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Parents should try some of the below items (aka a short special education checklist) to make next year easier:
1) Put student special education and other records into date order with the most current on top.
2) Three-hole punch them and insert into a 3 ring binder.
3) Separate by year (e.g. put dividers between school years).
4) Tab key documents (IEPs, assessments, etc.) for easy reference, e.g. at IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings.
1) Now that the records are in order, they should be reviewed and compared to see what is amiss and whether regression has been occurring. For example, did last school year see a decline in grades or test scores from the year before? Have special education services decreased at the same time? What changed? 2) Check and note down gaps in the records or missing reports.
1) Review the services the student was supposed to receive during the last school year per the IEP.
2) Talk to the student to find out what they ACTUALLY received. Review any notes taken evidencing services delivered and/or not delivered.
3) List out what was missed. For example, did the student receive only half of the speech and language services? Did they receive all occupational therapy (OT) sessions?
Decide what is needed
1) Are any assessments due? Check assessments to see if more than 3 years have gone by since assessment.
2) Should certain areas be reevaluated?
3) Any services that were missed should be made up as the student was entitled to these services.
4) Do new placement options need to be explored?
5) Do services need to be increased?
Meet with professionals who can help you with your special education needs
1) Meet with an education attorney to go over the last IEP, findings, and to get the attorney's take on the situation. The education attorney may also need to be involved to make things go smoother.
2) Meet with any outside providers who can evaluate needs and ensure the placement is appropriate.
Request the items needed and/or wanted in writing to the District
1) Assessments which may be needed
2) Services which were missed
3) Records that may be missing from the parent's files
4) An accounting of all service hours which were actually delivered (e.g. OT, speech and language, etc.)
5) Evidence (e.g. a sign-in log) showing the services were actually delivered.
6) An IEP meeting (as needed).
This special education checklist should keep parents of special education students busy during those long summer days and should make the future go better. When the press of an IEP meting comes, a parent with a great binder and actual knowledge of what was missed, done, and/or what is needed, can better argue the points and is more likely to get what they want.
Education Law Attorney
LAW OFFICE OF MICHELLE BALL
717 K Street, Suite 228
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Genome Research Resources
U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Program
Offers historic information on the program from 1990-2003 as well as info on the next phase of research, genomics:GTL. Genomics:GTL is a research program focused on developing technologies to understand and use the diverse capabilities of plants and microbes for innovative solutions to DOE energy and environmental mission challenges.
- Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications
- DOE ELSI Retrospective and Products
- Human Genome Project Information
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - Environmental Genome Project (EGP)
Initiated in 1998, the EGP seeks to improve understanding of human genetic susceptibility to environmental exposures. The EGP supports the mission of NIEHS, which includes the goal of understanding how individuals differ in their susceptibility to environmental agents and how these susceptibilities change over time.
National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
NHGRI led the Human Genome Project for the National Institutes of Health, which culminated in the completion of the full human genome sequence in April 2003. Now, NHGRI moves forward into the genomic era with research aimed at improving human health and fighting disease.
National Institutes of Health, NHGRI, Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Research Program
Established in 1990 as an integral part of the Human Genome Project to foster basic and applied research on the ethical, legal and social implications of genetic and genomic research for individuals, families and communities. The ELSI Research Program funds and manages studies, and supports workshops, research consortia and policy conferences related to these topics.
Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS)
The National Institutes of Health has provided the final version of its plan to ensure that a central repository of human genetic data protects patients' privacy and safeguards publishing opportunities for the scholars who contribute data. The plan can be found in the Federal Register: August 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 166)][Notices] [Page 49290-49297].
- Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) A genome-wide association study is defined as any study of genetic variation across the entire human genome that is designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits (such as blood pressure or weight), or the presence or absence of a disease or condition.
- The NIH Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP) database supporting this plan is also available. It was developed to archive and distribute the results of studies that have investigated the interaction of genotype and phenotype.
Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society
The Committee shall explore, analyze, and deliberate on the broad range of policy needs associated with the scientific, clinical, public health, ethical, economic, legal and social issues raised by the development, use, and potential misuse of genetic and genomic technologies, and make recommendations to the Secretary and other entities as appropriate.
Content reviewed: May 7, 2012 | <urn:uuid:753f1905-14f2-4b6a-b6f3-d68774aeffe8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://humansubjects.energy.gov/other-resources/genome-resources.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900371 | 623 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Spurred by huge natural-gas discoveries in the U.S., two companies are developing terminals along the Gulf Coast to export gas to Asia and, possibly, the Middle East.
If the plans go forward, the U.S. could become a major energy exporter, putting a dent in the U.S. trade deficit. While the U.S. is still the world's largest importer of energy, mostly crude oil, it has also emerged in the past year as a growing exporter of coal, diesel and other fuels.
But some individuals and groups argue that the new facilities to export gas aren't in the U.S.'s interest and don't make economic sense.
Freeport LNG Development LP, working with the Australian financial firm Macquarie Group Ltd. (MQG.AU, MQBKY), expects to receive its first federal export permits in the next few weeks. The company, which already has a terminal south of Houston that it uses to import liquefied natural gas, plans to add equipment that will allow it to export gas as well.
Houston-based Cheniere Energy Inc. (LNG), which has an import terminal in Louisiana, has already received some of the permits it will need to enter into long-term gas export contracts. It, too, would need to add new equipment that would cost several billion dollars.
The companies hope to sell low-priced U.S. gas to overseas markets where contracts for natural gas are linked to much more expensive crude oil.
Major gas producers, including Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) and EnCana Corp. (ECA, ECA.T), are enthusiastic about the idea. It would allow them to produce more gas from their new shale fields without further flooding the glutted U.S. market.
But large industrial consumers of gas are concerned that granting 20-year export licenses could drive up natural-gas prices and make U.S. companies that use the gas less competitive.
"There needs to be a consideration of the American public first," said Paul Cicio, executive director of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a Washington trade group. He plans to begin lobbying Congress against allowing exports in the next few weeks.
Proponents respond that exporting gas will create jobs. "There will be more people in the industry drilling wells and more economic development," said Michael Smith, chief executive of Freeport LNG.
Because the U.S. has been such a major energy importer, it doesn't have a clearly defined export policy--or an overall energy strategy.
Meanwhile, potential buyers "are almost knocking our doors down," said Nick O'Kane, Macquerie's Houston-based global head of energy markets, which is handling sales and marketing for Freeport LNG.
Freeport expects sales to Asia but says there are also potential buyers in the Mideast. Industry experts say Bahrain, Dubai and Kuwait will soon be LNG importers and Saudi Arabia could potentially become an importer as well. Cheniere has already signed up power generators in China, Spain and France that are interested in buying U.S. gas.
Combined, the two proposed Gulf Coast terminals could export 3.4 billion cubic feet of gas daily aboard tankers, about 5% of current U.S. consumption. Overseas companies are interested because U.S. gas is now one of the cheapest energy sources available. It costs $4.58 to buy a million British thermal units of gas in Louisiana. To get the same amount of BTUs from crude oil in Asia costs more than $17.
The emergence of the massive amount of gas in the U.S. "is a transformative development" that markets, policy makers and industry are still coming to grips with, said Daniel Yergin, chairman of IHS CERA, an industry consultant.
"Up until 2007 and 2008, the assumption was that the U.S. was going to be a major importer of LNG and we would be integrated into the global market as a buyer," he said. "It never occurred to anyone we may be integrated into it as a seller."
For years, the U.S. has imported huge volumes of gas from Canada. But now that has started to decline. Apache Corp. (APA) last month applied for a Canadian export license and plans to build an export terminal in British Columbia.
Not all gas producers believe the Gulf Coast terminals make sense. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), the largest U.S. gas producer, spent about $2 billion on an import terminal in Louisiana that now sits largely idle.
Mark Albers, an Exxon senior vice president, said that adding export facilities there "is not an investment that we would make" because the company doesn't believe U.S. gas prices will remain inexpensive relative to the rest of the world for long enough to justify the construction costs.
Charif Souki, chairman of Cheniere, said that exporting gas makes abundant sense and fits with President Barack Obama's push to double U.S. exports over the next five years. "We need jobs and foreign currency, and we need to reduce the trade deficit," Mr. Souki said. "It is a very hard argument to say we shouldn't do this."
Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. | <urn:uuid:adc84286-ea1a-4057-844e-58c6aa072bb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.downstreamtoday.com/(S(uyxv3v55gky1osqgha2xoe45))/news/article.aspx?a_id=25426&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962875 | 1,097 | 2.046875 | 2 |
While 2010 was a banner year for GOPers around the country, the elections were a disaster for Republicans in Maryland. The pro-marriage Governor, Martin O’Malley, was reelected by a wide margin, defeating the anti-marriage former Governor, Bob Ehrlich. In this legislative session, there are only 11 Republicans in the 47-seat State Senate and 43 Delegates out of 141 seats in the House.
A couple weeks ago, their leader in the State Senate, Allan Kittelman, announced that he was sponsoring a civil unions bill that would cover straight and same-sex couples. That was a bold step to show that all GOPers weren’t homophobes. Didn’t work. Yesterday, Kittelman gave up his leadership post. GOPers in Maryland do want to be homophobes:
The ranking Republican in the Maryland Senate surprised his colleagues and the GOP establishment Tuesday when he announced that he will step down as minority leader because it had become apparent his colleagues did not want a “social moderate” as their leader.
The decision by Sen. Allan H. Kittleman (R-Howard County) came two weeks after he announced plans to sponsor legislation allowing civil unions in Maryland for both same-sex and heterosexual couples.
Kittleman’s position put him at odds with many Republican colleagues, who told him during a closed-door meeting last week that they were distressed by his civil-unions bill and would not be supporting the legislation, according to participants.
Kittleman’s civil union bill wasn’t going to pass. But, the GOP caucus couldn’t even go there. Their homophobia is too entrenched. Full marriage equality is probably to pass in Maryland this year, but face a referendum in 2012.
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What you will learn
In this After effects tutorial we'll learn the basics of Rotoscoping using After Effects. Digital rotoscoping is the process of creating a mask or matte to isolate part of an image or video so you can change it or add it to a different background and is a very important part of the visual effects process. We'll begin this tutorial by learning about the pen tool, which lets us draw shapes and masks. We'll then dive deeper into the masking system in After Effects and learn some time saving workflows for checking your roto. We'll then jump into the basic workflows of animating masks and how we can keep a consistent shape for a more appealing matte. We'll end by outputting our mask into an image sequence that can be used in other applications. | <urn:uuid:59671496-fbb7-4054-9995-2a0226ddb4db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=244&autoplay=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935875 | 162 | 3.21875 | 3 |
LANDLORD AND TENANT:(Redirected from LESSEE.)
The Mishnah and later authorities speak of two kinds of tenants—the "aris," or the tenant on shares, the landlord receiving "one-half, one-third, or one-fourth," and the "ḥoker," or the tenant at a fixed rental, which in the case of farming land was usually payable in a fixed measure of the grain to be grown on the land, less frequently in money. Dwellings or business houses were, in the nature of things, let at a fixed rental in money. The word "meḳabbel" (lit. "receiver") is applied to both kinds of tenants, but more especially to tenants on shares; "ḳablan" always bears the latter sense.
The laws in force between landlord and tenant, the former being generally known as "owner of the field," are set forth in Baba Meẓi'a ix. 1-10.Local Custom.
- 1. The first principle laid down is well known to English and American lawyers from the leading case of Wigglesworth versus Dallison—the force of local custom to supply many details in a contract letting land to farm: "Where one receives [i.e., farms on shares] a field from his neighbor, he must cut [the grain] where it is the custom to cut, and pull out where it is the custom to pull out; he must plow up the ground after [the harvest, in order to kill the weeds] where it is customary to plow up; all according to the custom of the province." So far the Mishnah; a baraita adds that local custom also decides whether the farmer on shares shall have part in the fruits of the trees, upon which he generally bestows no labor. Just as landlord and tenant share in the grain, in that proportion they share also in straw and stubble, branches and cane; and in like proportion both provide the cane for propping vines.
- 2. Where one takes from his neighbor (at a fixed rent) a field which depends on irrigation, or contains trees, and the spring for irrigation ceases to run, or a tree is cut down, he is not entitled to a deduction; but when the field is specifically let as an irrigated field, or as a place for trees, and the spring fails or a tree is cut down, a fair deduction from the rent must be made.
- 3. Where one takes a field from his neighbor (on shares) and permits it to lie fallow, the judges estimate how much it would have produced if cultivated, and he pays accordingly; for thus it is (usually) written: "If I allow it to lie fallow and do not work it, I shall pay according to the best possible results."
- 4. One who takes a field from his neighbor is required to weed it.
- 5. When one takes a field (on shares), as long as it produces enough to make a "heap" that will stand, he must labor on it. A baraita bases thisrule on the wording used when the contract is in writing: "I shall stand up, and plow and sow, and cut and bind in sheaves, and thrash and winnow, and set up a heap before thee; and then thou shalt come and take one-half [or one-third], and I for my toil and outlay shall take one-half [or two-thirds]." The terms of division are further discussed in the Gemara.
- 6. Where one rents a field from his neighbor, and locusts eat the crop, or it is burned, if the calamity be general, the landlord makes a deduction from the rent, but if it be not general he makes no deduction; for it is the tenant's ill luck. In discussing this section of the Mishnah the Babylonians differ in opinion as to the extent of country over which the calamity must range before the tenant is entitled to a deduction; but they generally admit that if he sows other than the kind of grain he has contracted to raise he is not entitled to any deduction. The position taken by R. Judah, that no deduction should be made where the rent is payable in money, was disregarded by the Babylonian teachers.
- 7. If one takes a field from his neighbor at the rent of ten kors of wheat, or other grain, a year, and the quality of the wheat raised is not good, he may pay his rent with part of this wheat; should the wheat raised be better than usual, the tenant may not buy wheat of ordinary quality outside, but must pay his rent out of his own crop.
- 8. He who rents a field from his neighbor to sow it with barley, may not sow wheat; if to sow it with wheat, may not sow barley; if to sow it with grain, may not sow legumes (such as beans, peas, or lentils); but if to sow with legumes, may sow grain: R. Simeon ben Gamaliel forbade it. The majority allowed the change from wheat to barley or from legumes to grain because the latter exhaust the soil less; R. Simeon's broad prohibition of any change from the contract is based by R. Ḥisda on Zeph. iii. 13: "The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth."
- 9. He who rents a field from his neighbor for a "few years" (less than seven) should not plant it in flax, neither has he the right to cut timber from the sycamore-trees; but he who rents for seven years may plant flax in the first year, and may cut timber from the sycamore-trees.
- 10. Where one rents a field (in the Holy Land) for a "week of years" for seven hundred zuz, the seventh, or Sabbatic, year is included; but if he rents it for seven years it is not included.
These rulings are set forth, or at least indicated, in the Mishnah, in the chapter given. From the Gemara in the same chapter may be gathered the following rules:
- 1. When the tenancy is at an end and the harvest is not ripe enough to be cut and sold, the harvest is estimated, and the landlord takes it and pays for it. Should the tenant die before the end of the lease, the landlord must arrange with the heirs of the tenant on the basis of the work done and the benefit received up to the time of the tenant's death, the lease then being considered at an end (B. M. 109a).
- 2. The codes treat, in connection with the law of landlord and tenant, the case of the workman who agrees to plant fruit-trees, taking a share of the profit arising from the plantation. Here, when a doubt arises as to the amount of his share (one-half or one-third), it is to be determined by the local custom. If not more than 10 per cent of the trees fail to bear fruit, the workman ("shattelan") is excused; if more than 10 per cent, the whole deficit is charged to him. But a contract with the workman, that if any of the trees are made the worse by his planting he shall have nothing at all, is not enforceable (B. B. 95a).As to the duty of landlord and tenant in regard to fixtures, see Fixtures.
- Shulḥan 'Aruk, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, pp. 320-330;
- Maimonides, Yad, Sekirut, viii.
In the Mishnah and in the codes the law governing the tenancy of a dwelling or business house is given separately from that of rural leases, and the questions discussed are different. The tenant of a house is known as the "hirer" ("soker"), like the renter of chattels. Much less is said in the Mishnah and Talmud about town tenancies than rural ones (B. M. viii. 6-9, 73b, 101b-103a).
A lease for a certain time vests in the tenant a property right, which the landlord can not defeat by a sale. No tenant may be ousted before the end of his term by the landlord on account of the latter's needs, such needs, for instance, as may arise from the destruction of his own dwelling as by fire or storm. Where rent is paid in advance, no matter for how long a term, a binding lease for the time paid for is understood. A landlord who during the term sells or lets the house to one who through violence or by appeal to the law of the Gentiles evicts the tenant must provide the latter with another house as good as the first. The same rules apply where the use of a house for a year at a time has been pledged for the owner's debt: the pledgee has all the rights of a tenant.Notice to Quit.
Where a house is let "to lodge" in, it means for a day; to "rest" in, for two days; and for a marriage, thirty days. But the unconditional ordinary letting of a dwelling-house means, in winter (rainy season), for the rest of the season, that is, from the Feast of Booths till after the Passover; in summer, till the expiry of a thirty days' notice to quit. But this applies only in a town ("'ir"); in a large commercial city ("kerak"), where the demand for houses is great, a notice must be given twelve months in advance. This is also the rule for all shops, both in towns and cities, in which the tenant sells goods; for a tradesman must have ample time to make his new place of business known to his customers. Simeon ben Gamaliel in the Mishnah holds that bakers and dyers are entitled to three years' notice to quit their shops. The codes differ as to whether his opinion should be followed. The tenant must in each case give as long a notice to rid himself of the obligation for rent as the landlord would have to give to him. Where the letting is for a fixed time no notice need be given by either party.
Where a house is let under notice of implied length only, without specified term, the rights of thetenant, while the notice to quit is running out, are not secure against the landlord's necessities. The latter, should his own house fall down, can insist that the tenant shall make room for him. Also, if during the running of the notice the market rate of rents goes up, the landlord can for the unexpired time ask for rent at the higher rate: on the other hand, if rents go down, the tenant can demand a reduction. But mere transfer of the ownership gives to the purchaser or heir no greater right than that of the original landlord.Repairs and Restoration.
The owner must not during the term, or while the notice to quit is running, tear down the house. If he does, he is bound to replace it. Moreover, if it should fall through no fault of his while there is a lease for a fixed term, he must provide the tenant with another house, either elsewhere or by rebuilding, the new one to be of like size, and to have an equal number of rooms and windows. Should the house become dangerously insecure, it seems the landlord is bound only to pay toward its restoration the amount of rent in advance in his hands. What is said of a house applies to a court (group of houses), to a shop, or to a bath.
Where a house is let for a year, and the year is one of thirteen months, the tenant gets the benefit. If the renting is for so many months, the tenant must pay for each. In disputes as to the length of the lease, the presumption is on the side of the shortest term: for the landlord is the owner; and the burden lies on the tenant who sets up an adverse estate.
A tenant for a fixed term has the right to sublet the house to another for the remainder of his lease, provided the new tenant's household is no more numerous than his own; but the landlord can, if he wishes, prevent such subletting by taking the house back and releasing the tenant from all further obligation for rent. Where two men rent a house jointly, neither of them can transfer his share of the tenancy to a third person without the consent of his companion.
The duty as between landlord and tenant of making repairs and improvements and the correlative right to fixtures have been shortly discussed under Fixtures.
- Maimonides, Yad, Sekirut, vi.;
- Shulḥan 'Aruk, Ḥoshen Mishpaṭ, pp. 312-317. | <urn:uuid:d663e3e7-db67-460a-8564-00677eb93a39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9781-lessee | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96382 | 2,704 | 2.5625 | 3 |
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Gender: Female
Ana Fuchs is a pioneer in the field of alternative Jewish supplemental experiences and has been instrumental in building Jewish Kids Groups, one of the only independent Hebrew schools in the country.
Ana was named one of today's "most dynamic young Jewish leaders" and awarded the prestigious ROI fellowship by the Schusterman Foundation (2012); selected as a PresenTense Global Fellow (2011) for her cutting-edge work in the field of Israel education; and named one of JESNA's 2011 Jewish Education Innovators.
Research indicates that more and more families are opting out of giving their children a Jewish education; Ana aims to reverse this trend with her radically different Hebrew school. Ana focuses on positioning each child for success and building memorable experiences while meeting each family where they are, Jewishly.
Ana has a M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology from Georgia State University and B.A. in Jewish Studies and Middle Eastern Studies from Emory University.
Ana happily eats, sleeps and breathes Jewish Kids Groups, but she also likes to travel to far-away lands, make pickles, read good books and play with Ella the kalba (dog). | <urn:uuid:ba0b58cc-2388-4ebf-b597-4aec7f321b4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indiegogo.com/individuals/580537/pipt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944701 | 258 | 1.570313 | 2 |
About a year ago I had a major shift in the way I thought about eating, and it has improved my health ever since.
The way I used to eat: I associated unhealthy food with pleasure, and healthy foods with pain.
I would think about that burger, fries, and milkshake all day. About how juicy and tasty it would be, how satisfied I would be afterwards, and how good it make me feel.
Isn’t this what most people do? They ‘reward’ themselves with chocolate cake when they have ‘been good’ or ‘deserve a break’, where the salad feels like punishment.
Sometimes after an especially hard day at work, when I was stressed out and exhausted, I would reward myself with some junk food. In a sense, I was using food like medication. The food was a drug I took to relieve stress!
That’s the fundamental problem. If you associate unhealthy foods with pleasure and healthy foods with pain, then eating right will always be difficult. Mentally, you are telling yourself that eating healthy food is a burden and hard to do, so what do you expect? Eventually, you will lose that battle of will power.
But then one day I was watching a Tony Robbins video, and he helped me make this shift in thinking…
The way I eat now: I associate unhealthy food with pain and healthy food with pleasure.
Have you ever noticed that after gorging yourself on that burger, fries, and shake…you feel a little bit tired? Have you ever had indigestion, and felt like a brick was lodged in your stomach?
These are the sort of feelings you can begin to associate with unhealthy food.
Tony Robbins took it a step further. He asked you to vividly imagine your heart and arteries being clogged, and showed you graphic images to imprint it in your brain.
Warning, clicking the links below can be disturbing if you have a weak stomach!
The next time you are thinking about eating that slice of pizza, with all the oil and fat dripping off of it, picture your arteries filling up with that fat like this. Picture a surgeon having to cut open your chest and putting a stint in your heart so that the blood can keep flowing. Try to find a picture that actually makes you feel a little bit sick.
If you vividly imagine these things, you can train yourself to actually feel pain (in the form of nausea or disgust) at the idea of eating unhealthy foods.
Similarly, you can train yourself to associate positive images with healthy food. Imagine yourself with tons of energy, ready to take on the world, and achieving high levels of productivity (making more money).
Start to think of your body like it was a super-sonic airplane that you fill with high-energy jet fuel. You wouldn’t pour sugar in the gas tank of such a marvelous machine, so why put it into your body?
Use whatever is motivating to you in particular and train yourself to recall that image any time you need it. Eventually, just bringing up that picture in your mind can cause the same emotions to flood your body. This will help you make the right decisions when eating.
Instead of using food to make you feel better, use it as a way to get energy, and you’ll see dramatic changes in your health over time!
Brian Armstrong is an entrepreneur who achieved financial freedom working for himself by age 23. You can learn how to start your own business, transition out of the 9-to-5 rat race, and get other life-hack tips on his website. | <urn:uuid:f63dc667-60cd-4424-90ac-dc00400d9deb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/eating-for-energy-or-for-stress-relief.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967374 | 744 | 1.664063 | 2 |
SACRAMENTO -- The sale of California's first pollution permits will generate less money than expected for the state budget.
Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers projected that the nation's largest carbon marketplace would raise $1 billion during the fiscal year that ends in June, with about half the proceeds going to close the state's budget deficit.
But the first sale last week raised only $289 million, with most earmarked for utilities and ratepayers. That leaves the state about $56 million.
Two more auctions are planned in February and May. But the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that the state may gain only about $140 million if the trend holds.
Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer told The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday that the governor's January budget could reflect the lower projections. | <urn:uuid:49abb58d-8511-4599-930f-05a30f1e0ee1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.insidebayarea.com/my-town/ci_22048735/money-from-california-carbon-auction-less-than-expected | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937442 | 163 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Think of Operation Pollinator, a new program being launched in the U.S. by Syngenta, as “plan bee.”
Jeff Peters, Syngenta’s technical manager for sustainability, says the goal of the program is to reestablish foraging and nesting areas to attract pollinators back to the agricultural landscape. “Kind of like the Field of Dreams,” says Peters. “If you build it they will come.”
Peters notes that 35% of the world’s crop production worldwide depends on pollinating insects. “One in every three bites consumed today is a result of insect pollination,” Peters says. “Loss of natural habitat is a key factor in the decline of bees and other pollinators.”
Field margins, riparian forest buffers, hedgerows and windbreaks are known habitats for bees, butterflies and other insects. Operation Pollinator has already been at work in 14 European countries in partnership with governments, universities and industry.
Peters says research is currently underway to find the best and most practical strategies for U.S. farm landscapes. “The challenge is to discover what plants pollinators prefer and consideration to native plants specific to that ecoregion,” Peters says. “Cost and longevity of native plants are all being studied.”
Grower cost share programs are critical for success of the program and several are established, including the SAFE Program in the state of Michigan. Peters says the company is working with agencies like NRCS, FSA and Extension partners.
Watch for demonstration plots to emerge next year. | <urn:uuid:99da00ea-c0fd-4a7b-911b-3b1dfb361ae2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agweb.com/livestock/beef/article/bring_back_the_bees/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952772 | 337 | 2.890625 | 3 |
If you've ever grown fresh herbs, you know that some plants just grow and grow—sometimes faster than you can eat them. Thankfully, eating them isn't the only thing you can do. Consider using fresh aromatic herbs like basil and rosemary as an all-natural air freshener for your car or another small space.
This tip comes to us from the folks at Stylist, which suggests using Basil to freshen your car by putting some fresh basil leaves on a piece of newspaper and just letting it dry itself out in the back of your car. The windows make it a natural greenhouse, so as the basil dries, the delicious smell will spread through your vehicle—it's much better than the gym socks in the backseat or the lingering smell of fast food from your last McDonald's stop.
The idea got us thinking though: why stop with basil? Rosemary, tarragon, and thyme are just as aromatic, and can work just as well. Plus, there's no reason to stop with your car: as long as you have a space that will get some light (and therefore heat), the herbs will dry nicely and smell great. Put a few leaves on some newspaper and rest them on your windowsill in your home office, and you'll have a natural air freshener that's perfect for small spaces (large spaces need not apply, obviously.) Just be careful, the smell might make you hungry.
How to Remove Car Odors with Basil | Stylist
Photo by Chris Pillen. | <urn:uuid:d3721255-5541-4b06-96c6-53f39caef446> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifehacker.com/5944860/use-herbs-as-an-all+natural-air-freshener?tag=clever-uses | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96659 | 312 | 1.921875 | 2 |
LA aims to be coal-free by 2020
Los Angeles is one of the biggest power consumers in America but it has set the ambitious goal of being a coal-free city by 2020. They are calling it an energy revolution.
TranscriptTONY JONES: Los Angeles is one of the biggest power consumers in America, but it's set itself the ambitious goal of being a coal-free as a city by 2020.
While nuclear power and natural gas will continue to play a key role, it's the possibilities for renewable energy that are creating a buzz.
This report from our North America correspondent Lisa Millar.
LISA MILLAR: It has the dirtiest air, the biggest sprawl and the worst condition of any city in America. And LA wants to do something about it.
ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, LOS ANGELES MAYOR: We can't continue to dither, if you will, as our national government's refused to take the responsibility to address climate change.
LISA MILLAR: The city's mayor has set an ambitious goal of ending LA's use of coal-fired power in just 10 years. LA currently gets 44 per cent of its electricity from coal, 26 per cent from natural gas, 14 per cent from renewable sources, nine per cent from nuclear, and seven per cent from hydro-electric.
Taking coal out of the equation means the labyrinth that is LA needs to find reliable sources and soon.
There's an obvious one and there's no shortage of it in California.
This field of mirrors on the edge of the Mojave Desert is the only of its kind in the United States. the 24,000 reflective panels follow the sun's rays, directing the heat onto boilers at the top of these towers. Steam is created, driving a turbine, which then produces power for 5,500 Californian homes.
DR RAED SHERIF, ESOLAR: What's so special about this particular sort of heartland and what's exciting is that this where we have found a way that we can generate electricity in a very cheap way, at a much lower cost that standard conventional solar panels.
LISA MILLAR: ESolar says it will eventually make electricity for less than the cost of coal and without Government subsidies. It's a sign of a green revolution happening right across the state.
DR TONY HAYMET, DIRECTOR, SCRIPPS INSTITUTE: You might say that LA was such a mess that it bloody well had to start here in California.
LISA MILLAR: Tony Haymet was with the CSIRO before becoming Director of Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego. They've been going green here for a long time. Algae green.
Tony Haymet likes to joke, they've been studying algae for 106 years. But for 104 of those, nobody cared.
Now they're talking about it becoming the bio-fuel of the future.
DR GREG MITCHELL, SCRIPPS SCIENTIST: From a point of view of sustainability, hunger, water use, land use and yields per area, per time in efficiency, algae has the most promise in the long-term.
DR TONY HAYMET: There's real science, they're real breakthroughs that have happened. There are generally good ideas being followed up.
LISA MILLAR: And it could be another option for LA as it weans itself off coal.
It's a long way from the frenetic pace of LA, but the small town of Delta in Central Utah has its own links to California's green revolution. Delta is home to a massive coal-fired power plant and up until now, LA has been its biggest customer.
In fact 45 per cent of the electricity produced here goes straight to LA. And no matter how clean and efficient, the Intermountain Power Agency says its power plant is, LA doesn't want it.
JIM HEWLETT, IPA GENERAL MANAGER: What we find fewer and fewer purchasers out there want coal-fire. And so the timing is not good for new coal-fired energy.
LISA MILLAR: LA's decision only reinforced IPA's move to ditch plans to expand the site. Why build if no one's going to buy?
JIM HEWLETT: We don't subscribe necessarily to all of that science but we can't ignore it, we can't ignore the tide of sentiment, as you say, against coal fire right now. So we have to do the best we can.
LISA MILLAR: And that means trying to reduce the plant's carbon footprint even further and can consider how it can use renewable energy.
Jim Hewlett's confident coal-fired power will remain the best, most reliable source of electricity for decades to come. LA wants to prove him wrong.
Because the mayor believes turning this city green will have an impact far beyond the Hollywood hills.
ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, LOS ANGELES MAYOR: As LA goes, so goes California. As California goes, so goes the nation. As the nation goes, there's an impact all across the world.
LISA MILLAR: And if he pulls it off, that would be an Oscar-winning performance.
Lisa Millar, Lateline. | <urn:uuid:ae82639e-1822-479c-abfb-ef5b363f4713> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2008/s2751374.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947228 | 1,096 | 2.625 | 3 |
In the latest food scare in the United States seven brands of frozen ground beef have been recalled because it is feared some of it may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
The beef products, some 107,943 pounds of it, were produced by the California company Richwood Meat based in Merced, on April 28, 2006, and was distributed to retail outlets in Arizona, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) say the meat was contaminated by the O157:H7 strain of E. coli and was discovered by sampling undertaken by the California Department of Health Services during an investigation.
The recalled products carry the number "EST. 8264" inside the USDA mark of inspection and a date code of 118-6 or 4/28/06.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacteria that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration; it usually causes little or no fever and the illness as a rule resolves itself in five to 10 days.
Health officials however caution that the bacteria can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, sudden short-term kidney failure in children, and lead to kidney failure, and children, the elderly and people with poor immune systems are particularly at risk.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says the meat patties were distributed to institutional food services, food distributors, discount grocers and some retail stores including Winco and Vons.
Three confirmed cases and two possible cases have been reported to Napa County Public Health amongst children since April 3rd after the bacteria was found in the stool sample of a 9-year-old.
All the children have all fully recovered and tests are being conducted to confirm the illness was caused by the beef.
Consumers are advised to check whether they have the products in their freezers and if that is the case, to destroy them or take them back to the place of purchase.
The USDA has released a list of companies who use Richwood Meat Company ground beef patties they include Fireriver Classic, Ritz Food, Chef's Pride, Blackwood Farms, Golbon, and California Pacific Associated.
Late last week a Pennsylvania beef firm also recalled around 259,230 pounds of beef products due to possible contamination with E. coli. | <urn:uuid:2231d0f9-2068-488c-8c0b-22d31a49eff5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/04/22/23996.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973662 | 469 | 2.234375 | 2 |
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2003
Alexei A. Abrikosov, Vitaly L. Ginzburg, Anthony J. Leggett
Alexei A. Abrikosov
Born: 25 June 1928, Moscow, USSR (now Russia)
Affiliation at the time of the award: Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
Prize motivation: "for pioneering contributions to the theory of superconductors and superfluids"
Field: Condensed matter physics, superfluidity, superconductivity
I was born in 1928, June 25, in Moscow, USSR (now Russia). My parents were physicians. I graduated from high school in 1943 and was accepted as student of the Institute for Power Engineers. In 1945 I transferred to the Physics Department of the Moscow State University, from which I graduated in 1948 with a diploma (M.Sc. degree). After that I was accepted, as a Postgraduate (Ph.D. student) to the Institute for Physical Problems (now P.L. Kapitza Institute). My scientific adviser was L.D. Landau. After I defended in 1951 a thesis on thermal diffusion in completely and incompletely ionized plasmas, I got the Candidate of Science (Ph.D.) degree and was taken to the staff of the Institute, as Junior Scientist.
In 1951–1952 I worked with the experimentalist of the same institute, N.V. Zavaritskii on the experimental verification of the predictions of the recently published Ginzburg-Landau theory of superconductivity on the critical magnetic field of thin films. This resulted in our discovery of the "superconductors of the second group" (now Type II superconductors). After that I started to work on the magnetic properties of bulk Type II superconductors, and came to the conclusion that the transition from superconducting to the normal state happens gradually in increasing field with two limiting critical fields. Between these two values the field gradually penetrates the superconductor forming thin threads of magnetic flux surrounded by vortex currents. The array of these quantum vortices forms a regular structure (now referred in the literature, as Abrikosov vortex lattice). I compared my results with the magnetization curves obtained experimentally in the 1930s for superconducting alloys, and there was a perfect fit. The experimentalist explained their data, as due to inhomogenity of their samples. My paper was published in 1957 but the experimentalists accepted the vortex lattice only 10 years later, after it was demonstrated by decoration experiments.
