amy at We Tree was a great excuse for me to re-visit the genealogy and local history shelves at my hometown haunt, the Montclair (N.J.) Public Library.
We’re fortunate to have a room dedicated to the local history collection. It contains so much interesting material that I am frankly bitter that I don’t actually have family roots here; I just live here. Here’s some of what is available:
In the general stacks:
• A global genealogical tour! I counted books on 10 different ethnicities, in addition to guides about general research, preserving documents, writing family histories and conducting oral-history interviews.
• The township’s old Field Books, listing property lots, their owners and tax assessments. Because of them, I know my house was built in 1914 and the tax assessor valued it at $3,400. (It is worth more today, at least for now.)
In the local history room:
• Microfilms for our local weekly, starting in 1877. (They’re only partially indexed, alas, but there are also dozens of clipping files arranged by subject.)
• Boxes and boxes of document collections about local groups, from the township council to Boy Scouts.
• Personal memoirs.
• Microfilmed editions of the Social Register.
• A survey of architecturally significant buildings.
Find of the Day:
A slim volume containing bound copies of The Stroller, a sublimely bratty weekly magazine from the mid-1920s. The Stroller specialized in breathless details of who in town was marrying whom, where the beautiful people were going on vacation and which prominent townspeople (unnamed) had fallen off the wagon again.
Gossip is eternal; so are the joys of research. I hope everyone else has as much fun digging as I did.
When I was a child, my library card was sturdy cardboard, inset with a metal tab, embossed with my ID number. Remember those?
Now my card has an electronic bar code, and libraries have certainly expanded their horizons. As a kid, I’d never have imagined the riches I could uncover in the comfort of my home, 24/7. Here’s some of what I can access from my home computer, using my little old library card:
Genealogy collections: Of course, many libraries carry Ancestry.com, but you must physically be in the library to use it. But many libraries also offer online access to HeritageQuest, where you can search censuses, government document collections, genealogical journal articles and more.
Newspapers: Before you drag yourself outside on a cold and snowy day, consider how many newspaper databases are accessible online. The New York Times electronic database (1851-2005) is one of the most common. Other useful indexes your library may carry include the “America’s Obituaries and Death Notices” database and Newsbank (America’s Newspapers), which currently carries 350 newspapers.
Digital photo collections: Oh, my gosh, do I love these. More and more libraries (like my hometown library) are digitizing their collections of historical photos. I can lose myself in the New York Public Library’s digital collections for hours if I’m not careful. Not to mention the NYPL’s videos on historic topics, also viewable on the site.
Digital maps: Another secret vice. Lately I’ve been rooting around in the Sanborn fire insurance maps for New Jersey, 1867-1970, finding out fascinating things about the neighborhood in which I grew up. To get an idea of how vast this concept is, the Library of Congress has catalogued fire insurance maps of some 12,000 cities and towns in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Not only are they topographically detailed, but because they were intended to help insurers determine risk, they also go into incredible detail about building and street construction, down to the placement of windows and types of roofs. If your ancestors, like mine, were town folks, these maps are an amazing resource.
So pour yourself a cup of coffee and log into your library’s website. You’d be surprised how much you can get done in your pajamas.
Note: I started writing this before the first 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy challenge came up from Amy Coffin at WeTree, urging us to actually visit our local library and report back on their family history resources. Never fear – I don’t need much urging to physically enter my library, and I’ll be taking up the challenge in my next post.
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Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief
On 25 November 1981, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, the full text of which appears in the following pages. (Resolution 36/55)
The General Assembly,
Considering that one of the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations is that of the dignity and equality inherent in all human beings, and that all Member States have pledged themselves to take joint and separate action in co-operation with the Organization to promote and encourage universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion,
Considering that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights proclaim the principles of non-discrimination and equality before the law and the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief,
Considering that the disregard and infringement of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or whatever belief, have brought, directly or indirectly, wars and great suffering to mankind, especially where they serve as a means of foreign interference in the internal affairs of other States and amount to kindling hatred between peoples and nations,
Considering that religion or belief, for anyone who professes either, is one of the fundamental elements in his conception of life and that freedom of religion or belief should be fully respected and guaranteed,
Considering that it is essential to promote understanding, tolerance and respect in matters relating to freedom of religion and belief and to ensure that the use of religion or belief for ends inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations, other relevant instruments of the United Nations and the purposes and principles of the present Declaration is inadmissible,
Convinced that freedom of religion and belief should also contribute to the attainment of the goals of world peace, social justice and friendship among peoples and to the elimination of ideologies or practices of colonialism and racial discrimination,
Noting with satisfaction the adoption of several, and the coming into force of some, conventions, under the aegis of the United Nations and of the specialized agencies, for the elimination of various forms of discrimination,
Concerned by manifestations of intolerance and by the existence of discrimination in matters of religion or belief still in evidence in some areas of the world,
Resolved to adopt all necessary measures for the speedy elimination of such intolerance in all its forms and manifestations and to prevent and combat discrimination on the ground of religion or belief,
Proclaims this Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief:
1. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have a religion or whatever belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
2. No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have a religion or belief of his choice.
3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
1. No one shall be subject to discrimination by any State, institution, group of persons, or person on grounds of religion or other beliefs.
2. For the purposes of the present Declaration, the expression "intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief" means any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on religion or belief and having as its purpose or as its effect nullification or impairment of the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis.
Discrimination between human beings on grounds of religion or belief constitutes an affront to human dignity and a disavowal of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and shall be condemned as a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and enunciated in detail in the International Covenants on Human Rights, and as an obstacle to friendly and peaceful relations between nations.
1. All States shall take effective measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in the recognition, exercise and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms in all fields of civil, economic, political, social and cultural life.
2. All States shall make all efforts to enact or rescind legislation where necessary to prohibit any such discrimination, and to take all appropriate measures to combat intolerance on the grounds of religion or other beliefs in this matter.
1. The parents or, as the case may be, the legal guardians of the child have the right to organize the life within the family in accordance with their religion or belief and bearing in mind the moral education in which they believe the child should be brought up.
2. Every child shall enjoy the right to have access to education in the matter of religion or belief in accordance with the wishes of his parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, and shall not be compelled to receive teaching on religion or belief against the wishes of his parents or legal guardians, the best interests of the child being the guiding principle.
3. The child shall be protected from any form of discrimination on the ground of religion or belief. He shall be brought up in a spirit of understanding, tolerance, friendship among peoples, peace and universal brotherhood, respect for freedom of religion or belief of others, and in full consciousness that his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men.
4. In the case of a child who is not under the care either of his parents or of legal guardians, due account shall be taken of their expressed wishes or of any other proof of their wishes in the matter of religion or belief, the best interests of the child being the guiding principle.
5. Practices of a religion or beliefs in which a child is brought up must not be injurious to his physical or mental health or to his full development, taking into account article 1, paragraph 3, of the present Declaration.
In accordance with article 1 of the present Declaration, and subject to the provisions of article 1, paragraph 3, the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief shall include, inter alia, the following freedoms:
(a) To worship or assemble in connexion with a religion or belief, and to establish and maintain places for these purposes;
(b) To establish and maintain appropriate charitable or humanitarian institutions;
(c) To make, acquire and use to an adequate extent the necessary articles and materials related to the rites or customs of a religion or belief;
(d) To write, issue and disseminate relevant publications in these areas;
(e) To teach a religion or belief in places suitable for these purposes;
(f) To solicit and receive voluntary financial and other contributions from individuals and institutions;
(g) To train, appoint, elect or designate by succession appropriate leaders called for by the requirements and standards of any religion or belief;
(h) To observe days of rest and to celebrate holidays and ceremonies in accordance with the precepts of one's religion or belief;
(i) To establish and maintain communications with individuals and communities in matters of religion and belief at the national and international levels.
The rights and freedoms set forth in the present Declaration shall be accorded in national legislation in such a manner that everyone shall be able to avail himself of such rights and freedoms in practice.
Nothing in the present Declaration shall be construed as restricting or derogating from any right defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights.
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My friend and fellow blogger Jennifer Mendelsohn has a great blog post up today about the prevalence of pre-ordained gender roles. She cites the Land's End catalog pictured above—"pretty & playful for her... rugged & ready for him"—along with other examples. It's no wonder gender stereotypes—like, girls cook and look pretty while boys play football and do math—are so hard to break when they're drilled into our children's heads at such an early age.
Several months ago, I went to buy a card for the parents of a new baby, intent on buying a gender-neutral one. Every single one I saw was either pink and festooned with little bows and flowers or blue and covered with tiny footballs and trucks. This drove me crazy. Finally, I found a yellow card with no specific gender references. It was on the 99-cent rack and it was the last one left.
To me, this falls into the same category of frustration as when adults project adult, sexualized behavior onto toddlers—like calling them girlfriend/boyfriend and accusing them of flirting—which I blogged about here. As I said then, "there is a direct link between this kind of thinking/behavior and six-year-old girls wearing sweatpants that say “JUICY” across the butt. It’s just wrong."
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<urn:uuid:167ebf05-d650-4ddc-9c5a-73e8c94392c0>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/learningtocrawl/2010/10/drilling-in-gender-stereotypes
|
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|
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Two of this weeks guests at our Kiwanis dinner and meeting were Jamie Jones and his son Cameron. The...
What does the name "Kiwanis" mean?
The name "Kiwanis" was adapted from the expression "Nunc Kee-wanis" in the Otchipew (Native American) language, meaning "We have a good time," "We make a noise," or, under another construction, "We trade or advertise." Some persons prefer to pronounce the word "ki"; others, "kee."
|
<urn:uuid:bcc264d5-1908-4193-abd8-76c7452ce273>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.orleanskiwanis.com/?page_id=570
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
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Over the past 2 years I have been reading, thinking and working a lot with culture, leadership, organisational design and storytelling. It was not until a week or so ago that I realised just how similar some of the ideas are.
Especially the employee engagement model Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose from Drive by Daniel Pink, the Tribal Leadership culture levels 3-5 from David Logan and friends and the Control, Competence and Clarity Leader-Leader model as developed by David Marquet in Turn the Ship Around!.
Now this is not to say that they basically rehashed the same ideas, quite the contrary. Everyone looked through their own lenses: Daniel Pink researched employee engagement, David Marquet did not want 129 blind followers, but 129 people who are involved and thinking leaders. Dave Logan and crew looked into the impact of culture on the performance of organisations.
They all came to pretty much the same conclusion: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose on all levels in an organisation is great for the people in the organisation, the customers it serves and the bottom line of the company.
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|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://erronis.nl/blog/page/2/
|
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|
en
| 0.957088
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game1 S1 W1
activity or sport[countable]
an activity or sport in which people compete with each other according to agreed rules
computer/card/ball etc game
Dan's never liked card games.
We used to play games like draughts or chess.
You'll have to explain the rules of the game.
b) DGDS➔ ball game, board game, video game, war game
an occasion when a game is played [↪ match]:
Did you see the game on TV last night?
England's World Cup game against Holland
game of cards/tennis etc
How about a game of chess?
win/lose a game
They've won their last three games.
home game (=played at a team's own sports field)
away game (=played at an opposing team's sports field)
a large organized sports event:
the Olympic Games
b) British EnglishDSSES
organized sports as a school subject or lesson [= P.E.]:
We have games on Thursdays.
a games lesson
one of the parts into which a single match is divided, for example in tennis or bridge1 (4):
part of a match[countable]DGDS
Graf leads, two games to one.
a children's activity in which they play with toys, pretend to be someone else etc
a game of hide-and-seek
The boys were playing a game in the backyard.
how well someone plays a particular game or sport
improve/raise your game
Liam's taking lessons to improve his game.
the strongest aspect of his game
to spoil a surprise or secret by doing or saying something that lets someone guess what the secret is:
Lynn gave the game away by laughing when Kim walked in.
7 also play somebody at their own game British English
to beat someone or fight back against them by using the same methods that they use
to be something that you do to enjoy yourself rather than for a serious purpose:
It's just a game to them. They don't care what happens.
to behave in a dishonest or unfair way in order to get what you want:
Are you sure he's really interested, and not just playing silly games with you?
to not be serious about doing something:
We want a deal. We're not interested in playing games.
wild animals, birds, and fish that are hunted for food, especially as a sport: ➔ big game
used to say that something is the only possible choice in a situation:
The Church of England is no longer the only game in town.
an area of work or business:
I've been in this game for over 10 years.
13 British English spoken
used to ask what the true reason for someone's behaviour is:
Reg is being very nice all of a sudden. What's his game?
used to tell someone that something wrong or dishonest that they have done has been discovered:
Come out, Don. The game's up.
a game in which you risk money on the result:
Poker is a game of chance.
16 American English informal
used to say that someone is very skilful at doing something, especially a sport
17 British English informal
to be a prostitute
said when the balance of a sports match or competition changes, and both sides suddenly have a chance of winning
said to emphasize that an event or activity is completely finished
to make fun of someone
|
<urn:uuid:9d785f56-4e69-4e3d-af0a-9c2249fffc29>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.ldoceonline.com/Sport-topic/game_1
|
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|
en
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Metro Atlanta Adopts Concept 3 – Regional Transit Vision Plan
Transit Planning Board
Concept 3 builds on over eight months of public comments and stakeholder input. It begins with the existing MARTA heavy rail system at its core, and extends this system in north east, south east and west. For longer distance trips, Concept 3 proposes commuter rail. All of the proposed commuter rail lines provide service directly to Downtown Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Three of the five proposed commuter lines would operate during the peak commute time periods and a fourth would have all-day rail service from Athens to Griffin through Emory, Downtown Atlanta, and the Airport. Commuter rail lines include: the East line from Madison through central DeKalb County and Downtown Atlanta; the West line from Bremen to Airport through Douglasville and Downtown Atlanta; the Southwest line from Senoia to Downtown Atlanta through Peachtree City and Union City; a north east line from Athens to Griffin through Emory, Downtown Atlanta, and the Airport; and a final fifth line would operate from Gainesville to the Airport through Gwinnett County, Buckhead and Downtown Atlanta.
The next component of the system is high capacity regional rail system – potentially light rail transit. This system is proposed because of its great flexibility and ability to serve trips to and within activity centers. Six light rail lines are proposed in Concept 3: the Northwest Corridor; I-285 top end East; Lindberg-Emory-Decatur; GA 400 from Perimeter Center to Windward Parkway via North Point; I-20 East from Downtown Atlanta to Sigman Road via South DeKalb; and I-575 from the KSU and Town Center areas to Canton.
Additionally, an inner core streetcar network is proposed. These new lines could provide connectivity between Marietta to Emory via the Beltline and Lindbergh or North Point from Gwinnett Place via Norcross and Perimeter Center or open up South DeKalb residential areas to the Cumberland employment center.
Concept 3 also includes several levels of bus service; freeway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems- serving high-demand corridors with variable capacity that can respond to increasing demand. In addition, for those BRT lines that use exclusive lanes, there is the bonus of preserving the option for potential future conversion to a higher capacity rail mode. Concept 3 proposes four exclusive bus or shared HOV lanes of BRT: I-20 West; I-75 South; I-285 East; and I-285 West.
Expansion of current express bus service is also included in Concept 3. Express bus serves long distance trips with relatively high levels of customer amenities. Express bus will be used both as a permanent element of the transit system in some areas, and to help phase in transit service in other areas where higher capacity rail will be required in the future.
The final elements of Concept 3 propose creating a support bus network which includes arterial rapid bus and cross-county bus services, activity center circulators and expanded local bus service. The Arterial Rapid Bus service consists of two primary types of corridors: New Cross Regional Corridors and existing successful high ridership local bus corridors that carry approximately 4,000 or more passengers per day. The cross-county bus services are designed to reach those areas such as hospitals with emergency services, government centers, and regional recreational areas and are primarily cross-county routes in outer areas of the region.
regional transit system and $6.1 billion to bring the existing system into a state of good repair – approximately $1.3 billion annually. To operate the full regional system, both existing and new expansion is estimated to be $1.2 billion annually. This estimates the region needs approximately $2.5 billion annually to fund the existing regional transit system and pay for needed expansion of the regional transit system. Assuming a population of 6 million people living in the Atlanta region in 2030, funding transit will cost each metro resident about $1.15 a day, or less than a cup of coffee in most places. Now a funding strategy and mechanism must be identified and put in place.
|
<urn:uuid:1cfa6313-f417-486d-99d2-0dfe603e59b3>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.transitboard.org/concept3
|
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|
en
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We believe that a highly literate community is the key to everyone’s quality of life, economic self-sufficiency, and family stability.
School Age - Research
Children that are uanble to read by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school! This is because until third grade, children are learning how to read. After third grade, children are reading to learn. If children are uanble to read, they struggle to understand that materials in all of their textbooks. To learn more about why third grading is so important, explore the research by clicking on the titles below.
2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report - Third Grade Reading Proficiency
The 2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report makes the case that reading proficiently by grade three is a fundamental benchmark in developmental success and overall childhood well-being.
Reading on Grade Level in Third Grade: How is it Related to High School Performance and College Enrollment?
This study examines whether third grade reading level can be used as an indicator for four future educational outcomes measures such as: eighth grade reading level, ninth-grade course performance, high school graduation, and college attendance.
This study finds that students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave without a diploma than proficient readers. It is notable in breaking down for the first time the likelihood of graduation by different reading skill levels and poverty experiences.
Improving Reading Comprehension for Kindergarten through Third Grade
Students who read with understanding at an early age gain access to a broader range of texts, knowledge, and educational opportunities, making early reading comprehension instruction particularly critical. This guide recommends five specific steps that teachers, reading coaches, and principals can take to successfully improve reading comprehension for young readers.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards
The English-language arts and mathematics standards for grades K-12 establish clear and consistent goals for learning that will prepare America's children for success in college and work. Shortly after their release, the Michigan State Board of Education adopted the Career and College Ready Common Core State Standards (CCR-CCSS) as the new standards for K-12 Mathematics and English Language Arts. The link will bring you to the Common Core Standards for Language Arts.
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<urn:uuid:0d39a952-7485-402f-b3fb-97aa79231476>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.battlecreekliteracy.org/school-age-research
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.94191
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|
Trying to eat right and buy healthy foods is hard enough as it is. But then we have to deal with highly paid marketing departments whose sole purpose is to trick us into buying crap we don’t need. Now I can’t really fault them for that. That is, of course, their job. They get paid for it, take the money home to their families, and use it to buy crap that they don’t need either, some of which was probably made by the company you work for. It’s the Circle of Life.
So when visiting the grocery store to stock your cupboards, remember these words: caveat emptor. This is an important Latin phrase made up of three important Latin words: caveat which means “Watch your back”, emp meaning “while you’re walking through the grocery”, and tor meaning “store or you’ll buy a bunch of stuff you neither need nor want.”
Safe navigation of the grocery store requires, in the words of the immortal Mad-Eye Moody, CONSTANT VIGILANCE! You not only have to read the labels but also have to translate them into common ordinary language. And therein lies the rub.
But fear not. I have gone ahead and done all the hard work for you. That is, after all, why I’m here. Just print out this handy cheat sheet, head to the store, and you’ll be armed and ready for any marketing attack.
|What It Says||What It Means|
|Trans Fat Free||Full of Good Old Fashioned Regular Fat|
|Sugar Free||Chemist’s Delight|
|Fat Free||We Doubled The Sugar|
|Low Sodium||100% Taste Free|
|Made with Whole Grains||Two Cups of Sugar’ll Fix That|
|A Good Source of Vitamins||Not a Good Source of Vitamins|
|May Reduce Cholesterol||If You Eat Fourteen Bowls of it per Day|
|Whitewheat Bread||White Bread|
|Ready in Ten Minutes!||Your ambulance, that is.|
I hope this helps you on your journey to a better self. Before signing off for the day, I leave you with this scary product:
|
<urn:uuid:c1049b2c-4b90-4cbc-bf14-38ff3115a48b>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.backtothefridge.com/caveat-emptor/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.928471
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Return to story
Guns in America are not about protecting the Second Amendment or self-defense. Guns are about business.
Is that necessarily wrong? No. The manufacturing and sale of guns creates jobs, purchasing power, and taxes. That is free enterprise, and there is nothing inherently wrong with it.
But the gun business and its political allies have taken us down a dangerous path composed of high-capacity magazines, assault rifles, and even the sale of sniper rifles to the civilians.
The domestic market for guns, excepting police and the military, should be limited to pistols, shotguns, and rifles intended for sport shooting and hunting. None should have a magazine capacity of more than five rounds. None should bear resemblance to an assault weapon, U.S. military or foreign.
As an adolescent, I learned to shoot shotguns and hunting rifles, participated in sport shooting events, and hunted with those weapons. As a Marine, I trained to shoot and employ a military pistol and assault rifle and carried those weapons in military operations.
The shotguns and rifles I carried as a youth were designed to kill animals. The pistol and assault rifle I carried as a Marine were designed to kill men.
Let's not allow debate about protection of the Second Amendment, or the supposed necessity for enhanced self-defense, or much less debate about the potential harm to domestic business keep us from banning high-capacity magazines and assault-style weapons from domestic sales.
We have a right to bear arms and nothing should challenge that right. But that right is not open-ended. Common sense and good law should not be trampled by special interest groups using fear-mongering (i.e., the government is attempting to take away your Second Amendment rights; without such weapons you will be more vulnerable to criminals, etc.) and money in a fight for public opinion and the intimidation of politicians.
|
<urn:uuid:5de46c27-a609-40f6-90fd-26ce401cf983>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2013/012013/01092013/745078/printer_friendly
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.966073
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The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) has received a 150,000 Euro contribution from the Government of Germany towards ICMP’s work in the former Yugoslavia.ICMP endeavors to secure the co-operation of Governments and other authorities in locating and identifying persons missing as a result of armed conflicts, other hostilities or violations of human rights and to assist them in doing so.
ICMP’s interdisciplinary work focuses on political, scientific and civil society aspects of addressing this issue. ICMP seeks to ensure that governmental mechanisms for tracing for missing persons, like the Missing Persons Institute of Bosnia and Herzegovina (MPI), are sustainable and can address the issue of missing persons on a political, technical and operational level. The State level MPI will look for all missing citizens regardless of their national, ethnic or religious background. The model of MPI could be applied in other countries as well.
Until today, ICMP assisted in identification of more than 10,200 of different individuals missing from the conflicts in the regions of the former Yugoslavia, of which approximately 8,200 are of persons missing from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The German Government and the German Embassy in Sarajevo have been extremely supportive of ICMP’s activities”, said Kathryne Bomberger, ICMP Chief of Staff. “This donation will significantly assist in identification efforts and thus contribute to long-lasting peace in the region”.
The Government of Germany has supported the activities of ICMP since 2001. The work of ICMP is also supported by the Governments of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, the Holy See, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. The C.S. Mott Foundation provides funding to ICMP for the “Paths to Reconciliation” project.
|
<urn:uuid:9271b752-46af-4abc-ace0-2fb68f780d03>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.ic-mp.org/es/2006/09/page/2/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.94507
| 393
| 2.234375
| 2
|
The competition's guidelines, registration, and background research are all online at http://www.thehighline.org/competition/
: April 4, 2003
: April 21, 2003
: April 25, 2003
Late Registration Deadline
: May 16, 2003
: May 23, 2003
: May 30, 2003
: July 9-26, 2003
Fees: $50.00 for individuals and teams registering before April 25th, 2003($100.00 after the 25th); $300.00 for university architecture studios (up to 15 entries per studio) registering before April 25th, 2003 ($450.00 after the 25th).
The competition is open to architects, landscape architects, horticulturalists, artists, engineers, community members, students, and all other interested parties.
Awards: The top prize is $5,000.00, followed by a $2,500.00 prize and a $1,000.00 prize. In addition, a prize will be awarded (prize-type to be determined) to the most compelling solution to the challenge of universal access to the structure's elevated rail platform. Also, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is sponsoring a "New York Heritage Award" prize (amount to be determined) for the best design incorporating the New York area's native plants and wildflowers.
To publicize the competition, we have printed a competition poster that will be mailed in the coming week. To encourage people to inform others of the competition, we will also have an HTML e-mail late this week that you can forward to friends and co-workers.
|
<urn:uuid:95bd3391-e11d-486a-8394-2cedccafc9d0>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.thehighline.org/news/2013/02/06/volunteer-opportunity-help-us-with-spring-cutback?page=62
|
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|
en
| 0.925855
| 334
| 1.695313
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|
someone who continues to live after an accident, war, or illness
Emergency help is needed for survivors of the earthquake.
She was the sole survivor (=only survivor) of the massacre.
someone who manages to live normally in spite of many problems:
Don't worry about Kurt; he's a survivor.
someone who continues to live after other members of their family have died:
She was the last survivor of the family.
a company that continues to be successful in spite of many problems:
The company hopes to be one of the survivors of this recession.
|
<urn:uuid:ea7c7191-237d-48d3-93e6-4ae458dbb638>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/survivor
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.970678
| 116
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|
With Judge Sonia Sotomayor already facing questions over her 60 percent reversal rate, the Supreme Court could dump another problem into her lap next month if, as many legal analysts predict, the court overturns one of her rulings upholding a race-based employment decision.
Three of the five majority opinions written by Judge Sotomayor for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals and reviewed by the Supreme Court were reversed, providing a potent line of attack raised by opponents Tuesday after President Obama announced he will nominate the 54-year-old Hispanic woman to the high court.
"Her high reversal rate alone should be enough for us to pause and take a good look at her record. Frankly, it is the Senates duty to do so," said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America.
But opponents have an uphill battle.
• Obama names first Hispanic to high court
• Sotomayor battled bias in D.C.
• Sotomayor would be court's 6th Catholic
• Sotomayor deflected Republicans before
Judge Sotomayor already has been confirmed for the federal bench twice: unanimously in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush nominated her to a district court, and by a vote of 67-29 in 1998, after President Clinton nominated her to the appeals court. Seven Republicans who voted for her in 1997 are still in the Senate, and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said "they're certainly well positioned to support her again."
Mr. Gibbs dismissed questions about Judge Sotomayor's reversal rate, saying she wrote 380 majority opinions during her 11 years on the appeals court. Of those 380 opinions, the Supreme Court heard five of the cases and overturned her on three.
"The totality of the record is one that's more important to look at, rather than, like I said, some out-of-context or clipped way of looking at it," Mr. Gibbs said.
While Democratic senators were quick to back Judge Sotomayor, Republicans took a wait-and-see approach, saying they will judge her by her answers at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Still, Republicans will be under pressure from conservative and libertarian activist groups, who say the questions are mounting. The activists are looking forward to the Supreme Court's expected ruling next month in the Ricci case on race-based employment promotions.
Court watchers predict a majority of justices will rule in favor of New Haven, Conn., firefighters who said the city discriminated against them after it tested them for promotions, then scrapped the results after it realized a disproportionate number of whites would be promoted. Judge Sotomayor was part of a unanimous three-judge panel that issued an unsigned opinion ruling against the firefighters and in favor of the city.
"Given the way she recently all but dismissed the Ricci case ... and the expectation, based on oral argument, that the Supreme Court will reverse the 2nd Circuit decision, there will likely be an extremely contentious confirmation battle ahead," said Roger Pilon, vice president for legal affairs at the Cato Institute. "If confirmation hearings are scheduled for summer, they will follow shortly upon the Courts decision in that explosive case."
The White House was cognizant of the danger that case could present. An administration official, briefing reporters after the announcement, said Judge Sotomayor was not specifically asked about the case since it may come back before the Supreme Court with her as a member.
But the official said Judge Sotomayor's reading of the law in the case was well founded and defendable.
