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Ascent of Barbeau Peak on 1998-06-15
|Others in Party:||Tony Daffern|
----Only Party on Mountain
|Date:||Monday, June 15, 1998|
|Ascent Type:||Successful Summit Attained|
| Motorized Transport to Trailhead:||Airplane|
| Elevation:||2616 m / 8583 ft|
Ascent Trip ReportIn June, 1998 I was part of an expedition to Barbeau Peak on Canada's Ellesmere Island. This summit is at 82° North, only 550 miles from the North Pole, and is the highest point of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Getting to the remote icecap of Ellesmere Island is a major and expensive undertaking, and our ascent was probably one of the first ten ever made of Barbeau Peak.
The following links make up a section-by-section journal of the trip. There is a link at the bottom of each page that will take you to the next one.
Introduction: Background to the trip and preparations
June 12-13, 1998: Flying to Resolute
June 14-15, 1998: Fly to icecap, Climb Barbeau Peak
June 16-17, 1998: Move camp, climb Peak 6400
June 18-19, 1998: Climb Highpointers Peak, move down glacier
June 20-21, 1998: Cross river, to Ekblaw Lake
June 22-24, 1998: Down the Air Force Valley
June 25-July 1, 1998: Tanquary Fiord area and back to Seattle
Disclaimers: Although I have tried to be as accurate and objective as possible, please realize that much of the content of this on-line journal is opinion, impressions, and how I felt at the time. It is not my intention to defame or misrepresent anyone or their actions; indeed, I have the highest respect and admiration for my teammates on this expedition.
|Pete Ford takes the final steps to the summit of Barbeau Peak. View looks north.|
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This website provides parents and others with tools and information to reduce teen drinking and related harm.
Most teens who drink get alcohol from “social sources” — at parties, from older friends, from their parents’ cabinets. Teen drinking is linked to injury and risky behavior. We can reduce teen drinking by stopping teens’ easy access to alcohol. Help us achieve this goal. Post this message on your website, and use the campaign materials available here to get the word out:
Don't serve alcohol to teens.
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Top 10 Skull Hoaxes
Skulls are an interesting part of the skeleton, because they give us an idea of what the face of its owner was like. To those who study them, skulls can also give a wealth of information about diet, lifestyle, health, age, and even brain size. Throughout history, many strange skulls have been discovered which seem to go against all previous knowledge. Sometimes such skulls lead to better understanding in various fields, but unfortunately there have always been those who enjoy fabricating unusual skulls for attention and profit. These skulls fall down in the face of proper testing, yet they persist until the fraud is discovered and can be of great interest. This is a list of hoax skulls, mistaken skulls, and unusual or misleading practices pertaining to skulls.
This skull was apparently found in Mexico around 1930 but only showed to the public by Lord Pye in 1999. It was claimed to either be the skull of an alien infant or an alien-human hybrid. Although the damaged lower skull was child-like, the upper cranium was huge, being 1600mL, over 400mL larger than would be expected based on the lower skull. Pye claimed that radiocarbon dating had proved it was 900 years old and that anonymous scientists had confirmed it to be the skull of an alien. However, independent DNA testing revealed the skull to be Native American, belonging to a child who probably had hydrocephalus, or ‘water-in-the-brain’, a congenital disorder where there is too much fluid in the skull. Sufferers of this condition can develop abnormally large craniums, although modern medicine can now relieve the fluid pressure with cerebral shunts to drain the excess liquid.
This skull was found by miners in Calaveras, USA, in 1866. It was used by Josiah Whitney as proof that humans had lived in the Americas as long ago as the Pliocene age, over two million years ago. It looked quite modern, and was referenced by many creationists as proof that humans had not changed or evolved through time. Chemical tests showed that it was much more recent, and the story of its discovery did not match with the condition of the skull itself, yet Whitney remained adamant that it was genuine. It was so widely believed to be a hoax that many people came forward and claimed that they themselves had planted it as a practical joke. In 1992, radiocarbon dating conclusively showed it to be only about 1000 years old.
Phrenology was a European pseudoscience that was in vogue during the nineteenth century. Doctors had observed that people whose brains were slightly more developed, and therefore bulged, in certain regions had corresponding mental faculties. For example, people with lesions (gaps) in the speech area of their brains are often unable to speak. This lead to the idea that by measuring the slight bumps and bulges of the skull they could determine the shape of the brain and infer data about someone’s mental abilities. Many people used it to show that they were intrinsically superior to others. It was even used as fortune-telling for children to see how they would fare as adults. Unfortunately, the shape of the brain does not even closely correspond to the shape of the skull, and moreover, the areas of the brain said to carry traits such as ‘conscientiousness’ and ‘suavity’ have since been shown to be incorrect. However, phrenology did increase interest in neuroscience and indirectly led to much more scientifically sound knowledge.
In 1912 in Piltdown, England, Charles Dawson discovered a strange skull that had a curious mixture of human and ape features. He claimed it was the ‘missing link’ between humans and apes. This skull had the upper face and tall cranium of a human, but the long, sloping jaw of an ape. The skull was in fact a human cranium coupled with an orangutan mandible and filed-down chimpanzee teeth, all stained to appear more ancient. As more and more human ancestor skeletons were found, Piltdown man began to look more and more out of place. In 1953, scientists conclusively showed it to be a farce. Piltdown man inspired huge paleontological debates about how humans evolved and it remains one of the most famous hoax skulls.
In 1828, a strange skull from the island of Marken in the Netherlands was found. Although it was dated as modern, it differed from other human skulls with its sloped forehead. Hypotheses to explain this abounded, most prominently that the islanders were in fact not homo sapiens but a more ancient hominid which had evolved in isolation, dubbed ‘batavus genuinus.’ Anthropologists noted that the islanders did indeed have sloped foreheads, and some claimed that they were the modern descendants of Neanderthals. In 1912, a Dutch physician finally showed that the traditional tight headwear worn by Marken children was what caused the foreheads to develop with a slope. Marken children brought up off the island do not have sloped foreheads, and the Marken people are quite able to have healthy children with other humans, showing that they are indeed homo sapiens.
Trepanning was a practice done since at least eight thousand years ago. It involved drilling a hole in the skull as a treatment for many head-related disorders, such as headaches, seizures, and mental disabilities. Many skulls with trepanned holes have been found. Trepanning did not always result in death, as many of these skulls show some degree of healing which would have occurred over several weeks or months after the procedure. Even so, there would have been many deaths due to infection. Today trepanning is still used as pseudoscience by various people purporting that it releases evil spirits or energy, that it improves health, cures depression, and various other unsubstantiated claims.
The military is said to have secured a large area and forbidden anyone entry except government personnel. The site was kept in complete secrecy until a helicopter secured photographs as it flew overhead. The photos show workers uncovering a skull of phenomenal size, and gradually revealing the rest of the giant skeleton. The skeleton became famous in email forwards that gave some variation of the above story, but in fact, the photographs were created through manipulation by combining various real but unrelated pictures. Other giant skulls have been put forward, but all have been either falsified, mysteriously misplaced, refused examination, or have actually been Neanderthal skulls, which are slightly larger than human skulls.
A huge number of skulls with long or deformed craniums have been found around the world, with some groups advertising them as authentic alien skulls. Infant skulls are relatively soft and pliable, and there have been many peoples who would traditionally deform them by tightly binding the heads of their babies for several months, similar to the Marken people. Skulls deformed in this way predate written history, and every skull examined with DNA tests has been shown to either be that of a modern human or a Neanderthal. More recently, various Germanic, American, and native Australian people have practiced skull deformation, and is still done in a small number of places today. It is thought to be done for aesthetic reasons or to show social status, and if done correctly, does not cause brain damage.
There are many claims of horned human skulls being found; however, very few have ever been physically presented for independent inspection. Although peculiar human skin tumors can appear to be horns, they are not part of the skeleton and are more similar to fingernails than true horns. The horned skull stories probably began when a large number were reported to have been found in Pennsylvania that suspiciously vanished before they could be studied by experts. Some stories even claim that they had two rows of teeth or demonic powers. Although some versions insist that experts have verified horned skulls to be genuine, the cited experts either do not exist or deny the verifications they are claimed to have made. Similar to horned skulls are crested skulls, which are quite real and belonged to paranthropus, a genus of hominids with huge jaws for chewing seeds and roots. Their powerful jaw muscles were attached to the skull crest, much like in modern male gorillas.
According to legend, these skulls have been circulating among collectors and museums since the late nineteenth century. They were crafted over 3000 years ago by the Mayans or Aztecs with the help of aliens, and were the center of strange mysticisms. Touching one would heal you and give great power. There were 13 in total, although we still have not recovered them all. If you bring all 13 together you would have the power of a god. Unfortunately, all of the skulls examined thus far were made in Europe, have been dated to be less than two centuries old, most being far younger, and there are no Mayan or Aztec legends pertaining to them except those which were written based on what had been said after the skulls were found rather than on actual archaeological evidence. Although beautifully made, these skulls and their associated legends are nothing more than an elaborate hoax. It is still a mystery whether they were all made by one person, if one was made first and inspired others, or if they were originally intended to be passed off as real at all. | <urn:uuid:fb1376a6-67f7-4da7-ab8a-43eb5083c1d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://listverse.com/2012/02/26/top-10-skull-hoaxes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985384 | 1,905 | 2.796875 | 3 |
We humans often blunder through our daily lives giving little thought to the myriad of living creatures that share this world with us. The animals that live outside our windows are simply below our radar of importance. For many, this happens by default of logistics. Being dwellers of concrete and stone, we go about our business paying little attention to anything that is not relevant to our daily tasks.
But what are we really missing out on? There is a world out there of unimaginable complexity, full of drama and the constant use of silent language. Many mammals don’t have a complex audible language. They don’t need it. They are masters at reading the silent language of others.
For anyone who doesn’t believe that animals feel a complex range of emotions, continue on and see these emotions for yourselves…
Winter is optimal deer watching time for us. Whitetail deer are incredibly interesting to watch, as they tell us what they are thinking with their faces and their bodies. Below a mother and fawn share a tender moment. Their emotional connection to each other is obvious.
Another mother and daughter share a tender moment. Fawns look to their mothers for guidance and decision making. And the does show amazing patience as their fawns learn valuable life lessons. Whitetail does are wonderfully devoted mothers.
(Below) Trouble in paradise. Sometimes when a youngster crosses a social line or comes too close to someone else’s mother, the emotional energy changes. The fawn below knows that she has made a mistake. The doe tells her so with a dramatic display of disciplinary body language. A swat from a front hoof is coming. The fawn knows this and attempts a hasty retreat.
Another situation where a reprimand is necessary. This fawn does not belong to this doe. Like many ungulates, whitetail deer mothers know their own fawns even from a distance and don’t tolerate close contact with others. This fawn knows what is coming.
(Below) This youngster approaches with trepidation. The uncertainty is written all over her face. Big bucks were already in the area and they won’t allow her to come near them. She knows this and proceeds with great caution. She is so wonderfully expressive with her emotions.
The buck on the left (our long time resident Broad Beams) shows an obvious display of dominance and displeasure. The buck on the right is Shark, a new buck in the area who temporarily denounced Broad Beams from the top position. But antlers are everything in the world of whitetail bucks, and Broad Beams still has his here. Well…..it’s PAY BACK time! Shark doesn’t want trouble and makes good his escape.
With a distinct display of aggression Broad Beams lowers his head and flattens his ears back. This body posture is very effective and helps deer avoid dangerous physical contact with each other. The only time this may not work is during the rut, when violent battles sometimes do take place. But outside of the rut, deer have a very effective way of “talking” that requires no sound.
(Below) Mohawk makes it clear that another buck has come too close. Just about anyone would know by looking at his face that one step closer could be your last. The silent language of animals transcends species.
The next time you get a chance to watch wild animals going about their business, take a good look at what they are really saying to one another. This silent language is actually spoken quite loudly. | <urn:uuid:6911627d-99f9-4f9a-94c8-7564a4c26376> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jonijohnsongodsy.com/wordpress/?m=201001 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966723 | 733 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The mission of the Center on the Developing Child is to leverage science to enhance child well-being through innovations in policy and practice. Specifically, the Center strives to translate advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, genomics, and the behavioral and social sciences into creative new strategies for action.
The healthy development of young children and their families can be supported through a variety of services, including early care and education, primary health care, home visiting programs, Head Start, early intervention programs, nutritional assistance, financial supports, and therapeutic interventions. However, over the past 50 years, the magnitude of the impacts of such approaches has been variable, and the quality of implementation has been uneven.
Improvements in the quality of existing programs and efforts to coordinate services and enhance access are clearly important, but they are unlikely to be enough to produce breakthrough impacts for children who face the cumulative burdens of low family income, limited parent education, and social exclusion. Those efforts must be supplemented by a new generation of strategies.
Creating the Future of Policy and Practice
Programs, communities, and states that are open to designing and testing new approaches will play a critical role in creating the future of early childhood policy and practice. The Center is committed to working collaboratively with scientists, scholars, policymakers, policy analysts, practitioners, and other creative thinkers who are motivated to engage in the kind of transformational thinking that is needed to drive significant innovation in this field.
Innovative approaches can be shaped by both scientific research and field-based experience aimed at breakthrough outcomes. Such outcomes can include substantially larger impacts on specific measures for an existing target group, the extension of benefits to a more diverse population of children (particularly subgroups not reached by current interventions), and gains in cost effectiveness that enable more efficient application of a previously proven strategy.
To understand the interrelated roles of ideas, people, and environments in an innovation enterprise, think of an ecosystem that supports growing plants. It is the highly interactive mix among climate, seeds, and soil that influences what germinates, what takes root, what survives for a short time, and what flourishes long enough to bear fruit. Much the same is true in innovation in early childhood policy and practice. In an “ecology of innovation,” three core elements require attention:
- seeds—new ideas that offer the potential for substantially more effective policies and practices that are affordable, replicable, and sustainable;
- soil—the rich combination of people and contexts that cultivates promising seeds and catalyzes broader impact; and
- climate—the policy, professional, and funding environments that create incentives and influence the allocation of resources.
This constructive dissatisfaction with the status quo—combined with the conviction that we can and must do better—drives the Center’s flagship initiative on innovation, Frontiers of Innovation (FOI).
Major support for the Frontiers of Innovation Initiative has been provided by: The Alliance for Early Success, Bezos Family Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Buffett Early Childhood Fund, The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Norlien Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard University. | <urn:uuid:cd3de92a-0c0d-44fe-9c28-7faf9b0893d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/topics/innovation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926528 | 637 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Fort Wayne, Ind. (www.incnow.tv) - While investigators say a gas leak didn't caused the devastating explosion in Greenwood, Ind., it provides an opportunity for gas companies to remind you about taking precautions with the appliances that do use gas, now that the weather is getting colder.
NIPSCO says you should have your furnace serviced and make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors with working batteries in them.
And if you smell natural gas, don't touch anything just get out, and then call 911.
Jill Perillo with NIPSCO says, “You don't want to turn your lights off, for instance, you don't want to pick up the phone and dial, you don't even want to use your cell phone. You want to leave the premises. You don't want to open up the windows thinking that you're going to ventilate your house, for instance. You don't want that gas escaping outside and having something outside trigger an explosion.”
To report a natural gas smell, like rotten eggs, call NIPSCO immediately at 1-800-634-3524 and call 911.
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© Copyright 2013 A Granite Broadcasting Station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:e7622642-7c8a-461c-aa3b-d7acf62ec506> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/video/Time-to-Check-Your-Furnace-A-Gas-Leak-Could-be-Detected-or-Prevented-179172281.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947436 | 284 | 1.765625 | 2 |
|This article relies on references to primary sources. (January 2012)|
|Fate||Acquired by Sony Corporation|
|Successor(s)||Became a subsidiary of Sony Corporation|
|Defunct|| • 2002 (company)
• 2006 (brand)
|Parent||Sony Corporation (2002–2006)|
(company's (and brand's) remainder official portal website for service enquiries)
It produced audio and video equipment from the 1970s until the early 2000s.
The company, founded in 1951, was a leading manufacturer of audio products, including headphone stereos, minicomponent stereo systems, portable stereo systems, minidisc players, CD and cassette players, and car stereo systems. Nearly 86 percent of company revenues were derived from such audio products. The company also made and sold visual products, such as VCRs, color televisions, DVD players, and digital satellite television tuners; this sector accounted for about 12 percent of sales. In the "other" category responsible for the remainder of sales, Aiwa was involved in the production of computer peripherals devices, such as modems, terminal adapters, and speakers, and what the company termed "life amenity products," such as air cleaners and humidifiers. Aiwa manufactured more than 89 percent of its output outside of Japan, with a heavy emphasis on the lower-cost southeast Asian nations of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The company was also heavily dependent on overseas sales, with more than 80 percent of total revenues being generated outside Japan, with 43 percent in North and South America, 25 percent in Europe, and 13 percent in areas of Asia outside Japan and in other regions. Although officially an affiliated company of consumer electronics giant Sony Corporation, Aiwa prided itself on its independent operation and competed head on with Sony in several product categories.
|This section requires expansion with: history prior to acquisition by Sony. (January 2012)|
Operations after acquisition by Sony
The company slid towards bankruptcy until it was purchased by competitor Sony Corporation. As of October 1, 2002, Aiwa ceased to be a separate company and became a wholly owned division of Sony. The company retained a logo from the mid-1990s which was used for a very short time.
Sony's reasoning for acquiring the company is unclear, other than that it was already a shareholder in Aiwa Corporation. However, Aiwa was eligible for a tax refund in Japan for fiscal year 2002, which offset the dropping figures in Sony's financial report for fiscal years 2002 and 2003. In January 2003, Sony announced the rebranding and relaunch of Aiwa as a "youth focused, PC-centric" electronics brand. A new logo was presented to the world's media along with a statement of Sony's intention to invest in and "revitalize" the Aiwa brand.
The direction proposed was to capitalize on the growing trend among personal-computer-literate teenagers and young adults to use their PCs for all forms of entertainment (television, films, music, chat), an area in which Sony itself was struggling primarily due to the heavy copyright protections it imposed upon its products.
Since 2004, however, Sony seemingly began rolling back its support for the Aiwa brand, and by 2005 Aiwa products remained on sale in only selected territories around the globe. In 2006, Aiwa products were discontinued and no longer sold in the market.
As of March 2013, the Aiwa website still existed to provide customer-support telephone numbers for some territories and regions, but it also contained many broken links and blank pages. In other regions, such as Europe, it redirected to a page on the Sony website stating that the Aiwa website had closed. The last apparent update to the website was in June 2008.
See also
- List of companies of Japan
- List of electronics brands
- List of electronics companies
- Sony Corporation shareholders and subsidiaries
- "ind out about AIWA Support: Official Information from Sony". Sony Europe. Sony. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: AIWA|
- aiwa.com, company's (and brand's) remainder official portal website for service enquiries
- Vintage Cassette Decks Collection of Aiwa Vintage Cassette decks and other brands. | <urn:uuid:688aa419-018f-445b-9264-17e1ef457277> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiwa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958187 | 880 | 1.804688 | 2 |
WHAT is economics concerned with? A layman taking in the raging debates over financial stability, inflation, economic growth, and budget deficits, would say it’s about money. That, of course, is not right. Money matters only insofar as it is a proxy for welfare. Money is a handy way of denominating prices and economists love prices because they are so efficient at allocating supply and demand so as to maximise welfare. Yet markets do not have to have money or prices to serve that welfare-maximising function. That distinction lies at the heart of the work that won this year’s Nobel Prize in economics, the subject of this week’s Free Exchange column.
Lloyd Shapley of UCLA and Alvin Roth of Stanford University got the prize for studying the barriers to welfare maximisation in markets without prices: examples including matching college applicants to colleges, kidney donors to recipients, and even husbands to wives. Mr Shapley and David Gale (now deceased) devised an algorithm 50 years ago that would maximise the satisfaction of such multi-sided matching games. Read the column to learn more about how the theory works and its applications. I want to focus here on a more philosophical implication of their work.
Mr Gale’s and Mr Shapley’s seminal 1962 paper was somewhat whimsical. Imagine a man, John, in love with a woman, Mary, but Mary is married to someone else. So John marries someone else as well. What if a year later he discovers Mary really does love him? Odds are they will find a way to be together, but it may involve infidelity, divorce and scandal (Prince Charles and Camilla can relate). On the other hand, if Mary really loves her husband more than John, both marriages will endure. Mr Gale and Mr Shapley devised an algorithm that would match partners in a way to minimise the number of unstable marriages and maximise the number of stable ones.
Mr Gale and Mr Shapley acknowledged that their marriage-matching algorithm had “entered the world of mathematical make believe.” But they went on to make a larger point:
Our result provides a handy counterexample to some of the stereotypes which nonmathematicians believe mathematics to be concerned with. Most mathematicians at one time or another have probably found themselves in the position of trying to refute the notion that they are people with ‘a head for figures’ or that they ‘know a lot of formulas’. At such times it may be convenient to have an illustration at hand to show that mathematics need not be concerned with figures … [our theorem] is carried out not in mathematical symbols but in ordinary English; there are no obscure or technical terms. Knowledge of calculus is not presupposed. In fact, one hardly needs to know how to count. Yet any mathematician will immediately recognize the argument as mathematical, while people without mathematical training will probably find difficulty in following the argument, though not because of unfamiliarity with the subject matter. What, then to raise the old question, is mathematics? The answer, it appears, is that any argument which is carried out with sufficient precision is mathematical, and the reason that your friends and ours cannot understand mathematics is not because they have no head for figures, but because they are unable to achieve the degree of concentration required to follow a moderately involved sequence of inferences.
In a similar way, Mr Shapley's and Mr Roth's Nobel prize illustrates a larger point about economics. Undergraduates often study “utility functions” to learn how people choose alternative consumption baskets in a way that makes them better off. Once they go on to graduate school and then a job, they deal almost exclusively with priced transactions: for wheat, autos or equities.
Yet in countless private and public policy questions, welfare can be improved in ways that do not show up in the price. Mr Roth’s work on public school admissions and kidney donations are an obvious example, but there are countless others. I recall reading that Starbucks had a plan that would let an employee in one store trade jobs with an employee in another so that both could work closer to home. The result would not change either employee’s output or wages, or Starbucks’ profits. Conceivably GDP would fall because the employees would spend less on petrol or bus fare. But provided the swap was voluntary, the welfare of both would without question rise.
During election season, presidential candidates invariably defend their policies in terms of dollars or jobs: Barack Obama’s health care plan will save a family so much on insurance; his green energy investments will create so many jobs. Mitt Romney’s voucher plan will reduce Medicare’s costs. Yet some of the greatest welfare impacts of these policies can’t be priced. Obamacare eliminates much of the anxiety that hangs over every uninsured worker who worries about a financially crippling disease or injury. That surely must raise welfare. The energy efficiency standards imposed on makers of automobiles, appliances, toilets and light bulbs may save consumers’ money, but deprive them of choice: if you want a faster but less efficient dishwasher, you can’t buy one anymore. That is a loss of welfare that is not incorporated in regulators’ cost-benefit analysis. Nick Rowe once beautifully illustrated the flaw in the theory that public works projects, no matter how useless (such as digging holes and filling them in) were an effective form of stimulus in a liqudity trap. Truly useless projects may raise GDP, he noted, but they did not raise welfare, so the government may as well just hand the cash over to the workers.
Contrary to the claims of Mr Romney and Paul Ryan, vouchers won’t solve Medicare’s long-term cost problem. Experience suggests the introduction of competition has only a transitory impact on health cost growth. Yet vouchers offer Medicare beneficiaries something they don’t have now: choice. By letting them allocate their Medicare dollars to an insurance plan that better suits their idiosyncratic preferences, they can achieve a higher welfare than if the same money were spent on the same plan everyone gets. (Note that proviso: the same money. If the voucher is worth less than the money they would have otherwise spent, the impact on welfare is ambiguous.) The value of that choice is not easily quantified, but it is real. It may not be obvious to presidential candidates, but that's why we have economists. | <urn:uuid:2ae42b3a-84e6-47b7-9364-7b44988c1b5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2012/10/understanding-economics?fsrc=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959137 | 1,318 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Tens of thousands of Haitians united today to mourn the victims of the earthquake that devastated the nation 1 month ago. At Champs de Mars, a tent city outside the collapsed National Palace, a 3-day memorial service began. "Haiti has just experienced the biggest tragedy of our history,'' a prominent priest told the crowd. "It shows that from now on we must do things not like before the earthquake. Have solidarity but with a new conscience.''
President René Préval told his people to "have courage," the Miami Herald reports. "Today, I am not speaking to you as president, but as a father," Préval said. "Understand that your cries have been heard and that the people of Haiti must have courage. The message is Haiti has not perished. The message is Haiti cannot perish.'' | <urn:uuid:1d1935e7-b564-430b-ad2b-51fd1bce7dc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newser.com/story/80795/haiti-observes-day-of-mourning.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971999 | 169 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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- PRODUCT PACKAGING
- DESIGN GALLERY
Heinz has long known that its ketchup packets have been mess-inducing and difficult to open for consumers. An executive talking this week to the Associated Press about the brand’s new take on the ketchup packet, the Dip & Squeeze tub, said as much: "We created the packet in 1968," he said. "Consumer complaints started around 1969."
So, why launch the solution now? Nearly half a century after the complaints came rolling in? It’s not clear whether the hundreds of "anti ketchup packet" groups on Facebook were the "consumer demand" Heinz credits for prompting the new packaging. It's possible that 41 years of complaints simply took their toll. Or that the brand's string of packaging hits in recent years (the inverted ketchup bottle, the fridge fit bottle) earned packaging enough respect to greenlight a solution to the packet problem.
But, to me, it's pretty telling that Heinz launched its own Facebook page in conjunction with the new format announcement. I wonder if the Dip & Squeeze ketchup tub will win over the "anti-packet" Facebook brigade, which, with insightful rants like "ketchup deserves a cup," could conceivably be credited with co-creation. | <urn:uuid:73dd120d-cbb2-4141-8347-530193e8b350> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brandpackaging.com/articles/why-now-ask-facebook-fans?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94534 | 283 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Financing is really a financial transaction where one particular party (the loan provider) concurs to supply an additiona party (the consumer some cash using the aspiration of complete repayment. The specific regards to financing are often typed out using a promissory notice or any other deal. The client need to take the particular payment terms, like the balance, interest rate and also payment dates. A few financial institutions might also designate monetary fees and penalties regarding missed or even overdue obligations.
Just because a bank loan can easily contain a lot of hidden charges by way of example interestobligations as well as financing charges, lots of people usually avoid using for starters till it could be essential.
Buying a completely new automobile or home more often than not needs some sort of bank loan from the financial institution, whether it is a bank mortgage loan or possibly a private loan while using seller.
Funding a larger schooling could also need to have a government-backed education and learning bank loan. Interest rates on these kinds of large lending products might be fixed during the applying as well as may differ depending on the federal prime rate of interest. | <urn:uuid:688488a5-7969-43c5-8dba-495143ce81b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://acadiaparishtoday.com/pages/ad_details?id=47868975 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964192 | 227 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Digital asset management (DAM) systems are serving a large and rapidly growing market, but also a complex and fragmented one. The market encompasses media-focused organizations such as stock photo companies, creative agencies, marketing departments of large and small companies, and institutions such as museums. The rich-media elements of websites are also often sourced from DAM systems. Providers of DAM software are equally diverse, ranging from enterprise content management (ECM) suites that include DAM as a component, to pure-play and niche solutions.
Managing the metadata
One thing that can be said for certain is that the number of digital assets, particularly rich media, is growing dramatically as information presentation becomes increasingly visual. The cost of storage has declined, which is a benefit on the surface but also a drawback because users are more inclined to retain everything, making the task of locating the desired content more difficult. The number of assets plus the drive for greater efficiency in an economic environment of tightened budgets all add up to foster the market for DAM systems, which has been thriving despite the economic slowdown.
The Portland Art Museum in Oregon received a state grant to develop better access to cultural heritage and the arts, and invested in a digital asset management system from Extensis, Extensis Portfolio Server 9.5. "We did a lot of research and found that Portfolio Server 9.5 would manage our assets effectively and was an intuitive product with a short learning curve," says Emma Wolman, digital asset manager at the museum.
One of the primary goals was to allow users within the museum to share digital assets more effectively. "The marketing department might need to use the same file as the education department," Wolman says, "and we wanted to be sure they each had access." Previously, files were stored in folders and organized by accession number. Users had to either know the number or scroll through files to locate the desired asset. "Now our search and retrieval process is incredibly fast," Wolman adds. "We can search any field, artist, date, title or part of a title, and come up with the image right away."
Storing each image only once has reduced the amount of storage that is required, and also ensures that the image is always credited correctly. "As we went along, we instituted best practices, documenting what we are doing in each case," Wolman explains. Such best practices include creating, maintaining and presenting robust descriptive, structural and technical metadata to accompany the digital assets.
Files are stored in folders on a central drive, and Portfolio Server manages the metadata associated with each file. "As new images are added to the folders, they are automatically cataloged," Wolman says. "We do not have to enter data manually." Batch processing to create derivatives such as thumbnails is also possible, which was not an option before Portfolio Server.
Prior to importing images into Portfolio Server, Wolman spent considerable time working with metadata. "We configured the metadata, mapping it to assist in importing record information from other systems," Wolman explains, "and created custom fields to accommodate and represent the data in accordance with industry standards."
The trend: mobility
All the digital images in the Portland Art Museum's collection have now been migrated to Portfolio Server 9.5, and new images are brought into the system as they are obtained. Now that the system is in place, Wolman has been helping staff throughout the museum learn how to use it effectively. "We identify who the primary users are in each department," she says, "and train them first." Even though the new system helps users work more efficiently, a certain amount of change management is still necessary. "We train people most likely to benefit from the system, and they catch on quickly," she says.
In the newly released Portfolio Server 10, cataloging and file processing speed has been increased and new functionality has been added. "Using [Extensis] NetMediaMAX, more than one server can be utilized to form a media engine cluster," says Edward Smith, product marketing manager for DAM solutions at Extensis. Support for video has been improved so that video files can be played from within Portfolio Server, and videos can be converted from one format to another. Portfolio Server 10 provides HTML 5 support so browsers that use the newer technology can play back videos.
"The biggest emerging trend we see is in mobility," says Smith. "A large percent of businesses are planning on deploying iPads or other tablets, and users want to see files not just in their offices but at client meetings or other remote locations." A significant portion of the development work for Portfolio Server 10 was focused on enabling delivery on mobile platforms and managing video content.
Extensis products compete on ease of use and cost. "It only takes a few hours to get Portfolio Server up and running," Smith maintains. "Our software is priced under $2,000 for three concurrent users, a minimal investment for organizations taking the first steps with DAM." The digital asset management industry still has a lot of room for growth, according to Smith. "Many organizations, especially small to medium-sized ones, are not yet aware of the value a DAM system can bring, in terms of savings in time and improved productivity," he says. "With the volume of digital files companies are continuously creating, the key benefit users of a DAM system realize immediately is the ability to quickly find the right file."
From customer to vendor
VRX Studios was founded in 2000 as a provider of destination-related virtual tours to the travel industry. The quality of VRX's virtual tours caught the eye of those in the hospitality industry, and over the past 12 years the firm has evolved into a full-service global photography company serving more than 10,000 hotels around the world, as well as the architectural, lifestyle and food and beverage industries. The images that VRX Studios has created for its customers over the years were stored on a homegrown system up until 2010. In 2009, the system began to experience growing pains, and as a result, VRX Studios opted to seek a new solution. At the time, the company had 8,000 customers and was managing 20 TBs of media assets.
The large and growing volume of assets VRX Studios was managing sparked an interest in the cloud as a possible solution. "We needed a system that was massively scalable, highly flexible and could be quickly and easily accessed from every corner of the world," says David MacLaren, founder and CEO of VRX Studios. "That's where the Windows Azure Cloud platform from Microsoft came in."
VRX Studios decided to build its own digital asset management system, entirely on the cloud, both to ensure that the application met its specifications, and to mitigate the cost and time to get to market. "We decided on Azure because there's a large base of highly skilled .NET programmers available around the world that we could pull from, and Microsoft provided the corporate support, programs and partner ecosystem that we felt we needed to be successful," explains MacLaren. "Building our own system on Azure provided more opportunities and flexibility than buying an existing commercial system, and it ensured our immediate needs were met."