In the middle of 1950s I worked also on the transition from the insulating molecular phase into the atomic metallic phase in hydrogen and on the structure of hydrogen planets. Another my topic was quantum electrodynamics at high energies. The latter works became my Doctor of Science thesis (this degree is similar to Habilitation in Germany), which I defended in 1955.
In the end of 1950s – beginning of 1960s we worked with L. Gor'kov on the microscopic theory of superconductivity. We constructed the theory of superconductors in a high-frequency field (with I.M. Khalatnikov) and the theory of superconductors with magnetic impurities, where we discovered the possibility of the so-called gapless superconductivity. We also solved the mystery of the finite Knight shift at zero temperature, taking into account the spin-orbit scattering. Simultaneously we worked with I.M. Khalatnikov on the theory of nonsuperfluid He3: thermodynamics, kinetics, sound dispersion, light and g-ray scattering, etc. These works were based on the theory of a Fermiliquid by L. Landau. I worked also during this time on the theory of strongly compressed matter.
In 1961 we published a book with L. Gor'kov and I. Dzyaloshinskii "Quantum field theory methods in statistical physics". Originally written in Russian, it was translated into English, German, Chinese, Japanese, and became (and still is) the main textbook on the subject.
In 1962–63 with my postgraduate L. Falkovsky we constructed the theory of semimetals of the Bi type. These substances have a very small number of charge carriers (in Bi ~ 10-5 per atom) and a very peculiar crystalline lattice differing from a simple cubic lattice by two small deformations. The resulting lattice has two atoms per unit cell, and in principle it could be an insulator. However, a simple cubic lattice has one atom per unit cell, and should be a "good" metal with the number of carriers of the order of one per atom, and small deformations cannot transform it into an insulator. This paradox can be resolved by constructing an artificial phase, which at zero deformation has an energy higher than a conventional metal but the energy decreases with deformation, so that eventually this phase becomes energetically favorable. This gives the opportunity to approach the (almost) insulating phase continuously. In this series of papers the energy spectrum was calculated, and the metalinsulator transition with the vanishing of the energy gap was predicted. The infrared properties were analyzed and the transparency thresholds in the frequency were established. All this was confirmed by experiments.
In 1962 our dear teacher, L.D. Landau, got in a car accident and suffered heavy injuries. His life was saved but his brain was damaged, and he never returned to science after that. He died in 1968 from remote consequences of the accident. After the accident the attitude towards theorists at the Institute for Physical Problems changed, and the Landau Group started to think about leaving.
In 1964 I was elected Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences, USSR (now Russian Academy of Sciences). In 1966 I was awarded the Lenin Prize together with V.L. Ginzburg and L.P. Gor'kov "for the theory of superconductivity in strong magnetic fields".
In 1965 I became the head of the Condensed Matter Theory Department in the newly organized Institute for Theoretical Physics (later named L.D. Landau Institute). I was one of its organizers.
In 1965–68 I published several papers on the Kondo effect at low temperatures, where I established the appearance of a resonance in the scattering amplitude of an electron from a magnetic impurity atom (now Abrikosov-Suhl resonance).
In 1971 I published a book “Introduction to the Theory of Normal Metals”, which was translated into English. In 1972 I was awarded the International Fritz London Award for my works on low-temperature physics.
In 1970–75 I constructed the theory of gapless semiconductors, where I showed, that in substances of the type of HgTe, a strong interaction region close to the band matching point exists where the dependencies of various quantities on temperature and magnetic field are described by nontrivial power laws. At the same time I worked on the theory of an excitonic transition in Bi in strong magnetic fields. The predictions were in complete agreement with experimental data.
In 1975 I was awarded the title Doctor of Sciences Honoris Causa by the University of Lausanne (Switzerland).
In 1977–81 with my postgraduate, I.A. Ryzhkin we constructed the theory of one-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional metals. The main results were a) the probability distribution function of resistivity of a one-dimensional wire, where due to mesoscopic effects there was no self-averaging, and b) the conclusion that suppression of superconductivity in (TMTSF)2PF6 by nonmagnetic defects was an evidence of triplet pairing. Later this was confirmed. During the same years I worked on the theory of spin-glasses with short-range interaction, including semiconductor-based spin-glasses.
In 1982 with a group of experimentalists I was awarded the State Prize of USSR, for the works on semimetals and gapless semiconductors. In 1987 I was elected Full Member of the Academy of Sciences. In 1988 I published the book “Fundamentals of the Theory of Metals” on which I worked three years. It was translated into English and Japanese. The same year I was elected Director of the High Pressure Physics Institute in Troitsk, Moscow District. In 1989 L. Gor’kov, I. Dzyaloshinskii and myself were awarded the L.D. Landau award of the Academy of Sciences, USSR, for our book “Field Theory Methods in Statistical Physics”.
In 1991 I accepted the offer of the Argonne National Laboratory, USA, and became Distinguished Argonne Scientist. Since then I continue to work at the same position. In the same year, together with V.L. Ginzburg and L.P. Gor’kov I was awarded the International John Bardeen Award and was elected as Foreign Honorary Member to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1992 I was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Being at Argonne I became interested by the high-Tc layered cuprates. This interest resulted in a theory which was based on the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer approach but took into account the specific features of the electron spectrum, namely the quasi-two-dimensionality and the existence of the “extended saddle point singularities”, or “flat regions”, which made the motion of quasiparticles in some regions of the Fermi surface quasi-one-dimensional. At the same time these regions had the maximal density of states. Another idea was the resonant tunneling mechanism of the electron transport between the CuO2 planes. On the basis of these ideas I was able to explain almost all the unusual behavior of the high-Tc layered cuprates, including the isotope effect, neutron scattering, pseudogap and the metal-insulator transition.
In 1998 in connection with the experiments performed at Argonne and the University of Chicago I introduced a new phenomenon: “Quantum Linear Magnetoresistance”. The analysis of experimental data showed that it was first discovered experimentally by Piotr Kapitza, as early as 1928, but was confused with a different phenomenon. During these years in connection with experiments I studied also the effects of quantum interference on the magnetoresistance of layered substances and constructed a theory of an s-type superconductivity in UGe2.
In 1999 I became a naturalized US citizen. In 2000 I was elected member of the National Academy of Sciences USA, and in 2001, as Foreign Member of the Royal Society of London, UK. In 2003 I received the title Doctor of Sciences Honoris Causa from the University of Bordeaux (France) and together with V. Ginzburg and A. Leggett was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for pioneering work on the theory of superconductivity and super-fluidity”.
Apart from research, almost all my life I was teaching. First I was assistant, associated, full Professor at the Moscow State University, 1950–1969, then Professor at the Gorky (now Nizhniy Novgorod) University, 1970–72, and eventually Chair for theoretical physics at the Moscow Institute for Steel and Alloys (Technical University), 1976–1991. In USA I am Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Utah. In addition I am a Leverhulm Adjunct Professor at the University of Loughborough, UK.
I am married and have two sons and one daughter.
From Les Prix Nobel. The Nobel Prizes 2003, Editor Tore Frängsmyr, [Nobel Foundation], Stockholm, 2004
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and later published in the book series Les Prix Nobel/Nobel Lectures. The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate.
Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 2003
MLA style: "Alexei A. Abrikosov - Autobiography". Nobelprize.org. 23 May 2013 http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2003/abrikosov.html | <urn:uuid:d723fca8-bf8e-4b0d-a5c4-9d630e917f6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2003/abrikosov.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957106 | 2,541 | 1.84375 | 2 |
MAY 13th - Parent SBDM Elections - 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
*As the school year ends, we have several activities at ACES, please check the Building Events for Activites/Dates/Times*
May 16th Lunch Menu - Chickenfajita/mozz.cheese/hoagie OR Hodge podge, salad, fries, applesauce, fresh fruit, choice of lowfat milk
May 17th Lunch Menu - Pimento cheese OR hodge podge, green peas, coleslaw, chips, peaches, fresh fruite, choice of lowfat milk
May 20th Lunch Menu - Ham/cheese sandwich OR bologna/cheese sandwich, carrots with ranch dip, chips, sherbet, fresh fruit, choice of lowfat milk
Free Summer Mathematics Program
MetaMetrics is offering the Summer Math Challenge, a free six-week, e-mail-based, math skills program based on Common Core State Standards for students who have finished second through fifth grade. The program runs June 24 - August 2. Teachers may find this a beneficial resource to share with parents for use in conjunction with the student’s individual Quantile® measure. To get more information and/or enroll their child, parents can visit quantiles.com/summer-math. Enrollment opens May 1. | <urn:uuid:e16594a5-162b-4283-950a-55189a44ed97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adair.kyschools.us/school_home.aspx?schoolid=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904056 | 305 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Harley Street IVF Clinics
In Vitro Fertilisation Clinics assist with the fertilisation of an egg and sperm outside of the body to enable the natural problems of pregnancy and conceiving to be overcome. IVF clinics provide services that help to research, counsel and treat those couples with fertility problems. The removal of a number of eggs (ova) from the woman and the fertilisation of these with her partner’s sperm under laboratory conditions promoting the ideal climate for conception to occur. The zygote, or fertilised egg, is then transplanted back into the uterus to continue the pregnancy until birth.
After 6 years of undergraduate medical training these experts received focused training in the fields of IVF and fertility and are members of the Royal College of Physicians where they specialised in reproductive sciences and fertility problems.
Infertility between a couple can be ascertained and treated by an IVF clinic. Problems within the fallopian tube in a woman can make it difficult for the egg to hatch. Men may suffer from a low sperm count, or low sperm quality.
Those who visit an IVF clinic wish to conceive and are having problems with this goal.
LISTING OPTIONS AVAILABLE: | <urn:uuid:c6e254b6-3ed9-4957-b9f0-5364262c10c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harleystreetdoctors.co.uk/clinics-and-hospitals/ivf-clinics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929715 | 248 | 2 | 2 |
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Whose sex advice are your kids listening to?
Make sure it's yours. Every day, your teen is exposed to messages that can influence their choices. The pressure to have early-aged sex is very real, and teens need a parent's advice to help filter it all.
We are here to give you tips from real live teens, on how to approach your teen on the subject of sex. Browse our site to learn more about having "The Talk", dating and internet safety.
Straight Forward is a local teenage advocacy group funded by the Youth Saftey Initiative of the Volunteers of America. | <urn:uuid:062b4a5d-e508-4635-a74f-f727b2e8f9c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://donttellmyparents.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949782 | 144 | 1.648438 | 2 |
David Cameron quickly rejected proposals from Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner that the thirty year old conflict be settled using a sudden death penalty solution.
"The last thirty years cannot be considered as extra time in a conflict that was accepted as having been won by the islander's geographically estranged relatives." stressed William Hague, denying reports that it was England's ineptitude in kicking round objects between posts that had lead to the government's rejection.
Ownership of the sheep infested corner of Britain that somehow wandered off to the shores of another continent was conincidentally brought into question at the same time as geologists suggested that the islands may be sitting in the middle of an oil field.
As part of their generous offer to take over the care of the islands the Argentinians have offered to pump away all of this unpleasant liquid from the seabed in the vicinity of the unfortunate islanders so that they might continue to enjoy the company of their wooly comanions unhindered. | <urn:uuid:093c1803-6983-407e-8ee2-f16705973e6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=44487 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970633 | 204 | 2 | 2 |
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I learned an interesting fact about Fibonacci numbers recently while watching a lecture on number theory. Fibonacci numbers can be used to approximately convert from miles to kilometers and back.
Here is how.
Take two consecutive Fibonacci numbers, for example 5 and 8. And you're done converting. No kidding – there are 8 kilometers in 5 miles. To convert back just read the result from the other end - there are 5 miles in 8 km!
Another example. Let's take the consecutive Fibonacci numbers 21 and 34. What this tells us is that there are approximately 34 km in 21 miles and vice versa. (The exact answer is 33.79 km.)
If you need to convert a number that is not a Fibonacci number, just express the original number as a sum of Fibonacci numbers and do the conversion for each Fibonacci number separately.
For example, how many kilometers are there in 100 miles? Number 100 can be expressed as a sum of Fibonacci numbers 89 + 8 + 3. Now, the Fibonacci number following 89 is 144, the Fibonacci number following 8 is 13 and the Fibonacci number following 3 is 5. Therefore the answer is 144 + 13 + 5 = 162 kilometers in 100 miles. This is less than 1% off from the precise answer, which is 160.93 km.
Another example, how many miles are there in 400 km? Well, 400 is 377 + 21 + 2. Since we are going the opposite way now from miles to km, we need the preceding Fibonacci numbers. They are 233, 13 and 1. Therefore there are 233 + 13 + 1 = 247 miles in 400 km. (The correct answer is 248.55 miles.)
Just remember that if you need to convert from km to miles, you need to find the preceding Fibonacci number. But if you need to convert from miles to km, you need the subsequent Fibonacci number.
If the distance you're converting can be expressed as a single Fibonacci number, then for numbers greater than 21 the error is always around 0.5%. However, if the distance needs to be composed as a sum of
n Fibonacci numbers, then the error will be around sqrt(n)·0.5%.
Here's why it works.
Fibonacci numbers have a property that the ratio of two consecutive numbers tends to the Golden ratio as numbers get bigger and bigger. The Golden ratio is a number and it happens to be approximately 1.618.
Coincidentally, there are 1.609 kilometers in a mile, which is within 0.5% of the Golden ratio.
Now that we know these two key facts, we can figure out how to do the conversion. If we take two consecutive Fibonacci numbers, Fn+1 and Fn, we know that their ratio Fn+1/Fn is approximately 1.618. Since the ratio is also almost the same as kilometers per mile, we can write Fn+1/Fn = [mile]/[km]. It follows that Fn·[mile] = Fn+1·[km], which translates to English as "n-th Fibonacci number in miles is the same as (n+1)-th Fibonacci number in kilometers".
That's all there is to it. A pure coincidence that the Golden ratio is almost the same as kilometers in a mile. | <urn:uuid:6e916bed-67ca-41ae-8790-4cb44cef96a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catonmat.net/blog/using-fibonacci-numbers-to-convert-from-miles-to-kilometers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937916 | 716 | 3.796875 | 4 |
READ THE REPORT
We must raise the bar in education and rethink the design of school if we want excellent math and science learning for all students. The Opportunity Equation report provides a roadmap for this vision with recommendations for key stakeholders.
'Girls Who Code' Tries To Build 'Sisterhood' For Techie Teens
Call it the summer of CSS.
Twenty teen girls from underserved communities in New York City will spend eight weeks this summer taking intensive technology courses, on topics from robotics to app development, as part of a new initiative called Girls Who Code that aims to increase the number of women in technical fields.
Efforts to close the gender gap in tech often focus on revamping schools' curricula to emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. But former New York City deputy public advocate Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, argues that schools are still falling short, graduating students who have little access to computers, lack basic technical skills, and see science and math as a pathway to a career in medicine and little else. | <urn:uuid:61abfddd-8a5e-49de-9284-0be676e97d47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://opportunityequation.org/news-press/girls-who-code-tries-build | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916006 | 220 | 2.875 | 3 |
Baki's "Upside Down" Workout
- 20 Sit-ups
- 10 Handstand Push-ups
- 20 Decline Sit-ups (45 Degrees)
- 10 Handstand Push-ups (12" Blocks)
- 20 Decline Sit-ups (45 Degrees, 40#)
- 10 Handstand Push-ups (12" Blocks, 40#)
- 20 Decline Sit-ups (45 Degrees, 80#)
- 10 Handstand Push-ups (12" Blocks, 80#)
- This workout is pretty insane, even at its first level.
- You can start doing the HSPUs against the wall, but work up to doing them without any support. That's what will probably keep you on Level 1 the longest. If you end up not caring about the support, you can move on to the later levels if you feel like it. However, being crazy, I will probably not be doing so. Haha!
- The top of your head or your forehead should touch the ground at the bottom of every rep of the HSPUs and your shoulders should touch the ground or the decline board.
- Don't move onto the next exercise until you've completed all the reps of the exercise you are on.
- Move on to the next level of the workout only if you're able to complete the workout without failing on any of the sets of the exercises. Ideally, there should be no rest in between rounds.
- Baki uses dumbbells for his weights on these exercises, which would be fine for the sit-ups, but not for the HSPUs. I would recommend using a weighted vest.
That's all for today. Until next time, good luck and train hard! | <urn:uuid:03a774ce-3cdc-43f5-89c1-36a886fd46ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.real-anime-training.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936004 | 366 | 1.546875 | 2 |
High Nuclear Grade Associated with Recurrence of In Situ Breast Lesions
Women with ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive form of breast cancer, are more likely to experience a recurrence after treatment if their DCIS is of a high nuclear grade or is detected by palpation during a breast examination, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
DCIS accounts for about 20% of all newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer in the United States and is initially treated surgically, either by mastectomy (removal of the entire breast) or lumpectomy (removal of the tumor and minimal surrounding tissue). Some women will experience a recurrence, but it is unclear what characteristics are associated with the risk of recurrence.
Karla Kerlikowske, M.D., of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and her colleagues examined information about 1,036 women in the San Francisco Bay area who were age 40 or older when diagnosed with DCIS and treated with lumpectomy alone. | <urn:uuid:7845dedb-4e39-49d0-8758-ac4dd333ef91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hopkinsbreastcenter.org/artemis/200312/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954186 | 212 | 1.507813 | 2 |
I'm developing VB6 application that will do printing job via Intermec label printer using serial port.
I'm using MSComm and it works great.
But, whenever i restart my PC, my application would prompt
Run time error 8015
-Could not set comm state, there maybe one or more invalid communications parameters.
I have found that the problem is coming from this
MSComm1.PortOpen = True
I can bypass the error using error handling but it didn't help anything.
It seemed that my printer has got control of the port because it's using the same port.
My only solution is go to the device manager disable and enable the port then it works fine again.
But is there any alternatives way that we can control it from the code itself as my client thinks that it would be tedious job having to disable and enable port all the time when pc is restarted.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot. | <urn:uuid:77fc90e3-b8ce-43f8-a2bd-8efb2945ffda> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dreamincode.net/forums/topic/292202-run-time-error-8015-on-vb6-print-via-serial-port/page__pid__1705002__st__0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932403 | 201 | 1.5625 | 2 |
US 7160303 B2
A medical implant has a secured bone screw which is guided through a bore of the implant. The bore has a thread matching the thread of the bone screw. Between the head of the bone screw and the thread thereon, there is an unthreaded portion whose diameter is not greater than the free inside diameter of the threaded bore. These threads prevent axial passage of the bone screw through the bore without turning. Turning is inhibited or excluded by an arrangement preventing turning.
1. A medical implant with a secured bone screw for implantation in and engagement with a bone, comprising:
an implant body having a threaded bore formed therethrough, the threaded bore having a free inside diameter between corresponding thread tips; a bone screw having threads formed thereon configured to engage with the bone and hold the implant in engagement with the bone when the implant is implanted and having a head, the bone screw being configured to be guided through the bore; and an arrangement provided for the bone screw for preventing backward turning of the bone screw within the implant and turning of the bone screw out of the implant after the implant is in engagement with the bone,
wherein the bone screw has a threaded portion having threads that match the threaded bore and an unthreaded portion between the head and the threaded portion having an outer diameter that is not greater than the free inside diameter of the threaded bore;
wherein the bone screw has a length such that when the bone screw is fully screwed into the implant body, its tip projects beyond a surface of the implant body opposite a surface of the implant body into which the bone screw enters the threaded bore; and
wherein the unthreaded portion of the bone screw is at least as long as the threaded bore.
2. The medical implant of
3. The medical implant of
4. The medical implant of
5. The medical implant of
With medical implants which are to be fastened to bone using a bone screw, it is often necessary to prevent backward migration of the screw from its assigned position, so that it cannot pose a danger to adjacent organs. It is not enough, as is known in the prior art, to secure the screws against turning in the direction of unscrewing, because, if their thread turns are engaged loosely in the bone substance, there is a danger of their moving back axially without any appreciable turning. It is therefore known to secure the screws by providing the implant with covering arrangements which, after the screw has been screwed in, are placed over the screw head in order to prohibit its backward movement. Such covering arrangements, however, take up additional space, which can sometimes be undesirable.
The invention therefore aims to provide a means of securing bone screws without the need to cover the screw head.
The solution according to the invention lies in the features of the invention as disclosed in this application. Accordingly, the invention provides that the bone screw is guided through a bore of the implant, which bore is provided with a thread matching the thread of the screw, that the screw shank between the screw head and the thread has an unthreaded portion whose length is at least as great as the length of the threaded bores, and that the implant and the screw act together to inhibit reverse turning of the screw. When the screw is located in its assigned position, the unthreaded portion of the screw shank lies in the threaded bore of the implant. The threads of the bore and of the screw do not engage in one another in this state. The securing of the screw against backward movement is achieved by the fact that the screw thread cannot pass axially through the threaded bore. The mutually adjoining, final turns of the bore thread and of the screw thread form axial abutments which prevent backward movement of the screw. Escape of the screw from the implant would then only be possible if the screw thread were able to move by turning into the thread of the bore. This, however, is prevented by the barrier against backward turning.
The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings which depicts an advantageous illustrative embodiment. In the drawings:
An endoprosthesis is shown, with a plate 1 on the edge of which a flange 2 is arranged, said flange having two bores 3 which are intended to receive bone screws 4, which in turn are intended to fasten the flange 2 on the surface of a bone. For anchoring in the bone, the bone screws have a thread 5 which, in the portion near the tip of the screw seen on the right in
The associated bore 3 can (but does not need to) have a seat 11 for completely or partially receiving the screw head 6, said seat 11 forming a face 12 for supporting the rear face 8 of the screw head 6. The bore portion between the face 12 and the rear face 13 of the flange 2 of the bore comprises a thread 14 which matches the thread 5 of the screw 4. The length of the threaded portion of the bore between the faces 12 and 13 is not greater than the axial length of the unthreaded portion 10 of the screw and not much shorter. The diameter of the unthreaded portion 10 of the screws is not greater than the free core cross section in the bore 3. Accordingly, after the screw 4 has been fully screwed in, the screw thread 5 is free from the thread 14 of the bore 3. The screw can thus be turned freely, as is necessary in order to draw the flange 2 fully onto the surface of the bone by tightening the screw in the bone.
The rear end 9 of the screw thread 5 and the adjoining end of the thread 14 in the bore 3 form abutments which prohibit an axial, non-rotational backward movement of the screw 4 onto the flange 2 of the implant. To ensure that backward turning is also prevented, the screw and the implant are provided with an arrangement preventing turning. This arrangement can be of any very simple kind known generally in the prior art for preventing backward turning of screws. For example, the screw head can be provided with serrations 15 on its shank-side face in order to interact with corresponding members of the flange 2 and thereby prevent backward turning. In the present example, the members preventing backward turning in
The thread 14 in the bore 3 does not have to be particularly long. On the contrary, it can be extremely short. There does not even have to be a complete thread turn. It is enough, for example, to provide the suggestion of a thread turn in the form of a projection on one side of the bore, said projection being just large enough to prevent the axial passage of the threaded part of the screw.
Citas de patentes | <urn:uuid:998dcf40-2fc6-4313-bc85-d6c51948e180> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.google.es/patents/US7160303?dq=flatulence | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957546 | 1,366 | 2.140625 | 2 |
In a black and white photo, a woman stands outside by a table, microphone in hand. She has shoulder length straight hair and glasses. She is wearing a dress and sandals. She is smiling.
I found this short bio on tumblr and wanted to share it:
Sandra Jensen: Why she kicks ass
- She devoted lots of her time working as an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities; she worked part time as well as being heavily involved in volunteering.
- She was denied a heart-lung transplant by the Stanford University School of Medicine in California because she had Down syndrome. She then (along with supporters) began a very public battle, gaining nationwide attention arguing that Down syndrome should not be enough to automatically deprive a patient of a chance to survive, this resulted in her receiving the transplant (1996).
- She became the first person with Down Syndrome to ever receive a heart-lung transplant.
I’ll be over here in awe
I also found her obituary from 1997, which you can read here.
Jensen, an activist for disabled rights, served as president of a Sacramento disabled-rights group and was invited to watch then-President George Bush sign the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Despite her disabilities, Jensen lived on her own, graduating from high school and busing tables at the Capitol cafeteria.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of information about her or her story online, but I did find this report, which is taken from NYT and US News articles. | <urn:uuid:9464b214-1d4f-4c4f-998d-7b41512e6103> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://feministphilosophers.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979608 | 316 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The German Missions Abroad
German Embassy in Prague
The missions can be called Germany's eyes, ears and voice abroad. On instructions from the Federal Foreign Office, they represent our country, defend its interests and protect its citizens in the host country. They negotiate with the government of the host country and promote political relations as well as economic, cultural and scientific cooperation.
The essential tasks of the missions include:
- collecting information,
- reporting on issues which are of relevance to the various authorities of the Federation and the Länder,
- helping German citizens in emergencies, carrying out crisis protection measures, and assisting Germans living abroad with regard to certificates and legal documents,
- issuing visas for travel to Germany,
- assisting German companies with their activities in the host country and generally enhancing mutual trade,
- promoting cultural exchange,
- educating the host country's public about our foreign policy and also about Germany, its society and culture in general,
- preparing and escorting high-level visits from Germany.
German Embassy in Teheran
© dpa /picture-alliance
The 229 German missions abroad are divided into
- 153 embassies,
- 55 consulates-general and consulates,
- 12 permanent missions,
- 3 other missions.
Furthermore there are
- 346 unpaid honorary consuls.
- The Embassies
- Consulates-General and Consulates
- The Permanent Missions
- German Information Centres
- Honorary Consuls | <urn:uuid:b384ab76-53d1-4102-a298-8992af94bb78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/sid_75E93A12C6FDA0D3BB1981FEE6BFFF67/EN/AAmt/Auslandsvertretungen/Uebersicht_node.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938536 | 302 | 2.125 | 2 |
First filed for on Aug. 27, 2010, less than a week before the fourth-generation iPod shuffle debuted, Apple's U.S. Patent No. 8,368,643 for a "Very small form factor consumer electronic product" thoroughly describes the parts and processes that go into making the ultra-portable music player.
As published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent calls for a media player made out of a single-piece housing with a cavity and other features for deploying electronic components and user interface parts such as the iPod's large clip. Included in the patent are two co-pending applications regarding protection from moisture and electrostatic discharge.
Due to the iPod shuffle's incredibly small size, the patent is meticulous in its explanation of parts fit and finish, including aesthetic considerations like button alignment.
From the patent's summary:
Assembling the various components into the housing having such a small size can require complex, expensive, and time consuming assembly techniques. Moreover, aesthetic considerations can severely restrict the placement, size, and number of components used in the manufacture of the small form factor consumer electronic product.
No space is wasted in the shuffle's design. The electrically conductive aluminum housing provides a chassis, or "exoskeleton," for the clickable scroll wheel, the main logic board, headphone jack and clip.
A major consideration in building a small-sized portable device is moisture resistance, especially when the product has multiple ports and openings into which electronics are placed. Apple places a number of moisture and contaminant "inhibitors" throughout the device. Materials used range from silicone rubber to plastic, depending on the area of deployment, with the patent covering how each can be formed to make the device as resilient and user-friendly as possible.
Other particulars include the torsion spring-actuated clip assembly, switches and buttons, click wheel, audio components and a multitude of fasteners.
With the fourth-gen shuffle, Apple concentrated the iPod down to its most minimal form: a body, logic board, flash memory and click wheel user interface.
While still a popular line of products, Apple iPod lineup is no longer the cash cow it once was, being replaced in large part by smartphones like the iPhone. As reported in the company's quarterly conference call for the first fiscal quarter of 2013, iPod sales steadily declined to 12.7 million units over the three months ending in December. That figure is down 18 percent from the same time in 2011.
The patent credits Teodor Dabov, Kyle Yeates and Anthony Montevirgen as its inventors. | <urn:uuid:2d301943-46ca-43d8-967c-d42f598f6b97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/155809/apple-wins-exhaustive-fourth-generation-ipod-shuffle-patent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930717 | 532 | 2.375 | 2 |
Major League Soccer is the eighth highest-attended soccer league in the world based on average crowds, according to data presented by the league and culled from ESPN and worldfootball.net.
MLS’s average gate this season is 18,828. While that’s less than half the average of 45,726 who attended German Bundesliga games during 2011-12, it’s higher than figures from France’s Ligue 1, Argentina's Primera División and Brazil’s Serie A.
The English Premier League ranks second at 34,601 fans per game in 2011-12, followed by Spain’s La Liga (30,272), Mexico’s Liga MX (25,288 during the spring 2012 season), the Italian Serie A (23,459), the Dutch Eredivisie (19,516) and the Chinese Super League (18,928 through Sunday).
The MLS total is boosted by the average of 42,666 who fill CenturyLink Field for Seattle Sounders games. Only four other MLS clubs—the Houston Dynamo, L.A. Galaxy, Montreal Impact and Portland Timbers—average more than 20,000 per match.
MLS’s 18,828 per game is higher than the NBA’s 2011-12 average of 17,274 and the NHL’s of 17,455. MLS’ one-year record was established last year with 17,872 fans per game, breaking the 17,406 set in the inaugural year of 1996. | <urn:uuid:041d8546-878a-447f-8666-6ef210076a9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aol.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2012-08-20/mls-attendance-ranks-no-8-among-soccer-leagues-worldwide?modid=recommended_5_5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910446 | 318 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Re "A tale of two narratives," Opinion, May 6
Historian Joseph J. Ellis writes that conservatives were the central feature of the founding of the United States. But using the dictionary definition of "liberals" as being open to change and reform, it's obvious the opposite is true. The conservatives of 1776 were loyalists who fought with the British. The French, Russian and American revolutions were all the work of liberals to escape oppressive governments and to start new, democratic systems.
All human progress, from the old world of kings and slaves to the rise of a middle class, has been the work of liberals. The conservative ruling classes typically oppose change, especially giving power to the people.
The United States is the creation of 18th century liberals, not conservatives.
Ellis denies Abraham Lincoln's claim in the Gettysburg Address that the American colonists founded "a new nation" in 1776. "No such thing" had been proposed, Ellis writes, "only a temporary union of sovereign states, declaring their independence from Britain, then presumably going their separate ways."
Yet just a year and a half after the Continental Congress declared independence from Britain, it sent to the states a proposed new national government, the Articles of Confederation, that would establish a "perpetual union" among the states. Three times the document referred to the "articles of confederation and perpetual union," and in Article XIII it directly asserted that "the union shall be perpetual."
The Founding Fathers could hardly have been more emphatic in denying the supposed temporary nature of the union.
Joseph M. Bessette
The writer is a professor of government at Claremont McKenna College.
Letters: Voter fraud
Letters: Drone views
Letters: Marriage and North Carolina | <urn:uuid:da1a24ac-2ed4-43d6-8cb7-5abc2ae5bf84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/10/opinion/la-le-0510-thursday-history-20120510 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955399 | 359 | 3.078125 | 3 |
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the FutureGen Project for public comment. The report provides information about the potential environmental impacts of the project and marks a major milestone towards the realization of the world's cleanest coal-fueled power plant.
The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) offers a comprehensive evaluation of possible environmental consequences of the groundbreaking project and suggests mitigation options that may be required as FutureGen moves forward. Since DOE proposes to provide Federal funding to the FutureGen Alliance, Inc., the information in this report will be used to determine the next steps toward the design, construction, and operation of the FutureGen facility.
The Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory will oversee the FutureGen project as it is implemented by the FutureGen Alliance, Inc.
The FutureGen project was initiated in response to the National Energy Policy of May 2001, which emphasized the need for diverse and secure energy sources that could largely be provided by America's most abundant domestic energy resource, coal.
FutureGen gained momentum with the National Climate Change Technology Initiative of 2001 and the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative of 2003. These initiatives helped shape the FutureGen concept with their aims to reduce the Nation's greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fueled energy production and to establish the United States as a world leader in developing the advanced technologies needed for the world's energy supply.
Today, the FutureGen project is a partnership between DOE and FutureGen Alliance, Inc. - a non-profit consortium of some of the largest coal producers and electricity generators in the world - with the common goal to design, build, and operate a revolutionary coal gasification-based, near zero-emissions power plant that co-produces electricity and hydrogen gas. The 275-megawatt prototype plant will also serve as a large-scale engineering laboratory for testing advanced technologies for clean power, carbon capture, and coal-to-hydrogen innovations. The pioneering facility will operate with an eye toward the future, and it will be the first fossil fuel-fired power plant to capture its carbon dioxide gas emissions and store this gas in reservoirs deep underground.
In developing the draft EIS, DOE considered comments received at public meetings that were held in or near the four potential FutureGen sites: Mattoon, Ill.; Tuscola, Ill.; Jewett, Tex.; and Odessa, Tex. Hosted by DOE, these meetings identified areas of interest ranging from impacts on air quality and water resources to noise issues and impacts on the surrounding community.
DOE invites the public to comment on the draft EIS, and this input will be considered when preparing the final EIS. Interested parties should submit comments to DOE by July 16, 2007. DOE will also conduct a public hearing near each site to gather comments from the public. Locations and dates will be announced in a Federal Register notice and in the local media. | <urn:uuid:005c507e-92c1-49e3-a8a6-2cd0677aad37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/press/2007/07044-FutureGen_Draft_EIS_Released.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93117 | 596 | 3.625 | 4 |
Shopping Cart Overhaul
Coffee, ice cream ... and tofu? Our nutritionist makes some healthy improvements during one man’s trip to the supermarket
By Mark Eller
Photos by Cliff Grassmick
Although I wasn’t always supermarket savvy, I now consider myself to be a reasonably discerning grocery shopper. For instance, I’ve gotten so comfortable in the produce section that I no longer scream for a plumber every time the automatic misting system kicks in. I’m the first to admit, however, that there’s more I can learn, especially in regard to nutrition. That’s why I agreed to hit the food store with Lynn Smith, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and sports nutritionist who has more than ten years of experience as a nutritionist and natural foods chef.