"It was a unanimous decision by the panel that she sat on, it applied 2nd Circuit law very faithfully and did rely upon what was a very thoughtful, well-written district court opinion and adopted that opinion," the administration official said. The White House refused to allow the official to be quoted by name.
Maybe more so than her judicial rulings, Judge Sotomayor can expect to be asked about her temperament as a judge and about her remarks during speeches and conferences.
The Almanac of the Federal Judiciary lists a series of quotes from lawyers praising her legal ability, but she also drew barbs from lawyers who said she is abusive in the courtroom: "She really lacks judicial temperament," one lawyer told the publication.
In 2002, in a speech in California, Judge Sotomayor said race or sex does affect a judge's rulings, and said because of that, a minority woman is a better decider than a white man: "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasnt lived that life."
Three years later, at a panel discussion at Duke Law School, she seemed to endorse judicial activism on the appeals courts, telling students considering clerkships: "Court of Appeals is where policy is made. And I know - I know this is on tape, and I should never say that because we don't make law. I know."
A clip of the Duke comment on YouTube has been widely accessed by conservative activists.
Mr. Gibbs said the YouTube clip does not do justice to the context of Judge Sotomayor's comments, and said her record on the courts will be her answer to critics.
"The president is very convinced that people will look at the full context of this and not rely on, as I said, a small, short, out-of-context YouTube clip, and more importantly look at the basis of her entire record. I think you come to a broader understanding of who she is and what she meant," Mr. Gibbs said.
• Kara Rowland and Tom LoBianco contributed to this report.
Stephen Dinan can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.
By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
First over-the-counter column approved for fast and effective relief from even your worst media-induced headache.
A collection of reader guest articles, thoughts and opinions by Communities writers and breaking news and information.
Great discoveries in the world of restaurants and chefs fulfill the quest for delicious food and cooking.
Paul Rondeau dissects the propaganda, media tricks, and other shenanigans targeting our families, faith, and freedom…and even life itself
Benghazi: The anatomy of a scandal
Vietnam Memorial adds four names
Cinco de Mayo on the Mall
NRA kicks off annual convention
|
<urn:uuid:13d5e115-6253-408e-b891-686b168c1244>
|
CC-MAIN-2013-20
|
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/27/60-reversal-of-sotomayor-rulings-gives-fodder-to-f/print/
|
s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz
|
en
| 0.969287
| 1,342
| 1.5
| 2
|
Priceville’s “Just For Boys” Club Making A Difference
PRICEVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Every once in a while a story comes along that we really like, and this is one of them. It’s the story of four young men, high school seniors in Priceville, who decided to be mentors to some junior high school boys. The result was the Just For Boys Club, and the effect has been nothing but positive for everyone involved.
“It’s a lot like having 30 extra best friends just walking around,” says Priceville High School senior Jackson Morris, one of the originators of the Just For Boys Club. Inside classroom number 17 at Priceville Middle School Friday afternoon a club is meeting. They get together once a week and it’s just for boys. There’s no teacher, no adult supervision. Just four high school seniors who are mentoring a group of junior high school boys.
“They came up with the idea that they felt like that, you know, younger boys really needed someone to look up to. Not all of them have a dad at home or positive influences,” says teacher Kim Morris. So Jackson Morris, Dustin Lorance, Aaron Edwards and Nathan Collier decided they could be that positive influence. They would try to make a difference in lives younger than their own.
“I love this club. Those are four great men in there, four Godly men, and they just teach us everything about life,” 8th grade student Aubrey Richardson explained to WHNT News 19.
“Things like good manners and we go through kinda like simulations of things like what to do in this instance and that one,” Tyler Shaneyfelt told us.
“We learned how to tie a tie, which most of us didn’t know how to,” Caleb Martin proclaims.
Something as simple as learning to tie a necktie can promote self-confidence in a young man. One small step along the pathway from adolenscence to manhood.
“We hope that we can be a positive influence on a younger generation because this time in their lives is when they’re most impressionable, when they are formed into the people they will be for the rest of their lives,” says high school senior Dustin Lorance.
“One of the things we try to stress here is the decisions you make right now can affect you for the rest of your live. So we just want to help them make the right decisions now so they can be, so they can grow up and hopefully do what we’re doing right now when they’re seniors in high school,” says Jackson Morris.
Four young men who simply want to make a difference in the lives of even younger men by setting an example, a positive influence for their high school years ahead, and for life beyond school.
Teacher Kim Morris, who surrenders her classroom every Friday afternoon for the club meetings, says she allows them all the space they need because she knows the young boys will open up to each other much easier when there’s not an adult watching over their shoulder. She says a number of the members’s parents have told her the club is making a very positive difference in the lives and attitudes of the younger boys. As for next year after they’ve graduated, the seniors who started Just For Boys say they’ve already picked out four high school juniors who next year will take their place.
– Al Whitaker
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Published in The Economist
In a rough region
Once Bulgaria hoped to be like Greece; now it just hopes to survive
ACCORDING to Ivan Krastev, a Bulgarian analyst, optimistic forecasters had the big hope 20 years ago that Bulgaria might become like Greece. That is to say, “moderately democratic, but moderately corrupt”. Now, he says, they hope that Greece may become like Bulgaria: poor, but financially disciplined and not making too big a mess for others.
So far Bulgaria has weathered the economic and euro crisis. Unemployment has crept up to 12%, but that is half the levels in Greece and Serbia. Over a million Bulgarians are thought to live abroad, working especially in Spain and Greece. Some have lost their jobs and come home, but the value of remittances sent back through banks has actually risen. In 2008 the official figure for remittances was €694m; last year it was up to €774m.
Bulgaria’s GDP grew by a modest 1.7% in 2011 and is expected to slow this year. A recent study suggests that as much as 30% of the economy is unrecorded. Bulgarians are also miserable. A poll by the Open Society Institute found that more than two-thirds of them expect the economy to stay the same or deteriorate in the next 12 months; and fully 56.7% find the situation in the country “unbearable”.
Bulgaria is the poorest country in the EU. Average wages are €3.50 an hour and average monthly salaries are just €360. As 10% of Bulgarian exports go to Greece and Greek banks hold 40% of all loans, it is hardly surprising that Bulgarians are on edge. What makes them especially nervous, says Vassil Vassiliev, a businessman, is their past experience that, whatever happens in western Europe, “comes here a year or two later.”
Mr Vassiliev sends organised groups of workers to other EU countries, especially for seasonal work. He worries that political pressure on companies to replace his workers with the domestic unemployed could affect his business and thus Bulgaria’s economy. Mr Vassiliev thinks the country needs a plan to steer away from excessive dependence on the euro zone.
In one area the market is already changing. The crash of 2008 left huge numbers of unsold holiday flats along the Black Sea coast. When the builders went bust, many of these ended up in the hands of banks. Since then, middle-class Russians have been buying them, says Tzvetelina Borislavova, a banker left with thousands of flats.
Many Bulgarians who do not like the government of Boyko Borisov, a populist prime minister (who once lived with Ms Borislavova), fret about fraying democracy. Parliament has become a “rubber stamp”, complains Borislav Tsekov, an analyst, echoing a belief that business lobbies secure laws favourable to themselves. Several thousands took to the streets recently to protest against a law on forests that was welcomed by builders of ski resorts. The government is backtracking.
Perhaps most worrying is the state of the media. Mainstream newspapers are owned by banks or powerful companies. There is little investigative reporting. Advertising by the government and by state-owned companies is a big source of revenue for newspapers; because of that, self-censorship is the order of the day, argues Valeri Tsenkov, an editor. But Nikolay Mladenov, Bulgaria’s foreign minister, says that what he finds most annoying is “the continual decline in the quality of journalism”. He does not see the link with self- censorship.
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FAIRFAX, Va. (WUSA) --- Gail "Boo" Perkins cuddles with a new baby boy. The infant is a foster child who the Perkins family loves as one of their own.
Seven years ago, the Perkins helped a friend care for a sick foster baby. They worked with the non-profit, Northern Va. Family Service (NVFS).
Boo says she chose to take in children up to age four, close to the ages of her own children at the time. They were quickly hooked, and even adopted one foster boy.
Boo's family is a mix of three biological children and one adopted child. Along with husband Jerry, everyone cares for the little ones.
"We never got into foster care to adopt," says Perkins. "Actually we got in to do weekend respite care...Seventeen kids later, here we are," she says with a warm laugh.
The babies coming through the non-profit often have health issues like fetal alcohol syndrome or drug addiction. NVFS provides a stipend for the foster baby's medical care.
So the Perkins make regular trips to the hospital and give medication to the babies. And it's all worth it.
"As a family we feel the call that, that God's called us to provide that safe haven for children. So that they can not be saddled with attachment disorder with the rest of their lives," says Jerry.
The Perkins say the baby can develop healthy relationships with his or her caregivers through foster care.
"We have seen very, very sick little ones turn out to be amazingly, great little kids, so we do it for the love of the kids," says Perkins.
Despite all these years, the Perkins say it's too easy to fall in love and never easy to say goodbye when the time comes.
"It's hard. You cry, you get upset...but you just know they're in the Lords hands, you've done with what you can do," says Perkins.
Northern Virginia Family Service currently works with 60 foster care families. But the need is always there.
"We need parents of all types, all different cultures, races, ages, single parents, married," says Maggie Moreland, foster care program manager for NVFS.
To be a good foster care parent, the Perkins say you need lots of patience, but it's an experience that changes lives.
The foster babies help give the Perkins' own children who are home-schooled, a chance to learn about serious issues first-hand like the dangers of drug or alcohol abuse.
NOTE: The Gannett Foundation has given a donation to Northern Virginia Family Service.
Written by: Elizabeth Jia
9NEWS NOW & WUSA9.com
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Recently there has been increased interest in modelling the association between aggregate disease counts and environmental exposures measured, for example via air pollution monitors, at point locations. This paper has two aims: first we develop a model for such data in order to avoid ecological bias; second we illustrate that modelling the exposure surface and estimating exposures may lead to bias in estimation of health effects. Design issues are also briefly considered, in particular the loss of information in moving from individual to ecological data, and the at-risk populations to consider in relation to the pollution monitor locations. The approach is investigated initially through simulations, and is then applied to a study of the association between mortality in the over 65’s in the year 2000, and the previous year’s SO2, in London. We conclude that the use of the proposed model can provide valid inference, but the use of estimated exposures should be carried out with great caution.
Disease Modeling | Epidemiology
Wakefield, Jon and Shaddick, Gavin, "Health-Exposure Modelling and the Ecological Fallacy" (December 2005). UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series. Working Paper 272.
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Monday, October 22, 2012
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Statins, a cholesterol lowering drug, may lower the risk of esophageal cancer, especially in patients with Barrett's esophagus, Mayo Clinic researchers report in a study being presented at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting. There are two main types of esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Barrett's esophagus, a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease, raises the risk of adenocarcinoma, the more common type of esophageal cancer. Barrett's esophagus is a precancerous condition in which the lining of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach, is damaged by stomach acid.
MULTIMEDIA ALERT: A video interview with Dr. Singh is available for journalists to download on the Mayo Clinic News Network.
Although still uncommon, adenocarcinoma is on the rise in the United States. About 16,000 people are diagnosed with esophageal cancer annually, of which more than 60 percent are adenocarcinomas. Only 1 in 5 patients with this cancer will still be alive five years after diagnosis.
"Unfortunately, survival rates for this cancer are low, so prevention is critical," says Siddharth Singh, M.B.B.S., a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and study author. "So these results are supporting and encouraging, but more research is needed before we recommend that patients at risk of esophageal cancer take statins."
The Mayo study combined data from 13 studies that included over 1.1 million patients, of which 9,285 had esophageal cancer. The analysis found statins lowered cancer risk by nearly one-third; the longer a patient was on statins, the greater the protective effect.
Researchers also looked at aspirin's effect on reducing the risk of esophageal cancer. When researchers looked specifically at Barrett's esophagus, patients taking a statin and aspirin reduced their risk of esophageal cancer by 72 percent.
The results, researchers say, support a protective association between statin use and esophageal cancer. Given the high mortality rates of the cancer, researchers say these results support randomized trials to evaluate statins in patients who are at high risk of developing esophageal cancer.
Along with Barrett's esophagus, other risk factors for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus include male gender, obesity and smoking.
Journalists can become a member of the Mayo Clinic News Network for the latest health, science and research news and access to video, audio, text and graphic elements that can be downloaded or embedded.
Learn more about becoming a patient at Mayo Clinic in the Patient & Visitor Guide.
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5 Steps for More Dependable Hard Drives
Media production is synonymous with data-creation; so to say that we’re completely dependent on our hard drive resources would be an under-statement. This is why we all adhere to systematic data backup routines.
Some creative pros hesitate to wade into the acronym-rich, apparently esoteric world of hard drive diagnostics. Still others approach the topic too eager to apply outdated lessons or irrelevant myths.
While there is no foolproof approach to preventing or predicting hard disk drive failure, this article will introduce five steps that media production pros can take toward stable, dependable hard drive resources.
Step 1: ‘Burn In’ New Hard Drives.
It’s probably no secret to many readers that so-called ‘infant mortality’ is an all-too-common occurrence with hard drives. This experience is verified in Google’s illuminating study Failure Trends in a Large Disk Drive Population.
Specifically, the Google study found that if a typical hard drive is going to fail related to high or low utilization, it was most likely to happen in the first three months of the drive’s useful life.
‘Burning in’ a new hard drive provides a stress test (whether highly systematic or less formal) in which the drives that are doomed to fail early in life can either do so before they’re in use, or give strong indications that they will in the near future.
There are really two ways to approach burn-in:
- Use a disk utility or specialized burn-in utility to run a proprietary heavy-load test on your new drive(s) before integrating them into your system. These utilities will either cause a doomed drive to fail, or provide diagnostic feedback that will predict early failure.
- Devise an informal use-specific test of your own. For example, fill a disk to about 60% capacity, then create a high track count, edit-dense DAW session with a long duration. Leave it in loop playback for 12 or more hours. The disk will catalog some important diagnostic information that can help predict early failure (see Step 2).
Step 2: Be Smart About Using S.M.A.R.T. Attributes.
Contemporary hard drives are almost always equipped with the standardized internal diagnostic system called SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology).
There are a number of SMART utilities on the market today that give us access to this abundant data. Knowing which parameters or “attributes” to focus on can make SMART a helpful tool.
Another important finding in Google’s unrivaled study is that there are particular SMART attributes that more closely correlate with drive failure than others. Specifically:
- Scan Errors are errors that can result from physical defects on the surface of a hard disk. Google’s study showed that drives with one or more scan errors during burn-in were 39 times more likely to fail in the first 60 days of use.
- Reallocation Count reflects the number of time a drive has remapped a presumably faulty sector to a new location on the disk. In Google’s study, reallocation counts greater than zero meant a drive was 14 times more likely to fail within 60 days.
There are limits to which attributes can tell a useful story. It’s also important to note that the above selected SMART parameters only predicted 44% of failures in Google’s study. Still, these two attributes alone present a significant advantage over working without diagnostics.
Step 3: Defrag Media Drives Every 6 to 12 Months.
Defragmentation is the process of reorganizing data on a disk into the fewest contiguous regions as possible. Low fragmentation can drastically improve drive performance, especially for large disks. Media storage specialists like Studio Network Solutions recommend a regular 6 to 12 month cycle of defragmentation .
There are integrated operating system utilities and third-party utilities that let you defrag your internal and external drives. Be sure to have your data completely backed up before beginning this process.
Step 4: Don’t Get Distracted by Apparent Myths.
In addition to the factors mentioned above that the Google study was able to correlate with drive failure, there were a number of factors that were exposed as apparently irrelevant (or at least distracting). Among these factors:
- High operating temperature doesn’t correlate with drive failure.
- Higher utilization doesn’t predict failure if the drive isn’t power on/off. Of course this only applies to drives beyond the 6-month mark.
- Seek errors don’t reliably predict failure.
Step 5: End of Life Planning
Every drive will eventually reach an age when all indications will point to oncoming failure. Heed the warnings, and be prepared to replace aging drives. For drives that make it past the critical early stages, mortality becomes very make/model specific, but also very uniform. In general you can expect to get 2 to 4 years out of a well cared for media drive.
I keep a log that shows when each drive in my system was introduced, it’s defrag schedule, and any warning signs from SMART logs. This has proven to be a very useful tool in maintaining drive health and predicting drive failure.
Equally important, I try to stay up-to-date on known issues with the hardware and software systems in my studio. Many DAW and I/O hardware problems can masquerade as drive problems. Being able to eliminate the most likely and routine drive maintenance issues accelerates the troubleshooting process, and keeps downtime to a minimum.
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Swine flu deaths might have been prevented
- From: AAP
- February 08, 2013
TWO people may not have died of swine flu complications if their treatment at South Australian hospitals had been better managed, a coroner has found.
Deputy State Coroner Anthony Schapel made recommendations including that the health minister ensure country hospitals are staffed with appropriate medical expertise.
In his inquest findings delivered on Friday, the coroner said Angela Catherine Fensom, 41, of Tantanoola, died at nearby Millicent Hospital, in the state's southeast, on August 18, 2009.
Andrew Johaanes Taankink, 26, of Mount Gambier, was admitted to Mount Gambier Hospital, also in the southeast, before he died at Adelaide's Flinders Medical Centre on October 1, 2009.
The coroner said both patients died of swine flu complications and their chances of survival would have been greater had their treatment been better managed.
He found Mr Taankink's clinical management within Mt Gambier hospital and Ms Fensom's in Millicent hospital had been "sub-optimal".
As well as ensuring country hospitals were appropriately staffed, Mr Schapel said the health minister should ensure patients admitted to them were properly and regularly reviewed by a medical practitioner of appropriate and relevant experience.
He also called on the minister to ensure systems and protocols in all South Australian hospitals were designed to enable medical staff to appropriately respond to a deteriorating patient.
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A powerful earthquake off the Pacific coast of Guatemala on Wednesday sent debris crashing down onto cars, collapsed roads and killed dozens in the Central American nation, officials said.
At least 48 people died in the temblor, President Otto Perez Molina said in a Twitter post Wednesday night, and doctors treated at least 150 others for injuries.
Earlier Wednesday, Guatemala's disaster relief agency said 29 people were missing and hundreds had lost their homes.
Residents felt the 7.4-magnitude quake throughout Central America and as far north as Mexico City. Its epicenter was about 15 miles off the western coastal town of Champerico, at a depth of 26 miles.
It was the strongest quake to hit Guatemala since 1976, the president told reporters, when a 7.5-magnitude quake killed 23,000 people.
"Fortunately, the damage that we have is not at the same level," Perez Molina said Wednesday.
Roads collapsed in multiple locations around the Pacific coastal region of Guatemala, Perez Molina said.
Photos on the Facebook page of the nation's disaster relief agency showed rubble crushing cars and damage to the ceiling at a school in the department of San Marcos.
There were reports of homes and schools destroyed in western Guatemala, Perez Molina told CNN en Español. Many people fled buildings when the tremor first hit.
Some 60,000 people remained without power in the country because of the quake, the state-run AGN news agency reported.
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If every Christian has a resurrected life, his family has a resurrected experience. If all the families have such a resurrected life, that community, that state or country definitely enjoys the peace of resurrection brought to the creation by Christ. The Syrian Orthodox Liturgy on Pascha loudly announcers this Peace brought down by the resurrection of Christ. The tragedy is that we do not have this peace on earth. Why? Our kind of Christianity is nothing but hypocrisy! Enjoying a resurrected life does not come to us without our effort. From the moment one is in Christ, his stormy life begins, and his life in the wilderness begins. But the most comfortable aspect of this Christian journey is that Christ is with him to share his burdens, to carry his cross, to dress his wounds, to satiate his thirst, and wipe his tears. The crossover to the heavenly Canaan is not fun; it is sometimes more painful for some people; some may smoothly move without many events; but the course is on a rough terrain. Once we cross this rough terrain with total fidelity to our Savior, a resurrected experience is guaranteed.
Another very important juncture in the life of the Israelites in the desert took place on the fiftieth day after their departure from Egypt; it was on that day they received the Decalogue, the Ten Laws, which established openly their existential relationship with their Yahweh, the Creator, Who by imposing those laws over them forged His authority over them. Thus they were bound by God’s laws. The case is different in the New Covenant, in which on the fiftieth day God filled them with His Holy Spirit, which ultimately is mercy and grace. WE are no more under law now, but are in grace, which is totally free for us. However we have to merit His grace by walking with Him on this earthly terrain carrying our crosses. Every day of our life on earth is mixed with sufferings, tensions, frustrations, abuses, discriminations, injustices, rejections, sicknesses, disabilities, weaknesses, and all the earthly problems. If we were under law, none of these uncomfortable encounters would have brought us grace of purification and communion with God; but the second Pentecost definitely granted us the indwelling of the Comforter. Thus the most encouraging truth about our crossover is that we have a Comforter with us to provide us with divine fortitude. Thanks be to Jesus Who had promised Comforter for us and sent Him on the day of the New Pentecost after His resurrection!
The next phase of our resurrection is our reward for being faithful to the One Who saved us with His blood, which is God’s gift for us. We become worthy of this resurrection at His second coming in order to judge the living and the dead. We sing this everyday in the Symbol of faith, the Creed.
Yes, the Pascha, Passover, which we celebrate immediately after the Great Lent, is antecedent to a crossing over the Red Sea and the Sinai to the Promised Land, the heavenly Canaan, which is the kingdom of God.
For those of us who are still struggling on earth, the Pascha or Passover is not complete until we are prepared for a crossover. Indeed, the Passover is crossover; and it is after a successful crossover that the heavenly Canaan is realized for us.
May all of our readers have blessed Paschal Season and all the blessings of the Spring Season!
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History of a Cookie
Goals for the Lesson
- Identify the parts of the inner tree from the bark to the pith of the tree.
- Develop a topic of student interest to find a historical event for each growth ring.
- Design a time line.
- Gain knowledge on how to research topics by means of reference books and computer search engines.
- cookie or a cross section of a tree that shows the growth rings. It is nice if the bark is intact but not necessary.
- small finishing nails
- masking tape
- markers or pens
- poster board or construction paper
State Standards Addressed: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources (4.2); Agriculture and Society (4.4); and Ecosystems and Interactions (4.6)
Subjects Covered: tree biology, history
Topics: forest history, plant science, plant functions
Part 1: Lecture
The first part of the lecture should be spent on identifying the parts of a cookie or tree round. Define and explain the function of the following
- outer bark
- cambium layer
- pith (center of the tree.)
Explain to the students how to count growth rings of a tree: count the number of darker rings from the center all the way out to the bark of the tree. Explain to the students that each ring represents one year's growth and this is one way of dating how old a tree is or how old a stump is in the forest. Make sure the students realize that the center of the tree is the oldest part and the outer most rings are the newest growth.
When you start to determine the age of the tree I have my students use masking tape and nails. I have the students write the current year on the tape and wrap it around a nail head. They then put the nail in the growth ring closest to the bark. Next they need to do the same for each ring in the tree back to the pith of the tree. Note: Plan ahead when giving the students a cookie. Choose a cookie that has about the number of years you want them to research latter. Remember if you pick a hundred year old tree they will have to find an event that happened in each year.
On a piece of paper or poster board have them neatly write out the number of years the tree is old by date. Example: 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999 back to the year found in the center.
- Example 1: Have the students pick a particular topic such as cars, birthdays, show tunes, music, championship teams, etc. This is now what the student needs to research. If the students pick cars they need to find one kind of car that came out in each year; if they pick birthdays they need to find one famous person that was born in that year and so on. On their poster board they can use pictures or write them out. Encourage the students to be clever and unique about their display.
- Example 2: Students have to find one historical event that happened in each year. Beware, students can find completed time lines and just print them out and use as their display unless you state before hand that this will not be accepted.
A collected poster board or paper detailing the events that occurred in the correct years as well as a cookie with the growth rings completed correctly. A follow-up quiz can also be given to make sure the students can identify the parts of a cookie from pith to bark.
"In conclusion, I hope that you can see that the tree that has been cut down has lived through history just like you have. The tree is a representation of decades of change."
Herren, Ray (2002). The Science of Agriculture: A Biological Approach . Independence, Ky.: Delmar Publishing.
Andrew Boyer, Northern Tioga School District
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Dec. 20, 2008
For decades after its founding in 1935, the United Auto Workers stood as a powerful model for the American labor movement, an influential organization that historians credit with uplifting living standards for all working Americans.
But with the announcement of the federal loan deal yesterday, the union found itself being forced into concessions that some described as tantamount to surrender.
The $17.4 billion federal loan agreement does keep the domestic auto industry alive. But the terms of that loan also insist that the wages and benefits for union workers be lowered to "equal" the average of nonunion workers, specifically, those at the U.S. plants of Nissan, Toyota and Honda.
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For good or ill, most campaigns today want consumers to participate with them in some way-even if that participative act is as a simple as a like, a share or a vote.
We may well debate the commercial merits of the participative approach as a solution to every problem. Martin Weigel makes an excellent point in his post “The Participation Paradox” about our preoccupation with fandom versus the realities of a market where a majority of consumers purchase infrequently and disloyally, and a majority of brands grow by increasing penetration, not frequency.
It’s an excellent-and timely-point but for me it means we need to think about our consumers less as fans (with the relatively passive admiration that implies) and more as actors: collaborators, salesforces, promoters and co-creators.
Likewise, the demands some participative campaigns can make on the consumer are beyond all sense or reason, as Brian, the “target demographic” reminds us.
Taking these excellent points on board, however, the fact is that more and more of us are participating with content in some way – social media, and Facebook in particular-has disrupted the traditional 1: 9: 90 rule beloved of those observing participation inequalities towards a model where more and more of us are commenting, liking and sharing. Some 33% of consumers fall into Forrester’s “Conversationalists” segment-those who regularly update social media profiles. Recent research from the BBC further bears this out, identifying 77% of consumers as participating online in some way.
Moreover, more and more of the content we consume is content that has been filtered by our friends’ participation. According to Trendstream’s Global Web Index, 28.8% of users have viewed an on-line video on the basis of a friend’s recommendation, while 17% have read a news article on that basis. These numbers are only likely to grow-so if we want our content to be visible at all through what Eli Pariser calls the “filter bubble” we’re going to need some level of participation.
Most importantly, however, participation disrupts business models. The ability of millions of our customers to share, promote, surface, create and sell has disrupted industries at the most profound level. Participation has disrupted supply models (think Air BNB), pricing models (think Lucky Counter or Pay with a tweet) and distribution models (think ASOS marketplace, Kiosked or Shopinterest). Our task is to ensure participation disrupts our clients’ businesses in the right way.
So how do we get better at briefing for participation? (Remember Brian….)
I believe there are three key ways in which our briefs need to change:
1.A business problem is a behavioural change in disguise
2. Think about network insights, not (only) consumer insights
3. Move from “the single thing we want to say” to “the single thing we’re going to make or do”
1. A business problem is a behavioural change in disguise:
In the old world, a number of outside forces impacted on consumer behaviour-among them product, promotion, price and distribution. Creating increased demand could only impact a brand’s fortunes so far. Today, the effect of the social web is that this dynamic can be reversed. By changing consumer behaviour, enabled by technology, we can not only increase demand, we can increase supply, increase the number of distribution points a brand has, increase its salesforce or its capacity to deal with customer service queries. This transforms the potential role of agencies from impacting a relatively small lever within the mix (the best poster in the world can only really make more people buy the same product, at the same price, in the same place) to fundamentally impacting on our clients’ business. If the core problem is distribution, product relevance, pricing models or ability to surface relevant inventory we can address all these issues in a way advertising alone cannot.