In addition to the Azure platform, Microsoft provided the global IT infrastructure that VRX Studios needed to address the demands of its global clientele. "We built the application, brought it to market and were managing assets entirely in the cloud in under a year," MacLaren says. The choice to move to the cloud cut down on development costs substantially. "We would have had to spend twice as much to bring MediaValet to market without Azure," MacLaren says. "It was a simple decision, Azure enabled us to focus all of our resources on building the best digital asset management system we could, and left the IT infrastructure entirely up to Microsoft." | <urn:uuid:d0c16f0a-b0db-4504-a220-7cdbb1fda779> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kmworld.com/Articles/Editorial/Features/Digital-asset-management-supports-a-world-of-rich-media-77846.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968393 | 1,590 | 1.671875 | 2 |
AFTER HOEING, or perhaps reading and writing, in the forenoon, I usually bathed again in the pond, swimming across one of its coves for a stint, and washed the dust of labor from my person, or smoothed out the last wrinkle which study had made, and for the afternoon was absolutely free. Every day or two I strolled to the village to hear some of the gossip which is incessantly going on there, circulating either from mouth to mouth, or from newspaper to newspaper, and which, taken in homeopathic doses, was really as refreshing in its way as the rustle of leaves and the peeping of frogs. As I walked in the woods to see the birds and squirrels, so I walked in the village to see the men and boys; instead of the wind among the pines I heard the carts rattle. In one direction from my house there was a colony of muskrats in the river meadows; under the grove of elms and buttonwoods in the other horizon was a village of busy men, as curious to me as if they had been prairie-dogs, each sitting at the mouth of its burrow, or running over to a neighbor's to gossip. I went there frequently to observe their habits. The village appeared to me a great news room; and on one side, to support it, as once at Redding & Company's on State Street, they kept nuts and raisins, or salt and meal and other groceries. Some have such a vast appetite for the former commodity, that is, the news, and such sound digestive organs, that they can sit forever in public avenues without stirring, and let it simmer and whisper through them like the Etesian winds, or as if inhaling ether, it only producing numbness and insensibility to pain- otherwise it would often be painful to bear- without affecting the consciousness. I hardly ever failed, when I rambled through the village, to see a row of such worthies, either sitting on a ladder sunning themselves, with their bodies inclined forward and their eyes glancing along the line this way and that, from time to time, with a voluptuous expression, or else leaning against a barn with their hands in their pockets, like caryatides, as if to prop it up. They, being commonly out of doors, heard whatever was in the wind. These are the coarsest mills, in which all gossip is first rudely digested or cracked up before it is emptied into finer and more delicate hoppers within doors. I observed that the vitals of the village were the grocery, the bar-room, the post-office, and the bank; and, as a necessary part of the machinery, they kept a bell, a big gun, and a fire-engine, at convenient places; and the houses were so arranged as to make the most of mankind, in lanes and fronting one another, so that every traveller had to run the gauntlet, and every man, woman, and child might get a lick at him. Of course, those who were stationed nearest to the head of the line, where they could most see and be seen, and have the first blow at him, paid the highest prices for their places; and the few straggling inhabitants in the outskirts, where long gaps in the line began to occur, and the traveller could get over walls or turn aside into cow-paths, and so escape, paid a very slight ground or window tax. Signs were hung out on all sides to allure him; some to catch him by the appetite, as the tavern and victualling cellar; some by the fancy, as the dry goods store and the jeweller's; and others by the hair or the feet or the skirts, as the barber, the shoe-maker, or the tailor. Besides, there was a still more terrible standing invitation to call at every one of these houses, and company expected about these times. For the most part I escaped wonderfully from these dangers, either by proceeding at once boldly and without deliberation to the goal, as is recommended to those who run the gauntlet, or by keeping my thoughts on high things, like Orpheus, who, "loudly singing the praises of the gods to his lyre, drowned the voices of the Sirens, and kept out of danger." Sometimes I bolted suddenly, and nobody could tell my whereabouts, for I did not stand much about gracefulness, and never hesitated at a gap in a fence. I was even accustomed to make an irruption into some houses, where I was well entertained, and after learning the kernels and very last sieveful of news- what had subsided, the prospects of war and peace, and whether the world was likely to hold together much longer- I was let out through the rear avenues, and so escaped to the woods again.
It was very pleasant, when I stayed late in town, to launch myself into the night, especially if it was dark and tempestuous, and set sail from some bright village parlor or lecture room, with a bag of rye or Indian meal upon my shoulder, for my snug harbor in the woods, having made all tight without and withdrawn under hatches with a merry crew of thoughts, leaving only my outer man at the helm, or even tying up the helm when it was plain sailing. I had many a genial thought by the cabin fire "as I sailed." I was never cast away nor distressed in any weather, though I encountered some severe storms. It is darker in the woods, even in common nights, than most suppose. I frequently had to look up at the opening between the trees above the path in order to learn my route, and, where there was no cart-path, to feel with my feet the faint track which I had worn, or steer by the known relation of particular trees which I felt with my hands, passing between two pines for instance, not more than eighteen inches apart, in the midst of the woods, invariably, in the darkest night. Sometimes, after coming home thus late in a dark and muggy night, when my feet felt the path which my eyes could not see, dreaming and absent-minded all the way, until I was aroused by having to raise my hand to lift the latch, I have not been able to recall a single step of my walk, and I have thought that perhaps my body would find its way home if its master should forsake it, as the hand finds its way to the mouth without assistance. Several times, when a visitor chanced to stay into evening, and it proved a dark night, I was obliged to conduct him to the cart-path in the rear of the house, and then point out to him the direction he was to pursue, and in keeping which he was to be guided rather by his feet than his eyes. One very dark night I directed thus on their way two young men who had been fishing in the pond. They lived about a mile off through the woods, and were quite used to the route. A day or two after one of them told me that they wandered about the greater part of the night, close by their own premises, and did not get home till toward morning, by which time, as there had been several heavy showers in the meanwhile, and the leaves were very wet, they were drenched to their skins. I have heard of many going astray even in the village streets, when the darkness was so thick that you could cut it with a knife, as the saying is. Some who live in the outskirts, having come to town a-shopping in their wagons, have been obliged to put up for the night; and gentlemen and ladies making a call have gone half a mile out of their way, feeling the sidewalk only with their feet, and not knowing when they turned. It is a surprising and memorable, as well as valuable experience, to be lost in the woods any time. Often in a snow-storm, even by day, one will come out upon a well-known road and yet find it impossible to tell which way leads to the village. Though he knows that he has travelled it a thousand times, he cannot recognize a feature in it, but it is as strange to him as if it were a road in Siberia. By night, of course, the perplexity is infinitely greater. In our most trivial walks, we are constantly, though unconsciously, steering like pilots by certain well-known beacons and headlands, and if we go beyond our usual course we still carry in our minds the bearing of some neighboring cape; and not till we are completely lost, or turned round- for a man needs only to be turned round once with his eyes shut in this world to be lost- do we appreciate the vastness and strangeness of nature. Every man has to learn the points of compass again as often as be awakes, whether from sleep or any abstraction. Not till we are lost, in other words not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.
One afternoon, near the end of the first summer, when I went to the village to get a shoe from the cobbler's, I was seized and put into jail, because, as I have elsewhere related, I did not pay a tax to, or recognize the authority of, the State which buys and sells men, women, and children, like cattle, at the door of its senate-house. I had gone down to the woods for other purposes. But, wherever a man goes, men will pursue and paw him with their dirty institutions, and, if they can, constrain him to belong to their desperate odd-fellow society. It is true, I might have resisted forcibly with more or less effect, might have run "amok" against society; but I preferred that society should run "amok" against me, it being the desperate party. However, I was released the next day, obtained my mended shoe, and returned to the woods in season to get my dinner of huckleberries on Fair Haven Hill. I was never molested by any person but those who represented the State. I had no lock nor bolt but for the desk which held my papers, not even a nail to put over my latch or windows. I never fastened my door night or day, though I was to be absent several days; not even when the next fall I spent a fortnight in the woods of Maine. And yet my house was more respected than if it had been surrounded by a file of soldiers. The tired rambler could rest and warm himself by my fire, the literary amuse himself with the few books on my table, or the curious, by opening my closet door, see what was left of my dinner, and what prospect I had of a supper. Yet, though many people of every class came this way to the pond, I suffered no serious inconvenience from these sources, and I never missed anything but one small book, a volume of Homer, which perhaps was improperly gilded, and this I trust a soldier of our camp has found by this time. I am convinced, that if all men were to live as simply as I then did, thieving and robbery would be unknown. These take place only in communities where some have got more than is sufficient while others have not enough. The Pope's Homers would soon get properly distributed.
Faginus astabat dum scyphus ante dapes."
"Nor wars did men molest,
When only beechen bowls were in request."
"You who govern public affairs, what need have you to employ punishments? Love virtue, and the people will be virtuous. The virtues of a superior man are like the wind; the virtues of a common man are like the grass- I the grass, when the wind passes over it, bends." The Ponds
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visitors since Jan 8th 1999 | <urn:uuid:52e51faa-cbd0-4040-8340-b068d3fec559> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://home2.btconnect.com/tipiglen/village.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988076 | 2,470 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Milestone in building careers
St. Michael's School, Digha Ghat, is a Higher Secondary Catholic School, founded
in 1858 and now managed by the members of the Society of Jesus, a group of men dedicated
to God's greater glory through the service of mankind. The Society of Jesus, founded
by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, has been active in the field of education throughout
the world since its origin. In India, the Society of Jesus is presently responsible
for 94 Primary Schools, 56 Middle Schools, 116 Secondary Schools, 69 Senior Secondary
Schools, 8 Inter Colleges, 37 Professional Degree Colleges and 18 Technical Institutions
Aims & Objectives
- Developing in the student an attitude of openness to growth and enabling him/her
to take responsibility for his/ her own growth.
- Preparing the student to be intellectually competent : to promote and develop intellectual
skills, understanding and fulfill the academic requirements
- Helping the student become mature religiously : to help to know the major doctrines
and practices of his/her own religion and to learn to examine critically his/her
own religious feelings and beliefs. | <urn:uuid:707568b7-419c-4a2d-ad90-c9afddf27615> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stmichaelpatna.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93066 | 243 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Expressions are a vital piece of information that can tell you how a person is feeling, what they want to emphasize, and how they want you to react to them in return. A great deal of information and experience can be gleaned from observing people. Your best examples will be people who are relaxed and comfortable sharing expressions with you. Translating these details to paper takes a matter of perspective and a few tips. Once you know the basics, the rest of the drawing is just practice.
Have these tools handy:
Practice pad of paper (this can be anything from printer paper to professional sketching paper)
Music, ambient noise, scented candles, or silence—whatever helps you stay relaxed and focused.
Set yourself up at a place where you will be comfortable and that has a hard, flat surface, such as a table or a desk. Also make sure to give yourself adequate lighting. Once you're comfortable, you're ready to begin. | <urn:uuid:8134656e-8c57-4455-8bf0-fc690b14233a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Draw-Expressions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955626 | 195 | 2.53125 | 3 |
By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
FARMERSVILLE, Ohio — Hamilton County Farm Bureau developed an interesting way to enhance its presence in the community despite the dwindling number of traditional farmers: It reached out to horse people.
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) recognized that creativity with an Activities of Excellence Award this year.
“We are embarking on a mission to make our county Farm Bureau more relevant to our urban demographic,” Ann Frederick told Farm Bureau. “We are reaching out, welcoming partnerships and working more closely with a non-traditional agricultural group of our county – the equine community.”
Dr. Mike and Ann Frederick came up with the idea of “Making Farm Bureau Relevant to the Equine Community.” He is an equine veterinarian in the county, and he and his wife, an avid horsewoman, have Quarter Horses. County Farm Bureau President Dennis Heyob liked the idea, too.
“The corn, soy and dairy farmers are disappearing, and we’ve got a lot of horses in Hamilton County,” Mike Frederick said. “We tried to reach out to the horse community so that we would have a growing Farm Bureau membership.
“We did that by engaging the horse community, trying to make people aware. Then we had a recruitment effort, encouraging people to join Farm Bureau, trying to make them aware that they are farmers, they have horses, they have land, they buy hay.”
The county Farm Bureau donated money to support the bridle trails in Hamilton County Parks, he said. They had an advocacy program where they promoted equine issues at legislative events at the local and state level. They placed a Farm Bureau booth at a well-attended local tack exchange.
Members wrote articles for local papers. They spoke at horse clubs meetings on such topics as hay production, equine veterinary care and the role of Farm Bureau. They knew that change was necessary because their county, like other large, urban counties, was running out of traditional farmers.
“We have to make horse people aware that they need a voice, too,” Frederick said. “In Hamilton County we’ve had membership gain in two out of the last three years, in a large part due to horses. That is an accomplishment in an urban county.”
That accomplishment will be recognized at the AFBF annual meeting, said John Torres, AFBF director of leadership development. The county received funds to travel to the annual convention and will have space to set up a display.
“The real idea behind this display is so that they can share ideas with other Farm Bureau members all across the country,” Torres said. “We want to hold these up as models of innovation for other Farm Bureaus in the country to emulate.
“So, we want to provide them an opportunity to talk about what they did to get it off the ground, what made is successful and, if they were to do it again, what would they change about it, and to make sure that those ideas make their way to other parts of the nation. These are things that hopefully can be replicated by other Farm Bureau members.” | <urn:uuid:e9b51fd5-a5af-47f9-8cb6-c280350ce9c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.farmworldonline.com/news/NewsArticle.asp?newsid=15762 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974822 | 664 | 1.5 | 2 |
The artificial lower limbs of double-amputee Olympic hopeful Oscar Pistorius give him a clear and major advantage over his competition, taking 10 seconds or more off what his 400-meter race time would be if his prosthesis behaved like intact limbs.
That's the conclusion — released to the public for the first time — of human performance experts Peter Weyand of Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Matthew Bundle of the University of Wyoming.
The Weyand-Bundle conclusion is part of a written Point-Counterpoint style debate published online in the Journal of Applied Physiology on Nov. 19.
Weyand and Bundle were the first two authors of the study publishing the test results acquired as part of the legal appeal process undertaken after the governing body of Track and Field — the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) — banned Pistorius from able-bodied track competitions, including the Olympics.
In banning Pistorius, the IAAF had concluded on the basis of other data that Pistorius' J-shaped, artificial lower limbs, called "Cheetahs," gave him a competitive advantage over able-bodied competitors. But the ban subsequently was overturned on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The case has been considered groundbreaking for the eligibility of disabled athletes and the regulation of prosthetic technology in sport. Pistorius hopes to qualify for the 2012 Olympics.
The newly released conclusion from Weyand and Bundle analyzes the scientific evidence and quantifies the competitive advantage provided by Pistorius' "Cheetah" limbs.
Weyand indicated: "Pistorius' sprinting mechanics are anomalous, advantageous and directly attributable to how much lighter and springier his artificial limbs are. The blades enhance sprint running speeds by 15-30 percent."
Below the knee, Pistorius' limbs weigh less than half as much as the limbs of an able-bodied male sprinter.
Bundle noted that most of the 15-30 percent speed advantage enjoyed by Pistorius is explained by how quickly the lightweight blades allow him to reposition his limbs: "Even in comparison to those male sprinters with the most extreme adaptations for speed in recorded human history, Oscar Pistorius has limb repositioning times that are literally off the charts. Usain Bolt is considered somewhat freakish because he outruns his opponents by 2-4 percent. At top speed, Oscar Pistorius repositions his limbs 15 percent more rapidly than six of the most recent world record holders in the 100 meter dash, including Usain Bolt."
In the aftermath of the IAAF eligibility controversy, both Weyand and Bundle agreed that the initial ban was not scientifically supported and that the May 2008 ruling of the CAS to overturn the ban was sound on the basis of the incomplete evidence considered. Pistorius' case was successfully presented by the law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf of New York.
"We are pleased to finally be able to go public with conclusions that the publishing process has required us to keep confidential until now. We recognized that the blades provide a major advantage as soon as we analyzed the critical data more than a year and a half ago," said Weyand and Bundle in a statement.
Speaking for both investigators, Weyand indicated: "We admire the unique athletic achievements of Oscar Pistorius and are grateful for his willingness to share these important results for the general benefit of athletes and athletics. We acknowledge Dr. Rodger Kram of the University of Colorado Boulder whose efforts were essential to publishing this analysis and an earlier manuscript cooperatively. We also wish to acknowledge the data and work of Dr. Peter Bruggeman and colleagues, which contributed to the comprehensiveness of these conclusions."
"Finally," Weyand said, "we also commend the recent, single-limb amputee work of our colleagues that we interpret to indicate that sprint running performance can be artificially enhanced for those individuals who have two artificial lower limbs, but not at present for those who have only one." For more information see www.smuresearch.com.
Hugh Herr of MIT and Kram were the senior authors of the different interpretation that appeared as part of the written Point-Counterpoint style debate in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
Weyand and Bundle based their conclusions on data indicating:
Peter Weyand is an associate professor of applied physiology and biomechanics in SMU's Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education & Human Development.
Matthew Bundle is an assistant professor of biomechanics in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wyoming.
SMU is a private university in Dallas where nearly 11,000 students benefit from the national opportunities and international reach of SMU's seven degree-granting schools.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system. | <urn:uuid:60028653-ac67-45ec-b0cb-2246200d5452> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-11/smu-opa111709.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95772 | 1,016 | 2.171875 | 2 |
PALOMA - After almost 105 years as nothing more than a water-filled, 2,800-foot-deep hole, the famed Gwin Gold Mine may soon begin producing wealth again.
Joel Pitto, the current owner of the Gwin Mine just north of Paloma, said that Greentech Mining International is preparing to move a small office structure onto the site so it can conduct tests at the mine.
If all goes well and the tests confirm the quality of ore that Pitto said is demonstrated in historic mine records, then Greentech would purchase the mine and gear up to resume production.
And that, Pitto said, would lift him out of poverty and create hundreds of jobs.
"I'm hoping by next year things look very different here," Pitto said during a visit to the mine site Thursday.
Attempts to reach Greentech Chief Executive Officer Matthew Neher were unsuccessful. But his brother Tim Neher, who is a member of the Greentech board of directors, did confirm that Matthew Neher had recently visited the Gwin Mine site.
The idea that a major industrial operation could revive the economy in Paloma and Calaveras County does not seem as far-fetched as it once did.
For one thing, Sutter Gold Mining last year resumed gold production at a mine in Amador County, which is just across the Mokelumne River from Calaveras County. And then there's the fact that gold is currently trading for between $1,600 and $1,700 an ounce.
"Our projection is that if gold is $400 an ounce, you can make a profit in the Gwin," Pitto said.
Pitto has gone hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt doing research and preparing the Gwin for sale. He says it will take $20 million to $50 million to bring the mine back into production.
He says there are ways to cope with environmental issues - such as cleaning toxic metals from water that will have to be pumped out of the mine. And he says century-old records show that the ore still to be retrieved from the mine could keep it in production for the next 20 to 50 years.
A skeptic might ask why, if high-grade ore remains, did the Gwin Mine close down abruptly in 1908?
One historic record, written a few months after the 1908 closing by J.J. Crawford, the secretary to shareholders, indicated that the mine closed because it had too much debt and the quality of the ore wasn't sufficient to pay it off.
Pitto, in contrast, said that work done during the last two years of the Gwin's operation in fact opened new, lower levels with high quality ore. He said that it was a drought in 1908, which deprived the mine of water needed to power its equipment, that prompted the closure.
The Gwin has long been intimately connected to California's history. William Gwin, for whom it is named, was with John C. Fremont, one of California's first senators in 1850 shortly after the state formed.
Gwin, a well-known southern sympathizer and plantation owner, likely used profits from the mine to help fund the Confederacy during the Civil War, Pitto said.
This time, Pitto hopes, the golden wealth will boost human well being. Among other things, Pitto says reopening the mine would fund reconstruction of Gwin Mine road and the main intersection in Paloma as well as building a fire station for the town.
And if Greentech doesn't decide to operate the Gwin, Pitto predicts one of several other potential buyers will do it.
"I have a letter of intent from the Chinese," Pitto said. | <urn:uuid:a94276c6-cbcb-491e-aad7-2d31082069db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130105/A_NEWS/301050328/-1/rss01 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976209 | 766 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Filed under: Country NewsTaylor Swift
$4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum last year, to fund a new area of the museum, which will be appropriately called the Taylor Swift Education Center. The songstress recently revealed why it was important for her to make such a sizable contribution.
"I learned all about country music through what I saw on TV and the research that I did," Taylor explains. "I didn't really know that there was a museum you could go to, to see all these different outfits from all these legends. I didn't know that you could go to a place and see it all in person. So, it's gonna be amazing, I think, for kids to get to have a place where they can go and learn what they possibly can." | <urn:uuid:5d2dcf56-7cea-4080-b1b2-a8676ce0e355> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mix96tulsa.com/feed/entertainment/celebrity-news/taylor-swift-country-music-hall-of-fame-donation/fSkY/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985317 | 161 | 1.601563 | 2 |
This refreshingly-different book for study, reference, and revision covers many aspects of English grammar, common errors, punctuation, spelling (including some foreign words and phrases, misspellings and abbreviations) style, literary terms, drafting, writing and proofreading. It is a compilation of 349 tips, with over 1,000 (often humorous) examples. Designed to fill the small or gaping gaps in the reader's knowledge, it provides an excellent foundation for progress in English skills.
Since the majority of documents are produced on a computer, this book offers tips on how to spellcheck, how to link sentences and paragraphs, and how to revise/polish documents until they are as effective as possible. These vital skills of drafting, writing and proofreading are stressed. | <urn:uuid:28b700f1-00a5-462e-9c3e-cfaa2e85074b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Essentials-Explained-Spelling-Punctuation/dp/1906316929 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922286 | 156 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Big Yellowfin on popper - Kiribati 2012
When asked by a non-fisherman 'how many fishing rods do you really need?' the correct answer is either:
n+1 (where n is the number of fishing rods you currently own); or
n-1 (where n is the number of fishing rods which would cause your significant other to dump you. | <urn:uuid:e142f064-ea95-4bed-ae6c-cc26bd7ee5f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fishwrecked.com/image/big-yellowfin-popper-kiribati-2012?size=icon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966052 | 78 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Most people with narcolepsy find that certain lifestyle changes can help them improve their daytime alertness.
General Guidelines for Managing Narcolepsy
It’s important for you to regulate your sleep in order to increase your alertness during the day. Try to get about eight hours of sleep each night.
Scheduling regular naps can help you remain alert. Some people find that two to three short (10-15 minute) naps scheduled throughout the day are helpful. Others find that one longer afternoon nap refreshes them enough to finish their day with minimal sleepiness. Try each of these methods to see which works better for you.
Be careful when drinking caffeinated beverages or alcohol, or using nicotine products. Alcohol can increase your drowsiness and can interfere with getting a good night of sleep. Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants and may interfere with getting refreshing sleep at night or during daytime naps.
Exercise can increase your energy level and improve your alertness during the day. However, do not exercise within three hours before bedtime. Exercise can boost your energy to the degree that it prevents you from falling asleep.
Before starting an exercise program, check with your doctor about any possible medical problems you may have that may interfere.
- Reviewer: Rimas Lukas, MD; Michael Woods, MD
- Review Date: 06/2013 -
- Update Date: 06/03/2013 - | <urn:uuid:9ff4f867-952a-46de-98f9-e04dc5ba576e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wesleymc.com/hl/?/2010814084/Lifestyle-Changes-to-Manage-Narcolepsy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938429 | 292 | 2.421875 | 2 |
It’s no exaggeration to say that the governance of companies has moved from the inner sanctum of the boardroom to the white-hot spotlight of public discourse. More is demanded these days from independent directors: They’re expected to ensure their firms’ compliance with an ever-evolving set of regulations, head off executive wrongdoing at the pass, and appease shareholders’ and Wall Street’s never-ending hunger for positive short-term results.
Directors seem to be rising to this challenge. They’re more serious, they’re working harder, and in most cases governance reform appears to have given them real power to oversee management’s actions. As a result, corporate boards have taken big steps forward in the past decade. But having to operate in a post-Enron world has also produced some negative and unintended consequences for boards—the most critical one being directors’ inability to be leaders who focus on ensuring the long-term success of their companies.
Major public companies are important engines of economic prosperity, and boards have a paramount obligation to see that these national assets thrive. As historian Alfred D. Chandler, Jr., pointed out, the decline and ultimate failure of once-great companies has been a historical fact. But such decline is not inevitable. Rather, it results when corporate leaders (CEOs and directors alike) don’t anticipate and deal with the long-term threats facing their companies.
By necessity, boards are working overtime to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley and other relatively new reporting requirements. To keep pace, they’re overemphasizing committee work instead of harnessing the intellectual power of the whole board to deal with complex matters. Instead of working collaboratively with management, they’re creating or perpetuating dysfunctional relationships that cast directors as corporate police who enforce rules and trace managers’ missteps, rather than guides who help managers choose the right path.
Further, boards’ long-standing focus on quarterly results has intensified. This emphasis on the short term has repercussions. (See Robert H. Hayes and William J. Abernathy’s “Managing Our Way to Economic Decline,” HBR July–August 1980.) In March 2007 the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the world’s largest business federations, with about 3 million members, even went so far as to recommend that companies move away from posting quarterly earnings guidance. The thinking was that such reports inevitably put the squeeze on boards and on CEOs—whose average tenures during the past decade have shrunk even as their pay packages have increased—to take the quickest route to results, not necessarily the path to long-term success. The knee-jerk reaction of most boards when confronted with corporate decline over several quarters has been to remove the CEO and search for a replacement—often from outside, since boards frequently fail to ensure internal management continuity.
Boards can and must do better at balancing their function as compliance officers with their function as shapers of the future. From their places around the table, directors must steer themselves and the company’s management team toward farsighted strategic and financial thinking and succession planning. Certainly it is management’s responsibility to develop and implement strategy, but the board must use a long-range lens when requesting and vetting senior leaders’ proposals—encouraging the top team to raise its game even when things are going well and challenging it to respond creatively when threats or problems emerge.
Independent directors cannot be expected to understand all the details of their companies’ performance successes or failures, but they can and should be able to stay focused on long-term trends and the impact of those trends on their companies. In short, they must learn to lead from the boardroom.
In the following pages, we’ll provide some advice for doing just that. We’ll explore the changed environment directors are operating in, what they need to do to regain control of their agendas, and what it looks like when directors take the lead in critical, forward-looking discussions about finance, strategy, and talent development. | <urn:uuid:2eca2beb-e4be-4637-acda-3e008d3d9057> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hbr.org/2008/04/leading-from-the-boardroom/ar/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958518 | 846 | 1.523438 | 2 |
S3 Texture Compression (S3TC)
ATIMach64 / ATIR128 texture compression
According to an ATI press release:
3D RAGE PRO supports several methods of texture compression, including use of palletized textures, with VQ permitting 8:1 compression, allowing content developers to produce richer content without limits on texture size. Texture compression technology and the ability to share host memory gives the developer more memory to work with when handling complex textures and removes the need to write complicated texture management schemes. -- IanRomanick This is something interesting that I had also noticed when reading the chip specs, a TEX_COMPRESS bit that enabled 4:1 VQ compression. (the 8:1 must be with palletized textures simultaneously). At that time I didn't fully understand what was the meaning of this so I left this for a later time.
-- JoseFonseca I took a peek at the ARB_texture_compression extension. New internal format tokens would need to be created for each of the compressed formats available. So, if only compressed RGB textures are supported by the hardware, then something like GL_COMPRESSED_RGB_VQ1_MESA would need to be added. Then, when a texture is sent into the driver, if the texture format is non-compressed (i.e., GL_RGB) and the internal format is either GL_COMPRESSED_RGB_VQ1_MESA or GL_COMPRESSED_RGB, the driver would need to compress it. If the texture format is already GL_COMPRESSED_RGB_VQ1_MESA (very, very, very, unlikely), it would just get passed through.
Now, the new token could probably be skipped. If the requested internal format is GL_COMPRESSED_RGB, just compress the texture and be done with it. Given the likely hood of ANYONE having pre-compressed textures for this format, this is probably both the easiest and best route to take. This is amplified by the fact that I don't think that even the ATI drivers export this functionality in OpenGL. Does anyone know any different?
Perhaps we could discuss this more in the IRC chat today.
http://oss.sgi.com/projects/ogl-sample/registry/ARB/texture_compression.txt http://oss.sgi.com/projects/ogl-sample/registry/3DFX/texture_compression_FXT1.txt http://oss.sgi.com/projects/ogl-sample/registry/EXT/texture_compression_s3tc.txt
- -- IanRomanick While I was searching around the net for papers on texture memory management, I came across some references to Talisman and DirectX 6.0 texture compression. It seems that the compression algorithm used is called "TREC," which is short for "Texture and Rendering Compression."
Apparently, it is some sort of DCT based compression scheme. That would explain why ATI is the only company to ever implement it in hardware. :)
-- IanRomanick According to the docs, mach64 implements 4:1 VQ de-compression, but there's no other info. Rage 128 also has a VQ texture format bit, according to the register header file. Sega dreamcast used a form of VQ compression also, I think.
Image Compression with Vector Quantization (registration required) has a fairly extensive description to VQ (vector quatitization) encoding, including sample code. It actually distuinguishes VQ from DXTN (which is S3TC). | <urn:uuid:98308b64-4f97-4467-8b48-02c8b4156bf6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dri.freedesktop.org/wiki/TextureCompression/?action=LikePages | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920232 | 755 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Fights between siblings about simple things, like whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher, aren't harmless. Rather, such fights are about equality and fairness, and they can lead to depression, according to a new study.
The longitudinal research, by researchers at the University of Missouri, appears in the journal Child Development.
Although teen siblings fight about a lot of different issues, many of their fights can be categorized as being about equality and fairness (for example, whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher) or invasion of personal space (for example, borrowing clothes without asking). This study found that teens who fought with their siblings over equality and fairness issues were more depressed a year later, and teens who fought with their siblings about personal space issues were more anxious and had lower self-esteem a year later.
While the results related to depression were found in all adolescents, the results related to anxiety and self-esteem appeared to be more detrimental for some siblings than others—younger brothers with older brothers and girls with brothers had more anxiety, and teens in mixed-gender sibling pairs had lower self-esteem.
The study also found that teens who were more depressed and anxious had more conflicts with their siblings a year later, and teens with more self-esteem had fewer conflicts a year later.
"Our findings may help parents, psychologists, and others who work with and support teens to understand that all sibling conflicts are not created equally," noted Nicole Campione-Barr, assistant professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri, the study's lead author. "It may be possible to avoid sibling conflicts by recognizing that adolescents desire more privacy as they strive for greater independence. In addition, structured tradeoffs in chore duties and equal time with shared household items (like computer/video games) give siblings fewer opportunities to compare themselves unfavorably to one another."
Campione-Barr also noted that "different conflicts influence teens' adjustment in different ways, and the content of conflicts must be studied together with the frequency and intensity of conflicts." For instance, it was only the frequency of issues related to equality and fairness that predicted symptoms of depression, while both frequency and intensity of conflicts over invasion of personal space were detrimental.
The researchers looked at 145 pairs of mostly European American, middle-class siblings—average ages were 15 and 12—over the course of a year. The teens rated different topics of possible conflict, noting how often the battles occurred and how "hot" the discussions were. The study then examined ties between the arguments and teens' reports of depressed mood, anxiety, and self esteem after a year.
"These findings extend our knowledge of how the emotional adjustment of individual adolescents influences later sibling conflict and vice versa," Campione-Barr said.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system. | <urn:uuid:5e7a4ee2-06cc-45ec-9b3d-7e11fe199c3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/sfri-tot121312.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96792 | 605 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Counseling and Testing
The primary goal of the Counseling, Testing and Referral (CTR) program is to provide HIV prevention counseling, testing, referral, and partner notification services for Kansans who are HIV-infected and/or engaging in behaviors that cause them to be at risk for contracting HIV. The counseling and testing program is funded by HIV prevention monies, which come from the CDC and the State's general fund.
KDHE currently supplies tests for HIV CTR sites serving those who are at-risk for contracting HIV. The CTR program provides testing for clients who voluntarily choose to be counseled and tested for HIV antibody, except under specific circumstances as mandated by law. Find a Testing site near you: http://www.hivtest.org
In the State of Kansas, the law requires the availability of anonymous (no name/personal identifiers) testing throughout the state. Following this charge, KDHE has made available anonymous testing at counseling and testing sites that send specimens to the State Lab. There is a public counseling and testing site within a 100-mile radius of anywhere in Kansas. All tests are held to strict confidentiality requirements. All tests are sent to the state's Division of Health and Environmental Laboratories.
- HIV Testing Sites
- September 22, 2006 Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings
- Kansas Rapid HIV Test Quality System (.pdf) | <urn:uuid:89de0649-cb69-4903-a022-e3bbfc98c758> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kdheks.gov/hiv/counsul_testing.html | 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 | 0.924627 | 295 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Via TechDirt, Ursula K. Le Guin has resigned from the Authors Guild in protest of their decision to no longer categorically oppose settlement with Google. The Authors Guild was an original plaintiff in the massive class action suit against Google’s book scanning project, and is now negotiating a controversial settlement agreement.
I was sad to see her take such a stance. I was never a die-hard Le Guin fan, but I have very fond memories of checking Wizard of Earthsea out for the first time from my middle school library. Her science fiction is great too, and she is undoubtedly an icon of the genre; I love the fact that, forty years after she invented the ansible, other authors still use the devices in their books, even borrowing the same technological constraints that Le Guin used, as if ansibles were somehow a common heritage of all scifi universes.
That always struck me as a small but delightful example of the benefits provided by a robust intellectual commons — that there can be such spontaneous collaborations between authors, many years apart, and that we can create these common cultural reference points. After all, Sherlock Holmes’ popularity today is not due to the fact that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the only one person who ever got to say what happened to him.
But some authors — or their heirs — try to claim that no morsel of their work rightfully belongs to the commons, and that their ideas should die with them. Recently, Philip K. Dick’s daughter threatened to sue Google for naming their phone Nexus One, in a subtle reference to the Nexus-6 replicants, which were a sixth generation model of androids in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I find it indescribably sad that someone should try to claim a copyright to geek cultural heritage.
As the creator of the ansible, Ursula K. Le Guin could, under her view copyright, prohibit other authors from using ansibles in their works, or else sue those authors who do reference them. I do not think anyone could argue that the world would be better off if authors could exercise such a monopoly over their ideas. But what Le Guin advocates would permit authors to do so.
In her resignation from the Authors Guild, she wrote:
You decided to deal with the devil, as it were, and have presented your arguments for doing so. I wish I could accept them. I can’t. There are principles involved, above all the whole concept of copyright; and these you have seen fit to abandon to a corporation, on their terms, without a struggle.
What “principles” are involved, in Le Guin’s view? The principle that authors are entitled to recoup all the welfare benefits from their work, into perpetuity? Because that principle has never been listed under the heading of “concept of copyright.” (You might be able to find it under “shameless rent-seeking,” though.)
The Authors Guild’s reply to Le Guin’s resignation has a quote that should be underlined, over and over again:
The lessons of recent history are clear: when digital and online technologies meet traditional media, traditional media generally wind up gutted. Constructive engagement — in this case turning Google’s infringement to our advantage — is sometimes the only realistic solution.
Admittedly, for most industries, it seems that “constructive engagement” has meant lobbying the legislature (or in the Google Books case, the judiciary) for restrictive laws that give creators ridiculous rights that copyright was never intended to protect. Even still, engaging in the opportunities that change provides is always a better response than claiming an entitlement to continue living in The World As It Used To Be.