The lively Smith turned out to be a pretty cool shopping buddy—she didn’t scold me (much), and she helped to expand significantly the quality of the food in my cart. Her recommendations were reasonably painless, and I’ve been sticking to them since our supermarket tour. Add some of Smith’s healthy tips to your grocery list the next time you start tossing items into your shopping cart.
Lynn Smith: Before we get started, how’s your diet? Are you generally happy with what you eat?
Mark Eller: I think I do OK, though I’m sure I make mistakes. I’m very active, and I wonder if I could improve my workouts by eating better. Another factor is that my fiancée, Lisa, has a big-time sweet tooth.
LS: So, you’re going to pin all the less-healthy choices on her?
ME: That’s my plan.
LS: Well, I hope you’ll try to be fair. OK, here’s the dairy section.
ME: We need butter at home [reaches for a nonorganic brand].
LS: Have you ever considered an organic butter? Conventionally raised animals are fed growth hormones and feed that is exposed to pesticides, which if not properly detoxified by the animal may end up in their fat cells. Because butter is the fat of the animal, you may take on an extra load of toxins if you use nonorganic butter. An organic butter would lower your exposure to the chemicals that build up in the animals’ fat cells.
ME: That’s quite gross. But it sounds like a good idea.
LS: I’m glad you think so. Do you ever eat tofu?
ME: Occasionally. Lisa doesn’t eat much meat, so we’ve been trying to figure out how to cook this stuff.
LS: Well, if you are not comfortable cooking plain tofu, you can try the preflavored variety. These are precooked, so all you need to do is slice them up and add them to your meal. I can see from the labels that the seasonings used are all pretty healthy—no MSG, for example. Not too surprising, I guess, considering the types of companies that make tofu.
There’s no real substitute for well-diversified eating. A pill can’t contain all the different compounds offered by a healthy diet. By the way, there’s nothing nutritionally wrong with meat. Lean cuts of free-range beef or skinless chicken are good sources of protein and minerals. Fish is also a good lean protein source. However, you do need to be aware of the species likely to contain high levels of mercury, such as albacore tuna, shark, and swordfish. Limit your consumption of these fish, especially if you are pregnant or a child.
ME: I’ll bet you’re about to recommend organically raised meats, too.
LS: You’re on to me. It’s really important to take every opportunity you have to make sound eating choices. That way, if you’re on the road and have to eat a fast-food meal, your body will be capable of handling it because you’re getting solid nutrition, with very few toxins, while you are at home.
ME: Here’s the produce section. Let’s see. I usually get some oranges and a few types of leafy greens, if I’m good. I’ll admit that Lisa’s much better than I am about eating fresh fruit and vegetables.
LS: That’s great, because she’s going to have to replace the nutrients she misses from not eating meat. And you’re going to want a broad spectrum of nutrition, too, because you two are pretty athletic, right?
ME: We both run and cycle a lot. Lisa’s pretty accomplished in triathlon and off-road adventure races, and I rock climb.
LS: You both need a diverse, nutrient-dense diet to give your bodies the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed to recuperate from training. It’s easy to get calories or energy from food—it’s just like putting gas in your car. But your body also needs the nutrients to do the repair and maintenance work. Vitamins and minerals are significantly depleted in processed foods, but you don’t lose the calories. That’s where the term “empty calorie food” comes from. Because she’s a vegetarian, Lisa also needs to seek out vegetable sources of protein and minerals. When you take animal products out of your diet, you take away your biggest source of protein and minerals. So if you want to have a healthy, sustaining vegetarian diet, you need to know where to get those nutrients. At every meal, Lisa needs to have beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, or seeds—also eggs, cheese, or yogurt if she’s not vegan—and include whole grains, dark leafy greens, colorful vegetables, and seaweed, which are great for minerals. And you’re going to want to make sure you take advantage of the antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber that fruits and vegetables provide.
ME: Can’t I just take a multivitamin?
LS: Many people could benefit from supplementing their diet with a multivitamin because they are eating so many nutrient-poor convenience and processed foods. But there’s no real substitute for well-diversified eating. A pill can’t contain all the different compounds offered by a healthy diet.
ME: OK, OK, I’ll eat a salad tonight.
LS: Hey—you can do better than plain romaine lettuce [pulls the bag of romaine from Mark’s hands and puts it back on the shelf].
ME: C’mon. Lettuce is just … lettuce, right?
LS: Not really. Dark green colors are your tip that you’re getting a leaf that’s rich in vitamins. Here [hands back the bag of romaine]. If you really like this stuff, try mixing it with spinach for better nutrient density.
Another thing you might want to consider is adding some canned beans to your salad because they’re a nice way to get some additional protein. Peppers, too, will add color and more nutrients—colorful fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, the compounds in food that offer cancer protection. Dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and chard; orange vegetables, including carrots, yams, winter squash, and sweet potatoes; and dark berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, are all loaded with antioxidants.
ME: Beans have iron, too, don’t they?
LS: Yep. Beans, spinach, even just mixed greens—they all contribute little bits to the mineral and nutrient spectrum. Individually none of them are that great, but it all adds up. This is why you need to think of building your diet from a broad base of foods.
ME: Point taken. Now, here’s my favorite aisle. Pasta and tomato sauce! I could eat this stuff all day. You can’t get healthier than that, right?
LS: Umm … if I’d known you were shopping for tomato sauce, I’d have suggested you pick up some fresh tomatoes. But canned ones are good, too. They’re high in vitamin C and lycopene. Now, what kind of pasta do you like?
ME: Penne is my favorite shape. Here’s what I usually buy [hands Lynn a box of his usual noodles].
LS: Have you tried whole-wheat pasta? You know, when you eliminate all the natural dark-colored grains and just use white flour, you throw out a lot of nutrients. For instance, you lose up to 90 percent of the thiamin, which is important for your nervous system and can help keep you calm. When you use white flour only, you also lose B vitamins, which are important for helping produce neurotransmitters—brain chemicals that help balance your mood. You also lose most of the soluble fiber, which is needed to keep your cholesterol low and help balance your blood sugar.
ME: I see what you’re saying. Still, if I load up on my favorite pasta for dinner, I know I can go for a big ride or run the next day and not run out of power. Are you telling me that I’ll go even longer on whole-wheat pasta?
LS: You might not see much of a difference for one particular workout, but think of all the demands you put on your body every day. If it’s not something athletic, it’s probably stress at work or at home. You need to have a good nutritional base to cope, so that your cells can rebuild themselves. If cells don’t have the nutrients they need, or if they’re busy fighting toxins, they’re not going to bounce back the way they should.
ME: So, it’s sort of a ground-up effect?
LS: Exactly. You’ll notice a difference when you’re eating well, not because you can run farther or faster right away, but because your body recovers better. You get injured less often, and your sense of well-being is enhanced. All of that leads to better performances.
ME: And all these benefits come from a box of brown pasta?
LS: No, it all comes from the cumulative effect of eating well. Little by little, your eating choices all add up.
ME: Here’s the breakfast aisle. I’m sensing that you’re going to have a problem with our favorite cereal [picks up a sugar-laden rice cereal brand].
LS: No-no-no. Put that back! Wait. Let’s take a look at the nutrition label first.
ME: Oh boy. Here it comes.
<<p>b>LS: [Reading label] Rice—by which they mean white rice—sugar, corn syrup. That’s a lot of simple carbohydrates and not much else. Starches, which provide long-lasting energy, come from complex carbs. The only form of them in this box is white rice, which is about as close to a simple, fast-burning source of sugar as a starch can get. It’s highly refined rice, too. There’s no fiber, so your body breaks this cereal down to sugar almost immediately.
Quick-burn carbs cause a sudden surge in blood sugar, which is followed by a surge in insulin. Quick-burn carbs like this—which also include white-flour breakfast cereals, pastries, white bread, chips, and pretzels, plus sweet drinks, soda, teas, coffee drinks, and alcohol—cause a sudden surge in your blood sugar, which is followed by a surge in your insulin. Insulin’s job is to lower your blood sugar after eating. Blood sugar that goes up quickly often falls quickly, and that situation is called hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia can cause fatigue, mood swings, concentration problems, and sugar cravings. If you do create these extremes in your blood sugar metabolism over a long period of time, you are likely to increase your chances of developing adult diabetes, which is an epidemic in our country.
ME: I guess I can stop sprinkling sugar on top, then.
LS: You will if you don’t want to send your energy systems on a roller-coaster ride every morning. Do you drink coffee with breakfast?
ME: Never more than two pots.
LS: Well, even just a cup is going to cause your adrenal glands to release adrenaline into your bloodstream. That’s where the boost that coffee gives you comes from. And do you know what that adrenaline does? It tells your body to release its own sugar stores for energy, which is why you can have a cup of coffee and not eat breakfast. The down side of this is that you’re using your adrenal reserves just to get through your day. Those reserves are supposed to be there to help you out in emergencies, but if you’re just using them for your daily energy needs you will eventually burn out.
ME: So coffee provides a sugar buzz?
LS: Exactly. And it comes at a cost. Not only do you end up with more sugar than you need, you’re taxing your body. Adrenal energy is like a nonrenewable resource. That cup of coffee in the morning may be why you are so tired at the end of the day.
ME: I’m not sure I can live without coffee. But I guess I can cut back to a cup or three.
LS: Do it gradually and I’ll bet you won’t even miss coffee in a few months—if you’re diligent about gradually reducing the dose. You can also try mixing decaf beans in with your regular blend. Or try black or green tea, which have less caffeine than a cup of coffee and also have the added benefit of antioxidants. But read the label of green teas—some brands have far less caffeine than others.
ME: OK, let’s see. Less coffee. More complex carbs from whole grains. A selection of colorful fruits and vegetables, dark salad greens, and beans, tofu, and nuts. Organic meats and milk. I can live with those suggestions.
LS: If you stick to making two or three healthier choices, and you really adhere to them for a few months, I know you’ll feel a big difference. Over time, making a few smart choices can have a tremendous effect on how you feel.
ME: I’m ready to give it a try. Now, which way to the dessert aisle? Lisa, ahem, wanted me to pick up some ice cream.
Freelance writer Mark Eller is currently perfecting the recipe for a dish he likes to call Tofu Without Tears. | <urn:uuid:de71ecd1-9f5b-4e33-8f98-aa0bd7ef5372> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://deliciousliving.com/business/shopping-cart-overhaul | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940616 | 3,177 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The world's water supply cannot be taken lightly. Our water quality and availability is at serious risk and people suffer and die because of it. If you need a visual reminder, I highly suggest watching Flow, an excellent documentary about water.
The above said, there is some good news for organic farmers and processors, because organics play a major role in helping to protect and preserve the clean water we all need to survive. While National Organic Program (NOP) policy doesn't require that organic farmers or processors must sustainable practices, such as water conservation with organic practices. On top of that research shows that organics, energy use, global warming and other issues all interconnect and play a role in how our water supplies fare. Luckily, organics help, not hinder these issues.
1. Organic Farming Keeps Water Safe and Healthy
Conventional farming methods can wreak havoc on our environment, including our planets' water supply. The Organic Trade Association notes that various environmental organizations, including the Environmental Working Group, have tested tap water for herbicides (pesticides) in many cities across the United States’ Corn Belt, and in Louisiana and Maryland.
The results of the above tests were't encouraging. Not only did the research reveal widespread contamination of tap water via many pesticides but the levels of pesticides present were high enough to present serious health risks to humans. Many cities had tap water supplies full of enough herbicides to exceed federal lifetime health standards.
Organic farming doesn't eliminate pesticide use entirely, but organic farming does help eliminate some extremely dangerous pesticides that can cause pollution and long-lasting health concerns. Most organic farmers use prevention as a major strategy for controlling disease, weed and insect control vs. harmful pesticides. Every time farmers don't use pesticides, that's less harmful chemicals leeching into our water, directly and indirectly via the soil and evaporation.
2. Organics Conserve Energy
Many people separate water and energy, but they actually go hand-in-hand. For example, excessive energy use is a major cause of climate change and World Water Day notes that there is growing evidence that water resources will be significantly affected by climate change, both in quantity and quality. This may happen due to the impact of floods, droughts, or other extreme global warming events. Climate change will also result in more complex operations, disrupted services and increased cost for water and wastewater services. Lastly, World Water Day points out that climate change could result in excessive migration to urban areas, thus increasing the demands on urban water systems.
The cycle looks like this: Water is affected by climate change and climate change is affected by energy use. However, organics cut down on energy consumption thus also reducing the harmful effects of global warming, thus also protecting water. Those are some key connections.
Some estimate that agriculture is directly responsible for 14% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. It could be worse than first estimates though. For example, if carbon dioxide produced by deforestation solely to expand areas for cultivation or pasture is included in the energy use count, then agriculture may be responsible for up to a full third of greenhouse gasses.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) agrees with the above sentiments, noting that it takes an insane amount of energy to collect, distribute and treat the drinking water and wastewater here in the United States.
NRDC goes on to point out that "116 billion pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year - as much global warming pollution each year as 10 million cars." In dryer areas of the U.S. significant energy reserves are needed to import clean water.
Organics can make a big difference when it comes to the energy-water connection. Some organic operations merge into using energy saving methods such as high-efficiency stationary fuel cells.
Even without extra energy saving practices in place though, organics still reduce energy consumption. There's strong evidence that whole farm energy use and energy efficiency are more conservative when a farm is organic vs. conventional. This is especially true when one considers all the ways in which energy may be used on a farm. Embedded energy due to farm inputs and energy use across the entire food chain, including packaging, processing, distribution, storage, preparation and waste disposal is improved when farms go organic.
Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial, America’s longest running, side-by-side comparison of conventional and organic agriculture, has shown that a healthy organic agriculture system can significantly reduce carbon dioxide and help slow climate change.
The Rodale research notes:
"If only 10,000 medium sized farms in the U.S. converted to organic production, they would store so much carbon in the soil that it would be equivalent to taking 1,174,400 cars off the road, or reducing car miles driven by 14.62 billion miles."
Cornell University research gleamed from the Rodale study notes that overall, Organic farming approaches for major crops, such as corn and soybeans use an average of 30% less fossil energy and at the same time conserve more water in the soil.
3. How Organic Cotton Makes a Difference
There are some debates surrounding organic cotton and whether it actually saves more water or perhaps uses more of it. Older research has noted that organic cotton saves tons of water, while newer research says that organic cotton may use slightly more water.
Still, organic cotton growing does use less energy (which as noted above saves water). Plus, keep in mind that conventional cotton is a hugely chemically dependent crop, accounting for as much as 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of worldwide pesticides used, all of which affect our water supply.
4. Proper Soil Management Protects Water
Organic farming not only protects water from harmful chemicals, but organic farmers spend quite a bit of time amending soil correctly and using sound, less evasive farming practices such as buffer strips, cover crops all of which help indirectly conserve water resources.
5. Organics Preserve Larger Bodies of Water
American Rivers has said that a major water pollution threat to U.S rivers is runoff from non-organic farms including harmful pesticides, toxic fertilizers and animal waste. So, if clean thriving river systems is something you'd like to see stick around, organic farming is clearly the way to go.
Algal blooms (HABs) are also a huge water based problem, occurring in freshwater and marine environments and are often caused by runoff from the petroleum-based fertilizers used in conventional farming. Algal blooms can result in adverse affects on the health of people and marine animals and organisms. Organic farming, without all the harmful chemicals, helps protect freshwater, marine waters and everything connected to these water spaces, such as towns relying on water areas for tourism and the animals who frequent these areas. | <urn:uuid:ce7b66c4-671c-4669-90d7-b0e6b6daf0de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://organic.about.com/od/organicindustrybasics/tp/How-Organics-Help-Conserve-And-Protect-Water.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943039 | 1,380 | 3.34375 | 3 |
7.11.12 | ATA Community Archery Brief:
ATA Develops a Comprehensive Archery Park Guide for Parks and Recreation Agencies
To download and print this press release, click here.
NEW ULM, Minn. - The ATA has created and released the first guide of its kind detailing how to build a community archery park.
To view the Archery Park Guide, click here.
The Archery Park Guide was written for parks and recreation agencies anxious to build an archery park in their community. As an ATA member, this guide can be offered to community and/or state officials and those in leadership positions as a tool to infuse archery and bowhunting opportunities in your own state or locale.
This guide is a robust blueprint offering everything from site plans and recommendations to tips from city and state officials who have already built parks. Case studies from a variety of different locations are included, along with information on risk management and a breakdown of each park's amenities and costs (where available).
This useful guide thoughtfully addresses a critical need and overcomes a void in information available when agencies find themselves eager to incorporate archery into their recreational menu, but unsure where to start. This guide gives them steps to make it happen and it allows the industry to take another step toward its long-term goal: boosting archery and bowhunting participation.
Did You Know?
-- The ATA works with state wildlife agencies and local organizations through its community archery strategy to develop programs and build facilities to keep newcomers involved in archery.
-- The ATA spent more than $22,000 to hire architects to design archery parks and facilities for state wildlife agencies.
-- Archery equipment sales jumped 83% for one ATA-member retailer in Cullman, Ala. a year after ATA worked with city administrators and the state's wildlife agency to open a community archery park near this archery shop.
For more information, contact Michelle Doerr at (320)562-2680 or | <urn:uuid:67f3b18e-4388-404b-98f0-b8ee4eebd98f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.archerytrade.org/news/press-releases/community-archery-programs-cap/621.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923351 | 415 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Anyone who believes we are heading toward INFLATION is wrong...it won't happen. At least not for a few years anyway.
We have actually just returned to deflation after the effects of QE1 & QE2 are wearing off. As long as our gov't doesn't artificially inflate our economy with a stimulus, we'll remain in deflationary times.
Until consumers deleverage their debt, they will continue not to spend. And as long as demand doesn't increase significantly (which it won't), we'll remain in deflation. Private sector demand for credit remains at historic lows and demand for credit is another indicator of deflationary times.
Let us all be reminded that the single biggest reason Bernanke imposed QE1/QE2 was to keep DEFLATION from ocurring.
The following are deflationary indicators:
-Falling Credit Marked-to-Market
-Falling Treasury Yields
-Falling Home Prices
-Rising Corporate Bond Yields
-Falling Commodity Prices
-Falling Consumer Prices
-Falling Stock Market
-Spiking Base Money Supply
-Banks Hoarding Cash
-Rising Savings Rate
-Purchasing Power of Gold Rises
-Rising Number of Bank Failures” | <urn:uuid:49a83483-872e-44c1-b11b-6625d43c3870> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-patriots/messageboard/12/791502-world-bank-food-prices-up-33-since-last-year.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936837 | 268 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Description: Beijing, 1902, at the Feng Tai Photo Shop. Master Ren prepares for a formal portrait of Lord Tan, China's most famous opera star, while chief photographer Liu, neglecting his duties for the moment, tinkers with a Victrola. Lord Tan arrives with a retinue, including his beautiful daughter, Ling, who exchanges glances with Liu. Meanwhile, a foreigner, Raymond Wallace, has set up the first crude movie theatre, Shadow Magic, with which he hopes to make a fortune and return to England. Liu's fascination with useless and disapproved foreign gadgetry leads him into a double life working for both Ren and Wallace.
Movie summaries and listings powered by Cinema-Source
Sign up for our free email newsletters and receive the latest advice and information on all things parenting.
Enter your email address to sign up or manage your account. | <urn:uuid:4d79c91c-e430-43d4-90e6-b403743160e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fun.familyeducation.com/movies/shadow-magic/24181 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935715 | 175 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The Most Amazing CPR Rescue Story Ever: 96 Minutes to Save a Life
When a small-town Minnesota man suffered a heart attack, his neighbors and first responders saved his life by performing CPR for more than an hour and a half. Could you do the same?
Friday, March 4, 2011 — When Goodhue, Minn., residents Al and Roy Lodermeier, Don Shulte, and Candace Koehn first ran to help a man who clutched his chest and crumpled on a freezing sidewalk, he wasn't even breathing. Howard Snitzer, 54, had a massive heart attack on his way to get groceries this January, but thanks to a remarkable team effort, Snitzer was kept alive by dozens of people who took turns pumping his heart for 96 minutes.
The Lodermeier brothers are both veteran first responders with more than three decades of experience in the Goodhue volunteer Fire Department; Koehn was also trained in CPR. Goodhue has a population of just 800 people and lacks a single traffic light, but thanks to the lifesaving efforts of the town's heroic citizens, Snitzer has now almost completely recovered.
Worried about your heart health? Find a cardiologist in your area.
Could You Save a Life With CPR?
There's no question that Snitzer was extremely lucky — 94 percent of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest die before reaching a hospital, according to the American Red Cross. But the organization says that ordinary citizens can save thousands of lives simply by acting immediately and performing CPR or using an automated external defibrillator (AED) instead of waiting for emergency responders to arrive. But most Americans are reluctant to take such measures: Only 21 percent say they're confident in their abilities to perform CPR, and just 15 percent could operate an AED, according to a 2008 survey.
Related: What's the Difference Between a Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest?
How to Get CPR Training
On March 19, the American Red Cross will provide free classes to teach the basics of hands-only CPR training as part of the first-annual Gabrielle Giffords Honorary Save-a-Life Saturday. Bystanders who knew CPR and first aid helped save the Arizona congresswoman and other victims of the shooting earlier this year in Tucson. The classes will take place in more than 100 places throughout the country, so check for locations and times in your area.
How Hands-Only CPR Saves Lives
The good news is CPR is easier than ever to perform, thanks to new research that shows hands-only CPR is more effective at saving the lives of adults in cardiac arrest than the traditional method that includes rescue breaths. People who received hands-only CPR were 60 percent likelier to survive than people who received the conventional method or none, found a 2010 Journal of the American Medical Association study.
Related: Why Do Healthy People Have Heart Attacks?
Research shows that hands-only CPR — performing rapid, uninterrupted chest compressions — is easier for people to learn and remember. Bystanders are more likely to act when they don't have to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
What to Do in an Emergency
Would you know how to recognize if someone is in cardiac arrest? Warning signs include:
- Being unconscious
- No pulse
- Not breathing
Before starting CPR, call 911. The sooner emergency medical personnel arrive the better. But bystander-performed CPR greatly improves a person's chances for survival and reduces the risk of significant brain damage.
Get more information in the Everyday Health Heart Health Center. | <urn:uuid:178e2aee-e6d0-434d-878d-d19045cf94a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-health/0304/amazing-cpr-rescue-story.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958045 | 733 | 1.875 | 2 |
I also posted this question on stackoverflow.
I successfully overlayed a WMS layer in google maps v3, however, as the information on tiles is black on transparent, it is not well seen on dark background (like satellite map), see some tile for example:
(This was the WMS link to retrieve that tile)
Question: how to modify the above WMS request to change the foreground color (currently black) to some custom color (e.g. red)? In other words, how to style the layer? The server is apparently able to do it for this layer, since it is possible to do it via their web map application (which works in IE only), where you can select the color. See this map image for example:
(The following link was used to retrieve the image - note that it contains scale and logo, so it's not a proper tile.)
Unfortunatelly, this web application doesn't use WMS to get this styled map so I can't just copy the styling parameters to WMS request. I must do the styling via the WMS request (because this other request format is proprietary, retrieves whole map - not designed for tiles - and it doesn't seem to support WGS coordinates) - how shall I do it?
I tried to:
- look at the WMS documentation, especially version 1.1.1
- look at the SLDs, but it seems pretty complex thing to grasp...
- look at the GetCapabilites command output for the WMS server
- Also, having look at DescribeLayer and GetStyles command outputs for my desired layer (HLMCR) I don't even know if this layer will support styling over WMS...
I got lost, I'd be grateful if you point me to the right direction - or information if it's even solvable in WMS (for this layer).
"It's not possible" is also a useful answer for me!
Thanks in advance. | <urn:uuid:b824b44f-481e-4962-b05d-f7e6f575e693> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/17527/how-to-style-a-wms-layer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933093 | 413 | 1.6875 | 2 |
We will certainly help Our Messengers and those who have belief both in the life of the world and on the Day the witnesses appear.
(Surah Ghafir: 51)
The Evolution Deceit
Throughout history, Allah sent messengers to all peoples, showing them how to live a good life in this world and the next. We are told in the Qur'an that this is a wonderful grace and mercy for all believers:
Allah showed great kindness to the believers when He sent a messenger to them from among themselves to recite His signs to them, purify them, and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they were clearly misguided. (Surah Al 'Imran: 164)
We have only sent you as a mercy to all the worlds. (Surat al-Anbiya': 107)
These messengers were a grace to their communities, for they showed their people the right path, helped them leave the darkness of unbelief and enter into the light of belief, and proclaimed the commands of our Lord, Who created the universe from nothing. They told people that they could have contentment, peace, and security only by living a good religious life. However, Allah also reveals that "...most people have no faith" (Surat al-Ra'd: 1). Thus, few people embraced faith and appreciated what a great mercy these messengers were for them.
As revealed in the Qur'an, they sincerely desired that people should come to faith: "But most people, for all your eagerness, are not believers" (Surah Yusuf: 103). They called their people to truth so that they could receive blessings in both worlds and live good and happy lives. They asked no reward for this. Due to their sincere fear of and respect for Allah and their superior moral character, the messengers dedicated their honorable lives to this goal. All of the ensuing difficulties and trials only increased their faith and dedication. With Allah's help and support, they became examples of courage; with His permission, they always prevailed. Our Lord says:
Allah has written: "I will be victorious, I and My messengers." Allah is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Mujadalah: 21)
In return for their devotion, faithfulness, patience, sincerity, and trust in Him, Allah imparted a sense of security and contentment to their hearts, gave them material and spiritual strength, and destroyed the unbelivers' traps:
We will certainly help Our messengers and those who believe both in the life of this world and on the Day the witnesses appear. (Surah Ghafir: 51)
O Messenger, transmit what has been sent down to you from your Lord. If you do not, you will not have transmitted His message. Allah will protect you from people. Allah does not guide the unbelievers. (Surat al-Ma'idah: 67)
Allah tells us that He defended our Prophet (saas) against all of the unbelievers' traps:
… when the unbelievers were plotting against you to imprison, kill, or expel you: They were plotting and Allah was planning, but Allah is the Best of Planners. (Surat al-Anfal: 30)
We learn from several verses that Allah protected His messengers in every adversity and anxiety and from every trap. He increased His blessings upon them, provided an escape from every difficulty, increased their courage and strength, lightened their burdens, and strengthened their resolve by reminding them of His mercy.
Our Lord supported some of His messengers by allowing them to perform miracles. These great blessings from Allah had a strong effect on people, strengthened the believers' resolve and faith, and caused many unbelievers to embrace Islam.
The Miracles Granted to the Messengers
Allah enabled His messengers to perform miracles to protect them from the unbelievers' and the hypocrites' traps, to bring people to faith, and for other reasons. In the Qur'an He gives a detailed account of the messengers' lives, the miracles He sent to support their message, and the miracles He allowed them to perform. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saas) and the Prophet Moses (as), the Prophet Abraham (as) and the Prophet Jesus (as) were all blessed messengers to whom Allah granted miracles.
For example, the trap set for the Prophet Abraham (as) was foiled by a miracle:
We said: "Fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham!" (Surat al-Anbiya': 69)
As a result, the unbelievers' trap was destroyed. We will now relate some other miracles.
The miracles that 'the Prophet Jesus (as) showed his people:
Remember when Allah said: " O Jesus, son of Maryam, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you created a bird-shape out of clay by My permission, and then breathed into it and it became a bird by My permission; and [when you] healed the blind and the leper by My permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I held back the tribe of Israel from you, when you brought them the Clear Signs and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but downright magic.'" (Surat al-Ma'idah: 110)
... as a messenger to the tribe of Israel, the Prophet Jesus (as) saying: "I have brought you a sign from your Lord. I will create the shape of a bird out of clay for you, breathe into it, and it will be a bird, by Allah's permission. I will heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead to life, by Allah's permission. I will tell you what you eat and what you store up in your homes. There is a sign for you in that if you are believers." (Surah Al 'Imran: 49)
The Prophet Moses's (as) staff turned into a snake and swallowed those produced by Pharaoh's magicians:
He [Pharaoh] said: "If you have come with a clear sign produce it, if you are telling the truth." So he [Moses] threw down his staff and there it was, unmistakably a snake. (Surat al-A'raf: 106-107)
Throw down what is in your right hand [O Moses]. It will swallow up their handiwork, which is just a magician's trick. Magicians do not prosper wherever they go. (Surah Ta Ha: 69)
The Prophet Moses (as) struck the sea with his staff and its waters parted:
And when the two hosts came into sight of one another, Moses's companions exclaimed: "We will surely be overtaken!" Moses said: "Never! My Lord is with me and will guide me." So We revealed to Moses: "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued Moses and all those who were with him, and then drowned the rest. (Surat al-Shu'ara': 61-66)
The birds that the Prophet Abraham (as) cut into pieces came back to him alive:
When Abraham said: "My Lord, show me how You bring the dead to life." He asked: "Do you not then have belief?" Abraham replied: "Indeed I do! But so that my heart may be at peace." He said: "Take four birds and train them to yourself. Then put a part of them on each mountain and call to them; they will come rushing to you. Know that Allah is Almighty, All-Wise." (Surat al-Baqara: 260)
The Prophet Jonah's (as) was miraculously saved after being swallowed by a whale:
Yunus was one of the Messengers. When he ran away to the fully laden ship and cast lots and lost, then the fish devoured him and he was to blame. Had he not been a person who glorified Allah, he would have remained inside its belly until the Day of Resurrection. So We cast him up onto the beach and he was sick. (Surat al-Saffat: 139-145)
The Prophet Zechariah. (as) was told he would have a child in his old age
Then and there Zechariah called on his Lord: "O Lord, grant me by Your favor an upright child. You are the Hearer of Prayer." The angel called out to him while he was standing in prayer in the upper room: "Allah gives you the good news of John, who will come to confirm a Word from Allah, and will be a leader and a celibate, a prophet and one of the just." He asked: "My Lord, how can I possibly have a son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He replied: "It will be so. Allah does whatever He wills." (Surah Al 'Imran: 38-40)
Many other miracles are informed in the Qur'an, all of which happen by the will of Allah Who rules the universe and has infinite power. Every miracle happens at Allah's command and in the way He wills:
We sent messengers before you and gave them wives and children. Nor was any messenger able to bring a sign except by Allah's permission. There is a prescribed limit to every term. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 38)
In Surat al-Ma'idah, it is reveaed that the Prophet Jesus (as) performed miracles by Allah's permission:
Remember when Allah said: "O 'Jesus, son of Maryam, remember My blessing to you and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown; and when I taught you the Book and Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you created a bird-shape out of clay by My permission, and then breathed into it and it became a bird by My permission; and healed the blind and the leper by My permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I held back the tribe of Israel from you, when you brought them the clear signs and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but downright magic.'" (Surat al-Ma'ida: 110)
All of the messengers were blessed individuals who submitted themselves to Allah. They had good moral characters and were examples to the world. Like everyone else, they were helpless and needy in Allah's sight. Allah, Who created the universe from nothing, has absolute power and governance over all things, both living and inanimate. The universe and all creatures in the heavens and on Earth belong to Him, for He, the Lord of the universe, created them all. Everything moves at His command and exists at His pleasure.
Allah feeds all living creatures, provides them with many blessings, brings forth plants and creates their seasons, and brings darkness in the evening and makes the sun a brilliant light. He created all human beings who have ever lived and who are yet to live; all animate and inanimate things owe their existence to Him, and every creature needs Him. He has honored some individuals by choosing them to be His messengers. They also stand in need of Him, act at His command, and perform their miracles only by His will.
We are told in Surat al-Anbiya' of Allah's infinite power:
Everyone in the heavens and on Earth belongs to Him. Those in His presence do not consider themselves too great to worship Him and do not grow tired of it. They glorify Him night and day, never flagging. Or have they taken deities out of the soil who can bring the dead to life? If there had been any deities besides Allah in heaven or Earth, they would both be ruined. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Throne, beyond what they describe! He will not be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned. Or have they taken other deities besides Him? Say: "Produce your proof. This is the message of those with me and the message of those before me." But most of them do not know the truth, so they turn away. (Surat al-Anbiya': 19-24)
This book informs the reader about some of the Prophet Muhammad's (saas) miracles. Allah made this blessed individual an example to all people due to his goodness and deep faith, and his every word and action. With Allah's permission, he performed miracles throughout his life, some of which were witnessed only by the Companions and others of which were seen by great numbers of unbelievers.
An account of some of these miracles has come down to us in the Qur'an; we know of others through the hadiths and the various writings of Islamic scholars. We intend to show the miraculous aspects of this blessed person who was sent as a mercy to the world and to invite our readers to take the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas) as their guide. | <urn:uuid:43b1cb0e-4a9c-4518-9b9f-5c427e2a6d19> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.evolutiondeceit.com/en/books/14566/The-Miracles-Of-Our--Prophet-(saas)/chapter/5036/Introduction | 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 | 0.97058 | 2,765 | 2.203125 | 2 |
From 1955 to 1964, Japan brimmed with life and energy, and while many people recall that decade fondly, it was also a time that made some people edgy and aggressive.
Novelist Aya Koda (1904-1990) wrote about her experience at Tokyo's crowded Ueno Station: "The train station teemed with ill-humored travelers who looked like they were itching to pick a fight."
While Koda was buying her train ticket, she went on to recall, someone gave her a rough shove from behind, cursing at her for her slowness. She turned around to meet the fierce glare of a "classic Japanese male of the old school," the personification of irritability.
Half a century has elapsed since then, but middle-aged and older men today still seem prone to lose their temper and yell at strangers in public.
Examples of such behavior are reported from time to time in the "Koe" letters to the editor section of The Asahi Shimbun. I remember one from two years ago about an elderly man in a public library, where a primary school pupil was helping the librarian at the counter as part of a school program. Pointedly ignoring the child, the man ordered the librarian: "Hurry up. I don't have time to waste." Everyone froze in shock at his rudeness.
Another letter described a scene in a JR train car. A young mother with her toddler in a stroller literally trembled with fear when an elderly man berated her. According to the letter, the toddler's foot seemed to have brushed against the man's trousered leg, and the man went ballistic.