To do that though, we need a clear, simple, granular articulation of their businesses problems:
-We need 1m light users to buy one more pack of butter a year
-Our rate of sale is spectacular but poor distribution is impacting our ability to grow
-Delivery costs are stripping the margin from our business
Then we need to understand the kind of participation we need to tackle those problems:
-We need each of our light users to take part in one more baking occasion a year
-We need our fans to become our distribution channel
-We need to incentivise users to pool their delivery slots
Fundamentally, we need to move from “nice” participation-share your story, share your pictures, share your videos-to what Clay Shirky describes as “jackhammer sharing”-sharing that breaks things.
So question 1 when briefing for participation would read: What do we need people to do (to break things)?
2. Think about network insights, not (only) consumer insights
I’ve written about this extensively before so I won’t labour the point, but: in a world where so much of the content we consume is consumed via our networks, treating our consumers as autonomous individuals exclusive of social context feels increasingly redundant. Of course we still need to know who we are targeting and how they feel about our brand or category, but equally importantly we need to know what kinds of networks they are in, what the dynamics of those networks are, what their motivations are to share, what and where they share. We need to understand what drives participation among their networks of choice-is it about the symmetry of the relationship or about the size of their audience?
We need to go beyond “they like Farmville and texting” to genuine insights-from the what to the why. If, for example, we know that teenage girls upload 21 photos each a month and that they account for 6% of Facebook’s UK audience but 44% of all page “likes” it tells us something about the importance of image, their need for validation, their willingness to use brands in the on-line space to construct their identity. And it tells us that if, as a brand, we asked them to show off their latest purchases to friends in exchange for a discount or for a role as a brand ambassador we might be pushing on an open door*.
These networks insights help us move from understanding what we need users to do, to answering the second fundamental question:
Why would they do it-what are their network motivations?
3. From the single thing we want to say to the single thing we’re going to make or do
So we know what we want people to do and we know something about why they might do it. The question then is what piece of stimulus will the brand provide to prompt them into action?
Typically, this is where the proposition or “the single thing we want to say” comes in. However, we’ve established that:
- Participation disrupts business models
- Consumers’ ability to partcipate has the power to impact our client’s businesses in more profound ways than ever before
- The solution to a much more diverse range of business problems than ever before lies in changes to consumer behaviour
So if we want to change behaviour, talking at consumers probably won’t have the desired effect. To put it another way, as Clay Shirky says:
“Behaviour is motivation filtered by opportunity”
We know the behaviour we need to change-what we need people to do. We know what their motivations are. So what opportunity are we going to provide them with?
- What new distribution channels are we going to open up?
- What new services are we going to create?
- What new pricing models are we going to develop?
For me, that’s when our briefs become incredibly exciting and our work doesn’t have to plead for users to participate with it, or generate lots of participation but limited sales effect. That’s when participation lies at the heart of business performance. So, in summary, the three key questions at the heart of the modern brief are for me:
- What do we need people to do?
- Why would they do it?
- What are we going to make or do that will enable them to do it?
Over the last six months, it’s often seemed that there’s literally no field of human endeavour (or suffering) that hasn’t had gaming mechanics applied to it. We can now get points and badges for reading articles, or for watching television. (I remember when you had to at least be able to swim 25 metres or tie a knot.) On a more altruistic level, we Brits can earn points for participating in the “Big Society” . On a more alarming level, US citizens can earn points for voting.
Then came the inevitable backlash. Zynga CEO Mark PIncus caused something of a stir by freely admitting “I did every horrible thing in the book to, just to get revenues right away”. Ian Bogost developed the Cow Clicker game partly as a satire on the social gaming industry, together with an intelligent and considered articulation of his concerns around the industry. Ironically, people then played Cow Clicker…and seemed to enjoy it.
Much of the backlash has come from “real” gamers; lovers of console games and MMOs who frown on social games as somehow lower on the evolutionary scale. Interestingly, that’s not Bogost’s problem. Nor mine. Full disclosure-Playstation holds no allure for me, nor have I ever impersonated an Orc. Not on purpose, anyway…. So why do I care?
We’re killing the golden goose (cow)
Applying gaming theory to UX design (still) has real and rich potential. There are inspiring case studies about the impact of gaming mechanics in healthcare for example-take this game designed to encourage children with cancer to follow their treatment regimes or some of the examples cited in this excellent post from the folks at Big Spaceship. We know more every day about how to design an online experience rooted in the psychology of the user that will bring about behavioural change. It’s an extraordinary opportunity for an industry which-at its best-has always been about finding the right prompts to change behaviour in our brands’ favour. Read the rest of this entry »
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Antigua Guatemala Travel Guide
Antigua in Guatemala is one of the oldest and prettiest colonial cities in Latin America, situated in a valley between three volcanoes. The setting is beautiful but hazardous, the town having experienced 16 earthquakes, frequent floods and a number of fires. It was the country's capital until 1776 when, after sustaining severe damage in a series of devastating earthquakes, the capital was moved to the present day Guatemala City, 30 miles (48km) away.
In colonial times Antigua was considered to be one of the most splendid cities of the Spanish Empire and was the principal city in Central America. Today it remains an enchanting place with remnants of a prosperous past. It is a delight to wander down the quaint traffic-free cobbled streets, past single storey multi-coloured buildings and mansions, magnificent churches, monasteries and convents. Plazas, inner courtyards and fountains are pretty reminders of the Spanish legacy. The town has been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a popular destination for visitors. Buildings of interest include the Iglesia de San Francisco, La Merced and the Las Capuchinas.
Antigua becomes extremely busy during the Easter celebrations of Semana Santa, when people from all over the region flock to see the colourful street processions. The rest of the time it has a relaxed and convivial atmosphere with a strong indigenous culture, prevalent in the Sunday market. It is also a popular place to learn Spanish at one of the many language schools, and most students are able to stay with a local family as part of the learning experience. For the more adventurous the three volcano peaks offer superb hiking opportunities and views, and many tour operators in town offer trips to the surrounding countryside, as well as excursions to the only active volcano in the region, Volcán Pacaya. Villages nearby, like San Antonio Aguascalientes, offer visitors a closer look at indigenous life and are centres for beautiful hand-woven textiles.
Become our Antigua Guatemala Travel Expert
We are looking for contributors for our Antigua Guatemala travel guide. If you are a local, a regular traveller to Antigua Guatemala or a travel professional with time to contribute and answer occasional forum questions, please contact us.
Intrepid Travel is one of the world's leading suppliers of small
group adventures focused on getting off the beaten track and having
real life experiences in Guatemala.
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The Eritrean group appeared to number a dozen, including two women and a teenager, according to activists and an AP photographer who was at the site Tuesday.
They were crowded beside Israel's new border fence, shaded by blue-striped plastic they hoisted above themselves.
The group had been there for about a week, said Ran Cohen of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, which helps migrants.
Israel's military has since sealed off the area. A spokesman said soldiers were giving the group water and food.
Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai said they will not be allowed in, because that would encourage more African migrants to make the trip.
"If there were no fence there, and we were not determined (to stop the influx of migrants), then that number would become 1 million people," he said.
Israel has almost completed a barrier along 200 kilometers (125 miles) of its border with Egypt to block African migrants and militants from the lawless Sinai.
Officials have also expanded the capacity of detention centers to ensure those entering are immediately held, said Cohen of the rights group.
Most of the Africans are from Sudan and Eritrea. Under international law, Israel cannot return people to those two countries because of their poor
The tough measures came after Israeli officials spent years grappling with how to halt the flow of Africans who began entering after Egyptian police killed 20 Sudanese asylum seekers during a demonstration in Cairo in 2005. Their numbers swelled as news of safety and jobs in Israel spread.
Many Israelis fear the continued flow of non-Jewish Africans is eroding the country's Jewish character.
One-fifth of the Israel's citizens are Arabs, there are tens of thousands migrant workers overstaying visas, and about 70,000 Africans.
Other Israelis say their country should not send back those fleeing persecution.
"People are running away from killings and a dictatorship. We are obligated to help them," said Maayan Zak. She and other activists tried to reach the area this week to deliver food.
In a previous standoff with four Eritreans who refused to leave the fence last month, the migrants were allowed in after four days.
An Israeli official said that no "international body" determined that Sudanese or Eritreans would be persecuted in Egypt. He said Israel had "no legal obligation" to let them in. He spoke on condition n of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.
In an email response, he did not relate to widely documented claims that Sinai smugglers frequently torture, rape and sometimes enslave Africans in their territory.
U.N. official William Tall said Israel should allow the group in and then review their claims to see if they are genuine refugees.
"These people are expressing a fear to be returned," Tall said. "They (Israel) can't deny them access to (its) territory."
Follow Hadid on twitter.com/diaahadid
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One of the teams expected to do well in the Paralympic Games in London is Ukraine after an impressive display in Beijing four years ago.
Although not the most famous of sporting nations, it has moved up the Paralympic medals table faster than any other in history.
On its debut in Atlanta in 1996, Ukraine came just 44th overall. But in a massive improvement of fortunes and 24 gold medals later, finished in fourth place in Beijing in 2008.
Their Paralympic success is even more exceptional considering the difficulty and discrimination that disabled people face in Ukraine.
Just a quick look around the capital, Kiev, and it's clear how normal life can be a struggle. The pavements are raised at least 6 inches (15cm) above the road and very rarely have ramps. Many hotels are lift-free and accessible toilets are rare. Finding a job can be even harder.
The result is that many disabled people, especially those in wheelchairs, live an isolated existence at home.
In an environment seemingly prejudiced against disabled people, what is the reason for Ukraine's Paralympic revolution?
One of the key players is Valeriy Sushkevych - the founder and president of the Paralympic Committee of Ukraine and two-time disabled swimming champion in the Soviet Union.
"In the Soviet Union it was very difficult because the director of the swimming pool would say: 'You must go to hospital, not the swimming pool. Go away, please.'"
Sushkevych, 58, knows first-hand the power of sport to change lives. Having been infected with polio at the age of four, he has spent most of his life in a wheelchair. Only the influence of a strong-willed father determined to keep his son moving meant that Sushkevych's life took a very different path to other disabled boys his age.
"Every summer, my father took me to the sea and pushed me into the water because wheelchairs in the Soviet Union were very very bad," Sushkevych told the BBC. "But when I go into the water, I am free, I can swim. And for me it was a way into able-bodied society."
Under Sushkevych's passionate leadership (he is also a member of the Ukrainian parliament) Ukraine has developed a unique system of physical education and sport for young people with disabilities.
Known as Invasport, there is now at least one school in every region of Ukraine dedicated to introducing a new generation of disabled children to everything from volleyball to athletics and swimming to powerlifting. For most, the experience gives them confidence, friends and an element of physical rehabilitation. A select few become tomorrow's champions.
Paralympian swimmer Iurii Martynov says disabled people have poor access to swimming facilities
Today, this system is recognised as one of the best in the world, despite lower levels of Paralympic funding than in countries such as China, the UK, the US and Australia. These nations and others around the world are now looking to Ukraine to share its experience.
The flagship hub for Ukraine's Paralympic movement is a training centre on the Black Sea coast in Yevpatoria, Crimea. This state-of-the-art base is built on the site of a former Communist youth camp, and now has some of the best facilities in Europe for both disabled and non-disabled athletes.
This is in stark contrast to the running tracks and swimming pools in other parts of Ukraine.
"Many [swimming pools] are on the second floor so it's hard for disabled people to get into. They have many steps and many of them are half ruined," said 22-year old Iurii Martynov, a swimmer preparing to take part in his first Paralympics.
"This centre is important because it has no barriers for disabled people," he says. "At home, many people just don't practice because they don't have the opportunity. When they see this place for the first time I think they're surprised, like this is too cool for Ukraine!"
But great facilities and school programmes do not come for free. The Government provides most of the funding, although additional income is generated by hiring out rooms at the training centre to holidaymakers and those seeking to use the facilities for rehabilitation. This allows the Paralympians free food, training and accommodation.
However, financial support from big brand companies is less forthcoming. Although the website for the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee is bursting with adverts and proud sponsors, the equivalent Paralympic website is notably banner-free.
Much of the country's sporting infrastructure, from Soviet times, has seen better days
Sergiy Boiko, the CEO of Volia Cable and the one of only two Paralympic sponsors, says that the low returns on advertising mean Paralympic sponsorship is more altruistic.
"Of all the companies I've met among sponsors in 2007 or 2008, none of them were trying to advertise themselves via the Paralympic committee. In my eyes such sponsors are trying to share the same values, which for our company are freedom and willpower," said Boiko.
The Ukrainian government's head of sport, Ravil Safiulin, says that they are making a concerted effort with domestic media to promote the team's successes at London 2012, and accepts there's a lot of room for improvement.
"We have to talk to our media which doesn't cover the Paralympics enough. This is our fault, this is our mistake and we need to correct it," Safiulin tells the BBC. "Change will come with time because there are heroes in Olympics, but there are also heroes in Paralympics. They are the pride of the nation and everyone should know about them."
As in Beijing, the Ukrainian government will award substantial prize money to medal-winners in both the Olympics and Paralympics.
For double-gold winning, world-record holding powerlifter Lidiya Solovyova, who has a form of dwarfism, the rewards and respect gained from sport have been truly life-changing.
"Of course, through sport I've achieved a lot. Everything. Before sport I had practically nothing. Actually, not practically - literally I had nothing. I had no flat. I had no salary. I had no good pension. But now thanks to sport I have all these things," Solovyova says.
"I have the attention from my team-mates and from my friends outside sport. I'm more respected now and have official state honours. I'm not a nobody."
As she prepares to defend her title, it remains to be seen if Ukraine's wider attitude to its disabled citizens will improve thanks to their Paralympians' success.
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We Are the Astronomers (Homily)
December 23, 2007
Fourth Sunday of Advent
I’ve been able to do some reading and watch a few movies this Advent, and I wanted to share one of those books with you and one of those movies. The book is the new biography of Albert Einstein. The movie is the movie Bella.
The Einstein biography is a terrific book, wonderfully well written, and reading it I realized for the first time what a huge influence Einstein has been on me, and on all of us. He died the year that I was born, 1955, and he’s just always been in my head. He’s in our cultural imagination, I think, as the figure of the Great Man, as the figure of the Genius, and as the figure of science--of science understood as completely rational and impossible to argue with.
Einstein believed in God, but he did not believe in miracles. He believed in laws, vast and immutable laws that not even the creator of the universe could break, and I think that’s the image of science that’s gotten into all of us, and the image of truth. It’s why we have such problems reading the Bible sometimes, with its belief in miracles and, more improbably, with its belief in a God who knows and loves us all by name.
Again, as always, it’s that famous poster of the Milky Way, all these swirling stars, with an arrow pointing at one little speck: you are here.
But that’s what we believe. We believe that this one little speck in the swirl of stars is infinitely beloved after all.
Einstein famously said that God doesn’t play dice with the universe, but we think that he does. We think He threw some dice over a stable in Bethlehem, on a day just like this one, out of the blue. Or it’s not that God plays dice exactly, but that he plays. He dances. He sings. He creates. He does whatever he feels like doing, in all freedom and creativity, and out of that freedom and creativity a light comes into our darkness. And not just a light, not just an impersonal, universal energy, but a light that is a love, a person who knows us and cares for us.
The movie Bella explains one way that this works.
I think we have a much too limited and immature notion of what a miracle is. Somehow we think a miracle has to be big and it has to be obvious, and so we think miracles don’t happen anymore and never did.
But the movie Bella shows us otherwise. It’s about a Mexican man in New York, a cook, who in the middle of a work day takes the time to care for a coworker who has gotten pregnant, an unmarried coworker, a woman in a world of hurt who doesn’t want the baby and doesn’t have anybody to turn to.
I had the heard that the movie was sort of an antiabortion story and I hadn’t really wanted to go, not because I’m in favor of abortion, but because I don’t like cheesy and sentimental stories, or propaganda. But that’s not what the movie is. For one thing, it doesn’t oversimplify the characters and it doesn’t deny the suffering in the world around them. For another thing, the main character, the Mexican cook--whose name, not incidentally, is Jose--this character doesn’t preach at the woman and doesn’t judge the woman. He never tells her what to do. He just spends time with her. He listens to her. He looks at her with respect--and with the most beautiful eyes, Barb says, she’s ever seen. She says that she’d follow him anywhere. And in the end, the movie keys not mostly on what the woman decides to do but on what the man decides to do, on how, rather than judging and condemning, he decides to make a sacrifice of his own, an individual, personal sacrifice.
He’s exactly like the Jose in the gospel today, the Joseph, and this is the miracle--not the star that shines later but the personal choice of a single human being in a difficult situation. A man who dreams a dream and listens to that dream. A man who doesn’t do what the culture would expect and approve.
He takes Mary in. He marries her anyway, in the midst of all this social judgment and personal uncertainty.
That’s the miracle: that Joseph acts freely and creatively. He breaks the laws, of society and of the universe, and he’s not the only one. That’s not the only time
I know someone who has adopted a handicapped child. I know someone who cares for an aged parent. I know people who fly to Central America and serve in a clinic, for free. I know people who started an orphanage, and people who raise money for that orphanage, and who never call attention to themselves doing it. I know people who bring communion to the sick. I know people who serve luncheons after every funeral in the parish. I know people who make music at mass after mass, Sunday after Sunday, year after year. I know people who work at the Crisis Pregnancy Care Center. I know people who bring flowers to their wives. I know people who read to their children. I know someone who donated a kidney to a sibling. I know someone who donated bone marrow. I know someone who smiles. I know someone who reaches out and touches me on the shoulder. Calls me “buddy.”
Into our ordinary daily lives there come moments for us to serve others out of our own talent and work and capacity, in our own ways, and the miracle is that so many among us choose to do that, to respond, in their freedom and creativity. That’s the miracle, and it’s only our smallness of imagination and of mind that keeps us from seeing it, that insists on some sort of silly special effect before we can consent to believing in a loving God.
Yes, God loves us. We see it and we feel it in our love for each other. No, the laws of the universe don’t roll over us, inexorably. We act against them. We act in love. We act in charity. We act in laughter and in hope.
The irony, of course, is that Einstein could never complete his Unified Field Theory. The quantum world he opened up has proven too complex to be contained. The deeper we get the more unpredictable and mysterious the particles become. No one can say for sure where any one particle will go, and that’s a miracle, too, this variety, this inner subtlety and movement.
But it’s only a small part of the larger, human miracle, the miracle of the Nativity, the miracle of all the new life that we allow to enter into us, and that we nourish and protect, and the miracle of our own lives, too, our own unique, given, individual lives.
Yes, astronomically speaking, we are insignificant. But astronomically speaking, we are the astronomers--and that’s God’s gift to us, through our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s the miracle and the gift. The gift of our minds. The gift of our hearts. The gift of our wills.
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The R.A.I.L. Sequence is a cutting-edge intelligent software technology currently under development by KMG Software, Inc. The aim for developing the technology is to help improve the business decision-making process, to track business operations, improve business sales records, and increase efficiency and revenue generation…basically, giving you an entire team of Harvard graduates that work for you around the clock.
R.A.I.L. stands for Reason, Action, Infer and Learn. R.A.I.L. technology takes every aspect of business into account: business psychology, statistics, biological sciences, (just to name a few), in order to assist in making educated, highly successful decisions. We believe that in the complicated business world, the more information a company possesses, the greater likelihood it will succeed. R.A.I.L. gives simplified, reliable and efficient results to the end users and keeps the complicated data mining procedures and mathematical calculations to itself.
R.A.I.L. enabled software solutions are capable of making rational decisions in different environments based on previous experiences, not unlike Humans. R.A.I.L. is also designed to take valuable inputs from human experts -- by gradually gaining experience and knowledge, the system will eventually be capable of handling complex tasks and even train novice Human users.
The R.A.I.L. system is also capable of drawing conclusions from known information. For example, the system can conclude that “The generator company needs to focus marketing and sales initiatives to the 74355, 33040, and 33037 zip codes due to hurricane forecasts for the next 30 days,” based on inspections on known data. Under the umbrella of uncertainty, the system adapts itself to the surrounding environment. By measuring probability, it always gives an optimal solution.
How It Works
Some of the functionalities in R.A.I.L. Technology are inspired by other science fields including Quantum Physics and Neural Science. Quantum Physics scientists believe our world is made up of countless “building blocks” (ex. Leptons, Quarks,...etc.) and limited behavior rules (ex. Newton’s Law,...etc.). To sum up Quantum Physics: the building blocks and rules are simple, but the universe is complex...the conclusion is complex. The R.A.I.L. System is based heavily on the same philosophy: behaviors and matter can be constructed by providing enough of the simple “building blocks” and rules to define their behaviors. Complex decisions are drawn from the multitude of building blocks that are gathered by the system. The software can even be taught to handle uncertainty -- making it more predictable (and reliable) by applying thousands of learned base theories to a single decision.
The system is also inspired by Neural Science theories. R.A.I.L. is capable of handling a great amount of information simultaneously (much like the interconnectivity of the human brain and our five senses -- thousands of connections for one piece of information). In order to do this, the software involves task specialization, memorization and learning. The system is also capable of putting itself into a meditated state or a focused state dependant on user need.
All these cutting edge technologies are made possible by constructing R.A.I.L. Sequence Technology in complicated mathematical models (such as The Probability Theory, Predicate Calculus, Propositional Logic and First-Order Logic). The system also uses the most advanced Artificial Intelligence technology including neural networks, Bayesian Networks, and more.
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There are several ways you can craft responsibly to begin with you can use supplies that eco-friendly, for example you can use drawing papers that are recycled or use products that come from a renewable resource, like soy beans.
The next way is re-purposing. If you are not familiar with re-purposing its when you take an item that has lost its original purpose and make it into something else."
Then there is up-cycling which is when you take something of little value and make it into something of value."
Great ideas for green crafts are only a click away. A simple Google or YouTube search for green crafting will uncover hundreds of ideas.
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Rockingham, NC Jan. 3, 2013 – Ever since Shane Hmiel’s accident left him paralyzed while attempting to qualify for a United States Auto Club (USAC) race in Terra Haute, Ind. on Oct. 9, 2010, his road to recovery has been nothing short of miraculous and has served has an inspiration to many.
Doctors initially told Hmiel and his family that he had a 10 percent chance to live and that he would never walk or breathe on his own again. He wasn’t supposed to ever move his fingers again. He wasn’t supposed to ever move his arms again. He wasn’t supposed to ever move his toes or his feet again.
But he has defied the odds and overcome all those things.
For Hmiel, none of this would have been made possible without all the support, prayers, and donations from his loving family, friends, and fans across the country. And now, with continued support, Hmiel has the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a race car with Accessible Racing at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday, January 26, 2013 and is set to overcome another obstacle he was told wouldn’t ever be done.
“I can’t wait for this event at Rockingham Speedway,” said Hmiel. “I have had a lot of people in my corner pulling for me since I got injured and without all my family, friends, and fans support and prayers I wouldn’t be where I am today on my road to recovery. I can’t thank Andy Hillenburg and the folks at Rockingham enough for allowing this event to take place at their track. I have great memories of the Rock from growing up as a kid all the way through my racing days so it means a lot to me that Rockingham is the first track I get to drive on since my accident.”
Accessible Racing is the brainchild of co-founder and president Brian Hanaford and is built on the mindset of breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for disabled Vets and civilians. Hanaford grew up in an auto racing family but choose a different path in life. Running became his passion but a car accident resulted in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that changed the course of his life. After years of recovery and emotional distress, he decided to modify a race car to assist the physically challenged.
“Seeing the look on other disabled peoples’ faces when they took a ride in my racecar was a life changing experience for me,” Hanaford said. “Improving somebody’s quality of life in this way is more fulfilling then any self help book or organization I learned of in 30 years. I want to continue sharing with others what has been a gift from God to me.”
The Accessible Racing driving experience provides an exciting and therapeutic experience that helps disabled individuals rediscover their capabilities. It opens up the possibilities in their lives after an accident, illness or injury. It allows individuals to experience the excitement of competition and the thrill of victory, as well as the agony of defeat. These experiences help prepare individuals after rehabilitation to face the adversity of a disability in their lives and to learn to bounce back in the face of challenge and change. To find out more about Accessible Racing please visit www.accessibleracing.com.
Contributions and continued support will help Hmiel take another huge step on his road to recovery and continue the positive impact Accessible Racing is providing for our disabled veterans and civilians. For more information on how you can be involved to help make this special event happen, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/cxq7wfy.
Donations are being accepted now through January 26.
Rockingham Speedway will play host to two NASCAR-sanctioned events in 2013. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is set to return to The Rock during the weekend of April 12-14, 2013 along with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Classic 3 Championship during the weekend of November 1-2, 2013. Tickets can be purchased for these two race weekends at http://www.rockinghamspeedway.com/tickets.html.
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"The National Educational Testing Bureau of University Grants Commission (UGC) conducts National Eligibility Test (NET) to determine eligibility for lectureship and for award of Junior Research Fellowship..."
Form Available from :April 24, 2013 | Form Submission deadline :April 30, 2013 | Exam Date :June 30, 2013
"JMET is the first step in the process of admission to the TWO YEAR FULL TIME Postgraduate Degree Programmes in Management offered by IITs .JMET is only a qualifying examination. Candidates have to apply..."
"Dat is Conducted by NID, Ahmedabad for the post graduate diploma program in design.The objective of DAT is to measure the candidate�s aptitude for the field of design involving general mental ability,..."
Form Available from :October 9, 2009 | Form Submission deadline :October 31, 2009 | Exam Date :January 9, 2010
"Candidates aspiring to get admission into Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) need to appear for Common Admission Test(CAT).The CAT is conducted jointly by IIMs. However, each IIM follows its own admission..."
"NEED is a qualifying examination of the following consortium partner institutions for admission to the undergraduate level programmes in design:
(a)Â National Institute of Design , Ahmedabad
"Prospective applicants desirous of taking admission to First year of undergraduate course in Architecture (Bachelor of Architecture) in India take The National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) . NATA..."
"MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)tests the basic concepts in biology, general and organic chemistry, and physics. The exam also assesses capacity for problem solving and critical thinking as well as..."
Form Available from :January 1, 1970 | Form Submission deadline :January 1, 1970 | Exam Date :July 2, 2009 | Result Date :August 7, 2009
"The GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) General Test evaluates the verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning , critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that are not related to any specific field..."
Form Available from :January 1, 1970 | Form Submission deadline :January 1, 1970 | Exam Date :January 1, 1970 | Result Date :January 1, 1970
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This is a printer-friendly version of this article. Click here to return to Rain Taxi.
Making Comics and Communities:
The Influence of Scott McCloud
by William Alexander
If Comics were a country, Scott McCloud would be that country's representative to the United Nations. He would sit in a blue chair, wearing his red Zot! t-shirt and his green flannel, and he would consider matters of global and aesthetic importance behind those huge, round eyeglasses.
McCloud's comics persona has narrated three nonfiction works about his chosen art form. His authoritative tomes Understanding Comics (1993) and Reinventing Comics (2000) lay out the history, mechanics, and possibilities of sequential art, and they are widely considered to be the most accessible and comprehensive works of comics theory to date.
McCloud's third volume, Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels (Harper, $22.95) gestures at wider topics, referring to the history, theory, and new possibilities for the art form, but for the most part focusing on specific techniques of comics creation.
This is actually a lot of fun, and not just for aspiring comics artists. The book is filled with useful details about tools and techniques (and diagrams, lots of diagrams), but it feels more like a privileged backstage tour than a technical manual.