I do have some pretty huge objections to the Google settlement (who doesn’t?), but they are the same objections the DOJ has, i.e., “class action, copyright and antitrust law[.]” (Okay fine, my personal objections include just those last two. Although if I had any modicum interest in class action suits, I’m sure I’d be very concerned about that first one as well.)
Le Guin’s objections to the Google settlement, however, are not about the creation of an unjustified monopoly power, but rather that she is not going to be the beneficiary of one. | <urn:uuid:16e7c0aa-e26b-4e8f-8fcd-40198c34b5a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://viewfromll2.com/tag/science-fiction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958455 | 907 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Ramsar Trivia Questions -- test your wits. Well, just take a guess anyway.
Ramsar Trivia Question 4: Who can join the Ramsar Convention?
Answer: Not you, and not me, and not the European Union. Article 9.2 of the Convention stipulates that "Any member of the United Nations or of one of the Specialized Agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency or Party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice may become a Party to this Convention". The Convention enters into force for nations that accede to it four months "after the day of its signature without reservation as to ratification, or its deposit of an instrument of ratification or accession" with the Director-General of UNESCO, the Convention's Depositary. (Similarly for any Party that should ever choose to quit -- the quitting doesn't take effect until four months later.) (Oh, and no Party can quit before it's been a Contracting Party for at least five years -- that's in Article 11.2.)
That four months' delay before entry into force explains why nearly all Parties have at least one Wetland of International Importance that was designated four months before the date upon which they're formally listed as having become full members of the Convention.
Many who would like to see supranational bodies and regional integration organizations become members of the Ramsar Convention are saddened when they learn that this cannot happen without amending the Convention itself, a process that could take years.
Ramsar Trivia Question 3: How many Wetland People of International Importance are there so far?
Answer: Three (Thymio Papayannis, 2001; Eckhart Kuijken, 2002; Veit Koester, 2003). Delmar Blasco has been designated as a Wetland Person of Intergalactic Importance, but that's slightly different. Photos here.
Ramsar Trivia Question 2: Where was the 1971 Ramsar conference meant to be held?
The 1971 International Conference on the Conservation of Wetlands and Waterfowl, hosted by the Government of Iran and organized largely by Eskandar Firouz and IWRB, was intended to be the occasion for the signing of the Convention text, and was meant to be held in Babol-sar, a Caspian city rather farther to the east of Ramsar. Evidently, as the number of registrants grew beyond the capacities of Babol-sar's facilities, the venue was hastily rearranged for the lakeside resort of Ramsar.
In recent years, by the way, Ramsar no longer appears on some maps (e.g., the Times Atlas of the World), appearing under the name Sakht-sar instead. Judging from the Secretary General's visits there over the past few years, however, the city of Ramsar itself is unaware of any change. ("-sar" seems to refer to the mouth of a river, rather like "aber-" in Scotland and Wales.)
Ramsar Trivia Question 1: How many Conferences of the Parties have there been?
(2 points for "10", 1 point for "it can't just be 8, that's too easy", no points for "8" or any other figure)
There have been eight Ordinary Meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, to wit: Cagliari, Italy, 1980; Gröningen, The Netherlands, 1984; Regina, Canada, 1987; Montreux, Switzerland, 1990; Kushiro, Japan, 1993; Brisbane, Australia, 1996; San José, Costa Rica, 1999; and Valencia, Spain, 2002.
And there have been two Extraordinary Meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, to wit: Paris, France, 1982, to negotiate the "Paris Protocol", and Regina, Canada, 1987, to negotiate the "Regina Amendments".
A third extraordinary meeting was requested by Algeria, in diplomatic notification 2002/2 of January 2002, to be held concurrently with ordinary COP8 in Valencia in order to amend the Convention to allow regional economic integration organizations, such as the European Community, to become Parties to the Convention, but the request failed to elicit the required assent from one third of the Contracting Parties and didn't happen.
Ramsar Trivia is Fun! Ask the Marsh Toads. | <urn:uuid:b2abb94c-80d9-4767-9026-3e0c97a1645f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-news-archives-2004-ramsar-trivia-questions/main/ramsar/1-26-45-54%5E16888_4000_0__ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945291 | 898 | 2.265625 | 2 |
New Jersey plans to join the ranks of states trying to disconnect campaign contributions from the awarding of state contracts.
The state Senate endorsed a plan in February that would ban firms and individuals who give more than $17,500 to a gubernatorial campaign or their committees from being eligible for state contracts.
Several other cities and states -- including Illinois, California and the city of Philadelphia -- are considering reforms designed to end the legalized bribery that passes for the financing of American political campaigns.
The practice, known as pay-to-play, has a long and sordid history at the city and state level in the United States. Pay-to-play provides a way for contractors and others seeking favors from the government to gain access. The contractor, say a major auditing firm, makes a significant campaign contribution to a gubernatorial candidate. When the candidate wins, the firm garners a state contract.
The practice is legal -- there is no official quid pro quo, no written agreement linking the job to the contribution. But it shouldn't be.
"It seems like every week we read in the newspaper about a public contract linked to a contribution to a political fund," Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes said when announcing his support for legislation that would prohibit contractors with more than $25,000 from giving money to the officeholder who awarded the contract.
"Taxpayers have a fundamental right to expect that government officials are basing their actions on sound public policy and are embracing the highest ethical standards." (Rockford Register Star, Ill.)
The New Jersey pay-to-play bill, which has passed both legislative houses and awaits the signature of acting Gov. Richard Codey, is relatively weak. Once it becomes law, it will only cover contributions to gubernatorial candidates and their committees, but not to political parties, legislative candidates or their committees, or local or county hopefuls.
That represents a significant loophole in the legislation that could allow contributors to make an end run around the rules. Contributors could still "wheel" cash through various accounts, contributing to municipal parties who in turn pass the cash up the food chain, or vice versa.
Senate Republicans have been pushing for a more comprehensive ban that would cover legislative, county and municipal races, as well as all political parties and committees. (The GOP has not exactly been up front in its attack on pay-to-play, waiting until it lost the governorship in 2001 before making it an issue.)
As New Jersey state officials argue the merits of pay-to-play bans, a brush fire has been spreading around the state, with many municipal and county governments enacting their own bans often after a citizens' group forced their hands via initiative and referendum. In South Brunswick, where I live, Republican Township Councilman Ted Van Hessen forced the council to consider reforms with the help of a growing grassroots movement for change. When the council adopted what the citizens group deemed weak rules, it mounted a petition drive and forced the council to enact a far more stringent ordinance.
The same thing has happened in towns across the state, generally with the help of groups like Common Cause and the Center for Civic Responsibility.
I make no claims for pay-to-play bans. They are likely to have only limited efficacy, forcing contributors and politicians to find more creative ways of doing business. It is like the little Dutch boy plugging leaks in the dike with his finger. Each time he plugs one, another leak develops. Ultimately, the process leads to a greater awareness of the leaks and the entire wall can be replaced.
In this way, each ban that passes creates momentum for future reforms. This is the gist of what Harry Pozycki, chairman of N.J. Common Cause and the founder and board member for CCR, told the New York Times in February after the N.J. Senate vote. Even minimal reforms, he said, eventually would lead to more significant change.
"The more contractors you catch in the pay-to-play net, the more pressure there will be for more pay-to-play reform," he said after the N.J. Senate vote.
To get involved, contact:
Center for Civic Responsibility, 450 Main St., Second Floor, Metuchen, NJ 08840; phone, 732-548-9798; email, email@example.com; www.civicresponsibility.com.
Common Cause, Public Citizen, 1600 20th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009; phone, 202-588-1000; www.citizen.org.
Hank Kalet is a poet and managing editor of two central New Jersey newspapers. Email firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:f6838ee5-fc7b-45ea-a065-0338468b39d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.populist.com/05.6.kalet.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957172 | 959 | 1.507813 | 2 |
An anonymous donor makes a $9.2 million donation to the University of Hawaii, one of the largest individual gifts ever given.
New students will be helped by the generous contribution and so will the school's standing as a top research university.
At UH’s Lyon Arboretum, the lush landscape, fragrant flowers and towering trees are reminders of Hawaii’s natural history.
"This represents real Hawaii to me, the way it used to be before all the explorers came here and disturbed the natural beauty," said Antone Salel, a visitor from California.
Ninety percent of the island's native species are not found anywhere else in the world, but Hawaii's unique plants are also some of the most endangered. Three-hundred-fifty species are currently threatened with extinction. So, arboretum volunteers and staff spend their days growing more of the precious plants.
Now, with the large donation, they will get more than just seed money for much needed future research.
Part of the gift will toward a new and bigger lab. It will store and safeguard rare and even extinct species, that could one day be used to restore native plant populations.
"It’s amazing when people give back," said University of Hawaii Foundation President Donna Vuchinich.
And more residents are giving back. The University of Hawaii has seen an increase in donations now because of possible fiscal changes coming up in the new year.
"All sizes of donations are making an impact in adding great value to the expertise and opportunities for students and facility at UH," said Vuchinich. | <urn:uuid:f210d06c-f649-4608-b38c-96308d26a2e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/-9-2-million-donated-to-University-of-Hawaii/-/8905354/17908146/-/3il7n0z/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939048 | 329 | 2.296875 | 2 |
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Medicine » Diagnostics
Computed Tomography - Special Applications
CT has evolved into an indispensable imaging method in clinical routine. The first generation of CT scanners developed in the 1970s and numerous innovations have improved the utility and application field of the CT, such as the introduction of helical systems that allowed the development of the "volumetric CT" concept. Recently interesting technical, anthropomorphic, forensic and archeological as well as paleontological applications of computed tomography have been developed. These applications further strengthen the method as a generic diagnostic tool for non destructive material testing and three dimensional visualization beyond its medical use. | <urn:uuid:263caf29-2b06-47ae-8149-831e57e2a5d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.intechopen.com/books/computed-tomography-special-applications | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917996 | 148 | 2.015625 | 2 |
In the midst of organizational goal-setting and making personal resolutions for the coming year, it is important for both employers and employees to focus on improving performance and productivity. We hear these words so often in the work world that it is easy to overlook their importance. As work duties drudge on, increase and change, it can become difficult to really focus on performance, but with a little bit of determination and by following a few simple guidelines, you can make improving performance a part of your daily routine.
Performance and productivity are vital both for employees and employers. As the job market tightens with the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, highly productive employees will be even more vital for the success of companies, making performance a key component of being hired into and promoted within a great job. It also means that companies that encourage and foster productivity in their existing workforce can start early in combating recruiting and retention issues, as well as create a workplace culture that will attract top employees.
Depending upon the organization, performance and productivity may have various meanings. A manufacturing company may measure performance and productivity by quotas, while a service-based company may measure it by sales. Other organizations may measure success by meeting goals, while still others define it through the quality of work completed. However performance and productivity are defined, it is important for employees and their employers to have a clear understanding of what’s expected so that they can tailor their actions toward meeting expectations.
You can start the New Year off right, whether you are an employee seeking to improve your personal performance or an employer seeking to encourage performance in the workplace, by keeping a few important concepts in mind. Three important areas employees should focus on are goals, strengths and time.
· Goals. Understanding and working toward your goals is the first step to improving productivity. Goals directly impact the amount and quality of work you can accomplish. Remember that it’s easier and quicker to get to your destination if you have a map to guide you. Your goals are your map to increased productivity and performance, so keep them top of mind. If your organization or department sets new goals each year, make sure you start the year off right by finding out how your work role fits into these goals. If your workplace doesn’t help you establish goals for yourself, set personal goals and give yourself deadlines to ensure you can achieve them. This will show your employer that you have an understanding of how you fit into the big picture and that you are a team-player, both of which are great attributes of a top-performer.
· Strengths. The next way to help increase productivity is to focus on your strengths. Although many people believe they should improve in the areas of their weaknesses, the reality is that you have the best chance for attaining success by using your strengths. Whatever the task at hand, learn to approach it using your strengths so that you will save yourself time and frustration of trying to re-learn how to consider each task. Utilizing your strengths will make your work stand out and boost your personal performance as you transform your work habits into a well-oiled machine. A strengths-based approach in any job helps your employer recognize the growth you have achieved and potential that you have, making you a prime candidate for rewards and promotions.
· Time. Managing your time well will ensure that your plans and strengths are best used and that your intentions are backed up with action. No one likes realizing that they had good intentions, but lacked the execution, especially when it means being overlooked for a raise or having a bad performance review. Without the ability to accomplish the necessary tasks, it is almost impossible to go above and beyond. And most employers won’t take “I planned to get to that sometime” as an excuse for a job poorly done. Pay careful attention to your work habits, and take into account how you think about time. Learning how to harness time into something that works for you rather than against you will help your productivity levels shoot through the roof. This will make room in your schedule for new and increased responsibility, which will make your stand out to your employer.
What each employee does to improve his or her own performance is obviously crucial to seeing increased productivity levels. However, what employers do to emphasize it is just as important, because the reality is, not all employees will take the initiative to improve their performance on their own. Employers who want to encourage great performance and increased productivity across the board should focus on goals, rewards and leadership.
· Goals. Just like employees, employers should focus first on goals. Creating good goals is vital for success to be reached. The elements of great goals are that they are clear, reachable, strategic, measurable and time-framed. But simply creating great goals isn’t enough, they must be effectively communicated as well to get employees on board and excited about what the year holds. Encourage employee participation and feedback in the goal-setting process, and make sure that each department or group in your workforce has goals that are tied to the organization’s goals, so that employees know that their work is directly related to the organization’s success. Having solid goals will ensure that the relationship between your expectations and each employee’s work is strong and guided toward increased performance.
· Rewards. Although it may seem basic, rewarding top performance is one of the key components to ensuring your workers are performing at their best. People are motivated by rewards and recognition, so don’t shy away from using them. From gifts to bonuses to paid time off, the sky is the limit as to what you can do to reward employees. And, experts say even small rewards can make a big impact. It’s always a great idea to ask employees what sort of rewards they would appreciate, because it shows their interests are taken into account. Many experts say that tying rewards to specific goals is a great way to improve productivity. Also, rewards are often most effective when they are given from teams or managers, so keep in mind establishing a rewards system that takes this into account. No matter what approach you choose to take concerning rewards, utilizing the power of rewards will give each employee something tangible to put their efforts towards, helping them realize that exceptional performance will be recognized with more than just their regular paycheck.
· Leadership. It’s a well-known fact that employees work best in an environment that has great leadership. Leaders do exactly what it sounds like – they lead. And if they are ineffective or focused in the wrong direction, they won’t take their employees in the direction of performance and success. In fact, the top reason employees cite for leaving a company is poor management. That’s why it’s vital to focus on having great leaders in your workforce. Think about the kinds of leaders your organization will need within the next five years, and start training employees for these skills now. Find out where the leadership gaps are and fill them before people with the needed skills become even more difficult to find. Especially taking into account the impending worker-shortages, it is vital to develop great leaders now, so that they can create great teams and help retain your top performers.
Starting today to implement these tips can help organizations and workers reach new levels of success. As the labor pool continues to tighten, the benefits of increased performance are increasingly apparent. Organizations with great ways of improving performance will set themselves out as the best place to work, and workers will grow their careers by establishing themselves as the best person for their ideal job. | <urn:uuid:1bc48479-36db-4f93-a03f-a069957e393c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kait8.com/story/4330394/how-to-be-your-best-improving-and-encouraging-performance | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96995 | 1,534 | 1.78125 | 2 |
NFC, we hardly knew you. It was just a year ago when Near Field Communication seemed the clear winner in the battle for pole position in the looming mobile payments slugfest and many credit unions were grappling with how to include NFC in their digital strategies.
The idea then was that, soon, most smartphones would ship with NFC built in and as merchants upgrade their point-of-sale terminals to meet the 2015 EMV chip and PIN requirements, NFC would slide in and, presto, we’d all be buying newspapers and burgers with a tap of a phone.
And then Apple shipped the iPhone 5 without NFC – and with no revealed roadmap to get Cupertino to NFC – and all hopes seemingly were crushed. Fact: many, many millions – upwards of 10 million – iPhone 5s will sell in the US before yearend and those buyers will be locked into two-year contracts that preclude them from embracing NFC
But not so fast to bury NFC. That’s the word from numerous experts whose optimism persists despite yet another delay of the Isis trials of NFC in two cities which had been scheduled for the summer but now won’t happen. Isis is an effort of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile as well as several large banks and, so far, it has made considerable noise but accomplished nothing whatsoever.
Apple may be boycotting NFC, Isis is sputtering, but then there are the positives. For instance: BlackBerry maker RIM is embracing the technology. Granted, BlackBerry has been lagging in the marketplace – no argument there – but the Canadian company has drawn a line where it sees NFC as a differentiator.
The Bold and Curve families of BlackBerries both ship with NFC and NFC is in the specs for the next generation BlackBerry 10 device, due out early in 2013.
Geoff MacGillivray, senior product manager for NFC at RIM, said in an interview that although the focus had been on NFC as a payments technology, “we will see it in a wide variety of use cases.” For instance: at the RIM campus in Waterloo, Ontario, MacGillivray said he uses an NFC-equipped BlackBerry in lieu of an employee ID badge to gain entry to company buildings.
He added that he also frequently uses it to wirelessly pair devices to exchange business card data and also to transfer photos and files.
“As more services roll out, consumers will find NFC more valuable,” he said.
The question is, how far are we from an NFC tipping point? “I feel NFC is approaching a tipping point. It’s not quite where every other person has NFC. Give it another year and a tremendous number of people will have devices with NFC,” said Andrew Till, chief technology officer at Symphony Teleca, a company that focuses on next gen mobile technologies.
Till elaborated that, in addition to RIM, Nokia, Sony, the Google Galaxy Nexus, some HTC phones, some Motorola phones, and many others are now shipping with NFC. Even with Apple staying on the sidelines, a critical mass of NFC equipped phones just may be coming together.
Haridas Nair, a vice president at Sybase 365, added: “People are looking for an overnight revolution. That is not what is happening. What we are seeing is a slow evolution.”
Complexity around divvying up proceeds involved in payments is a big part of the delay in adoption of NFC as a payments technology. “Everybody has to be paid - the telco, the handset maker, the card processor, the merchant. Sorting that out isn’t easy,” Nair added. “This complexity is causing some of the inertia.”
At the same time, more companies are playing with using NFC as a tool for enabling beefed-up loyalty and rewards programs and for highly targeted mobile couponing. Somewhere in there, NFC may also gain traction as a payments tool – Google at least seems committed to its Wallet which is NFC based, and the power of that company is difficult to ignore.
Either way, more people continue to find more uses for NFC, even without Apple’s joining in. And that means credit unions need to continue to look for ways to integrate it into their plans. | <urn:uuid:df12d294-c56f-495b-a853-4071a8251e64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cutimes.com/2012/09/24/mobility-matters-the-death-of-nfc?t=credit-union-management | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971455 | 887 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Courtesy: Duluth News Tribune
MINNEAPOLIS - Federal investigators blame crew error for a head-on collision between two Canadian National freight trains in northeastern Minnesota in 2010.
The National Transportation Safety Board issued its report Tuesday on the crash that hurt all five crew members. The NTSB says the probable cause was the southbound train crew's error in leaving a siding before the northbound train had passed.
The NTSB found the southbound train pulling 116 cars loaded with iron ore did not have authority to operate on the single track. The northbound train pulling 118 empty cars did have authority.
According to the report, the trains were operating on a track with no wayside signals to tell engineers whether the track ahead is clear.
WDIO-TV reports the NTSB also noted crew fatigue contributed to the crash.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) | <urn:uuid:ce6f009e-75e4-4390-8c78-db452dcb5c87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1010804/396/NTSB-blames-crew-error-for-2010-Minn-train-crash | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952737 | 195 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Academics Through the Years
The preface to Frederick County Public Schools' six strategic goals states, FCPS will establish an environment that capitalizes on all children's natural curiosity, nurtures their desire to learn and respects their individual learning styles. In our endeavor to continuously improve student achievement, we ensure that each child --- regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or socioeconomic status --- meets established performance standards.
FCPS teachers are well versed in a wide spectrum of instructional strategies that help them address their students' diverse learning styles. We measure academic success one child at a time.
The Frederick County Public School System is in the process of transitioning from Maryland’s State Voluntary Curriculum to the Maryland State Common Core Standards (MSCCS), with full implementation taking place the 2013-2014 school year. The completion of this transition will result in students being exposed to a more challenging learning environment. Teachers and students at multiple grade levels will be exposed and work towards mastery of many new concepts historically not seen until later grade levels and courses. The objective of these new contents is to make certain each and every child leaves FCPS College and Career Ready.In order to prepare students for the demands of a global society, it is essential that our instruction PreK – 12 adjust to meet the demands of the more rigorous content. The Salient 5 is an attempt to identify the five most important instructional strategies found in any content or classroom. These strategies are a culmination of what research, literature, and our staff has identified as essential.
Verbal Discourse – "The more opportunities learners have to use language to construct and communicate meaning, the greater the development of higher order thinking.” (Vygotsky) Verbal interaction and verbal reaction is being able to express your ideas orally and back it with fact or evidence.
Questioning – Our vision is for teachers to ask more questions that cause students to evaluate an argument, or clarify their thinking, or focus on alternate perspectives.
Technological Expression and Delivery – Technological expression and delivery is a vehicle for providing rich verbal discourse, collaborative practice, common formative assessments, and practicing questioning techniques that go beyond brick and mortar walls to a diverse community
Formative Assessment – In the age of assessment and accountability, teachers use assessments to look beyond the score or grade that is assigned to the student’s performance on the test. The purpose of assessment is to inform the teacher with the instructional needs and accomplishments of his/her individual students and class
Collaboration - Collaboration involves students working cooperatively in groups to solve problems, learn new material, answer questions, brainstorm, and share thinking.
Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment & Innovation (PreK-12): | <urn:uuid:a3e00cef-8ef3-47ea-8f6a-0efb4167a34c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fcps.org/page/37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928466 | 554 | 3.5625 | 4 |
Told as a series of interconnected vignettes, Breathers follows a small cast of characters as their lives unfold in a world where it’s no longer safe to breathe the air.
A virus has been released and has turned the air deadly poison to all humankind. People deal with this “slight inconvenience” to their lives by wearing portable filtering devices, or “breathers,” on their faces when they go outside to get the mail or go for an afternoon jog around the block. But, other than that, it’s life as usual…
The short film further investigates the story of Easter who has always felt out of place with her family.
Falling into depression, Easter tried to take her own life. Now, home from the hospital, Easter hopes to pick up the pieces of her life, but soon discovers that nothing has changed and she’s more alone now, than ever. In her “fail-proof” final step to end it all as a fresh-air suicide, Easter discovers that she is immune to the deadly virus. | <urn:uuid:aebb9422-e4b5-4566-82ff-bcb066f9b3bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.breathersmovie.com/?page_id=32 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973339 | 225 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The United States is known as a world leader in innovation, boasting brilliant thinkers and trendsetting companies, but that status is at grave risk. American children are well outside the top-ten international student rankings in reading, science, and math; those rankings—not to mention the nation's position of leadership on everything from the economy to the military to issues of moral authority—will continue to plummet unless we take dramatic action. Michelle Rhee, a driving force behind American education reform, is ready to make a change.
In Radical, this fearless and pioneering advocate draws on her own life story and delivers her plan for better American schools. Rhee's goal is to ensure that laws, leaders, and policies are making students—not adults—our top priority, and she outlines concrete steps that will put us on a dramatically different course. Informing her critique are her extraordinary experiences in education: her years of teaching in inner-city Baltimore; her turbulent tenure as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public schools; and her current role as an education activist. Rhee draws on dozens of compelling examples—from schools she's worked in and studied; from students who've left behind unspeakable home lives and thrived in the classroom; from teachers whose groundbreaking methods have produced unprecedented leaps in student achievement. The book chronicles Rhee's awakening to the potential of every child blessed with a great teacher, her rage at realizing that adults with special interests are blocking badly needed change, and her recognition that it will take a grassroots movement to break through the barriers to outstanding public schools.
An incisive and intensely personal call to arms, Michelle Rhee's Radical is required reading for anyone who seeks a guide not only to the improvement of our schools but also to a brighter future for America's children.
About the Author
Michelle Rhee is the founder and CEO of StudentsFirst, a political advocacy organization for education reform. She served as chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools from 2007 to 2010. She is also the founder of The New Teacher Project, a former Teach for America corps member, and the author of Radical: Fighting to Put Students First.
She divides her time between California, with her husband, Kevin Johnson, the Mayor of Sacramento, and Nashville, Tennessee, with her daughters, Starr and Olivia.
Praise for Radical…
“Michelle Rhee is famous as a hard-charging champion of education reform, but this charming and engrossing memoir is full of surprises as we learn that Rhee is also a strong Democrat and a thoughtful -- even contrite -- activist working every day to help kids learn.”
“Throughout her career, Michelle Rhee has fought for every student to receive a quality education. In Radical, Rhee describes her experiences in the trenches, her challenges and her successes, but what she has learned through it all is that we must always put our students first.”
“Michelle Rhee is a national treasure. . . . As told in this important book, her fight against this country’s calcified education bureaucracy holds lessons for us all.”
“Radical: Fighting to Put Students First is one of the most important and compelling books I have read. Michelle Rhee’s account of her continuing struggles to achieve her vision for American public education is riveting. This engaging and well-written book is a must-read.”
-William Julius Wilson
“Radical is much more than a diagnosis of our failing schools. It is Michelle Rhee’s personal odyssey, powered by her conviction that the survival of the American Dream of tomorrow depends on how we educate our children today. Her determination comes through on every page.” | <urn:uuid:313ceb64-2b3a-44cb-b1d5-1da79576ddb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.keplers.com/ebook/9780062204004 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960352 | 762 | 1.8125 | 2 |
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Whatever the Supreme Court of Canada decides on the questions of Senate reform and abolition put to it by the Federal government, aspects of reform or abolition will require a constitutional amendment, which will necessitate federal-provincial discussions. If this negotiation is not to be an abject failure, as discussions between the two levels of government tend to be, Canadians should have the chance to make their voices heard before the politicians start talking.
Within several months of being appointed to the Senate in 2005 by prime minister Paul Martin, I made a formal motion on Senate reform that included a provision for a Canada-wide referendum on abolishing the upper chamber. I reintroduced motions again in 2007 and 2008 and, in 2010, I spoke in favour of the Senatorial Selection Bill, which would allow provinces to hold elections for Senate vacancies in their jurisdictions.
In June of last year, I introduced a Notice of Inquiry calling the attention of the Senate to the reasons why democratic reform is necessary and essential to Canada’s future as a robust and effective federal state, with respect for fundamental freedoms and the supremacy of the rule of law. These proposals, as well as motions on televising Senate debates and Question Period, were not popular with either party in the Senate and ended up dying on the Order Paper.
On the abolition referendum, my thinking was simply that there has never been any public validation of the Constitution Act, 1867, which established Parliament as a trinity of the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons. We have had over 300 federal and provincial elections since that time, which constitutes a broad public validation of the elected side of our system. Beyond Alberta, however, the Senate is very much outside this circle of democratic legitimacy.
Before first ministers gather to negotiate the path ordained by the coming Supreme Court ruling, we need the element of public participation — we need a clear referendum on a clear question of abolition.
Under the principles of the 1992 Referendum Act, there could be a “yes” and “no” side with rules around fundraising and expenditures. Those who are on the “no” side, which is where I would be, could advocate for the reformed role for the Senate in our federation. A Senate should be a revising chamber, act as countervail to excessive centralizing of power and, at the same time, the appointment process could be reformed.
Abolitionists could well argue that Canada should follow the lead of the many democracies that have unicameral legislatures. In other words, no second chamber at all. Either way, Canadians would get to speak their minds before their elected leaders negotiate. Any province that voted “yes” on abolition would have sent clear instruction to their premier, and the nationwide vote for or against abolition would act as an unambiguous message to the prime minister. Waiting until deals are done, often behind closed doors, before giving voters an up or down decision, causes justifiable resentment.
Parliament belongs to all Canadians and all Canadians have the right to have their voices heard and counted, as to whether a core institutional part of the parliamentary process might be either legitimized or abandoned. Bringing a little democracy into the debate about the future of Canadian democracy is surely an appropriate choice for the way ahead.
Having such a referendum at the time of the 2015 federal election is one option. Having it this fall, before the Supreme Court rules, is a better one. The quality of justices on our Supreme Court is unrivalled. They are fair, decent and intellectually sharp. They would not, and could not, view a clear public expression of Canadians’ preference on this matter as anything other than a strong message about how the people want to shape the future of their democratic institutions.
Senator Hugh Segal is a Conservative from Ontario and was a member of the Special Committee on Senate Reform, and associate Ontario cabinet secretary for Federal Provincial Relations during the repatriation negotiations and accord in 1982-83 and, as chief of staff to the prime minister, was involved in the Charlottetown negotiations in 1991-92.
Do you have an opinion to share with other readers? Then send us a letter. | <urn:uuid:ea49b9a0-e70d-4130-ba46-2bc8981f3b2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/17/senator-hugh-segal-on-reforming-the-senate-let-the-people-have-their-say-first/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964895 | 892 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Chicago Guide to Help Communities Plan Sustainable Energy Efficiency and Conservation
CNT recently helped to co-author a guide that will help cities and counties to develop a longterm and sustainable energy efficiency and conservation plan and maximize the opportunity for cost savings, environmental benefits, financial leverage and economic development. “Chicago’s Guide to Completing an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy”, was co-authored by the Chicago Department of the Environment, CNT Board Member Julia Parzen of Urban Sustainability Associates and CNT.
The guide introduces the energy efficiency and conservation strategy, gives a model outline, a process guide, execution options, and where to go for resources and help for communities receiving funding under “The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant” (EECBG) program, which was passed as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Within 120 days after receiving initial funding, eligible communities must submit a proposed Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy that describes the energy goals and proposed plan for the use of the EECBG grant.
Chicago’s Guide will help cities and counties to thoughtfully plan for long-term and sustainable energy efficiency and conservation and maximize the opportunity EECBG planning dollars represent. The requirement to develop a plan is also a great opportunity. A strong strategy can provide not only a roadmap for reducing energy use, but also for lowering government, business, and resident energy costs, and promoting economic development and job creation.
Chicago has undertaken this kind of planning and this Guide builds on the lessons of the Chicago experience. The very inclusive Chicago process took more than a year to complete, but the time dedicated to systematic assessment and broad engagement had a high payoff. Taking advantage of the work that Chicago did and the reports posted on Chicago’s climate action website is one way to expedite the energy efficiency and conservation planning process. | <urn:uuid:f3773a14-034b-457f-80b8-1107629e2e0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnt.org/news/2009/06/04/chicago-guide-to-help-communities-plan-sustainable-energy-efficiency-and-conservation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938555 | 376 | 2.046875 | 2 |
One of the most distinguished social scientists in the world addresses one of the central historical questions of the past millennium: does the European Renaissance deserve its unique status at the very heart of our notions of modernity? Jack Goody scrutinises the European model in relation to parallel renaissances that have taken place in other cultural areas, primarily Islam and China, and emphasises what Europe owed to non-European influences. Renaissances continues that strand of historical analysis critical of Eurocentrism that Goody has developed in recent works like The East and the West (1996) or The Theft of History (2006). This book is wide-ranging, powerful, deftly argued, and draws upon the author's long experience of working in Africa and elsewhere. Not since Toynbee in The Study of History has anybody attempted quite what Jack Goody is undertaking in Renaissances, and the result is as accessible as it is ambitious.
Buyback (Sell directly to one of these merchants and get cash immediately)
|Currently there are no buyers interested in purchasing this book. While the book has no cash or trade value, you may consider donating it| | <urn:uuid:545822c7-bdd7-4319-a5f1-07fd9461f4b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.campusbooks.com/books/sell.php?isbn=9780521768016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931013 | 233 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Suppose we play a chess-variant, where any finite number of pieces are allowed, and the board is as large as we wish, but only two kings in total. And there is no 50 move-rule, no castling and no captures and no pawn-moves.
Then is it possible to have a a pair of positions A and B, such that we can go from configuration A to B by legal moves, but not from B to A?
No stalemates or checkmates allowed, the game must be extendable atleast two moves in both direction from both A and B.
Two configurations are different also if the pieces are in the same places but it is a different player to move. | <urn:uuid:9792f218-5e5a-4e24-9dd8-8e0e48169742> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathoverflow.net/revisions/78827/list | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960419 | 148 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Here's a group of photos from Montreal's "Expo 67", the wildly successful Exposition that took place in some year that I forget. Maybe 1968.
If you went up the long escalator in the U.S. Pavilion to where the spacecraft were, and looked up, you would see these parachutes; this is the sight that would bring joy to any astronaut in his capsule during reentry. Prepare for splashdown!
Here's another shot from within the U.S. Pavilion, looking through the panes of plastic that covered the geodesic sphere. Fun fact: fair organizers had expected around 35 million guests to visit, and they were surprised when that number exceeded 50 million!
Here's an oddball photo near the Polymer exhibit. Who doesn't love polymers! I like them with butter and lemon. Notice the "minirail" in the background.
Beyond the patio dining area, you can see the six jagged-yet-circular towers of the "State of New York" pavilion. All of the towers are joined at the second-floor level by a common roof, and the display areas inside tell the story of New York (only they covered up all the vampire stuff). You can also see the polka-dotted edge of a carousel-shaped building that actually rotated past more exhibits. It rotated at over 1000 rpm!
Japan's pavilion resembles a series of three multi-level parking garages, in my opinion. (Sorry Japan)! Somewhere nearby there was a traditional Japanese restaurant, complete with kimono-clad hostesses. The pavilion was divided into three sections designed to show a blend of modern technology and traditional Japanese style. Japan in Progress, Harmony With Nature, and Harmony With Technological Advance were the themes of these sections.