Such an outburst of temper can deeply hurt the person on the receiving end, whereas the person who inflicted it may quickly forget it.
Anger is an important emotion, but being angry is not the same as "losing it." People with a low "anger threshold" lose their temper quickly, and a society where people lack the maturity to contain their irrational anger is a cold and ugly place.
Shozo Ogiya (1913-1992), who was hailed as a great editor in chief of the weekly Shukan Asahi magazine, often reminded himself that every angry outburst added another year to his age, while each laugh made him one year younger. Ogiya reportedly embraced this philosophy as a warning to himself, and was not proud of the fact that he continued to lose his temper even after his 60th birthday.
I felt compelled to write this column after witnessing an angry outburst firsthand. On my way to work yesterday, I saw a middle-aged man--my contemporary--yelling at a train station personnel. It is unfortunate that our society still has so many of these examples to learn from.
--The Asahi Shimbun, July 13
* * *
Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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- Next » | <urn:uuid:1fa7f711-4a9b-45fe-afaf-1d6ccbba6365> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/vox/AJ201207130034 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979729 | 649 | 2.546875 | 3 |
"If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be" ~Joseph Campbell
To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee One clover, and a bee, and revery The revery alone will do if bees are few Emily Dickinson~
Only She Who Sees
"Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pick blackberries." — Elizabeth Barrett Browning
I say sit beneath the trees while the breeze blows. Smell their spring boutonniere. Gather their colorful leaves into blithe bouquets. Eavesdrop on them at dawn and dusk.
"I Say Look At the Trees" ~ Edna O'Brien
Their words hang in the sky ready to drop down like leaves. ~Bookish
Anne's Haunted Wood (click for more "Anne" posts)
My name is written there. The trees greet me as friends. I tell the wind my secrets ~Bookishkind
Faerie's Breath - gathered on the wind
The Land of Shalott - Willows whiten, aspens quiver, Little breezes dusk and shiver
Check out the stacks, they are getting a little heavy laden
Photo by Kay Nielsen
"Now I'm on my way I'll be there someday With God's help I'll become myself I'll become myself God hovers over chaos He hovers over me He makes all things beautiful And it's beautiful to see I'll get there someday With God's help I'll become myself" (Susan Ashton, Thief)
Her pen stretched the width of the page, conveying thoughts that were otherwise unspoken
Pull up the hearth
Pull up the hearth, ...sit, ....and dream
I will never tire of the wind, be it a cold winter blast that takes me off guard with it's bitterness, or an exhilarating spring or fall tempest that sweeps me away. I get caught up in it every time, ...it's as if the wind is calling my name to come out and play. The trees become my cohorts, ...those gentle giants that sway back and forth with delight, as they gracefully bend to and fro - they get caught up every time, too, and are surely clapping their hands in mirth. In these moments, I am a beautiful bird who was made for nothing more than ascending to the heights where the currents await me. Joy.
Words are meant to be woven together like a beautiful tapestry, one stitch at a time. If the stitch is not put in properly, it must be undone and tried again. ~Bookishkind
Reading is elegance at its best
...The gathered words are the ones I like best. ~Bookishkind
The Best Books
updated February 2013
"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing." Benjamin Franklin
The soul requires time amongst the wildflowers, to hear what they are whispering to the wind. Their stillness speaks a thousand words. ~Bookishkind
I was born in the wrong era!
We collect the books we love, like a lover picking roses for his beloved ~ We absorb the words and lines, like the lover breathes the fragrance of the petals, and revels in the beauty of the delicate form~ We rest the books on the shelf with care, like we fasten the flower up to dry, to remember and cherish the memories that are culled from the experience
Sometimes the words whisper freely to you and you can't write them down fast enough... and sometimes you wait and wait for them to arrive
I want to walk in bluebells, the way some people walk in Memphis
"While I walk the clay, I'm going to steal some earthly beauty. Tuck it away deep in my heart. When the time comes, I'll sneak it into heaven. Some things can't be given up when you cross the stars."
A walk in the rose garden is always a good thing
Refreshing raindrops descend to soak the land into green, falling from Love. Shared and surrendered to the open sky, to fall on creation, which craves drenching in the heavenly display.
There's a fine art gallery hung up in the sky
For the beauty of the earth
Wanderers- I don't understand these youth who come straight out of the pocket, And know right where they are heading. I only know how to obey the call of the wanderers, Who don't even know they've been wandering, And have only now reached the shore. Their story is deeper, though harder, stronger, though longer. It weaves and strays onto paths that take years to untangle from, Still, it has them where they are today. They have bloomed, though lately. ~Copyright 2011, Bookish Kind
Wind From the Sea
by Andrew Wyeth
London A Day or So Ago
(posts about London)
Why on earth would anyone want a windbreaker? I want to feel every last bit of it.
The trees announce the wind's arrival before she comes in the room. You hear the arrival before her entrance. Stillness is replaced with a rustling gesture replaced with tempestousness. Apparently, wind has a temper. | <urn:uuid:0a6b6677-f014-4c26-b4b5-a69aea457fd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bookishkind.blogspot.com/2010/04/walking-in-bluebells.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959369 | 1,188 | 1.679688 | 2 |
I will never forget the moment - the energy, excitement celebration, tears. It was 2005 at the World Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. The team from Uganda was visiting Healthy Athletes, dressed in their colorful uniforms. A coach brought over one of his Unified Football Athletes, Alice,age 18, to be tested in Healthy Hearing, stating simply that she could not hear. After testing, two things were clear. Alice had significant hearing loss in both ears and we felt that she could be treated with hearing aids.Custom molds were made of the ear canals and sent out for fabrication of the hearing aids.The next day Alice came back and the hearing aids were placed in her ears. At that moment, Dr. Gil Herer said softly, "Alice". She looked up in clear astonishment.Tears came to her eyes. Her teammates jumped with joy, as if they had won the gold medal, and hugged everyone within reach. The delegation head said, "She has never heard her name spoken before. Now she can hear her teammates and now she can go to school because she is able to learn."Other athletes received the miracle of hearing at these Games. I was lucky enough to see this one in person.
About Stephen Corbin: I am Senior Vice President, Community Impact, at Special Olympics headquarters | <urn:uuid:a99badaa-0bbd-4f23-9dc7-3467c895e57b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://specialolympics.org/SimpleStories/SimpleStory.aspx?id=24569&Region=SONA&RegionName=North+America&LangType=1033 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988999 | 268 | 1.773438 | 2 |
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A natural gas drilling company failed to use a proper backup pressure-control system last month when hooking up a well to a pipeline, leading to a major blowout in Pennsylvania that spewed gas and wastewater for 16 hours, a state investigation has found.
EOG Resources Inc. of Houston, which operates nearly 300 wells in Pennsylvania, cut corners by not using a second set of pressure-control devices, a consultant hired by the state concluded in a report issued Tuesday.
EOG took similar safety shortcuts on at least some of its other wells in Pennsylvania, where about half of its drilling operations are in the gas-rich Marcellus Shale reserve, a lucrative source of natural gas that has drawn scores of companies to the state. New York state is considering rules for Marcellus Shale drilling in New York.
In signed papers released Tuesday, EOG and its contractor, C.C. Forbes Co. of Texas agreed to maximum fines of more than $400,000 combined and to take corrective actions. But they also were allowed to resume all activities in Pennsylvania after the state had shut down some operations since the June 3 blowout. State regulators also sent a letter ordering all drilling operators to adhere to a set of safety standards designed to prevent another such incident.
For 16 hours, explosive gas and briny wastewater shot into the air before specialists called to the site brought it under control. About 35,000 gallons of polluted water was collected after two nearby creeks were polluted.
The blowout occurred about a week after the crew had finished the hydraulic fracturing process, in which millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are blasted underground to shatter tightly compacted shale a mile underground and release trapped natural gas.
Some of the water returns to the surface saturated with dissolved chlorides, sulfates and metals, and must either be treated on site or be trucked away to a special treatment facility. | <urn:uuid:697e8ad2-e7f1-456b-9878-66ebf4c14d81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Report-raps-gas-drillers-576045.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967018 | 396 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The Law Council of Australia has released a discussion paper outlining options for Constitutional reform, to recognise Indigenous Australians. The discussion paper considers the continued existence of out-dated provisions, which deny people the right to vote on the grounds of race and permit the Commonwealth Parliament to make laws adverse to Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders.
The paper is intended to encourage discussion and debate amongst experts from the Indigenous community, legal profession, judiciary, Parliament and academia around possible options for Constitutional reform including whether the Constitution should guarantee equality, prohibit racial discrimination and enable the Commonwealth to conclude agreements with Indigenous communities, so they have Constitutional force.
In addition to the release of the discussion paper, the Law Council will also be hosting a discussion forum “amongst experts from the Indigenous community, legal profession, judiciary, Parliament and academia” in Canberra in late July 2011.
Submissions in response to the discussion paper are due by 31 August 2011.
For more information about the paper, visit the Law Council’s website
To download the discussion paper, follow this link: Constitutional Reform Discussion Paper | <urn:uuid:4a5b4eb5-554b-4949-a034-76e8df17bdff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chalkfitzgerald.com.au/News/21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922548 | 217 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Manual of Painting and Calligraphy (Paperback)
Manual of Painting and Calligraphy was José Saramago’s first novel. Written eight years before the critically acclaimed Baltasar and Blimunda, it is a story of self-discovery set against the background of the last years of Salazar’s dictatorship. A struggling young artist, commissioned to paint a portrait of an influential industrialist, learns in the process about himself and the world around him. The brilliant juxtaposition of a passionate love story and the crisis of a nation foreshadows all of Saramago’s major works. A must-have for any devotee of the great Portuguese Nobel laureate, Manual of Painting and Calligraphy is available in the United States for the first time.
About the Author
JOSÉ SARAMAGO (1922–2010) was the author of many novels, among them Blindness, All the Names, Baltasar and Blimunda, and The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis. In 1998 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Praise for Manual of Painting and Calligraphy…
"For a first novel, though, this work displays a masterly grasp of wordplay and other literary devices, and as the translator points out, it can also serve as a map to the political and social themes of Saramago’s future novels." | <urn:uuid:5a8422c2-2fa8-4d40-95d3-cc984fd3ec3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.booktable.net/book/9780547640228 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919643 | 290 | 2.015625 | 2 |
As circulation and advertising figures slide at the Washington Post Co., management is probably wondering why --- and the Internet is not wholly to blame, notes Grumpy Editor.
The Post reports print advertising skidded 12 percent in the 2012 fourth quarter, to $67.5 million. The Post also cites average daily circulation in 2012 declined 8.6 percent to an average of 471,800, while average Sunday circulation fell 6.2 percent to 687,200.
What’s behind advertising and circulation drifting lower at most newspapers?
When businesses, large and small, envision less money to spend, advertising is one of the first things slashed.
Daily news reports are loaded with uncertainty, especially with predictions --- and scares from the nation’s capital --- of economic messes ahead.
A heavy flow of new business/personal rules, regulations and taxes coming out of Washington plus the confusing financial wake looming from ObamaCare and the upcoming sequestration are among key contributors to the wide-scale uncertainty.
For businesses, that’s not conducive to boosting advertising.
Thus, the constant negativity running in news columns triggers less advertising space sold, putting a major dent in the bottom line of newspaper publishers.
Eventually, and sadly, this also results in newspapers’ periodic staff trimming, among other measures.
With circulation, when readers find their favorite newspaper is more of a lap dog rather than a watchdog --- echoing information, especially fuzzy math and misleading facts, fed from the White House and some lawmakers without newspaper fact checking or solid investigating --- they move on to other news sources.
Getting back to the Washington Post: Seeking to highlight a bright spot in the company’s glum 2012 financial figures, the Post cited: “One benefit of the paper’s woes: lower newsprint costs,” down 10 percent.
AP okays ‘husband,’ ‘wife’ for same-sex couples
Updated in the Associated Press Stylebook, used by most newsrooms:
Regardless of sexual orientation, use of husband or wife is acceptable in all references to individuals in any legally-recognized marriage.
Spouse or partner may be used if requested, adds AP.
In case you missed these…
Time magazine runs the longest article in its 90-years of publishing with a 24,000-word piece on “Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us” by Steven Brill…The New York Times Co. is putting the “for sale” sign on its Boston Globe which also includes the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette…CBS News’ Bob Schieffer will receive the National Association of Broadcasters distinguished service award on April 8 in Las Vegas…David Axelrod, former White House senior adviser and senior strategist for President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns, joins NBC News and MSNBC as a senior political analyst…Los Angeles Times scrubs its daily prime time television schedule from the newspaper’s Calendar section starting tomorrow…CNBC acquires the long-running Nightly Business Report from PBS and will move production from Miami to CNBC headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. on March 4…Generally overlooked in coverage of the wide-scale manhunt for rogue ex-Los Angeles Police Department officer Christopher Dorner, who later died in a Big Bear (Calif.) cabin fire, was the early-morning shooting in Torrance, Calif. of two L.A. Times delivery women by eight LAPD officers who mistook them for Dorner. The injured women’s attorney says he counted 102 bullet holes in their blue Toyota Tacoma…Comedian Conan O'Brien, who hosts a nightly show on TBS, will emcee the annual White House Correspondents Dinner on April 27, airing on C-Span…Journal Register Co., which owns --- and plans to sell --- Michigan dailies The Oakland Press, The Macomb Daily, Morning Sun and Daily Tribune, says it plans to lay off more than 840 employees, with hopes that the new owner will rehire them. | <urn:uuid:ff252ac3-ce92-49ba-8e84-36a39eaf1195> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://grumpyeditor.typepad.com/grumpy_editor/congress/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928415 | 828 | 1.53125 | 2 |
|Students graph sea ice extent (area) in both polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) over a three-year period to learn about seasonal variations and over a 30-year period to learn about longer-term trends.||Materials:
|Windows to the Universe original activity by Randy Russell, using data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).|
|about 30-45 minutes|
Student Learning Outcomes:
National Standards Addressed:
- Print out copies of the student instructions sheet.
- Print copies of the two graphing worksheets (monthly graphing worksheet and yearly graphing worksheet).
- Print copies of the data tables. Cut these sheets into three pieces, so you can hand out the data tables at appropriate times during the lessons without "giving away" what is coming next. One piece should have Data Table #1; a second piece should have Data Table #2; and a third piece should have Data Tables #3 and #4.
Options and Notes:
- There is a large amount of background material on the Windows to the Universe web site about topics related to this activity (sea ice, the Arctic Ocean, the Southern Ocean, Earth's polar regions, etc.). See the links at the end of this document for more details.
- We also have animated maps showing seasonal variations in sea ice extent in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as an interactive map viewer that allows you to choose two maps at different times to compare side-by-side. Again, see the links at the end of this document.
- Here are a couple of options for this activity that will allow you to condense the time required for it or to extend it, as you wish:
- You can have students graph just one year of monthly data, instead of all three years (2005 through 2007).
- You can have students graph 1980 through 2010 at 5-year intervals, or have them also include the data for 1979 and 2006 through 2009.
- Mathematically advanced students can do a least-squares fit of the trend lines for the annual Arctic sea ice decreases, to predict when they might reach zero.
- You can have students go online and look up data for years or months that we haven't supplied, such as the most recent data from this year.
- More details are included in the "Background Information" section below.
During class - step-by-step procedures:
- Briefly explain to your students that the Arctic Ocean has a large sea ice pack, and that the size (extent) of the area covered by sea ice changes from season to season throughout each year. You may want to show the students a map of the Arctic to situate them.
- Tell your students that they will be doing a graphing activity in which they will first predict, and then use actual data to study, the variation in extent of sea ice near the poles over time.
- Give your students Graph Sheet #1 (the x-axis on this sheet spans January 2005 through December 2007 on a month-by-month basis). Do NOT give your students any of the actual sea ice data yet.
- Ask your students to make a hypothesis about the extent of sea ice throughout the year. Have them predict which month will have the greatest amount of sea ice, and which month will have the least. Tell them that during the time period represented by their graphs (2005 through 2007) the maximum extent was about 15 million km2, and the minimum was about 4 million km2. Give your students Graphing Worksheet #1. Have the students predict the shape of the graph of sea ice extent over time by sketching in a curve on Graphing Worksheet #1 of how they think the sea ice extent varied during this three-year time period.
- Give your students Data Table #1, which lists sea ice extent in the Arctic on a monthly basis over a three-year period from January 2005 through December 2007. Ask your students to plot this data on Graphing Worksheet #1. Have them use a colored pencil of a different color than the one they used to sketch in their hypothesis.
- Have your students compare their hypotheses (the "prediction curves" they sketched in) with the plots of actual data. Discuss with your class any discrepancies between predictions and results based on data and the significance of those discrepancies.
- Next, have your students make a hypothesis about the variation, on a monthly basis over the same three-year period, of sea ice extent around Antarctica. As before, have them sketch in their "prediction curves" on the same graph, using a third colored pencil different from the first two. Tell them that the maximum extent of sea ice in the Antarctic during that time was about 19 million km2, and the minimum was about 3 million km2.
- Give your students Data Table #2, which lists sea ice extent in the Antarctic on a monthly basis over the same three-year period (from January 2005 through December 2007). Ask your students to plot this data on Graphing Worksheet #1. Have them use a (fourth) different colored pencil. Figure 1 shows a plot of the actual data from Data Tables #1 and #2.
- Once again, have your students compare their hypotheses (the "prediction curves" they sketched in) with the plots of actual data for the Antarctic. Also, have them compare the curves for the Antarctic with those for the Arctic. Again, discuss any discrepancies between predictions and results, differences between the curves for the opposite hemispheres, and possible sources of those discrepancies and differences. It is likely that students may have some confusion regarding the causes of seasons and how the seasons differ between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; you may want to review these concepts at this point in the lesson.
- Now that students have a sense of the seasonal variation in sea ice extent in each of the two hemispheres, let's have them look at longer-term trends in the data. Give your students Graphing Worksheet #2. The x-axis on this worksheet lists individual years from 1978 through 2010. Also give your students Data Tables #3 and #4. These tables show the sea ice extent in the Arctic and the Antarctic during the months when the ice extent is at its minimum (September in the Arctic, February in the Antarctic) and at its maximum (March in the Arctic, September in the Antarctic) for a number of different years. The tables provide data at 5-year intervals starting in 1980 (1980, 1985, 1990, ... , 2010). They also provide data for 1979 (the first year for which this data was available) and for 2006 through 2009 (some of the most recent years for which this data is available).
- Have your students plot the data from Data Tables #3 and #4 on Graphing Worksheet #2. Have them use different colored pencils for each of the four data sets (Arctic maximum, Arctic minimum, Antarctic maximum, and Antarctic minimum). Figure 2 shows a plot of these data. Note: Figure 2 includes data for 1979 and 2006 through 2009. You may choose to have students just plot data for 5-year intervals starting in 1980, or have them also include the 1979 and 2006-2009 data as well.
- Ask your students whether they see any long-term trends in these data. They should notice that there appears to be a gradual decline in sea ice extent (both at the minimum in September and at the maximum in March) in the Arctic. Scientists who have done a rigorous mathematical analysis of this trend report an average rate of decrease in extent of the Arctic sea ice pack in September from 1979 through 2010 of 11.5% (with an uncertainty of ± 2.9%) per decade. On the other hand, there is not an obvious trend, either an increase or a decrease, in the maximum or the minimum extent of Antarctic sea ice (within the levels of uncertainty or normal interannual variation).
- The models that climate scientists use to predict the effects of global climate change indicate that warming of Earth's climate will be most severe at high latitudes, and that the effects will be noticed earlier in the polar regions than at other places on our planet. Most climate scientists believe these effects are already being felt in the Arctic, and that changes in sea ice extent are one such noticeable effect. You may want to discuss these issues with your students at this point.
- Ask your students to predict, based on this data, in what year they think the Arctic would be ice-free in September if the current trend continues. Ask them how reliable they think their prediction might be. Note: A simple, linear extrapolation based on such a limited set of data probably is not especially reliable. You may want to discuss, at this point, various mathematical and scientific concepts, such as: functions/curves that are linear versus curves/trends that are not straight lines; uncertainty, error bars, and other intermittent fluctuations in data sets that make it difficult to make predictions based on small numbers of data points; the scientific phenomena that underlie these mathematical representations of sea ice extent, and how those phenomena are often complicated combinations that can have powerful feedbacks that produce non-linear effects (for example, less ice cover means that less incoming sunlight is reflected away, and thus more heat is absorbed, potentially speeding up the warming process in a positive feedback loop).
- If you want to, you can have students go to the web site of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/ and collect more data (for example, for years or months that our data sets do not include; or for the most recent months that are currently available) to plot and analyze.
- You can assess students' graphing skills and their initital hypotheses by examining their graphs.
- Class discussion of the students' expectations in their hypotheses as well as their explanations of discrepancies between their hypotheses and the actual data plots will help you assess their understanding of the science involved.
- Students' hypotheses about the monthly variation in Antarctic sea ice should help you note which of your students really understand how the seasons work.
- When students first estimate the seasonal time variation (from 2005 through 2007) of the extent of sea ice in the Arctic (before they are given data), they should realize that the ice melts and shrinks in the summer and freezes and grows in the winter. Thus, their predicted minima should be somewhere around the summer, and their predicted maxima should be somewhere around the winter. In the Arctic, the yearly maximum generally occurs towards the end of winter or early spring, usually in March. The maximum is not in the middle of winter, when the temperatures are coldest. The ice pack continues to grow throughout the winter, thus reaching its maximum extent late in the winter season. Also, realize that water has a lot of thermal inertia; the Arctic Ocean does not cool down as quickly as does the air in the Arctic. Most students probably will not take these factors into account when they make their predictions, and may thus predict that the sea ice maximum occurs in December, January, or February. If some perceptive students do take this lag into account in their predictions, it would be good to call upon them to explain their predictions to the rest of the class. If none of your students take this lag into account when forming their hypotheses, make sure to point out the discrepancy between their predictions and the plot of actual data. Lead the students through a discussion of this lag and the causes of it. Likewise, their predictions for the time of minimum sea ice extent may be sometime in the middle of the summer, instead of the actual minimum which usually occurs in September. In a manner similar to the winter "lag", the summer temperatures, though highest in mid summer, remain above freezing throughout the summer and into early fall, so the sea ice continues to melt and its extent continues to shrink. Also, the Arctic Ocean, which warms throughout the summer, holds its heat longer than does the atmosphere into the cooling autumn.
- If you want to shorten the duration of this activity, you can have students plot just one or two years of data on a monthly basis, instead of having them plot the entire 36 months from January 2005 through December 2007. Or, you could divide the class into 2 or 3 groups. If you divide into three groups, have the first group plot the 2005 data, the second group 2006, and the third group 2007. If two groups, have one group plot 2005 and 2006, and the second group plot 2006 and 2007. Then combine the plots (cut and tape them together, or just view them side-by-side).
- We have provided yearly data for 1980 through 2010 at 5-year intervals, plus data for 1979 (the first year data was available) and for 2006 through 2009 (some of the most recent years' data at the time of this writing). We recommend just plotting 1980 through 2010, for simplicity's sake. However, we've included the 1979 and 2006-2009 data in case you want to use that as well. Note that the trends in the variation of both the minimum and maximum sea ice extent in the Arctic look quite a bit different depending on whether you include the 1979 and 2006-2009 data or not.
- When making predictions (hypotheses) about Antarctic sea ice extent on a monthly basis, many students may not take into account (or may not understand) the differences in seasons between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This can provide you with a very "teachable moment", and a great opportunity to discuss the cause of the seasons (the Earth's axial tilt, NOT variations in Earth's distance from the Sun; if the latter was the cause, both hemispheres should have the same seasons).
- There are substantial differences between the Arctic and Antarctic that influence the extent of sea ice packs in the two opposite polar regions. The central portion of the Arctic is all ocean, whereas Antarctica has a continent in the middle. The sea ice area in the Arctic includes the area closest to pole, while the sea ice area in the Antarctic is just the fringes around the edge of the continent and doesn't include the coldest region in the "center" nearest the South Pole. Also, the heat retention properties of a large land mass and huge ice sheet (in Antarctica) are very different that those of an large body of water (the Arctic Ocean). The net effects of these differences are not straightforward, but can be used as discussion points with your class.
- If you want to extend this activity, the web site of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/ has more data than that which we have presented here. You could have your students look up data for years or months that our data sets do not include, or for the most recent months that are currently available, to plot and analyze.
- You could have mathematically advanced students do a least-squares fit of a line to each (maximum and minimum) of the trends in the Arctic sea ice extent data to be more rigorous in their estimates of when the sea ice might be expected to disappear in the summer. You could have them do this for the 1980 through 2010 data, then with the 1979 and 2006-2009 data added in, to see how the inclusion of four more data points alters their fit line.
- Our web site, Windows to the Universe (www.windows2universe.org), has numerous resources you can use in support of this activity. They include animated maps of monthly sea ice extent for both hemispheres from 2002 through 2008; interactives that allow you to compare maps of sea ice extent in various years and months side-by-side; numerous background info pages on the polar regions, sea ice, and the Arctic and Southern Oceans; and several pages on global climate change. See the links at the bottom of this page for more.
RELATED SECTIONS OF THE WINDOWS TO THE UNIVERSE WEBSITE:
- Movie of Yearly Changes in Sea Ice in the Arctic
- Movie of Yearly Changes in Sea Ice around Antarctica
- Compare Images of Arctic Sea Ice Extent Side-by-side
- Compare Images of Antarctic Sea Ice Extent Side-by-side
- Sea Ice in the Arctic and Antarctic
- The Arctic Ocean
- The Southern Ocean
- Earth's Polar Regions | <urn:uuid:7d79b22b-2c05-4c8a-b5c5-91e460a11de4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windows2universe.org/teacher_resources/graphs/teach_sea_ice_extent.html&edu=elem | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942052 | 3,397 | 3.6875 | 4 |
Controversy as anti-Islam film spreads across internet
his film says the Koran inspires violence.
THE anti-Islam Dutch politician Geert Wilders has released on the internet his highly charged and much-anticipated anti-Koran film, which matches graphic images of terrorist attacks and death threats against Jews by Muslim extremists with verses of the Muslim holy book.
The film - Fitna, Arabic for civil strife - features news images of beheadings, violence against women in the Islamic World, anti-Semitic tirades by imams and the aftermath of terrorist attacks in New York and Madrid, including the charred remains of some victims.
Those film clips of violence are alternated with images of verses of the Koran, which Mr Wilders claims inspires such acts.
The film is already causing a stir on YouTube, the globally popular video-sharing site. Portions of the film ranging from two to 10 minutes quickly logged thousands of views at YouTube and inspired critics to post lambasting commentary or post their own videos critical of Mr Wilders.
"Don't blame the [Koran], but blame the people who do these things," a Netherlands YouTube user going by the screen name mV33rs wrote. Some postings slammed Mr Wilders as racist or crazy. Others were supportive. "Every word we heard in this film, aside from the Koran, were by leaders of the Islamic world," US YouTube user Claranicole wrote. "These are facts."
Snippets of the film were first posted on the British website www.liveleak.com but quickly spread to the American YouTube.
Mr Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament and the leader of an anti-Islam political party, said his intention was to warn the West about a religion he viewed as dangerous and intolerant and to stop what he called the Islamisation of the Netherlands and other Western societies.
Jan Peter Balkenende, the prime minister of the Netherlands, denounced Mr Wilders's film at a news conference in The Hague. "The film equates Islam with violence: we reject that interpretation," he said. "We believe it serves no purpose other than to offend."
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the violence that broke out after Danish newspapers published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, the Dutch Government has carried out a public relations campaign around the Wilders film, distancing itself from him while reminding people that he lives in a country that guarantees freedom of speech.
The New York Times,Agence France-Presse
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To date, Malaysia has signed and is implementing two bilateral FTAs and four regional FTAs. The bilateral FTAs signed are with Japan (MJEPA) and Pakistan (MPCEPA). Together with its ASEAN partners, Malaysia are parties to the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), ASEAN-Japan Close Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP), ASEAN Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).
Exporters in Malaysia will benefit from FTAs through preferential treatment and market access. Exporters will also enjoy cost savings from elimination or reduction of customs duties and from mutual recognition agreements, trade facilitating customs procedures and removal of onerous regulations.
For service providers, FTAs provide improved market access for various commercial and professional services from Malaysia. FTAs also provide for easier entry for businessmen as well as more predictable terms for investment in the FTA partner country.
Source: MATRADE official portal. | <urn:uuid:ce48f087-d6e9-49a1-81ea-f58863418fe3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ambankgroup.com/en/Islamic/Business/TradeServices/Pages/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929659 | 204 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Cargo tank rollover prevention summits set
Sep 4, 2007 4:17 PM
The Department of Transportation (DOT) and National Tank Truck Carriers will co-sponsor three Tank Truck Rollover Prevention Summits this fall. The summits will focus on the need to reduce rollovers, presentations by leading tank truck carriers and equipment manufacturers on approaches to rollover reduction, and the development of training and management materials.
The Summits will be held November 14 in St Louis MO; November 28 in Baltimore MD; and December 4 in Oakland CA. There is no charge for attending the events. Attendees will be encouraged to contribute their own ideas on preventing rollovers and to help develop new training and management tools.
While the tank truck sector has one of the best safety records in the trucking industry, reducing rollovers and subsequent release of hazardous materials is considered one of the top safety issues by the DOT and the industry itself. DOT recently released the Cargo Tank Roll Stability Study, which found that: “Rollovers occur in more than two-thirds of the serious single-vehicle crashes of cargo tank motor vehicles.”
More than 78 percent of tank truck rollovers are the result of truck or automobile driver error. (The study can be found at www.tanktruck.org by clicking on “news and events.”) Over 20 percent of the rollovers involve straight trucks used to transport such products as propane, home heating oil, and liquid wastes.
The study focused on four key areas: Driver training; Electronic stability aids; Cargo tank design, and Highway design. Each of these topics will be covered in detail at the Summits. Executive Summaries of the report will be among materials provided all attendees.
For more information on attending the Cargo Tank Rollover Prevention Summits, call NTTC at 703/838-1960 or request registration materials by email to: firstname.lastname@example.org. Again, there is no charge to attend the Summits, but space is limited and registration is required.
© 2013 Penton Media Inc. | <urn:uuid:7c33a917-82cf-4fff-a850-21b71fa3d2ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bulktransporter.com/fleet/cargo-tanks/cargo_tank_rollover_prevention/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930499 | 432 | 1.554688 | 2 |
While Airbus is looking to offer its A320 sharklet wing-tip as a retrofit, Boeing does not intend to do the same with the "dual feather" tip for the 737 Max.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice-president of marketing Randy Tinseth says the case is less clear, given that it already provides a blended winglet on current 737s.
"There's not much of a market to [justify] the investment," he says. The split tip, which is designed to take advantage of wing flexing, will contribute up to 1.5% additional fuel-burn reduction on top of the 4% offered by the regular blended winglet.
Tinseth says this 1.5% saving will be achieved "at long missions", those about 3,000nm (5,550km), while the figure falls to 1% for shorter sectors of 500-750nm. | <urn:uuid:46801d2c-160e-4ec6-be1c-1ab5cd98433b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-unlikely-to-offer-max-wing-tip-retrofit-372415/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943289 | 186 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Rocky extrasolar planets thought to be half frozen and half scorched might instead rock back and forth, creating large swaths of twilight with temperatures suitable for life.
Because of gravitational tugs with the objects they orbit, rocky bodies often settle into trajectories in which they always show the same face to their hosts. Such 'tidally locked' exoplanets would thus seem like bad candidates for life, since the hemisphere facing their host stars would roast and the dark side would freeze.
But a new computer model by Anthony Dobrovolskis of NASA Ames Research Center in California, US, suggests this is not always so. He finds that such planets can rock to and fro if they travel on elongated, or eccentric orbits, creating a 'twilight zone' that could be hospitable to life.
The Moon experiences a similar rocking motion. It always shows the same face to Earth, taking the same amount of time to rotate around its axis as it does to circle our planet once. However, because the Moon's path around the Earth is not perfectly circular, its orbital speed is sometimes faster or slower than its rotational speed. The difference between the two motions causes the Moon to rock slightly.
"If you're standing on the Moon, you'll see the Earth rock back and forth a little bit," Dobrovolskis told New Scientist.
He says extrasolar planets on very elongated orbits will experience pronounced rocking motions, or librations. Rather than being worlds of fire and ice, these 'rock-a-bye' planets could have much more temperate climes than previously thought.
If the planet rocks by 90° or more, "there is no permanent day or permanent night side anymore," Dobrovolskis told New Scientist. "The whole thing becomes a twilight zone."
The effect could increase the likelihood of life on rocky worlds orbiting small, dim stars called red dwarfs, said NASA Ames astronomer Jack Lissauer. That's because the dwarfs' habitable zone - where liquid water, and potentially life, could exist - lies so close to the small stars that any planets there would almost certainly be tidally locked to their hosts.
The results also have implications for attempts to directly observe new worlds, Dobrovolskis says. He says astronomers should look for planets whose temperatures are relatively even all across their surfaces, not just for planets sporting one very hot and one very cold hemisphere.
Astrobiology - Learn more in our out-of-this-world special report.
Journal Reference: Icarus (vol 192, p 1)
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Twilight Zones On Scorched Planets
Tue Dec 11 10:11:59 GMT 2007 by David Mcculloch
Wouldn't this be a relatively minor effect compared to the massive hurricane on the sunward face if the planet has an atmosphere?
NS had an article on this some time ago, under the general heading of the goldilocks zones of red dwarves. Perhaps you've forgotten.
Thu Dec 13 12:12:00 GMT 2007 by John
What if we lived between the light dark part of the planet? where the hot and cold meet? the temperature for life should be ok?
Thu Dec 13 15:49:00 GMT 2007 by David Mcculloch
I'm sure that's the best bet, John, even if it is a bit windy! :)
Twilight Zone On Tidally Locked Planets-heat Transfer Across Zone
Mon Dec 31 15:53:08 GMT 2007 by Ian Star
As many readers wil recall NS had an article on such a tidally locked planet years ago.Heat transfer was proposed by not only atmosphere but by sub surface ice seas, back across from the colder dark side to the hotter ligted side.This would mean that the atmosphere could be sufficiently thin to allow light for photosynthesis etc,and yet be sufficiently thick to maintain temperatures for life.All this is from article in NS years ago. Ian Star
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Thursday, 26 April 2012 17:43
Piñera, Pinochet, and Alexis Sánchez are the most prevalent Chileans abroad, study shows.