One reason for this wide appeal is simply charm; McCloud's cartoon-self is as entertaining as he is authoritative, and parts of the book are just laugh-out-loud funny. Another reason is that these "storytelling secrets" are germane beyond the genres in question: any creative writing instructor can use this book to illustrate (literally) individual skills like character creation, scene transition, and the trade-off between narrative clarity and pyrotechnic intensity, even if their students are playwrights and epic poets rather than comics makers. Actors can also benefit from McCloud's description of adult emotions and the extent to which we suppress them. In context, this bit of the book is aimed at artists attempting to draw characters in deeply emotional circumstances, but the lesson is still widely applicable; the best way to cry onstage is to try very hard not to.
There is, of course, plenty of specificity to balance out this wide appeal. McCloud devotes many pages to frame choices, facial musculature, and the use of digital and traditional drawing tools. Any dedicated comics artist will not be disappointed. But you don't have to make comics (or plays, or epic poems) to enjoy this book. You just have to like reading them.
Let the reader beware, however; this is where McCloud's charm becomes subversive. He doesn't draw much of a distinction between comics readers and comics makers (writers and artists). It's as though the making were just a very active way of reading. The result is that any given reader of Making Comics is likely to put pen to paper herself.
We interviewed two young artists about the effect and influence of Making Comics on their chosen craft. Both are graduate students at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Michael Sgier is a printmaker who illustrated his own fiction as a part of his BFA degree, and has recently begun to focus exclusively on comics making. Some of Mike's work is posted online, and printing fees from one of last year's projects continue to haunt his credit card statement. He isn't yet wedded to any particular genre, but his copy of Making Comics is already battered and worn.
"I keep the two-page spread of facial expressions taped above my drafting table, in the studio," he says. "It's been a huge help." But more important than McCloud's technical influence is his ability to inspire.
Chapter Four of Making Comics encouraged Mike to tackle world-building, the practice of creating detailed backdrops in which to immerse the primary action of a comic. "It's labor intensive," he says, sighing. "Instead of getting on with the story, you spend days and days trying to make the buildings in the background perfect. But I want my worlds to be vivid. European artists like Moebius (Jean Giraud) were doing this decades ago, but you still don't see enough of it in American comics."
There is another kind of world that Scott McCloud is currently building—or discovering, or possibly reinventing. Part of his work as Ambassador of the Comics Nation has been to foster a sense of community and inclusiveness among the makers—and potential makers.
"He keeps up to speed with a very big world," Mike says. "I read his family's livejournal for the big Fifty-State book tour, and they interview all sorts of good people along the way." Sky and Winter, the McCloud daughters, web-cast some pretty adorable "Winterviews" with comics artists. "His enthusiasm is contagious, and he never condescends. He jokes about the difficulties, but there's no scolding in his books. He doesn't go on about how we'll probably fail, and that we'll be poor and starving. We don't need to be told that. We already know."
Ursula Murray Husted agrees, and she can back this up with personal experience; she took a course with McCloud last summer, and learned much of the material in Making Comics before the book was actually published. "Scott is very approachable in person," Ursula says, "and very generous to young creators. That carries over into his comics personae. He's approachable, and he's honest in a way that doesn't break you." She pauses, and laughs. "He's also an icon. His cartoon-self is a trusted, familiar figure."
McCloud's Understanding Comics had a more profound effect on Ursula than the new book; she's already one of the converted. "I was twelve when I started reading graphic novels in the Madison public library—which is a great library, and I ditched a lot of school to just hide out there—but it never occurred to me that I could draw comics until ten years later. Comic book makers were golden gods. I never really knew that they were people, and walked among us." As an undergraduate, Ursula initially focused on stagecraft rather than comics. "I always thought I would do theater. It took a long time to realize that I could tell stories, just myself. Scott helped. Understanding Comics kind of blew my head apart. He can turn comics readers into comics makers."
In the second-to-last chapter of Making Comics, McCloud suggests that comics creators tend to cluster around one of four artistic philosophies, or "campfires." He dubs them the Classicists, Animists, Formalists and Iconoclasts, and defines each camp with obvious care and diplomacy. It would be reductive, and probably misleading, for me to sum up the different philosophies here, but I am going to do it anyway: Classicists are dedicated to visual craft, the Animists to storytelling, the Formalists to experimental craft, and the Iconoclasts to experimental storytelling.
"Scott showed us the idea last summer," Ursula says. "It was before the book came out. We immediately tried to put ourselves in the diagram, and people started saying things like 'Hey look, I'm a Formalist!' Scott kind of panicked. 'Don't do this to yourself!' he told us. 'Don't box yourself in!' He was really afraid that it would be divisive."
If anything, the campfire idea has actually drawn the venom out of ongoing feuds. Ursula tells a story about one such reconciliation between two classmates.
"One drew like an angel (a Classicist), and the other told intensely personal and raw stories (an Iconoclast). They hated each other. But once they established their differing campfire loyalties it all smoothed out. They just said 'Oh, that's why we don't get along!' and stopped trying to convert each other. They're perfectly good friends now.
"We're an ecosystem. We need wild experimentation and traditional perfectionists. We need each other, even if we aren't always on speaking terms.
"The thing that's really brilliant about Scott McCloud is that, even when he isn't inventing something new, he's translating for us, coming up with a new way to express what we've already been doing—and didn't necessarily know we were doing, not until he told us so.
"He's our best ambassador to the rest of the world."
Rain Taxi Online Edition, Winter 2006/2007 | © Rain Taxi, Inc. 2006/2007
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Monday, November 20, 2006
The Talking Record for Girls
I'm not sure if this is useful or kind of creepy. This record was meant to be played by little girls to assist them in "thinking and speaking". It starts out with a friendly woman's voice saying, "Hello, I'm Rosemary, your talking record." and she goes on by asking questions and leaving spaces in between for the child to answer. I'm not quite sure when this record came out, but judging by the pictures I'm guessing possibly late 50's-early 60's. Therefore there's a lot of talk asking about how many dolls the child has and which one's her favorite. Rosemary also throws in a few poems and songs to liven things up a bit. I read there's a "Talking Record for Boys" as well. I assume they talk about playing Cowboys and Indians and collecting Army Men or something. Anyway, hope you like this!
Would you like the link now? ............ Of course you would!
Click here or here or here to get it!
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Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC)
CHAPTER 5-400 EVALUATION OF IMPAIRMENT
1. Purpose and Scope. This Chapter establishes guidance and procedures governing the medical evaluation of physical impairment. It represents the foundation upon which disability evaluation is based. Physical impairment is a medical concept. Disability is generally an economic concept, or, more specifically, the inability of an employee because of an injury and other factors, to earn the wages which the employee was receiving at the time of the injury in the same or other employment. In evaluating the degree of disability in a given case, the physical impairment is but one factor in the overall evaluation. Non-medical factors, such as age, education, availability of suitable work, and work history, also enter into the disability evaluation. Qualified physicians should be requested to furnish an evaluation of physical or anatomical impairment and the limitations imposed by a given injury.
2. Permanent Impairment.
a. Guidance. CE's should require any physician selected to evaluate permanent medical impairment to utilize the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, where applicable, and to report the findings in accordance with those guidelines. Any physician who is unwilling or unable to utilize the AMA Guides should not be employed or selected by CE's to evaluate permanent impairment. Nevertheless, their reports not only may but should address as well the impact of any physical factors, such as pain, that cannot be quantified objectively (and hence are not accounted for in the AMA's ratings) on the practical extent of "loss of use" of the member or faculty in question. The District Director (DD) shall be directly responsible for monitoring and ensuring compliance with this policy.
b. Additional Factors.
(1) If the AMA Guides do not evaluate a particular occupational disease impairment, other professionally recognized standards may be utilized (see 20 C.F.R. section 702.601(b)).
(2) Reference to 20 C.F.R. section 410.424 et seq., (Black Lung disability standards) may be useful in evaluating respiratory impairments.
(3) Occasionally injuries occur leaving both objective and subjective residual impairment that cannot be easily measured by the AMA Guides. Some examples are:
(c) Loss of sensation
(d) Marked sensitivity to heat or cold
(e) Loss of strength
(f) Soft tissue damage (scarring, discoloration).
Where such conditions exist, they should be considered along with the measurable permanent impairment under the Guides, in evaluating permanent disability.
(4) Consideration must be given to the claimant's subjective complaints.
3. Basic Elements Required to Evaluate Anatomical Impairment.
a. Guidelines for Physician's Report. Medical examinations are scheduled to obtain information which will enable the CE to evaluate and resolve medical questions regarding the extent of anatomical impairment. Whenever the CE or other party schedules an examination to evaluate anatomical impairment, the CE will request the physician to submit a detailed narrative report containing the following basic information:
(1) An evaluation of impairment in accordance with the AMA Guides, and a percentage rating of the impairment of the injured member, or of impairment of the individual as a whole, as in back or head injuries or retiree occupational disease cases.
(2) A description of any impairment not measured by the AMA Guides (except in retiree claims under section 8(c)(23)).
(3) A description of the physical limitations imposed by the injury with respect to lifting, bending, sitting, walking, standing, stooping, or other activities, and the extent to which such limitations preclude the claimant from performing usual and customary duties. A description of the work limitations would not be necessary in the majority of scheduled injuries, particularly when the claimant has returned to regular full-time work.
(4) Date of maximum medical improvement and/or date employee was able to return to work.
b. Modifications/Deviations in Evaluations. Occasionally, special circumstances will require modification of, or deviation from, the above standards. In the absence of special considerations, the CE should request, and expect, a medical report containing the information in subparagraphs 3a(1) through 3a(4) above.
4. Types of Permanent Disability.
a. Permanent Total Disability (PTD). Disability which is permanent in nature and total in quality is referred to as permanent total disability (section 8(a)).
b. Permanent Partial Disability (PPD). Disability permanent in nature but only partial in quality is referred to as a permanent partial disability. Disabilities of this kind can be subdivided into specific losses (and loss of use of) contained in the section 8(c)(1)-(20) schedule, and the general provisions contained in sections 8(c)(21) and 8(c)(23). Disputes as to the extent of permanent impairment are usually resolved by additional medical evaluations, stipulation of the parties, or by recommendation of the CE following consideration of all of the medical evidence.
(1) PPD Under Section 8(c)(21). Permanent partial disabilities falling under section 8(c)(21) do not generally lend themselves to the simple solution of anatomical impairment. In fact, the Act specifically directs that the amount of compensation payable shall be based on the difference between pre-injury wages and post-injury wage-earning capacity. As a practical matter, the CE must rely on the degree of anatomical impairment as a starting point for the application of non-medical criteria in arriving at a disability determination. However, the examining physician(s) must determine the extent to which the degree of anatomical impairment, based on AMA Guides, places physical limitations on the claimant's ability to perform usual and customary duties or other work. Knowledge of the anatomical impairment, plus a sound medical opinion as to the limitations imposed by this impairment, should enable the CE to better evaluate the extent of disability in a given case. However, if the permanent physical effect of the injury is limited to impairment of a member covered by section 8(c)(1)-(20), compensation may not be paid under the provisions of section 8(c)(21); if the scheduled injury does not foreclose the worker from all employment reasonably available to him or her, a schedule award is the only form of periodic compensation available after permanency begins. (See Potomac Electric Power Company v. Director, OWCP[PEPCO], 449 U.S. 268, 14 BRBS 363 (1980).)
(2) PPD Under Section 8(c)(23). Awards for permanent partial disability under this section of the Act are made for retired workers afflicted with delayed occupational diseases which did not affect their pre-retirement earnings. The percent of impairment, as calculated according to the AMA Guides, and expressed in terms of the whole person, is the basis for the award. Compensation shall be 66 2/3 percent of the claimant's "deemed" AWW times the percent impairment. (See 20 C.F.R. section 702.604.)
c. Permanent Disability Involving Multiple Injuries. Cases involving severe injuries to a single extremity or multiple injuries to more than one extremity may sometimes be more difficult to evaluate in terms of permanent impairment. Whether such injuries should be treated as schedule losses or general economic disability depends not only on the physician's evaluation of impairment expressed as a percentage, but also on whether the injury involves other than schedule members and whether the claimant is able to perform the duties of his/her employment or other work. For example, the medical evidence must be evaluated by the CE in light of these factors as well as such non-medical factors as age, education, work history, etc., in arriving at a decision as to the nature of the disability. However, if the injury is limited to a member covered by the schedule contained in section 8(c)(1)-(20), and the claimant is only partially disabled, recovery is limited to the number of weeks provided for in the schedule, as noted in 4b(1), above.
In Frye v. Potomac Electric Power Co, 21 BRBS 194 (1988) the Board noted that, subsequent to PEPCO, it had held that a Claimant, who sustained two injuries, was entitled to a schedule award and a section 8(c)(21) award but that any LWEC due to the impaired schedule member must be factored out of the section 8(c)(21) award. (See Turney v. Bethlehem Steel Corp., 17 BRBS 232 (1985). The Board concluded that there is no reason to limit the holding in Turney to those cases where two or more work accidents occur. Accordingly, we hold that where the Claimant suffers two distinct injuries, a scheduled injury and a non-scheduled injury arising either from a single accident or multiple accidents, he may be entitled to received compensation under both the schedule and section 8(c)(21). Since the scheduled injury is being compensated separately, any loss in wage-earning capacity due to the scheduled injury must be factored out of the section 8(c)(21) award.Frye at 198.
The Board has never given any concrete guidance on how the factoring out should be done. Please contact the NO for guidance on specific cases.
5. Physician's Use of AMA Guides.
a. Application. Generally, the physicians who treat job-related injuries arising under the LHWCA are familiar with the features of section 8(c). It is imperative, however, that the CE requesting a final evaluation of permanent impairment, makes certain that the evaluating physician's report expresses the percentage of impairment in accordance with the AMA Guides.
b. Degree of Permanent Impairment. It is generally easier for a physician to evaluate the degree of permanent impairment in injuries involving the extremities. Limitation in flexion, extension, etc., can be measured with reasonable accuracy in accordance with the Guides. However, in evaluating permanent impairment in back injuries, other factors may influence the physician's final evaluation.
6. Evaluation When No Conflict Exists in Medical Evidence.
a. Request for Medical Evaluation. As soon as practicable following the date the CE learns that a claimant has reached maximum medical improvement, or is no longer temporarily totally disabled, and suspects some permanent partial disability is present, the CE will request a medical evaluation of permanent impairment. The report of this evaluation should contain the information outlined in paragraph 10, below.
b. Channels of Request. The CE may either write directly to the physician and ask for the evaluation and report, or direct the EC to make the arrangements. In cases where section 8(f) relief is at issue, the referral must be made by the DO. The physician should be asked to submit a report as soon as possible after the claimant is examined.
c. Use of Report. When the medical report is received, the CE should review it carefully (along with the other factors considered in determining disability), decide the extent of disability, and make a recommendation for the consideration of the parties.
7. Evaluation When There is Conflicting Medical Evidence and/or Disagreement. Whenever the CE determines that a medical evaluation is needed to resolve disputes as to the degree of permanent impairment, the CE should immediately arrange for an evaluation. Selection of a physician and scheduling of the evaluation can be handled by phone, letter, or at a conference by any of the parties in interest. Where section 8(f) relief is an issue, all arrangements must be made by the DO.
8. Selection of Physician to Conduct Evaluation. The selection of a physician to conduct the evaluation of impairment can be made in several ways. While any of these methods may be used, it is generally preferable to have the parties participate in the selection of the physician. Please refer to PM 5-200.10 for further guidance on the selection of impartial specialist.
a. Selection by CE. The CE can select a physician for an impartial evaluation pursuant to section 7(e) or section 14(h) of the Act.
b. Selection by Parties. The CE can provide the names of three or more Board-certified specialists in the needed specialty and have the parties select a physician from those named.
c. Mutual Agreement of Parties. The parties can mutually agree on a physician of the appropriate specialty. This method for choosing a physician should not be used in cases where section 8(f) relief is an issue.
9. Selection of Physician by Claims Examiner.
a. Rotation System. Whenever the CE presents names of physicians for selection by the parties, or selects a physician without the participation of the parties, a rotation system of selection will be followed.
b. Suitability of Physician. There will be physicians who are unable or unwilling to conduct evaluations. Other physicians may have become known as being unduly biased in favor of either claimants or employers. Such physicians should be omitted from the rotation system.
c. Section 7(i) Restriction. If the restrictions of section 7(i) and a party’s unwillingness to waive them make the use of that provision impractical, the CE then proceeds with the evaluation under the authority of section 14(h), which is an alternative to section 7(e) for evaluating permanent impairment.
d. Examination Under Section 14(h). Examinations under section 14(h) shall generally be arranged to preclude pre-judgment by the impartial specialist. No physician previously connected with the case should be present, nor may any other physician selected by either party be present.
e. Impartiality of Examinations. The examining physician should not routinely be apprised of the opinions, reports, or conclusions of any prior examining physician with regard to the nature and extent of the employee's impairment and its cause or effect on the employee's wage-earning capacity. (See 20 C.F.R. section 702.411(a) and (b) and PM 5-200.10.)
10. Referral Arrangements.
a. Requirements for Physician's Report. Once the impartial specialist has been selected, either under section 7(e) or section 14(h), the CE will contact the physician's office, preferably by telephone, to determine if the physician is willing to conduct such an evaluation. If so, the arrangements will be formalized by use of a narrative letter which sets forth the essential background data and requests that the report include all or as much of the following information as may be appropriate:
(1) Date of examination.
(2) History given by employee.
(3) Detailed description of findings.
(4) Results of any x-ray or laboratory tests.
(6) An estimate of the percentage of impairment remaining due to the injury in accordance with the AMA Guides, where applicable.
(7) Date of maximum improvement, if reached.
(9) Advice as to the work limitations imposed by reason of injury-related impairment with respect to lifting, bending, stooping, walking, reaching, standing, etc.
(10) Recommendations for further medical treatment, if indicated.
(11) An indication whether the physician would be available to testify at a formal hearing, either in person or by deposition.
b. Arrangements by Party in Interest. If there is mutual agreement by the parties as to the examining physician, one of the parties may arrange the examination, contact the physician's office, make the referral, and request that the medical report contain information which is outlined in subparagraph 10a. As previously noted, this method should not be utilized in cases where section 8(f) relief is an issue.
c. Referrals in Section 8(f) Cases. Where an impartial evaluation is to be used to clarify medical issues in a case where section 8(f) is an issue, the examination should be arranged by the DD. This is not to be done by the private parties. The claimant should be examined by the impartial medical specialist. The DD should frame the questions to be answered by the specialist and the report of the specialist should be sent first to the DD. This procedure should be followed so that the specialist's evaluation will be impartial and not simply reflect the views of the private parties.
11. Receipt of Medical Report of Evaluation. On receipt of the medical report, the CE should make a copy of the report available to the parties, if they have not already been furnished one. The CE will then review the report carefully and, along with other factors necessary in evaluating disability, determine the extent of disability, and make a recommendation for the consideration of the parties.
12. Evaluation Disputed.
a. Request for Reexamination. A party who is dissatisfied with the findings of the evaluating physician may request a review or reexamination of the claimant. The CE should grant the request unless considered unwarranted. When the request is granted, the physician should be chosen using the same procedure as when the initial selection was made.
b. Conduct of Reexamination. The reexamination shall be completed within two weeks from the date ordered, unless it is impossible to complete the reexamination and render a report within such time period.
13. Determination of Disability. Following receipt of medical reports of reexaminations or reviews, the CE should not usually authorize any further evaluations, reexaminations, or reviews, but will carefully evaluate all the medical evidence and non-medical factors necessary in evaluating disability, determine the extent of disability, and make a recommendation for the consideration of the parties.
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It’s taken me many years to develop a routine for preparing for my hockey broadcasts, and even after 9+ seasons, I am still adjusting my approach to getting ready for game day. But one thing that I have noticed is that everyone prepares differently, and what might work for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.
One reason why everyone prepares differently for a broadcast is because everybody (to an extent) learns and retains information differently. When searching around for some basic numbers about how people retain information, I came across this on a couple of different sites:
“Experts” agree that most people retain approximately:
20% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
I added the quotation marks around the word “experts”, because there is also seemingly an equal amount of data that debunks what is listed above. There’s a whole cottage industry dedicated towards employee training, learning styles and methods, etc., which I will not discuss in detail, although you’re free to seek it out.
What I do believe though is that a multi-layered approach to broadcast preparation is an ideal method for getting ready for a broadcast. Exactly how the broadcaster chooses to approach each of these steps can be adjusted, but I personally prefer preparing for a game in the following areas:
- Scorebook/spotting board preparation
- Statistical note taking/research
- Player/coach/team research/preparation
- Storyline development
- Visual feedback and retention
Note that this is listed sequentially, but depending on your circumstances, is not always a sequential process. I do often find myself bouncing back and forth, and I also think that certain sports can be much more regimented in its approach when compared to others.
For example, preparing for a football broadcast can be quite a regimented process with one game, whereas in a sport like hockey, there are several games a week, generally with a shorter turnaround time between broadcasts. There is still a level of regimentation in preparing for a hockey call, but some flexibility is required in how and when you prepare versus a single football call once a week.
What I have experienced though is that my optimal approach to preparing for a broadcast includes written, spoken, and visual stimulation, and the combination of the three helps me to be best prepared.
The five steps I listed earlier are pretty straightforward with the exceptions of #3 and #5. When I reference “Player/coach/team research/preparation”, this includes a multitude of inputs, from written (reading notes and bios that are team provided, supplemental Internet research, published news articles), to spoken/aural (talking with players and coaches, opposing radio broadcasters, media, staff, scouts, etc.).
Additionally, in regards to “Visual feedback and retention”, I prefer to see the teams that I am covering actually play before watching them on-ice for the first time (which is in the warm up before that night’s game). In my case, I have the ability to access archived and live broadcasts of every team in the league I work in, so I always tend to watch at least the first period of the opposition club’s most recent game, called by their home announcer, as well as all scoring plays. This helps me to cement the players of the opposing team and commit their names and numbers to memory, as well as learn additional information about the team from the perspective of the person who covers them on a daily basis in a broadcast situation. This process also assists in my other prep areas as well, particularly for storyline development, as I get a flavor for what’s going on with the opposition and what is important for that club at that point of the season.
I do recognize that many broadcasters actually do not always have the luxury of watching their opponent on-demand, especially in lower levels like high school and small college). Opportunities potentially exist to still see the opposition, but there can be limitations (time and geography among others. The higher the level, the more opportunities for this kind of preparation are available.
Over time, both through my coverage of the Sound Tigers and seeing the teams that they play in-person, as well as my own separate coverage of the AHL through my weekly reports on AHL Live (which is a league week-in-review), I am able to optimize my time in preparing for each subsequent broadcast. For instance, after seeing the Sound Tigers play the Connecticut Whale for the 2nd or 3rd time, I generally know them almost as well as the Sound Tigers, and there isn’t a need to memorize everyone’s name and number or their back story, just new players that were added. This frees me to focus on other areas.
A good rule of thumb is that you’re spending about 2 hours of prep for each hour of your broadcast, so a 2-hour broadcast should take about 4 hours of prep time. If you’re able to retain a lot of information over the course of the season, that number might go down a little bit by game 30 of a 76-game season when compared to the first few games of the year.
How do you prepare for your broadcasts? Do you spend more time on certain areas over others? Are certain steps easier than others? Some play-by-play announcers are challenged by remembering names and numbers, but are great at being meticulous about stat prep, and for others it’s vice versa. Is there something that you do that you consider to be a home run when it comes to game prep that is worthy of sharing? I will have the comments section open below for this post so that we can share this kind of feedback.
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Americans are determined that massacres such as happened in Newtown, Conn., never happen again. But how? Many advocate more effective treatment of mentally-ill people or armed protection in so-called gun-free zones. Many others demand stricter control of firearms.
We aren't alone in facing this problem. Great Britain and Australia, for example, suffered mass shootings in the 1980s and 1990s. Both countries had very stringent gun laws when they occurred. Nevertheless, both decided that even stricter control of guns was the answer. Their experiences can be instructive.
In 1987, Michael Ryan went on a shooting spree in his small town of Hungerford, England, killing 16 people (including his mother) and wounding another 14 before shooting himself. Since the public was unarmed—as were the police—Ryan wandered the streets for eight hours with two semiautomatic rifles and a handgun before anyone with a firearm was able to come to the rescue.
Nine years later, in March 1996, Thomas Hamilton, a man known to be mentally unstable, walked into a primary school in the Scottish town of Dunblane and shot 16 young children and their teacher. He wounded 10 other children and three other teachers before taking his own life.
Since 1920, anyone in Britain wanting a handgun had to obtain a certificate from his local police stating he was fit to own a weapon and had good reason to have one. Over the years, the definition of "good reason" gradually narrowed. By 1969, self-defense was never a good reason for a permit.
After Hungerford, the British government banned semiautomatic rifles and brought shotguns—the last type of firearm that could be purchased with a simple show of fitness—under controls similar to those in place for pistols and rifles. Magazines were limited to two shells with a third in the chamber.
Dunblane had a more dramatic impact. Hamilton had a firearm certificate, although according to the rules he should not have been granted one. A media frenzy coupled with an emotional campaign by parents of Dunblane resulted in the Firearms Act of 1998, which instituted a nearly complete ban on handguns. Owners of pistols were required to turn them in. The penalty for illegal possession of a pistol is up to 10 years in prison.
The results have not been what proponents of the act wanted. Within a decade of the handgun ban and the confiscation of handguns from registered owners, crime with handguns had doubled according to British government crime reports. Gun crime, not a serious problem in the past, now is. Armed street gangs have some British police carrying guns for the first time. Moreover, another massacre occurred in June 2010. Derrick Bird, a taxi driver in Cumbria, shot his brother and a colleague then drove off through rural villages killing 12 people and injuring 11 more before killing himself.
Meanwhile, law-abiding citizens who have come into the possession of a firearm, even accidentally, have been harshly treated. In 2009 a former soldier, Paul Clarke, found a bag in his garden containing a shotgun. He brought it to the police station and was immediately handcuffed and charged with possession of the gun. At his trial the judge noted: "In law there is no dispute that Mr. Clarke has no defence to this charge. The intention of anybody possessing a firearm is irrelevant." Mr. Clarke was sentenced to five years in prison. A public outcry eventually won his release.
In November of this year, Danny Nightingale, member of a British special forces unit in Iraq and Afghanistan, was sentenced to 18 months in military prison for possession of a pistol and ammunition. Sgt. Nightingale was given the Glock pistol as a gift by Iraqi forces he had been training. It was packed up with his possessions and returned to him by colleagues in Iraq after he left the country to organize a funeral for two close friends killed in action. Mr. Nightingale pleaded guilty to avoid a five-year sentence and was in prison until an appeal and public outcry freed him on Nov. 29.
Six weeks after the Dunblane massacre in 1996, Martin Bryant, an Australian with a lifelong history of violence, attacked tourists at a Port Arthur prison site in Tasmania with two semiautomatic rifles. He killed 35 people and wounded 21 others.
At the time, Australia's guns laws were stricter than the United Kingdom's. In lieu of the requirement in Britain that an applicant for permission to purchase a gun have a "good reason," Australia required a "genuine reason." Hunting and protecting crops from feral animals were genuine reasons—personal protection wasn't.
With new Prime Minister John Howard in the lead, Australia passed the National Firearms Agreement, banning all semiautomatic rifles and semiautomatic and pump-action shotguns and imposing a more restrictive licensing system on other firearms. The government also launched a forced buyback scheme to remove thousands of firearms from private hands. Between Oct. 1, 1996, and Sept. 30, 1997, the government purchased and destroyed more than 631,000 of the banned guns at a cost of $500 million.