I have lots more from Expo '67! | <urn:uuid:0a43cc3c-997b-4e99-a23b-6ea11e8917bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gorillasdontblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/more-expo-67.html?showComment=1320888253596 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972224 | 378 | 1.625 | 2 |
100 GB to 30,000 GB: Size, Speed, and Benchmarks
Anyone who's spent much time around software designers and developers knows they often compare the merits of various database systems. Those discussions usually focus on differentiators such as performance and ease of programming. This was true as long ago as the famous database debate between two ACM Turing Award winners, Charles Bachman and Edgar F. Codd.
Performance, data integrity, and ease of use are key characteristics to look for when comparing database systems. (In this context, ease of use is often a function of the tools available for modeling, design, and programming.)
When comparing database systems, we often make subjective judgments. At the same time, we yearn for an objective yardstick for measuring a database management system (DBMS) and database applications that use it.
Many in the database community have a strong interest in instrumentation and measurement of database performance. For developers and DBMS providers, performance is a characteristic we want to measure and quantify in terms that permit comparisons.
System architects are worth their weight in gold when they can identify and eliminate performance penalties. Numerous factors can hinder performance, including less than optimal hardware, shoddy database design, network latency, inferior database drivers, poor application coding, and queries that require optimization.
Benchmarks have proven to be a valuable tool for studying performance under different database workloads. They can provide information that's useful for identifying and isolating problems. They can be used in combination with regression testing as a quality assurance tool for new software releases. But the most high-profile use of database benchmarks is providing a quantitative comparison of differences between hardware and software used for database work.
The computing industry has funded the Transaction Processing Council (TPC) to produce foremost benchmarks for database performance measurement, but there are others.
The Open Source Database Benchmark (OSDB) is a community-maintained benchmark that's modeled after AS3AP, the ANSI SQL Scalable and Portable Benchmark. There's been very little recent activity in the OSDB community since the 2010 announcement of version 0.90. PolePosition is a benchmark for comparing a combination of database engines with object-relational mapping technology.
Yahoo! Research created a benchmark that's well known in the NoSQL community. The Yahoo Cloud Serving Benchmark provides common workloads for comparing key-value stores and other cloud databases, such as Cassandra, HBase, and Sherpa. This benchmark is not designed for testing complex query operations, but it provides useful metrics for CRUD-type operations (read and write latency).
The gold standard of database benchmarks is the collection developed by the TPC. Computer manufacturers frequently cite the TPC results for publication when they've established a new price-performance record. The people who develop the TPC benchmarks include representatives of member organizations, such as Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Sybase, and VMware. | <urn:uuid:41c86510-f96f-455d-888d-c438632e6993> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/100-gb-to-30000-gb-size-speed-and-benchm/240002505 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923984 | 604 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Photo by The North Platte Bulletin
Mona Anderson of Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful with a curbside recycling container.
Curbside recycling, with its free containers spread around North Platte neighborhoods, is in dire financial straits, the owner of the company said Tuesday.
Curbside recycling began in January, operated by Regional Recycling, with help from a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust.
Ten months later, the Regional Recycling company is struggling financially. Owner Brad Borges is asking for a development grant to help him survive.
Borges has requested a $66,000 grant from the city’s quality growth fund to help him weather tough times and low prices for recycled materials.
City officials have not agreed what to do with Borges’ request. The city council tabled it Tuesday for at least two weeks.
But Borges told the council without the money, he cannot operate curbside recycling beyond 2012. He said market prices have dropped severely. However, said there are reasons to plan for better times. He has reasonable expectations that market prices will return to more normal levels within 3-6 months.
Brad and his wife Melinda bought the recycling business in 2008. They have six full time employees. The company recycles office paper, newspaper, cardboard, plastics, metals and cans, Borges said in his grant request.
The grant money would allow him to pay about $11,000 in bills and do $10,000 worth of maintenance and repairs. The rest of the money would provide a cushion of operating capital for another nine months, he said in his request.
Borges first approached a citizen’s review committee for the North Platte Quality Growth Fund. That committee considered paying Borges a market-based subsidy instead of a one-time payment of $66,000. The idea was to pay Borges a break-even price for cardboard, paper and office paper when his receipts showed that the market price was below break-even.
But the advisory committee split on that idea – voting 2-2. Member Bob Phares absent.
So, without a recommendation, Borges went before the council.
When asked if he could ask a financial institution to loan him that much, Borges said he “created a large amount of debt to begin this and my credit line is maxed out. Basically, if I don’t get help I will be looking for another job.”
About 24 percent of the homes in North Platte have a curbside recycling container, said Mona Anderson of Keep North Platte and Lincoln County Beautiful.
Councilman Jim Carman said he likes the recycling program, but has concerns.
“It’s a feel-good thing,” Carman said. “But, my take on this is that the prices on these kinds of things fluctuate all the time. It’s not a good business plan to not anticipate this. We may be opening ourselves up for a continuing dilemma and I think the money could be used for better things.”
Councilman Larry Campbell supported Borges’ request.
“We are already involved with the curbside recycling program and it’s a good thing,” Campbell said. “We already have an investment in it and we shouldn’t just walk away. I am in favor of some kind of continuing help, but we need time to consider more information.”
“What happens to money left, if the market comes back sooner than expected?” Campbell said.
Councilman Tim Barrett said he is more comfortable with a subsidy than awarding a lump sum. Barrett also said more information and time are needed.
Councilwoman Judy Pedersen moved to amend the grant request to allow market prices to be recorded and a subsidy paid. Dan McGuire seconded the motion but other council members were not ready to settle it quickly.
After more discussion, Barrett, Carman and Campbell voiced more concerns about not having enough information, and Pedersen withdrew her motion.
The council then agreed unanimously to table the request for two weeks to allow City Administrator Jim Hawks to gather information on fluctuating market prices and present more information to the council.
Then, the council agreed 7-1 on a three-month agreement with Borges and Regional Recycling, extending an existing agreement to broker recyclables collected at the city’s drop-off sites. The city will pay the customary $7,500 to Regional Recycling immediately instead of at the end of the three months, to help the company’s cash flow.
Carman voted no.
But Carman joined the others in two related moves. The council unanimously agreed to continue to lease a recycled materials baler and a conveyor sorting line to Regional Recycling for three months.
In other action, the council:
• Unanimously authorized payment of $23,662 from Jerry Remus Chevrolet for a 2013 ¾ ton cargo van, and a $58,832 for two 2013 4x4 extended cab pickups with utility boxes from Janssen Chrysler Dodge Jeep. All three vehicles are for the electric department.
• After a public hearing, approved an application by Randy, Monica and Joshua Kramer for a conditional use permit to allow a private counseling office to be located at 121 N. Willow St.
• Approved an application by Paulsen Inc. for a conditional use permit for two 1,000 gallon propane tanks and one 11,700 gallon diesel fuel tank at 1905 S. Newberry Rd, near Paulsen’s ready-mix concrete plant.
• Awarded a contract to Midlands Contracting Company of Kearney for 2012 sanitary sewer improvements in the amount of $472,547.28.
• Approved the mayor’s re-appointments of Charlie Moreland and Bud Gale to the city plumbing board.
• Adopted, on second reading, the annexation of a lot at the intersection of Valle Vista Drive and east of Echo Drive, west and north of the south campus of North Platte Community College.
• Agreed to discuss common interests with other cities in electrical usage and rates, as opposed to the interests of rural electric users. In the resolution, the cities aim to lobby more effectively. | <urn:uuid:9a3bf7a8-1d1d-4aea-9553-8bd47cfe11f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action=readStory&storyID=24172&pageID=3&showTB=false | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950476 | 1,308 | 1.640625 | 2 |
CanChild researchers work in partnership with individuals who understand local needs to ensure that all of our research addresses important concerns of children, youth, and their families. We partner with:
- Children and youth with disabilities;
- Families and caregivers;
- Professionals who provide healthcare, education, social and recreational services;
- Organizations such as hospitals, health care organizations, children's treatment and rehabilitation centres, and boards of education;
- Researchers and university educators, in Canada and around the world;
- Policy analysts and decision-makers. | <urn:uuid:62680190-58b2-4b29-acbc-512a54fe2e80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://canchild.ca/en/aboutcanchild/partners.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943802 | 110 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Ah yes, I remember the good ole days when grading on a curve meant everyone’s grades went UP! Like when the best kid in the class got a 90%, so they made his grade a 100% and my 80% when up to a 90%. Man, those were great days.
I believe I was the last person in my class to learn that law school is also graded on a curve. The Dean was speaking to use earlier this week when she said “...and the grades are all curved, but that’s no surprise to anyone here” Uh...rewind...seriously?! How am I the only one in that room who was actually surprise?
Law School Curve:
First, We have a 9 point scale.
9 = A+
8 = A
7 = B+
6 = B
5 = C+
4 = C
(however if you have a C average, you flunk out of law school)
And so on.
Now to explain the curve. For example, only the top 10% of the class can get an A. So I could totally dominate a test, but if 10% double dominate the test, I will get a B.
Let me explain a different way. My classes range from 35 people to 140 people per classroom. That means, in order to get an A in my smaller class, only 3-4 people can do better than me on the test. And in my large class, 14 people can do better than me.
Or in picture form:
|showing off my impressive "paint" skills|
However, I have yet to experience that at UNL. Thankfully, we are known for our community and general pleasantness. But I have heard horror stories from other schools about student ripping out pages in books, or just cutting out the citations to prevent others from competing assignments! | <urn:uuid:82fea72e-58a4-4e6f-b551-5c90975b6fef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.threeyearsofdeath.blogspot.com/2010/10/curve-competition-at-its-finest.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972524 | 389 | 1.890625 | 2 |
’The Help’? Fine, but is Hollywood ignoring modern black life?
It may seem odd, with "The Help" gobbling up box office dollars, to lament the lack of movies about African Americans.
But the announcement Tuesday that Brad Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and director Steve McQueen would collaborate on a new film called "Twelve Years a Slave" brought to the fore an uncomfortable reality: It may be a very good moment for movies about black history, but it's a terrible time for movies about the contemporary black experience.
"The Help," which looks at the segregated South in the early 1960s, and "Twelve Years," a true story about a free black man who was kidnapped and enslaved in 1853, both hark back to an era when equality was a distant dream and racism the norm. These films follow a long line of dramas set amid the slavery of the 19th century and the segregation of the 20th: "Beloved," "Amistad," "Mississippi Burning" and "The Color Purple," to name a few.
And more historical films are on their way. Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" is about an escaped slave (Jamie Foxx) who becomes a bounty hunter so he can free other slaves, while "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" gives a genre fillip to a story about the 16th president, his friendship with a slave and the general difficulties of being black in America circa the early 1860s.
What we don't have in all these explorations of blacks in America, however, are dramas that speak to a contemporary experience, a "Boyz n the Hood" or even a "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," both of which now seem to have come out very long ago (and, indeed, did -- 20 years ago for "Boyz" and and 13 for "Stella").
Instead of a hard-hitting exploration of the ghetto, John Singleton is now making Taylor Lautner action movies (the upcoming "Abduction").
Even Spike Lee, fimmaker laureate of the black experience, has turned away, temporarily at least, from those themes to concentrate on a remake of the Asian action hit "Oldboy," a function, perhaps, of studio and financier unwillingness to support a modern black drama.
There is, indeed, the occasional, and far more niche, comedy such as Salim Akil's "Jumping the Broom." The one major filmmaker exception, of course, is Tyler Perry, who has recently backed a relatively contemporary black saga (the 1987-set "Precious") and directed another modern dramatic look at black lives ("For Colored Girls") but generally makes broad comedies that speak as much as to cross-dresing absurdities as to potent sociological truths (and, yes, Madea-ites, we know you'll object).
“There are not a lot of [contemporary black dramas] being made—there’s really nothing outside of 'Colored Girls' this year," Singleton acknowledged when asked about the subject by 24 Frames this past winter. While he said he rued the absence, he personally felt the need to make another sort of movie at this point in his career.
"For now I wanted to tell stories about youth and youth culture in a different way," he said -- not saying, but perhaps not needing to, that getting a more black-centric movie made for any significant budget would be a steep climb.
In some ways, all of this is progress. Before the 1980s, there weren't even many period movies about American blacks, the occasional "Raisin in the Sun" or "To Kill a Mockingbird" excepted. There's also no question that a racially riven South is a ripe setting for a movie; the dramatic opportunities are abundant and rich.
To be fair to Hollywood (in a way), it doesn't make many dramas about contemporary people of any color, betting that these movies are too niche to be worth their time or money. Most compelling dramas these days about people of any color come from outside the system, if they come at all.
Still, as black history finds itself enjoying a new cinematic moment, it's worth noting and even questioning the absence of contemporary-set films. The focus almost exclusively on the period South is, after all, not only a disservice to Americans of all colors, and particularly to the nearly 40 million black people who live in this country. It is also a disservice, in its way, to the South, offering a frozen-in-amber view of the region instead of capturing its more complex modern dynamics.
The desire to look back is an understandable and even healthy part of what movies do. But with so much gazing into the rearview mirror, it's fair to ask why Hollywood seems so intent on avoiding so much of what sits on the road today.
-- Steven Zeitchik
Photo: Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis in "The Help." Credit: DreamWorks | <urn:uuid:24b78380-8a61-44bc-a576-9e1a6550550a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/08/the-help-stockett-taylor-viola-davis-stone-book-movie-reviews-black-history-films.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963913 | 1,040 | 2.046875 | 2 |
UPDATE: The City of Columbia Water Works has declared the water safe to drink for water customers living in The Chimneys at Brookfield on Brookfield Road.
Water customers living in The Chimneys at Brookfield on Brookfield Road have been advised to boil their water following a break in a line near Decker Boulevard in Richland County.
In addition, customers living near the apartment complex who lost water or water pressure also should boil their water before using.
The water can be made safe for drinking and cooking by boiling it for one full minute, officials with the City of Columbia Water Works said. Also, any ice made from water that has not been boiled should not be used.
For more information customers can call (803) 545-3300. | <urn:uuid:423ee810-f7e8-4be1-82fa-c00af0d2df66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thestate.com/2012/10/20/2488400/boil-water-advisory-issued-for.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95448 | 153 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Rockford, NC: Rockford was once the county seat of Surry County. Surry Country once encompassed Forsyth, Stokes, Yadkin, Davie and Rowan counties. With that came a booming, bustling town. The county seat was moved to Dobson, NC in 1850. There remains a lot of history here in Rockford and a number of buildings, which still stand today for all to admire and enjoy. The train still passes by daily, although no longer a passenger train, it is still fun the kids and the adults too to watch.
Jesse Lester Tavern: Circa 1790 1st building on your left as you cross the railroad tracks, coming in from Yadkin Co. Jesse Lester applied for a license to operate a tavern in his home in 1790. This building was later converted to a tobacco factory. Today this building is privately owned and is in the process of being renovated.
|Railroad Section Foremans House: circa 1883 is the 1st building on your right. When the railroad was being built the section of track from Winston-Salem to Wilkesboro the foreman for the railroad and his family stayed here. The property remained with the railroad for several years after its completion and several foremans lived here. Today Yadkin River Adventures is located in the left hand side of this building, the right hand side is a private residence.|
|Robert Clark Store: The second building on your left, This store has been closed since the early 1970's, after the death of Robert Clark, his widow, Mauzie Johnson found it difficult to continue on running the store and she eventually closed it up. Robert Clark's daughter, Louise Simpson still lives in Rockford and has great memories of her father running this store. This store was always known for selling ice cream. Kids came here for ice cream and to the general store for candy. This store did not sell candy and the general store did not sell ice cream. At one time there were 5 stores in operation in Rockford within a short distance of each other. Today this building is in the process of being restored.|
Rockford General Store: circa 1890 is the 3rd building on your left. This store has always been a general store since it opened in 1890. There have only been 5 owners of this store since the time it opened. A man named Reece and a man named Saunders built this store. The McCormicks purchased this from Reece in the early 1920s and ran it until their daughter, Eva and her husband Paul Anthony took over operation. In 1972 Annie and Glenn Barnett purchased and ran the store until her death in 2003, the store was reopened in July of 2004 under the new owners, The Carters and the Foys. The store put in a well and septic tank in 2007 (1st time running water was ever in this building) and added a grill also in 2007. Best hot dogs and hamburgers!
|Grant-Burrus Hotel Ruins: circa 1796 is the 2nd property on your right. After burning in 1974, this is unfortunately all that is left of the hotel. It is said that Andrew Jackson, James K Polk and Aaron Burr all stayed in this hotel. Mr Grant was granted a license in 1796 for a tavern in his home. It developed from a tavern into a hotel. It was not being used as a hotel when it burned however. History seems to denote that it closed as a hotel in 1925.| | <urn:uuid:2a7ebf64-bab5-444b-8133-b6e039cd0e41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rockfordgeneralstore.com/Rockford%20History.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985782 | 708 | 1.648438 | 2 |
It is perhaps the happiest moment in a woman's life when she comes to hear that she is pregnant and will give birth to her little angel in a matter of months. No matter how much pain and suffering she might go through during the 10 months of pregnancy, she would sacrifice everything she has just to hold that beautiful gift of god in her arms. Giving birth to your baby is of course the most satisfactory and happiest feeling that you can ever experience in your life, but the pain, suffering and mental stress that you might go through can ruin these small moments of sweet happiness in your life.
During the first trimester of the pregnancy period, the maximum numbers of miscarriages are known to occur. There might be several physical complexities of the mother that might cause precarious situations during the birth of the baby. In several other cases, the body might not be in the most suitable condition to hold that precious life for 10 months at a stretch, which leads to pre mature baby birth. This might need to mental and physical abnormalities in the baby.
In other cases, pregnant woman are often know to suffer from problems such as diabetes, nausea, bloating, fatigue, back pain etc. These problems can really cause much of a trouble for the mother. Depression, lack of sleep, breathing problems, gas, and stress can be other side effects of pregnancy.
Though there are plenty of drugs available for dealing with the same, it is never wise to take them as they can cause a hell lot of side effects for sure. There is a better and a safer way to deal with these problems. Acupuncture and pregnancy treatment has been quite popular with many who believe in Chinese medicine, Chinese therapies, and treatments.
Acupuncture has been existent throughout the Chinese cultural history for more than 3000 years now and never had the world known about the amazing effects of acupuncture until the New York Times reporter James Renton submitted an article on the front page of the newspaper, after he had under gone an appendectomy in China. This article triggered a surge of excitement among people who had read the article and after 1971, acupuncture became one of the most sought after methods of body ailment treatment
Acupuncture and pregnancy go hand in hand. Proper acupuncture under trained experts who have years of experience in this domain of work can help you to get the much-needed relief from problems such as stress during pregnancy, depression, insomnia, lack of hunger, gas, bloating, constipation, back pain, pelvic pain, etc. The therapy consists of inserting sharp and thin needles on special pressure points on the body usually known as "qi" to manipulate the energy inside the body and redirect the same to achieve the desired results. Acupuncture and pregnancy treatment are especially important in the first and the third trimester of the pregnancy period.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medical-tourism-articles/acupuncture-and-pregnancy-side-effects-6010048.html
About the Author
The Author Explains about acupuncture and pregnancy | <urn:uuid:d13b76eb-2b87-4142-9450-53f25acd22fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medicalboox.com/2012/07/acupuncture-and-pregnancy-side-effects.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959312 | 613 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Hep C testing can empower people by giving them information they can use to stay healthy. Individuals who find out they are living with hepatitis C can make decisions about how to prevent transmission, how to stay healthy, and whether or not to access treatment. People whose test results show they are not infected can identify risk factors and learn to keep themselves safe from infection. The goal of providing information before and after testing is to inform the person about hepatitis C and to provide support—no matter what the test results might be.
Hepatitis C is a reportable disease across Canada, although case definitions for reporting differ from province to province. Currently, testing positive for HCV antibodies is the case definition for reporting of HCV in Ontario. Some public health units may use the reportable information to contact people to gather more information or to recommend further testing. This information is confidential, as is all medical information; anonymous testing for Hep C is not available in Canada.
The goal of providing information before and after testing is to inform the person about hepatitis C and to provide support—no matter what the test results might be. Testing for hepatitis C is complex and involves multiple steps before a diagnosis of active infection can be made. It is important to encourage people to return for their test results at all stages of testing.
Currently, there are no formal pre- and post-test counselling guidelines for hepatitis C testing in Canada. On this page is a list of some of the information that people may find helpful in understanding the testing process, in particular before and after HCV antibody testing and before and after RNA testing.
Ideally, it is best to offer information and counselling at the time of testing and diagnosis. This will help the person to prepare for the possibility of a positive result, give informed consent and learn about referrals to support and healthcare services in his or her community, which may be necessary to help an individual deal with a positive diagnosis.
Going through the testing process for hepatitis C, being open to pre- and post-test counselling and being able to positively act on information provided through the counselling is difficult for many people. Each of these steps can require a degree of stability, access to resources, social support, self-esteem and other factors, which make them less accessible for some people.
When offering counselling, it is important to individualize both the information and how it is presented to the person on the receiving end. Be aware of issues such as:
- Is the client overwhelmed by the information? Does he or she want more information or less?
- What extra support could help the client follow up with the next phase of testing and counselling? How can he or she connect with organizations that provide this support?
- What extra support could help the client follow up on recommendations discussed during a counselling session? How can he or she connect with organizations that provide this support?
Counselling before HCV-antibody testing (anti-HCV)
- Review any prior history of hepatitis C testing, counselling and knowledge level of the disease.
- Review what HCV is, including modes of transmission (blood-to-blood contact).
- Review the relationship HCV has to other factors such as addictions, HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Recommending testing for HIV or other infections may be appropriate.
- Explain that testing is voluntary and confidential (anonymous hepatitis C testing is not available).
- Ask the person how they think they would respond to having hepatitis C. This can identify misinformation they might have and better prepare them for test results.
- Provide details on the type of testing to be done and what the results of both the antibody test and RNA test will mean.
- Explain that results should be expected within two to four weeks and delays do not necessarily indicate a positive test.
- Review risk-reduction behaviours associated with hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases (including HIV and hepatitis B).
- Reassure and refer the person for emotional support while he or she waits for the results.
- Discuss vaccination for hepatitis A and B, if appropriate, and that there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
- Explain to the individual that there are treatment options available for hepatitis C.
Counselling after a negative HCV-antibody test
- Negative antibody test results mean the person was not exposed to hepatitis C and is not infected. However, discuss the window period (2 weeks to 6 months). If there were risk activities within the window period, recommend repeat antibody testing 6 months after risk activities.
- If the individual is immune compromised, recommend HCV RNA testing to rule out the possibility of a false negative test result.
- Emphasize that a negative test result does not mean the person is immune to future infection.
- Provide information on how to reduce risk.
- Encourage people to continue to access healthcare and other supports as needed.
Counselling after a positive antibody test (and before the RNA test)
- A positive antibody test result means there is a possibility that the person has an active infection. Explain that he or she was exposed in the past and that the RNA test is required to assess if he or she has an active HCV infection.
- Explore options for support that the person can access, both personally and through organizations or agencies, while he or she waits for the results and also if the RNA test comes back positive. Include a reminder about HCV treatment options.
- Cover information on how he or she will test positive for antibodies on future tests but that antibodies do not provide immunity to future HCV infection.
- Discuss harm reduction strategies.
After a negative RNA test (RNA not detected)
- If the RNA test results show no detectable virus, explain to the person that he or she has cleared the virus and is not infected.
- Recommend repeat testing to be done in six months to be sure there is no active infection.
- Review how the person can reduce the risk of HCV infection, including the possibility of getting re-infected (HCV antibodies do not provide immunity to the virus).
- Encourage the person to continue to access health services.
After a positive RNA test (RNA detected)
A positive RNA test result indicates that the person has an active hepatitis C virus infection.
- Reassure and support the person in realizing that hepatitis C is a serious but manageable disease.
- Review harm reduction principles and prevention so the person knows how to minimize the chances of transmitting HCV to others, how to prevent becoming infected with a different genotype of HCV and how to avoid other infections such as HIV or hepatitis B.
- Tell the person that more testing will be done to monitor the infection.
- Review treatment options and discuss treatment readiness.
- Talk about maintaining liver health and other healthy living options, including disclosure.
- Discuss and encourage a plan for medical follow-up and a plan for managing potential ongoing emotional reactions, including options for support. Be prepared with referrals, including reading materials, support services and treating physicians in the person’s community, if available. | <urn:uuid:f897b80d-02fe-4c25-bac9-ee14e0d78975> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.infohepatitec.ca/en/detail/testing/counselling-information | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934368 | 1,446 | 2.84375 | 3 |
In SCO's letter to Unix licensees in December of 2003, signed by Ryan Tibbitts, who is still at SCO, one of the files listed as allegedly infringed was this one, on page 2 of the PDF [PDF]:
/include/linux/a.out.h Another was this one:
And of course, it was SCO's position that it never released any of its own code under the GPL. However, I was just looking at the source of that very file, linux-include, in the Caldera distribution OpenLinux eServer 2.3, and you'll never guess what I found.
Warning if you are on dialup: graphics ahead.
I find include/linux/a.out.h and include/asm-i386/errno.h as well as the name of a Caldera employee, Torsten Duwe, and the GPL referenced, as well as the credit to Caldera Systems and a mention of calderalabs.com. The CD is copyrighted 2000, and printed on the CD it says that source code for OpenLinux eServer 2.3 was available at www.calderasystems.com/eServer. It's available on the CD as well, happily, since SCO has removed the page listed on the CD, as they have so much that Groklaw published that shows they have been serving up an order of baloney.
So I opened it up from the CD in emacs, linux-kernel-include-2.2.14-1S.i386.rpm, and there's the very a.out.h and errno.h files listed as verboten, as big as life, in Caldera's very own product..
Maybe it's best if I just show you some screenshots of what I saw:
I take it that this means Caldera shipped a modded linux kernel, and they shipped it under the GPL. To
the extent that that kernel contained code enabling the loading of ELF
or a.out binaries, I would take it that they shipped that code under the GPL. Did you notice elf.h in there? Me too.
Isn't this fun? Funny, too.
Here's what a.out.h is, by the way, if you don't know, taken from documentation for SCO OpenServer in 2003:
a.out(FP) is not part of any currently supported standard; it is an extension of AT&T System V provided by The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. So, this would be code that SCO Group would claim as Santa Cruz's successor in interest. Of course, they would stress its proprietary nature in 2003. By then, they were battening down the hatches and turning the ship around as fast as they could. But not fast enough to remove the past. And it was released by Caldera prior to that stern description.
Here's why the 2003 letter from Tibbitts said it was improper to use the files on the list in Linux:
Certain copyrighted application binary interfaces (“ABI Code”) have been copied
verbatim from our copyrighted UNIX code base and contributed to Linux for distribution
under the General Public License (“GPL”) without proper authorization and without
copyright attribution. While some application programming interfaces (“API Code”)
have been made available over the years through POSIX and other open standards, the
UNIX ABI Code has only been made available under copyright restrictions. AT&T made
these binary interfaces available in order to support application development to UNIX
operating systems and to assist UNIX licensees in the development process. The UNIX
ABIs were never intended or authorized for unrestricted use or distribution under the
GPL in Linux. As the copyright holder, SCO has never granted such permission.
Nevertheless, many of the ABIs contained in Linux, and improperly distributed under the
GPL, are direct copies of our UNIX copyrighted software code.
Any part of any Linux file that includes the copyrighted binary interface code
must be removed. Files in Linux version 2.4.21 and other versions that incorporate the
copyrighted binary interfaces include: Then came the list, but as you can see from the screenshots, they had long before 2003 and long before Linux 2.4.21 shipped out those files, aout.h and errno.h and elf.h, in their distribution of OpenLinux, as you can see with your own eyes, under the GPL. I think SCO needs to sue itself and leave the rest of us alone.
Now, I happened upon these, but I'll bet if any of you have Caldera's products, or OpenServer, for that matter, if you carefully checked bit by bit, you'll find more, especially if you are programmers, because you'll notice things I surely would not. Emacs shows more than if you open it in something like KWrite, by the way. I love emacs. | <urn:uuid:30604c5a-a813-4403-83ef-a8d76d281722> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20091214053648594 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957311 | 1,045 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Montessori Pathways School
is excited to announce the opening
of our Lower Elementary Program for ages 6-9!
The class will be led by Kathryn Jahnke
, who holds an AMS Elementary Montessori Accreditation, an Elementary Teaching Certificate, and a Bachelor’s in Philosophy.
Children of the lower elementary age are striving for intellectual independence and trying to satisfy their curiosity and excitement for learning. The Montessori classroom allows them to do just that. Rather than taking a step back to the basics and waiting for their peers to catch up, students of the Montessori class are able to progress as their own pace, discovering the world around them and focusing their varying interests appropriately.
The Montessori Lower Elementary curriculum not only meets the Illinois State Board of Education requirements, but allows each child to progress even further, for the three years allow for unlimited possibilities in discovery and research. The multi-age class creates a unique environment where the children have a chance to solve problems or conflicts successfully on their own, which allows them the flexibility of mind necessary for our ever-changing world.
Practical Life, Language, Math, Geometry, Botany, Zoology, Geography and History
areas are available for children to access at all times, with materials that gradually lead the child from a concrete to an abstract understanding of the fundamental concepts in each area. Children are able to identify, classify, and research these fascinating concepts, which forego route memorization for understanding and recall.
also offers an enrichment program, which consists of Spanish, Art, Music Development, Gym, Drama, Dance, Food Preparation, and Gardening
, allowing the children to expand their knowledge into the real world as well.
Beginning in their Kindergarten year, students keep a record of their own work via a weekly plan for presentations. This allows the child freedom of choice while also maintaining a curriculum, letting the directress see which presentations have been done and which are still needed.
An elementary Montessori classroom is a warm community: a multi-age, stimulating environment with highly trained teachers and materials that invite exploration and research. Children learn to face challenges with confidence, and begin to find their own place in the world around them. | <urn:uuid:9e4df8c4-1ee8-4547-b571-662181926072> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.montessoripathwaysschool.com/schedule_elementary.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942739 | 459 | 2.328125 | 2 |
The School Board, the Superintendent, and teachers union leadership have worked together every step of the way in designing and implementing the initiative.
The ultimate goal of this project is to increase student achievement. It helps our school district attract, support, and retain the best teachers, and we know that ensuring that we have great teachers in all our classrooms is the best way to raise student achievement.
Though the project is made possible through a major grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this is a Hillsborough County initiative that is a collaborative effort between our school district and our teachers. We work together because we know that when students succeed, we all win.
Click here for more... | <urn:uuid:58c6a214-0f3a-4c7e-9977-29de5accc49d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://communication.sdhc.k12.fl.us/eethome/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94969 | 138 | 1.601563 | 2 |
A Qualitative Analysis of the Role of Users, Vendors, and Governments in the Standards Development Process
By Ravi Sen
Communications of AIS [CAIS], Vol. 17, #2, pp. 57-70
Existing literature on IT standards focuses on the role of technical factors such as network effects and competitive behavior on the creation of standards. However, the role of users and vendors in initiating the standards definition and ratification process is less well understood. Given the advantages associated with standards, all users and vendors of IT products would be expected to be glad to participate in the standards definition and ratification process. However, if that were the case, many fewer proprietary technologies would compete. This paper explains qualitatively why users, vendors, and government bodies choose (or don’t choose) to participate in the standards definition and ratification process. A better understanding of their motivations for participating or not in the process should help to attract more participants to the process. The paper concludes by analyzing strategies to recover the cost of standards definition and ratification process, and their impact on the standards adoption rate. | <urn:uuid:e50f6690-1202-4052-abe3-e026684b4a47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ftmba.tamu.edu/research/publication/4078/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946162 | 221 | 1.664063 | 2 |
High quality early education sits alongside health as an important determinant of children’s life chances. All 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to 15 hours of free early education per week.
A growing number of disadvantaged 2 year olds are now accessing free early education and by 2014-15 this will be extended to 40% of 2 year olds. This will mean that around thirteen times more children should be able to access free early education at age 2 (260,000 children nationally).
Eighteen local authorities are currently trialling new approaches to improving quality and capacity in the sector to respond – you can find out more via the Department for Education’s website.
A diverse range of providers deliver early education: childminders, nurseries, pre-schools and reception classes in the maintained, voluntary, private and independent sectors. Whilst each provider has their own unique systems and structures for doing this, all adhere to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework unless exempted from the learning and development aspects by government.
This autumn, the Department for Education will be consulting on changes to the code of practice that providers of free education are required to meet. The consultation will be asking you to consider a range of criteria that you will need to meet. Why not join us at the early education and childcare consultation events taking place around the country in November and December 2011.
Be prepared for the early education consultation by thinking about:
You must be logged in to post a comment. | <urn:uuid:e976e12e-4118-447c-b784-3d2e0bf85e92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/quality-provision/early-education/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946938 | 296 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Though production lines at the fear factory are still in overdrive, the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) are scrapping plans for a new generation of “high-tech detectors for screening vehicles and cargo, saying they cost too much and do not work as effectively as security officials once maintained,” The Washington Post reported.
Nearly two years ago, Antifascist Calling revealed that when DNDO awarded contracts totaling some $1.2 billion over five years to defense and security giants Raytheon, Canberra Industries (a subsidiary of the French nuclear manufacturing titan, the Areva Group) and Thermo Scientific for Advanced Spectroscopic Portal (ASP) radiation monitors in 2006, it should have been “reality-check time.”
For the moment at least, it apparently is.
As late as January 2010, despite revelations that the program widely missed the mark, DNDO officials claimed that the ASP “will enhance current detection capabilities by more clearly identifying the source of detected radiation through spectroscopic isotope identification.”
Notwithstanding persistent flaws and cost overruns dogging the program, the Department of Homeland Security asked for $41M in its 2011 budget request “for the procurement and deployment of radiological and nuclear detection systems and equipment to support efforts across the Department.”
Why would they do that? For answers, we’d better consult defense and security powerhouse Raytheon, the project’s prime contractor.
A Homeland “Security Blanket” for the Defense Industry
Clocking-in at No. 5 on Washington Technology’s 2009 “Top 100 List” of Federal Prime Contractors, the company pulled-down some $5,942,575,316 in defense and security-related contracts from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, NASA, the armed forces and Department of Homeland Security.