Chile’s international image is an elusive concept to pin down, and to identify it through a quantitative analysis of the foreign press would seem an almost impossible task.
Despite this, researchers working for the Fundación Imagen de Chile
have systematically studied the international press over the past three months, hoping to provide an objective insight into how Chile is viewed from abroad. Fundación Imagen de Chile Executive Director Blas Tomic presents the results of a study of international news focused on Chile. (Photo provided by Fundación Imagen de Chile))Login to read more.
About the writer
Struan Campbell Gray
Struan recently completed a BA in Journalism and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University, and has studied film production in California. As a surfer, it was the pursuit of perfect waves that initially led him to Chile, however, he was soon charmed by the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the country. His home town, in south west England, is at the centre of the drive towards a post oil economy in the UK, and he is keen to explore such initiatives in Latin America. | <urn:uuid:f53e48db-02ba-437b-a8ad-fdae36d7abce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://santiagotimes.cl/chile/other/23742-study-looks-to-uncover-chiles-image-in-the-international-press | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93478 | 262 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Over the past year or so I’ve observed haikus, that “less is more” form of Japanese poetry, making a quiet stealthy encroachment and presence upon online pop culture through a variety of means. Some of these I’ve mentioned around these SUNfiltered parts, which makes me wonder whether we’re witnessing an emergence of haikus and a comeback for the genre of poems in general back into something possibly more mainstream or at the least “meme-stream.” I had written earlier about a reader of the New York Times online edition who has gained some small measure of fame for his comments left in limerick form. The best recent example of the merging of pop culture with poetry occurred when Salman Rushdie tweeted his thoughts on the Kim Kardashian divorce in limerick form. In fact, the latest issue of New York Magazine’s Intelligencer focused on the poets or at least on the tough economic realities of that noble profession (Walt Whitman had a second job as a government clerk). If you’re not convinced of my thesis on the pop emergence of poems, but specifically haikus, I turn your attention to the following exhibits.
Article: Dam graffiti in Ventura County
I was blown away when I first saw this photo. I thought the clever imagery was absolutely brilliant, but I suspected it was probably too good to be true and Photoshop had to be involved. It turns out some things that are too good to be true can actually be true. An anonymous group of guerrilla artists rappelled down the wall back in September to paint this environmentally conscious, large-scale mark on the 200 foot Matilija Dam in Ventura County.
Article: Remember the (crocheted) Alamo
Previously spotted covering the Wall Street Bull, Olek created buzz once again by wrapping another iconic New York City sculpture, Tony Rosenthal’s Astor Place Cube with her trademark pink and purple camouflage yarn, as seen in the picture above. Here’s a video of her in action installing this piece over the cube, or the “Alamo” as it’s officially named. If you walk around New York City long enough you’ll eventually stumble upon her smaller, guerrilla pieces like…
Article: Mobile graffiti van
Art collective Everfresh Studio built this tongue-in-cheek service van outfitted with all the gear and material, such as spray paint, masks, ropes, wire cutters necessary for a team to infiltrate and graffiti bomb a neighborhood. The van is also outfitted with a boombox to provide the accompanying soundtrack. [Via]
Article: Old Keith Haring profile
From the annals of street and graffiti art history is this old 8-minute video profile of artist Keith Haring during his pop culture ascendancy, including interviews with the artist and his dealer Tony Shafrazi (along with representing countless other artists, he also incidentally gained infamy for once spray painting in an act of protest “Kill…
Crochet artist Olek, from New York Magazine’s story on Home Design
Street art has taken a dramatically more domestic turn of late with the recent influx of yarn bombing: knitters who take their hobby outside of the home and to the sidewalks and lampposts in cities all over the world. Also called grandma graffiti, yarn bombers take their needles to the streets under the cover of nightfall to wrap public property in their colorful crocheted creations. Technically, it’s still considered vandalism, but most yarn bombers say police “are more likely to laugh at them than issue a summons.”
Article: Death Cab video by Shepard Fairey
Death Cab for Cutie bassist Nick Harmer reached out to the now-notable street artist and designer Shepard Fairey about creating a music video for their song “Home is a Fire.” The video piece above is the result, which unsurprisingly utilizes the artistic medium for which Shep is most well known for, and he explains the…
Article: New Hanksy spotted
Wooster Collective spotted this second send-up spoof in NYC’s Soho of Tom Hanks and Banksy’s (previously) iconic “Girl with Red Balloon” street stencil art.
Article: Notes from Chris
While reading this New York Times piece about a note posted on a pole at the intersection of 43rd and 6th Avenue by a guy named Chris who with apparent sincerity reviews two different coffee carts, I learned via the article’s comments that this note was just one in a series called “Notes from Chris.”…
Article: Filling potholes with yarn
I’ve previously shared (here, here, here, and here) yarn and knit based forms of street art by different artists. Here’s one more for the roster: Juliana Santacruz Herrera does a civic duty by filling in potholes and gaps in the streets of Paris with colorful strands of yarn. [Via]
Article: Banksy x Tom Hanks
Madeleine spotted Hanksy, the bastard child of Banksy and the always affable Tom Hanks on Kenmare & Mott Street in Soho. This reminds me of this hilarious pun around Mr. Hanks’ name that made the rounds on the Internet couple years ago. [Via]
The same artist who yarn-bombed seats on the Philadelphia SETPA trains is back (previously) and this time Ishknits stitched a sweater for the Rocky Balboa statue standing triumphantly in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Unexplained, tiny, innocuous, heavily locked, yet non-working doors or “unexplained portals” have begun popping up around San Francisco as part of an ongoing public art installation spearheaded by artist Jeff Waldman. The artist explained this group project in an email to his friend, a professor of sculpture at Yale: The idea is to install small…
Article: Bridge & tunnel traps
From the same people (Jeff Greenspan and Hunter Fine) behind the hipster traps (previously) that created a buzz on the Internet is the latest urban snare aimed this time at the folks who come into the City from New Jersey and Long Island, aka the “bridge and tunnel” crowd. This trap was set up in…
Article: Yarn subway art in Philadelphia
Philadelphia blogger Conrad Benner got the call to join an artist as she “yarn bombed” SEPTA trains (three seats on three lines in all). And even while we started on a near empty train by the end it was the beginning of rush hour and the train was packed, all the people on each train…
Article: NOLA street art: Before I die…
Candy Chang created this cool, giant interactive piece of street art in New Orleans that transformed the side of an abandoned house into a chalk board. She explains: It’s also about turning a neglected space into a constructive one where we can learn the hopes and aspirations of the people around us. It turns out…
Article: Crochet Banksy
Facts: I’m an unabashed fan of Banksy. And I love the crochet art of Agata Olek. One of my favorite chroniclers of street art Luna Park recently snapped this picture where Olek adapted her style and paid homage to this famous piece by Banksy on the West Bank barrier wall. Speaking of Banksy, this is…
Article: Chuck Norris street art
Hilarious street art that continues the Chuck Norris meme. [Via]
Marthalicia Matarrita in the Sundance Channel HQ studio.
Harlem-based artist Marthalicia Matarrita specializes in a very specific medium, one that mixes street art, hip-hop and performance into what can best be described as live painting. She currently represents New York City at ART BATTLES, pioneers of the Live Art Movement. Often called the “Iron Chef” of the art world in that it’s a live, timed competition, ART BATTLES pits artists who favor bold, graphic, street-style visuals in theme-based showdowns. In Matarrita’s latest battle (which you can see still images from above), the artists were asked to interpret Picasso’s “Guernica.”
Miranda July. Painting by Marthalicia Matarrita.
But before the next round of battles begin, Matarrita is stopping by Sundance HQ in Park City, UT this week, where she’ll create live illustrations of festival-goers who drop in. Whether she’s painting on a large canvas backed by loud DJ music at a battle or working on smaller-scale illustrations, Mataritta maintains the same hip-hop-inspired fluidity in all her pieces. In fact, music has been such a major part of her life that she founded M-Squared Art Productions in 2006 with her brothers Tomas aka Atomic and Jorge based on what she calls “the four elements of hip-hop: music, graffiti, art and dance,” especially breakdance. “What hip hop does for breakdancers is the same for graffiti-writers and painters. My performances are influenced by it.” Performance, or process, is key for Matarrita. “The process in creating the artwork is both therapeutic and meditative. The end result is the satisfaction in my labor of love, my art.”
Article: Pixel street art in Soho
Benjamin Norman snapped these photos of this neat pixilated street installation on Mercer Street in Soho about a month ago.
Article: Exemplary Works by Various Artists
Titled “Title: Exemplary Works by Various Artists,” this art group (self described as “various artists’ agents for design, speculation and public nuisance”) placed in public spaces mock explanatory labels seen in art galleries thereby “claiming them from the property of the public realm and rebranding them as our own artworks.” I like how this adds…
The Internet blew its collective mind at learning that Banksy created an opening-credit scene to a recent episode of The Simpsons. The clip has since been in a cat-and-mouse game on YouTube as it gets pulled for copyright violations, then re-uploaded by someone else. The New York Times posted an interesting interview with Al Jean,…
Article: New Banksy
A slightly saccharine piece by Banksy. View two other brand spankin’ new works by him over at Wooster Collective. Relatedly, last week I came across an interview he gave the Sun and was struck by this quote: “But maybe all art is about just trying to live on for a bit. I mean, they say…
Article: Epic Faile
Since its creation in 1999, Faile, the Brooklyn street art collaboration between Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller, has had an overwhelming influence on “low art” and “high art” alike. Beginning with wheatpaste and stencils, the classic tools of the trade, Faile gradually moved onto printmaking, painting, sculpture and multimedia installations, maintaining their signature collage-style throughout. Their ability to branch out in other mediums is what ultimately established them as legitimate artists. Their recent work, which includes “customized Buddhist prayer wheels and an American flag reworked with Pueblo-inspired linework, relies on re-imagining sacred objects on an increasingly grand scale.”
Newmindspace and Jason Eppink collaborated in installing these “Spoiler Alert” signs around the few New York City subway stations with LED displays as a commentary on their impact on certain commuter habits and behaviors. These LED signs also threaten historical social behaviors, rendering obsolete the time-honored New York tradition of leaning over the platform edge… | <urn:uuid:1163c38a-a93d-4168-b0cf-e634e344f3f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sundancechannel.com/blog/tag/street-art/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942343 | 2,479 | 1.609375 | 2 |
“Today’s debate about global warming is essentially a debate about freedom. The environmentalists would like to mastermind each and every possible (and impossible) aspect of our lives.”
Blue Planet in Green Shackles
March 6, 2013
Just one day after the IPCC Chairman claimed that global warming had stopped happening 17 years ago, the Australian Climate Commission rushed out a press statement, “The Earth Continues to Warm.”
Clearly, there is a lack of consensus here. Are these diametrically opposed views between leaders in the field of climate change? Not at all. On closer inspection, it all turns out to be that well-known sleight-of-hand which Americans call “bait and switch”.
For over 20 years, the IPCC has been noisily agitating about an unprecedented rate of global warming at ground level – where we all live They told us that a predicted rise in surface temperatures of 3-6°C by 2100 had the potential to harm mankind in a myriad of ways. These warnings certainly attracted our attention. They were the bait.
Now, it turns out that the Climate Commission (ACC) has very little to say about surface or atmospheric temperatures. Its press statement and accompanying report rely almost entirely upon its opinions regarding the heat content of the deep oceans. This is the switch.
The deep oceans have nothing to do with the climate we experience, which is wholly manufactured in the atmosphere. Nothing to do with droughts or floods or fires or cyclones or temperature records. Nothing to do with what the ACC calls Australia’s “Angry Summer”, or the spread of malaria, the melting of glaciers, the shortages of food or other aspects of the long-threatened AGW Armageddon. The whole ACC report is a red herring.
Dr Pachauri was addressing the real thing – surface (or lower atmosphere) temperature anomalies averaged over the whole globe. They haven’t moved since 1996. He says that the sharp warming phase which began in the late 70s levelled off in the late 90s. The whole episode lasted only 20 years, and we now know that nobody should believe the IPCC models which projected that this warming would continue into the 21st century.
Might the warming start again? Nobody knows. All we know for sure is that is either in remission or it is over.
The ACC report says that 2000-09 was the warmest decade since modern measures began. But that is because it commenced at a warm level. To pick another decade, 2003-12 was notably cool in comparison.
Some diehards suggest we should take account of apparent warming/cooling tendencies that are insignificant in a statistical sense. Such an approach seems to be an abandonment of science. If skilled climatologists are unable to detect any clear signal amongst screeds of noisy data, then that should be an end to the argument.
Although irrelevant to the lack of climate change in the last 17 years, ocean heat content (OHC) is a challenging metric. There has been no warming in the upper 700m, which has been measured by the ARGO float project since 2003, and we can’t monitor the temperatures in the depths below 700m. The ACC claim that “missing heat” could be in the ocean depths is merely an assumption – a faith statement.
Saying nothing at all about “the bait”, the ACC report “switches” to pages of material on other topics. Shakespeare described it well: “Methinks, the lady doth protest too much.”
Hon Barry Brill OBE is a New Zealand barrister and solicitor. He is a former Minister of Science & Technology, and Minister of Energy, and is currently chairman of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition
The Quadrant Book of Poetry: 2001 - 2010
edited by Les Murray | <urn:uuid:6ec6f55a-3d20-4277-8573-8fd989697b60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/doomed-planet/2013/03/the-climate-commission-plumbs-new-depths | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949511 | 801 | 2.4375 | 2 |
The Nestmann Group, Ltd.
by Mark Nestmann: Mexico
Reforms Its Immigration Laws
There are several
ways that a U.S. citizen can expatriate; i.e., end their U.S. citizen
A U.S. citizen
loses nationality by voluntarily performing any of the following
acts with the intention of relinquishing U.S. nationality:
- Being naturalized
in a foreign country.
- Taking an
oath or similar declaration of allegiance to a foreign state.
or serving in, the armed forces of a foreign state if (A) such
armed forces are engaged in hostilities against the United States,
or (B) serving as a commissioned or non-commissioned officer.
- (A) Working
for a foreign government as a citizen of that government; or (B)
if such work requires an oath of allegiance or similar declaration.
- Making a
formal renunciation of nationality before a diplomatic or consular
officer of the United States in a foreign state.
- Making a
formal renunciation of nationality in the United States in wartime.
treason, attempting by force to overthrow, or bearing arms against,
the United States.
these actions require that you be at least 18 years old for them
to be effective.)
majority of individuals who voluntarily expatriate do so under options
#1 or #5. For instance, obtaining a second passport from another
country (#1) is an expatriating act. If you choose to expatriate
after doing so, that is your right under U.S. law.
In the past,
Ive generally advised clients who have used our services to
help them expatriate to avoid renouncing their citizenship (option
#5). The reason is an obscure law enacted in 1996 called the Reed
amendment. This law gives the U.S. Attorney General the discretion
to deny entry into the United States to a former U.S. citizen who
renounces U.S. citizenship in order to avoid U.S. taxation. Other
categories of excluded persons are those with communicable
diseases or other health conditions; those convicted of crimes involving
moral turpitude or illegal drugs or with multiple criminal convictions;
prostitutes; spies; terrorists; and draft evaders.
wording of the Reed amendment appears to apply only to those who
renounce U.S. citizenship, Ive recommended to our clients
that they choose another expatriation option other than renunciation.
Generally this is #1, in which you acquire a foreign nationality
and subsequently relinquish U.S. citizenship.
years after its original enactment, regulations under the Reed amendment
have not been promulgated, nor has its power ever officially been
invoked. One reason is that the law is so extreme that even that
paragon of civil liberties, former Attorney General Janet Reno,
questioned its constitutionality.
is that the law is likely obsolete. The tax law that discourages
expatriation no longer requires that a persons expatriation
be tax-motivated to come into effect. Anyone who meets
the criteria to be defined as a covered expatriate is
subject to it. Among other consequences, covered expatriates must
pay an exit tax on unrealized gains that exceed $636,000
(indexed annually for inflation). Your motivation for expatriation
havent stopped U.S. consular officials from occasionally denying
visa applications from former U.S. citizens, apparently using the
Reed amendment as legal authority for doing so. In another case,
U.S. customs officials used the Reed amendment as justification
to deny a former U.S. citizen permission to board a U.S.-borne jet.
Fortunately, the situation was quickly resolved in favor of the
former U.S. citizen seeking to re-enter the United States.
apparently made no effort to determine if the targeted individuals
had renounced or merely relinquished their U.S. citizenship.
In addition, the State Department helpfully lumps anyone who U.S.
citizen who expatriates into a single category, which it calls renunciants.
make the distinction Ive made between renunciation and relinquishment
largely irrelevant. As the procedure for renunciation is simpler,
and removes any question of intent, I no longer see any reason to
avoid this option.
Why might you
wish to give up U.S. citizenship? One possible reason, of course,
is that you no longer need to pay U.S. tax on your worldwide income
if you reside outside the United States. Another reason is that
youll find it much easier to invest or do business overseas
as a non-U.S. citizen.
My newly revised
report, The Billionaires Loophole, describes these
advantages, and outlines the procedure for giving up citizenship,
step-by-step. It also shows you practical ways to avoid the exit
tax and other consequences of being a covered expatriate.
Fortunately, you dont need to be a billionaire to benefit
from expatriation. To learn more,
click here. And, if youre ready to expatriate, or would
like to explore its suitability for your particular circumstances,
please contact me at [email protected].
with permission from The
Nestmann Group, Ltd.
Nestmann [send him mail]
is a journalist with more than 20 years of investigative experience
and is a charter member of The
Sovereign Societyís Council of Experts. He has authored over
a dozen books and many additional reports on wealth preservation,
privacy and offshore investing. Mark serves as president of his
own international consulting firm, The
Nestmann Group, Ltd. The Nestmann Group provides international
wealth preservation services for high-net worth individuals. Mark
is an Associate Member of the American Bar Association (member of
subcommittee on Foreign Activities of U.S. Taxpayers, Committee
on Taxation) and member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
In 2005, he was awarded a Masters of Laws (LL.M) degree in international
tax law at the Vienna (Austria) University of Economics and Business
© 2011 Mark
Best of Mark Nestmann | <urn:uuid:5f9d568e-f363-4eb7-b65c-1e8733e7ea44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lewrockwell.com/nestmann/nestmann29.1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925893 | 1,336 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Gradually, as the information starts to come through, it is becoming increasingly clear that the flotation of Facebook will likely be a catalyst and symbol for everything that does not work on Wall Street. It is an issue that deeply divides analysts as this IPO was based more on hope and faith in the ability of the social network to increase their revenues and profits in the future rather than a sound financial history.
Mystery Surround the Pricing of Facebook Shares
The mystery that surrounds the Facebook share pricing issue remains. It was obvious that there were some underlying assumptions that gave the Facebook offering a sense of what is now seen as delusional optimism. Facebook is ultimately responsible for the price issue and the information that they published prior to the IPO. The stock market has to assume they chose their analysis independently, and in fact Morgan Stanley was statutorily required to perform due diligence on behalf of the syndicate which had underwritten the Facebook initial public offering.
The Unequal Treatment of Individual Retail Investors
One of the basic principles of capital markets is the equality of all shareholders. The principle dictates that investors, whether retail or institutional, should be treated fairly in the allocation of stocks in an IPO. However, the Facebook IPO does not outwardly appear to have stayed with that principle.
The Wall Street Journal tells the story of an investor – a retiree from St. Louis who bought Facebook shares online on the first day of trading. He bought around three thousand Facebook shares valued at $42.03 and ended up losing about 12%, which amounted to something like $30,000 US Dollars.
Was There Preferential Treatment?
What actually happened between May the 11th and the 21st? Did some institutional investors and hedge funds traders get preferential treatment from Facebook’s syndicate? A large institutional investor (Capital Research and Management) on the basis of some ‘inside information’ and its own independent analysis, concluded that the second quarter results from Facebook (FB) would be quite disappointing. They informed Morgan Stanley that they wanted to reduce their IPO subscription, furious that banks would still increase rather than decrease the IPO issue price of the Facebook stock.
The Lack of Transparency of the Syndicate
How shares are distributed now needs to be far more transparent in the future. It is likely that there will be a shareholder backlash against Facebook in the future due to this lack of transparency because there are many who suffered losses both because of how the first 82 million shares were awarded, and then due to the failed Nasdaq implementation of opening-day trading. Don’t be surprised if there are class-action suits here.
What It All Down to Just Plain Old Fashioned Greed?
Once again, the lure of money ($300 million in commissions for banks and $10 billion for some of the existing shareholders), the relationships, information inefficiency, and a general lack of transparency that led to this situation. If shares had been set at a more reasonable price, it would have been a successful IPO with credit to the creators of the world’s largest social network which brings together 900 million people from around the world. As Business Week wrote, Facebook’s IPO has seriously increased mistrust for individual investors.
Sign Up For a Wall Street Journal Student Subscription: If you would like to keep your finger on the pulse of all things relating to the Facebook IPO and are currently studying at a college or university, then you should consider signing up for a WSJ Student Subscription. The Wall Street Journal Student Edition has up-to-date news, views, analysis, as well as in-depth information on how you can plan for your career once you graduate.
- Steve Wozniak, Tech Icon and Apple Co-Founder Says He’d Buy Facebook at Nearly Any Price
- Speculation Over the Likely Date of the Facebook IPO in 2012
- How to Buy the Facebook IPO Now?: Invest in a Mutual Fund — T. Rowe Price Media & Telecommunications Fund (PRMTX)
- Facebook’s IPO Price Range and the Roadshow Video, Billionaires Cashing Out, and the Drama of Binary Options
- Will Facebook Survive the Coming Years?
- Should I Buy Facebook IPO?: Some Responses to the TwitterVerse and Other Facebook IPO Updates
- Thinking about Facebook IPO: What are some of the Risks?
Tags401K AAPL acquisitions AIBYY alexa.com Amazon AMT AMZN Arab spring BIDU BP BX CAT CCI CMCSA CNBC Columbia DIS Eduardo Saverin ETF Facebook Facebook IPO Fast Money FB FDX GOOG Gowalla GS halted Harvard HNW Howard Lindzon HubPages hulu IDCC inactive accounts initial public offering Instagram institutional investors IPO itunes Ivy League John Neff Kevin Systrom KFT lawsuit lead underwriter LNKD Lottery Lucy market cap Mark Zuckerberg Matt Taibbi Media and Communications Fund Menlo Park millionaires MMI Morningstar MS MSFT NDAQ nerds NFLX NYSE NYX Occupy Wall Street open mobile social P patents popular chicks PRMTX proxy revenues risk Rolling Stone S-1 secondary market Sharespost SlashGear Social Enterprise Stanford Steve Ballmer Steve Grasso stock options StockTwits Sun T T. Rowe Price ticker symbol Timeline TWC Twitter valuation vampire squid VOD VZ Yahoo Yale YHOO ZNGA | <urn:uuid:b1595a84-3001-439b-b9d4-e5f08d6c2a46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shouldibuyfacebookipo.com/facebook-ipo-dark-side-of-wall-street/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935864 | 1,083 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Primary school pupils from Bute visited the Edinburgh Zoo pandas courtesy of Scottish Water’s contractors on a major project in Rothesay which has just been completed.
Thirty-nine pupils from Rothesay, North Bute and St Andrew’s primary schools visited Edinburgh Zoo to see Giant Pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang, which arrived in Scotland last December on a ten-year loan from China.
The children, who were accompanied by Scottish Water’s project manager Stuart Flaws, regional community manager Jane MacKenzie, and regional project communications adviser Christina Rowe, won the trip in a competition to draw pictures and compose limericks about water and pandas.
Mrs MacKenzie said: “Scottish Water organised the competition for the school pupils, and our contractors in Rothesay, Euro Environmental Group (EEG), hosted the trip to Edinburgh Zoo.
“It was a very successful trip and was a great way to thank the local community for their patience and understanding while we progressed with the project in the town.”
The £900,000 project involved improvements to about a mile and a half of waste water pipes in Rothesay to tackle problems caused by saltwater intrusion to the pipes.
Large sections of pipe were cleaned and re-lined with cured plastic. The work, which also involved repairs to manholes and cutting back tree roots, has improved the condition and efficiency of assets and the process at the waste water treatment works.
Mrs McKenzie added: “Scottish Water would like to thank our customers in Rothesay for their patience and understanding while this important improvement work was carried out.”
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Weather for Rothesay
Sunday 19 May 2013
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: East
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North west | <urn:uuid:a4749336-d0d1-4cb6-a088-e79d2a1efbb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buteman.co.uk/community/scottish-water-takes-bute-pupils-on-panda-trip-1-2394460 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952681 | 403 | 1.742188 | 2 |
GARY | With a brisk wind blowing Friday off Lake Michigan, city and region leaders celebrated the start of the Marquette Park Lakefront East Project with a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Father Jacques Marquette statue.
Mayor Rudy Clay presided over the start of the park restoration made possible by a $28 million grant from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.
"Today we are celebrating all our efforts and the return of Gary to the gateway of Lake Michigan," Clay said of the planning that began three years ago.
The Marquette Park master plan calls for restoration of the 241-acre park's natural areas, preservation of the cultural resources and protection of the lakefront dunes and beach for future generations.
Marquette Park's pavilion, built in 1921 and designed by George W. Maher, will "be restored to its former glory," Clay said.
Other parts of the project will include renovations to the Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium, adding a children's playground, restoring the Father Marquette statue and landscaping at the park's entrance, improving Lake Street Beach and restoring the lagoon.
The unique ecosystem of the park's oak savannah also will be restored, said Christopher Meyer, director of the Gary Planning Department.
RDA Executive Director Bill Hanna said the project fits well into the authority's mission of tying communities together.
The Marquette Park restoration "will provide a sense of community and spark off economic development," Hanna said. "It will create an economic boom nearby and bring people to this important piece of shoreline."
Chicago-based Hitchcock Design Group provided the planning, landscape architecture and program management for the master plan.
Local companies on that project team include BauerLatoza Studio and Integrated Environmental Solutions, both of Gary; Advance Construction Services, of Gary and Merrillville; and DLZ of Hammond and Burns Harbor.
The Skillman Corp., of Merrillville, will provide construction management.
Contracts for the project will be awarded at 10 a.m. Wednesday during the Gary Board of Public Works meeting, Meyer said. Work is expected to run into early 2012, "contingent upon site conditions and weather," Meyer said.
"That this is happening under my watch is really meaningful for me. It also helps the legacy," Clay said following the ceremony. "This isn't just for Gary. This is for all of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area." | <urn:uuid:530eff40-b9e6-445e-802c-9f2e5122fa83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/gary-kicks-off-marquette-park-lakefront-east-project/article_fa020157-d4c3-5344-9e49-cbe43d2c71cf.html?mode=comments | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928886 | 485 | 1.6875 | 2 |
A toy with hidden parts that give it a second use can add to its value, so look carefully at unfamiliar playthings. A teddy bear sometimes has a hidden music box inside or is made to be used as a muff. A tiny bear with a removable head can actually be a valuable perfume bottle. Even more surprising are a pair of seated bisque dolls that double as liquor decanters. The dolls, made by Gebruder Heubach of Germany, are shaped like charming baby dolls with blond hair and side-glancing eyes. At first they look like the more familiar "piano babies." Why a decanter hiding in a doll? They were made in 1910, before Prohibition in the United States, so there was no legal reason to hide alcoholic drinks. Perhaps some people felt that bottled spirits should be stored out of sight in a 9-inch tall ceramic figurine. This type of decanter is very rare, so the dolls as a pair sold for $969.
Q I recently acquired a 16-inch cast-iron bell and yoke. The bell has the number 2 on the top. The yoke is marked "The C.S. Bell Co.," "2" and "Hillsboro, O." on one side and "No. 2 Yoke" and "1886" on the other side. It's clean and not rusted. What is it worth?
A C.S. Bell Co. was founded by Charles Singleton Bell. He operated a foundry in Hillsboro, Ohio, beginning in 1858. The company made farm equipment and stoves. One day, while working to develop a new type of metal alloy, Bell accidently dropped a piece of the metal and discovered that it made a ringing sound like a bell. The company began making bells from the new alloy, and by the 1880s C.S. Bell was the largest producer of bells in North America. Most bronze bells are marked with the name of the company on the bell, but C.S. Bell always marked the yoke instead. The Bell family continued to operate the business until 1974. Bells were made at the Hillsboro site until at least 1984. Another company, Prindle Station, claims to make bells today that are identical to the original bells made by C.S. Bell. A C.S. Bell Co. bell with a No. 2 yoke sold recently for more than $250.
Q What does it mean when an ad says a Northwood vase is "JIP shape"?
A "JIP" stands for "jack-in-the-pulpit" and describes a vase shaped something like the flower with that name. It's a narrow vase with a wide mouth that has one side pulled upward and the other side folded downward. Vases in this shape were first made by Stevens & Williams of Stourbridge, England, in about 1854. The term "jack-in-the-pulpit" wasn't used until Louis Comfort Tiffany used it for vases he made beginning in 1900. Northwood Glass Co., of Wheeling, W.Va., was one of several other glass manufacturers that made vases in this shape.
Q I bought a heating stove at an auction and would love to know more about it. It is inscribed "No. 14, Orient, 1888, Bridgeford & Co., Pat'd Dec. 6, 1886." The stove has pottery tiles with "portraits" on either side of the center opening. Any help on value would be appreciated.
A The Orient was an "open fire" heating stove patented by Bridgeford & Co., of Louisville, Ky. It was described as "the handsomest, cheapest and most perfect-operating open stove in the market." The heat could be regulated by adjusting the ventilators in the lower blowers so that the fire didn't burn out overnight. Bridgeford made stoves for several companies, including the Barstow Stove Co. of New York, which was in business from 1836 until 1929. Several models of the Orient stove were manufactured. Models similar to yours and attributed to Barstow Stove Co. have sold for $500 to $2,000, depending on condition. Many Orient stoves have been completely restored and refinished by their owners.
Q I own a book of camp songs that I got when I attended a day camp run by the WPA at Niobrara State Park in Nebraska. The song book, titled "Camp Songs," pictures a campfire on the cover. I went to the camp for two years, and then the war started and there were no more day camps in our area. Is the song book collectible?
A The Works Progress Administration was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May 1935 to provide jobs for some of the unemployed during the Depression. WPA projects included building roads and bridges, schools, playgrounds, parks and airport landing fields. There were WPA projects for artists, writers, historians and mathematicians. Job training was offered as well, and day camps for children were established in several areas of the country. More than 8 million people were employed by the WPA during the eight years it existed. The program, renamed "Work Projects Administration" in 1939, ended in June 1943 after there was no longer a shortage of jobs. WPA items of all types are collected. Your camp song book is an interesting memento of the times. It is worth about $10 to $20.
Q I have a plate marked "PL" with a line under it. The words "Limoges" and "France" are beneath the line. Can you tell me who made the plate and how much it's worth?
A The mark on your plate was used by La Porcelaine Limousine of Limoges, France. The company was founded by Joseph Redon and P. Jouhanneaud and his son in about 1905, and was in business until about 1938. A 9-1/2-inch plate decorated with roses made by Porcelaine Limousine auctioned recently for $23.
Tip: Don't store pewter near cardboard or vinegar. The fumes will cause damage.
By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel forum. For return of a photograph, include a stamped envelope. Write to Kovel, Farm Forum, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019. | <urn:uuid:273a2942-fbbd-4178-8d60-df6b6584ba22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aberdeennews.com/farmforum/life/antiques/aan-ff.01-18-13.antkovel-20130118,0,5779520.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979319 | 1,341 | 2.140625 | 2 |
by Mark Palmer And Patrick Glen on 29 Sep 2011 | Comments
Mark Palmer And Patrick Glen | Published: September 29, 2011
Muammar Gaddafi’s fall is the latest in a trend that began with the uprisings in Tunisia last winter that sent Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali skulking into exile and toppled Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak the following month. Movements toward reform saved other despots: King Mohammed VI of Morocco instituted constitutional reforms, while Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir promised not to seek the presidency in 2015.
Against the backdrop of these successes, however, the Arab Spring has had bloody setbacks. Protests in Bahrain and Jordan were violently suppressed. In Syria, Bashar al-Assad’s regime has killed thousands of the brave citizens who have turned out to protest since March. Beyond that region, dictators who continue to oppress include the Castro dynasty in Cuba; the Lukashenko regime in Belarus; Zimbabwe’s independence-leader-turned-tyrant, Robert Mugabe; and the isolationist and paranoid regimes in Burma and North Korea.
Simply put, international law has failed to keep up with the challenges posed by dictatorial regimes.
The 20th century was, to an uncomfortable degree, defined by the depredations and mass slaughters perpetrated by dictators. And thus far there are few indications in the 21st century that history’s lessons have been absorbed. More often than not, international institutions stand by while political rights are eviscerated and mass killings are committed by regimes desperate to retain power. Many applauded the 2009 indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of Sudan’s Bashir, the first of a sitting head of state, yet he remains president and no country through which he has traveled has tried to arrest him. Libya’s Gaddafi has been indicted for crimes against humanity, but there seems to be little prospect of his answering the charges.
What we think of as “international law” is a patchwork of conventions that deal with issues raised by dictatorships in a piecemeal, ineffective fashion. The Convention Against Torture, for instance, addresses politically motivated degrading treatment and torture, while the Genocide Convention targets the worst abuses a dictator could commit. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights delineates a base line of rights that must be protected but offers no clear mechanism by which to vindicate violations. The definition of crimes against humanity, as noted in the ICC’s Rome Statute, could be used to reach many of the abuses a dictator could commit, but the ICC’s efficacy is limited by jurisdictional requirements and the principle of complementarity. This patchwork leaves outside the purview of international institutions many political crimes a dictator would be likely to commit, while punishing certain heinous acts only once they have crossed an acceptably unacceptable threshold.
What the international community needs is a framework that makes clear such forms of governance are violating international law.