To what end? While there has been much controversy over the result of the law and buyback, Peter Reuter and Jenny Mouzos, in a 2003 study published by the Brookings Institution, found homicides "continued a modest decline" since 1997. They concluded that the impact of the National Firearms Agreement was "relatively small," with the daily rate of firearms homicides declining 3.2%.
According to their study, the use of handguns rather than long guns (rifles and shotguns) went up sharply, but only one out of 117 gun homicides in the two years following the 1996 National Firearms Agreement used a registered gun. Suicides with firearms went down but suicides by other means went up. They reported "a modest reduction in the severity" of massacres (four or more indiscriminate homicides) in the five years since the government weapons buyback. These involved knives, gas and arson rather than firearms.
In 2008, the Australian Institute of Criminology reported a decrease of 9% in homicides and a one-third decrease in armed robbery since the 1990s, but an increase of over 40% in assaults and 20% in sexual assaults.
What to conclude? Strict gun laws in Great Britain and Australia haven't made their people noticeably safer, nor have they prevented massacres. The two major countries held up as models for the U.S. don't provide much evidence that strict gun laws will solve our problems.
Ms. Malcolm, a professor of law at George Mason University Law School, is the author of several books including "Guns and Violence: The English Experience," (Harvard, 2002).
A version of this article appeared December 27, 2012, on page A13 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Two Cautionary Tales of Gun Control.
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This morning Annie and I decided to try our hand at some preschool science!
We’d been talking over the weekend and Annie had gotten confused over the meanings of float and sink, so I decided the best way to get it to stick in her head was to let her see floating and sinking in action.
We filled up a bowl with water then went around the house searching for things we could drop in it. I let Annie have free reign over the choices, only vetoing, ‘this book’ and, ‘Ezra’s Mr Dinosaur’ and this is what she chose.
As I wrote the list we talked about if she thought the things on the table would sink, or float, and why. Annie thought Luke Skywalker would float because, ‘he is a boy and I am a girl and I float in the swimming pool’! I like her logic ;-)
Annie got really excited about shouting out what each item did when she dropped it into the bowl. We tried dropping them from high up and also, gently placing them into the water to see if that made a difference. Most of the items sank really quickly except the Mega Blok which initially sank, then rose to the top and bobbed about much to Annie’s amusement.
The whole ‘experiment’ only kept Annie occupied for 10 minutes before she just wanted to splash about in the bowl of water but I think it was a fab way of showing her that science is accessible to everyone.
What preschool science experiments have you tried with your kiddos, do you have any recommendations?>
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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A Slightly Different Approach by Dean Shareski
5 comment(s) so far...
April 30, 2009 By: Tech Learning Blog Staff
The readers of this blog likely get it. You're reading this because you understand not only how to access online resources via tools like RSS or were linked here from another blog, but you subscribe to a variety or sources and people. You're connected and you know how to connect. You recognize the shifts happening in education and you use a number of tools and technology that are changing how you view teaching and learning.
You likely have a blog or a twitter account or a delicious account and regularly share ideas, resources and opinions with others.
That's the problem. I'm talking to the wrong crowd. Preaching to the choir. I have no problem with spending time in the echo chamber. We all need spaces where we can safely share things and for the most part build upon the ideas of each other and even be challenged occasionally. The problem I see is that many of the conversations that folks have in these spaces appear to be targeted at the teachers who aren't aware of the shifts and certainly aren't hanging out where the conversations are taking place.
I don't know about where you teach but there is a very small percentage of teachers in my district that have made significant strides to adapt their classrooms to meet the changing needs of our students. I don't say that as a slam against teachers either. It's a reality that exists mostly because of an outdated educational system and lack of leadership and political will to make meaningful change. In addition I think our district has a higher proportion of teachers moving in new directions than most. But it's still small.
So in thinking about this I've tried a number of approaches that I believe might begin to be a better use of my time and help in small ways to move the conversations around change forward. Here are 4 things I've done to try and make a difference locally.
Create a Local Blog. While many of us have personal blogs and use it to discuss a variety of issues, a local blog can be more focused and directed towards your local audience. I've set up a local blog called Conversations on Learning. Many of the posts get upwards of 300+ views. Given our entire teaching population barely exceeds 500, that's a good percentage. In addition I've created a local podcast to target specific tools and resources directly related to teachers in my district.
Pass along specific content. Using my Google Reader, I target people in the district:administrators,math teachers, language teachers, etc with articles and resources I think might help them. I'm careful not to flood their inboxes but hopefully give them ideas for fodder or materials that help them do their job better.
Model appropriate use. Rather than doing a presentation on technology or tool, simply incorporate those tools within everyday discussions. I've sat in meetings when challenging topics arise and sent out a twitter poll and then in minutes share the results in the meeting. The point is not to wow them with the technology but in this case, illicit feedback from a diverse, knowledgeable audience in a timely fashion.
Celebrate local successes. Your role as a leader is to be a cheerleader. As classroom teachers we want to highlight the successes of our students no matter how small. We need to be doing the same with our teachers. Even if we recognize they don't have it all together we need to find ways to share their good work because chances are they aren't. Pointing to great work of others around the world is valuable but it's too easy for teachers to dismiss that as being something out of reach. It's harder to dismiss when the teacher across the hall or on the other side of town is doing it in their classroom.
This is a small list and but perhaps can stimulate ideas for you as leaders. In addition you might have other ideas that you're already doing or are considering that might help address your local constituents. If so, leave a comment and help us all find ways to build bridges.
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Google just announced that their AppEngine will support Java. The good new: AppEngine is going to use a fairly regular JVM, with some functionality disabled like sockets and file writing. It should support other languages that compile to bytecode, like Scala or JRuby. ~~No mention of Groovy, but i hope that’ll work soon too~~. Update: Groovy is supported on Google App Engine. Unfortunatelly, no socket support will probably mean no ESB in the cloud. Would be nice to run Apache Camel or something similar on AppEngine.
Some interesting information about running java on GAE:
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"Omg hlp nd a dr" may soon become a familiar phrase to emergency operators in the US, thanks to a plan to enable text messaging to the 911 emergency telephone number from anywhere in the country by 2014. On Thursday, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Julius Genachowski announced that the four major US mobile carriers …
im dyn. LOL
SMS will often get through when there is almost no signal
There have been lots of cases where people have been rescued from the local mountains here or from boats where they couldn't get a phone signal. But since 911 can't do SMS they have had to text a friend and ask them to call 911
In the heat of the moment the spell checker decides to modify your text and you don't realise.
'Please help I'm at 3 bollocks to you Santa Claus bend over and take it like a germ'
Which should have read 'I live at 3 Kensington Street, Hill Side, Kensington, London...'
Can you see that there might be complications in this?
Or lots of HOAX texts?
But what if...
...the system blocks profanities...? I have used an email service recently that objected to the word 'joint' and any web address.
'I'm sorry, you have reached the limit of the number of text messages you can send. Please contact your service provider to top up your account.'
Re: I'm sorry
999 or 911 texts are free so cant be charged for (they have your number if your sending fake SMS 999 or 911 texts)
in the UK thought you have to Register 999 text before it works (its meant for death or hard of hearing people), but in the USA it needs to be enabled for every one due to the way gun LAWs are there
They've got *a* number...
...but just Google "sms number spoofing" to see how easy it is to fake. I haven't checked in a long while, but all the sms spam (get rich quick, PPI, accident payouts, etc) on my accounts came from fake numbers. The only time a real number was used it came via a VOIP service from out of country.
Re: I'm sorry
No, I don't think the deceased need, or would use, 999 texts...
Or did you mean deaf?
Re: I'm sorry
No, he was right, it's meant for Death so he can text "PLEASE SEND AN AMBULANCE TO COLLECT THE BODY OF MR. SMITH, WHO'S SOUL I HAVE JUST HARVESTED, THX DTH :)"
How will they tell the pranksters from the genuine emergencies? it's a bit easier when you have someone's voice to listen to. Obviously some pranksters can control their laughter though.
Ah, herein lies the rub. I bet the emergency services will have access to the FULL SMS framework data, i.e. originating number plus triangulation. AFAIK, triangulation works worldwide as no telco filters that out when shunting the message through the gateway, so you can be pinged from a foreign telco with a blank SMS and not know you have just been triangulated.
If you use an SMS provider, they too will have some point of network origin, so I reckon a couple of harsh convictions will sort the pranksters out pretty soon.
so you can be pinged from a foreign telco with a blank SMS and not know you have just been triangulated
The network you're on presumably knows where you are all the time (subject to triangulation accuracy), but are you saying that other telcos round the world get some sort of receipt for an SMS they send you that enables them to do this?
The first, last and only time I was required to phone 999 for a life-threatening emergency (some gang had got a guy on the ground and - toughnuts as they were - 10 of them were kicking him in the head while he was unconscious on the floor), I got put through to a police officer at my local station. They had no clue on location, they had to dig out paper maps to try to manually find the name of the street I was *then* in (which was a safe distance away from the actual incident), and then they had to follow my directions, one-by-one, on the paper map in order to work out where the incident was.
Embarrassingly, I had a sat nav and could have given them lat/long down to the metre within a few seconds but they didn't have that capability (and nor did they when my ex got snow-logged in her broken-down car on a quiet Scottish road for hours with a baby in the back seat and no help forthcoming from the RAC. That wasn't a 999, because they were okay for a while, they just needed to be rescued at some point. I had to use Google Maps to convert the location I'd been given by my ex to a street name that they could understand - and I could pronounce! - in order to get help to her). I was calling on my mobile for the 999, but they didn't have the facility to triangulate my call (literally, 500m would have done). I had street names to hand, but they didn't even have the facility to search for them, they were looking them up in an index.
Out in the sticks? Nope, I live inside the M25 in a large town.
I have to say that, in both cases, the emergency services did a sterling job, despite relying on only basic technology. In the case of the 999, by the time I'd started my car again and got 100m down the road, I heard sirens on the way and got a return call from the officer responding. In the case of the stuck ex, within minutes I got a text that not only had the police arrived to her (taken baby and mother into their car, warmed them up, even brought them a hot drink), but that they were on the phone shouting at the RAC to pull their <censored> finger out and prioritise calls appropriately. Strangely, the RAC then arrived within minutes too.
Oh, and my ex changed her roadside service as soon as she got to her destination.
...you had to use '112' from a mobile to go through their location services? '999' just gets straight through to the emergency operator, and they get your number regardless of it being hidden, but "112" gets fielded by the network first.
Re: I thought...
112 is a pan-European version that gets through to the same line as 999 in the UK (or whatever equivalent in other countries).
Some countries, e.g. Italy, it's a bit of a nightmare to work out what's going on (three different police forces, and ambulance and fire all on different numbers) and 112 is merely a way to homogenise that across Europe.
And it still doesn't account for them not being able to take GPS, or search for streetmaps, or not even have an electronic map.
Re: I thought...
France is the same, separate numbers for police/fire/paramedics. 112 just connects you to the fire brigade, which seems to be the major co-ordinating service (they have paramedics on staff, so make a good first-repsonse choice).
"I reckon a couple of harsh convictions will sort the pranksters out pretty soon."
You'd think! But 1,000's of hoax/non-emergency calls are received every day (not least because parents think giving their child a mobile/home phone is ok) and nothing seems to happen!
why dont they just jump on the bandwagon and make a app that does video calls and charge the 99cents, explaining what is the matter in text in detail question after question and then pissing around taking a picture and making a picture message would take 2 hours while you mate has bled to death in the first 5 mins
Bandwidth. I'm sure it's possible to develop emergency apps that add more data, but SMS can scrape through where voice no longer carries, and that is vital in emergency situations.
There is one caveat: SMS is a discard service (AFAIK), i.e. the data gets discarded if the cell gets too busy. This use demands a change to that policy, can you imagine the impact if 911 SMS gets thrown out?
but 911 or 999 should get priority (norm if the SMS fails to send you get an message telling you so)
video calls are part of the common everyday future, they only have to update the main telecom app and can use a trancoder with ease for incoming calls for them random phones that want to be different
web n walk costs £5 for 30 days, tmobile wouldnt block 911/999 from 4pm - midnight
I guess I'm just an old fart, but just exactly what does "Omg hlp nd a dr" mean?
I get the "Omg" and "hlp" but it loses me after that.
Anyone care to explain?
need a doctor, get to the chopper
nd a dr
I'm guessing the lights went out and they're looking for the door. It happens here all the time.
you cannot text
if your thumbs are ripped off.
"ok what you you like to say?"
HELP I AM GETTING RAPED BY A MAN IN A DARK ALLEY BEHIND VIRGINA STREET"
"ok - sending "help I am getting reaped by a man in my dark ally behind vigina street"
"Siri - send text to NG911"
"I'm sorry but that starship designation does not exist."
So the fucking morons who crash their cars (bikes/boards/skates/walking/whatever) whilst texting ...
...might, maybe, get some help a trifle quicker?
Great. Makes the rest of the gene pool a lot safer over the long-haul. Not.
When texting, park yourself in a quiet corner, out of the flow of traffic. Problem solved.
So the fucking morons who crash whilst texting ...
The SMS of those people will read something incomprehensible like "jkhvhgf" because the airbag will ram the keyboard into their face and leave a nice rectangular imprint (with or without rounded corners).
This, of course, will trigger an automated accident alarm because it's obvious what just happened.
.. you reminded me of another category at risk.
SMS will be a problem for those who suffer an accident while enjoying some nasal matter. They will have to somehow manage with one hand if their operative hand has a finger stuck up a nostril to to the third knuckle because of the airbag going off..
Re: So the fucking morons who crash their cars whilst texting ...
Don't get me started on these dumb retards who text and drive, statistics have already shown time and time again that text and driving is way more dangerous then people who talk on the phone and drive and even more dangerous then drink driving!
Posted as AC due to the dickwads here who will take a strong dislike to this post because they're part of the text-n-drive problem!
I wonder whether it would return a read-receipt?
12 years after the widespread adoption of SMS....
....it's use is for the first time in decline.
now the adopt it.
So technology has just managed at last to catch up with Lassie and Skippy
This will be used for pranking.
Someone will use it for Malware / Pranks.
(Maybe in an Android that checks if it is in the US then sends an SMS or something like that).
Don't forget you need to register in the UK
I found today that registration follows numbers, not handsets. Always try to get people on the service if heading to the hills.
"Mountain Rescue, party of 2, 1 broken leg @ NY215072, 1 moving SSW to find signal", make sure your phone is set to auto retry, naturally.
<-- Black helicopters: At that point I wouldn't care what colour the helicopter was
Did you know...
How long before the emergency services are getting messages "Did you know you can get a refund of up to £3333 for missold PPI..." ?
about 11 seconds
Re: Did you know...
Some of us have moblies dedicated for emergency call outs and NEVER used for anything else so they shoud not appear on any lists and have never been consented to. I appreciate it is not quite the same thing but close. We've been getting text spammed on these for some time now. Extremely irritating if one is sleeping, or has to pull over when driving (for example) to check if we've an active job to divert to.
I get SMS messages on my Verizon sometimes that have obviously false numbers. If I text them back from another phone I get a delivery unsuccessful message.
How will emergency services deal with that? Do they have access to some kind of anti Spam tech we don't know about?
They have access to the calling party's network ID so they will have the offenders details to send the police round to feel them up, wherever it's a prankcall or a double glazing salesman sending a sales text message.
Apparently for those...
...who don't know how to dial 9-1-1...
It may be mandatory for phone companies to have a 999 text service but it is not universal and the publicity it has received has been underwhelming. For users, it is optional as you have to register before use and any time you change your mobile number.
As at 31 May 2012, 32000 people were registered according to emergencySMS. I hope it doesn't take them as long to respond as it does to update their figures.
Between 30th June and 28th Sept 2012 they received 18000 messages.
UK emergency SMS
Register here first: http://www.emergencysms.org.uk/ although originally for the deaf it's OK for others to sign up too.
Try a voice call first but in poor signal areas SMS will retry till it gets through, I believe it only needs 50 milliseconds of connection time.
Message should be along the lines of:
"ambulance. Hiker has broken leg. Madwomans stones, Kinder Scout SK137880, moving casualty towards Jaggers Clough and Haggwater Bridge A57”' - That fits into 140 characters.
The message should indicate what service is needed, nature/severity of problem, location expressed in more than one format (i.e. map grid ref and named landmarks) and anything else relevant (as in this example, casualty is being moved and in what direction).
As you cannot confirm the message has been received you should continue self rescue efforts. Taking the phone to a higher location might help to get a connection.
Re: UK emergency SMS
Found a suspect car down a lane, reported to non emergency, gave them the location, no use to them.
The location was the full OS grid reference, they needed road name, road name not on OS map.
They didn't even have a proper map!
What about other models?
So what do Boxster and Cayenne drivers dial?
Re: What about other models?
But it'll only work on Vertos handsets. On regular Nokias it's 356.
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This is the first of a series of risk communication columns I have been asked to write for The Synergist, the journal of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. The columns appear simultaneously in the journal and on this web site. This column appears (more or less identical except for copyediting details) in the April 2003 issue of The Synergist, pp. 26–27.
Many readers of The Synergist are familiar with the distinction I draw between “hazard” and “outrage.” In a nutshell, “hazard” is the technical component of risk, the product of probability and magnitude. “Outrage” is the nontechnical component, an amalgam of voluntariness, control, responsiveness, trust, dread, etc. They are connected by the fact that outrage is the principal determinant of perceived hazard. When people are upset, they tend to think they are endangered; when they’re not upset, they tend to think they’re not endangered.
For years I have focused on two paradigms of risk communication: “Watch out” – appropriate for the high-hazard low-outrage risk; and “Calm down” – appropriate for the low-hazard high-outrage risk. When hazard and outrage are both low or both high, I said, there are few risk communication challenges. Then came September 11, 2001, an obviously high-hazard high-outrage risk with substantial communication challenges.
In the wake of 9/11, it now seems to me that there are four kinds of risk communication, not two. Industrial hygienists need to know how to do all four. And since the requisite skills are different, industrial hygienists need to know how to decide which one is called for.
Public Relations: High Hazard, Low Outrage
Low outrage by definition means an apathetic audience. Getting and holding this audience’s attention will be extremely difficult, so there is a premium on figuring out your key message, honing it down to as few words as possible, and finding a way to make it interesting. Since the hazard is high, or at least higher than the outrage, the task is often to provoke more outrage.
I call this paradigm public relations because the essence of PR is talking to people who aren’t interested. But this is also the domain of health education, safety training, and environmental activism. Urging people to take some risk more seriously is the kind of risk communication industrial hygienists do most often.
The uninterested public is a huge group, so high-hazard low-outrage risk communication is likely to make heavy use of mass media. The barriers to be surmounted include audience inattention, audience size, media resistance, the need to package everything into short sound bites, and the policy implications of trying to provoke outrage. The silver lining is that there is little need to listen, or to address audience concerns, reservations, or objections; this audience has few if any. But be ready to change tactics when the audience starts to become attentive.
Stakeholder Relations: Moderate Hazard, Moderate Outrage
Unlike publics, stakeholders are an attentive audience – neither too apathetic nor too upset to listen. So the task of stakeholder relations is to discuss the issues openly and rationally, explaining your views and responding to audience questions and concerns.
Instead of the mass media, stakeholder relations relies on interpersonal dialogue, supplemented by such specialized media as newsletters and web sites. There are no real barriers to overcome, but one-on-one dialogue can be painfully inefficient. And you have to be prepared to explain the technical details; this is the only audience that really wants to hear them.
Stakeholder relations is the sort of risk communication industrial hygienists (and everyone else) like best. Duplicating it is the goal of the other three sorts of risk communication.
Outrage Management: Low Hazard, High Outrage
Now the audience is outraged, largely at you. And while the outrage may be justified in some nontechnical sense (for example, you may have been less than honest or less than courteous), it isn’t technically justified; the hazard is low. A core group of “fanatics” is usually accompanied by a larger, less outraged constituency watching to see how the controversy evolves. The task is to reduce audience outrage by listening, acknowledging, apologizing, sharing control and credit, etc. The controversy ends when the “fanatics” declare victory or their constituency thinks they have won enough.
Industrial hygienists have traditionally thought of themselves as “Watch out” communicators, not “Calm down” communicators. But in recent years the need to cope with risk controversies and the outraged employees and neighbors such controversies arouse has become an important – and unwelcome – part of many I.H. positions.
In outrage management the medium is in-person dialogue … though this time the “audience” does most of the talking. Barriers include the audience’s outrage at you, your own outrage at the audience, coming to grips with the need to focus on outrage when you’d really rather talk about substance, and sometimes the complicating presence of the media. The silver lining: At least you have their attention, though it is hostile (or at least highly skeptical) attention.
Crisis Communication: High Hazard, High Outrage
This is a relatively rare but enormously important sort of risk communication. The audience is huge and very upset. The outrage is even greater than in outrage management. It’s also different – more fear and misery than anger. If either is unbearable, it may flip into denial or escalate into terror or depression. The task, therefore, is to help the audience bear its fear and misery. Key strategies include avoiding over-reassurance, sharing dilemmas, being human and empathic, providing things to do, and acknowledging uncertainty.
As in public relations, crisis communication makes heavy use of mass media. But finely honed sound bites aren’t needed. There is no “public” in a crisis; everyone’s a stakeholder, glued to the television screen for hours. Missing the difference between crisis communication and routine public relations is the biggest barrier – which is why people who are good at PR (politicians, for example, but also many industrial hygienists) may do poor crisis communication unless they adjust. The stress of the crisis itself is another important barrier. The silver lining is that the audience’s outrage, though very high, is not usually aimed at you. Any anger at you, in fact, is put aside until the crisis is past.
Copyright © 2003 by Peter M. Sandman
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This publication from Harvard University’s Belfer Center addresses the challenges in reaching an effective international climate agreement, particularly the cost and uncertainty associated with renegotiating commitments, and offers several suggestions for improving the effectiveness of international climate agreements.
Robert N. Stavins of the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government assesses the Copenhagen Accord. He examines expectations leading up to the Copenhagen climate summit and explores procedural routes ahead.
In a Washington Post analysis, Anthony Faiola, Juliet Eilperin, and John Pomfret explain why the Copenhagen talks are an indication that a new world order may be forming with increasing power given to China.
This accord is the outcome of the the UN climate change conference held in Copenhagen from December 7-18, 2009. It is not a legally binding treaty. Among its points: attempting to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures.
With an eye on the numbers associated with emissions and climate change, Michael Levi writes that representatives at the Copenhagen conference ought to accept the United States' proposal for emissions cuts.
President Obama, a newly minted Nobel Peace Prize winner, now faces the daunting task of delivering on a range of challenges, especially nuclear nonproliferation and climate change, says CFR's Michael Levi.
Proposals that any carbon tax in developing countries which falls below the one in the developed countries should be offset through other means like border taxes spring from fears that have no basis in economic analysis, write Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya.
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
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- Subscribe TodayGet a Free Book of Lists
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Experts weigh in on state vs. federal health-care exchanges
Whether the state will run its own health care exchange or leave the task to the federal government still is an open question, but a pair of experts agree that it would run smoother under state control.
Access HealthColumbus President Jeff Biehl and Richard McHugh, of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP’s Washington, D.C., office, said Wednesday that a state-run insurance exchange would be preferable to allowing the federal government to set it up. The exchanges are required by the Affordable Care Act, which was upheld last month by the U.S. Supreme Court. States have the option of setting up their own exchanges or letting the federal government handle it. Gov. John Kasich has so far been non-commital on whether Ohio will set up its own exchange, but Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor said in Toledo last week that the state would leave it to the federal government.
“There’s almost nothing the federal government does efficiently,” McHugh said.
The federal health-care reforms do not compel insurers to work with such exchanges, and McHugh said he has heard anecdotes from insurers who would rather work with states than the federal government. Some also are questioning whether consumers in states that choose not to set up their own health-care exchanges will be eligible for federal subsidies, he said.
Biehl said establishing a navigation strategy for consumers who are new to the exchanges would be easier on the state level. “Most people know more about their cell phones than health care,” he said.
Biehl and McHugh spoke alongside OhioHealth Corp. Chief Medical Officer Bruce Vanderhoff and Medical Mutual Executive Vice President Kevin Lauterjung at a Columbus Metropolitan Club’s forum on federal health care reform.
Rick Rouan covers banking, capital markets, insurance, logistics, nonprofits, area airports and air travel for Business First.
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View video of prion trafficking in nerve cells
Uptake and transport of infectious prion protein by cultured nerve cells. A large aggregate of fluorescently tagged scrapie prion protein is shown on the surface of a nerve-like cell. In time, small particles are broken off, internalized, and transported within the cell body and along a neurite to the tip. Neurites (such as axons and dendrites) are wire-like connections the nerve cells use for communicating with adjacent cells. These events appear to represent how the infectious agents (or prions) of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) invade nerve cells and are transported along neural circuits throughout the nervous system. TSEs are infectious, fatal neurodegenerative diseases such as scrapie of sheep, BSE (mad cow disease), chronic wasting disease of deer and elk, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) of humans.
If you are having trouble viewing this video, please visit the web page Downloads for Windows Media Player to download the player required to view this video.
Last Updated May 23, 2005
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“Completed in February 2010 by the Sightlines facilities advisory firm, the analysis found that 42% of SU’s carbon emissions come from on-campus stationary sources (primarily the coal plant), 32% are linked to electricity consumption, and 15% come from commuting.”
Read the summary of the report here:
Happy Earth Day!
Do something today to help protect the Earth.
image via: http://www.conservation.org/Pages/default.aspx
Did you know it is Earth Month!? I am sure (or hoping) you know that April 22nd is Earth Day! In honor of this wondrous month maybe you could add a little more green in your life! Here are just a few ways to be green for this month (and the rest of the year).
- Buy Organic. If there was ever a time to splurge it is this month! Lots of fresh local produce coming out and delicious foods to be had! Produce grown organically are better for the environment AND your tummy! NOM NOM NOM! Also, meats that are certified organic are animals that were feed organic feed, not injected with weird crap, and were allowed to frolic in the outdoors :) Happy cows and chickies!!
- Unplug yo crap! I have a power strip in my apartment where all my chargers are plugged into… when I am not charging something, I unplug the whole strip. EASY! And in the kitchen my microwave, Keurig, and toaster are all plugged into one strip that I unplug when I am not using one of them! :) Not only does it keep the electric bill low (which I enjoy) it saves energy! Try unplugging your electronics and chargers when they are not in use!
- Turn out the lights, let’s party! Well… maybe not a party… but definitely try turning off the lights in rooms you are not using, and lights that are unnecessary. Do you really need the over head light, the standing lamp, and the table lamp in your room on… just to see your laptop which is already backlit? I think not. Don’t strain your eyes by living in complete darkness, but let’s try using less lights when possible!
- Squeaky, Green, and Clean! Try using “green” cleaning supplies! Buy products the advertise as more green, ones with less harsh chemicals. Go all out and try making your own green products! Check out this site HERE which has great recipes for home products, most of which you can make with your basic pantry items!
- Homemade Spa! This one is fun! Try using organic and natural things around your house for skin and body treatments! Look online for tons of homemade recipes for hair masks, facials, body scrubs, and more! A few of my fav… sea salt, olive oil, and honey for a body scrub! Coconut oil for a hair mask! Avocado and honey for a face mask!
- RECYCLE! I know that for some of us it is hard. I have very little room in my apartment for my bed, let alone recycling bins. Also, there aren’t a lot of easy access recycling centers (I live in east bumf*ck… excuse my language). Regardless, we all can do it! Maybe try to recycle just one or two things to start! Paper and plastic is easy! Make cute recycling bins for your house! That is fun! Recycling is the easiest and one of the best ways to make an impact on our lovely Earth!