According to Raytheon, “ASP detectors address the threat of radiological dispersal devices, improvised nuclear devices or a nuclear weapon being used by terrorists inside the United States,” therefore “a more discriminating primary screening system–the ASP–is needed.”
Touted as a next-gen “homeland security tool” that would provide Customs and Border Protection inspectors with the capability to detect illicit nuclear or radiological materials inside containers entering American ports, “with low false alarm rates” to boot, despite hundreds of millions of dollars poured into the program, the ASP performs no better than devices in place today.
As with existent monitors, the ASP was unable to distinguish between components required to manufacture a radiological dirty bomb from natural radiation emitters such as–wait!–kitty litter, ceramics or bananas!
You would think the state would have considered another of the firm’s more dubious highlights before awarding them with a lucrative contract for something as critical as preventing nuclear terrorism. You’d be wrong however!
According to the Project on Government Oversight’s (POGO) Federal Contractor Misconduct Database, Raytheon has the distinction of another No. 5 listing, though I doubt the company will tout this on their web site.
Identified by the government watchdogs as a firm with a history of “misconduct such as contract fraud and environmental, ethics, and labor violations,” since 1995, Raytheon has been cited for some $479.2M in 20 instances of what POGO has identified as “misconduct.” These include: aircraft maintenance overcharges; contractor kickbacks; defective pricing; False Claims Act violations; improper classification of costs; the violation of SEC rules; TCE contamination at Kansas Airport; an EEOC racial discrimination lawsuit; contamination of Tucson, Arizona’s water supply with TCE and dioxane, “chemical solvents believed to be human carcinogens,” on and on.
Come to think of it, why wouldn’t they be a perfect fit for DHS! As the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) has documented in a series of critical reports, the state’s massive reorganization of the security apparatus under the DHS brand “involved new money–stacks of it.”
According to CIR, “systematic federal efforts to measure the effectiveness of various homeland security programs and grants have been less than a complete success.” And likely to stay that way in this writer’s opinion, judging by DNDO’s busted ASP program.
Revolving Doors, Greased Wheels
Citing a pressing need for the new gizmos, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner testified before a Senate panel in 2005, and setting the stage for the ASP fiasco, that detection machines first installed in 2000 “had picked up over 10,000 radiation hits in vehicles or cargo shipments entering the country. All proved harmless.”
As security analyst Bruce Schneier wrote at the time, “It amazes me that 10,000 false alarms–instances where the security system failed–are being touted as proof that the system is working.”
But as a former airline executive famously told investigative journalist Daniel Hopsicker during his probe into the 9/11 attacks: “Sometimes when things don’t make business sense, its because they do make sense…just in some other way.”
Since completing government “service,” Bonner became a partner in the white shoe law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, specializing in “crisis management” for corporate clients.
Amongst the firm’s more dubious legal “accomplishments” was their representation of the soon-to-be-installed Bush regime during the 2000 Florida recount. On December 12, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court staged a judicial coup d’état and stopped the Florida vote count, thus handing the presidency to the Bush crime family and setting the stage for the most corrupt, and lawless, period in the nation’s history.
Confirming suspicions that not much has changed since the Obama administration blew into town last year, the president’s Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, appointed Bonner to the Homeland Security Advisory Council’s Southwest Border Task Force.
Corroborating the notion that the top political echelons of the secret state are mere jump-off points for a lucrative “post-government” career, and that “homeland security” is a highly-profitable game the whole family can play, CBP’s former head honcho is now a principal partner with The Sentinel HS Group, LLC, a Washington lobby shop.
According to a blurb on Sentinel’s web site, the firm is “committed to assisting government entities in organizing effectively to carry out their homeland security responsibilities, and in designing and implementing effective homeland security strategies, policies, and programs.”
The firm served as the “principal advisor” to the “Boeing Team” that speared the SBInet contract from DHS. Federal Computer Week reported in January however, that Napolitano “has ordered a reassessment of the $8 billion SBInet virtual border fence program in Arizona after another round of delays in the program, an official confirmed today.”
The only thing that has changed in the years since the ASP boondoggle was launched, is that millions in taxpayer dollars have greased the palms of well-connected defense contractors. In turn, defense behemoth Raytheon has repaid the favor, showering some $2.2 million dollars on federal candidates in 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, with 55% of the lucre going to “progressive” Democrats.
And 2010 promises to be a banner year for the “best democracy money can buy.” OpenSecrets.org reveals that as of January 31, the firm has already raised some $1.5 million, spending 59% of PAC dollars on congressional Democrats.
“I Cheated on the Test? Whaddaya Mean, the Government Gave Me the Answers!”
When DNDO announced the initiative back in 2006, it was trumpeted as one of the cornerstones of the Bush regime’s corporate-friendly homeland security apparatus, to wit, it was sold to Congress as a front-line weapon that would prevent the smuggling of illicit nuclear materials into the heimat.
When the $1.2 billion contract was awarded, officials claimed each device would cost “only” $377,000 and would “dramatically” improve vehicle and cargo container screening.
Since those initial cost estimates, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) discovered that securocrats had deceived Congress and that each contraption would probably cost upwards of $822,000 each, with no demonstrable improvement over machines in use today.
Dialing-down the program, DNDO’s acting chief William K. Hagan wrote neocon Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, that the Office will “possibly use the machines only for secondary screening, at no more than about a third of the cost originally planned,” Post journalist Robert O’Harrow disclosed.
Hagan wrote that DNDO’s decision makes “sense, given the available performance and cost data.” In other words, although the ASP has proven to be a colossal failure, let’s fund a scaled-down version of the program. Is this a great country, or what!
GAO watchdogs discovered that DNDO “used biased test methods that enhanced the apparent performance” of the machines. Congressional investigators found that dodgy methodology designed to manipulate the results, allowed contractors to adjust the devices after preliminary runs, giving the appearance that ASP’s performed better than they actually did. In other words, DNDO project managers handed out virtual Cliff Notes to the contractors during testing. Talk about a rigged game!
In 2009 testimony before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives, Gene Aloise, GAO Director of Natural Resources and Environment testified that “DNDO resumed the field testing of ASPs that it initiated in January 2009 but suspended because of serious performance problems. However, the July tests also revealed critical performance deficiencies.”
Aloise disclosed that ASPs, like current monitors, “had a high number of false positive alarms for the detection of certain nuclear materials.”
Auditors were told by Customs and Border Protection officials that “these false alarms are very disruptive in a port environment because any alarm for this type of nuclear material causes CBP to take enhanced security precautions.”
However, despite earlier claims that the machines would “enhance” border security by weeding out nuclear or radiological materials that could be fashioned into IEDs, GAO revealed that DNDO planned “to address these false alarms” by modifying the devices “to make these monitors less sensitive to these nuclear materials and thereby diminishing the ASPs’ capability.”
Aloise told The Washington Post that “DHS’s decision to abandon full-scale deployment of the ASP’s is a victory for the U.S taxpayer–a savings of at least $1.5 billion–and our national security.”
“As recent testing has revealed” Aloise said, “the consequences of these machines being deployed nationwide in 2007, as DNDO intended, could have been disastrous.”
Fear not dear readers, in Washington’s accountability-free zone failure is always generously rewarded.
Washington Technology reported on Friday, that Raytheon “has won an initial contract from the Air Force worth $886 million to develop a new element of the Global Positioning System that will improve the accuracy of information from GPS satellites.”
If the firm’s work for DNDO is any indication of “improved accuracy” we can expect from next-gen GPS, better dust off your compass and learn to navigate by starlight! | <urn:uuid:df385507-9ee5-4eb7-8cb4-00a3ab6fcf32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/03/annals-of-homeland-security-flawed-nuke-detection-program-dialed-back-by-dhs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942049 | 2,552 | 1.71875 | 2 |
UNISDR issues flood warning as thaw sets in across Eastern and Central Europe
GENEVA, 21 February 2012 - The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, today said the European Flood Alert System could soon be put to its greatest test since widespread flooding ten years ago led to its creation by the European Commission.
The UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, said she was particularly concerned about the consequences for those countries bordering the Danube where the ice is now starting to break up in the first signs of a spring thaw.
"This severe winter in which hundreds of people have died has highlighted several weaknesses in our built environment and our ability to prepare for worst-case scenarios. Vulnerable communities across Europe have been cut off from transport, schools, health facilities and electricity in many cases.
"The thaw is now setting in along the Danube. While thousands of people remain snowbound from Serbia to Bulgaria, there are warning signs that destructive floods will add to the loss of life and economic assets particularly in places where there is an absence of flood management infrastructure such as dams and dikes.
"We do need to plan better. The unpredictability of severe weather events leads to high human and financial costs. More focus on winterisation planning will be a wise investment in the coming years."
She praised the decision of Bulgaria to inspect over 500 dams throughout the country and to release the water from some dams and reservoirs as a measure designed to contain the floodwaters when they come.
The European Flood Alert System (EFAS) was launched by the European Commission following the devastating Elbe and Danube floods in 2002, a year when 20 European countries experienced severe flooding. Worldwide, on average 106 million people were affected annually by floods over the last ten years. | <urn:uuid:c8d93aa1-fb6b-44e5-9f32-cbde68a6f9a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reliefweb.int/report/bulgaria/unisdr-issues-flood-warning-thaw-sets-across-eastern-and-central-europe | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959788 | 371 | 2.71875 | 3 |
How to add dynamic text entered by user to canvas in android?
I am making an app in which a user enters some text and that text has to be displayed on a rectangle on an image(like a notes-stick on the image, it can be dragged on the image and also re-sized). I am very new to android and i really can't find a way to do so in android through books and google. I have been designing apps using html, in html we could just style a text-box like we want and add it anywhere on the page. But here i am unable to configure the edit-text to do the same. But i am unable to make the edit-text like a notes-stick and to make it draggable and re-sizable dynamically. I also tried drawing just a rectangle using canvas.drawrect() ... but how to add text to that dynamically is something which i am unable to figure out. I am not asking for the entire code ..but please guys give me a head-start to the right direction so that i can try things out and try to figure out a way.. Right now i am badly stuck.
Related Article:Android: Custom ListView problem
is a solved Mobile Development discussion thread by ravenous that has 2 replies, was last updated 5 months ago and has been tagged with the keywords: android, listview. | <urn:uuid:707bc3c8-fc7f-4c93-8335-215bfea2e252> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.daniweb.com/software-development/mobile-development/threads/431253/how-to-add-dynamic-text-entered-by-user-to-canvas-in-android | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937693 | 281 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Students as learning designers: Using social media to scaffold the experience
- 2 Commentaires
- 48798 Nombre de visites
The ‘students as learning designers’ approach challenges transmission models of pedagogy and requires teachers to relinquish some control to their students so that they might have the space to experiment and discover how to learn.
This paper outlines the findings of two studies that allowed students to explore new ways of learning, where they were encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, and outlines what potential social media tools may have in facilitating this experience. These projects demonstrate that when students are empowered to design their own learning activities, they can deeply engage in the learning process. | <urn:uuid:b3d38ec1-01fc-4580-b979-e6b881107653> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://elearningeuropa.info/fr/node/111102 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959512 | 142 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Click on the headline (link) for the full text.
Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage
It’s Not That Bad, Is It? The Changing Role of the Peak Oil-Aware
Rob Hopkins, Transition Culture
... This quote resonated with me after watching James Howard Kunstler on Glenn Beck’s show on CNN. It was also something I was thinking about after Monday’s You and Yours show and a couple of talks I have given recently. Kunstler has always, as far as media appearances go, been the bearer of bad tidings, the Writing on the Wall, taking the role of persistently breaking the bad news about peak oil and the end of affluence to a population that really doesn’t want to hear.
Things are moving so fast at the moment as we stand on the cusp of $130 a barrel oil and the impacts are starting to bite on everyday lives, and it feels to me like our roles are changing. In the CNN clip, it is actually the presenter who is in peak oil panic mode, and Kunstler finds himself more in the role of “whao, slow down, deep breaths now…”. The presenter has clearly either just had, or is having live on air, his End of Suburbia moment, his peak oil revelation, and is turning to Kunstler for some support.
It left me wondering, as did the You and Yours programme, about how those of us who have already undergone our peak oil moments, who have sat in the dark place already, and who have re-emerged with our daily lives underpinned by an awareness of the great impermanence of our industrial surroundings, are finding our roles changing as the rest of our friends and neighbours catch us up.
I find that with more and more people my role changes from saying “do you know what, this is really, really serious”, to saying “well yes, given that it is really serious, don’t panic, let’s explore this…” Clearly there are times when a peak oil fire and brimstone talk is appropriate, but I am finding more and more as I travel and give talks that audiences are catching up very fast and need clarification and the placing of their work in the context of the emerging responses, of which Transition is one.
(21 May 2008)
So, you've just discovered peak oil!
Sharon Astyk, Casaubon's Book
Original title: Peak Energy and an Overview of Its Implications for Food
... just knowing what peak oil *is* doesn’t necessarily help you. [Sharon's co-author] Aaron had to, as he joked, “talk a friend off the ledge” this week, and I suspect there are a lot of people out there who have just encountered a new and terrifying idea, and who are now panicking. And this is scary. It does mean an enormous amount of change.
BUT- and this is an important but - we are not all doomed. This is hard and scary, but it is not the end of your world. So before you rush out and buy MREs and ammo (Aaron’s line was “Spam and automatic weapons are the new black” ;-)), read some more stuff. Because it is important to remember that what is happening is the beginnings of a huge and difficult change - but change can happen. There are a lot of people - a lot on this site, a lot in the world - who can help.
To the extent I can help anyone, here’s some stuff I’ve written before on this:
The truth is, your world has just changed. You can’t unknow things. But that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing good left.
If you are still dubious and don’t understand how this is different than the 1970s, you might look here:
(21 May 2008)
Part of a long post about many things, titled "Peak Energy and an Overview of Its Implications for Food". -BA
New Zealand Guide to Surviving the Future 2008
Kevin Moore, book
New Zealand Guide to Surviving the Future
By Kevin Moore
ISBN 9781877 400001
The 2006 edition of The Thinking Person’s New Zealand Guide to Surviving the Future highlighted the imminent arrival of a worldwide triple crisis -an energy crisis, an environmental crisis and a financial crisis.
During 2007 oil prices reached new highs, food prices rose, hedge funds and finance companies collapsed, gold hit new highs, and currencies fluctuated wildly. We can confidently say that the world as we have known it -a world of cheap
energy, cheap food and financial stability- is disappearing fast. Whilst many are preparing for what is to come, most on board the 'Titanaic' fail to notice the sugns and are still unaware the 'ship' has been 'holed'.
The world is now rapidly dividing into those who will ride the storm and those who will not: survivors and perishers. Those who wish to take advantage of the rapidly vanishing window of opportunity need to act quickly.
The above text is the correct text from author Keven Moore. The text at the link may not be up to date. Keven adds:
The full story is that "The Thinking Person's New Zealand Guide to Survivng the Future" was first published in mid-2006. The updated 2007 edition never got onto the website. I updated and rewrote much of the book though late 2007 to early 2008 and called it the '2008 Edition' to make it quite clear that it is effectively a new book, as opposed to a reprint of the original.
Counterpoint: Dangers of Focusing Solely on Climate Change
Alex Steffen, Wired
Another example of how carbon blindness leads to counterproductive policies: embracing nuclear power as a clean energy source. ... a cut-carbon-at-all-costs approach blinds us to more-sustainable, and ultimately more-promising, solutions.
To have any hope of staving off collapse, we need to move forward with measures that address many interrelated problems at once. We're not going to persuade people in the developing world to go without, but neither can we afford a planet on which everyone lives like an American. Billions more people living in suburbs and driving SUVs to shopping malls is a recipe for planetary suicide. We can't even afford to continue that way of life ourselves.
We don't need a War on Carbon. We need a new prosperity that can be shared by all while still respecting a multitude of real ecological limits - not just atmospheric gas concentrations, but topsoil depth, water supplies, toxic chemical concentrations, and the health of ecosystems, including the diversity of life they depend upon.
We can build a future in which technology, design, smart incentives, and wise policies make it possible to deliver a high quality of life at lower ecological cost. But that brighter, greener future is attainable only if we embrace the problems we face in all their complexity. To do otherwise is tantamount to clear-cutting the very future we're trying to secure.
Alex Steffen (email@example.com) is the editor of the green futurism site Worldchanging.com and of the book Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century.
(19 May 2008)
Counterpoint article to the current issue of Wired: Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What It Means to Be Green. | <urn:uuid:03c13ec4-ea02-4d2c-89f4-a2dc3f854bc9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.energybulletin.net/print/44627 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948094 | 1,578 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Infiltrating the TempleEdit
Touching down once again on the Imperial landing pad that had been erected on the staircase of the entrance to the Temple, Starkiller slaughtered the stormtroopers standing guard, and once more made his way to the Jedi Archives. Once he had passed through the archives, Starkiller was forced to make his own route to the Jedi beacon room, due to the large amount of debris in the grand hall that surrounded the archives. After dispatching every stormtrooper that he encountered during his long detour, Marek finally entered the vast archives.
Trial of InsightEdit
While Darth Sidious had ordered the library's protection during Operation: Knightfall, the Jedi protecting the four main wings of the Archives brought down the ceiling in the central atrium and a few of the archive's wings.
It was within one of the damaged wings that Starkiller encountered an incarnation of the ancient Sith Lord, Darth Phobos. A hologram created as part of the Jedi Trials' line-up of potential Sith adversaries for Padawans near knighthood, her holocron had been activated with Starkiller's presence, releasing the phantom form of the long dead Sith Lady. Engaging each other in lightsaber combat, Phobos often changed her appearance to that of one of the few people Starkiller cared for, Captain Juno Eclipse, believing that would hold him back. However, the young Sith apprentice was unrestrained by the illusion, and savagely battled the the Sith apparition. Hurling busts and holobooks around towards his opponent, Starkiller eventually pushed the Sith illusionist through four bookcases. Wounded, Phobos once again attempted her disguise in order to spare her defeat. Not fooled by the image before him, Starkiller stabbed Phobos through her back. Her image fading away signaled the end of the Trial. | <urn:uuid:8a874601-057f-4fa4-a32d-2b50552c3ec1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Starkiller's_Trial_of_Insight | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968796 | 375 | 1.703125 | 2 |
THE REAL POOP ON LONDONíS SHIT ARTIST
Who is the most -- shall we say "execrable?" -- man in the London art world? One willing candidate is Russian artist Alexander Brener, known for guerrilla stunts in which he defecates in art galleries. Brener, who was born in Kazakhstan in 1957, interrupted a panel on "Extreme Curating" at the ICA last September by pooping in his own hand and offering it to the panelists, while he was ejected from Gagosian Galleryís London outpost this February by security guards before he could drop trou. Earlier in his career, Brener spray-painted a green dollar sign on a Kazimir Malevich painting of a white cross at Amsterdamís Stedelijk Museum. Most recently, he caused a stink at an opening at The Approach W1, shitting in his hand and smearing the word "Sold Out" on the window in excrement, much to the consternation of gallery owner Jake Miller.
The London art world has largely dealt with Brener by ignoring his antics, denying him any publicity. At the same time, the artistís all-consuming dislike for commercialism and search for fresh places to poop has led him to target smaller and smaller venues -- blogger and Russian art expert Matthew Bown even suggested recently that Brener had exhausted Londonís "smallish events and institutions," and that he would have to return to more obvious targets if his gestures were to have any meaning (see www.izo.com/alexander-brener). This downward trajectory reached a kind of climax last night, Mar. 16, 2009, when Brener was ejected from a talk at Trolley Gallery.
The occasion was a panel moderated by Artnet Magazine writer Laura K. Jones, who had devoted an unflattering reference to Brenerís uninvited intervention at the Approach in a recent dispatch, terming it "a sixth-formerís point about capitalism" [see "London Dispatch", Mar. 13, 2009]. The panel involved Boo Saville (who was showing a suite of enigmatic images of archeological fragments at the gallery) and painter Rachel Howard, and drew a crowd of about 50 people. About ten minutes into the event, according to observers, it became clear that Brener was in the audience and might be planning to take a dump on the spot -- several other audience members were from galleries that had run-ins with the artist in the past -- causing Trolley co-owner Hannah Watson to confront him. "I know who you are," she said. "I think you should leave. I know what you're about to do."
In the brief scuffle that followed, Brener and his partner, Barbara Schurz -- known for public masturbation and urination alongside her husband -- refused to leave. In Jonesí account, when Bremer was identified, he stood and cried out, "Yes, and we know you and this capitalist shit. What is this? This talk. This art. This is capitalist shit." In the ensuing exchange, Jones said she would physically stop him if he tried to take his pants down, and Brener dared her to try. After more angry words, Trolley co-owner Gigi Gianuzzi forced the pair to leave. They exited decrying the audience as "capitalist scum."
Whatever their intention, in this case it appears that Brener and Co. have laid a proverbial egg. Trolley Gallery makes a poor target for Brenerís wrath, Jones emphasizes. "Everything it makes on gallery sales it plunges back into the artists books they publish," she says. "They donít make a penny." Founded in 2001 as an "inclusive environment and art space," Trolley doubles as living quarters for co-owner Gianuzzi, and dedicates resources to a charity that supports artist books (recent publications include a collection of social documentary photography by Philip Jones Griffiths and a political photo essay called America Off Track by Jarret Schecter). Its gallery is reserved for artists with little proven commercial track record. It is, in Gianuzziís words, the "antithesis of the big galleries that this guy might hate."
Despite the spectacular disruption, the panel continued for another 45 minutes following the departure of Brener and Schurz. "It turned into a really nice discussion," Gianuzzi says. "Laura did a great job. People had a chance to meet the artist. It was a great night -- I donít want to remember it for this little scuffle with this frustrated guy."
CUTS IN MINNEAPOLIS, DENVER
Minneapolisí avant-garde powerhouse the Walker Art Center and Denverís small Museum of Contemporary Art are the latest institutions to take hits from the recession. The Walker announced that it was cutting expenses in the next fiscal year by an additional $900,000, on top of a previous trim of $1.1 million, bringing its overall budget down to $19.3 million. In addition to a hiring freeze, the Walker is requiring its staff to take five days of unpaid leave before June 15, 2009 -- which works out to a two percent pay cut for the year.† Director Olga Viso told the Star-Tribune that large anonymous donations had saved "[m]ore than five, but less than 20" jobs this year.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, meanwhile, eliminated four positions (out of a total of 20), including its communications manager, the directorís executive assistant and employees in the education and tech departments, all in an effort to trim the budget by $2 million. In a rather stark turn of phrase, the museum's Karl Kister told the Denver Post, "We need to be in a position where we can survive 2009."
Lorenzo Rudolf, the founding director of ShContemporary, seems to think the swanky Shanghai-based fair should cancel its next installment, planned to take place Sept. 10-13, 2009.† But the fairís organizing company, BolognaFiereSpa, has other ideas, and as a consequence Rudolf is out. The fair goes ahead under the direction of Colin Chinnery, one-time deputy director of Beijingís Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. Sales at the annual affair have been uneven in the past, though hopes were high that it would prime the pump of the Asian art market [see "The China Price,", Sept. 19, 2008].†
"JENNIFER" SHOW TOURING
Howís for a show concept -- a travelling art show dedicated purely to artists named "Jennifer?" It may sounds like a joke, but "Jen 11," organized by Jennifer Khoshbin and accompanied by a book, has a serious mission: It claims to explore the psychology of the "Jen-eration," the huge number of women who were named "Jennifer" in the Ď70s (when it was the most popular name for girls) and Ď80s (when it was number two). Artists are Jennifer Altman, Jennifer Bradford, Jennifer Celio, Jennifer Garrido, Jennifer Gotch, Jennifer Hsieh, Jennifer Maestre, Jennifer Judd-McGee, Khoshbin, Jennifer McNeely and Jennifer Renninger. The show opens at New Hampshireís Artstream gallery, in Rochester, N.H., Apr. 3-30, 2009. See www.jen11show.com | <urn:uuid:bcd9091e-95a2-420c-9189-d950eb1ffe5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/news/artnetnews/artnetnews3-17-09.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969362 | 1,530 | 1.570313 | 2 |
“I’m starting in the fall. Can you help me find cheap materials for my room?”
During your first year teaching you want everything to be perfect and cute and fun and shiny and wonderful. I totally remember being there and buying gobs of stuff that never got used.
I’ve been thinking about what cheap materials you actually need, and have come up with a short list.
It may seem shorter than you thought, but I have come around to the minimalist teaching method. Less really is more. You don’t need a lot of stuff to teach. Stuff makes you happy, but it doesn’t make you a better teacher.
I put this first for a reason. No matter what other “stuff” you buy, you can always teach great lessons if you have books. I get mine from the public library. Once a month they sell off the old, ripped, out of circulation books. They are hard cover and wonderful. Sometimes if I wink at the little old man working the counter I can get a whole box of cheap materials for $20. So, ask around, talk to the librarian, find books.
Copy paper, computer paper, any paper. You will be amazed at the amount of paper you go through. I don’t “do” worksheets, but we make books. Making books takes paper. Ask businesses to save their “mistake copies” for you. Many times it is on cool paper that the kids can use the other side of. Ask copy shops about paper. You need paper.
This seems obvious, but if each student uses one pencil a week and you have 20 kids you will need over 600 pencils for a year.
Just get some. Kids love them.
I buy mine on sale and write my name on them. They are my scissors, so I know I have them from year to year. They are kept in a bin so they don’t get lost in desks.
Some teachers like white glue, some like glue sticks, but whatever you like find it on sale and buy as much as you can. Even if you aren’t into crafts and projects – it gets used.
Whether it’s shelves, bins, buckets or boxes all classrooms need storage. Once you’ve seen your room you’ll have a better idea on what to get. Whenever I find a bin I like, I buy 10. That way I know they will stack.
I thought, and thought, and thought about it.
You could teach a whole year with just these cheap materials. It won’t be the most amazing set up, but it would work.
I know you’re thinking, “No way!” But I speak from experience.
One year I taught for 14 weeks without any teaching materials except for what’s listed above.
I didn’t even have desks, tables or chairs. We sat on the floor. It can be done.
And sometimes, the less you start with the more you can create together.
Fun finds for a frugal teacher
If after you’ve bought the short list and have a few bucks left, here are some cheap materials that you might like. These are a little icing on the cake.
I found these cute plastic lunch trays at Big Lots, but I hear they are everywhere. They are perfect for segmenting and blending words. I used a cut up index card, but magnets, letter beads, play dough or letter pasta would work great too.
Dry erase marker also wipes off of the tray nicely, you just have to do if quick so it does not dry on it for days and days.I bought enough to do this as a warm up during guided reading.
I think they were $0.80 each.
Color Copy Paper and Coupon Sorters
I found a package of 100 sheets of color copy paper for $1. I knew I could do something with it… but what? Then I remembered that I had some lined writing paper from last year in a box. Viola! Folded in half with a bright cover, it makes an eye catching fun book!
The coupon sorters were in the Target $1 section. I wasn’t sure what to do with these either, but they were too fun to pass up. I was thinking about using them for my Daily Math Journals and having the kids do it on a ½ sheet of paper and slide them in. So, these will be a type of portfolio.
At Dollar Tree they had a whole section of phones.
I bought 3 and plan on putting them in the books and baskets center. The kids can read to their friends on the phone.
The only thing I had to do was cut the cords. They were around 10 feet long and thought they would just be a mess, so I trimmed them down to a manageable foot.
I had heard of writing words on these games, but didn’t think it would be fun until one night my friends and I wrote little goofy “Truth or Dare” things on my board at home.
There’s something truly enjoyable about building and reading and laughing with friends.
So, I found these cheap materials at Big Lots and started writing sight words on them.
I think I may go get another set for more advanced readers and put challenges on some of the blocks. For example, “What words can you make with the letters A T C N?” or “What’s your favorite book? Why?”
I'm looking forward to this fun game!
Wanting more ideas? Sign up for my free teaching newsletter and get ideas sent right to your email box.
New teacher? Struggling teacher? Download my free eBook that's packed with ideas, tips and tricks to get you through a rough year.
Have questions? Contact me about cheap materials in your classroom.
Just need more ideas for your classroom, try Sites for Teachers. They have great ideas! | <urn:uuid:aa45914b-ed60-4a36-97df-9e470c2bb453> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.elementary-teacher-resources.com/cheap_materials.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964414 | 1,259 | 2.71875 | 3 |
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court boosted property rights Tuesday, ruling unanimously government is not automatically exempt from liability when it causes flooding.
In an Arkansas case, the justices said there is no automatic exemption from the Constitution's takings clause in the Fifth Amendment -- which says government usually must reimburse private citizens when it "takes" property for public use -- when government causes temporary flooding.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission owns and manages the Dave Donaldson Black River Wildlife Management Area, 23,000 acres along the Black River that are forested with multiple hardwood oak species and that provide a venue for recreation and hunting.
In 1948, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Clearwater Dam upstream from the management area, and adopted a plan known as the Water Control Manual.
The manual sets seasonally varying rates for the release of water from the dam. From 1993 to 2000 at the request of farmers, the corps periodically authorized plan deviations that extended flooding into the management area's peak timber growing season.
The commission objected, and the corps stopped its temporary deviations.
However, the state commission then sued the United States, alleging the temporary deviations constituted a taking of property that entitled it to compensation. A federal appeals court ruled for the United States.
But Tuesday's ruling reverses the appeals court and sends the case back down for new hearings in line with the Supreme Court's opinion.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing for the unanimous high court, cited precedents and said the Supreme Court finds "no solid grounding in precedent for setting flooding apart from other government intrusions on property."
Justice Elena Kagan, who was U.S. solicitor general during the course of the case in the lower courts, did not participate.
|Additional U.S. News Stories| | <urn:uuid:15614079-ce07-484e-b624-604cfb97e8cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/12/04/Court-strikes-a-blow-for-property-rights/UPI-71061354636516/?spt=hs&or=tn | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926415 | 375 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Celebrate African-American Authors
Published on Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 6:01pm
Black History Month is in full swing here at Northwest One Library.
Check out the circulation desk book display for our favorite works
by black authors. Try to figure out who picked what!
Here is a taste of what you will see:
Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest your Destiny
By Hill Harper
A must-read for young men and the people in their lives. Demetrius says,
"Read this book because Hill Harper's deep, personal insights can relate
to everything that a young man may go through."
By bell hooks
You're sure to be engaged by Hooks' radical approach to love and
relationships. She challenges readers to think of love as an action
and not a feeling, and remember love in the context of community and culture.
By Walter Mosley
Los Angeles! Jazz! Murder! Noir! You won't be able to put down
Mosley's debut novel. A compelling and entertaining work of fiction. | <urn:uuid:ff75ded2-74b7-4bfe-b0a6-56ab20ddef7e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dclibrary.org/node/4597 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92349 | 221 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Jewish World Review March 22, 2002 / 9 Nisan, 5762
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | When Fidel Castro dies, will Cuba's communist dictatorship die too?
Absolutely, says a prominent Western diplomat in Havana. "I believe the whole system will be gone within two or three years after Castro dies."
Absolutely not, says Ricardo Alarcon, the powerful president of Cuba's parliament. "There will be the same system afterward," he recently said, with some asperity, to a group of American journalists. "Cuba has already evolved. We aren't going to discover evolution after Fidel leaves us."
In truth, no one knows what will happen when Castro shuffles off this mortal coil, just as no one knows when that will happen. El Jefe is 75 and in seeming good health. He could remain in power for another year -- or another decade.
But why must political change await his death? Oswaldo Paya, the founder of Cuba's Christian Liberation Movement, derides that attitude as "biological fatalism." Unwilling to delay all hope of democratic reform until Castro dies, Paya two years ago launched the Varela Project, a massive petition drive in support of new laws that would ensure freedom of speech and assembly, provide amnesty for political prisoners, legalize private businesses, and unrig Cuban elections. It is based on Article 88 of the Cuban constitution, which requires that a proposed law be put to a public vote if 10,000 citizens sign a petition supporting it.
A pipe dream? Perhaps. More than 10,000 signatures have been collected (though not yet submitted), but no one really expects Castro to abide by Article 88 and hold a plebiscite. Yet that just makes the Varela Project (which is named for a Cuban national hero, Father Felix Varela) all the more extraordinary. The government has arrested, and sometimes beaten, dozens of signature-collectors; Cubans who sign know that they are inviting retaliation. But they sign nevertheless. "With great serenity and resolution," reports Paya, "citizens are saying, Here is my name, my ID number, my address."
Ten thousand signatures will not topple Castro, but they send a powerful message. "What the government is most afraid of is not an American invasion," Paya says. "It is thousands of ordinary Cubans openly demanding change."
And what, meanwhile, of the American embargo on Cuban trade and travel? Whose interests does it serve? Those of Paya and the countless Cubans who yearn for freedom? Or those of Castro and the Communist Party?
A growing coalition of US critics -- liberal Democrats, Catholic bishops, agribusiness giants, libertarian free-traders -- argues that the embargo is an antiquated relic. Far from weakening Castro, they say, the embargo props him up: It gives him a scapegoat to rail against and an excuse for all his failures. By contrast, lifting the embargo would kick away his crutch and expose Cuba to American ideas and influence. "There is no surer way to undermine the Castro regime," The Economist has asserted, "than to flood his streets with American tourists, academics, and businessmen, with their notions of liberty and enterprise."
I understand the argument. But I don't buy it.
The embargo has its drawbacks, but the case against it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Cuba may not be inundated with Americans -- though 80,000 of them did visit the island last year -- but the past decade has brought a huge influx of Canadians and Europeans. Their influence and exports and "notions of liberty and enterprise" haven't weakened Castro's grip -- the result, in part, of Cuba's "tourist apartheid," which bars ordinary Cubans from mixing with foreigners in hotels, restaurants, and beaches. So why would more Americans make any difference?