The clearest way forward would be through a convention targeting dictatorship as an international crime. Rather than treating dictatorship as an ancillary issue in the prosecution of other crimes, this would focus attention on the types of atrocities and oppression in which dictators engage. These crimes include the curtailment of certain civil liberties — such as the freedoms of association, speech and press — state interference with institutions such as the judiciary and electoral bodies, and oppressive regulation of personal autonomy. Moreover, nations could incorporate this criminalization into domestic law, providing an additional forum in which to publicize violations and prosecute violators.
This step would not represent a dramatic or elitist Western intervention in the internal politics of foreign nations. The rights already guaranteed by international law, under such conventions as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, serve as the framework of liberal democracy. A prohibition on dictatorship would simply provide a way to vindicate these rights in international or domestic forums.
The Arab Spring and the march away from dictatorship over the past half-century undercut any claim that the rough outlines of democracy are somehow the province of the West. The final form may differ from the Middle East to Africa, just as democracy does not look the same in Washington, Paris and New Delhi. Yet that does not undermine the assertion that the fundamental core of democracy, the protection of political and civil rights by government, is something for which all people yearn.
Eradicating dictatorship would make the world safer for all. It would lift the yoke from the necks of millions still labouring under authoritarian and dictatorial rule. And it would be the clearest vindication of the rights enumerated in the UN Charter in 1945. To paraphrase Gaddafi’s borrowed line, it is time to relegate regimes such as his to the dustbin of history.
Mark Palmer, ambassador to Hungary from 1986 to 1990, is the author of “Breaking the Real Axis of Evil: How to Oust the World’s Last Dictators by 2025.” Patrick Glen, a lawyer in Washington, is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Centre. –Washington Post. Read original article here | <urn:uuid:0de0ae0c-1298-42ed-8fec-31eb7f92e6f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ijcentral.org/blog/an_international_plan_to_eradicate_dictatorship/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95318 | 1,040 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Learn to Draw > LetteringClarity results automatically from the prototype, which is based on the shape of the rectangle. This, without going to extremes and producing a hardly legible text, can vary from a square to an upright rectangle with a 1:4 width-height relationship. If this proportion is expressed as 2:8, it is easier to divide the proportions of the letters by eye according to the golden mean, as we learned when drawing the human body. In lettering, the golden mean is, once again, the most satisfactory proportion. Here we can only outline the elements of letter construction. Writing and lettering is a special field in which expertness is gained only by much practice. Real mastery is a special gift, which, like every talent, reveals itself through an unusual predilection for the subject.
To make this exercise easier it is advisable to use squared paper. First draw an upright rectangle of 5 x 8 units, and divide it diagonally in both directions; then, as illustrated, draw in the ellipse. This is the basic proportion, the prototype, for capitals, which gives the construction of C, L, N, 0, Q, and Z. By quartering the figure we get E, F, H, T, K, and Y. (E and F seem disproportionately broad, but in certain technical alphabets, which must be constructed with ruler, set square, and compasses, they are allowed to remain so. In the next stage it will be seen that they are normally altered to a more pleasing proportion. These mechanically constructed alphabets do not even use the ellipse, but instead join half circles with straight lines. )
Lines joining the centers of the top and bottom of the rectangle diagonally to the opposite corners give the two triangles which make A and V and, when doubled, M and W. The C is made by cutting the ellipse where it meets the diagonals, and the G is made in the same way, both letters thus not filling the rectangle completely. All the other letters are narrower still. The E, F, and T can now be given their correct widths. The D is half the ellipse, plus an additional eighth, with a vertical. The other letters are formed using circles and half circles with a diameter of four units. Better proportions can be given to the R and B if they, too, have at least one added width unit; otherwise they would appear too narrow.
At this stage we are moving well beyond the scope of rigid mechanical construction; creative lettering is more than measuring and logic. Nevertheless, the skeleton, the. proportion of the golden mean, must not be forgotten. As we develop a more sensitively designed letter, it will be found that many have a center that differs considerably from the geometric center of the rectangle. In B, D, F, G, H, P, and R, the central horizontal is slightly above the geometric center, the lower part of the letter thus being rather bigger than the upper to give greater stability.
In K and Y the juncture of the diagonals is similarly altered. In S and B the two half circles are of different diameters. There remain J and U, which are made respectively of a half and quarter circle across five units.
We now must decide whether to keep each letter as a schematic shape built up of uniform elements, or whether to consider each letter individually. Experience teaches that individually designed letters are more quickly and easily read than those built up schematically. The latter emphasize the regularity of the rhythm, but other artifices can be used to recover this so that in artistic lettering one is able to concentrate on the individual shape of each letter. W and M are the most obvious examples. They are much pleasanter and more legible if they are narrowed by making the two outer strokes tend more toward the vertical than the inner ones.
Two very simple and legible forms can be drawn directly from the basic rectangle, but their shapes are not attractive. The illustrations show how to find satisfactory proportions from diagonals within the rectangle, and other values from divisions according to the golden section. In the end we come to quite imponderable alterations, since no good writing is made from uniformly very thin lines. Either we make block letters with uniform thick lines, or we use a flat brush or broad nib to combine thick and thin lines. Serifs can be added to these. All these resources change the balance of the letters, so that the artist's sensitivity must be brought into playas the deciding factor.
A 3 x 5 unit rectangle for the small letters, in printing called lower case, can be derived from the original S x 8 rectangle. Ascenders and descenders, such as the "tails" of P and D, stand in a 3:5 relation to the average height. The S:3 relation has already been used for the horizontal line in capital A, and small letters use the 3:5 relation in the same way as the 5:8 principle was used for the capitals. If necessary, the descenders and ascenders can be reduced to two units. The relation would then still be within the golden mean, though at the primitive level of 3:2.
Next: lettering concluded
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In this paper, a medical image registration method using points, contour and curves is proposed, which has the accuracy of registration based-on points and the robust of registration based-on lines (including contour and curves). The operator can exactly extract the features from the images with semi-automatic extraction method. The extracted curve-pairs are modeled by non-uniform cubic B-splines so that they have the same parameter space after modeled. Then the mechanism of non-uniform subdivision of curves ensures that the subdivided points can match the original curve as close as possible and fulfill the requirement of image registration. The deformation between images is described by thin plate splines, which is solved iteratively by continuously improving the regions of maximum difference on contour-pair or curve-pairs and adding constraint conditions. The experimental results show that our algorithm, which exploits the advantages of registration based-on points and that based-on lines, is a robust, fast and accurate medical image registration algorithm.
BioMedical Engineering and Informatics, 2008. BMEI 2008. International Conference on (Volume:2 )
Date of Conference: 27-30 May 2008 | <urn:uuid:8a9827b7-133d-4041-a38b-18099ab75e18> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?reload=true&arnumber=4549150&contentType=Conference+Publications | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920756 | 242 | 1.867188 | 2 |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- A panel of independent FDA science advisers has characterized as inadequate the evidence the agency used last month to determine that the common chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is safe to use in food packaging.
In a draft report, the FDA's science board subcommittee on bisphenol A criticized the agency for using only two industry-sponsored trials from a deep pool of BPA studies to conclude that the margins of safety for the chemical in food applications are acceptable.
Those margins "defined by FDA as adequate are, in fact, inadequate," wrote the subcommittee, chaired by toxicologist Martin Philbert, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
The FDA said last month there was insufficient evidence to connect low-levels of BPA to some health issues. Some scientists and consumer groups have warned that the chemical might contribute to some cancers, early puberty, alterations of the prostate and urinary tracts, and behavioral problems.
The FDA issued its preliminary assessment of the chemical -- which hardens plastic in items like baby bottles and is part of the epoxy resin used to line aluminum cans -- during a day-long meeting in September. Since then, the science subcommittee has been working on its peer review of the FDA's draft assessment.
The subcommittee report charged that the FDA was wrong to dismiss a number of government and university studies in its assessment for not meeting the standard of "good laboratory practices."
"The subcommittee finds that the draft assessment conclusions are not supported by the available data and science unless the arguments for excluding all work on effects of BPA except the [two] studies are accepted," the subcommittee said.
Two members of Congress backed the subcommittee's findings.
"It amazes me that the FDA requires a Science Board report to tell them to consider all the available scientific studies when evaluating the safety of a chemical," said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) "The agency's efforts on BPA have not instilled complete confidence in its ability to protect the public."
Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, agreed.
"Unlike the FDA, the science board had the sense to recognize that the totality of scientific evidence should be evaluated when determining the safety of a potentially hazardous chemical," Dingell said. "I commend the science board for its work and await the FDA's final decision."
The FDA said that said the subcommittee's report raised important questions about the agency's draft assessment.
"The FDA agrees that, due to the uncertainties raised in some studies relating to the potential effects of low dose exposure to bisphenol A, additional research would be valuable."
In addition to not relying on enough studies, the subcommittee said the FDA's BPA assessment lacked an adequate number of infant formula samples. The assessment sampled 17 cans of formula, all from a Washington-area supermarket in the early 1990s.
The FDA has suggested that concerned parents may wish to avoid plastic baby bottles until low-dose effects of BPA in infants are known, but some consumer groups believe that BPA should be banned altogether in items with which children come into contact, such as bottles and toys.
Canada last month became the first country to entirely ban the chemical for use in baby bottles.
The subcommittee urged that the agency's final word should include studies that were completed after the draft BPA assessment.
The FDA is scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the subcommittee's report, but one member of Congress urged that the meeting be cancelled and that the whole investigation should being anew.
Rep. Rose DeLauro (D-Conn.) wrote a letter to Andrew Von Eschenbach, M.D., the commissioner of food and drugs, raising concerns about industry ties of two science subcommittee members -- Dr. Philbert, the chairman of the science subcommittee, and Howard Hu, M.D., also of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
DeLauro said Dr. Philbert and Dr. Hu work with the University of Michigan Risk Science, which receives grants from Dow Chemical, a BPA manufacturer, and from Charles Gelman, a retired medical device manufacture who had defended BPA, according to DeLauro's letter.
"The health of millions of Americans could potentially be adversely affected by BPA, and the FDA's review of BPA must be of the highest integrity and scientific standards," DeLauro said.
In response to the letter and media reports alleging improper and undisclosed conflicts of interest surrounding Dr. Philbert, the FDA's deputy commissioner for policy, Randall W. Lutter, Ph.D., wrote to Barabara McNeil, M.D., Ph.D., of Harvard, the FDA's full science committee chair.
On the basis of an earlier review of Dr. Philbert, input from the FDA's ethics division, and advice from HHS's legal counsel, the FDA did not require Dr. Philbert to sign a waiver stating his conflict of interest, said Dr. Lauter.
However, he should not be allowed to vote on BPA-related questions, Dr. Lutter said.
"Given the attention that now embroils this issue, however, I think it might be wise to have Professor Philbert present the results of the subcommittee report to the board, answer related questions, but refrain from voting on the questions before the board relating to BPA," said Dr. Lutter.
Primary source: FDA | <urn:uuid:7a499400-1381-4e98-bc7f-3491f5ca0c75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/11540 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953369 | 1,114 | 2.296875 | 2 |
23. The Marketing Process in Detail III
Now is the time to start contacting your customers and educating them about your cause. It is also a point in the marketing process where we see yet another key difference between successful and failed marketers: the ability to create, and follow, a plan. As discussed in Part I, Chapter 18, your plan doesn’t have to be fancy or complex, but it should include these parts:
• Your goals, delineated in great detail, and preferably quantified and deadlined.
• The steps you need to take to achieve your goals, also delineated in great detail, and quantified and deadlined if possible.
• The resources required to achieve each step. This could be money, your time, others’ time, information, equipment and materials such as office or art supplies.
• A statement of the risks, problems and obstacles you might encounter, and how you will overcome them.
Then, you start executing on the plan, always taking time, throughout the campaign, to stop and review what you have done, assess how effective you have been, and what changes you can make to the plan or your actions to be even more effective in the future.
Follow-Through is Key
Most of the things that can go wrong in a marketing campaign come down to this: not following through.
So, you talk to your customers and gain lots of information on what they want and doesn’t want, but fail to do your segmentation or frame your message based on that information.
Or, you don’t come up with a plan—or you come up with one, but don’t follow it.
Or, you follow it, but don’t take time out to periodically assess your level of success.
Or you do measure success, but don’t get around to changing the plan to improve its effectiveness . . .
There’s an old joke that 90 percent of success is just showing up. Well, 90 percent of marketing success is just following through.
Moving on to Sales . . .
Good work—we’re done with our discussion of marketing! Now let’s move on to sales. . . .
Let’s assume you’ve done your market segmentation, message framing and strategic planning, and are starting to follow through on that plan. As a result, you’re starting to see some lively interest among members of your audience. The remaining chapters of The Lifelong Activist show you how to “close” these sales and get your customers to sign on with enthusiasm and commitment to your cause. | <urn:uuid:827ef888-260d-4bd7-8294-a438067fa497> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifelongactivist.com/part-v-managing-your-relationship-with-others/23-the-marketing-process-in-detail-iii/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945473 | 545 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The importance of vocational training
On Tuesday, the Aiken Standard published a story about Emashji Williams, a South Aiken High student who recently won state and national honors for his work in mobile electronics.
Williams has translated his love for auto mechanics into what potentially will be a bright, and lucrative, future.
We are quick to praise the academic and athletic accomplishments of our students. We place such a premium on college degrees that the hard working vocational students can be overlooked.
Williams took first place as a Skills USA state competition last spring and went on to finish 12th at the nationals in Kansas City, Mo., this summer.
The high school senior is enrolled in automotive technology at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center and hopes to attend the Universal Tech Institute in Orlando, Fla. After 14 months, he would become an Automotive Service Excellence-certified technician and would then continue to study collision and repair.
From there he can start his career doing something he loves.
A college education is important, but not for everyone. And these days, with the cost of college skyrocketing to heights becoming unattainable to many, there must be alternatives.
Fifty years ago, for the most part only a smaller group of people went to college. In the 1970s and 1980s, college was affordable and the push was on for more students to enroll. “Without a college degree, you’ll never get ahead,” students were told.
Now students need to think long and hard if the income they’ll earn from the career they want after college is worth the price tag of the diploma.
Williams, on the other hand, should make a good living with his skills – probably better than many professions like teaching, health care, social services or public service.
Technical schools, including Aiken Technical College, work hard to develop programs to provide training for the skilled jobs in the area.
The importance of those skills, and proper training for them, is vital to our country’s future.
That’s not to diminish the benefit of a college degree. But let’s not forget the value of vocational education, and let’s make sure we celebrate it. | <urn:uuid:9b246e47-b849-4d56-a570-d31cc5e70c27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20120907/AIK0201/120909841/1021/AIK0201/the-importance-of-vocational-training | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969476 | 456 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Since September, police have arrested dozens of journalists and activists around the country for the “crime” of trying to document political protests in public spaces.
People with smartphones and cameras are changing the way we record and share breaking news. In return, police have targeted, harassed — and in many cases, arrested — those trying to bear witness.
Whether you’re a credentialed journalist, a protester or a bystander with a camera, you are guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of access to information. In the digital age, these freedoms mean that we all have the right to record.
Free Press and a coalition of free speech and digital rights groups have sent a letter urging Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department to defend this right.
Please Join Us and Sign the Letter. Protect Everyone’s Right to Record.
Illustration by Free Press. Original photograph by Flickr user _PaulS_. | <urn:uuid:d106a2da-f806-4eee-b302-454009ff119b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://act2.freepress.net/letter/right_to_record | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915035 | 190 | 2.171875 | 2 |
In a move to realign company interests and focus on enterprise customers in the wake of recent losses, Cisco is shutting down its Flip Video production division.
A Brief History of Flip Video
Pure Digital Technologies started the line way back in 2006. Originally manufacturing disposable camcorders, Pure Digital improved the quality and design of its product enough for the device to become reusable. And the pocket camcorder was born, with the Pure Digital Point & Shoot.
A year later the Point & Shoot was rebranded as the Flip Video, and Pure Digital began a successful run as purveyors of low-end, easy to use camcorders. Pure Digital and Flip Video were, in fact, successful enough that the company and its flagship line piqued the interest of Cisco.
Cisco acquired Pure Digital for $590 million in 2009, and released several additions to the Flip line, such as the Flip SlideHD and Flip UltraHD. However Cisco's run with the company did not last long, and two short years after Cisco's acquisition, the history of Flip Video comes to a close.
Reasons for Cisco's Decision
There seems to be a two pronged cause/rationale to the closure of the Flip Video line. The first is Cisco's aforementioned decision to buckle down and set its sights forward on enterprise products and a more selective offering of consumer devices (routers and whatnot). Cisco has struggled financially recently, and it makes sense for the large, sprawling company to regroup.
The second cause is competition. In 2006, Flip Video camcorders were novel devices. However, since Cisco's acquisition, everyone has gotten into the pocket camcorder industry. Kodak brought competition shortly after Cisco first acquired Pure Digital with the Kodak Zi8. It continued producing challengers for Flip, such as the Kodak PlaySport and PlayTouch models.
Sony also offered competition with the Sony Bloggie Touch.
Possibly most damning of all was the dramatic improvement and proliferation of cell phone cameras. The rise of smartphones featuring quality cameras that offer HD recording could drain the pocket camcorder industry of most of its business.
more than 100 focused websites providing quick access to a deep store of
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All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2000 - 2013, TechTarget | Read our Privacy Statement | <urn:uuid:b4e73d69-c62c-4ce4-b3f3-64cabd23d624> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=4722&news=cisco+flip+video+camcorder+pure+digital | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957868 | 487 | 1.734375 | 2 |
My husband and I are blogging together here as a team. I’m Deb, and my husband is Bob. We both enjoy hiking, camping, cycling and photography. And we often enjoy these activities in one of Ohio’s many parks. Ohio’s parks and nature preserves are owned and operated across all levels of government: federal, state, county, and municipal. There are also parks that are operated by non-profit organizations, like the Nature Conservancy or the Audubon Society. We have pulled together information about these parks and preserves in our online guide to help people decide which parks have features that appeal to them. In addition to our guide, we publish photos and reviews of these parks on our blog. We also periodically post articles on nature topics, and on the geology and history of specific Ohio parks.
Since we live in Central Ohio, this area is perhaps the easiest for us to cover. But we’ve also made many treks farther afield. We’ll identify the location of a park by assigning it to one of the five geographical regions that are traditionally used in Ohio: northeast, northwest, central, southeast, and southwest.
It would delight us to learn that some of our readers found information here that helped them to plan some of their own trips, or simply enjoyed some of the nature posts and photography that we’ll be sharing here. | <urn:uuid:fd980476-89e3-477a-aaca-2347b158f01d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://trekohio.com/about/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974427 | 285 | 1.695313 | 2 |
This session's infusion of Tea Party sentiment in the legislative process has affected the standard law and order calculus that we use to gauge the potential fate of various bills. That "Tea Party sentiment" can be boiled down to this: "The government is the enemy. You work for the government. Do the math." Think we're kidding? Earlier this session, unsuspecting prosecutors who came to testify on a bill that would impair your budgets had to fend off a chairman who equated prosecutors with the Mafia, prompting one DA to profess surprise that he had apparently traded his white hat for a black one when he entered the Capitol. But that was just one early incident; let us share with you a more recent example.Shannon's not the first to notice the difference between small government and Big Government conservatism: The Economist this week featured an article describing how the former approach is transforming the politics of criminal justice, including a discussion of initiatives in Texas. But it's especially notable (and heartening) that such sentiments now extend beyond budgeting to Fourth Amendment questions.
Earlier this week, SB 1717 by Duncan/Lewis, an omnibus judicial reform bill, became what we call a "Christmas tree," so named because of all the amendments that other members tried to "hang" on it. Many of those amendments were formerly dead bills, including HB 1507 by Christian, a prosecutor-supported bill that would authorize non-lawyer JPs to issue evidentiary search warrants in smaller counties. Once offered, the amendment immediately started taking fire from several House members—urban and rural, Democrat and Republican—who expressed concerns about expansive searches, especially relating to blood draws in DWI cases. Now, there has always been some generalized resistance at the capitol to the existence of non-lawyer magistrates, but this time, the anti-government Tea Party effect crystallized that opposition into a solid voting bloc that defeated the amendment by a stunning vote of 17-121. As a result, the author of the amendment joined the ignominious "100 Club" for putting forth a matter that drew over 100 "nay" votes. We bring this to your attention because it is only one of several indications that things are changing at the state capitol. Just be glad that we passed some blood draw legislation last session, because if we hadn't, that bill would be D.O.A. this session. And that, friends, is the new legislative math for the foreseeable future.
RELATED (5/31): From Ilya Somin at The Volokh Conspiracy, "The Tea Party Movement and Popular Constitutionalism." | <urn:uuid:f3e86af5-895a-4320-9735-1587b99dbe27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-math-prosecutors-vs-tea-party.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963341 | 526 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Several months ago, Whoopi Goldberg returned to her TV show, “The View,” after being absent for gum surgery. In this episode, she spent a few minutes discussing her personal experience with gum disease and how she will be losing her teeth. But, more importantly, Whoopi did a tremendous public service by bringing up the serious health consequences of gum disease (periodontal disease) that go well beyond losing teeth. New discoveries are revealing possible connections between gum disease and heart disease, stroke, diabetes, premature births, erectile dysfunction and cancer, for example.
Here is a concise explanation concerning periodontal disease: the warning signs, risk factors, facts and treatment options available to treat the disease.
Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. It begins when the bacteria in plaque (the sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth) causes the gums to become inflamed.
In the mildest form of the disease, gingivitis, the gums redden, swell and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort. Gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene. Gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment and good oral home care. In a recent study of Americans aged 30 years and older, half exhibited gum bleeding at one or more site.
Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread and grow below the gum line. Toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque irritate the gums. The toxins stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in which the body in essence turns on itself, and the tissues and bone that support the teeth are broken down and destroyed. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed.
More than one in three people over age 30 have periodontitis. And, by a conservative estimate, 35.7 million people in the United States have periodontitis.
Periodontal disease is often silent, meaning symptoms may not appear until an advanced stage of the disease. However, signs of periodontal disease include:
- Red, swollen or tender gums
- Bleeding while brushing or flossing
- Gums that pull away from the teeth
- Loose or separating teeth
- Pus between the gum and the tooth
- Chronic bad breath
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
- A change in the fit of partial dentures
Plaque causes periodontal disease, which means that without proper at-home oral hygiene and regular dental visits, the risk of developing periodontal disease clearly increases. However, even perfect oral hygiene isn’t enough to ward off periodontal disease in everyone. Other risk factors that are thought to increase the risk, severity and speed of development of periodontal disease include tobacco use, general health conditions, medications, stress, genetics, hormonal changes and poor nutrition.
Facts about Periodontal Disease
- Prevalence and extent of periodontal disease is often measured by attachment loss and/or probing depth. Attachment loss is the places where disease has caused damage to the roots of the teeth and gum tissue loss. Probing depth is depth of a periodontal pocket.
- Periodontal disease affects the mass of tissue in the oral cavity, which is equivalent in size to the skin on an arm that extends from the wrist to the elbow.
- Smoking may be responsible for more than half of the cases of periodontal disease among adults in this country.
- People with diabetes, leukemia, or AIDS/HIV are at increased risk for developing periodontal disease.
- Stress can affect periodontal disease and can make the infection more severe and harder to fight. A recent study found high levels of financial stress and poor coping abilities increase twofold the likelihood of developing periodontal disease.
- Periodontal disease is major cause of tooth loss in adults.
- A growing body of research links periodontal disease and heart disease, diabetes, preterm and low birth weight babies, and respiratory disease.
I highly recommend anyone that has been diagnosed with periodontal disease to see a Periodontist. A periodontist is a dental specialist with 3 years of additional education beyond dental school. They are highly trained to treat all aspects of periodontal disease to help you reduce your risks that may affect other areas of your health. In my practice, I typically use laser periodontal therapy to treat periodontal disease. If you are interested in more information about laser periodontal therapy please click here.
It’s amazing how the power of Whoopi’s celebrity will do more for public awareness of gum disease than the dental profession could dream of doing. Whoopi set aside her pride and laid it all on the line to spread a very important message. Thanks, Whoopi!
If you enjoyed this post there is a good chance you will like these posts from my blog as well:
- “6 Ways A Healthy Mouth Equals A Healthy You“
- “The Mouth Is A Window To Your Overall Health“
- “6 Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health“
Thanks for reading !! | <urn:uuid:d1ab647f-6aec-47c6-9efa-8c7c08f69bf1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtnperioblog.com/whoopi-goldbergs-view-gum-disease/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931844 | 1,157 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Moulding Your Own Cockpit Canopies
When you start building from plans rather than kits, one of the problems you will
eventually come across is the necessity to produce your own cockpit canopies.
Those in kits are usually vacuum formed, but as not many of us are lucky enough
to have a vac-form machine, we have to use another method. To aid those attemping
a home made canopy for the first time, here is a step by step illustrated guide to
the simple "plug moulding" method I use.
Take a block of medium to hard balsa and carve to the shape of the required canopy.
This is the hardest part of the whole process - it takes time, and you make lots
of mess! Test fit the part constantly against the the model, and
cut a template from a copy of the plan (stuck to cardboard if you like) to make
sure you get the correct outer profile. Really take your time to get as good a
fit as possible to the model - this will pay dividends later on. Finish off the
mould with progressively finer grades of sandpaper, down to about 600 grit or
so. I do not apply anything else to finish the mould - just bare balsa (you
wouldn't get away with this if using a vac-former, as the plastic would be
sucked into all the imperfections)
The picture below shows the finished mould for the canopy of my 14" span
Saab J29 placed on the model. This canopy is a relatively simple one, because
it fits on a flat plate, and is not particularly deep (why do you think I chose it?)
Next we must glue a 1/8" thick plate onto the bottom of the canopy mould. If the
canopy has any vertical or steep edges that also mate with the fuselage, these
need to be extended as well. For a very steep edge on a deep canopy, you may
need to add a thicker lump of balsa, and round it off towards the top, in order
to stop excessive thinning of the clear sheet over the sharp corner during
moulding. The addition of this extra material is important, because it ensures
we have a clean, sharp edge when the canopy is trimmed. The join between the
mould and the extension acts as a cutting guide when trimming.
Here you can see the 1/8" plate glued to the bottom of the mould before it has
been trimmed and sanded flush with the mould contours. Also note a handle
added to the underside made from scrap 1/4" square balsa (you can use anything
With the extra material sanded flush with the canopy form, we now need to make a
simple female jig to push the mould into. This is just a hole cut in a piece of
spare 3/16" or 1/4" balsa sheet, so that there is about 1/16" clearance to the
male mould. This ensures that the plastic sheet stays close to the sides of the
male mould when it is pushed through. Note the entry to the hole is rounded off
on one side of the sheet and smoothed to give the clear material a nice gradual
Now we need to find some plastic sheet to use for moulding. I never go out and buy
material, but collect pieces of blister packaging whenever I see something that
might be suitable. This is mostly PET and PVC I think, but don't quote me on that!
My favourite material is vac-formed Easter egg packaging, and you can see some of
my collection below (eating the contents is a necessary chore that just has to be
done....) If you cut a piece to use, and place it on a tray under a grill, it
will soon revert to its original flat shape.
Cut a piece of sheet to generously fit over your female mould, and attach it as
shown. Note the highly sophisticated (!) method used, involving lots of pins.
You can use little clamps or clips if you like, but I find pins work fine. Also
note that the piece of sheet is not perfectly flat - it really does not matter
at all if it came off the grill pan with ripples all over it.
Now for the fun part. Put on some oven gloves, and grasping the far end of the
balsa sheet, hold the pinned clear sheet under the grill - you can rest it on
the tray at a suitable height. Here is where trial and error come into play -
you have to pick the right moment to remove the sheet. Peering under the grill,
you should see the clear material tighten up, then just begin to sag a little.
At the same time the first wisps of smoke may just be seen coming from it. At this stage
quickly remove it and plunge the male mould into the clear sheet, through the
female mould. The photo below shows how far to push it in.
A couple of things can go wrong at this point. Firstly, if the sheet is not
hot enough, you will not be able to push the male mould all the way in. If
this is the case, then simply put it back under the grill again. The sheet
will flatten out again, and you can leave it a bit longer next time. Repeat
this procedure as many times as you like!
If you have overheated the material, it may be discoloured, or gas bubbles may
have formed inside. If so, don't heat it so much next time. In extreme cases,
it may catch fire of course, so BE CAREFUL and NEVER leave it unattended under
I had some sheet once that went milky when you heated it up. Some
clear material just does does not work very well, in which case, bin it, and
try some different stuff.
You may need several attempts to get a good result, but that doesn't
matter - the mould will survive quite happily. For deep drawn parts, the
thickness of the sheet can be critical. Ideally you want the thinnest canopy
you can get, to save weight, but a deep moulding will need a thicker sheet
than a shallow one if it is not to going be so thin at the sides that it will
be unusable. Some experimentation will probably be needed. These mouldings
tend to be thickest at the top (where the mould first touches the plastic sheet)
and thinnest at the lower sides, where the sheet gets most stretched.
Remove all the pins and admire the finished canopy. The first photo below shows
the canopy with mould still inside, and the second with the mould removed.
The canopy is trimmed with the male mould reinserted, so you can cut through the
canopy with a sharp knife into the join in the mould where the canopy block meets
the extra 1/8" sheet we added earlier. Test fit the canopy to the model, and do
final adjustments using nail scissors and/or emery paper.
Now the canopy must be attached to the model - a process which often gives
problems. I have quite a few models where smears of glue on the canopy or
windscreen spoil their appearance.Add any cockpit detail and paint as required.
Until recently I favoured clear UHU glue - the stuff in the yellow tubes. This
has the advantage of being transparent, strong and does not give off any nasty
fumes to "bloom" the inside of the canopy (this happens with most Cyano adhesives,
and unless you can get at the inside of the canopy to wipe it off afterwards, you
are stuffed!) The main problem with the UHU is that it is very difficult to apply
without getting strings of glue everywhere, or unsightly blobs.
I have attached canopies with normal PVA wood glue before, which allows you to
do an almost invisible join (it dries crystal clear and does not attack the canopy
at all), but the join is not very strong, and you can lose your canopy in a heavy
My latest method, the favourite so far, is as follows:
Hold canopy in position with a couple of pieces of masking tape, or a weak rubber
band or two - fiddle around until you are sure it is as perfect as possible.
Retrim if necessary.
Apply a tiny bead of PVA wood glue around the canopy/fuselage join with a pin.
Work round carefully, a bit at a time, and smooth the outside if necessary with
When dry, remove the tape or rubber bands, and complete the join with PVA where
you couldn't reach before. Check for any gaps and fill with more PVA if you find
Apply a thin layer of cyano adhesive over the top of the PVA using a pin,
spreading it slightly onto both the canopy and fuselage. You will be painting
frames around the base of the canopy anyway, so you probably have 2 to 3mm to
play with before you get into a visible clear area. The Cyano will not fog the
inside of the canopy because the PVA has sealed the joint first.
Below is the finished canopy glued in position on the Saab J29. When I come to
paint a model, I mask off the transparent bits, leaving the framing uncovered,
and spray it with the fuselage. This makes the canopy seem more an integral part
of the airframe, rather than having that "tacked on afterwards" look.
Back to home page
You are currently on page 57 of 69 | <urn:uuid:a460c2f0-8bb9-4ca8-885e-e2d0c45eb28e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ffscale.co.uk/page4f.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927095 | 2,008 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Looking for Trouble: Will Lawmakers Beef Up Drilling Inspections?
NPR | Dave Fehling
December 18, 2012
Read this article on the publishing site
Chances may be better this time around that the Texas legislature might actually strengthen regulation of oil and gas drilling by the Texas Railroad Commission.
“I think there’s more and more consensus on what needs to happen at the Railroad Commission,” says Royce Poinsett. He’s a lawyer with Baker Botts and a lobbyist for the oil and gas industry.
Part of the reason is oil and gas drilling is getting far more public scrutiny. There’s even a Matt Damon movie now bringing attention to the hydraulic fracturing technique that’s behind a massive surge in oil and gas drilling.
“Aside from perhaps higher penalties, I think what everyone agrees is that the Railroad Commission is simply not given enough resources. It’s been underfunded for decades,” Poinsett told StateImpact.
How Many Inspectors is Enough?
Since 2003, the number of wells monitored by the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) increased by 42,000 to a total statewide of nearly 400,000 active and inactive wells.
To monitor all those wells, the RRC says it has 97 full time oil and gas inspectors plus 55 additional staff to help out.
But despite the12 percent increase in total wells to be monitored, the number of inspections performed was up only 3 percent (comparing 2003 with 2012) according to data in the RRC’S “Strategic Plan.”
Does this mean the RRC inspections are not keeping up?
No, according to Ramona Nye, a spokesperson for the RRC.
“A growth in drilling activity does not necessarily correlate to a corresponding increase in violations. In fact, our inspectors have been witnessing increased compliance by operators,” wrote Nye in an email to StateImpact.
How Texas Compares
“We thought we’d actually see fewer inspections in Texas than the other states. It turned out to be the opposite,” says Bruce Baizel, an attorney with the environmental watchdog group Earthworks.
Baizel says the group compared inspection data and found Texas was annually checking 51 percent of wells whereas Pennsylvania and Ohio inspected only about 10 percent.
But Baizel says it’s not simply a question of how many wells inspectors check. It’s what happens if they find something wrong. He said Texas stood out for how little it fined violators.
“What you find, particularly in Texas, is the penalties that can be imposed by the state agency are very low, on average it’s about a thousand bucks per penalty,” Baizel told StateImpact. “So if you’ve got a well that’s generating $5 million dollars on average, a $1000 is really a drop in the bucket.”
The RRC’s ‘Unwillingness to Pursue Enforcement’
Another report critical of the RRC’s enforcement of drilling laws comes from right in Austin. The Sunset Advisory Commission, a legislative oversight office that critiques state agencies, found that the RRC brought cases against so few drillers that it was contributing “to a public perception of an unwillingness to pursue enforcement action.”
The RRC has responded to the criticism. In recent months, it has increased penalties and fees. Feedback from RRC staff members indicates the moves have already “raised awareness” among operators, especially smaller companies, that breaking the law will cost them, according to Ramona Nye, the RRC spokesperson.