- Bring Your Own Bags! Not just at the grocery store either! Bring it to the mall! Let’s be honest do you really need ANOTHER Victoria Secret bag to try and stuff in the trash (why do they make those things so stiff and thick and… terrible!?!)? Also, some places give you a discount for bringing your own bags! You don’t need to buy them either! Wanna be super green? Take some old big T-shirts and make your own bags like THIS! BE careful with fresh produce though! Put them in plastic bags before going in this one or you could leave behind moisture and bacteria to grow :/ Yikes!
- Shorten Your Shower Concert. I know, I like to sing in the shower too…. and dance around, stretch, and do other strange things for like 45 minutes, but seriously it is not necessary! Try shortening your shower by 5 minutes and you could save tons of water!
- Bobble That! Or any reusable water bottle! Bobbles are great because you can have clean water anywhere! Carry a water bottle on you so you never have to buy bottled. Save some mullah too! ALL ABOUT BOBBLES!
- Wash On Cold. My favorite tip! I wash all my clothes on cold! Why? Because then you can shove them all in one wash, no sorting required! If you wash in all cold water you can save time sorting, and save energy! DO ITTTTT!
These are just a few tips and things you should try this month and year round :) For more tips on going green check out sites like The Daily Green!
April 22 marks the 42nd year since the first Earth Day, and a plethora of eco-themed theatrical releases and TV shows will premiere in the days leading up to the anniversary.
What to know more facts about recycling?
Click here: http://www.facts-about-recycling.com/
(Source: lover-root, via mothernaturenetwork)
What to recycle on campus. How to recycle on campus. As well as frequently asked recycling questions.
***Click on the image for a larger view
“Earth Day first began on April 22, 1970, when 20 million people across the United States participated in rallies celebrating nature and decrying activities that put it at risk.”
Click here for more Earth Day facts:
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People representing themselves in family court becoming a major problem, study finds
Different legal institutions, agencies and professionals need to come up with a range of solutions for addressing issues caused by increasing numbers of people who are representing themselves in the family justice system, according to a new study co-authored by Queen’s University law professor Nick Bala.
“Everyone – judges, lawyers and litigants – is increasingly frustrated with this issue,” says Professor Bala.
People most often represent themselves in family court because they can’t afford a lawyer and they don’t qualify for Legal Aid, according to the study, but a significant portion of people are choosing to represent themselves.
“With cuts to legal aid and the rise of the do-it-yourself society, propelled by Internet and court TV shows, fewer people have lawyers. Now, many people who in the past would dig deep or borrow money from parents to hire a lawyer, decide they can get by on their own,” says Professor Bala.
The study finds a significant number of people can afford a lawyer but decide to self-represent because they feel they don’t need one. In some cases – especially with men – people believe they will have as good an outcome, or even better, without a lawyer, or they want the opportunity to directly confront their former partners in court.
Results of the study have been published in Lawyers Weekly and will be presented in July in Halifax at the National Family Law program, a meeting of family lawyers and judges.
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Russell Thorndike (known at Windsor as "Thorney") was the Shakespearian actor & novelist brother of Dame Sybil Thorndike. A chorister at St Margaret's, Rochester from age six, and then at St George's Chapel Royal, Windsor Castle from 1895-1901, where he sang on many important occasions, lastly at Queen Victoria's funeral. St George's Choir at this time consisted of 24 boy choristers & 12 lay-clerks.
The Choir of St. George's Chapel, WindsorRussell Thorndike (Arthur) Russell Thorndike (1885-1972): "Children of the Garter. Being the Memoirs of a Windsor Castle Choir-Boy, during the last years of Queen Victoria." (London, 1937: Rich & Cowan Ltd. large 8vo pp. xi, 224. 24 photographic plates.) The author was the Shakespearean actor & novelist brother of Dame Sybil Thorndike. This very readable account of his six years at Windsor is full of amusing anecdotes & affectionate pen portraits. The Master of the Queen's Music was Sir Walter Parrat & Thorndike illustrates his methods like this: "What are you getting nervous for in that 'run'?" he would demand from a new boy. "There's nothing to fear about it. It's a good 'run' I assure you. It has stood the test of time, and is quite a famous 'run'. But it must be treated with a full control, and if you are going to be stupidly nervous, it shows that you are thinking about your silly self, instead of this capital piece of music, which is much more important than the feelings of a mere boy." For a piece of faulty singing we got no pity. It was a crime to let down composer or choir.
This page last modified on Sunday, April 23, 2006
Copyright ę 2013 The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory
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In fact, people who look for happiness may end up unhappier in the long run.
The techniques suggested in most self-help books aren’t bad. In fact, most provide useful tips — such as taking time to think about things that make you happy, and remembering not to take things for granted. Gruber stated that when people follow these tips with the expectation that they should achieve happiness, they become quickly disappointed.
A study that followed people since childhood to old age found that those who were rated happier by their teachers died younger. Previous studies have found that people who are extremely happy, such as people with mania, were likely to take dangerous risks like substance abuse or fast driving. And even for individuals without psychiatric conditions, happiness can have negative consequences too.
Another issue is inappropriate happiness; for instance, it is not good to be happy when someone else was injured in an accident or is grieving the loss of a loved member. Gruber stated that research has shown that this type of happiness can be common in individuals with mania.
Happiness can also cut short negative emotions that are indispensable for a person’s wellbeing. For example, guilt can remind you to treat others better; fear can protect you from dangerous risks.
Yet researchers think they have found the key to healthy happiness. Gruber concluded that the best way to achieve happiness is not fame or money, but having meaningful relationships. This finding suggests it is wiser to stop worrying about happiness, and instead focus on building stronger social bonds with other people.
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Our team is ready to assist you!
Close Focus Telescopes are ideal for optical bench, alignment, measuring, and other industrial observation applications. Each model features a crosshair reticle and can be focused from 12" to infinity. Close Focus Telescopes feature precision anti-reflection coated optics in a black anodized aluminum body.
The Multi-Purpose Telescope can be used as a long working distance 8X magnifier as close as 12 inches to the subject, or as a 6X telescope at greater distances. As an alignment telescope, it is easily mounted on an optical bench using #38-513 ring mount. The eyepiece has a smooth spiral twist focus, and an individual focus ring for the reticle pattern. The reproduced image is erect and correct left to right.
The Precision Universal Telescope features an instrument focusing eyepiece with a full diopter scale for reference and extra-long eye relief for eyeglass wearers. A crosshair reticle is visible across the entire field for alignment applications. The telescope features a fully coated achromatic objective providing bright, distortion-free, and color-corrected images.
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Sentences Containing 'assail'
Her innocence had kept her in ignorance of the dangers that might assail a young girl of her age.
To say this, to lift his sword, to shelter himself well behind his buckler, and to assail the Biscayan was the work of an instant, determined as he was to venture all upon a single blow.
It is at when thou shalt see rabble of this sort offering us insult thou art not to wait till I draw sword against them, for I shall not do so at all; but do thou draw sword and chastise them to thy heart's content, and if any knights come to their aid and defence I will take care to defend thee and assail them with all my might; and thou hast already seen by a thousand signs and proofs what the might of this strong arm of mine is equal to"--so uplifted had the poor gentleman become through the victory over the stout Biscayan.
Lothario gazed upon her when he might have been speaking to her, and thought how worthy of being loved she was; and thus reflection began little by little to assail his allegiance to Anselmo, and a thousand times he thought of withdrawing from the city and going where Anselmo should never see him nor he see Camilla.
Beauty by itself attracts the desires of all who behold it, and the royal eagles and birds of towering flight stoop on it as on a dainty lure; but if beauty be accompanied by want and penury, then the ravens and the kites and other birds of prey assail it, and she who stands firm against such attacks well deserves to be called the crown of her husband.
No wonder there had been some among the hunters who namelessly transported and allured by all this serenity, had ventured to assail it; but had fatally found that quietude but the vesture of tornadoes.
More Vocab Words::: vacillate - waver (in opinion); fluctuate; sway to and fro; N. vacillation
::: brawl - noisy quarrel
::: volition - act of using one's will; act of making a conscious choice; Ex. She selected this dress of her own volition.
::: decapitate - behead
::: abrasive - rubbing away; tending to grind down
::: knoll - little round hill; hillock
::: gestate - evolve as in prenatal growth; N. gestation: period of development from conception until birth
::: stultify - make stupid in mind; cause to appear or become stupid or inconsistent; suppress; frustrate or hinder; Ex. stultifying effect of uninteresting work; Ex. stultify free expression
::: germinal - pertaining to a germ; creative; Ex. germinal idea
::: tentative - not fully worked out or developed; provisional; experimental; uncertain; hesitant; not definite or positive; Ex. tentative agreement/reply
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Neh 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 15
1 Cor 12:12-30 or 12:12-14, 27
Lk 1:1-4; 4:14-21
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the restoration of the Jews to the promised land following the Babylonian exile (c. 587-538 B.C.). The many years spent by the dislocated people of God in Babylon had a profound effect on the attitude and identity of the Jewish people. It is estimated that of the two to three million Jews given permission to return home, less than 50,000 took up the offer.
As Peter Kreeft notes in his book, You Can Understand the Bible, “We usually prefer comfort to freedom. Life in Babylon had been comparatively easy, but the trek to Jerusalem was 900 miles long … Not only that, but once they arrived, they faced a ruined land, city, and temple, along with the formidable task of rebuilding” (Ignatius Press, 2005; p. 68).
As today’s reading from Nehemiah describes, it was not just a physical rebuilding; in fact, the heart of the restoration was spiritual, religious, and liturgical. The people had to hear anew the book of the law and relearn the meaning and purpose of the law. The law shaped and defined the Jewish people, for it oriented them toward God and showed who they were in relation to him. Hearing the words read by the prophet Ezra, the people gave their assent and praise: “‘Amen, amen!’ Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD.”
Fast forward a few hundred years to a small synagogue in Nazareth. The setting was significant The exact origin of the synagogue (meaning “house of assembly”) as a regular place of Jewish gathering is unknown, but some scholars believe it can be located in the Babylonian exile, when synagogues were needed as places of worship for Jews so far removed from the Jerusalem temple. During the time of Christ, the synagogue was an established place for reading and teaching the law and the prophets.
St. Luke describes, in today’s Gospel, how Jesus “went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.” The young man appeared to be just one of many ordinary, devout Jews. To those who heard Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah, he was simply the son of a carpenter (Lk. 4: 22). But he was not long removed from being baptized in the Jordan and being tested in the desert; he was ready to embark upon his public ministry. And that ministry began and was marked throughout by the proclamation of God’s wordafter all, every utterance of Jesus was a proclamation of that word by the Word, the Incarnate logos.
Like Ezra, he was a priest and he spoke as a prophet. Like Ezra, he unrolled the scroll and he read from the law and the prophets. Yet, whatever the similarities, the essential differences are summed up in his concluding words: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Ezra, Isaiah, and all of the other prophets told the people to worship, love, and obey God; Jesus said the same, but also made it known that he was God (cf. Jn. 8:54-59). His priesthood was singular; his words were uniquely authoritative. The passage from Isaiah was fulfilled because the word of God had gone forthnot merely from the mouth of a human prophet, but into the world as the word who had assumed human nature: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth…” (Jn 1:14).
The ministry of Christthe anointed onewas to proclaim glad tidings to the poor, grant liberty to captives, give sight to the blind, and free the oppressed. This is true restoration from the ancient exile of both Jews and Gentiles in the land of sin and darkness. Every man is invited by the Messiah to leave the land of sin and enter the promised rest. “He set the captives free,” wrote Cyril of Jerusalem, “having overthrown the tyrant Satan, he shed the divine and spiritual light on those whose heart was darkened.”
(This "Opening the Word" column originally appeared in the January 24, 20120, edition of Our Sunday Visitor
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SMALL UNIT LEADERSHIP
"Strong leadership that develops effective teams is the key to success in battle."
Success on the battlefield at the unit level depends on the ability of the junior officers and NCOs to exercise initiative, lead and motivate their soldiers, and instill in them the will to win. This truism is well documented throughout history and in today's conflicts around the world. The examples below illustrate a few incidents where leadership (or lack of it) contributed to the outcome of the battle.
Develop leaders at the lowest level and let them lead.
WW II: A YOUNG "OLD RELIABLE," THE 9TH ID
Leadership on the battlefield relies less on rank than on spirit, initiative and courage. Nowhere was this truer than near Harzegerade in the closing days of World War II in Germany. In April 1945, the 2nd of the 60th Infantry of the 9th Infantry Division (Old Reliables) was attacking NE of Nordhausen towards the center of the Harz Mountains. The division had just received its first black infantrymen and a platoon of these eager volunteers had been assigned to each company. A squad of one of these platoons under the leadership of PFC Jack Thomas attempted to knock out a German roadblock but found itself under fire from a nearby tank. Leading by example, Private Thomas deployed his men and then led the attack on the roadblock. He had thrown several grenades but then noticed that his bazooka man had fallen. Without hesitation, Thomas picked up the bazooka and fired two rockets: one into the roadblock and the other into the tank. Both struck their marks and the roadblock was cleared. PFC Thomas then picked up the wounded man and "under intense fire" carried him to safety. His Distinguished Service Cross was merely a confirmation that Thomas was a superb combat leader.
Unit cohesion and discipline results from good small unit leadership. These traits instill the will to victory in soldiers.
The British victory in the Falklands is a classic example where superior leadership, better soldier training, and tactical proficiency negated an enemy's numerical advantage.
A good example of initiative and small unit leadership occurred during 3 Para's attack on Mt. Longdon. A Company 3 Para, working along the ridge north of Mt. Longdon, secured its objective but then became pinned down by heavy and accurate fire. One British officer described their situation as "Holding on uncomfortably." About the same time, B Company began its advance on the summit of the mountain. A hundred feet below the summit, they began a bitter position-by-position fight. They met fierce resistance from mortars, machine guns, snipers, and recoilless rifles. The battle dissolved into a series of small unit actions by British soldiers, working forward up the hill using 84 mm and 66 mm rockets to blow open enemy positions. Lt. Andrew Bickerdike, commanding 4th platoon, fell, shot in the leg. One of his men, Corporal Bailey, charged the bunker 50 yards ahead, but fell across it, shot in the legs and stomach. The platoon sergeant, Ian McKay, hastily regrouped the men, then leaped to his feet and charged forward, working in and above the bunker to lob in two grenades. The remainder of the company picked up on the momentum generated by the leadership of 4th platoon and secured the Mt. Longdon objective. In the same battle, one of the Argentine soldiers who surrendered to 3 Para reported "When some of the soldiers found themselves alone in the middle of the night in total darkness, they looked for their leaders for support, but couldn't find them, so they retreated." The Argentines fought well, but the outcome of the battle might have been different if the Argentine leadership had been equal to the British.
Initiative in battle is rare and leaders must encourage and guide it.
After the Argentine surrender of Port Stanley, one British officer said, "it was apparent that the Argentine soldiers exhibited the spirit of initiative at all levels, even among the conscripted soldiers, but there was very little attempt by their leaders to point it or guide it in the right direction." However, one example of personal initiative by an Argentine junior officer was observed at the airfield at Port Stanley, according to one Argentine source. During the defense of the airfield, a warrant officer removed a rocket launcher from a damaged Pucara (Argentine aircraft), attached it to an aircraft towing tractor with iron wire, and attacked the advancing British. When the tractor was hit, he salvaged the rocket launcher, attached it to a wood plank and set it up on the reverse slope of a hill. He continued firing until he ran out of ammunition.
Leadership is a learned skill. Leaders learn only by leading.
The Mujahadeen possess no central military authority. They are a loose federation of tribes with a common enemy, the Soviets. Traditionally they have been fighting battles in small formations for centuries. The Soviet situation was considerably different during the early stages of the invasion. The Soviets attempted to fight the Mujahadeen using traditional Soviet tactics of rigid and inflexible execution of "cookbook" solutions. From letters taken unmailed from Soviet corpses by Afghan Resistance Fighters, Soviet troops often complained about their leaders clinging to textbook tactics. It wasn't long before senior leader recognized the need for change. In October 1980, Col. Gen. O. Kulishev, Commander, Trans-Caucasus Military District in the Soviet Union, published an article declaring that small, fast moving units led by sergeants and warrant officers who were trained to make independent decisions were the key to success. In the spring of 1981 Gen. Yazov, 1st Deputy Commander in Chief for the Far East Military District, chaired a conference on the qualities and decision-making authority and flexibility of the junior commander. Gen. Yazov stated that the commander of small units must be given more latitude to exercise initiative. The Soviet leaders began to listen to the message being sent. Later in 1981 an Afghan rebel leader reported the Soviet were stepping up small unit operations led by junior officers. These operations have shown a higher degree of success.
IRAN / IRAQ
During the initial stages of the war, Iraqi commanders would not delegate responsibility below company level. Junior officers and NCOs were not permitted to make decisions. Whenever the junior officer or NCO was faced with a situation that was not covered by orders, he would stop (if attacking) or remain in place (if defending) and wait for orders. The Iraqi Army paid a high price in lives and equipment by attempting to lead soldiers from several echelons above. During the battle of Kharromshahr and Abuaben, which cost Iraq well over 5,000 soldiers, Iraqi leaders realized they had not prepared their junior leaders to make the types of decisions to fight decentralized battles in the cities. Later during the war Iraq began to encourage the junior leaders to exercise battlefield initiative and delegate authority down to the lowest level.
Initiative in combat begins by encouraging initiative in training.
The initiative and quick reaction of two scout platoon section sergeants in Grenada contributed to the success of the scout platoon's mission. On the second day, following the 82D Airborne division landing in Grenada, the scout platoon leader, 2d Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, was given the mission to reconnoiter several warehouses in the vicinity of Grand Anse estate. Intelligence reported an undetermined number of Cubans were occupying the warehouses and a Soviet BTR-60 was in the general area. The scout platoon, consisting of three sections with two gun jeeps armed with M60s in each section, neared the vicinity of the warehouse. The platoon leader was in the second vehicle. He recognized the potential danger of the high ground to their right flank and directed the trailing two scout sections to halt in place and cover his dismounted reconnaissance of the warehouse. They found no Cubans in the warehouse, but did see the BTR-60 approximately 175 meters to the front. The scout section fired three M72 LAWs at the BTR-60. All three LAWs hit the vehicle, setting it on fire. At the same time the entire scout platoon came under intense small arms fire from the high ground to their right flank. The scout platoon was in an ambush kill zone. However, thanks to their training, the two scout sections which remained mounted were able to fight their way out of the ambush. The platoon leader and the other scouts were pinned down and could not get back to their vehicles. The section sergeants realized that their platoon leader and the other members of their platoon were trapped and needed help. Acting on their own initiative, the section sergeants aggressively maneuvered their sections back into the ambush area by placing a high volume of accurate machine gun fire on the Grenadians. They were able to keep the Grenadians pinned down long enough for the platoon leader and other scouts to reach their vehicles and move out of the ambush area. The scout section is credited with four Grenadian KIAs and one BTR-60 destroyed without suffering any serious casualties (one scout was grazed across the nose from a Grenadian bullet). The initiative displayed by the platoon and the will to win over the enemy contributed to the success of the scout platoon. Such success does not occur by accident. It must be encouraged by stressing initiative during training.
Oct 1983. This manual is written to assist leaders at the battalion level and
below to develop cohesive and disciplined units.
FM 22-102, Soldier Team Development, March 1987. The purpose of this field manual is to assist leaders at company level and below in developing soldier teams to meet the challenges of combat.
FM 22-103, Leadership and Command at Senior Levels, July 1986. This manual was written for commanders at senior leader level but also discusses techniques and procedures that are equally applicable to battalion and below. It builds on the premise of FM 100-5 that leadership is the most essential element of combat power.
Better led and motivated soldiers can win even when outnumbered and outgunned.
Table of Contents
Battlefield First Aid
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Many women suffer from postnatal depression after giving birth, which causes symptoms such as moodiness, insomnia, a lack of energy and difficulty concentrating.
It usually strikes between four weeks to six weeks after delivery, and husbands often have an effect in either aggravating or improving their wife's mental state depending on how much care and attention they give their spouse.
In fact, many women blame their husbands for making the condition worse by showing no interest in helping care for the newborn baby or assisting with the housework.
Other reasons include the stress, strain and difficulty involved in taking care of a new-born baby, concerns about their body being out of shape after excessive fluctuations in weight, and flaky skin due to the physical demands of pregnancy, as well as a severe lack of sleep.
Chatting with friends who have experienced similar problems, eating delicious food, watching movies, shopping and generally doing those simple things they forewent while pregnant -- such as getting a perm or dying their hair -- are seen as helpful tonics.
If their condition fails to improve, medical counseling and treatment are recommended.
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'Black Captains of the Chesapeake'
Published on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 9:14am
Did you know that Black men played a pivotal role in the oyster industry on Maryland's Eastern Shore?
Please join us on Monday, Feb. 25 for the revealing documentary, Black Captains of the Chesapeake, directed and produced by award-winning independent filmmaker and Howard University Professor, Steven Torriano Berry.
Mr. Berry will lead a discussion after the film, which starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Black Studies Center, Room 316.
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Aunt Norie’s Sewing Room
I was all cozy and warm in my snug little apartment awaiting the monster blizzard our weather forecasters were predicting. It sure came in right on target.
For now, I have that little, “snug as a bug in a rug” feeling. However, when it lasts as long as forecasters predict, that feeling can turn into “that chicken in a coop” feeling.
Out my window I’ve seen the mail carrier, the trash pick up and the UPS delivery, all go by. All in a matter of just a few minuets. God bless all of those whose job it is to be out in any, and all, of the bad weather, be it snow, rain, searing heat, etc.
We “old timers” maybe appreciate our weather people perhaps more than most of you. We were farmers. We had to be always ready for whatever might come over the horizon at any moment. Winters were longer and more harsh. Our winters would spawn three or four blowing, drifting, freezing blizzards, always in December and even through March.
Agnes Kissenger grew up in western Kansas, where the winter wind never stopped. She one time told us about a day she never forgot. She, the oldest of four, had walked (I think she said) about a mile and a half to the little country school, when big fat snowflakes began falling. Their teacher sent them all home.
She was a new teacher, and chose to disregard the old rule. They tried to tell her: If bad weather moves in, keep the kids at school. “She told us to go straight home, you’ll make it.” The snow soon came in so thick you couldn’t see through it. They tucked themselves into a shock of fodder (corn stalks). Before long they heard their dad yelling, singing, whistling. He had, of course, come after them. He knew they had to be hiding somewhere between home and the schoolhouse.
They busted out of there and ran to get in dad’s wagon. He had hitched up the team and came for them. “Oh yes, the teacher heard about it,” she said. “She was so sorry, of course. A day I never forgot.”
A big, big, thank you to all of you out there working in this kind of weather.
Love you and God bless.
— Aunt Norie, P.O. Box 265, Tonganoxie 66086; firstname.lastname@example.org.
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CEB To Charge For Street Lights
By Dinouk Colombage
The Ceylon Electricity Board is planning on imposing a fee on the public for the use of streetlights, according to the Minister of Power and Energy, Champika Ranawaka.
Ranawaka said that the Ministry was putting forth this plan as they had found that over 0.25 gigawatts of electricity is spent on the streetlights. “We have set a target of reducing energy consumption in the country by 1.5 gigawatts a day. The reduction in streetlights is one way we could ensure we meet this target”, he explained.
Ranawaka added that currently street lights were being operated free of charge, which means neither the public nor the local council employees are concerned with switching them off when not needed. “The only way we can make people conserve energy is by charging them. They will then become more cautious over energy consumption”, he said.
CEB Chairman, Dr. Wimaladharama Abeywickrama, said that they had made the request from all municipal councils to take steps to turn off 50% of all street lights. “While we have no authority in this area, we are requesting that the council takes these steps to ensure a conservation of energy”, he said.
Ranawaka said that along with the street lights being turned off, the ministry was also going to appoint energy auditors who would monitor the commercial sector and suggest ways in which energy consumption could be reduced. “Currently the 1,500 factories and the commercial districts in the country use nearly 40% of our total energy. We plan on reducing this by 10%”, he said.
The minister added that this initiative was already underway, with most bulk consumers working with the ministry to conserve energy. He added that they had been forced to take such steps due to the failing rain in the catchment areas. “If the North-Eastern rains do not arrive we will not be able to use hydro-energy beyond October”, he explained.
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NEW DELHI: International brands such as Nike and Paul Smith are starting their apparel production process at the field level. And India, with its rediscovered bumper cotton crop and changed contract farming laws, is ready to cater to the new international trend.
The crop traceability norms have travelled from food safety to garment hygiene and onwards to environmental issues in the textile industry worldwide. According to industry watchers, European apparel brands dealing in the infant and home textile segment are now demanding complete product traceability, which, in some cases, means going down to the cottonseed level.
The emerging quality issues and cost control initiatives have led Indian textile companies, like Arvind, Vardhman, Nahar, TT and Royal Classic, too to experiment with contract farming of cotton. "Supervised growing of cotton will help us curtail impurities that creep in during picking and ginning," says SP Oswal, CMD, Vardhman Group.
Tirupur-based Royal Classic, which supplies to Sara Lee, is already into contract farming over 5,000 acres in Tamil Nadu. Other integrated players such as Nahar, which supplies to international brands and caters to its own domestic brand Cotton County, have also started contract farming of certain specific varieties of cotton.
"We have started with limited land for organic cotton," says Kamal Oswal, CMD, Nahar Enterprise. Some apparel exports companies have also been running experimental cotton growing programmes.
Punjab-based Vardhman and Trident have adopted village clusters near Bathinda in a bid to increase productivity and introduce better picking practices. Extension services and inputs providers such as Monsanto and DuPont are also supporting these players grow and source the right varieties in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, independent apparel production houses, like Gokaldas and Orient Craft, prefer to work with channel partners or spinners which have access to supervised and certified cotton for manufacturing organic garments. "Vendors are already talking about its traceability. Brands which are in organic garment are demanding it," says Anil Thatai, director, Orient Craft.
The Centre's Textile Committee is also positive about this new trend and plans to encourage it through new schemes and grants. "We are planning to encourage corporate farming or contract farming of cotton," says Nayan Parikh, chairman, Textile Committee. According to Mr Parikh, the move offers complete backward integration for the textile industry.
"The bigger textile groups are investing in picking and ginning of cotton, helping to bring new investment and technology. It would also help them tackle issues of impurity in textile products. We plan to offer grants for this area through the Technology Mission on Cotton," he said.
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John Austen (1886 − 1948)
John Austen was born in Kent. He trained originally as a carpenter before moving to London in 1906 to study art. He returned to Kent in the 1920s, and taught at Thanet School of Art. He exhibited works at the St George's Gallery, London, but is best known as a book illustrator. His early works in pen and ink were reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley. Austen later turned to wood engraving for the illustrations to Cooper's Poets in Pinafores, 1931, published by Alston Rivers.
An intaglio process whereby lines are cut into a metal or wood plate using an engraving tool (a burin), which is pushed in front of the hand to achieve a sharp controlled incision capable of great delicacy. This technique requires a great deal of control and is not suited to spontaneous mark-making.
- USA, Chicago, Arts Club Of Chicago
- USA, Boston, Museum Of Fine Arts
- USA, Toledo, Toledo Museum Of Art
- Canada, Art Association Of Montreal
- Canada, Art Gallery of Toronto
- Canada, National Gallery Of Canada
- USA, New York, British Pavilion World's Fair
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One of the largest cyber discussions on global security and transatlantic relations kicked off several hours ago. From March 19th to 23rd, the 2012 Security Jam offers a week long platform of discussion, allowing world experts and non-experts to debate, interact, and present ideas on emerging security threats and trends.