True, Castro blames Cuba's shambles of an economy and endless shortages on the embargo, but there isn't a Cuban over the age of 7 who doesn't recognize that as just another of his lies. What has wrecked Cuba's economy is communism, not a lack of trade with America. After all, Castro is free to do business with every other nation on earth.
And make no mistake: Doing business with Cuba means doing business with Castro. There is no private property in Cuba, no private enterprise, no private employers. Foreign investors must deal with the government. They cannot hire Cuban workers directly; a government agency chooses their workers for them. The investors pay Castro handsomely -- in hard currency -- for each worker; Castro in turn pays the workers a fraction of that amount -- in all-but-worthless pesos.
So long as Cuba's dictator maintains his stranglehold on every aspect of Cuban life, ending the embargo would be counterproductive. It would do nothing to end the far more restrictive embargo that Castro imposes on the Cuban nation. It would give him the propaganda victory and the US dollars he craves, but it would do little to bring liberty or hope to ordinary Cuban citizens.
Every president since JFK has extended the Cuban embargo; to lift it
in exchange for nothing -- no free elections, no civil liberties, no
improvement in human rights -- would be a betrayal of the very people we
want to help. "Tiende tu mano a Cuba," says Paya when I ask what he
thinks of American policy, "pero primero pide que le desaten las manos a
los cubanos." Extend your hands to Cuba -- but first unshackle
03/19/02: The keepers of Cuba's conscience | <urn:uuid:3e6f10ad-7dbd-4f99-bb14-37cc2616310c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby032202.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951371 | 1,161 | 1.671875 | 2 |
|Dec13-11, 03:18 PM||#1|
ANSYS - section nodes and global nodes
I am creating a 3D mesh for beam188 elements (L sections).
Method - create keypoints, create lines between KP, define section, apply all relevant properties to the line and mesh the line.
When I view the mesh (/ESHAPE,1) it appears as you would expect with an extruded L-shaped 3D brick-structure (blue solid 'bricks' with corners - I assumed each 'corner' would be a node but this does not seem to be true?)
When I plot nodes, the only nodes that appear are at the ends of the element (ie where I created by original KP)
I CAN however view nodes across the section of the beam by
PREPROCESSOR >> SECTIONS >> BEAM >> PLOT SECTIONS then pick "Node Numbers" from the "Show section mesh?" dropdown. This shows a x-y plot of the beam's cross-section with the nodes and areas.
Can anyone explain, can I view these "Section Nodes" in my global model??
And can I use these section nodes in my global model (to lock elements together)?
Thanks in advance for any info
(If it is not too clear I can explain why I want to do this but tried to keep it as brief as possible)
|Dec13-11, 05:50 PM||#2|
I got an answer from another forum, in case anyone has the same issue this was the response I got
"Beam188 elements are actually 1D elements. When you plot nodes, that is why you are only seeing them at the ends of the element.
If you want a 3D mesh in the sense that you are physically able to connect other meshed elements to particular locations of your L section, you are going to have to go to higher order elements (plates, solids).
For more information on the theory behind your particular beam element, I'd recommend reading the accompanying user's or reference guide."
|Dec13-11, 09:39 PM||#3|
student@work: How many beam188 elements do you get on each line? If it is one element per line, do you want more than one per line? This might not help (I might have some syntax wrong, depending on version), but just in case.
As you mentioned in post 2, there is one node at the ends of each beam element.
|ansys, beam, nodes|
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When Europe’s finance ministers meet for a group photo, it’s easy to spot the rebel — Anders Borg has a ponytail and earring. What actually marks him out, though, is how he responded to the crash. While most countries in Europe borrowed massively, Borg did not. Since becoming Sweden’s finance minister, his mission has been to pare back government. His ‘stimulus’ was a permanent tax cut. To critics, this was fiscal lunacy — the so-called ‘punk tax cutting’ agenda. Borg, on the other hand, thought lunacy meant repeating the economics of the 1970s and expecting a different result.
Three years on, it’s pretty clear who was right. ‘Look at Spain, Portugal or the UK, whose governments were arguing for large temporary stimulus,’ he says. ‘Well, we can see that very little of the stimulus went to the economy. But they are stuck with the debt.’ Tax-cutting Sweden, by contrast, had the fastest growth in Europe last year, when it also celebrated the abolition of its deficit. The recovery started just in time for the 2010 Swedish election, in which the Conservatives were re-elected for the first time in history.
All this has taken Borg from curiosity to celebrity. The Financial Times recently declared him the most effective finance minister in Europe. When we meet in his Stockholm office on a Friday afternoon (he and his aide seem to be the only two left in the building) he says he is just carrying on 20 years of reform. ‘Sweden was a textbook case of European economic sclerosis. Very high taxes and huge regulatory burden.’ An economic crisis in the early 1990s forced Sweden on the road to balanced budgets, and Borg was determined the 2007 crash would not stop him cutting the size of government.
‘Everybody was told “stimulus, stimulus, stimulus”,’ he says — referring to the EU, IMF and the alphabet soup of agencies urging a global, debt-fuelled spending splurge. Borg, an economist, couldn’t work out how this would help. ‘It was surprising that Europe, given what we experienced in the 1970s and 80s with structural unemployment, believed that short-term Keynesianism could solve the problem.’ Non-economists, he says, ‘might have a tendency to fall for those kinds of messages’.
He continued to cut taxes and cut welfare-spending to pay for it; he even cut property taxes for the rich to lure entrepreneurs back to Sweden. The last bit was the most unpopular, but for Borg, economic recovery starts with entrepreneurs. If cutting taxes for the rich encouraged risk-taking, then it had to be done. ‘In most cases, the company would not have been created without the owner,’ he says. ‘There would be no Ikea without [Ingvar] Kamprad. We would not have Tetra-Pak without [Ruben] Rausing. They are probably the foremost entrepreneurs we have had in the last few decades, and both moved out of Sweden.’
But they were not rich, I say, when they were starting out. ‘No, but they were becoming rich. If you have a high wealth tax and an inheritance tax, people emigrate because it becomes too costly to own a company. Ownership is a production factor. Entrepreneurs are a production factor. Yes, these people are rich and you can obviously argue that we want to encourage social cohesion. But it is also problematic if you drive out entrepreneurs from your country, because they are the source of job creation.’
Just as George Osborne took a hit for reducing the 52p tax to a 47p tax, so Borg’s party paid an political price for helping the rich. ‘If you are going to survive that politically, it is very important to cut taxes on low-income earners.’ He focused the tax credit on the low-paid, giving some the equivalent of a month’s extra salary every year. But there was still resentment. ‘We lost a lot of voters when we cut the property and the wealth tax, I don’t make any excuse for that. It was a severe blow to our support.’
This is the only time in the interview when Borg speaks like the politician he claims not to be. ‘When I look at other politicians I tend to see myself more as an economist,’ he says. This is true in that he is appointed, not elected, and was chief economist for SEB bank. But before this, he was a young libertarian longing to turn the world upside-down. Internet footage still exists of a denim-clad Borg declaring on television that if he was prime minister he ‘wouldn’t do a damn thing, so the people could do whatever they want’. When he later became a prime ministerial adviser, he caused a stir when it emerged that a government staffer backed drug legalisation.
When Fredrik Reinfeldt became party leader in 2003, he made Borg his right-hand man. It seemed a gamble at the time, but his faith in Borg’s expertise was absolute — Borg’s views had moderated, but his sense of urgency had not. ‘We came into government in October 2006 and we launched tax cuts in January 2007,’ he says, ‘so the first three months were extremely hectic.’ The Conservatives’ slogan was striking: ‘We are the new workers’ party.’ Tax rates would be cut for workers, and welfare cut to pay for it. High welfare levels, he says, can inflict cruelty in the name of compassion. ‘People emigrate from the labour market. Unemployment traps capture a lot of people in social exclusion.’ Tax cuts are not spoken of as an ideological aim, but as a tool to cut unemployment and advance social justice.
What even Borg did not expect was that his tax cut for the low-paid would increase economic growth so much that it has almost entirely paid for itself. Borg had created something that Osborne’s critics say does not exist: a self-financing tax cut. ‘There was some criticism at the time that we were borrowing to finance tax cuts,’ he says. But Sweden could do it, because it was expecting to return to surplus soon; Britain has no such luxury, he says. His main advice to Osborne is: ‘Keep on dealing with the deficit, because deficits destroy everything else.’
Borg and Osborne have a good relationship, as do David Cameron and Reinfeldt (who keep in touch via text message). All are men in their early forties, who pick fights with the old guard of their parties to flaunt their ‘modernising’ credentials. But politics in Britain and Sweden are as different now as they were in the 1980s, except the roles are reversed. Sweden is the unlikely champion of supply-side economics, with ideas too radical for Brits. There is cross-party support in Sweden for profit-seeking state schools, which Michael Gove won’t attempt. Borg’s tax-cutting policy was accompanied by a 268-page book explaining the dynamic link between lower taxes and more jobs. Such a document would be unthinkable from HM Treasury.
Sound economics is simply a far larger part of the government mission in Sweden than in Britain. Cameron once observed that no one ‘gets up in the morning thinking “I wish the state was smaller”,’ which is perhaps true in Whitehall. But not in Stockholm where, on Reinfeldt’s 45th birthday, Borg presented him with a graph showing Sweden’s tax-to-GDP ratio dipping under the 45 per cent mark for the first time in decades. That is still, of course, one of the highest rates in the world.
In public, Borg is not in the least triumphalist — if anything, he’s trying to stir up a bit of pessimism. Success has meant he now has to manage expectations, and Borg has taken to warning in his speeches that ‘a future economic crisis is as much a certainty in life as death and taxes’. He could add another certainty: that high taxes will slow down any economic recovery, and fortune tends to favour politicians who do something about that.
This article first appeared in the print edition of The Spectator magazine, dated April 14, 2012 | <urn:uuid:99a78af7-68b3-4f36-9234-33e32adb23e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/7779228/swedens-secret-recipe/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981866 | 1,769 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Today I would like to pose a question asked long ago by Job: “Where shall wisdom be found?” (Job 28:12.)
Leaders of this Church have repeatedly emphasized the importance of education. It is a vital component of wisdom. Not long after the pioneers began construction of their temple in Illinois, they established the University of the City of Nauvoo. The First Presidency proclaimed that this university “will enable us to teach our children wisdom, to instruct them in all the knowledge and learning, in the arts, sciences, and learned professions.” 1
A similar scene followed after the persecuted pioneers entered the valley of the Great Salt Lake. Less than three years later, on 28 February 1850, they instituted the University of the State of Deseret. 2 Later several academies of learning were established.
Now as Church membership worldwide exceeds eight million, it is evident that a direct role of the Church in secular education is no longer feasible. Yet our commitment to education remains constant.
Scriptures teach that “the glory of God is intelligence.” (D&C 93:36.) They also teach that individual “intelligences … were organized before the world was.” (Abr. 3:22.) “Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” (D&C 93:29.)
Our personal intelligence is everlasting and divine. I believe Thomas Jefferson felt that dignity of the human spirit when he wrote: “I have sworn upon the Altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” 3
Because of our sacred regard for each human intellect, we consider the obtaining of an education to be a religious responsibility. Yet opportunities and abilities differ. I believe that in the pursuit of education, individual desire is more influential than institution, and personal faith more forceful than faculty.
Our Creator expects His children everywhere to educate themselves. He issued a commandment: “Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118.) And He assures us that knowledge acquired here will be ours forever. (See D&C 130:18–19.)
Measured by this celestial standard, it is apparent that those who impulsively “drop out” and cut short their education not only disregard divine decree but frustrate the realization of their own potential.
I remember my moment of resolution many years ago when, as an untrained teenager, I secured temporary employment at Christmastime. The work was monotonous. Each hour and each day passed slowly. I resolved then and there that I must obtain an education that would qualify me better for life. I determined to stay in school and work for an education as though my very life depended upon it.
Later as stake president I was questioned by many young people about their own educational pursuits. Some asked me how long it took to become a doctor of medicine. “The general pattern would be four years at a university, followed by four years in medical school,” I replied. “And if you choose to become a specialist, that could take another five years or more, depending upon your desire.”
That occasionally evoked a reaction: “That adds up to thirteen years—and maybe more? That’s too long for me!”
“It all depends,” I would respond. “Preparation for your career is not too long if you know what you want to do with your life. How old will you be thirteen years from now if you don’t pursue your education? Just as old, whether or not you become what you want to be!”
So my counsel then—and now—is to continue your education wherever you are, whatever your interest and opportunity, however you determine you can best serve your family and society.
Beware of Unbalance
Choose what you will learn and whose purposes you will serve. But don’t place all your intellectual eggs in one basket of secular learning. Remember this warning from the Book of Mormon:
“O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
“But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.” (2 Ne. 9:28–29.)
That scripture reminds me of a friend who proudly boasted that his climb toward wealth had come from tireless work and lessons learned in the “school of hard knocks.” But his fortune had come at the expense of his spiritual development. When it was too late, he regretfully discovered that his ladder of success had been leaning against the wrong wall. He had never read this instruction from his Maker:
“Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.” (D&C 6:7; see also D&C 11:7.)
Mankind’s unfamiliarity with the scriptures has sometimes brought sorrow to great numbers of people over long periods of time. The suffering that has resulted from such ignorance is truly tragic. May I illustrate with excerpts from history that pertain to the spread of infection.
In the nineteenth century, health officials and others were concerned about pollution of the air, not by visible smoggy hydrocarbons of today, but by an invisible miasma that was blamed for almost any infection. In 1867, for example, Lord Lister indicted bad air as the chief cause of infection. 4 Because of that, in 1869 Simpson from Edinburgh urged that hospitals be taken down and rebuilt every few years. 5 Such an extravagant practice was also advocated by other experts. 6
Even Florence Nightingale, a living legend following her heroic efforts in the Crimean War, failed to recognize the transmission of infection from one patient to another—this despite her careful notations that wound infection accounted for 40 percent of postoperative mortality. 7
But others missed the connection, too. For centuries, lives of innumerable mothers and children were claimed by “childbirth fever”—infections unknowingly transmitted among the innocent by unwashed hands of attendants. 8
It was only a short century ago that the great work of Koch, Pasteur, and others proved that infection could be caused by bacteria in contaminated body fluids—or infected issues—passed from one individual to another.
With these highlights of history in mind, may I quote the word of the Lord recorded long ago in Leviticus, chapter fifteen:
“The Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.
“And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue. …
“Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean.
“And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water. …
“And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water.” (Lev. 15:1–5, 7; emphasis added.)
Several verses follow which re-emphasize and illustrate those important principles. Then we read this conclusion:
“And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall … wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.” (Lev. 15:13.)
Thus, our loving Heavenly Father had clearly revealed principles of clean technique in the handling of infected patients more than three thousand years ago! These scriptures are in complete harmony with modern medical guidelines. 9 But during those many millennia, how many mothers needlessly perished? How many children suffered because man’s quest for knowledge had failed to incorporate the word of the Lord?
In our day, many challenges face us. Some are new, some are old—simply clothed in modern attire. The epistles of Paul include prophecies pertaining to our day. Do these descriptions sound familiar?
“In the last days perilous times shall come.
“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, [and the list of insidious qualities goes on] …
“Without natural affection, …
“Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: …
“Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim. 3:1–5, 7.)
Paul’s warnings describe apostasy and other dangers of our day. Some of these perils are contrary to God’s purposes and are championed by persuasive people possessing more ability than morality, more knowledge than wisdom. Their rationalization breeds justification. The Bible affirms that the “way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” (Prov. 12:15.) Indeed, individuals with malignity of purpose often wear the mask of honesty. So we must constantly be on guard.
To build a house straight and strong, you do not choose crooked boards. So to build your eternal destiny, you cannot—you must not—limit lessons only to those warped to exclude revelation from God. The Book of Mormon offers this note of caution and hope:
“Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.” (Jacob 4:10.)
Remember the terrible price paid for ignorance of divine instruction. Until the turn of this century, infection was spread as if no one had ever read or taken seriously the fifteenth chapter of Leviticus. Where is wisdom?
Today we are seriously concerned with the increasing incidence of human infection with HIV (Human Immunosuppressive Virus) and variant viruses and the associated outbreak of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). An epidemic has been forecast—a plague fueled by a vocal few who exhibit greater concern for civil rights than for public health, a plague abetted by the immoral. Some live in lust as though God’s commandment to be chaste was written with an asterisk, exempting them from obeying. And regrettably, as in previous plagues, many innocent victims are doomed to suffer. Where is wisdom?
Avoidable deaths and mounting financial burdens are also incurred worldwide because of indifference to or ignorance of God’s declaration that tobacco “is not good for man.” (D&C 89:8.) Many other societal problems could be listed, such as alcohol and drug abuse, gambling, civil strife, and erosion of family stability. 10 We may know so much, yet learn so little. “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” 11 Again I ask, Where is wisdom?
Wisdom is to be found in pure intelligence—in that divine light which can guide people in all countries, all climes, and all continents. The Lord has promised that “a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel.” (D&C 45:28.) Then He lamented:
“But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men. …
“And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.
“But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die.
In bright contrast to such bitter chaos, the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ beams as the hope of the world. Missionaries and members courageously proclaim its brilliance. Wise students throughout the world heed its light and enrich their education by adding the curriculum of Church Seminaries and Institutes. The Lord hides His wisdom from no one: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” (James 1:5.)
Again I pose the question once asked by Job: “Where shall wisdom be found?” (Job 28:12.) Answer: It emanates from the Lord. He Himself said,
“I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.” (2 Ne. 28:30.)
Divine light and wisdom continue to increase when love for Deity grows:
“That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” (D&C 50:24; see also D&C 88:67.)
“He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.” (D&C 93:28.)
Where is wisdom? It pulses and surges with the Lord’s light of truth! With that light He lifts us toward eternal life, I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
1. History of the Church, 4:269.
2. Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 28 Feb. 1850, pp. 1–2.
3. Elbert D. Thomas, Thomas Jefferson, World Citizen (New York: Modern Age Books, 1942), p. 251.
4. J. Lister, “On a New Method of Treating Compound Fracture, Abscess, etc., with Observations on the Conditions of Suppuration,” Lancet, 1 (1867): 326.
5. J. Y. Simpson, “Our Existing System of Hospitalism and Its Effects,” Edinburgh Medical Journal, 14 (1869): 817.
6. L. A. Stimson, “Bacteria and Their Influence upon the Origin and Development of Septic Complications of Wounds,” New York Medical Journal, 22 (1875): 144.
7. See Edward Cook, The Life of Florence Nightingale, 2 vols. (London: Macmillan and Co., 1913), 1:352–438.
8. See Ignaz Philipp Semmelweiss, Die Aetiologie, der Begriff und die Prophylaxis des Kindbettfiebers, reprinted from 1861 ed. (New York: Johnson Reprint Co., 1966), pp. 102–13.
9. See Isolation Techniques for Use in Hospitals (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1970), p. 9.
10. See Bryce J. Christensen, “Critically Ill: The Family and Health Care,” The Family in America, The Rockford Institute Center on the Family in America, Mount Morris, Ill., May 1992, pp. 1–8.
11. T. S. Eliot, “Choruses from ‘The Rock,’” The Complete Poems and Plays (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1971), p. 96.
Official Web site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
© 2013 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All Rights Reserved | <urn:uuid:28353141-0852-4657-be09-7df8d9bb2a1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/1992/10/where-is-wisdom?lang=eng&country=gb | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952717 | 3,436 | 2.4375 | 2 |
The Story About Ping
by Marjorie Flack Illustrated by Kurt Wiese
Reviewed by Jose J. A. (age 8)
Jose J. A. is a student in Ms. Govek's 2nd Grade Class
The story is about a duck named Ping. He had a large family that lived on a boat on a river in China. He was a fishing duck and he helped catch fish for his master. Every evening all the duck family would go back on the boat. One evening Ping did not make it back in time and was left behind all alone. The next day Ping was swimming and eating when he spotted a drowning boy. Ping saved the boy and he was pulled onto a new boat with a different family. They were going to eat Ping for dinner, but the boy Ping saved, now saved him. But, Ping was kept in a basket and he was very sad. The little boy felt sorry for Ping and let him go back in the river. The story has more to it and it has a happy ending.
I liked this book very much because it was an exciting adventure that happened in a far away place. I didn't know that ducks could catch fish for people. I also liked that it had a happy ending.
I think that kids my age and older would like this story because it was interesting to read about another country and it was fun to read. My brother who is ten years old thought the story was cool too. | <urn:uuid:aa2ea04c-9151-4956-acb2-b4b127d24a61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spaghettibookclub.org/review.php?review_id=9500 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.994709 | 299 | 2.75 | 3 |
It's twisted trunk is an indication of how long it's been standing and all it has seen.
"Been through several ice storms, tornados come through but the tree has stood tall through it all," said Shannon Griffin. "It's going to be here a lot longer than I am," he laughed.
The tree has been in the park for as long as Griffin can remember. Starting only as big as a branch it's now attached to, the tree has grown to be much larger.
"I used to have to mow around the tree when I was a kid," Griffin said.
"We were sitting at this red light right here," said Griffin's wife Emily, "And he said 'You know about this tree', and I said 'No I don't know about the tree."
Before Griffin and Emily were married they drove past the tree on a date.
"He told me the story about the tree," she said. "And about how the mayor came out and handpicked that tree."
"The Mayor came out and said 'That's it, that's the one'," said Griffin.
Griffin's father Hosea L. Griffin donated the sapling to the city to be planted in the park.
Since then it's shared his nickname, "The Hosea tree!" he said.
It stands just feet from where a veteran's memorial was built years later, and where his name is etched in stone for his contributions during the Korean War.
"Most people remember him by his name being on the memorial wall," said Griffin. "But the tree is how I choose to remember him," he said.
Hosea has been gone for eight years now, but in an effort to make the story of his donation to the city of England live on his daughter-in-law created a Facebook page telling the tree's story.
She showed her husband the page for the first time last Christmas, "It was one of the most meaningful Christmas presents that I could ever have," he said.
His father, he added, never asked for any recognition for his donation but he definitely deserved it said Griffin.
"It's a big part of England now," he said.
Since Hosea passed away the Griffin's have tried to get a plaque made for the tree, even volunteering to use their own money.
But they said it's been a nearly decade long battle since a plaque goes against city ordinances.
Click here to visit the Hosea Tree's Facebook page. | <urn:uuid:a0334bbe-258a-4e66-8dc7-d983f5e3d759> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arkansasmatters.com/heartbeatfulltext/?nxd_id=603792 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992577 | 518 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A Culture of Kindness
A woman stands on a street corner holding a sign. She’s dirty with torn clothes and a hardened look on her face. Nearby, a little boy, no more than five, plays in the dirt. He doesn’t seem to notice the cars rushing past as he piles tiny rocks, occasionally glancing up to smile at his mom. As you watch this scenario play out, you wonder who she is and why she’s there. You long to do something to help her. In the blink of an eye, a woman many would deem unworthy of their time suddenly becomes a mother, willing to throw all self-preservation out the window to provide for her son. This is real.
As humans our natural response is to help others. Being uncomfortable with despair is something God placed in us on purpose. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV) Many Christians say missions is not something they have been called to do. But in Matthew 28:19 and many other places in the Bible, missions is exactly what God has called all of us to do. As the world’s heartache increases each day, missions becomes more than trips in and out of countries for weeks and months at a time. It becomes spreading the message of Christ through our daily actions of serving others no matter how big or small the act.
Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tenn. believes serving others happens daily, outside the walls of the church. In fact, serving is one of the most talked about visions of Cross Point. According to Lead Pastor Pete Wilson, “Missions was never intended to be a program in the church; it’s the whole reason for the church.” The members of Cross Point live this out by embracing the many organizations and ministries the church partners with both locally and globally.
This is a group of believers that takes it’s mission seriously. In the last year alone, Cross Point has...
-Traveled to various parts of Alabama and Joplin, Mo., bringing tornado relief, including all kinds of "clean-up" supplies, chain saws, wheel barrows, rakes, shovels, and more. They removed debris, gutted homes damaged by water, painted houses and prayed with believers and non-believers alike.
-Continued to travel to Wheelwright, Ky., a poor Appalachian town, addressing local needs. This year, CP took construction equipment and supplies, gutted a home, installed siding on a home, worked on roofs, ran a VBS for the local kids, visited a government-run special needs nursing home. The church also stocked the local food pantry with eight pallets of food.
-Donated and delivered, in partnership with Soles 4 Souls throughout the year, six pallets of car seats and strollers to tornado victims in Alabama, and one pallet to Wheelwright.
-Saved hundreds of families thousands of dollars in demolition costs, when Nashville and surrounding areas were devastated by floods. More than 2000 Cross Point volunteers showed up, every day, for weeks, helping over 400 families tear out their water-ravaged houses.
And these examples are just the tip of the iceberg.
Cross Point doesn’t believe in doing something once and calling it “good.” Serving is an ongoing, long-term process. Apart from regular mission trips to India, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and recently Africa, Cross Point has adopted the town of Wheelwright, Ky. in the Appalachian Mountains. With as prosperous as the United States is, it is hard to imagine people in our own backyard living in poverty similar to Developing World countries. Wheelwright is one of those areas that Cross Point visits a few times a year to provide clean up, maintenance, clothing, food, and love. Cross Point Missions Pastor, Ryan Bult, is passionate about the focus of the church. “We believe we are building a culture here; a culture of service where people don’t have to think about it, they just do it. They go, ‘this is what we’re called to do. We do it.’ We build that culture. It helps our kids grow up to do the same things and to live the way Jesus would ask us to live.”
Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:40 (NIV) “I tell you in truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” What that means to Cross Point is that Monday’s when we play with the children at Safe Haven (transitional housing for homeless families in Nashville), we are reading and laughing with Jesus. Tuesday’s when we feed and worship with the homeless at The Bridge Ministry, we are feeding and worshiping with Jesus. Wednesday’s when Cross Pointers are sitting with African refugees teaching them ESL, they are teaching Jesus how to speak the language that will help him find a job and care for his family in a foreign country.
Each day Ryan and the rest of the church staff and volunteers explore how they can evolve random acts of kindness into a regular routine. “At Cross Point we want to be a church that not only talks about serving, but actually does it. It’s one thing to talk about things and all the people that are hurting and in need and to go, the Bible calls us to do such things. But it’s much different to actually step out of your comfort zone and impact people and your community, across this country or across this world and really build a community in a way that’s pleasing to God.”
Earlier this year all five Cross Point campuses participated in “Serve 4 Seven.” Throughout the seven days leading up to Easter, Cross Pointers were encouraged to do daily random acts of kindness. Nashville quickly became a hot spot of humanity. People paid for each other’s meals, passed out water to the homeless, visited nursing homes, and so much more to impact those around them with the love of Christ.
What many discovered or reconnected with is how much joy comes from serving others. As you begin to take the focus off of yourself, you start understanding that God didn’t create us to tackle this world alone. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5 NIV) In a world thirsty for healing and hope, the words of Paul serve as a reminder that each day we have the opportunity to lift each other up as one body in pursuit of the one Lord that will bring us eternal peace.
To read more about how the people of Cross Point Church are making a difference, go to www.crosspoint.tv.
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The Emotions of Losing Weight
Whether you want to shed 15 pounds or 215 pounds, if you want to be successful at long-term weight loss, you must examine your attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors around food. Otherwise, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll backslide into old eating patterns at the first sign of emotional stress.
Theoretically, losing weight is one of the easiest things to do—you simply expend more energy (measured in calories) than you take in. But as you probably know from experience, the process is not that straightforward in practice.
The combination of poor discipline and inadequate support is a disastrous one for weight loss. By support I mean that co-workers, friends, and family help reinforce you in the process of weight loss or whatever personal goal you are trying to reach.
Sadly, many overweight individuals lack support, often from the time they were children. They usually come from families where achieving was more important than being, and where there was little acceptance of the children as they were. Their parents let them know in one way or another that they didn’t measure up.
But the truth is that too much pressure, for adults or children, only tempts people to rebel or to loathe their shortcomings, and consequently themselves. What they need more than anything is acceptance and encouragement.
For people who are chronically overweight, food becomes a vehicle with which to block uncomfortable emotions—usually anger, fear, shame, frustration, guilt, loneliness, and sadness. In their book Overcoming Overeating (Random House, 1998), Jane Hirschmann and Carol Munter distinguish between “stomach hunger” (when you eat to fill your body because your stomach is empty) and “mouth hunger” (when you’re reaching for something to put in your mouth because you’re experiencing a difficult emotion).
People who eat from stomach hunger have a healthy relationship with food, whereas those eating from mouth hunger do not.
Some of you may find yourself doing both at different times, but it’s an important detail to acknowledge. For many of us, it’s hard to take in love but easy to take in food. So in a cruel irony, we can be physically full, yet emotionally starved.
The fact that obesity is rising in the United States means that we all must have something in common when it comes to abusing food…and yes, that’s a strong statement, but I believe many of us do abuse food.
Get a Handle on What’s Eating You
To help understand what role emotions may play in your eating patterns, ask yourself some tough questions:
- Have you ever found yourself looking for something to eat within an hour or two of eating?
- Do you sometimes overeat?
- Do you feel guilty or have thoughts of self recrimination after eating?
- Do you overeat to "treat" yourself after a long, hard day?
- Do you feel less anxious after eating?
- Do you rush through meals, not even tasting the food?
- Do you need to have large helpings of food to feel full?
- When you dine with loved ones, are you more concerned about the food than the company and surroundings?
- Is food replacing something that's missing in your life?
- Do you make excuses for being overweight?
- Do you know that you'll feel better (calmer, more relaxed, more energetic?) after you eat?
If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, you may eat to deal with problematic emotions—at least sometimes. If so, then you need to take an honest look at your relationship with food.
To help uncover your own unconscious drives, I suggest writing out answers to the following questions:
- Am I able to take in love from my partner? My children? Family? Friends? Or do I keep certain thoughts and feelings to myself to avoid possible rejection?
- When in pain, do I turn toward loved ones for support, or do I push them away and isolate myself? Why do I react this way?
- Am I getting something out of being overweight? Does it get me off the hook for sexual intimacy? Is it an excuse not to be more active? Does it get me help and sympathy from others?
If you’ve identified that emotions are ruling your eating, then you can start to change the way you think. This is what needs to be done at every turn. Especially when you get the urge to dig into your favorite comfort food. Stop and ask yourself what’s really going on.
Writing about it for a minute or two is even better. If you keep a journal like this for a few weeks, patterns will start to emerge, and I think you’ll be happily surprised at the insights you gain.
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|The Pastor's Kid|
|Written by Douglas Wilson|
|Monday, 26 July 2010 09:33|
In the pastoral epistles, Paul gives several requirements regarding the children of elders. These are both discussed and disregarded with great regularity in the church.
At issue is whether the children of ministers and elders must be faithful Christians. In Titus, Paul says of elders that they should be “blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly” (Titus 1:6). In 1 Timothy, he requires that an elder must be one that “ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity” (1 Tim. 3:4). He goes on to add that if a man does not know how to rule in his own house, then he will not take good care of the church of God (v. 5).
When this particular discussion erupts, it is usually in the midst of a particular crisis “the
unmarried daughter of the pastor is pregnant, the son of one of the ruling elders is in jail, etc. In that context, feelings usually run high and sometimes careful distinctions can be lost. So although these truths must be applied at some point, it would probably be best if we sought to work through them on the chalkboard first.
It is my purpose to argue that the requirement Paul gives here should be taken at face value, and that if a man’s children fall away from the faith (either doctrinally or morally), he is at that point disqualified from formal ministry in the church. But in order to take this stand, certain questions must be answered in order – exegetical, theological, and pastoral.
First, the exegetical question. Debate on this subject usually revolves around whether the phrase in Titus 1:6 should be translated “faithful children” or “believing children.” Of course, if the proper translation is “believing children” then there is no debate anymore, at least among those who believe the Bible. If an elder must have believing children, then how could there be debate on whether he must have believing children?
So for the sake of discussion, let us grant the translation “faithful children.” It certainly is a legitimate translation, and in the last analysis I would like to argue that it doesn’t really change anything. Faithful in what? Faithful to whom? When the translation “faithful children” is urged, it is generally with the thought that a child could be faithful and obedient in external matters, but still be unregenerate. In this thinking, an elder should be required to run his household with good external discipline, but he cannot be expected to have any control over whether his children come to a saving knowledge of Christ.
But the word pistos is used frequently throughout the pastoral epistles, and while it is commonly translated as faithful, we never see this dichotomy between true heart condition and external conformity introduced (see 1 Tim. 1:12, 15; 3:11; 4:9; 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:2, 11, 13; Tit. 1:9; 3:8). In context, the word faithful means faithful down to the ground. If a son is obedient when his father tells him to take out the garbage, but disobeys when he is told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, in what Pauline sense can the son be described as faithful?
Nevertheless, a particular theological argument against this view has great force with many. The argument goes that the election of our children is in the hands of God, and not in the hands of parents. As Alexander Strauch has argued, “To say this passage means believing Christian children places an impossible standard upon a father. Salvation is a supernatural act of God. God, not good parents (although they are used of God), ultimately brings salvation.”
Now I have argued elsewhere that parents are invited by God to believe that their children will inherit the promises of God. This is not attained by parental works in any way, but is rather a promise appropriated by faith. But again, for the sake of discussion, let’s grant this point.
To place the salvation of an elder’s children outside his influence says nothing about this particular requirement. Suppose this to be the case, and God in His sovereignty has determined not to save one of the pastor’s children. Unless we alter the wording or meaning of this passage, this would simply mean that the sovereign God has determined to reveal His desire to have the pastor step down from his ministerial responsibilities in this particular fashion.
The pastoral argument involves our understanding of what constitutes a good pastor. We still think in terms of qualifications from graduate school, and professional certification. The pastor cannot step down, we argue, because this is his livelihood. How could we expect him to abandon that? But the ministry is not a profession, and the men who hold office in the church do not hold that office as a matter of divine right.
This is why it is important for us to consider the reason Paul gives for placing this requirement on us (1 Tim. 3:5). We have every reason to believe that a man will shepherd the church in the same way he shepherded his family. This, incidentally, is another reason for believing that the work in the home concerns the fundamental spiritual issues, and not just external discipline. We are evaluating the same kind of work in different realms.