Texas lawmakers will likely take up the proposals from the Sunset Advisory Commission when their new session begins in January. Previous efforts to beef up the RRC failed in past legislative sessions. | <urn:uuid:047d8331-6f79-43c4-a6b9-cfef40e4f142> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.earthworksaction.org/media/detail/looking_for_trouble_will_lawmakers_beef_up_drilling_inspections | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944507 | 804 | 1.835938 | 2 |
2012: PARSING GAY MARRIAGE
- Gallup: Gay marriage stance could cost Obama among independents (By Michael A. Memoli, LA Times) The results "suggest Obama's gay marriage position is likely to cost him more independent and Democratic votes than he would gain in independent and Republican votes, clearly indicating that his new position is more of a net minus than a net plus for him."
- Poll: Most Voters Don’t Care About Obama’s Gay-Marriage Evolution (By Dan Amira, New York Magazine) For those who say it would make a difference, it's a mixed bag for Obama: Only 11 percent of independent voters say that Obama's endorsement makes them more likely to vote for him, compared to 23 percent who say it makes them less likely to vote for him. But while he lost some independent votes, Obama may have picked up some previously less-than-enthusiastic Democratic voters who might have stayed home on election day: 23 percent of Democrats say they are now more likely to vote for Obama, compared to 10 percent who say its less likely.
- Six in 10 Say Obama Same-Sex Marriage View Won't Sway Vote (by Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup) However, those figures also underscore that it is a relatively limited group of voters -- about one in three independents and fewer than one in 10 Republicans or Democrats -- whose votes may change as a result of Obama's new stance on gay marriage.
- Obama’s support for gay marriage adds new layer of complexity for swing-state voters (By Associated Press, Washington Post) Advocates on both sides of the emotional issue agree Obama’s pronouncement will stoke enthusiasm among core Democrats and Republicans, likely boosting turnout in the November election and fundraising ahead of it. The big unknown is where independent voters — and specifically those Obama struggles to win over, such as middle-class whites — land in the fewer than a dozen states expected to make a difference in the quest for the White House. | <urn:uuid:b9490f6c-78c6-479c-ba51-f31a51c25ba3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://grassrootsindependent.blogspot.com/2012/05/2012-parsing-political-advantage-of-gay.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955927 | 411 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Open Source Developer's Agreement (OSDA) initiative is a collaborative effort to provide resources to help people who work on Open Source projects.
The initial resources are a group of documents providing suggested contract variations to employment contracts that would allow employees to develop Open Source software without encumbrance from their employer, where there is no conflict of interest.
The initiative was started by SAGE-AU - the Systems Administrator's Guild of Australia, but the resources have been made available to the general public.
This project has the following developers:
New HTML Parser: The long-awaited libxml2 based HTML parser code is live. It needs further work but already handles most markup better than the original parser.
Keep up with the latest Advogato features by reading the Advogato status blog.
If you're a C programmer with some spare time, take a look at the mod_virgule project page and help us with one of the tasks on the ToDo list! | <urn:uuid:4d9efbb0-20d7-4dd0-af09-2d55b6eff36c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.advogato.org/proj/OSDA/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936374 | 200 | 1.71875 | 2 |
No, with just a Florida learner's permit you cannot drive alone anywhere including to school or work. You can only drive with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and occupies the front passenger seat AT ALL TIMES.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV) states that with your Learner's License, you may:
- Only drive during daylight hours during the first three months and until 10 p.m. thereafter, ALWAYS with a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and occupies the front passenger seat.
To earn a FL operator's license (16 and 17 year old), you must be at least 16 years old AND have held a learner's license for at least one (1) year without any traffic convictions.
The FL HSMV specifically notes that every person under 18 years old MUST hold a Learner's License for one year, there are NO exceptions to this law and that no person may drive alone with a Learner's License - regardless of age. So a teen or those with a FL learner's permit cannot drive alone. Once teens obtain an Intermediate License their driving privileges are based on their age. See below:
- 16 years old - Driving is allowed between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. without a licensed adult (all other times must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old occupying the closest seat to the right of the driver, or be traveling to or from work.)
- 17 years old - Driving allowed between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. without a licensed adult (all other times must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old occupying the closest seat to the right of the driver, or be traveling to or from work.
- 18 years old - Driving is allowed at all hours
With an Intermediate License you may drive without a licensed adult during the driving hour restrictions if travelling to or from work.
If you are convicted of a ticket while in the learner's permit stage of the Florida graduated driver's licensing (GDL) process you will not be able to take the driving test for an Intermediate License for one (1) year from the conviction date.
Get information and a quote for young driver's car insurance needs here. | <urn:uuid:35953c72-c929-474f-85d0-84dd794b770d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carinsurance.com/kb/content50163.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959249 | 466 | 1.867188 | 2 |
I wasn’t able to see David Maynor’s “You are the Trojan” (pdf) talk at Toorcon, but it’s a really interesting subject. With such a large emphasis being placed on tightening perimeter security with firewalls and IDS systems how do attacks keep getting through? The user: bringing laptops on site, connecting home systems through a VPN, or just sacrificing security for speed.
Peripherals can also be a major threat. USB and other computer components use Direct Memory Access (DMA) to bypass the processor. This allows for high performance data transfers. The CPU is completely oblivious to the DMA activity. There is a lot of trust involved in this situation. Here’s how this could be exploited: Like a diligent individual you’ve locked you Windows session. Someone walks in with their hacked USB key and plugs it into your computer. The USB key uses its DMA to kill the process locking your session. Voila! your terminal is now wide open and all they had to do was plug in their USB key, PSP, iPod | <urn:uuid:87c05e9e-4d25-4c25-8206-bd4233f8d01f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hackaday.com/2005/11/09/dont-trust-your-hardware/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949372 | 227 | 2.234375 | 2 |
- Compost is known as black gold for gardens. Compost can be purchased, but it’s much cheaper to make your own. By recycling kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and dried leaves you can create your own compost while simultaneously keeping a bunch of yard waste from going to the landfill. Compost brings beneficial nutrients to your plants, keeps weeds to a minimum, keeps the soil fluffy, and helps the soil stay moist longer.
- Newspapers are biodegradable and work great to keep weeds down naturally. If you’ve ever left anything lying on your lawn you know that it doesn’t take long before the grass beneath it starts to turn yellow and die. To use newspapers in your garden, weed the area where there will be no plants and then lay several layers of newspaper on the bare ground and water them. Cover the wet newspapers with mulch to dress up the area. This technique works well for paths through your garden as well as around bushes in your landscape. Weeds cannot grow up through the newspaper, but water will still soak through it. As the newspaper breaks down just add new paper on top of the old.
- Organic pesticides can be made at home for pennies. To stop powdery mildew on cucumber and zucchini plants spray them with milk that has been diluted with water. A simple salt water solution of 1 T. of salt to 1 gallon of water will chase away slugs, spider mites and cabbage worms. Just spray your plants and you’re done. To deter all insects spray a combination of hot pepper, water and soap onto plants.
- Companion planting will naturally deter insects in your garden. Plant marigolds next to tomato plants. The strong smell of the flowers will keep away green black flies. Plant nasturtium next to cabbages to avoid getting unwanted holes in your cabbages. Caterpillars love nasturtium and will leave the cabbages alone. Plant carrots and leeks together because they each chase away insects for the other. Leeks will repel carrot flies and carrots will repel onion flies and leek moths.
- Rain barrels are a smart way to reduce your water usage. Capturing rain and storing it in some sort of barrel or container is a method that has been used for the last 2000 years, and one that’s easier than ever now. Buy a rain barrel and follow the directions on the barrel to attach it under a gutter. The water will collect in the barrel and you can use that water to water your garden when necessary. Rain barrels range in price from $69.95 to $99.95. A mere ½ inch of rain will fill a typical 50 gallon barrel. Barrels can be hooked together to give you the ability to store even more water.
- Use beneficial insects to rid your garden of the bad ones. By planting butterfly plants and blue, purple, or violet flowers that bees are attracted to you can encourage beneficial bugs to come to your garden. It’s also possible to buy lady bugs to get rid of aphids, worms to aerate the soil, and many other helpful bugs that perform different functions in the garden. Daddy long legs do no harm to vegetables or people, but they love eating aphids, caterpillars, beetles, flies, mites, small slugs, and decaying plant matter, making them highly beneficial to your garden.
- Grow native plants in your yard. By growing plants that are indigenous to your area you will reduce the amount of water you have to use to keep them alive. Plants that occur naturally develop their own defenses against bugs, blight, and drought.
- Use mulch to limit water evaporation. Mulch can often be picked up for free from your city. By using natural mulch you will not introduce harmful chemicals into your garden. Mulch around your plants to keep down weeds and to keep the moisture in the soil. You will not have to water as often if you have a nice thick layer of mulch around your plants. Make sure not to push the mulch too close to the plants as it could cause them to become too wet and begin to rot.
8 Tips to Care for Your Garden
Eating organic produce has become a popular healthy living trend; however buying organic produce can get expensive quickly. To cut back on the amount of money you’re spending on produce you can grow your own organic vegetables instead. By keeping your garden “green” and insecticide free you will have healthier foods to not only serve your family, but also to prepare your own baby food from. To start making changes in your garden today, check out the following tips for a “greener” garden. | <urn:uuid:c52ab54e-ed1b-45aa-bc31-a5ea6e61ae55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.missecoglam.com/environment/item/4608-8-tips-to-care-for-your-garden | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944501 | 971 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Recent clinical trials have shown that antiangiogenesis drugs - those that inhibit blood vessel growth - can slow progression of colon and lung cancers. Now preliminary results from an NCI-sponsored study reveal that the antiangiogenesis drug bevacizumab (Avastin) has the same effect on recurrent or metastatic breast cancers when it is combined with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel (Taxol).
These results come from the E2100 clinical trial, which is run by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group with the participation of 722 women. "This study is the first to find a benefit of antiangiogenic therapy in patients with breast cancer," said Dr. Kathy Miller, study chair and faculty member at Indiana University Medical Center.
Avastin is a humanized monoclonal antibody approved by FDA to treat metastatic colorectal cancer when combined with chemotherapy. It works by blocking a tumor-released molecule called vascular endothelial growth factor. The drug is manufactured by Genentech, Inc., and provided for use in this clinical trial through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with NCI.
Women in the E2100 trial were randomized to receive either paclitaxel alone or in combination with bevacizumab. On average, those who received the combination saw no worsening of their disease for 4 months longer than those who received only the paclitaxel.
The drug celecoxib (Celebrex), a COX-2 inhibitor, produces a distinct pattern of gene activity in the normal colons of patients at risk for an inherited form of colon cancer, according to results of a study reported at the AACR annual meeting.
The researchers identified a genetic "signature" based on 173 genes whose activity was altered by the drug, including many genes involved in the immune system and inflammatory response. Overall, celecoxib led to changes in more than 1,400 genes in the colon, according to Dr. Oleg Glebov, an NCI research fellow.
The signature may be the first indicator of whether the drug has effects in the colon. The researchers note that increasing the dose was associated with larger changes in gene activity, suggesting a dose-response effect.
"We can distinguish individuals who take celecoxib on a routine basis from those who do not," says Dr. Ilan Kirsch, Genetics Branch chief in NCI's Center for Cancer Research, who led the study. "The distinct pattern of gene activity implies that there could be a direct or indirect action of the drug on pathways of immune responsiveness, inflammation, and proliferation within the colon."
The researchers tested celecoxib in patients at risk for hereditary nonpoly-posis colon cancer. Also known as Lynch Syndrome, the disorder increases the risk of colorectal, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, among others.
The tumor suppressor gene DLC-1 (deleted in liver cancer-1) is often silenced in both prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), according to a study presented at the AACR annual meeting. Dr. Nicholas Popescu and colleagues in NCI's CCR found that the DLC-1 promoter region was hypermethylated in a high number of prostate tumor and BPH samples, thus keeping the gene turned off and resulting in abnormal cell growth.
Loss of DLC-1 expression has been associated with liver, breast, and ovarian cancer, among others. Because the chromosome region that contains DLC-1 is often deleted in prostate tumors, DLC-1 might be associated with prostate cancer as well. DNA methylation is one way to keep genes turned off, and Dr. Popescu's lab identified DLC-1 hypermethylation in 11 of 20 prostate adenocarcinomas and 15 of 21 BPHs. In studies with two prostate cancer cell lines, the researchers found that histone deacetylation can also result in loss of DLC-1 expression. Increased DLC-1 methylation in BPH samples also correlated with increased levels of prostate-specific antigen in the blood.
"Because abnormal methylation is one of the earliest alterations in tumor development, the detection of DLC-1 promoter hypermethylation may have clinical application for early detection of prostate cancer," noted Dr. Popescu.
Combining the angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab (Avastin) with either of two investigational immunotoxins - genetically modified bacterial toxins that can penetrate cancer cells - provides superior tumor reduction in animal models when compared with bevacizumab alone, NCI researchers reported this week at the AACR meeting.
Bevacizumab was used in combination with SS1P and HA22, investigational immunotoxins being developed by Dr. Ira Pastan and colleagues in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in NCI's CCR.
Mice were treated with a bevacizumab/immunotoxin combination, bevacizumab alone, or immunotoxin alone. The greatest reduction in tumor volume compared with untreated mice was seen with the bevacizumab/SS1P combination, but similar tumor volume reductions were seen with bevacizumab and with either immunotoxin when compared with bevacizumab alone.
According to Dr. Pastan, the rationale for the study came from work by Dr. Rakesh Jain from Harvard Medical School showing that antiangiogenic therapies can transiently "normalize" the abnormal structure and function of tumor vasculature, perhaps allowing for more effective delivery of antitumor agents.
SS1P is now in a phase 1 clinical trial at NCI and trials with HA22 will begin early in 2006. SS1P, which targets the protein mesothelin, has shown strong antitumor activity against mesothelin-expressing tumors in animal models and in tumor cells from patients with mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. HA22 targets the CD22 protein, which is overexpressed in several different B-cell malignancies.
According to a large observational study presented this week at the AACR meeting, the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as statins, may significantly reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer.
Researchers at NCI, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University followed 34,428 U.S. men for more than 10 years. They found that men who used cholesterol-lowering medications had half the risk of advanced prostate cancer and a third of the risk of metastatic or fatal prostate cancer, compared with nonusers. The study did not reveal any effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs on localized prostate cancer.
"This is a promising lead on a class of drugs that may be offering unanticipated benefits, but we need further studies to confirm these findings as well as figure out the mechanisms at work," says Dr. Elizabeth Platz, the study's lead investigator at Johns Hopkins. More than 90 percent of the men who were using cholesterol-lowering drugs reported using statins in particular.
"The next steps will be to examine the relationship between statin use and prostate cancer recurrence, and to conduct studies involving prostate tissue to try to understand how statins might be preventing the progression of early prostate cancer," adds study co-author Dr. Michael Leitzmann of NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG).
Another study by researchers from Rutgers University, the University of Oklahoma, and NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention and CCR showed that a combination of atorvastatin (Lipitor) and celecoxib was more effective at limiting colon cancer development than higher dosages of either agent alone in a rat model. A dosage of 300 ppm of celecoxib and 100 ppm of atorvastatin inhibited 95 percent of the invasive and noninvasive tumors that developed in the untreated rats. In contrast, twice the dosage of celecoxib given alone reduced tumor incidence and number by 80 percent; 150 ppm of atorvastatin alone reduced tumor incidence by 31 to 41 percent.
While some cancers spread slowly and respond to conventional therapy, others metastasize quickly and become fatal. Being able to determine which type of cancer a patient may have upon initial diagnosis would be invaluable in providing the best treatment possible, according to a pair of studies presented at the AACR annual meeting.
Dr. Gennadi Glinsky and colleagues at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center used gene microarrays to identify a set of 11 genes known as the "death from cancer" signature. The 11 genes are part of the BMI-1 pathway, which normally is essential for the self-renewal of stem cells. This pathway can also increase renewal in cancer cells and promote tumor progression and metastasis. The researchers tested the predictive power of this gene set in 1,566 patients diagnosed with 10 different cancer types and found that positive expression of the BMI-1 pathway was a consistent predictor of rapid metastasis and poor patient outcome.
An NCI study led by Dr. Kent Hunter in NCI's CCR looked at the genetic make-up of normal cells, rather than which set of genes are turned on in a cancer cell. "Millions of polymorphisms exist between individuals in the population, and studies in mice have shown this genetic polymorphism can influence almost any measurable trait," said Dr. Hunter. "These observations suggest that even a process as complex as metastasis could be influenced by an organism's genetic background."
The researchers collected saliva samples from a panel of backcross transgenic mice - some that develop highly metastatic tumors and the others that do not - and ran protein expression profiles." They observed that the mice can be accurately classified as either low- or high-metastatic phenotypes according to their protein expression profiles. Using the protein classifiers developed in the training set of mice, the researchers were able to prospectively identify mice as high- or low-metastatic in a test set of 17 heterogenous mice. | <urn:uuid:44768cff-21b1-4f2d-9ad0-f8561cc34997> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/ncicancerbulletin/archive/2005/041905/page5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949204 | 2,052 | 1.796875 | 2 |
January 15, 1850 - February 10, 1891
Kovalevskaya Stamps issued in 1951 and 1996.
An extraordinary woman, Sofia Kovalevskaya (also known as Sonia Kovalevsky) was not only a great mathematician, but also a writer and advocate of women's rights in the 19th century. It was her struggle to obtain the best education available which began to open doors at universities to women. In addition, her ground-breaking work in mathematics made her male counterparts reconsider their archaic notions of women's inferiority to men in such scientific arenas.
Sofia Krukovsky Kovalevskaya was born in 1850. As the child of a Russian family of minor nobility, Sofia was raised in plush surroundings. She was not a typically happy child, though. She felt very neglected as the middle child in the family of a well admired, first-born daughter, Anya, and of the younger male heir, Fedya. For much of her childhood she was also under the care of a very strict governess who made it her personal duty to turn Sofia into a young lady. As a result, Sofia became fairly nervous and withdrawn--traits which were evident throughout her lifetime (Perl 127-128).
Sofia's exposure to mathematics began at a very young age. She claims to have studied her father's old calculus notes that were papered on her nursery wall in replacement for a shortage of wallpaper. Sofia credits her uncle Peter for first sparking her curiosity in mathematics. He took an interest in Sofia and made time to discuss numerous abstractions and mathematical concepts with her (Rappaport 564). When she was fourteen years old she taught herself trigonometry in order to understand the optics section of a physics book that she was reading. The author of the book and also her neighbor, Professor Tyrtov, was extremely impressed with her capabilities and convinced her father to allow her to go off to school in St. Petersburg to continue her studies (Rappaport 564).
After concluding her secondary schooling, Sofia was determined to continue her education at the university level. However, the closest universities open to women were in Switzerland, and young, unmarried women were not permitted to travel alone. To resolve the problem Sofia entered into a marriage of convenience to Vladimir Kovalevsky in September 1868. The couple remained in Petersburg for the first few months of their marriage and then traveled to Heidelburg where Sofia gained a small fame. People were enthralled by the quiet Russian girl with an outstanding academic reputation (Perl 131).
In 1870, Sofia decided that she wanted to pursue studies under Karl Weierstrass at the University of Berlin. Weierstrass was considered one of the most renowned mathematicians of his time, and at first he did not take Sofia seriously. Only after evaluating a problem set he had given her did he realize the genius at his hands. He immediately set to work privately tutoring her because the university still would not permit women to attend. Sofia studied under Weierstrass for four years. She is quoted as having said, "These studies had the deepest possible influence on my entire career in mathematics. They determined finally and irrevocably the direction I was to follow in my later scientific work: all my work has been done precisely in the spirit of Weierstrass" (Rappaport 566). At the end of her four years she had produced three papers in the hopes of being awarded a degree. The first of these, "On the Theory of Partial Differential Equations," was even published in Crelle's journal, a tremendous honor for an unknown mathematician (Rappaport 566).
In July of 1874, Sofia Kovalevskaya was granted a Ph.D. from the University of Gottingen. Yet even with such a prestigious degree and the help of Weierstrass, who had grown quite fond of his pupil, she was not able to find employment. She and Vladimir decided to return to her family in Palobino. Shortly after her return home, her father died unexpectedly. It was during this period of sorrow that Sofia and Vladimir fell in love. Their marriage produced one daughter (Perl 133). While at home, Sofia neglected her work in mathematics but instead developed her literary skills. She tried her hand at fiction, theater reviews, and science articles for a newspaper (Rappaport 567).
In 1880, Sofia returned to her work in mathematics with a new fervor. She presented a paper on Abelian integrals at a scientific conference and was very well received. Once again she was faced with the dilemma of finding employment doing what she loved most--mathematics. She decided to return to Berlin, also home to Weierstrass. She was not there long before she learned of Vladimir's death. He had committed suicide when all of his business ventures had collapsed. Sofia's grief threw her into her work more passionately than ever (Perl 134).
Then, in 1883, Sofia's luck took a turn for the better. She received an invitation from an acquaintance and former student of Weierstrass, Gosta Mittag-Leffler, to lecture at the University of Stockholm. In the beginning it was only a temporary position, but at the end of a five year period, Sofia had more than proven her value to the university. Then came a series of great accomplishments. She gained a tenured position at the university, was appointed an editor for a mathematics journal, published her first paper on crystals, and in 1885, was also appointed Chair of Mechanics. At the same time, she co-wrote a play, "The Struggle for Happiness," with friend, Anna Leffler (Rappaport 568).
In 1887, Sofia again received devastating news. The death of her sister, Anya, was particularly hard on Sofia because the two had always been very close. Fortunately, it was not long afterward that Sofia achieved "her greatest personal triumph" (Perl 135). In 1888, she entered her paper, "On the Rotation of a Solid Body about a Fixed Point," in a competition for the Prix Bordin by the French Academy of Science and won. "Prior to Sofya Kovalevsky's [Sofia Kovalevskaya] work the only solutions to the motion of a rigid body about a fixed point had been developed for the two cases where the body is symmetric" (Rappaport 569). In her paper, Sofia developed the theory for an unsymmetrical body where the center of its mass is not on an axis in the body. The paper was so highly regarded that the prize money was increased from 3000 to 5000 francs.
Also at this time, a new man entered her life. Maxim Kovalevsky came to Stockholm for a series of lectures. There he met Sofia, and the two had a scandalous, rocky affair. The basic problem was that they were both too passionate about their work to give it up for the other. Maxim's work took him away from Stockholm and he wanted Sofia to give up her hard-earned positions to simply be his wife. Sofia flatly rejected such an idea but still could not bear the loss of him. She remained in France with him for the summer and fell into another one of her frequent depressions. Again, she turned to her writing. While she was in France, she finished Recollections of Childhood (Perl 136).
In the fall of 1889, she returned to Stockholm. She was still miserable at the loss of Maxim even though she frequently traveled to France to visit him. She eventually became ill with depression and pneumonia. On February 10, 1891, Sofia Kovalevskaya died and the scientific world mourned her loss. During her career she published ten papers in mathematics and mathematical physics and also several literary works. Many of these scientific papers were ground-breaking theories or the impetus for future discoveries. There is no question that Sofia Krukovsky Kovalevskaya was an incredible person. The President of the Academy of Sciences, which awarded Sofia the Prix Bordin, once said: "Our co-members have found that her work bears witness not only to profound and broad knowledge, but to a mind of great inventiveness" (Rappaport 569). | <urn:uuid:0a2362fe-4638-45a2-b4d7-773dc4927ad3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agnesscott.edu/LRIDDLE/WOMEN/kova.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988648 | 1,731 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Religion And Medicine
IN modern civilisation the clergyman and the doctor stand at such a distance apart that it is almost difficult for us to realise that originally they were one and the same person. Yet there was a time when medicine the whole business of healing was a purely ecclesiastical function. In savage tribes today the "medicine man" is also priest. And the reason is evident. The primitive belief everywhere connected disease with spiritual causes, and for a cure looked to the supernatural. Throughout rural India, as Mr. Crooke in his " Folk-Lore " informs us, sickness is attributed to spirits or to the anger of offended ancestors, and the priest or holy man " is in such cases at once called in to propitiate or exorcise the evil influence. We need not, indeed, go so far afield for similar ideas. There are parts of rural England where cramp, ague, the falling sickness and other ailments are held to be due to demonic agency, against which the remedy is in charms and mystic incantations. It has been by a very long process, in accordance with that law of specialisation of function the working of which Mr. Herbert Spencer has so laboriously delineated, that the medicinal art has, amongst civilised peoples, gained the distinctive place of which we find it in possession today.
Medicine, on its way to becoming a science and an art, has had some rude experiences. Its earlier stages were hardly an improvement on the old supernaturalism. For a charm or an exorcism, if they did no good, at least they hardly did harm. Often, indeed, they wrought their miracles, for they left nature to do her work, assisted by that mighty reinforcement, faith. It was another matter when actual experiment began to be made with drug and with operating knife upon the human subject. This ticklish business of putting, as Voltaire so cruelly insinuated, " drugs of which you know little into a body of which you know nothing," brought the healing tribe for a long period into grievous disrepute. They have been the subject of some of the world's oldest witticisms. There is that of the Lacedemonian, who, on being asked why he lived so long, replied that it was because of his ignorance of physic; and the mot of Diogenes to an inferior wrestler who had turned physician : "Courage, friend, now thou shalt put them into the ground that beforetime put thee on it" Montaigne makes us shudder with his picture of the medical practices of his time. Fancy a prescription which included " the left foot of a tortoise, the excrement of an elephant, the liver of a mole, the blood from under the left wing of a white pigeon, and rats pounded to a small powder" ! It was a hardy race, surely, that stood all this and yet survived to tell the tale.
It is worth while recalling these earlier phases of the healing art and of the standing of its professors, in order the better to realise the immense change that we witness to-day. Resting on a broad basis of accurate knowledge, master of a thousand secrets, its history crowded with glorious victories in the campaign against disease and pain, and with foremost names, with intellect and worth everywhere devoted to its interests, the medical profession has reached a kind of apotheosis in modern life. Art has expressed the present estimate of it in Mr. Filde's beautiful picture " The Doctor," while Ian Maclaren in his exquisite and moving' portraiture of the Drumtochty practitioner has written the same sentiment into literature. The feeling has grown upon men that this calling, demanding as it does the constant exercise at once of knowledge and of sympathy, which has the most fascinating problems for the intellect and the most imperious claims upon the heart, whose aim is the furtherance of life and the defeat of death, is emphatically a calling for noble souls, and noble souls in abundance have flocked into it. To-day the personnel, the standing and the achievements of the medical profession represent one of the most valuable assets of civilisation.
It is precisely on this account that the question becomes so interesting as to the precise present-day relations between medicine and religion. One of our reasons for writing on the subject is the feeling that, in more than one direction, they might be improved. There is, for one thing, an impression abroad that the bent of the physiological mind is toward materialism. The old saying, " tres medici due athei," is still quoted. Miss Power Cobbe, in a magazine article some time ago, lamented that the medical faculty was setting up a new priest-hood which was to replace the care of the soul by the care of the body. There is certainly no group of educated men so exposed to that appeal to the senses on which materialism relies as are our doctors and surgeons. More closely to them than to the rest of us comes home the argument of Lucretius :
Praeterea gigni pariter cam corpore et una
"Besides, we see the mind to be born with the body, to grow with it, and with it to decay." They are continually in contact with death, as the apparent conqueror and extinguisher of mind. And so it has happened that some of the strongest attacks against religious orthodoxy have come from the medical and physiological side. Rabelais, the arch-scoffer of the sixteenth century, was a physician as well as a monk. Darwin and Huxley, who gave the religious sentiment of the last generation so rude a shake, were bred in this school. It is also, in this connection, a curious coincidence that the starter of the modern denial of the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch should have been a physician the Frenchman, Jean Astruc.
It is one of the greatest misfortunes of the modern specialisation of studies that it should make the ablest and most earnest men almost inevitably one-sided. And nowhere is this result more to be lamented than in the sphere of medicine. For here the sheer necessity of overtaking and keeping abreast of the enormous accumulation of technical knowledge in their own department has kept numbers of medical men comparatively uneducated on a side of their nature, which, for the purposes of their work, requires the most thorough training. The question here is not that of their personal attitude towards this or that theological dogma; it is whether the comparatively small attention paid by some members of the faculty to the spiritual side of human life does not, in some most important particulars, hinder and mar their professional work ? On abstract grounds it would, we believe, be not difficult to show that the modern spiritual philosophy, as expounded by a Caird, a Green and a Martineau, has effectively met the arguments of the later Materialism. But it is much more to the point to show how medicine can neither do justice to itself nor to the humanity to which it ministers unless it both recognise the spiritual, and, what is more, receive a definite training in its laws.
The neglect of this plainly-marked department of its work has, for one thing, kept the ground open for a swarm of non-experts and adventurers. Heterodoxy has in every age had the function of showing to orthodoxy the new roads ahead, and this has been emphatically true of the schools of medicine. It has been reserved for the outsiders, who have in successive generations stirred the wrath of orthodox medicine, to suggest to it what turn out in the end to be indubitable truths. What, for instance, is the doctrine of faith-healing, for which a " Dr." Dowie is assaulted by a crowd of boisterous medicos, more than the assertion, in an extravagant form, of a truth now on its way to universal acknowledgment, that the body has to be approached first and foremost through the soul? The world is full of unformulated facts on this question. The healings wrought by Christ and the apostles, the cures to which Irenaeus bears testimony in the second century, the marvellous physical results of the preaching of Bernard, the raising of Melancthon from what seemed immediate death at the prayer of Luther, are parts of an immense tradition which points all in one direction. It testifies to the existence of secret spiritual energies, potent against disease and for the furtherance of life, which under certain conditions are at the disposition of humanity, and which it behoves the men responsible in these departments most carefully to study.
But the relations of medicine with the spiritual by no means end here. The best men of the profession recognise growingly, we believe, the immense moral responsibilities attaching to it, and the grave questions which hang thereon. Their position brings them continually into con-tact with life's ultimate problems. They stand between the young man and his vices. They see humanity in its defeats, its exhaustions, its despairs. They are called in to the spectacle of life-bankruptcies when all the physical forces have been rioted away, and there is a famine of power and of joy. Every day they see men face, with what philosophy they can muster, the last enemy. And their entrée is to every class. They are called in where the clergy are excluded. In their parish there are practically no dissenters.
To a man of the nobler instincts the appeal of this helplessness and despair should be irresistible. But what has he to meet it with? In nine cases out of ten physical alleviation is the smallest part of what a sufferer needs. The thing he wants above all is hope and courage. But where is our practitioner to find this ; where is he to gain power to stiffen the moral backbone of tempted youth ; or to cheer the lonely invalid to whom the days are a weariness and the nights a horror; to help men gain the supreme moral victory over suffering and over death ? One must put it bluntly : he cannot be a good doctor who is not fundamentally a good man. Emphatically is it true for his work that " one man with a belief is worth ten men with only interests." What we are here saying has nothing to do with sectarianism ; still less with that professional religionism which is the most detestable of all poses. It is simply the assertion of certain fundamental truths that have been lacking in some medical curriculums, and of which, in conclusion, we may give this as the sum : Medical science is ultimately a branch of spiritual science ; bodily healing requires a knowledge of psychic as well as of physical conditions ; and finally, the medical ministry to a diseased and broken humanity can never be adequate unless carried on as a mediation of the Eternal Goodness and Love.
( Originally Published 1903 )
Ourselves And The Universe:
The Soul's Voice
Of Sex In Religion
Of False Conscience
Religion And Medicine
On Being Inferior
Our Contribution To Life
The Gospel Of Law
Of Fear In Religion
Life's Healing Forces
Read More Articles About: Ourselves And The Universe | <urn:uuid:dba1f0a2-530f-4d5e-873b-38b78ff5ce21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oldandsold.com/articles34/universe-14.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970021 | 2,280 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Hi everybody, it´s time for another German movie that I want to introduce you. This one is pretty interesting because it has it´s analogies to German history though it takes place in present time.
“Die Welle” is a drama that was made in 2008. A Lehrer (teacher), played by Jürgen Vogel, is doing a social experiment with his class to show his students how dictatorial society structures evolve. He lets his students take part in a Bewegung (movement) called “die Welle” that is affected by discipline and team spirit. The teacher himself is the leader of the movement.
Director and writer Dennis Gansel based his movie on the experiment “The third wave” that took place in California in 1967 and has been written as a novel by Morton Rhue in 1981.
But let´s take a closer look:
The movie is focused on secondary school teacher Rainer Wenger and his students. It takes place somewhere in a socially heightened area in Germany. During a one week school project with the headline “forms of governments”, Wenger has to deal with the topic Autokratie (autocracy), although he wanted to do anarchy. His students are gelangweilt (bored) because they already had National Socialism as a topic several times. They say that Germany is aufgeklärt (enlightened) enough and that there is no danger of another dictatorship at all. So Wenger decides to start a educational self experiment.
He changes the Sitzordnung (seating arrangement) in the classroom and requests the students to stand up while talking. They should answer questions shortly and quick. In addition he lets them move in Gleichschritt (lockstep) in order to physical training. Most of the students like the tight discipline and the sharp conversation and get more motivated. Finally he initiates a kind of autocratic movement with the principles “power by discipline”, “power by community” and “power by action”. To create an Identifikationsmerkmal (identifying feature), he lets his students wear white shirts.
Two girls don´t want to teilnehmen (participate) in this experiment and so they decide to change the course. As a result they experience more and more hostility by the others. Through word of mouth the movement becomes very popular. Even among other students. They create logos, a special salutation and think about other ways to spread the meaning of the movement that is called “Die Welle”. Soon the movement overruns the borders of the school and is also present in the private life of the students. The team spirit is growing, they beschützen (protect) themselves against others and during the nights they spray their logo all over the city.
One of the girls that quit recognizes the danger of the movement tries to stop the action. Even Wengers girlfriend tells him that he already enjoys his role as a leader. But Wenger ignores all the warnings. But then Gewalttaten (acts of violence) against others evolve and Wenger immediately decides to stop the experiment and to dissolve “Die Welle” with drastic methods. But for one student, the whole movement has already become the meaning of his life…
I won´t spoil the end by telling you, so you have to watch the movie for yourself
Of course the whole thing is a bit exaggerated in the movie but nevertheless it is very interesting to see how characters change within a short period of time and how things develop. No matter how enlightened a society may be: It´s always good to show and to remind of what can happen if we let ourselves go in communities like “Die Welle”.