The 2012 Security Jam is composed of eight forums each sponsored by a think tank: future capabilities and technologies; international cooperation in capacities (wherein I am one of the facilitators); strategic partnerships; crisis management; facing the cyber-challenge; transnational and hybrid threats; object-lesson: Libya; and object-lesson: Afghanistan. Each forum allows experts to ask questions as well as commenting on each other’s work. These weeklong discussions undeniably offer an aperçu on the themes that will be addressed at the upcoming NATO meeting in May. Furthermore, some of the themes and discussions will be used in order to shape policies and future strategies.
Each day, a number of VIPs such as ministers, members of parliament, diplomats, officials, soldiers and so on are leading specific discussions. For example, Cristina Gallach, Solana’s spokesperson, will be leading a chat tomorrow at noon on the topic of “rape as a weapon of war.” JAM offers a unique opportunity to directly interact and ask questions to top experts and policy-makers.
This unique platform is quite an opportunity and should be a priority for anyone willing to discuss and learn about important security questions. I will report at the end of the week with my selections of the most important trends and ideas. Until then, good ‘jamming.’
Click here to register: https://www.collaborationjam.com/jam4/jam/index.action?jamId=3309#registration
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Many of us have overwhelming schedules juggling work, family, and life so understandably it sounds near impossible to integrate a fitness and nutrition program into our hectic world. The weight of our responsibilities will only get heavier as the years go by so the best way to cope is to lessen the weight (fat) we hold in our bodies.
had a good breakfast, proteit oatmeal pancakes, with one egg mixed and 1/2 cup milk, topped it with peanut butter, 2 strawberries and 5 blackberries. so yummy!!!!!!! then i made it through spin class but holy moly the sweat keeps dripping, Do you know the more muscle you have the more fat you burn after. hmmmm you say , Its true. we keep burning calories even when we finish our workout. Thats a goal you can try. Push your self a bit more...
1.With only cardio you will go from a big pear to a smaller pear but you will still be a pear. Weights will help change your body shape not to mention all the health benefits.
2.Weight bearing exercises are great to help against and prevent osteoporosis. It also helps your nervous system stay alert and active.
Hell ya, or shall I say heck ya, for all the appropriate peeps out there. so 1 hour and 10 minutes later I finished my 35 min walk/run session, plus weights. I am trying to go back to my older routine of heavier lifting, Whaaaaaatttt? some will say, why? the answer my dear is that I seem to do better with this training for my body type. I teach 4 classes a week but its not enough especially since Im getting a wee bit older. . I am writing this blog to keep my self accountable.
ok so im on the computer of course diddle dalying around. I need to get up so i can workout my over exausted, non sleeping body. Anyone know what that feels like? I am going to move now and put some good sound on and get moving. I hope I can push though an hour of circuit training. I am on a mission to loose about 6 lbs before I am in a bikini everyday. wish me luck on the start of my new journey.
1. Lifting weights means you can eat more without getting fat.
2. It’s higher intensity than most cardio so raises your metabolism. This causes quicker (and longer term) fat loss.
3. Lifting weights will not make you big….cupcakes will make you big
4. lift like a man …look like a goddess
1. Put your fork down when you chew.
Or take a sip of water between each bite—eating slowly can boost levels of two hormones that make you feel fuller. You also will not be tempted to eat to fast and you will enjoy every bite.
2. Training before lunch or dinner.
Here are 10 Unusual Tips to Burn Fat Faster by Chad Howse of Powerhouse Metabolism 1. Drink water when you wake up. Our metabolisms are one of our most important friends in our mission to fight fat. By drinking 2 big glasses of cold water upon rising, we're getting the calorie burning process started without actually consuming any calories. We're also rehydrating our bodies after a 6-8 hour span with full body function that uses a lot of water, but has no hydration. 2. Fat cells are more receptive during the morning.
Indicative diet: ● First 10 days: only fruits in generous quantities ● Second 10 days: fruit and about 200 grams. Bread, 2 tablespoons butter and 3 medium corn ● Third 10 days: turkey, chicken and fish are first on the list of options. ● be careful though, should not be eaten with starchy foods (such as bread, potatoes and rice). Nutritionist Comment: Inadequate intake of vitamins and minerals-primarily iron, magnesium and zinc responsible for dizziness, fainting and intense physical fatigue. Moreover, in the first stage are presented intense diarrhea.
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"How many did you say?"
"650! That's how many people came through my house yesterday. I now understand what the phrase 'shock and awe' means."
"We were meant to be open to the public from 10am to 5pm, and when I peeked out the front door at 9.30 they were already queuing down the road."
"Why did you do this crazy thing?"
"Open House asked us is we would participate in their 'Open House London' weekend. Since our house had featured on Grand Designs, they wanted to add us to their lists."
"But it's usually big buildings like the Gherkin and the Foreign Office."
"True, but they like to include houses too--interesting ones. And since our has no internal doors or walls; half the roof is glass and the entire back wall is glass and opens right into the garden, people think it's interesting. Still, I was thinking in terms of a few neighbours, half a dozen or so turning up for a look round, but no...."
"What did you do?"
"The idea was that we'd let groups of 15 in and give them a quick guided tour, about 20 minutes, but of course I talked too much and it took longer. Eleni would point at her watch and I would gently urge them to the front door.
Having started at 10am, we didn't stop until closing. Every time I looked outside the queue had grown. 100 or 150 waiting patiently."
"No lunch break?"
"Are you kidding? There'd have been a riot. One couple waited an hour and 45 minutes to get in!"
"You must have stopped sometime?"
"Nope. There wasn't time. I had to make my tours shorter, stop thinking of fresh jokes and stick to a short script I'd composed and move 'em along. My voice was cracking.
Every so often a piece of orange would appear in my hand. 'Eat,' Eleni would say. A cup of coffee and 'Drink,' she'd say. I was on autopilot. But don't get me wrong, it was great fun. And I liked seeing people enjoy the house."
"What were they like?"
"Every one was very personable. And all sorts. The youngest was 2 weeks old and the oldest was a spry 92 year old lady. One family came from Wales. Some just came to look, having seen the TV programme; others came to get inspiration and ideas. They all seemed to have a good time and most said thank you."
"Did everyone get in?"
"For the last couple of hours we had 80 an hour going through. It was the only way we could cope with numbers. But we did it--everyone in that queue saw the house, plus a few stragglers who came late.
At the end we were shattered. We just couldn't believe how many came.
One neighbour had asked what we would get out of it and Eleni said it was the chance to see the house as new and fresh again through the visitors' eyes. For a while we stopped taking it for granted. We liked that.
And although we live in a private house I realise it is quite a public space as well. It's strange hearing people talk about your own house in detail and with knowledge."
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Loughborough University wins prize for its reinvented toilet
Loughborough University has won $60,000 (£38,000) in a competition organised by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a reinvented toilet that is clean, safe, durable and affordable for the poor without the need for connection to electricity or a sewer.
According to a statement, the reinvented toilet should be a viable solution in wealthy nations as well as in the developing world where 2.5 billion people lack access to safe and affordable sanitation.
The prize was awarded to the Loughborough team for its prototype toilet, which aims to convert human waste into carbonised material to provide heat, minerals for soil conditioning and water for flushing and hand washing.
It uses continuous thermal hydrocarbonisation, which kills pathogens to create safe-to-handle material and uses power from heat generated during processing. The toilet is designed to work in both single-family and multi-user contexts, with daily running costs of just a few pence per person.
Three prototype technologies were recognised for most closely matching the criteria for the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge.
Loughborough was awarded second prize, with the California Institute of Technology (CALTECH) and the University of Toronto respectively receiving first and third prizes.
CALTECH’s toilet uses the sun to power an electrochemical reactor. The reactor is said to break down water and human waste into fertiliser and hydrogen, which can be stored in hydrogen fuel cells as energy. The treated water can then be reused to flush the toilet or for irrigation.
The University of Toronto’s toilet uses a sand filter and UV-ray disinfecting chamber to process liquid waste and a smolder chamber to incinerate solid waste that has been flattened and dried in a roller/belt assembly. According to the university, the toilet is sustainable and easy to use and processes waste while protecting the community from contamination.
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Understanding Kishanganga Dam ‘legally’
In addition of the above discussion, there are certain other international norms that need fair consideration. The Helsinki Rules on the Uses of the Waters of International Rivers 1966, formulated by the International Law Association (ILA), and the second report on the Uses of International Watercourse 1986, drafted by the International Law Commission (ILC), prohibit co-riparian states (states through which or along a portion of a river flows) from altering the flow of an international watercourse in a way that can cause harm to another state.
Furthermore, the International Convention on the Law of Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses 1997 (ICLNUIW), also states that the riparian countries (states bordering the same transboundary waters) have the right to use their water resources in a way so as not to damage the other riparian states. This law has been approved by the United Nations General Assembly. Article V of the ICLNUIW talks about the “equitable” and “reasonable utilisation” of water keeping in mind the interests of other states, while Article VII places an obligation on states not to cause significant harm to other watercourse states.
Another area that needs consideration is the impact on environment. The Gurez Valley is rich in natural beauty. Its forests and meadows are home to a wide range of flora and wildlife. The project threatens to eradicate large known habitat areas and to destroy an entire valley with its forests and meadows. This deforestation can eventually and drastically affect the climate of the region causing a change in the weather patterns that can result in severe droughts, floods and widespread disruption of natural ecosystem. As part of the proceedings in the ICA, the court has also instructed the Indian delegation to submit a report on the environmental hazards to the ecosystem due to this project.
Further, the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Helsinki’s Convention 1992) is another area that needs to be considered. It requires states to strengthen their national measures for the protection and ecologically sound management of transboundary surface waters and ground waters. Article II(2)(d) of the convention, in particular, obliges states to take all appropriate measures to ensure the conservation, protection and restoration of the ecosystem.
Although, Pakistan and India have not ratified the treaty, there is a responsibility on these states (as these norms are also part of customary international law that have a persuasive authority) to formulate effective measures to protect their respective ecosystems.
It is, however, evident from the above discussion that India's actions have become a serious cause of concern for the Government of Pakistan. Simply approaching the ICA to find a solution to the dispute will not suffice, rather what needs to be done is to form a team of experts, who have the requisite qualification for the job. I would suggest that a team of experts on international law, not international relations, is the need of the hour, which is led by a person, who would comprehend all the legal lacunas and would sensitise his peers with the possible outcomes and an expert on water laws. Unfortunately, what we do not realise is that the recent debacle at the ICA is purely due to the absence of an international law expert, which had a fatal brunt on the Pakistani water laws expert.
By Barrister Haaris Ramzan
The writer is a practicing barrister and an alumni of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) organised by the US Department of State.
I have not quoted full article, but only those paras where questions of international laws and conventions are raised.
First point here is Helsinki Rules 1966
The general rules of international law as set forth in these chapters are applicable to the use of the waters of an international drainage basin except as may be provided otherwise by convention, agreement or binding custom among the basin States.
Indus Water treaty came into existence in 1960. Clearly any provision of Helsinki Rules would not be applicable in the context of Indus Basin between India and Pakistan. India or Pakistan could invoke this in the context of China.
However, if we examine another article we see that reasonable use can not be denied to a basin state. Kishenganga Dam is ROR and water rejoins Jhelum near Muzaffarabad. Between Kishenganga and Neelum Dams there is no pre-existing use which is adversely affected. Pakistan has not been able to show that there exist any agricultural usage or non agricultural or consumptive use which would be affected. In so far Neelum Dam is concerned , it is only on paper and another article of the same vaunted rules say
A basin State may not be denied the present reasonable use of the waters of an international drainage basin to reserve for a co-basin State a future use of such waters.
Hence that is also precluded.
What is the provision about existing use.
2.(a) A use that is in fact operational is deemed to have been an existing use from the time of the initiation of construction directly related to the use or, where such construction is not required, the undertaking of comparable acts of actual implementation.
Let Pakistan clarify that Neelum Dam is an existing use. In fact it is Kishenganga Dam which qualifies on the basis of this article.
Therefore if Pakistan initiates construction of Neelum dam it is bound by the following article
3.A use will not be deemed an existing use if at the time of becoming operational it is incompatible with an
already existing reasonable use.
That is to say that Neelum Dam , under no circumstances , would be an existing use.
If disputes continue the final provisions under the Helsinki Rules provide for
It is recommended that the States concerned agree to submit their legal disputes to an ad hoc arbitral tribunal, to a permanent arbitral tribunal or to the International Court of Justice if:
So Mr Barrister, we are already with COA, what more do you need.
Now coming to second report on the Uses of International Watercourse 1986 as an annex to General Assembly resolution 51/229.http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/texts/instru ... 3_1997.pdf
1. In the absence of an agreement to the contrary, nothing in the present Convention shall affect the rights or obligations of a watercourse State arising from agreements in force for it on the date on which it became a party to the present convention.
2.Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, parties to agreements referred to in paragraph 1 may, where necessary, consider harmonizing such agreements with the basic principles of the present Convention.
3.Watercourse States may enter into one or more agreements, hereinafter referred to as “watercourse agreements”, which apply and adjust the provisions of the present Convention to the characteristics and uses of a particular international watercourse or part thereof.
4.Where a watercourse agreement is concluded between two or more watercourse States, it shall define the waters to which it applies. Such an agreement may be entered into with respect to an entire international watercourse or any part thereof or a particular project, programme or use except insofar as the agreement adversely affects, to a significant extent, the use by one or more other watercourse States of the waters of the watercourse, without their express consent.
5.Where a watercourse State considers that adjustment and application of the provisions of the present Convention is required because of the characteristics and uses of a particular international watercourse, watercourse States shall consult with a view to negotiating in good faith for the purpose of concluding a watercourse agreement or agreements.
6.Where some but not all watercourse States to a particular international watercourse are parties to an agreement, nothing in such agreement shall affect the rights or obligations under the present Convention of watercourse States that are not parties to such an agreement
The first two articles are relevant. If there is an existing agreement then the convention is not relevant. However second article says the parties to any such agreement may consider harmonizing with basic principles of the convention. Has Pakistan , at any stage of the operation of IWT, either after Helsinki Rules or the Convention in 1997, indicate its intention to initiate the process with India. Oh I forgot, Pakistan is yet to ratify these international conventions. So I think they are not bound by it but want to bind India when it suits them.
The whole discussion on International treaty is nothing but red herring as IWT encompasses more stringent provisions and binding obligations and lays down strict procedures for dispute resolutions. It also has data sharing protocol which are extensive. Oc course Pakistan knows that it would lose the case and is creating this kind of diversion. It sure knows that these laws would not come to their rescue.
However the article quoted below would come to India's aid.
Kishenganga Dam is of urgent importance to India as Energy security is prime concern of India and important for Indian growth upon which public safety and health is contingent.
Urgent implementation of planned measures
1. In the event that the implementation of planned measures is of the utmost urgency in order to protect public health, public safety or other equally important interests, the State planning the measures may, subject to articles 5 and 7, immediately proceed to implementation, notwithstanding the provisions of article 14 and paragraph 3 of article 17.
He is talking of Article V and VII which talks about equitable & reasonable use and not to cause significant harm to co basin state.
In particular, an international watercourse shall be used and developed by watercourse States with a view to attaining optimal and sustainable utilization thereof and benefits therefrom, taking into account the interests of the watercourse States concerned, consistent with adequate protection of the watercourse.
It is on record that Pakistan wastes about 40% of IWT water delivered to it due to bad water management and no investment in such facilities. In fact it is unable to utilise water in an optimal and rational manner consistent with the articles quoted by Mr Barrister. The question would , in case India ever ratifies such conventions along with Pakistan , should we allow pakistan to continue to waste precious resources. In fact IWT protects Pakistan as it does not impose an obligation on Pakistan to utilise waters flowing into its territory in optimal manner.
Obligation not to cause significant harm
1.Watercourse States shall, in utilizing an international watercourse in their territories, take all appropriate measures to prevent the causing of significant harm to other watercourse States.
2.Where significant harm nevertheless is caused to another watercourse State, the States whose use causes such harm shall, in the absence of agreement to such use, take all appropriate measures, having due regard for the provisions of articles 5 and 6, in consultation with the affected State, to eliminate or mitigate such harm and, where appropriate, to discuss the question of compensation.
Pakistan has not established that it Kishenganga Dam would cause significant damage to its interest except saying that reduction in flow of water to an extent of 13% and unsubstantiated claim of existing use. Future uses are certainly not covered under this article and reduction in power generation to an extent of 96Mwe is not at all significant given the fact that Pakistan's Transmission losses would be far more that the reduction in the capacity if power is transmitted from Neelum Dam to Pakistan, (Let us not forget that power would not be used by POK).
Lastly he has mentioned the Convention on the Protection and Use of Trans-boundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Helsinki’s Convention 1992) which obliges national measures for the protection and ecologically sound management of transboundary surface waters and ground waters. I think Mr Barrister, do so by all means and if you need Indian help , you just have to ring the Man from Gah and he would be all the more happy to help you .
I forgot to mention that Mr Barrister knows that neither India nor Pakistan has ratified the conventions quoted by him.
Sorry for rambling post.
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Physical therapy is one solution to torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
BY DR. KOMOROFF Universal Uclick
Thursday, November 29, 2012
11/29/12 at 4:05 AM
Dear Doctor K: I tore my ACL. Is surgery inevitable?
Dear Reader: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a band of tissue that runs through the middle of the knee joint and keeps the shinbone from sliding forward past the thighbone. The ACL can tear during a sudden or awkward twist, turn or stop. More often than not, it's these non-contact injuries that injure an ACL. Between 100,000 and 200,000 ACL injuries occur each year in the United States.
If your ACL is only partially torn, then forgoing surgery in favor of rehabilitation through physical therapy is worth considering.
Physical therapy can strengthen the muscles around your knee enough so they compensate for the non-working ACL. A knee brace could protect your ACL during an occasional tennis or soccer game.
Without surgery, you should recover enough to be active again within two or three months. That's compared with about six months for surgery patients. On the flip side, surgery will make your joint more stable than rehab alone.
Once your ACL has healed, these exercises can help prevent re-injury:
Strengthen the muscles around the knee. Keeping your quadriceps (front of the thigh) and hamstring muscles strong and flexible will make the knee more stable. One exercise that strengthens the quads and hamstrings is a walking lunge. This involves taking a large step forward and dropping the back knee down toward the floor, keeping your front knee over your ankle.
Keep your hip muscles strong. One-legged squats are a great way to strengthen the hips, quadriceps and hamstrings and to improve your balance. When you do a one-legged squat, bend your knee slowly so it ends up just over your toes.
You and your doctor will need to carefully consider the extent of your injury, your age, your activities and other factors when determining the best treatment for your ACL injury.
Write Dr. K at www.AskDoctorK.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64106
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Particularly in financial and public sectors
Companies are starting to hire IT professionals after refusing to do so because of the recession and nerves about things getting worse.
According to CWJobs.co.uk most of the new jobs are being created in the financial and public sectors. Job vacancies have increased in these sectors for the first time since 2008. While the financial sector has always maintained a requirement for IT professionals with security skills, a move by many high street banks to launch apps, mobile optimised sites and pay-by-mobile services such as Barclays’ ‘Pingit’ appear to have only further enhanced this sector’s requirement to make sure backend technology infrastructure is water tight.
Public sector vacancies have also seen a return to growth, up 3 per cent in the first quarter of 2012, following a string of tumbling figures since 2010. Richard Nott, Website Director, CWJobs said businesses needed to digitise their operations because it is more efficient and it’s what their customers are demanding, especially in the finance sector.
The industry has been relatively slow to adopt, most likely due to considerations around security – however these figures demonstrate that financial companies are now making their move in the digital sphere. Findings indicate that the number of IT roles posted overall in the last quarter were up 5 per cent, with roles for software developers in particular making up 41 per cent of this increase. The increased demand for IT pros that meet this specification has caused greater competition amongst the industry, driving the average salary for developers up four per cent.
SQL is the most sought after skill at with specialised software skills such as C# and .Net, generally required to suit a particularly business sector, also seeing an increase.
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(PDF 279 KB
A 66-year-old man presented with sudden bilateral eye pain and decreased vision 12 hours after repairing a defective ultraviolet light box at work. He had decided not to use protective eyewear because the estimated time of exposure was less than one minute. Visual acuity had decreased to 20/60 in both eyes.
Slit-lamp examinations (1A and 1B) of the left eye demonstrated bilateral conjunctival injection in the interpalpebral fissure and diffuse punctate epithelial erosions. The patient was treated conservatively with topical lubricating ointment.
By the following day, the pain had completely resolved, and the visual acuity improved to 20/30 in both eyes. Repeat examination (2A and 2B) was consistent with almost complete resolution of the bilateral conjunctival injection and punctate epithelial erosions.
The diagnosis was ultraviolet keratitis. The brief exposure to ultraviolet light caused significant conjunctival and corneal epithelial cell loss in the interpalpebral fissure, leading to symptoms of severe pain and decreased vision. Notably, the portions of the conjunctiva and cornea under the eyelids were unaffected because they were protected from direct exposure. Fortunately, ultraviolet keratitis is usually self-limiting, and the corneal epithelium responds well to supportive therapy.
BLINK SUBMISSIONS: Send us your ophthalmic image and its explanation in 150-250 words. E-mail to email@example.com, fax to 415-561-8575 or mail to EyeNet Magazine, 655 Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. Please note that EyeNet reserves the right to edit Blink submissions.
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With under $25,000 in capital Mark Dankberg, working alongside co-founders Mark Miller and Steve Hart, started ViaSat in a spare bedroom in Mr. Dankberg's house in 1986. The three had complementary skills and remain in key roles at the company today. Dankberg is chairman and CEO, while Miller and Hart are chief technical officers.
Funded R&D Projects At First, But Always With an Eye on the Product Business
ViaSat’s initial business was obtaining contracts for engineering & proposal support to defense prime contractors bidding satellite programs. Part of each agreement was the stipulation that, if these customers won contracts as a result, then ViaSat would become a subcontractor. After two such "proposal" contracts, ViaSat obtained venture financing of $300,000 from Southern California Ventures.
Even with its beginnings in consulting, every contract was aimed at developing products to manufacture. The first breakthrough was to develop and manufacture specialized test equipment. This product may have been at the periphery of the industry, but created a product basis, and demonstrated our ability to design & manufacture. Despite its very small capitalization and a declining defense budget, the company’s strategy resulted in growing revenues every year, and a record of profitability beginning in year two and continuing today.
Communications for the Network Centric Military
Our initial successes in defense and government related communication products continue today in our Government Systems Division. Products include terminals, control systems, and training terminals for UHF and broadband military satcom; MIDS/Link-16 tactical communication terminals; video data links for UAVs; data messaging processors and software for bringing IP networking to the “tactical edge”; RF communication simulation systems; and secure networking products for encrypting both data communications and data storage within non-secure networks.
Communications for the Enterprise and Consumers
ViaSat has also built a line of commercial satellite networking systems for fixed sites and mobility. Products include satellite networking systems and managed network services for enterprise IP applications; gateway and customer-premises equipment for consumer and mobile satellite broadband services; antenna systems; satellite transceivers and other RF equipment; communication chipsets; and communication system design and engineering.
Strategic Acquisitions Build Competitive Strength an Environment for Breakthroughs
Under one roof, we have assembled virtually all the technologies we need to design and develop complete satellite and wireless communication systems, from microprocessing chips to satellite payloads. This vertically integrated approach gives us more freedom to design for optimum performance than if we had to piece together systems assembled from the products of other manufacturers.
A number of acquisitions have systematically brought together this expertise and technology, which enable the company to win and successfully execute larger and more complex projects, and anticipate the fast changing marketplace:
Satellite networking business of Scientific-Atlanta, adding our Skylinx satellite networking product line, the Antenna Systems business, and a worldwide sales and service organization: April 2000.
The VSAT products group of Lockheed-Martin Global Telecommunications, with its LinkStar and LinkWay VSATs, and Comsat Laboratories. Comsat Labs is a hub for innovation in satellite systems engineering, research, and development: May 2001.
The monolithic microprocessor (MMIC) technology and RF design capabilities of US Monolithics: December 2001
Efficient Channel Coding Inc., a producer of broadband communication integrated circuits and satellite communication systems, increasing our depth in the new S2 version of the DVB satellite broadband standard: December 2005.
Enerdyne and its EnerLinksTMII video data link equipment and digital video system. This datalink product for defense and intelligence markets, is primarily for ISR applications transmitting bandwidth intensive data such as video from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to ground stations: June 2006.
Intelligent Compression Technology with patented AcceleNet® WAN and application acceleration to speed data over low rate connections: February 2007.
JAST Antenna Technologies microwave circuits and antennas for terrestrial and satellite applications, specializing in small, low-profile antennas for mobile satellite communications: July 2007.
WildBlue Communications and its high-speed broadband service network serving 420,000 subscribers in the U.S.: December 2009.
Stonewood Encryption encrypted internal and external hard drives, certified to Top Secret levels in Canada and NATO countries: June 2010.
A Unique Culture
To provide unique products and systems for our customers, we rely on technical innovation from our employees. Our track record for recruiting the most talented technical professionals in the industry is behind our winning combination of employees and culture, providing success year after year.
We seek out individuals who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in their academic achievements and whose dedication to lifelong learning and professional growth shows no signs of slowing down. All of our employees – from recent graduate to industry expert – are encouraged to stretch, be creative, and participate as a critical team member in the research and development of new products, architectures, and technologies.
Several strategic aspects of our culture encourage and maximize this employee innovation. Creative engineering and project collaboration is very much encouraged by the management team so that contributions by every employee are not only welcomed, but actively pursued. Providing an environment where engineers can test and validate new approaches and implementations, in a controlled, research and development program, creates a structured framework, while encouraging breakthrough innovation.
In many ways, our culture is similar to top flight university environments:
An organization that is informal and collegial.
Encouragement of lifelong learning.
Technical competence is highly prized and respected—no matter where it resides in the organization.
Individuals have lots influence over their own career interests and can choose to focus in particular disciplines, explore a broad range of areas, or evolve into (and out of) related management or market development career paths.
An organization-wide emphasis on employee wellness, with many of our facilities offering a variety of recreation and fitness options.
Long Track Record of Success, Stability, and Fast Growth
ViaSat has become nationally known for its record of rapid growth. Prior to going public, we were listed on the INC.500 list of fastest growing private companies three times. The company has been named multiple times to many lists of hot growth companies compiled by the leading business publications:
- Forbes "200 Best Small Companies"
- BusinessWeek "100 Best Small Corporations"
- Red Herring “Small Cap 100”
- Business 2.0 “Fastest Growing Tech Companies”
- Space News “Top 50 Space Companies”
- Deloitte “Fast 50” and“Fast 500”
- Washington Technology "Top 100 Government IT Contractors"
- Defense News "Top Defense Companies" and "50 To Watch"
- Defense Systems "Super 75"
A number of other accolades have come ViaSat’s way:
- James S. Cogswell Outstanding Industrial Security Acheivement
- San Diego Entrepreneur of the Year – Mark Dankberg
- Satellite Executive of the Year – Mark Dankberg
- UC San Diego Jacobs School Executive of the Year – Steve Hart
- AEA San Diego “Telecommunications Company of the Year”
- Frost & Sullivan “Excellence in Technology Award”
- AFCEA “Golden Link”
- ISCe “Top Satellite Industry Innovator”
- San Diego Telecom Council (now CommNexus) “Innovators in Telecommunications”
- Society of Satellite Professionals “Industry Innovator”
- Defense Security Service Award of Excellence in Counterintelligence
- TechAmerica Foundation American Technology Award in Telecommunications (ViaSat-1)
Along the way, ViaSat has grown to over 2,500 highly skilled professionals. For the fiscal year ending March 30, 2012 revenues hit a record $864 million. In addition, the company is an AS9100 certified company for quality assurance.