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Do I Need Help?
Honesty is the first order of business as denial is a common barrier in the recognition of problems and the act of seeking help us evaluate our circumstances. People who are trained in “geriatric” mental health are prepared to help older adults make evaluations and plans based on the knowledge of what is good for older bodies, older minds and older adult issues in general. It is perfectly appropriate to seek the opinion of a professional who specializes in geriatrics when considering any type of care. Just as young children see pediatricians, older adults benefit from geriatricians.
How do you know if you need help? When you are older, you don’t want to let too many things go unchecked as your body’s systems are more vulnerable to the negative effects of compounded problems. If you feel or act differently, notice physical symptoms that are not normal for you or experience trouble in areas that were not previously problematic, it’s probably time to get things, checked out.
Symptoms of mental health problems include:
- Withdrawn behavior
- Excessive worry or nervousness
- Guilt and remorse
- Low self-esteem, no confidence
- Excessive doubt, hopelessness and negativity
- Mood swings
- Heavy suspicion, mistrust of loved one
- Disturbance in sleep and/or appetite
- Poor memory and concentration, confusion, forgetfulness, difficulty making decisions
- Neglect of self-care
- Persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood
- Loss of interest in pleasurable hobbies and activities once enjoyed
- Decreased energy, fatigue, being “slowed down”
- Restlessness, irritability
- Persistent and unexplained physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment such as digestive disorders and unexplained pain
- Increased talking, racing thoughts
- Inappropriate social behavior
- Delusions or hallucinations (believing things that are not true, seeing or hearing things that are not there)
- Increasing inability to cope with problems and responsibility
- Denial of obvious problems
- Over use of alcohol, medications and drugs
- Suicidal thoughts (Must get immediate attention)
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Could scientists have got the impacts of climate change on food supply wildly wrong?
By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 16th October 2012
I believe we might have made a mistake: a mistake whose consequences, if I am right, would be hard to overstate. I think the forecasts for world food production could be entirely wrong.
Food prices are rising again, partly because of the damage done to crops in the northern hemisphere by ferocious weather. In the US, Russia and Ukraine, grain crops were clobbered by remarkable droughts. In parts of northern Europe, such as the UK, they were were pummelled by endless rain.
Even so, this is not, as a report in the Guardian claimed last week, “one of the worst global harvests in years”(1). It’s one of the best. World grain production last year was the highest on record; this year’s crop is just 2.6% smaller(2). The problem is that, thanks to the combination of a rising population and the immoral diversion of so much grain into animal feed and biofuels(3), a new record must be set every year. Though 2012’s is the third biggest global harvest in history (after 2011 and 2008)(4), this is also a year of food deficit, in which we will consume some 28 million tonnes more grain than farmers produced(5). If 2013’s harvest does not establish a new world record, the poor are in serious trouble.
So the question of how climate change might alter food production could not be more significant. It is also extremely hard to resolve, and relies on such daunting instruments as “multinomial endogenous switching regression models”(6). The problem is that there are so many factors involved. Will extra rainfall be cancelled out by extra evaporation? Will the fertilising effect of carbon dioxide be more powerful than the heat damage it causes? To what extent will farmers be able to adapt? Will new varieties of crops keep up with the changing weather?
But, to put it very broadly, the consensus is that climate change will hurt farmers in the tropics and help farmers in temperate countries. A famous paper published in 2005 concluded that if we follow the most extreme trajectory for greenhouse gas production (the one we happen to be on at the moment), global warming would raise harvests in the rich nations by 3% by the 2080s, and reduce them in the poor nations by 7%(7). This gives an overall reduction in the world’s food supply (by comparison to what would have happened without manmade climate change) of 5%.
Papers published since then support this conclusion: they foresee hard times for farmers in Africa and South Asia(8,9,10), but a bonanza for farmers in the colder parts of the world(11,12,13), whose yields will rise just as developing countries become less able to feed themselves. Climate change is likely to be devastating for many of the world’s poor. If farmers in developing countries can’t compete, both their income and their food security will decline, and the number of permanently malnourished people could rise. The nations in which they live, much of whose growth was supposed to have come from food production, will have to import more of their food from abroad. But in terms of gross commodity flows the models do not predict an insuperable problem.
So here’s where the issue arises. The models used by most of these papers forecast the effects of changes in averaged conditions. They take no account of extreme weather events(14,15). Fair enough: they’re complicated enough already. But what if changes in the size of the global harvest are determined less by average conditions than by the extremes?
This is what happened in 2012. This is what seems likely to happen in subsequent years. Here’s why. A paper this year by the world’s leading climate scientist James Hansen shows that the frequency of extremely hot events (such as the droughts which hammered the US and Russia) has risen by a factor of around 50 by comparison to the decades before 1980(16). Forty years ago, extreme summer heat typically affected between 0.1 and 0.2% of the globe. Today it scorches some 10%. “We can project with a high degree of confidence,” the paper warns, “that the area covered by extremely hot anomalies will continue to increase during the next few decades and even greater extremes will occur.” Yet these extremes do not feature in the standard models predicting changes in crop production.
If the mechanism proposed by another paper is correct, it is not just extremes of heat that are likely to rise(17). I’ve explained this before, but I think it’s worth repeating. The jet stream is a current of air travelling eastwards around the upper northern hemisphere. It separates the cold wet weather to the north from the warmer, drier weather to the south. Wobbling along this ribbon are huge meanders called Rossby waves. As the Arctic heats up, the meanders slow down and become steeper. The weather gets stuck.
Stuck weather is another way of saying extreme weather. If the jet stream is jammed to the north of where you are, the weather stays hot and dry, and the temperature builds up – and up. If it’s lodged to the south of you, the rain keeps falling, the ground becomes saturated and the rivers burst their banks. This summer the UK and the US seem to have found themselves on opposite sides of stuck meanders, and harvests in both countries were savaged by opposing extremes of weather.
This is where we stand with just 0.8 degrees of global warming and a 30% loss of summer sea ice. Picture a world with 2, 4 or 6 degrees of warming and a pole without ice, and you get some idea of what could be coming.
Farmers in the rich nations can adapt to a change in averaged conditions. It is hard to see how they can adapt to extreme events, especially if those events are different every year. Last winter, for example, I spent days drought-proofing my apple trees, as the previous spring had been so dry that – a few weeks after pollination – most of the fruit shrivelled up and died. This spring was so wet that the pollinators scarcely emerged at all: it was the unfertilised blossom that withered and died. I thanked my stars that I don’t make my living this way.
Perhaps there is no normal any more. Perhaps the smooth average warming trends the climate models predict – simultaneously terrifying and oddly reassuring – mask wild extremes for which no farmer can plan and to which no farmer can respond. Where does that leave a world which must either keep raising production or starve?
7. Martin Parry, Cynthia Rosenzweig and Matthew Livermore, 2005. Climate change, global food supply and risk of hunger. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society – B, vol 360, pp 2125–2138. doi:10.1098/rstb.2005.1751 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1569580/
8. Eg Jerry Knox, Tim Hess, Andre Daccache and Tim Wheeler, 2012. Climate change impacts on crop productivity in Africa and South Asia. Environmental Research Letters 7. 034032. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/3/034032
9. Christoph Müller et al, 2012. Climate change risks for African agriculture. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1015078108
10. P. Krishnan et al, 2011. High temperature effects on rice growth, yield, and grain quality. Advances in Agronomy. Vol 111, pp87-205.
11. Jan Beck, 2012. Predicting climate change effects on agriculture from ecological niche modeling: who profits, who loses? Climatic Change – published online.
12. Tom Osborne, Gillian Rose and Tim Wheeler, 2012 (in press). Variation in the global-scale impacts of climate change on crop productivity due to climate model uncertainty and adaptation. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2012.07.006
13. Kyungsuk Cho et al, 2012. Winter wheat yields in the UK: uncertainties in
climate and management impacts. Climate Research. Vol. 54, pp49–68.
14. Eg Martin Parry, Cynthia Rosenzweig and Matthew Livermore, 2005 (as above) write: “The crop growth models embody a number of simplifications. For example, weeds, diseases and insect pests are assumed to be controlled, there are no problem soil conditions (e.g. high salinity or acidity) and there are no extreme weather events such as heavy storms.”
15. and Kyungsuk Cho et al, 2012 (as above) state: “We do not include effects caused
by negative soil conditions such as salinity, acidity and compaction, extreme weather events or pests and diseases, all of which are likely to be directly or indirectly affected by climate change and resulting changes in management practices.”
16. James Hansen, Makiko Satoa, Reto Ruedy, 2012. Perception of climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, published online. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/07/30/1205276109.full.pdf+html?with-ds=yes
17. Jennifer A. Francis and Stephen J. Vavrus, 2012. Evidence linking Arctic amplification to extreme weather in mid-latitudes. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 39, L06801, doi:10.1029/2012GL051000. | <urn:uuid:fd67b9e4-df1c-4ef3-a86c-add4833e08e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.monbiot.com/2012/10/15/empty-promise/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936413 | 2,090 | 3.15625 | 3 |
That’s when the lot immediately preceding the blue heron – an American egret standing 8 ½ inches tall and boasting the superb original paint – changed hands for $25,875, breaking the previous record of $25,300 (set at a 2004 auction, also held by Decoys Unlimited, Inc.). Where it took eight years for the egret to enter the record books, it took minutes for that record to fall.
The great blue heron, at just over 8 ½ inches tall, was about twice the size of a typical Crowell miniature bird of this species, which no doubt drove up the price. It was mounted on a carved “rock” base with subtle undulations and the piece was signed on the base in Crowell’s hand (“Blue Heron”). The surface of the decoy was flawless, with nicely blended feather detail.
“All the Crowell carvings in this sale were strong, as were miniatures by A.J. King and George Boyd,” said Ted Harmon, owner of Decoys Unlimited, Inc., based in Barnstable, Mass. He added, “The market is much stronger than it was in 2008 and 2009. Things are bouncing back. The back-to-back Crowell miniature record-breakers are indicative of a healthy demand.”
The auction was held in conjunction with Swap & Sell, an annual event held by Decoys Unlimited that brings together dealers, collectors and other decoy enthusiasts from across the country. The auction and Swap & Sell drew a combined crowd of about 400 people, while the auction grossed right around $1.15 million. Internet bidding was facilitated by Artfact.com.
Following are additional highlights from the auction, in which 1,021 lots came up for bid. All prices quoted include a 15 percent buyer’s premium.
While the name Crowell was chanted frequently throughout the sale, one of his decoys was not the top lot. That honor went to an exceedingly rare red knot in breeding plumage, with carved wings and shoulders, by John Dilley (Quoque, N.Y.). The decoy, showing intricately painted feather detail and in untouched, original near-mint condition, hammered for $51,750.
Three other birds topped the $30,000 mark. One was a magnificent pintail drake made circa 1910-1920 by Lloyd B. Sterling (Crisfield, Md.). The decoy, having a broad body style with an elongated, gracefully upswept tail, brought $37,375. Another was a rare crook neck “hissing” goose by George Boyd (1873-1941), New Hampshire’s premier carver. It hit $31,625.
Other George Boyd examples that got paddles wagging included an extremely rare miniature dovekie on a “signature”
The third decoy to crack the $30,000 mark was a rare upright willet by the noted carver and hunting guide, John Thomas Wilson (1863-1940), from Ipswich, Mass. The circa-1900 bird, an example of a rig of four willets found in Minnesota in 2007, soared to $34,500. It measured 15 ¾ inches in a straight line, from bill to tail, and featured wings nicely carved in deep relief.
A pair of works by Gus Wilson of Portland, Me. (1864-1950), made circa 1880-1900, both changed hands after the sale. One was an iconic preening eider hen with an exceptionally sculpted surface and excellent all-original paint ($25,500). The other was a monumental early merganser drake with finely carved raised wing detail and lightly worn original paint ($22,500).
A greater yellowlegs by William “Bill” Bowman of Lawrence, N.Y. (1824-1906) went for $28,750. The decoy had deeply carved wings and shoulders, with a typical Bowman split tail and individually raised wingtips. Also, a tucked head dowitcher by the carving partnership of Dr. Clarence Gardner and Newton Dexter of Little Compton, R.I., found a new owner for $18,400.
A diminutive green-winged teal drake made circa 1900 by George Sibley (d. 1938, also known as Joe French’s “Mr. X” of Chicago, Ill.) coasted to $16,675. A charming, wonderfully proportioned and petite decoy, it may be the finest example by Sibley. Also, a wonderful pair of hooded mergansers by Harold W. Noland (Cache Bay, Ont., CD), made circa 1925, hit $11,500.
Returning to Elmer Crowell, an early and rare sanderling made around 1910, originally carved for Dr. John Cunningham, one of Crowell’s earliest and best customers, with an animated twist to the head and neck, giving the bird a quizzical upward gaze, fetched $18,400; and a rare “wing-up” preening lesser yellowlegs with some professional restoration work garnered $16,100.
Also by Crowell: a spectacular, life-size mockingbird on a chip carved base, rich and beautifully executed with the original paint, one of the artist’s best songbirds, soared to $13,800; and a miniature screech owl in a wonderful pose with large yellow glass eyes, tufts on the forehead, carved wing-out lines and painted feet on a tall “rock” base, topped out at $5,462.
A black duck by Benjamin Warren Pease (1866-1938, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.), with subtle yet extremely effective painted plumage on an example that appears never to have been rigged, topped out at $6,900; and a pair of ruddy ducks by A.J. King (North Scituate, R.I.), in excellent original condition and a magnificent rendering of these little birds sold for $5,750.
Another carving by King was a wonderful miniature snow goose family in the “blue” phase, with one adult standing alone and one resting with five tiny “babies” on a burl wood base ($5,750). Also, a Mason Factory glass eye dove decoy made circa 1905 in excellent condition, with strong factory swirling and sponged and painted feather detailing, commanded $4,600.
Rounding out some of the sale’s top lots: an early bluebill drake (circa 1880-1890), from Long Island and an example of folk art at its best, boasting a deep, stylish body with pronounced breast and elongated paddle tail, coasted to $4,025; and a matched pair of penguins mounted as bookends by Charles H. “Charlie” Hart (1862-1960, Marblehead, Mass) hammered for $3,450.
Decoys Unlimited, Inc.’s next big sale is tentatively slated for sometime in October. Watch the website for details as fall approaches: www.decoysunlimitedinc.net. Decoys Unlimited, Inc., is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single decoy or an entire collection, you may call them at (508) 362-2766; or, you can send them an e-mail them at theodores.harmon@ | <urn:uuid:32734aeb-0bc0-488c-a63f-58d9ccfb45fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prlog.org/11943062-rare-miniature-great-blue-heron-by-elmer-crowell-brings-record-31050-at-decoys-unlimited.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944523 | 1,558 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Dollars and Sense: Mess Up? - Fess Up!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 03:46 AM
So, you haven’t filed a tax return in how many years? What!?? Oh, I see, you’ve moved around a lot, the papers are buried somewhere in all those boxes in the basement or you just plain forgot and now you’re just too embarrassed to ‘fess up. If you do something, they’ll find you and put you in jail.
Or will they?
The Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) has something called a Voluntary Disclosures Program. Per Information Circular 00-1R, paragraph 1, their stated goal is to “…encourage(s) clients to come forward and correct deficiencies to comply with their legal obligations. It is a fairness program that is aimed at providing clients with an opportunity to correct past omissions, thus rendering themselves compliant.”
This program is applicable to taxes, duties and GST. It may be one of the ways the CRA is attempting to flush out the underground economy. Come clean and all is forgiven! However, my practice has shown the users of this program are generally, or want to be, compliant from a tax perspective. Their disclosure generally results from not being aware of our complex tax laws or from something that simply fell through the cracks.
If someone makes a valid claim under this program, they will have to pay the taxes and duties owing, plus any applicable interest. However, the CRA may provide relief from penalties and even prosecution if certain conditions are met. These are as follows:
- The disclosure must be voluntary. If you have already received requests to file from the CRA, you will probably not qualify for the program
- The disclosure must be complete. You must report all inaccurate, incomplete or unreported information.
- There is a penalty associated with the disclosure. This would a penalty incurred under, for example, the Income Tax Act (Canada) or the Excise Tax Act (GST).
- The information to be disclosed must be at least one year old or, if not, then the disclosure is not just an attempt to avoid penalties.
The Province also has some similar legislation in place for PST and other provincial taxes.
Even if you don’t meet one of the conditions above, I strongly urge you to get yourself up to date. It’s well worth the peace of mind, even if it costs you some money for interest and penalties. Engage the services of an accountant who has done this before. If the amounts are large, several years are involved or there is even a hint of criminal activity, a tax lawyer should be engaged to do the disclosure. Again, an accountant will be a good source of information in this regard.
Sheila Nelson is a Chartered Accountant and Partner at Chan Foucher LeFebvre LLP www.cflca.com
You can reach her by e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org
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Return to Home | <urn:uuid:19e7844a-7b70-41e9-bbeb-9d986751f2a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.250news.com/blog/view/5472/1/dollars+and+sense:+mess+up?+-+fess+up! | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951227 | 635 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The Idaho Senate unanimously approved a plan to expand its criminal DNA database and test every felony offender in the state. The new state database wouldn’t be up and running until the middle of 2013, when it could then be accessed by local law enforcement officers as well as counterparts in other states and the federal government.
“It is so essential that we fight crime on a basis that can stand up in court,” said Sen. Denton Darrington, R-Declo, who sponsored the plan. “This bill puts Idaho at least on par with all other states in the nation that collect DNA on all felony convictions.” Every other state in the U.S. has similar policies in place.
During the Senate debate, Darrington held up the cotton swab that could collect a DNA sample from a felon. Testing all felons would more than double the state’s workload for DNA testing, which would be handled by an Idaho State Police forensic lab.
While the expanded use of DNA testing holds promise for solving cases and freeing the innocent, it also comes with an added cost and wouldn’t offer instant results. The legislation approved by the Senate wouldn’t go into effect until next summer, and it would take a year to train two new forensic scientists how to run the program. “It takes a while to train them,” Darrington said.
The expanded DNA testing program would cost $330,000 to start, plus $418,000 in yearly costs.
Darrington also said the public shouldn’t expect results to be as fast as on television police dramas. He said he likes “CSI: Miami” and that it raises awareness of using DNA evidence, but that the time frame on the show is unrealistic. “It can’t work that fast,” he said.
During the debate, Sen. Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello, asked if the state should consider taking DNA samples for all people arrested on felony charges, not just those convicted of a crime. Darrington said that would carry a giganitc fiscal impact that state taxpayers wouldn’t be able to fund in the near future.
The legislation now heads to the Idaho House. | <urn:uuid:03f4d40b-e887-49c3-b67d-dfe67456eedd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.idahoreporter.com/2011/expanded-dna-testing-passes-senate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955556 | 464 | 1.875 | 2 |
§ Mr. FETHERSTONHAUGH
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, having regard to the price of petrol caused by trusts and combinations of the producers, he will consider whether steps should be taken to enable commercial alcohol to be used as fuel for internal-combustion engines and to alter the duty so that this could be done?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGE
The question of the use of alcohol as a fuel for propelling motor vehicles was considered by the Industrial Alcohol Committee, and I would refer the hon. Member to the recommendations of that Committee, as given in their Report dated 23rd March, 1905 (Cd. 2472), paragraphs 28, etc. | <urn:uuid:0c89786e-0266-41eb-ab3a-551bd06d01ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1912/may/21/motor-vehicles-alcohol-as-fuel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962549 | 144 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Fixing Potholes with Non-Newtonian Fluid
potholes? Forget waiting around for 5 road workers to stand around and watch
while one guy fills the pothole with asphalt! Just grab a bit of non-Newtonian
fluid and, there – you fixed it:
The students, undergraduates at Case Western Reserve University
in Cleveland, devised the idea as part of an engineering contest sponsored
by the French materials company Saint-Gobain—and took first prize
last week. The objective was to use simple materials to create a novel
"So we were putzing around with different ideas and things
we wanted to work with—and we were like, what’s a common, everyday
problem all around the world that everybody hates?" explains 21-year-old
team member Curtis Obert. "And we landed on potholes." He
and four other students decided on a non-Newtonian fluid as a solution
because of its unusual physical properties. "When there’s no force
being applied to it, it flows like a liquid does and fills in the holes,"
says Obert, "but when it gets run over, it acts like a solid."
What? Don’t believe us? Check out this video clip of people
walking on water in a pool filled with non-Newtonian liquid. | <urn:uuid:5af6453b-641b-45b8-a8d0-06568ad68016> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldsstrangest.com/neatorama/fixing-potholes-with-non-newtonian-fluid/ | 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 | 0.944394 | 289 | 3.015625 | 3 |
I received an image that shows the kind of washing instructions all clothes should have. The instructions describe how men should handle cloth washing – something what should be applied by game producers as well. It’s pretty amazing what you can learn just by looking what you clothes has to say.
While I admired the practical instructions, I immediately thought about two things.
First of all, I thought that the guy who planned the text should be a game producer.
Secondly. While the advice can be applied in game production, the planner should realize that this kind of text is asking for trouble.
Here’s the picture: (Not sure how old this is or where this originally was shown)
To set the record straight… the “it’s her job part” is just an ego-boosting way of saying “because you moron can’t wash your clothes” (at least that’s what I think when I watch my wife washing the clothes).
Seriously, if we apply this lesson to game production, we get the following:
- Don’t try to do everything by yourself if you don’t know how.
- Get people smarter than you to help you out.
- If you delegate tasks that you are too stupid to complete and argument by saying “it’s your job”, you will get slapped in your face. | <urn:uuid:f2cd8506-b92f-4297-b887-98ed2ac510f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gameproducer.net/2008/01/31/what-the-cloth-washing-instructions-can-teach-about-game-production/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956519 | 290 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Distributed April 30, 2003
News Service Contact: Kristen Cole
Senators’ approval ratings influenced largely by factors beyond control
Senators’ own attempts to influence approval ratings have less effect than factors beyond their control, according to a new study. Researchers examined eight factors related to senatorial approval ratings over a 17-year period, from 1981 to 1997. Their findings are published in the May Legislative Studies Quarterly.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Although elected officials may attempt to influence public approval ratings as they look toward reelection, their own tactical maneuvers do not have as much effect as factors beyond their control, according to a new study by political scientists at three universities.
Contextual factors such as their state’s economic performance and size, their own number of years in the Senate, presidential popularity and the popularity of the other senator from the state have a greater impact on their approval ratings than tactical maneuvers such as bill sponsorship and media activity, according to findings reported in the May Legislative Studies Quarterly.
“Senators clearly want to maximize the likelihood that they are reelected, so they seek to build favorable impressions with constituents,” wrote authors Wendy Schiller of Brown University, Brian F. Schaffner of Western Michigan University and Patrick J. Sellers of Davidson College. “Senators’ efforts pay off to some extent, but the contextual factors beyond their control tend to exert more influence.”
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, researchers examined 552 senatorial approval ratings from 1981 to 1997, taken from the U.S. Official Job Approval Ratings Web site, which captures surveys by commercial, media and university organizations. The analysis included information on nearly 60 percent of all individuals serving in the U.S. Senate during the 16-year period. The following eight tactical and contextual influences on approval ratings were examined; previous studies focused on fewer factors.
Tactics within the control of legislators:
Contextual factors beyond legislators’ control:
Of the three tactics for boosting home-state support, press activity exerted the strongest influence, said the authors. Media coverage in national and local outlets can distribute information to more constituents than sending newsletters or meeting them individually. Other significant influences on home-state approval lay less directly within a senator’s control.
Among the most notable links was that between state population and approval ratings. Larger states tend to be more heterogeneous and thus more difficult to represent. Additionally, the state’s economy had a bearing on approval ratings. Senators from states with weak or no growth may receive blame for the unfavorable economic trends, the authors said.
Seniority in the Senate also proved a factor. With more years of service, legislators have more opportunities to help constituents and build favorable name recognition. As legislators work to build name recognition and serve their states, the accumulation of such efforts over time translates to higher approval ratings.
A state electorate’s evaluation of the nation’s president appeared linked to the senators’ ratings, particularly if the president was from the same party. In contrast, approval ratings of senators not in the president’s party are not influenced as heavily by the president’s approval rating.
The findings also suggest a relationship between a senator’s approval rating and the other senator in the delegation. Two senators representing a state often develop different policy portfolios, each in hopes of creating a distinct reputation in the eyes of constituents – one may be more favorable to voters.
Unanswered questions remain, including the post-election effects of a tough reelection race, said the authors. Schiller is an associate professor of political science and public policy at Brown University; Schaffner, assistant professor of political science at Western Michigan University; and Sellers, associate professor of political science at Davidson College. | <urn:uuid:6f3c7252-cd43-479f-b745-0cc0cef18ba3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2002-03/02-121.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951547 | 775 | 1.796875 | 2 |
A few weeks ago, it was announced that the Department of Health and Ageing and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee would be undertaking a review of products used in the management of diabetes. The review will address several different issues and the first stage will focus on the use of blood glucose monitoring and (the clinical outcomes) for people with type 2 diabetes not using insulin.
I don’t tick any of those boxes. I have type 1 diabetes and there is insulin infusing itself into my body 24 hours a day.
So why should I care? Because actually, it is about me. And it’s about you too if you live with any type of diabetes, or care about people living with a chronic health condition having choice about their care.
While I don’t have type 2 diabetes or have any idea about living with the condition, I do know that if I did I would want access to the best management available. And I would want to have some choice in that management.
I would want to be able to check my BGL and I would want to be able to do this as frequently (or infrequently) as I choose. I would not want to be told that I don’t get to have access to all available management tools because of the way my diabetes is treated.
The message this sends is that people with type 2 diabetes not using insulin are not living with a serious health condition when we know that is not true. It’s like being told that because I use an insulin pump I have type 1 diabetes ‘really bad’. No, I use an insulin pump because I made (and continue to make each and every day) a choice to manage my diabetes using the latest technology available to me in a manner that suits me.
Diabetes Australia–Vic Director of Membership, Michael Goldman, says the role of diabetes organisations in reviews such as this is to consider the opinions and needs of all people affected by diabetes.
“Whilst DA–Vic will be making a formal submission which identifies a strong evidence base for supporting blood glucose monitoring, we know that our case is strengthened by the consumer voice. Our role is to support people with diabetes and ensure that they have access to the best, most up-to-date management tools, and choice so they can individualise their care.”
I am the loudest of loud when it comes to demanding that the words ‘type 1’ or ‘type 2’ are squeezed in beforehand the word ‘diabetes’. I am all about making sure that all types of diabetes are represented accurately. But the thing is that sometimes we all need to band as one under the umbrella term ‘diabetes’. And sometimes we need to advocate for people living with a brand of diabetes that is not our own.
Also, it’s worth remembering that a later review will focus on insulin pump consumables. I know that I would hope that people not using this therapy still take part in the review process and write a submission. More people equals a louder voice.
So, here is what you can do. Write a submission about these proposed changes. Whilst the outcome may not impact you directly, this is for all people living with diabetes. As soon we allow decisions to be made about what types of treatment we can and can’t have access to is when we start to be limited in the way we manage our own condition. And limiting choices benefits no one.
What you can do?
Read about the review and the submission process here: http://www.pbs.gov.au/info/reviews/diabetes
Your submission must be accompanied by a cover sheet which can be downloaded from here: http://www.pbs.gov.au/reviews/diabetes-files/diabetes-review-cover-sheet-for-submissions.pdf
Return your submission (and cover sheet) either by email:
Department of Health and Ageing
GPO Box 9848
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Submissions must be received by Thursday 15 November 2012.
Renza Scibilia is the Manager of Type 1 Diabetes and Community Programs at DA–Vic. She has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1998. The opinions and thoughts expressed in her occasional blogs are her own. | <urn:uuid:72a9b93a-d975-4b45-9b99-e1f40d525f09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diabetesaustraliavic.wordpress.com/2012/11/05/you-think-this-isnt-about-you/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957561 | 891 | 1.59375 | 2 |
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DTE adds electric vans to fleet
Mon August 15, 2011
Detroit Edison adds electric vans to its fleet
Detroit Edison is taking the next step toward an electric car future. The electricity provider will power some of its own fleet using electricity.
Some of Detroit Edison's service calls will now be made by technicians driving Ford Transit Connect electric vans.
The van's range is about 80 miles - that's enough for an average day's worth of calls, says Detroit Edison President Steven Kurmas.
Kurmas says more of the vans may be added to the fleet later.
"The technology is developing very quickly and there are new models coming out almost every month it seems. And we want to make sure we identify the perfect vehicle for the perfect application, so we’re taking an approach of a slow but steady growth."
Even though the electric Transit is more expensive to purchase than the Transit that runs on gasoline, Kurmas says, "over the life of that vehicle --given the fact that we purchase gasoline -- and its maintenance costs are substantially reduced, we believe this is a more economical choice for us."
DTE and its mid-Michigan counterpart Consumers Energy also have Chevy Volts in their car fleets.
Utilities say buying and using electric vehicles will help them learn what they need to do to ease the nation's transition to electrified transportation. | <urn:uuid:e826ae1f-f2db-45e5-a665-cb51ac5d8ecf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://michiganradio.org/post/detroit-edison-adds-electric-vans-its-fleet | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946012 | 357 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Students at Santa Clara University who are hard at work building a solar house have issued a David Letterman-style video invitation to California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to pay the house a visit. Their Refract House — one of 20 solar houses entered in this October's Solar Decathlon on the Mall in Washington — is a joint effort by Santa Clara students and students at the California College of the Arts.
The decathlon, held every two years, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The 2007 competition was won by a team from the Technical University of Darmstadt, in Germany, with the University of Maryland's house taking second place and Santa Clara's coming in third. You can read about the challenges of the competition here. | <urn:uuid:dd2f9571-b344-48f0-8644-5dab71720cfc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chronicle.com/blogs/buildings/santa-clara-u-students-list-10-reasons-schwarzenegger-should-tour-solar-house/7432 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964998 | 152 | 1.84375 | 2 |
English philosopher, who founded the school of empiricism.
Locke was born in the village of Wrington, Somerset, on August 29, 1632. He was educated at the University of Oxford and lectured on Greek, rhetoric, and moral philosophy at Oxford from 1661 to 1664. In 1667 Locke began his association with the English statesman Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st earl of Shaftesbury, to whom Locke was friend, adviser, and physician. Shaftesbury secured for Locke a series of minor government appointments. In 1669, in one of his official capacities, In 1675, after the liberal Shaftesbury lost is power, Locke went to France. In 1679 he returned to England, but in view of his opposition to the Roman Catholicism favored by the English monarchy at that time, he soon found it expedient to return to France. From 1683 to 1688 he lived in Holland, and following the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the restoration of Protestantism to favor, Locke returned once more to England. The new king, William III, appointed Locke to the Board of Trade in 1696, a position from which he resigned because of ill health in 1700. He died in Oates on October 28, 1704.
Locke's empiricism emphasizes the importance of the experience of the senses in pursuit of knowledge rather than speculation or reasoning. The empiricist doctrine was first developed by the English philosopher sir Francis Bacon early in the 17th century, but Locke organized his ideas in an article in 1690 called Essay Concerning Human Understanding. He regarded the mind of a person at birth as a tabula rasa, a blank slate upon which experience brings knowledge, and did not believe in intuition or theories of instinct. Locke also held that all persons are born good, independent, and equal.
In his work Two Treatises of Government, written in 1690, John Locke attacked the theory of divine right of kings and the nature of the state. He also believed in religious freedom and... [continues]
Cite This Essay
(2001, 06). John Locke. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 06, 2001, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/John-Locke-33036.html
"John Locke" StudyMode.com. 06 2001. 06 2001 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/John-Locke-33036.html>.
"John Locke." StudyMode.com. 06, 2001. Accessed 06, 2001. http://www.studymode.com/essays/John-Locke-33036.html. | <urn:uuid:77ac2601-9f97-4b9f-b581-4935779a48eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.studymode.com/essays/John-Locke-33036.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946861 | 551 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Gingerbread Houses Sold at Whole Foods Markets Recalled Due to Bacterial Contamination
DENVER-State health officials are warning consumers who purchased assembled gingerbread houses from Whole Foods Market between Nov. 1 and Dec. 23 that the product has been recalled by the manufacturer due to bacterial contamination. The gingerbread houses have been linked to several food poisoning outbreaks across the nation caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
The gingerbread houses were sold fully assembled as kits at Colorado Whole Foods Market bakery departments and are packaged in clear plastic wrap with a “Whole Foods Market” label. Some labels also may list the manufacturer’s name, “Rolf’s Patisserie,” as part of the description. The gingerbread houses are trimmed with white icing and ready for decoration.
Consumers who have any of the gingerbread houses should not eat them but return them to the place of purchase for a refund. The houses also may be disposed of in a closed plastic bag and placed in a sealed trash can to prevent people or animals, including wild animals, from eating the product.
The gingerbread houses have been connected to several outbreaks of S. aureus food poisoning in 23 other states. To date, no illnesses have been reported in Colorado. Whole Foods Market has posted signs in its stores notifying customers of the recall.
Any food item contaminated with S. aureus, a bacterium responsible for producing toxins in foods, can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. The illness usually lasts one to two days, although severe cases may last as long as three days. However, certain individuals, such as the elderly or very young, may require medical treatment for dehydration. Individuals who may have consumed the gingerbread houses and are experiencing any of the above symptoms should contact their health care provider. Consumers with questions may contact Whole Foods Market at 512-542-0878 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Standard Time.Print This Post | <urn:uuid:62554bea-cc1e-45fb-85a9-90a3a2a828cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.berthoudrecorder.com/2010/12/28/health-department-forecloses-on-gingerbread-houses/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964897 | 420 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Read this piece from Brent Bozell on the AIDS myth and the press' continual misrepresentation of the Reagan record.