Some vocabulary to this post:
der Lehrer / die Lehrerin – teacher
die Bewegung – movement
die Autokratie – autocracy
gelangweilt – bored
aufgeklärt – enlightened
die Sitzordnung – seating arrangement
der Gleichschritt – lockstep
das Identifikationsmerkmal – identifying feature
teilnehmen – participate
beschützen – to protect
die Gewalttat – act of violence | <urn:uuid:e82c5838-f394-47f0-95c8-813ef4509aa4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.transparent.com/german/german-movies-die-welle/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949558 | 894 | 2.5 | 2 |
A new 17-minute video of the twin towers after they were hit on Sept. 11, 2001, taken from aboard a New York Police Department helicopter, shows thick, black smoke billowing out into the Lower Manhattan sky.
The video was posted by the website Cryptome, which says it publishes documents that are "open, secret and classified." In posting the video on YouTube, the group said the video was provided by NYPD to the National Institute of Standards and Technology for its trade center investigation.
At another point, a voice says: "That's it. The biggest disaster in the world."
The video is shot through the cockpit windows and the chopper's side windows. The back of a man's jacket reads "NYPD Emergency Services." The helicopter, shown on the ground at one point, is marked "NYPD Air Sea Rescue."
There isn't much dialogue on the video, mostly the steady whir of the rotor blades as the smoke pours out. The attacks, the worst case of terrorism on U.S. soil, killed nearly 3,000 people at the twin towers and in plane crashes into the Pentagon and in a western Pennsylvania field. | <urn:uuid:ebf1225e-6392-4929-a8ee-5ccf89edd588> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/07/nypd-helicopter-video-shows-9-11-aftermath-video/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965643 | 237 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Although popularly grouped together as "virus",
there are actually clear distinctions between
different types of infection:
Term meant to indicate any kind of program with
malicious intent. Viruses are designed to multiply
and spread to other computers with human help
- such as when you open an email attachment.
They may or may not damage the infected computer.
A program capable of spreading by itself, without
human intervention. Worms may or may not have
a malicious "payload" that damages infected
Horse: Similar to the famous Greek myth,
a Trojan Horse is a malicious program hidden
inside another seemingly legitimate program
- such as a harmless game sent as an email | <urn:uuid:fce75292-eb5e-4926-b5ca-ec186476ec45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://romulus2.com/techsite.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914886 | 143 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Tumput: Our Paths
Alaska Natives at Thirty
Twelve years ago, a small group of Alaska Native high school students from villages across Alaska were the subject of Michael Green's documentary film Challenge Yourself! Revisit four of these young people as they turn thirty. Who are they now?
From Anchorage to Pt. Lay; from Bosnia to Kotlik, follow the lives of four young people as they become parents, partners, teachers, soldiers and community members in both urban and rural Alaska. Portraying the complex role of race, village life, and native tradition and ritual in modern Alaskan life, Tumput: Our Paths is a story of personal and cultural transition.
* "Tumput" (Doom-Poot) is the Central Yup'ik word meaning "our paths."
For more information about Alaska's Native languages see: Alaska Native Language Center. | <urn:uuid:38ecb663-457a-4aa9-be7d-559927937387> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.camediainc.com/alaska.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945183 | 186 | 3.171875 | 3 |
If you're like most people, your job history won't be picture perfect, and you'll need to know how to handle that on your CV. The last thing you want to do is lie about any gaps or firings, because the truth has a habit of coming out eventually.
If you have major gaps between jobs (say, more than a year), be prepared to explain why. Were you pursuing higher education? Taking courses? Caring for children or parents? If you did odd jobs during that time, and you bring that up, be prepared to give them a list of those jobs. You want to show your potential employer that you are dependable, so it's best to explain the gaps in employment as situations that have been settled, and will most likely not occur again.
If you were fired from a job, it's best not to volunteer that information. If you are faced with the direct question, then it's time to fess up to it. But being fired need not reflect poorly on you! If your company was downsizing, just mention that fact (no bitterness though!). If you were fired because of inter-personal conflict, poor performance, or insubordination, etc, it's best to avoid details. Be candid, and brief, but keep it positive as well. Don't badmouth anyone! Be sure they know that you learned from the experience and are a better employee because of it. You may want to anticipate questions about your firing and prepare in advance what you might say. If you are caught off guard, your body language may signal discomfort with the subject. You want to come across as mature and confident!
If you happen to have a criminal record, it's your prerogative whether or not to disclose this on your CV. Some companies do not require that a criminal record be clearly mentioned, while others do (and in that case, you will have to mention it). As a general rule, it's best to be up-front about such things (as they will probably come to light later, anyway). Normally, having a criminal history is only an issue if it's perceived as a danger to the job you're applying for. Again, when discussing this topic with your potential employer, be sure to emphasize what you've learned and how you've changed. Most people are willing to give young people a second chance to start their lives, if they demonstrate maturity and a willingness to learn.
Next Page: Putting Your CV Online | <urn:uuid:83a50461-4d7e-497c-99e8-d9be767714ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jobcentreguide.co.uk/cv-resume-advice/21/handling-cv-problem-areas | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978695 | 502 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Ai Weiwei in Tiananmen Square in 2009 (the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre)
On January 11, 2011 the studios of Ai Weiwei were demolished by the Chinese government. He was arrested April 3, 2011 and has not been heard from since.
Here is an excerpt from a recent article in the Global Post:
Ai’s is just the latest in a long string of arrests, detentions and disappearances of critics of China’s regime this spring. Security forces moved amid ongoing calls for a Jasmine Revolution in China, apparently unnerved in part by the tumult and uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. The group Chinese Human Rights Defenders has published a map of disappearances and detentions in recent weeks, which offers a stark view of the situation.
Ai, the outspoken artist and an avid user of social media, was documenting via Twitter the ongoing crackdown on Chinese voices. And while he’s far from the first to be silenced, he has the highest international profile. Ai has been the subject of stories in countless magazines and newspapers and appeared on widely watched international television programs.
Ai Weiwei’s Recent TED Film
Ai Weiwei, Study in Perspective (Tiananmen), 1995.
In response to his disappearance some artists have started a project called “Weiwei Works Here” to stand in solidarity with his calls for social change and democracy. Information can be found on the site weiweiworkshere.org. | <urn:uuid:0cd57307-c1a3-4f4b-864d-eaf461a59254> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://randomculture.wordpress.com/tag/ai-weiwei/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956566 | 316 | 2.265625 | 2 |
The results of the first national study into domestic violence against
women in Vietnam were jointly announced by the General Statistics
Office (GSO) and the United Nations in Hanoi on Nov. 25.
The study says the majority of Vietnamese married women face the risk
of domestic violence, despite the Law on Gender Equality and the Law on
the Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence which were passed in
2006 and 2007, respectively.
Fifty-eight percent of
Vietnamese married women report experiencing at least one type of
domestic violence (physical, sexual or emotional) in their lifetime and
only 1.7-6.3 percent of them asked for help at different agencies and
The study also revealed that 26
percent of women who were physically or sexually abused by their
husbands reported suffering physical injuries and 17 percent of them
reported being injured multiple times.
the launching ceremony, GSO Deputy General Director Tran Thi Hang said
that for the first time a study seeks to obtain detailed information
nationwide about the prevalence, frequency and type of violence against
women, looking at the health outcomes of domestic violence, the factors
that may protect or put women at risk of domestic violence and coping
strategies and services that women can use to deal with domestic
This information will help the Government
and relevant agencies work out effective solutions to better implement
the two above-mentioned laws, said Hang.
of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Vietnam Jean Marc Olive
highlighted the quality of the study, affirming that, “This is a huge
step forward in our efforts to prevent and end domestic violence – and
to strengthen services and support to affected women.”
Domestic violence was a national tragedy and we all pay the price of
domestic violence, said Jean Marc Olive. “The cost of health care, legal
services, lost days at school and at work, damage to property and
family breakdown, together with the immeasurable cost to the women
affected, impose an enormous burden on families, communities and society
as a whole. In the US , the cost of domestic violence is estimated
at 5.8 billion USD annually,” he said.
Ambassador to Vietnam Alberto Virella said that the report of the study
was only the first effective tool for policymakers and lawyers as they
take drastic and immediate action against all types of domestic violence
in Vietnam .
However, he said, the victims and
women in general should recognize their basic right to speak out against
The ceremony would like to convey a message to all Vietnamese women: “Keeping silent is dying”./. | <urn:uuid:54181b2b-4b96-4c7c-9451-742a64893338> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/National-study-reveals-common-domestic-abuse/201011/14197.vnplus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943667 | 551 | 2.484375 | 2 |
To most people, the news of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation will have come, as one cardinal put it, as “a lightning bolt from a clear sky.” But not everyone was so shocked by the move.
The Pope’s brother, Georg Ratzinger, told reporters that he had known “for months” of the resignation plans. According to the German magazine Der Spiegel, he said Benedict wanted “more quiet” in his old age and his doctor told him not to take transatlantic trips for health reasons.
Talking from his home in Regensburg, Germany, Ratzinger, 89, said his younger brother was having increasing difficulty walking and his resignation was part of a "natural process."
"His age is weighing on him," he explained. “At this age my brother wants more rest."
Some scholars also say there were signals the Pope was considering an early retirement. George Ferzoco, a research fellow at Bristol University in England, told The Guardian that Benedict is the only pope to have twice visited the tomb of Pope Celestine V, who resigned in 1294 after making it possible for a pope to do so.
Ferzoco said he believes the link is obvious, noting, “I think the amount of attention he drew to Celestine was an indication of this matter having been on his mind. I think it’s quite clear,” he told the paper.
Ferzoco also pointed out that in the town of Sulmona, home to Celestine’s tomb, the cathedral has a mosaic showing both Celestine and Benedict.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:7f135ce1-d653-400c-87ab-a2bf2daa344b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsmaxworld.com/Headline/pope-benedict-resignation-illness/2013/02/11/id/489777 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988097 | 344 | 2.203125 | 2 |
The School of Nursing offers a four year program of study that leads to a bachelor of science in nursing to pre-licensure and licensed practical nurses. Established in 1935, the Saint Xavier University School of Nursing offered the first accredited baccalaureate program in the state of Illinois. Professional Nursing requires knowledge, competence and compassion. The diversified skills needed for nursing practice demand a strong scientific foundation and liberal education. The School of Nursing at Saint Xavier University has a reputation for excellence and tradition of service to students and the community.The program is open to both freshman and transfer students who meet the University admission requirements.
- The nursing major is 55 credit hours.
- Courses emphasize the art and science of nursing.
- Course work involves small group discussions, seminars, lectures and clinical practice.
- Courses expose students to diverse health care systems and clinical experiences take place with clients of varied ages, circumstances and needs.
- Mentoring courses provide students with the opportunity to form a learning community partnership with a faculty member and a small peer group.
- Academic support services are provided to facilitate student learning and success.
The LPN-BSN option offers licensed practical nurses (LPN) the opportunity to earn a bachelor of science in nursing in a reduced time frame and to qualify for the national council licensure examination for registered nursing (NCLEX-RN). Starting in 1991, the LPN-BSN option is the first such educational opportunity in Illinois for LPNs to earn their BSN in a reduced time frame. It is integrated within the undergraduate nursing curriculum. | <urn:uuid:efa5e54c-bd79-40b7-870e-80f71efa4cd8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://buenting@sxu.edu/academics/colleges_schools/son/under_programs.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940413 | 323 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Vastu shastra is the ancient science of controlling the sorroundings such as soil, buildings, trees, plants to the benificial effects of the family or person.vastu involves the combination and balancing of five eand lements of nature to create a balance inside home.
Vastu Tips for West Facing Plot | Vastu for West Direction Plot
Vastu Tips for West Facing Plot | West Facing Plot
Normally the plots facing west are not considered that much. However, with the employment of certain vastu facts, west facing plots can be beneficial. The front road which is on the west should be higher than the plot, but not higher than the floor levels of the building. | <urn:uuid:3ca7c475-8e09-4998-824a-96d3ec1ec406> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://om2home.com/vastu/constructions.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920864 | 148 | 2.78125 | 3 |
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Intel held its annual open house at U.C. Berkeley this week, with updates to existing research, plus some new additions.
In 2009, Intel’s Intel Labs Berkeley open house showcased projects including Think Link, or “confrontational computing”; RouterBricks; a spherical speaker; and other projects. For 2010, Intel highlighted several projects focusing on parallel programming for multicore processors—efforts, that, quite frankly, went far beyond my limited knowledge of code. One of them, Yada, can be found at the Intel Labs Berkeley Web site.
Intel Chief Technology Officer Justin Rattner also made an appearance, relating how he is pitching secure hardware to Intel Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini.
Intel operates three laboratories in conjunction with universities, at U.C. Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Washington. At each, the chipmaker works with students and professors on pure research, which may or may not end up as a product.
What follows is a summary some of some of the more interesting projects.
- 1 of 5 | <urn:uuid:874c4ef1-8409-4706-ac7e-08d93f04ab1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.extremetech.com/computing/83436-the-future-of-intels-rd | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914885 | 224 | 1.875 | 2 |
Is that the IP address from the XP machine? That's an external IP address, like one that is handed out to a router. I forget, you do have a wireless router, right? What kind, or is the modem the router?
Well the problem is you're going out on the internet then trying to come back in. The Insight router is handing out external IP's. Either the port on Dell's firewall must be opened, or the port on the router must be directed to the Dell. Unless you have a very secure password I would be careful of either. Since you can't even get to the router there's nothing I can do without knowing what kind. Then you'd have to know the password to get into it to forward the port to the Dell.
How do you connect with the Touch, is it an IP of 74.x.x.x? Don't post it, only the first set or two of digits.
Did you set the firewall in XP like in the directions of the first link I posted? If so then the problem is in the router/modem or whatever it is, it would need to be set. Again, if you can't get at it or configure it there's nothing we can do.
Xplain's use of MacNews, AppleCentral and AppleExpo are not affiliated with Apple, Inc. MacTech is a registered trademark of Xplain Corporation. AppleCentral, MacNews, Xplain, "The journal of Apple technology", Apple Expo, Explain It, MacDev, MacDev-1, THINK Reference, NetProfessional, MacTech Central, MacTech Domains, MacForge, and the MacTutorMan are trademarks or service marks of Xplain Corp. Sprocket is a registered trademark of eSprocket Corp. Other trademarks and copyrights appearing in this printing or software remain the property of their respective holders.
All contents are Copyright 1984-2010 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon. | <urn:uuid:4153483f-5456-42d4-a37d-0988df508b12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.applecentral.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/491307/GAHeroine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934583 | 410 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Guide
- Voter registration form: Postmarked 20 days before the election
- Absentee ballot application: Received by noon on the day before the election - but highly recommended that you apply at least one month before the election
- Voted absentee ballot: Received by the close of polls on election day
How to vote by absentee ballot
Register to vote
If you're out of state, you can register and apply for your absentee ballot at the same time using the Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application. Mail, fax, or hand-deliver your completed application to your "Local Election Official" c/o your City or Town Hall. Your application must be received by the voter registration deadline, not the absentee ballot application deadline!
If you're not out of state - or if you don't plan on voting by absentee ballot - use our Voter Registration Widget to register to vote. Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form.
Verify your voter registration
It's best to double check your registration before applying for your absentee ballot. Verify your voter registration today and avoid problems down the line. If there's a problem with your registration, register again before proceeding.
NOTE: Most people receive their voter registration cards in the mail 2-3 weeks after registering to vote. Don't worry if you lost your voter registration card. You don't actually need it to vote.
Make sure you're eligible to vote by absentee ballot
You may vote by absentee ballot if:
- you will be absent from your city or town on election day, and/or
- you have a physical disability that prevents your voting at the polling place, and/or
- you cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs
- you are confined in a correctional facility or jail (but NOT on a felony charge)
Generally, a voter must be registered in order to vote absentee, though several exceptions exist: those outside of Massachusetts; prisoners; and members of the armed forces or merchant marine (and their spouses or dependents) do not need to be registered in order to vote absentee.
Apply for your absentee ballot
Downloading and completing the Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application. Mail, fax, or hand-deliver your completed application to your "Local Election Official" c/o your City or Town Hall. Once the election official processes your form, they'll mail your ballot to you.
If you're away at college, temporarily outside the county, or physically disabled, a relative can use the Absentee Ballot Application by a Family Member to request the ballot for you.
NOTE: one application is good for all elections during a year. Once the application is processed, Massachusetts will automatically mail you a ballot for every election in which you are eligible to vote during the calendar year!
Receive, complete, and return your voted absentee ballot
Fill out your ballot, sign where indicated, put a stamp on it, and then mail your ballot back to the address printed no the return envelope. Your ballot must be received before the polls close on election day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to provide ID when I register to vote?
If you are registering for the first time in Massachusetts, you must include a copy of your ID with your voter registration form. If you forget, you'll need to provide ID the first time you vote in person or by absentee ballot. Acceptable identification includes: a copy of a current and valid photo identification OR a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows your name and Massachusetts address.
Do I need to provide ID when I vote by absentee ballot?
You do not need to provide ID if you've already voted in Massachusetts at least once. If you are a first time Massachusetts and you did not include a copy of your ID with your voter registration form, you must include a copy with your absentee ballot application. Acceptable identification includes: a current and valid photo identification and Massachusetts address OR a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document that shows your name and address.
Can I vote in person before the election?
Yes. Check out our Early Voting page for details.
|State Election Website:||www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleidx.htm|
|Local Election Officials:||Your Local Election Official is the best person to contact if you have questions. They'll be able to provide up-to-date information on rules and deadlines.| | <urn:uuid:bc16e340-c832-428f-b8c2-8f3b6294eb1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.longdistancevoter.org/massachusetts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933681 | 938 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Author: Samuel Endicott
The following review was contributed by: NORM GOLDMAN: Editor of Bookpleasures &CLICK TO VIEW Norm Goldman's Reviews
To read Norm's Interview With the Author Click Here
Most historians probably agree that one of the most crucial battles of the North American theatre of the Seven Years’ War (known in the USA as the French Indian War), was the English victory over the French in Quebec City on the 13th of September, 1759.
The turning episode was the crucial encounter that was fought just outside the city walls of the city, when the British under the command of General Wolfe and his soldiers scaled the Heights of Abraham to defeat General Montcalm.
Set against the background of this Canadian epic, Samuel Endicott’s debut novel, Molly Lake, is an entertaining and riveting narrative intertwining many tantalizing themes.
Our saga unfolds when Canadian raiders together with their Iroquois partners from New France abduct Marie Lake, an inhabitant of Schenectady, New York, from her log cabin, and at the same time viciously kill her young son.
In order to rescue Marie, her husband Peter and their feisty fifteen year old daughter, Molly, join a British frigate in New York City, the Pembroke, which is en route to Quebec City to meet up with General Wolfe’s naval fleet in their quest for their final defeat of the French.
Endicott has done a great deal of research popularizing history, particularly in his descriptions of the British attempts to find possible landing spots and the daunting tasks they faced, the ghastly battles that ensue, the cover-ups and betrayals, and in particular the portrayals of the corrupt Governor Vaudreuil, Intendant Bigot and their cohorts, as they had a jolly good time of lining their pockets and partying, while the majority of the population grumbled of not having sufficient food to eat.
As for our heroine, Molly, Endicott has painted a picture of a kind of teenage James Bond, who seems to have nine lives, escaping death several times. She also proves to be quite an invaluable asset to General Wolfe and his colleagues in their quest for victory against the French.
The author even throws in a complicated love story, when Mary falls for an enemy soldier, who turns out to be the nephew of the crooked Intendant Bigot.
All of which leads to our inevitable bonding to Molly, as we somehow have the gut feeling that she is going to survive all of her ordeals.
While this fast paced novel is certainly not lacking in imaginative details, I did find some of the dialogue a trifle trite. Furthermore, the French characters seemed to sound more American than French.
However, on the other hand, the book works on a number of levels, particularly pertaining to inaccurate conceptions of Canadian and Quebec history that many readers may have had prior to the reading of the book. Candidly, I must admit that it has changed my perception of my county’s history, that up to now I had found to be quite boring. Perhaps, this may be due to the manner in which it was jammed down my throat, when I was a teenager attending school in Montreal. | <urn:uuid:c79adf64-8947-47c7-b987-434e0f8e4348> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bookpleasures.com/Lore2/idx/43/1565/Reviewer_N_Goldman/article/_Molly_Lake.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971558 | 671 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Since Wednesday, at least 31 have been killed in bombings aimed at Pakistani Shiites and claimed by the Taliban, who espouse an extremist interpretation of Sunni Islam. Over 100 were wounded in the attacks during the run-up to the holiday, which commemorates the 7th century death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson. The schism between Sunnis and Shiites dates back to that time.
Sunday's explosion went off as hundreds of Shiites were passing through the main intersection of the city of Dera Ismail Khan, police said, where food and water stalls were set up to serve the crowd. An initial investigation suggested a bomb was planted near a shop along the procession route.
"The bomb contained about eight kilograms of explosives and steel balls, and was detonated with a remote control device," city police chief Sohail Khalid said.
Several of injured are in serious condition, said Dr. Faridullah Mahsud, an official at the city's hospital, who added that three members of a paramilitary unit providing security for the procession were among the injured. Dr. Khalid Aziz, the top official at the hospital, put the death toll at six.
The Pakistani Taliban frequently attack Shiites, who they consider
Qais Abbas, a Shiite survivor, said that one of his relatives was in critical condition, but that he and others were moving the wounded to other hospitals that were better equipped.
"Here we are not getting proper care for them, there are not enough doctors or medicines," he said.
After the blast, thousands of Shiite mourners staged a sit-in at a nearby intersection, refusing to move unless assured quick and stern action against the perpetrators. The procession has now been attacked for a second consecutive day.
A similar bombing killed seven and injured 30 from the group a day earlier, and last week attacks on Ashoura observers took place elsewhere in the country. On Wednesday night, a Taliban suicide bomber struck a Shiite procession in Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital, Islamabad, killing 17. Earlier that same day, the Taliban set off two bombs outside a Shiite mosque in the southern city of Karachi, killing one person and wounding 15 others. Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for all the attacks, with spokesman Ehasanullah Ehsan saying by telephone on Sunday that the group will not relent and "looks forward to more ahead."
Authorities have deployed thousands of additional police across the country to beef up security for the holy day. Mobile phone service has been shut down in all the major cities to prevent such bombings, which officials say often use cellular phones as remote detonators. | <urn:uuid:a5c3e0c8-e7a0-42ce-8bfc-007f518da9b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.times-standard.com/ci_22062984/pakistani-shiite-procession-hit-by-bombing-6-dead | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975904 | 533 | 1.671875 | 2 |
The MD/MPH program prepares students to work as physicians in the public health field, enabling them to diagnose health problems and risk factors of individuals and communities. Electives, directed studies, and thesis projects, as well as selective field experiences and fellowships, allow students to study around the globe.
The MD/MPH program is designed to be completed within five years, four of which are spent primarily in the School of Medicine. The year spent in the School of Public Health follows the Clinical block of the new medical school curriculum and completion of the MD/MPH program satisfies the Discovery Phase requirement.
Entry to the MPH year is contingent on satisfactory evaluation of academic standing and professional conduct in the School of Medicine. | <urn:uuid:8b72db22-4ac8-4075-b87c-c824aea4a142> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://med.emory.edu/education/programs/md_dual/md_mph.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971146 | 145 | 1.570313 | 2 |
From NBC's Pete Williams
Experts on the military justice system agree that President Obama was unwise to make a comment last week about Army Private Bradley Manning, accused of giving classified US government documents to Wikileaks. But they disagree about whether the statement will undermine the military's prosecution of Manning.
After a fundraising event in San Francisco last Thursday, the president was approached about the Manning case, an encounter recorded on cellphone video and uploaded to the Internet. After explaining that federal law prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents, Mr. Obama said, "He broke the law."
Presidents and other senior officials often make statements about the guilt of defendants who are awaiting trial before a jury. What's different about this case, however, is that President Obama is the commander-in-chief of the military, and Manning will be tried before a military court.
Rules for courts martial ban the exertion of "undue command influence." Many supporters of Pvt. Manning have argued that his trial is now tainted because the president, the nation's most senior commander, has pronounced judgment that Manning is guilty.
In an op-ed appearing in Wednesday's Los Angeles Times, a former military prosecutor says many critics of the court-martial system often believe that military jurors simply ask themselves one question, referring to their commanders: what does the Old Man want us to do?
"When the jurors retire to the deliberation room at the Manning court martial, they will not have to speculate on the answer; arguably the most important 'Old Man' of them all has spoken, and he said Manning is guilty," writes Morris Davis, a retired Air Force officer and former prosecutor at Guantanamo.
The president should have been more circumspect, agrees Eugene Fidell, an expert on the military justice system. But he believes Obama's comment will not affect the outcome of Manning's trial.
"It will generate motions by the defense and will require some care in selecting the military members of the jury, a process already complicated by the extensive press coverage of this case," Fidell said. "It was going to have to be a very careful questioning process for potential jurors, to ask if they have seen reports or read about the case. Now they'll also have to be asked whether they heard the president's comment and if that would make any difference to them. But that will be the extent of it, and they'll get on with the trial." | <urn:uuid:0b39ff8a-ea06-45b2-a7a6-40118a5968f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/04/27/6545025-obama-comment-unlikely-to-affect-outcome-of-bradley-manning-trial | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972849 | 491 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The notion of weaponry and romance linked together seems at first to be an odd one. But in the universe of “The Dawn of Ireland,” weaponry was not just common–it was a necessity.
During the freewheeling days when St. Patrick first went to Ireland, ca. 432 AD, the people of Ireland or Éire (call them the Éireannach people) were largely land holders, farm workers and cattlemen. Cattle, the mainstay of the economy, were prized above all. So cattle rustling was the order of the day. In fact, the most famous piece of literature that has come down to us from ancient times is “The Cattle Raid of Cooley,” where opposing forces of great gods and warriors do battle over a bunch of cows.
There were no handy swords lying about, nor a tradition of knives. What the people had in abundance were oak trees and blackthorn bushes. And so the branches of these ubiquitous trees were used as their weapon of choice.
The blackthorn can begin as a straggly, widespread bush and grow into a gnarly, twenty-foot tree. To this day, blackthorns are used as natural hedges to keep interlopers (human and otherwise) from people’s property. The spring flowers of the blackthorn, or sloe, are a mass of pretty flowers; and by late summer, sloe berries are a favorite of birds and of gin-lovers everywhere, for the berries are the basis for gin-making throughout the world. One of the most interesting features of the blackthorn is its dark, burnished appearance. And the makers of shillelaghs enhance that dark appearance even more by smearing them with some kind of animal fat and putting them into a chimney or otherwise exposing them to smoke. The second compelling feature of these sticks is their knobby, nubby appearance. The makers deliberately leave part of the thorns along the stick to add a bit more “bite” to their strike.
The first to seize a stick of blackthorn when the immigrants landed in Éire is, of course, Caylith herself. She takes her companion Swallow to a stand of dark, prickly bushes and begins to cut thorny branches, which she trims with her knife to make sticks that the pilgrims later lash together to symbolize the Christian cross. But she keeps one about three feet long to use both as a walking stick and as a weapon.
When a band of wild clansmen show up to confront the immigrants, the men are wearing shillelaghs–probably really batas–stuck through their waist-thongs. One of those warriors is Liam, later to become Caylith’s husband. Her own armsman Gristle and Liam sit together comparing fighting techniques, and Liam naively shows the expert martial artist some bata moves.
After she has settled down in Derry, Caylith organizes four other women into a group they call the “Terrible Trousers” (the word trousers comes from the Gaelic word triús). Small and innocent looking as they are, the ladies become formidable warriors using the blackthorn stick, for Liam has taught her the techniques that she shows her friends.
The Terrible Trousers use their bata skills in two tense situations–first when they are attempting to rescue a clansman from the clutches of two malevolent druids (in The Wakening Fire), and next when they find out who is behind the nefarious slave-trading that had resulted in much agony for captured women (in Captive Heart).
In more amorous moments, Caylith and Liam use the bata as a synonym for the phallus, and their play-fights always end in passion.
To this day in Ireland, the shillelagh is a potent symbol. There was a time in the 19th century when it was outlawed, so misused it was by gangs. Now it abounds in Éire as–among other things– a walking stick, a beer label, and a standby in many Gaelic songs. | <urn:uuid:50784fc8-6bf9-4af7-832c-80c9cc15f6dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://erinsromance.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/romance-with-a-fighting-stick/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969917 | 863 | 2.84375 | 3 |
- The mod then compares the information in the fingerprint, determining if both users have been using the same browser on the same machine.
This is tedious, unnecessary, and a violation of privacy.
Have you looked at the results over there? I (like many users) am a developer, and I'm currently on an old Windows XP image that's seen hundreds of apps installed (and thus I have some 230 fonts) and I've used plenty of browser extensions (278 semicolons in the list, though most of those seem to come with Chrome by default - I've only got some 20 that I've installed personally). The list is dizzying. Please don't make mods sort out whether those fingerprints are identical.
All that's necessary is a simple boolean "Yes" or "No", these users have/have not demonstrated identical fingerprints. You might consider displaying this for each of the rows in the table; I expect that some users run incognito windows or different browsers to avoid having to log in and out, which would produce negative results on several fields (Time zone, monitor size, and system fonts should not change, though).
Violation of Privacy
Most importantly, as Mark Trapp noted, you're missing the point of the site: This is a privacy issue.
Stack Exchange also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Stack Exchange does not use such information to identify its visitors, however, and does not disclose such information, other than under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information, as described below.
Certain visitors to the Network choose to interact with the Network in ways that require Stack Exchange gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that We gather depends on the nature of the interaction. [snip examples] In each case, Stack Exchange collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with the Service. Stack Exchange does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain Network-related activities.
Stack Exchange discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Our behalf or to provide services available at the Network, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using the Network, you consent to the transfer of such information to them.
I'm not a lawyer, so I'm not going to try to analyze whether or not this sort of data revelation is allowable under that policy. Nonetheless, I will say that (1) I, as a user, don't want any information revealed unnecessarily and (2) I, as a moderator, want to respect user privacy whenever possible.
The mod agreement
Sure, the mod agreement says:
- I acknowledge that I may have access to potentially personally-identifying information about Site users and that in connection with such access
- I will not disclose this information to anyone,
- I will not store or copy this information and
- I will only use such information in connection with performance as a Site moderator for the benefit of the Site.
Panopticlick's information is globally unique stuff; heavier than the current tools available to mods. It's one thing to state that two Stack Exchange users are socks, but it's another to state that this visitor to a different site is this Stack Exchange user.
In which I make a hyperbolic analogy
You could also study whether two users are the same by comparing their credit card numbers or passwords, but that's completely unnecessary and probably illegal, the above disclaimer notwithstanding. You wouldn't do this. I hope.
The current tools available to a mod aren't always sufficient to discern well-meaning friends or small businesses sharing an internet connection from malicious vote rings and abusive socks. I'd be OK with adding another tool to the current arsenal, but don't throw panopticlick results back at me. If you do use them,
diff them first, and just tell me whether they match or not. | <urn:uuid:952f0f66-bc1b-4ba2-832b-44001cc62e9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/113394/implement-some-form-of-browser-fingerprinting-to-help-suss-out-socks?answertab=votes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937369 | 890 | 1.617188 | 2 |
The Art Of Wine Tasting
Even though many simply assume that wine tasting is sipping, swishing, and swallowing - many are amazed to seek out that it's truly a bit more. Wine tasting is extra of an art, an artwork that's used to differentiate the taste of positive wines. Wine can be a tasty and refreshing drink - if the bottle was stored correctly and aged properly.
Wine tasting begins with the swishing. The rationale why wine tasters swish the wine around of their mouths is to get the taste. Each the front and the again areas of the tongue contain style buds, although neither one has any distinct sensation in taste. Style buds can detect food and liquid that's bitter, salty or candy, with out a problem. To get the correct taste from wine nonetheless, you'll want to swish it around in your mouth and permit your style buds and sense of smell to carry out the unique and advantageous flavors within the wine.
When you've a chilly however, the wine can style very different. When tasting your wine, your sense of smell has a serious influence on the taste. What many fail to realize, is that over 75% of our style is because of our sense of smell. When now we have a chilly, our sense of smell is affected. Therefore, when consuming or tasting wine with a cold, the taste will seem different. Wine tasters all around the world will tell you that tasting wine is more a couple of sense of scent than the actual taste buds.
The art of wine tasting is certainly an art. Wine tasters do nonetheless, comply with some common pointers and rules that judge how nice a wine is. These strategies may help you deliver the most out of your wine, providing you observe them and know easy methods to carry out the taste.
The first thing to do with wine is to look. With wine, you may inform quite a bit about it by looking at it. You should at all times start by pouring the wine into a transparent glass, then taking a couple of minutes to look at the color. As far as the colour goes, white whines aren't white, but really yellow, green, or brown. Crimson wines alternatively are usually a pale pink or darkish brown color. Red wine gets higher with age, whereas white whines get more stale with age.
Next, is the odor of the wine, which it is best to do in two steps. You need to start with a short odor to get a common thought of the wine, then take a deep, lengthy smell. This deeper smell should enable you are taking the flavor of the wine in. The extra skilled wine tasters prefer to sit down back a bit and think about the odor before they actually taste the wine.
Final however not least, is to taste the wine. To properly style the wine, you should first take a sip, swish it around in your mouth, after which swallow. When you swish the wine around in your mouth, you'll carry out the rich and bold flavors of the wine. After swallowing, you'll be capable to distinguish the after taste of the wine, and the overall flavor.
Once you have regarded on the wine, smelled it, and eventually tasted it, you'll be capable of evaluate the wine from a taster's standpoint. That is the simplest strategy to determine the quality of the wine, and whether or not it has been properly stored and aged. As with all issues in life - the more you style wine - the better you'll get at distinguishing the unique flavors. | <urn:uuid:01925ca7-d2f3-4df0-9b4d-60feccfcfdc0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.villagesmithyrestaurant.com/the-art-of-wine-tasting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966594 | 722 | 2.03125 | 2 |