ViaSat began trading as a public company on the Nasdaq Stock Market in December, 1996 under the symbol VSAT.
Comsat Labs and Comsat Laboratories are trade names of ViaSat Inc. Neither Comsat Labs nor Comsat Laboratories is affiliated with COMSAT Corporation. "Comsat" is a registered trademark of COMSAT Corporation.
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Journal Issue: America's High Schools Volume 19 Number 1 Spring 2009
The combined effects of standards-based reforms and accountability demands arising from recent technological and economic changes, say Tom Corcoran and Megan Silander, are requiring high schools to accomplish something they have never been required to do—ensure that substantially all students achieve at a relatively high level. Meeting that challenge, say the authors, will require high schools to improve the effectiveness of their core technology—instruction.
The authors first examine how organizational structures affect instruction. Most high schools, they say, organize instruction by subject or discipline, thus encouraging an isolated and independent approach to teaching rather than one in which teachers are guided by a shared vision or goals. Many schools have focused on increasing teacher collaboration, often through teaming, interdisciplinary teaching, or professional learning communities. Citing limited evidence that these reforms improve instruction and learning, Corcoran and Silander urge researchers to examine whether the changes help schools implement specific instructional reforms and support sustained efforts to improve instruction.
Next the authors explore the effects on student learning of instructional strategies such as interdisciplinary teaching, cooperative learning, project-based learning, adaptive instruction, inquiry, and dialogic teaching. The evidence suggests the power of well-designed student grouping strategies, of allowing students to express their ideas and questions, and of offering students challenging tasks. But, the authors say, less than half of American high school students report working in groups, and little class time is devoted to student-centered discussions.
The authors conclude that schools should promote the use of proven instructional practices. In addition, teachers should systematically monitor how students vary in what they are learning and adapt their instruction in response to students' progress and needs, in the process learning more about what variations in instruction respond most effectively to common variations in students' learning. The authors argue that such "adaptive instruction" has the greatest potential for success in today's standards-based policy environment with its twin values of equity and excellence.
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Phones, PDAs, and every other mobile device smaller than a laptop and bigger than an iPod Shuffle needs DNS for web browsing, among other things. With speedier networks, the mobile web is getting more and more useful…and speedy DNS makes the experience better. Frankly, I had forgotten this obvious use of OpenDNS, until we started seeing our users comment on websites devoted to mobile devices.
Thanks for the reminder!
Change your mobile to OpenDNS
Help us provide more details
Mobile devices are even more numerous and diverse than routers, so I’d love your help in two areas.
First: let us know which other devices most need instructions for changing to OpenDNS. Please include carriers and countries, if informative.
Second: if you’d like to write instructions to share your personal knowledge, I’d welcome the assistance. Send instructions and/or screenshots to our contact email address or link to instructions in the comments here.
Note: I’m still working out how I might expense a Sony PSP so I can write up instructions about how to use OpenDNS on this (ahem) “productivity” device.
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This material has 2 associated documents. Select a document title to view a document's information.
The Einstein Cannon model computes and displays the trajectory of cannonballs (particles) shot from a cannon in the vicinity of a black hole. It was created for the study of Einstein's theory of general relativity and the Schwarzschild metric. The main window displays a map of space in the vicinity of the black hole using Schwarzschild coordinates and a cannon located a distance r0 from the center black hole's center. The position and firing angle of the cannon can be adjusted by dragging a marker and the number of cannon balls and their initial speed can be changed using input fields. The maximum speed of the cannon ball is the speed of light c=1 in accordance with Einstein's theory. Newton suggested that a cannon ball fired from a high mountain could fall to Earth, orbit the Earth, or fly away depending on how it was fired. The same is true in general relativity but there are many important differences. This model demonstrates these differences.
The Einstein Cannon model is a supplemental simulation for the article "When action is not least for orbits in general relativity" by C. G. Gray and Eric Poisson in the American Journal of Physics 79(1), 43-55 (2011) and has been approved by the authors and the American Journal of Physics (AJP) editor. The simulation was developed using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool and is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive. Double clicking the ejs_gr_EinsteinCannon.jar file will run the program if Java is installed.
Last Modified June 12, 2013
This file has previous versions.
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SatsumaArticle Free Pass
Satsuma, Japanese feudal domain (han) in southern Kyushu noted for its role in Japan’s modernization. Satsuma (part of modern-day Kagoshima prefecture) was ruled by the Shimazu family from the end of the 12th century to the Meiji Restoration in 1868. In 1609 the family had conquered the Ryukyu Islands, and trade with the Ryukyus continued during the Tokugawa period, when the rest of the country was forbidden contact with the outside world. This trade both enriched Satsuma and provided experience with foreign affairs that would prove useful in the 19th century when Western powers started pressuring Japan to end its isolation. The domain also developed expertise in Western learning: Shimazu Shigehide (1745–1833) founded schools of medicine, mathematics, and astronomy; Shimazu Nariakira (1809–58) adopted Western-style military techniques and armaments. These advantages, along with a traditional enmity toward the Tokugawa family, put the men of Satsuma in a prime position to become leaders in the movement to overthrow the shogunal government. See also Ōkubo Toshimichi; Saigō Takamori.
What made you want to look up "Satsuma"? Please share what surprised you most...
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H.O.M.E.: Home Ownership Made Easier
The homebuyer education class explains the home-buying
process to prospective homeowners, especially first-time homebuyers. Topics include: financial preparedness,
renting versus owning, how much house you can afford, working
with professionals to find an ideal house, home maintenance
and energy management, buyer assistance programs, mortgages,
closing costs and homeowners insurance.
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When you need the fat, you need the fat. Jud Banister’s laundry machinery used a particular type of beef fat, and the East Hampton Village mayor routinely filled his need from the local butcher. But times in World War II’s 19th month were different, and suddenly government regulations threw a wrench into things.
The crisis surfaced during a butcher shop visit to pick up some suet — more specifically, the portion called cod fat (check that out on Google) that greased the mangle at his Race Lane steam laundry. The fat went into the mangle’s lubricating box, keeping the machinery humming despite high operating temperatures.
The Internet is great. We have family photos from two of Jud’s laundries. The first, on Cedar Street, burned down in 1909. The other photos, taken in 1913 and 1914, show exterior and interior shots of the Race Lane laundry. But the interior photos included equipment that meant little to us without expert review.
This is where the Internet was handy. A search of “Steam Laundry” produced a link to “Steam Laundries: Gender, Technology, and Work in the United States and Great Britain, 1880-1940,” written by Arwen P. Mohun. Jackpot! Her book is a comprehensive description of steam laundries during the time Jud worked in and owned one. She describes the equipment, including the mangle, used for ironing large, flat pieces such as sheets, towels, and tablecloths. Even better, Ms. Mohun, a professor of history at the University of Delaware, offered to review our photographs and describe the equipment and work site.
Sure enough, all the key items emerge in one of two interior photographs from 1914, including the washing machine, extractor, and aptly named mangle. Probably not the same one he used in 1943, but functionally the same brute of several thousand pounds and very hot and dangerous to the imprudent. Ms. Mohun describes feeding flat pieces into it as invitations to burns or crushed fingers and hands, giving too-cruel meaning to its U.S. namesake. The British preferred the less belligerent name, calender.
“Suet for Mangle Takes Mayor’s Coupons” was The Star’s June 17, 1943, story headline. The Office of Price Administration, then in full swing, controlled prices and distribution of many commodities critical to the war effort and in short supply. Families received coupons required to purchase many otherwise common items. One was beef and, as it turned out, any portion of the beef critter.
“Ever since the laundry has had the mangle Mayor Banister has sent down to the butcher shop to get several hunks of low-grade suet to keep the mangle running smoothly over the town’s flat pieces of laundry,” declared the article.
But the butcher was told to collect beef coupons for suet, as it was considered food, and the mayor would need to use seven of his personal allotment to purchase cod fat. The Star described his situation: “Sort of a ‘No tickee — no suey’ for the laundryman.” His option was to give up his personal coupons or apply for a supplemental allocation. He did the latter, was granted a four-week supply, and, as The Star noted, “the mangle will be well lubricated and he will still have his regular number of coupons.”
Jud’s predicament was covered by the New York City newspapers and radio shows, stimulating The Star’s editor, Arnold Rattray, to take on the Office of Price Administration the following week. Titled “Grease the Machinery,” his editorial gave the background and proceeded to question the government’s well-intended, but perhaps misguided, efforts to help the war effort and distribute scarce supplies on the home front.
Mr. Rattray reminded his readers that the same coupons Jud needed to purchase suet for the mangle were the same ones needed to buy “steaks, chops, fish or even a hunk of liver for the cat.” By the time the editorial ran, Jud was issued extra coupons to cover his need for cod fat, but it was too perfect an example of government gone awry. Something was seriously wrong in Washington, and as editor he had a responsibility to lay out the inanity.
“What made the story of interest to metropolitan newspapers and radio was the fact that this East Hampton incident of Coupons for Suet was symbolic of a lot of things in the highly complicated machinery of our wartime rationing program. So complicated in fact that lubrication is needed, just as much for the OPA as the mayor’s laundry mangle,” wrote Mr. Rattray. Jud’s predicament, though resolved for his purposes, provided the perfect backdrop to criticize a program that had profound impacts on people despite their understanding the necessity to ration scarce goods and materials.
Mayor Jud and the village board certified a quiet election returning two incumbents, C. Louis Edwards and Charles O. Gould, to the board two days before his “beef” over suet, but the East Hampton Steam Laundry carried on after receiving extra ration coupons.
Solving the cod fat problem may have been easier than finding skilled labor by war’s end. Star ads show Jud routinely seeking women workers. He probably couldn’t afford to pay what many were making in shops and factories supporting the war. “Where’s the beef?” was replaced by “Where are the women?”
Steve Rideout, a frequent contributor of “Guestwords,” regularly visits East Hampton to research family history. He lives in Shutesbury, Mass.
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The lifestyle and methods of executing chickens has been debated for decades. Everyone’s heard about chicks being raised in confined quarters, having to stand all their lives on wires and eating food mixed with their feces. Don’t forget the steroids and antibiotics pumped into the fellows.
Since many consumers aren’t concerned about the health risks of consuming chickens, the issue of their execution is questioned.
PETA argues death by electric immobilization is cruel treatment. To support their cause, Andy Dick wore a Ronald McDonald costume to a PETA protest in Chicago. PETA is seeking for chickens to be killed with a Controlled Atmosphere method that suffocates the already abused chickens so they can lose consciousness prior to dying.
As a spokesperson for the Humane Society International, Kesha, contacted the MacDonald’s corporation in the United States and made the following inquiry:
“Please explain why you won’t listen to your company’s own advisory panel and follow the lead of McDonald’s in Europe by switching to the modern method that would spare chickens killed for McNuggets from having their legs and wings broken, having their throats slashed while they’re still conscious, and being scalded to death in de-feathering tanks.”
Kesha offered to donate some of her money to update their slaughter practices, while pointing out MacDonald’s is in a better financial position to make the change independently.
On a roll, Kesha also questioned the restaurant, Skinner, about its billion dollar investment for improvements, with no money contributed to updating the slaughter practices.
Ryan Gosling approached the US Department of Agriculture and requested a revision in the standards for killing chickens to require the less traumatic method of suffocation. Currently, the approved methods are 15 minutes of choking, strangling, smothering, or burying them alive.
Ryan pointed out, “If dogs and cats were killed in this way, the person committing these acts would be charged with cruelty to animals.”
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During and after the 2000 presidential campaign, right-wing activists made clear their interest in securing the appointment of far-right conservatives to the federal bench through the election of George W. Bush. Bush himself named Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas as his models for Supreme Court appointments. Early action by both the Bush Administration and Senate Republicans in 2001 represented a significant shift in the nominations process to ease the way for such right-wing nominees on the lower courts.
In March, President Bush ended a tradition begun under President Eisenhower by eliminating the American Bar Association's pre-nomination screening of judicial candidates in March. At the same time, the President withdrew nine appeals court nominations made by President Clinton in January, many of whom had suffered serious delays over the last several years and several of whom had bipartisan support. Press reports indicated the growing influence of right-wing groups. For example, the New York Times reported in April that a large number of the prospective judicial nominees under serious review had been recommended directly by the right-wing Federalist Society, whose members serve in the White House Counsel's office that screens candidates. The Federalist Society — which convened a March 28 panel in Chicago entitled “Rolling Back the New Deal” — wants to severely hamper the ability of federal officials to monitor and regulate environmental quality, public education, civil rights enforcement, workplace standards and other issues.
Even as the Bush administration closely consulted with right-wing groups, however, reports emerged that virtually no consultation with Democratic senators occurred. Some Democratic senators apparently did not hear of prospective nominees until they learned of them through media reports. Democratic senators sent a letter of complaint to the White House counsel. Even after that letter, some Democratic senators have noted that “consultation” has consisted of little more than a phone call from the White House announcing the intent to nominate a particular person. Even Senator Hatch conceded in early May that genuine consultation did not take place with respect to the first round of Bush nominees.
At the same time, however, Senator Hatch — now working with a Republican president — announced his intent to engineer a significant, unilateral shift in the blue slip policy. Despite the gridlock that resulted when a Republican senator failed to return a blue slip under the Clinton administration, Hatch announced a major change in the existing blue slip policy. From now on, said Hatch, a Democrat's decision not to return a blue slip would not necessarily have an impact on the confirmation process; instead, Hatch said he would be free to proceed full speed ahead with a confirmation if, in his personal opinion, there had been adequate consultation with both home state senators.
Pointing to the lack of consultation, Senate Democrats cried foul. “We're just saying follow the same rules for a Republican president that you followed for a Democratic president,” explained the ranking Judiciary Committee Democrat, Senator Patrick Leahy. The Bush administration intends “to abrogate the Senate's role in choosing judges so they can choose the most ideological bench that we have seen in America ever,” said Senator Charles Schumer. Judiciary Committee Democrats temporarily held up votes on several pending Justice Department nominees in order to push for a solution to the problem. Republicans responded that Senate Democrats were being “obstructionists” and were unwilling to review nominees based on their merits, and Senator Hatch adhered to his position.
At this point, it remains uncertain precisely how the Committee will process judicial nominees. President Bush largely avoided the blue slip issue in his first set of 11 nominees by selecting nominees primarily from states without a Democratic senator. But Senator John Edwards of North Carolina has already expressed serious concerns about the administration's selection of a very conservative nominee for the very seat on the Fourth Circuit that was blocked for more than four years when African-Americans had been nominated by President Clinton. Very conservative nominees, such as U.S. Christopher Cox and Peter Keisler, are expected in the coming weeks despite deep objections by home state senators. Democratic senators are requesting genuine consultation and consideration of their own suggested nominees, a practice which President Clinton extended to Republicans. For now, it is uncertain whether President Bush will agree to Democrats' request. Moreover, the fact that all of Bush's initial nominations were to the influential appeals courts and that many of the nominees appear to share a right-wing ideology has raised serious concerns on and off Capitol Hill.
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This photo shows the launch of a weather balloon during a field project in Niger, Africa in 2006.
Click on image for full size
Image courtesy of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research/Terry Hock
Weather balloons are used to carry weather instruments that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and winds in the atmosphere. The balloons are made of rubber and weigh up to one kilogram (2.2 pounds).
The information collected from the instruments on weather balloons are used to learn about current weather conditions, to help meteorologists to make weather forecasts, and to collect data for other scientific research projects. Weather balloons carry instrument packages that are called radiosondes. Scientists have been using them since the 1930s.
To gather information for weather forecasts, weather balloons are launched twice a day, every day, from 800 locations around Earth. They are launched at the same time all over the world. The balloons rise more than 24.14 kilometers (15 miles) while collecting data.
In addition, weather balloons are used to collect data for specific field research projects about things like air pollution or climate change. Scientists often launch weather balloons from land vehicles, ships, and airplanes to collect measurements for these projects. In some cases, scientists send signals to the instruments on the weather balloons when they want them to release an instrument package into a storm. Then the instrument package transmits the data it collects to a weather station on the ground. In other instances, scientists use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to track the weather instruments so they can know the wind speed and direction at different heights in the atmosphere in different parts of the world.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!Cool It!
is the new card game from the Union of Concerned Scientists that teaches kids about the choices we have when it comes to climate change—and how policy and technology decisions made today will matter. Cool It! is available in our online store
You might also be interested in:
Wind is moving air. Warm air rises, and cool air comes in to take its place. This movement creates different pressures in the atmosphere which creates the winds around the globe. Since the Earth spins,...more
Scientists sometimes travel in specially outfitted airplanes in order to gather data about atmospheric conditions. These research aircraft have special inlet ports that bring air from the outside into...more
Rainbows appear in the sky when there is bright sunlight and rain. Sunlight is known as visible or white light and is actually a mixture of colors. Rainbows result from the refraction and reflection of...more
The Earth travels around the sun one full time per year. During this year, the seasons change depending on the amount of sunlight reaching the surface and the Earth's tilt as it revolves around the sun....more
An anemometer is a weather instrument used to measure the wind (it can also be called a wind gauge). Anemometers can measure wind speed, wind direction, and other information like the largest gust of wind...more
Thermometers measure temperature. "Thermo" means heat and "meter" means to measure. You can use a thermometer to measure the temperature of many things, including the temperature of...more
Weather balloons are used to carry weather instruments that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and winds in the atmosphere. The balloons are made of rubber and weigh up to one kilogram (2.2 pounds)....more
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But it was left to Councilwoman Susan Barnes-Gelt to make the point that modern architecture is an important Denver legacy. She wondered out loud why salvaging the travertine and terra cotta on the Post building had not even been discussed. She also said what should have been obvious to the rest of the council--that her role as an elected official did not include protecting a private developer like Berger from financial risk. "My father always said a dollar is round," Barnes-Gelt noted, by way of explaining that if Berger doesn't want to take the risk of playing by the B-5 rules, someone else will.
Unfortunately, no one else will ever get the chance--and Berger will soon bring an asphalt parking lot and a stucco wall to the historic block at 15th and California streets. Before the old Post building is gone, go by and take one last look. Then kiss it goodbye.
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An exhibition, "Direct Metal Sculpture," by Emeritus G.L. Flint Professor of Fine Arts J. Michael Lowe is in the String Room Gallery at Wells College, Aurora, NY, through December 8.
The exhibition features metal sculptures that Lowe, who now lives in Ithaca, NY, has worked by hand, with bending, repoussé and other shaping techniques. Copper, steel and other metals have been utsed to create a broad range of expressions in the exhibition, from embossed planes to complex drawings in space. Gallery Director William Ganis notes, "Lowe's work holds to the tenets of modernism, especially his truth to materials and his finding new spatial solutions for timeless and distinctively sculptural problems."
More: The String Room Gallery Web site
Posted: October 8, 2010
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Warner: Sequestration Worse Than You Imagine
Virginia Senators Warner and Kaine give warnings about sequestration's effects on the local economy and national security.
If sequestration goes into effect in March, it will be "worse than you can imagine," Virginia Sen. Mark Warner (D) told a group of mostly government contractors at a breakfast event Friday organized by the Northern Virginia Technology Council.
Warner, along with junior Sen. Tim Kaine (D), spoke about the short-term and long-term impact of the potential $1 trillion federal budget cuts happen March 1 if Congress doesn't reach a compromise.
Half of that would affect the defense industry, which some estimates say could cost Virginia more than 207,000 jobs.
Sequestration could have a large impact on the local economy, where hundreds of firms depend on government contracting, and thousands of workers are employed by various agencies and companies that could be affected.
The senators, along with Virginia Reps. Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran, have been making the rounds in the Northern Virginia business community the last several weeks to discuss how to prepare - and also what the legislators can do to avoid - sequestration.
Both Virginia senators are on the Senate Budget Committee.
"It's a perfect storm of both sequestration, combined with the end of the CR [Continuing Resolution] and how those two intersect," Warner said. "Thinking about managing the largest enterprise in the world — the federal government —and the Defense Department budget on two- and three-month intervals is absolutely stupid."
Kaine and Warner both pointed out that the effects of pending sequestration and budget uncertainty are already being felt in hesitation of contracts and assignments.
Kaine, a member of both the Senate Armed Services and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recalled how Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said recently that the budget uncertainty is a real threat to national security.
"He said it is the single greatest threat to national security," said Kaine. "We are talking Iran with nuclear, nuclear North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Al Qaeda. Our ability to deal with all the external threats depends on having some degree of certainty so we can plan for the rest of the challenges we face."
Warner went over some of the possible fixes for avoiding sequestration. One — getting rid of the idea and replacing it with a balance of some additional cuts and revenue and start of a more comprehensive approach.
"Even under that scenario, there will be additional defense cuts," he said. "It cannot be done unless we do mix of cuts and revenues. But are we going to get it done before March 1? Doubtful."
The second approach is to "buy down a couple of more months" in order to reach a solution. Warner says that comes with issues, though. He said the imbalance could result in breaking many large contracts — and that could end up costing the government rather than saving it money.
The third idea — let sequestration happen so parties can see the urgency in fixing it.
"If we are going to have to go through a little before come to our senses, let's at least give secretaries appropriate budget authority to move money from one account to another," said Warner.
Kaine said "there is blame to go around" for the predicament the government is in. He pointed out that the Senate has done a normal budget process in four years, and the President's budget is late. It is going to take a focused and bipartisan effort, he said.
"We all talk out of both sides of our mouths," he said. "But the day is here. We have to figure this out. We have to get back on a normal budget calendar. Long term, we've got to fix both sides of the balance sheet. We have got to make spending cuts. We have got to show we are serious."
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Published on 26-07-12 09:38 AM
Number of Views: 1597
No doubt most of us have, at one time or another, cast a worried glance at one of our larger diving brethren and wondered how on earth they manage to kit up, let alone dive safely. Itís certainly one of the commoner comments made to me in the consulting room. There are many reasons that diving attracts those of, ah, more expansive girth, not least the temporary removal of gravitational pull on their abdomen. However, one of the consequences of obesity is heart disease, which is the third most common cause of death whilst diving. In this article I want to highlight a few aspects of this often overlooked risk factor in diving accidents.
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Port Placement - Interventional Radiology
It has been recommended that you have a “port” placed. This handout explains some of the common questions patients have about the procedure and the care of the port.
What is a port?
A port is a device that allows an easy and reliable way to give medicine into the veins and take blood samples from the veins.
It is implanted under the chest skin. It is about a half inch thick and about the size of a quarter. You can feel its raised center under your skin. A flexible piece of tubing (catheter) is connected to it. This is tunneled under the skin to an area near the neck where it enters a vein.
The center of the port is made of a tough, self-sealing, rubber-like material that can be punctured through the chest skin with a special needle many times. Each time it will reseal instantly.
Why do I need a port?
Since you may need frequent intravenous (IV) medicines or blood draws, your healthcare provider has ordered a port for you. Patients who have ports often say that they are relieved that they do not have to be poked over and over to find a good vein.
Because the port is implanted under the skin it is not very noticeable. Once it has healed, it needs little care from you. People like the fact that they can go on with their normal daily routines (including showering and swimming) without worrying about the port.
What are the risks?
Once the port is in place and healed, there is very little chance of infection. There is a risk of infection until the port heals. You will be told how to prevent infection until the port is healed.
Another time the port is at risk for infection is when the port is “accessed”. This is when a trained person inserts the proper needle into the middle rubber portion of the port. Only a healthcare provider experienced in port care should do this.
Because a small incision will be made in the chest skin there is a chance of bleeding in the form of bruising or oozing of blood from the incision. Laboratory work will be done before the port is placed to make sure that your blood clots properly so there is no concern about too much bleeding.
How do I prepare for the port procedure?
- A Nurse Practitioner (NP) from the Interventional Radiology Department will call you to review this information with you. Please tell the NP if you take blood thinners, are allergic to anything, or are pregnant.
- Do not eat anything for 6 hours before the port insertion. You may have clear liquids such as clear juices or black coffee up until 4 hours before the insertion.
- In general, you may take your normal morning medicines with a sip of water.
- On the day of the procedure, women are asked to wear the type of bra that they normally wear. A nurse will mark where your bra strap lays so that the port can be inserted in an area where the bra strap will not rub.
- Because you will only need to take off your clothes from the waist up, you should wear comfortable bottom clothing and a top that is easy to take off.
- You must have someone with you to drive you home after the procedure. After receiving sedation for the procedure, you should not drive or make important personal or business decisions until the next day.
How is the port inserted?
Before the procedure, labs will be drawn and an intravenous line (IV) will be placed in your arm. The IV will be used to give you an antibiotic, a sedative or medicine to help you relax, and pain medicine.
You will be taken to the radiology suite where a technologist will wash your upper right or left chest and neck with a special soap. To reduce the risk of infection, your chest, neck, and head will be covered with a sterile drape. The drape is made into a tent so that it does not lie on your face. To keep you cool, fresh air is circulated under the drape through a piece of tubing. The drape is cut open so that you can see out from under it.
Once you are ready for the procedure, the nurse will begin to give you the sedative and pain medicine in your IV. The radiologist will also inject a local numbing medicine under the skin. This burns for a few seconds but then the skin will be numb.
The radiologist will insert a small tube into the vein in your neck. Then, a small pocket will be made under your chest skin about 2-3 inches below your collarbone. The port will fit into the pocket. After that, the tubing that is connected to the port is tunneled under the chest skin so that it enters the neck vein. All of this is done under the guidance of fluoroscopy (real time x-ray seen on a TV screen).
Once everything is in place the port pocket will be closed with a sterile surgical glue. Sometimes, stitches are used too. The neck site will be closed with special tape.
You will need to return in 7 - 10 days to have the port site checked (if you have stitches, these will be removed). An appointment will be set up for you before you leave.
After the procedure you will recover for about 2 hours. Your heart rate and breathing will be watched. The port site will be checked often to make sure that you don’t have too much bleeding.
Once you have recovered, your driver can take you home to rest.
How do I care for the port?
- Keep the port site dry until after the appointment to have the site checked in our clinic 7 - 10 days after the placement. You can use saran wrap and tape to cover the site for showering. This will prevent infection until the port is healed.
- Keep a dressing over the port site for the first 3 days. After that, the dressing should be removed. Do not do anything special to the site except keep it open to air and dry.
- You should have little pain. At home, over-the-counter medicines that you take for aches and pains can be used if you have discomfort at the port site.
- Women should wear a bra during the day.
- Check the port site for signs of infection:
- Extreme redness
- Pus drainage
- Extreme pain/tenderness
- Extreme warmth at the site
- Once the port has healed and is not being used regularly it will need to be flushed every month so that it does not clot off. This should be arranged with the clinic that used your port for treatments or blood draws.
When should I call the Clinic?
Please call if you have:
- questions about the care of the port.
- any of the above signs of infection.
- excessive bleeding/swelling.
- fever above 101° F for 2 separate readings taken 4 hours apart.
Interventional Radiology Clinic, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m, (608) 263-8355.
After hours, weekends, and holidays, please call (608) 262-0486. This will give you the paging operator. Ask for the Interventional Radiology Resident on call. Give the operator your name and phone number with the area code. The doctor will call you back.
If you live far away you may use our toll free number: 1-800-323-8942.
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 01/28/2013
Copyright © 08/06/2012 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#5958
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