A Los Angeles Times story suggested "many gay men like playwright Jon Bastian still feel Reagan 'did nothing, basically' about the AIDS epidemic that exploded during his eight years as president." Reporters like CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta also lied: "The first time President Reagan would utter the word AIDS in public would be well into his second term, six years after the virus was discovered."
Some AIDS activists in the 1980s never had anything but vicious blame for Reagan. Some still do. The Advocate magazine is touting its forthcoming essay by extremist playwright Larry Kramer titled "Adolf Reagan." It begins: "Our murderer is dead. The man who murdered more gay people than anyone in the entire history of the world, is dead. More people than Hitler even."
The real Reagan record on AIDS is different. AIDS funding skyrocketed in the 1980s, almost doubling each year from 1983 -- when the media started blaring headlines -- from $44 million to $103 million, $205 million, $508 million, $922 million, and then $1.6 billion in 1988. Reagan's secretary of Health and Human Services in 1983, Margaret Heckler, declared AIDS her department's "number one priority." While the House of Representatives was Democrat-dominated throughout the 1980s, which Democrats would quickly explain was the source of that skyrocketing AIDS funding, Reagan clearly signed the spending bills that funded the war on AIDS.
While he's at it, Bozell also destroys the fiction from Jesse Jackson that Reagan's 1980 speech in Mississippi was racist:
on the day after the supposedly racist-encouraging Mississippi speech, Reagan traveled to New York for a speech to the Urban League, where the Washington Post reported on August 5, 1980, that Reagan declared, "I am committed to the protection of the civil rights of black Americans. That commitment is interwoven into every phase of the programs I will propose." Adviser Martin Anderson explained Reagan would uphold ongoing "affirmative action" programs. Do those sound like code words for Southern racists? That might explain why the story didn't become much of a left-wing legend back in the 1980s. | <urn:uuid:89ccf085-e3ea-4adb-b9b7-fb4e63fd4269> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thekeymonk.blogspot.com/2004/06/reagan-and-aids-destroying-myth.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964417 | 464 | 1.984375 | 2 |
The music industry is abuzz with talk over the recent nominations for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. An iconic list of first-time nominees includes KISS, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, LL Cool J, Jimmy Cliff, and Genesis. Among those previously nominated who have yet to become indoctrinated are ABBA, Donna Summer, the Stooges, and the Chantels. Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a prestigious, lifetime achievement for any musician.
Over 500 ballots were sent out to industry professionals and previous honorees to take part in the vote. The stipulation for eligibility is 25 years from the first record release of an artist or group. Nominees chosen for induction will be announced in December and the ceremony will take place at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan on March 15, 2010.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated first-time nominee, KISS, is also one of the most controversial when it comes to the Hall of Fame. They have been eligible since 1999 and have been bypassed by the nominating committee until now. Even though they feel it honor to be nominated this year, their previous dismissals from the ballot have been the subject of harsh words from the group and their fans regarding the nomination committee. Their presence in the rock-world has had a substantial effect to the point where members of their fan-base, commonly known as the “KISS Army,” staged a protest outside of the Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland when they were snubbed from the 2006 ballot.
If inducted, KISS also has to deal with the topic of which of the many members of the group should be included. Apart from the four original members (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss), KISS has seen a number of members come and go throughout the band’s lifetime. Co-founder, Paul Stanley, commented that, “We have been doing this a lot longer than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has existed.” | <urn:uuid:47281065-89f4-459e-bc0d-ac2cd639f782> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newyearsevecentral.com/frequency/3459/KISS-Chilli-Peppers-and-Genesis-Among-Hall-of-Fame-Nominees/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975455 | 419 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Pythons are thought to be slithering around southern Florida like crazy but so far a contest to catch them has produced a paltry 21 of the invasive snakes.
The first week of the state's 2013 Python Challenge ended Friday with fewer than two dozen Burmese pythons received by the University of Florida even though 777 people signed up.
Wildlife experts say Burmese pythons are a threat to the Everglades ecosystem and are looking to whittle down their population, thought to number in the thousands on state lands alone.
Burmese pythons, native to Asia, are constrictors that can grow to 26 feet long and are known to be voracious predators of mammals, birds and reptiles. That diet makes it hard on the state's native predators such as foxes and bobcats.
The non-venomous Burmese pythons have been reported in extreme south Florida since the 1980s, and now are established mainly within the bounds of Everglades National Park.
The python-catching event runs through Feb. 10. The person who kills the most Burmese pythons by that date will receive a check for $1,500.
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The early stages of Degenerative Myelopathy start with an almost imperceptible weakness in the hindquarters. DM is an insidious disease and it is all too easy to overlook, in it's earlier stages, unless you are specifically looking . Even then, DM is elusive and hard to detect.
(I always check the rear nails on a dog once a month for uneven wear, especially on the innermost nails of the rear feet, as this is an early tip-off to DM.)
In early and up to the mid-mid stage DM, occasionally you will hear the sound of the dogs nails scraping on the pavement during a walk. This scraping will not be constant; rather, will present periodically. The dog will begin to show some difficulty getting up. If the dog is standing, it may have difficulty balancing, but it can recover on its own. If you turn the dogs toes under in this stage, the dog may still be able to right its foot, although response time could be lengthened.
As the disease further progresses to late mid-stage, difficulty getting up increases. The nails begin to scrape more often on the pavement, until it becomes constant. As the disease progresses, the rear legs will cross under the dogs body as the dog, losing sensation in its hindquarters, will not know where it has actually placed its feet. Faulty perception of foot placement leads to tripping and stumbling.
When the dog is in a standing position, if you move the dog from side to side, using your hands, the dog will lose its balance and topple over. Often, you will notice exaggerated movements, such a high stepping when going up a curb. This is due to prioceptive functions being affected by DM.
The tail will rarely become active and wag. If the tail is longer, the dogs legs will easily become tangled in it. If the dogs foot is placed on the ground, toes down, the dog will not right its foot, or they may be a delayed response time. The reason for this delay is due to the fact that the dog cannot feel its foot; hence, the dog knuckles. A dog with feeling in its hind paws will have a quick/quicker response in placing its foot in the proper position. A dog with little or no feeling will have a slow or non-existent reflex action placing its foot in the proper, pad-down position.
As DM becomes more advanced, in early late-stage DM, uncontrolled jerkiness of the rear legs and tail signals that the nerve impulses are going haywire and short- circuiting. Kicking out with the rear legs, without reason, will be observed, along with the tail seeming to raise and lower, as if the dog is preparing to defecate.
Sometimes, if you pinch the pad of one foot, the other foot will respond. This is called Cross Extensor Response. Maintaining balance during defecation becomes almost impossible. When the dog squats, it will lose its balance and fall.
As the disease process reaches late stage, the dog will not be able to bear any weight, on its own, in the hindquarters. The affected dog will not be able to get up or, once lifted, will not be able to remain in a standing position, without some form of support for its hindquarters. | <urn:uuid:6d4c312b-5d68-4092-847a-bf40c7627abb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/caninehealthdogs/a/VVP_degenmyel2.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962733 | 680 | 2.328125 | 2 |
My mom smoked herself to death.
She was unrepentant to the end, when the cancer slithered from her lungs and nestled in her brain. She'd refused to quit after a bout of bladder cancer, despite warnings from her doctor and equal parts pleading and nagging from the family.
My sisters and I called her the "World's Greatest Smoker" and joked darkly about giving her a T-shirt that said so. We never did, worried she'd wear it to prove a point.
For her, it was simple: She enjoyed smoking and nothing would make her stop.
Well, almost nothing.
I subject you to this bit of personal history by way of saying I'm aggressively anti-smoking. It made my parents sick – my father was hooked for years, too – cost them thousands and made everything in the house stink. I had no idea how much until I went to college and came home for a visit.
I don't want it in my house, my office, my restaurant or my parks. Given all we know about its health effects, I'm stunned anyone still does it.
And yet, try as I might, I can't get comfortable with Orlando Health's plan to forbid smokers from its workforce. Recently, the hospital system announced that come April, it would screen job applicants for nicotine use. If you test positive, you can't work there.
"Our goal is not to exclude anyone who is qualified and interested in pursuing a career with Orlando Health," a hospital exec said. It's "to promote and encourage the cessation of all tobacco use."
With its decision, the company is falling in line with hospitals in Tavares, Orange City and Palm Coast. Nationally, there's a growing "smoker-free" workplace movement – and I understand why.
Smokers cost more to insure, take more sick time and, some argue, more breaks. Officials estimate that smoking costs the U.S. more than $193 billion every year and contributes to one of every five deaths.
But that said, do we really want companies telling people they won't be considered for a job for engaging in a legal behavior? The "slippery-slope" argument gets trotted out too easily, but, in this case, it fits uncomfortably well.
If companies want to exclude tobacco users, will they also begin screening for body-mass index, risky cholesterol levels or heavy drinking? Forced to choose, I'd rather have a nurse who smelled like Virginia Slims than one who was a functioning alcoholic.
Start weeding out smokers from your prospective workforce, and you're likely to miss some talented people. Under the plan outlined by Orlando Health – which would not affect current employees – the company wouldn't hire Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer or Walt Disney. All three used tobacco.
Those guys would probably do just fine, but what about the laid-off warehouse worker who applies for a job in the hospital's laundry?
Smoking is strongly associated with income and education and is most prevalent among adults in working-class jobs – or no job at all — with less than a college degree. In 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found only about 18 percent of adults at or above the poverty line smoked compared with almost 30 percent of those below the poverty line.
So any hiring policy excluding smokers would hurt the very people most in need of work and income. In an economy still plagued by a lack of good jobs, that strikes me as counterproductive – and kind of cold.
Others have made similar arguments, including Michael Siegel, a professor of public health at the Boston University School of Public Health, and Frank Leone, the director of the University of Pennsylvania's smoking-cessation programs. Siegel, a former CDC researcher, said no-smoker polices are "simply unethical" and discriminatory. Leone worries the rules will push people to smoke secretly, making them less likely to seek help with quitting.
Which, to me, is where the discussion ought to be focused.
Charge smokers more for their health insurance, sure. Offer incentives to those who join – and complete – smoking-cessation plans. But don't simply declare an entire group of people unemployable because they do something that you don't like (and that I can't stand).
Otherwise, your claim about not excluding anyone from the Orlando Health staff carries no real weight. It crumbles as quickly as the ash from my mother's Pall Malls.
firstname.lastname@example.org or 407-420-5379. | <urn:uuid:34ecdf2d-7ed7-4ab3-99ac-1148000a877f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-cfb-jim-stratton-column-031113-20130310,0,5592269.column?track=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972533 | 940 | 1.609375 | 2 |
- In Cogitations
- Post 11 February 2006
- Last Updated on 04 February 2013
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By David Edwards
Pain Is Pain
In his remarkable eighth century treatise, The Way of the Bodhisattva, originally delivered as a lecture (some of it, we are told, after he had vanished from the hall!) Shantideva permits himself only one form of anger in response to the awesome suffering of our world - anger at his own selfishness, at his own self-serving bias.
How dare he, he asks, put his own selfish needs ahead of the needs of others? What right has he to consider his happiness more important than the happiness of any other individual? Moreover, by what calculation does he presume that his personal suffering is of greater consequence than the suffering of all other people and animals - beings numbered, literally, in their billions?
Because, clearly, no one person’s welfare is more important than any other’s, it is quite wrong for us to lead our lives on the basis that our own needs should take priority. And so Shantideva declares with an all-embracing humanity almost unimaginable in this self-obsessed world:
“Mine and other’s pain - how are they different?
Simply, then, since pain is pain, I will dispel it.
What grounds have you for all your strong distinctions?
”Thus the suffering of everyone
Should be dispelled, and here there’s no debate.
To free myself from pain means freeing all;
Contrariwise, I suffer with the pain of beings.” (Shantideva, The Way Of The Bodhisattva, Shambhala, 1997, p.124)
The practical implications are clear:
“Just as I defend myself from all unpleasant happenings, however small,
Likewise I shall act for others’ sake
To guard and shield them with compassion.” (p.125)
And the cause of suffering is equally clear:
“All the harm with which this world is rife,
All fear and suffering that there is,
Clinging to the ‘I’ has caused it!
What am I to do with this great demon?” (p.129)
These are the words of someone who is not only +not+ determined to cling to the prejudiced priorities of self - of the “I” - as most of us are, he is determined to reject such prejudice as a “great demon”. This is someone who is willing to side with others in compassion and love, not just against the injustice of others, but against the injustice of his own tendency to favour himself! If there is a choice between self-interest and the interests of others - he will take their side, not his own.
As a child, I always surreptitiously took the largest piece of cake on offer (I was foiled by my older sister's suggestion that I divide the cake and then allow her to choose!). Shantideva vows to take the smaller piece. If he finds a £20 note on the ground, Shantideva leaves it for someone else to find. If he is offered power, prestige and profit at the expense of others, Shantideva sides with the victims against his own advantage.
If this sounds neurotic, destructively self-mortifying, psychologist Erich Fromm argued exactly the opposite is the case:
“Whatever complaints the neurotic patient may have, whatever symptoms he may present, are rooted in his inability to love; if we mean by love a capacity for the experience of concern, responsibility, respect, and understanding of another person and the intense desire for that person’s growth.” (Fromm, Psychoanalysis and Religion, Yale University Press, 1978, p.87)
Or as Shantideva says (and Fromm agreed):
“Living beings! Wayfarers upon life’s paths,
Who wish to taste the riches of contentment,
Here before you is the supreme bliss -
Here, O ceaseless wanderers, is your fulfilment!” (p.53)
Here it is! says Shantideva, here is the great irony of human happiness - it is this simple and this difficult: true self-interest lies in concern for others, not in self-concern. Who would have thought it?!
The “Externalities” Of Greed
This insurrection against self-obsession is, as Shantideva says, a “flash of lightning” to illuminate the darkness of the ordinary way of things. It indicates the stunning human capacity to reverse the apparent order of nature “red in tooth and claw”. It is a glimpse of what it might mean to wake up from the “nightmare of history”.
It is not that Shantideva has been overwhelmed by sentimental naivety. He recognises that he, too, is a victim of his “great demon” of selfishness. What is it that powers the suffering in our hearts - the incendiary anger, hostility, resentment, vengefulness, jealousy, hatred; the fathomless avarice, dissatisfaction, boredom, despair; the bloated arrogance and pride - if not the fierce focus on what we want, what we need, what we must have? And what has the power to gently disperse this suffering, if not compassion, kindness, generosity, love, patience, tolerance and justice - that is, concern for others?
Self-obsession is not only unreasonable; it brings disaster to ourselves, to our society, to our entire planet. What motive force drives the storms of climate change, if not the “great demon” of unrestrained, all-consuming selfishness? Who can not find the source of infinite misery in the insatiable, psychopathic greed of corporate profit-seeking? In his book, The Corporation, Canadian law professor Joel Bakan explains the bottom-line for corporate executives:
"The law forbids any other motivation for their actions, whether to assist workers, improve the environment, or help consumers save money. They can do these things with their own money, as private citizens. As corporate officials, however, stewards of other people's money, they have no legal authority to pursue such goals as ends in themselves - only as means to serve the corporation’s own interests, which generally means to maximise the wealth of its shareholders.
“Corporate social responsibility is thus illegal - at least when it is genuine." (Bakan, The Corporation, Constable, 2004, p.37)
This astonishing ban on compassion has been established in legal judgements over hundreds of years. In a key 19th century court case, Lord Bowen declared: “charity has no business to sit at boards of directors +qua+ charity. There is, however, a kind of charitable dealing which is for the interest of those who practise it, and to that extent and in that garb (I admit not a very philanthropic garb) charity may sit at the board, but for no other purpose”. (Ibid, pp.38-39)
The inevitable consequence, Bakan writes, is what are known as “externalities“: “the routine and regular harms caused to others - workers, consumers, communities, the environment - by corporations‘ psychopathic tendencies”. (Ibid, p.60)
The same tendencies sacrificed the people of East Timor to Western business relations with Indonesia. They sacrificed millions of Vietnamese lives to the three magic words - tin, rubber and oil. They motivated the lies that took young British and American men to die, and to kill and injure civilians in their hundreds of thousands, in oil-rich Iraq.
Isn’t it obvious that centuries of self-interest have generated a runaway greed effect, so that avarice entrenched in the form of state-corporate power is now almost (but in fact not) beyond human control - manipulating us to smile and shrug away its madness even as it destroys us?
We all know from personal experience how greed gives little thought to costs and consequences. In his book, Emotions Revealed, psychologist Paul Ekman defines a “refractory period” in our minds as a state in which “our thinking cannot incorporate information that does not fit, maintain, or justify the emotion we are feeling”. (Quoted, Alan Wallace, Genuine Happiness, John Wiley & Sons, 2005, p.86)
Refractory periods occur when we desire and hate intensely - then our loved one is without fault, our enemy is without the tiniest redeeming feature. They occur when professionals cling to the rewards and status of their jobs. Upton Sinclair explained:
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." (http://classiclit.about.com)
But what, then, do we expect of unlimited greed entrenched in self-perpetuating political and economic systems over centuries?
Did Shantideva exaggerate when he talked of “this great demon”?
An Unmistakeable Odour
Shantideva argues that we should change places with others:
“I indeed am happy, others sad;
I am high and mighty, others low;
I am helped while others are abandoned;
Why am I not jealous of myself?” (p.133)
Why are we not cast down by the prospect of a single individual - ourselves - savouring abundant joys while so many are in complete despair, perhaps precisely because of our success?
Consider the example of the professional media. Mainstream journalists consistently side with their “great demon”. Why else do they focus endlessly, emotively, on the tragedy of 100 British military deaths in Iraq, while mentioning 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths as a cold, footnoted statistic (if that)? What is it that renders the thought of mentioning Iraqi +military+ deaths all but unthinkable, unworthy of even a single sentence? Why is the version of events presented by the powerful - people with the power and influence to help or hinder journalistic careers - always the benchmark for ‘neutral’ reporting? Is it not Shantideva’s “great demon” - self-interest - that has us conform to these carrots and sticks?
Journalists participate as cogs in a military-media killing machine that consumes hundreds of thousands of lives. The bland soundbites echoing what our leaders ‘hope’, what our leaders ‘sincerely’ believe, what our leaders are ‘genuinely’ trying to achieve, are quite as vital for the killing as the bullets and bombs. Most of the tankers, troopers and air force pilots don’t actually have blood on their hands, either.
The novelist Norman Mailer once remarked:
"There is an odour to any Press Headquarters that is unmistakeable... the unavoidable smell of flesh burning quietly and slowly in the service of a machine." (Norman Mailer, The Time of Our Time, Little Brown, 1998, p.457)
The “flesh”, in fact, is our conscience - it burns slowly, malodorously, when journalists accept machine-pay at others’ expense.
There are ironies here. With our consciences charred, in thrall to self-interest, we all but guarantee a suffering future for the children we adore as part of ‘me’ and ’mine’. All around us loving parents do nothing whatever to safeguard the future of their children and the planet on which they will depend. And yet these are the same children they would give their very lives to protect from immediate harm. Of course we have to buy big, consume hard, fly cheap and work regardless of the consequences - anything else is literally inconceivable, isn’t it? The “great demon” of self-obsession has blinded us to our unthinking, conformist folly. Thoreau wrote:
"Most of the luxuries, and many of the so called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.” (Thoreau, Walden, Penguin, 1986, p.56)
One would think the political and economic conventions of modern man were more immutable, less amenable to challenge, even than the laws of a God. Self-interest has persuaded us that change is impossible, that alternatives are impossible. Why? Because maximised short-term self-interest +does+ indeed lie in cooperation with the powerhouses of state-corporate greed. If self-interest is everything, then there really is no other way - there is only one path to take.
But that is an illusion. The required revolution lies in challenging the greatest prejudice of all - the prejudice of self. What are the costs of selfishness? What are the deepest causes of suffering in ourselves and in the world? What are the benefits of shifting focus from our own needs to the needs of others? What happens when we make experimental changes in this direction? Is everything as clear-cut as it seems - or are we victims of the ultimate propagandist?
Across a gap of more than one thousand years, Shantideva calls on us to throw off obsessive self-concern and instead wage war on the causes of suffering. And he makes a promise:
“You’ll see the benefits that come from it.” | <urn:uuid:f3c4b8fc-fd10-4d60-a483-eb3a5e034dc2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62:the-ultimate-propagandist&catid=4:cogitations&Itemid=36 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952089 | 2,829 | 2.390625 | 2 |
I grew up on musicals. My sibs and I used to sing selections from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in the car when we were on trips. When we get together, we still sing the same songs. All of them have children, at least three of whom have had parts in high school productions of musicals. So those of us approaching codgerdom have learned plenty of new songs.
In the years since learning all of those great musicals by Rogers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe, Irving Berlin, and others, I have read so much about the death of the American musical that I frankly stopped paying attention. Then I heard excerpts of some current shows on the radio. I would enjoy learning and singing some of those tunes.
This year there are 47 musicals running on Broadway. Here are a few of the most popular:
The Lion King
The three most popular musicals, as listed by Broadway.com, are adapted from movies. Back in my day (I groan to say), movie musicals were based on successful Broadway plays. The first musical play adapted from a move that I ever saw that was Singing in the Rain.
I went with more than a little skepticism, thinking it would never work. It did. Brilliantly. If someone can stage the scene where Gene Kelly sings the title song, anything is possible.
The Lion King is based not only on a movie, but an animation at that. Human actors must therefore portray already familiar lions and other animals. Traveling to New York so I can actually see these musicals is way out of my research budget, but this play won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It has recently passed Phantom of the Opera as the highest grossing show on Broadway and is now its sixth-longest running show.
Elton John provided the music to lyrics by Tim Rice. Their “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” won an Oscar. Some scenes may be disturbing to young children. Parent will be able to predict their childrens’ reaction based on how they responded to the movie. With that caveat, The Lion King is family friendly.
Wicked, number four on Broadway.com’s list by popularity (as viewed May 12, 2012), is the most popular running musical not based on a movie. Even at that, it functions as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.
Before Dorothy’s house fell on her, the Wicked Witch of the West was a powerful figure in Oz. Wicked gives her the name Elphaba. The story revolves around her life and includes her friendship with Glinda, whom it does not exactly portray as good.
Many people nowadays might not realize that The Wizard of Oz was the first of a whole series of books by L. Frank Baum about Oz and Dorothy. How Elphaba, the passionate crusader against injustice, became known as wicked and the spoiled rich girl Glinda became known as good is not found in Baum’s works.
The whole series, however does provide plenty of hints about a much darker side of Oz than appears in the movie. In particular, the Wizard of Oz is a self-confessed humbug whose actions were not all meritorious. The all-powerful but somewhat bumbling Wizard of the movie appears as a much more troubled man.
There is a vogue nowadays for retelling old fairy tales, etc. and turning them on their ear. Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods is one well known musical example of challenging the standard take on goodness and wickedness. Wicked represents the same tradition.
Steven Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics. He also did the same for previous hits Godspell and Pippin. Wicked is every bit as family friendly as The Wizard of Oz. For example, children scared of the flying monkeys in the movie won’t like them any better on stage. By third grade, I suppose, no one will find any of it scary.
The Book of Mormon
I generally steer clear of topical satires. I find modern ones too eager to offend and seldom either thoughtful or funny. The only reason I even considered describing The Book of Mormon in this list is that I heard an interview with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone on the radio.
Predictably, neither are Mormon. I gather neither are Christian, either, but instead of using Mormons as the hapless butt of some kind of anti-religious diatribe, they made a great effort to understand Mormon culture and deal with it sympathetically. They said that not only were most Mormons not offended by the play, but that they hear laughter from the audience at inside jokes that non-Mormons would never get.
The music played as part of that interview does not resemble rock or any other current pop style. While no one would mistake it for the musicals of fifty years ago, it has all of the tunefulness and compositional sophistication of the best of the Broadway tradition. I found it very refreshing.
The story involves two young missionaries as they go through their training, become cocky about how well they’ll succeed, and then find themselves in the middle of Uganda’s AIDS epidemic and squalor. One of the young men has a great talent for getting in trouble. All of that allows the musical to spoof not only religion, but issues of race, poverty, and the developing sexual attitudes of young men raised in strict households.
Parker and Stone also created South Park. They added Robert Lopez of Avenue Q to their creative team for The Book of Mormon. The show’s language is often crude. I suppose if it were a movie it would have a PG-13 rating. I doubt if I’d go see it, but it did win nine Tony Awards.
My family sang songs from this old favorite movie in the car. They have since been supplanted in the family repertoire by newer stuff, but I still love them and sing them at home.
I wonder how the umbrella scene, the tea party on the ceiling, or popping in and out of chalk pavement pictures could possibly work on stage. But then if a midwestern repertory company can stage a downpour while someone with an umbrella does a song and dance, I’m sure those scenes are wonderful.
One common fault of all of the plays I saw at that theater was that, if I knew the movie, the production stayed too close to it. Didn’t movie adaptations of Broadway musicals always include new songs?
Anyway, the Broadway Mary Poppins will make it as difficult as possible for any other theater merely to imitate the movie. In addition to songs from the film by Richard and Robert Sherman, it has new ones by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Hmm. Maybe they punted on some of the more spectacular movie special effects and cut the scenes.
This definitely G rated show has been running on Broadway now for five years.
Chicago has a long history of gangsters and corruption. Chicago the musical is set in the roaring ’20s. The place must have roared like not quite anywhere else. Two young women both killed men in 1924. Both were acquitted of murder after spectacular trials.
The reporter who covered the trials wrote a play about it, called Chicago, which ran on Broadway for 172 performances beginning in 1926. Cecil B. DeMille’s silent film version appeared in 1927. The 1942 Ginger Rogers movie Roxie Hart is loosely based on the same play.
In the 1960s, Gwen Verdon wanted her husband Bob Fosse to make a musical on the 1926 play, but they couldn’t get the rights until the author’s death. Once they did, Fosse enlisted Fred Ebb to write the book and lyrics and John Kander to provide the music.
This version of Chicago opened on Broadway in 1975 and had a run of 936 performances. What’s running on Broadway now is actually the 1996 revival.
Many Broadway musicals depend on elaborate scenery and huge production numbers. This one is simple to the point of minimal scenery and mostly black costumes. Lots of skin, too. It’s a funny take on adultery and violence, and the bad girls get away with murder. Even so, it’s more family friendly than lots of what the networks offer on prime time TV. | <urn:uuid:993ec518-fd93-40e5-b91c-72095d52cdc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://music.allpurposeguru.com/2012/05/now-running-on-broadway-musicals/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971238 | 1,722 | 1.546875 | 2 |
When IP Draughts first started in legal practice, he was taught many wise and noble things by the elders of the profession. Barristers do not shake hands with one another. A barrister should address a magistrate as “Sir” and eschew the practice of some solicitors who refer to him as “Your Worship”. A junior barrister should not use the moveable lecturn that sits on the bench in front of him in court, until he has been qualified for 7 years. Outside of court, a barrister should address a judge as “Judge” (using the vocative) and not with his judicial title. A barrister must wear a three-piece suit in court, with the waistcoat buttoned (except for the bottom button); alternatively he may wear a double-breasted suit, with the buttons done up. If counsel’s clothes are regarded as loud or inappropriate, the judge may say “I cannot hear you, Mr Anderson” to signal his displeasure.
Another pearl of wisdom that was lovingly passed down to IP Draughts, like grandpapa’s hand-made dinner suit, was that you should not cite legal textbooks in court, unless the author is dead. The President of the UK Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, has recently explained the history of this “rule” in a lecture to the Max Planck Institute, recorded here. It seems that the rule no longer applies, and may not have applied when IP Draughts was taught it thirty years ago. Thus, traditional wisdom lingers in the minds of practitioners long after its usefulness has come to an end.
The reverence that the legal profession has for familiar practices is demonstrated, day-in, day-out, by the appearance and content of commercial agreements. This is as true in the UK as it is in the USA, Australia and many other jurisdictions. That the style of those agreements differs from jurisdiction to to jurisdiction makes not a jot of difference to the principle, which might be summarised as: familiarity breeds complacency.
For the last decade, Ken Adams has made it his professional mission to improve the quality of contract drafting. At the heart of his mission has been his book, A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting (MSCD), which was first published in 2004. The 3rd edition of this work (MSCD3) has recently published by the American Bar Association. He also maintains a blog on contract drafting, and he has taught the subject to many people; he is currently in the Orient on a lecture tour.
Although he has fine academic credentials, and is a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Ken is not an academic. Rather he is someone who has come from legal practice and invented a discipline of his own, one that is focused on the needs of practitioners yet written with all the rigour and thoroughness of an academic treatise.
Anyone who is serious about developing their skills as a contract drafter needs to read this book. That is not to say that you have to agree with every word of it, but you should at least consider the arguments that Ken makes. You will probably end up agreeing with most of them. Even where you don’t agree, you may find that, over time, some of his recommendations have crept into your thinking without you realising it. It is said that the best way of persuading someone is to make them think they had the idea themselves. IP Draughts previously thought that his practice of starting the operative clauses of contracts with the phrase “The parties agree as follows” was original to him, but after reading MSCD3 he realises that he may have picked this idea up from an earlier edition of the book.
The perspective that Ken takes is one of making contracts clearer and more accurate in their language; one of the benefits of doing this is to reduce the opportunities for disputes over interpretation. However, he is not directly concerned, as a practitioner should be, with “winning in court”. It is not part of his brief to pander to the quirkiness of courts, or the encrustation of national or State case law. He is particularly critical of how some courts go about the business of interpreting contracts. For instance, he despairs of how the English courts make fine (and, in Ken’s view, misguided) linguistic distinctions between representations and warranties, or between best endeavours and reasonable endeavours, when these terms are used in contracts.
English practitioners will want to keep a weather eye out for how an English judge is likely to interpret a particular form of words, before deciding how far they are prepared to take Ken’s recommendations in this area. To take another, small example (and one that Ken analyses in detail) IP Draughts is not yet convinced that he can abandon the phrase “including without limitation”, although he does relegate it to an interpretation section, so that it only appears once in the contract.
MSCD discusses, and make recommendations on, all aspects of the appearance and drafting style of a contract. This breadth of coverage is very helpful, but does mean that some of its recommendations are on subjects that might be thought a matter of personal preference, eg whether to type the document in a Times New Roman or Calibri font. Put another way, some of the recommendations are core to the Adams drafting approach and are radical in some of their ideas (eg those in chapter 3 – Categories of Contract Lanugage), while some others reflect conventional practice among lawyers and writers (eg many of those in chapter 4 – Layout). To quote from Ken’s “model statement of style” at page 454, MSCD “works within the prevailing idiom”. This is sometimes the idiom of US contract lawyers and that idiom is sometimes, in IP Draughts’ view, sub-optimal. He will continue to prefer English drafting practices where he considers these to have advantages over US drafting practices, eg by numbering the parties, putting definitions in two columns, avoiding tab spacing, and referring to contractual provisions (at several levels in the hierarchy of provisions) as clauses.
A short review can only scratch the surface of the hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of detailed recommendations that are made in MSCD. As IP Draughts read through MSCD3, he wondered whether there might be some way of summarising the key recommendations of each chapter, to aid the reader’s comprehension. It seems to IP Draughts that there is a danger of overwhelming the casual reader with detailed information that cannot all be remembered.
The sample “before” and “after” agreements at the end of the book are helpful in this respect, but might there be other ways of presenting the information in an easily-digestible way, eg an interactive online presentation of an agreement, with dialogue boxes that come up as one moves the cursor over the text, perhaps colour-coded to deal with different types of recommendation?
Once an author has published his work, he loses control over it, except at the margins in areas such as copyright infringement and defamation. People can read it, and use it, in whatever way they choose. Ken has spent many thousands of hours in debating, thinking and writing about the points discussed in MSCD. The book reflects his well-considered conclusions on drafting best practice. Therefore it is natural for him to take the view that the recommendations of MSCD should be adopted wholesale by contract drafters internationally. While some drafters will take this approach, IP Draughts thinks it likely that a larger number of readers will make a gradual shift towards the principles of MSCD over time, with people moving at different speeds and adopting more or less of those principles as they consider appropriate.
A project of this kind benefits all who are involved in contracts, whether as drafters, negotiators, implementers of contractual obligations, or judges of disputes over those obligations. In this sense, Ken has chosen to perform a national, or international, service. IP Draughts hopes that the service gets the financial and other recognition that it deserves.
In an earlier age, innovators who performed valuable national service were rewarded with Government prizes and royal pensions. For example, in the eighteenth century John Harrison received Government funding for his work to develop accurate chronometers. This innovation enabled people on ships to calculate their longitudinal position. Perhaps MSCD is not quite in that league, but it surely merits recognition for the service it provides to people involved in commercial contracts.
Coming back to a point made earlier, MSCD certainly deserves to be cited in court, even though the author is very much alive and kicking. Long may he remain in this condition! | <urn:uuid:0c15c07a-b50f-41a5-bc2b-13e784551069> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ipdraughts.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/improve-your-contract-drafting-step-1-read-mscd-3rd-edn/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970962 | 1,806 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Colombia and Ecuador provide the most Fair Trade Certified fruit imported into the United States, at 69 and 21 percent respectively.
Fruits & Vegetables
Fair Trade farmers nurture fruits and vegetables to ensure that the freshest and sweetest crops make their way to your kitchen from our global farmer's market. Social responsibility is joining health and environmental concerns as a significant factor in our purchasing decisions. Fair Trade Certified™ produce brings the best of both worlds together — creating healthy, happy farming communities and ecosystems, and delivering the healthiest, most flavorful produce. | <urn:uuid:35ffea06-94e8-4a38-9151-c84143d3f3e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fairtradeusa.org/products-partners/fruits-vegetables | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917824 | 111 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Ferris v. Higley
ERROR to the Supreme Court of the Territory of Utah. The case, which involved a question as to the jurisdiction of the Probate Courts of Utah, was thus:
In 1850 Congress passed an act 'to establish a Territorial government for Utah;' the organic act governing the Territory. The act is a long act, of seventeen sections. It defines the boundaries of Utah; establishes an executive power and defines its duties; provides for a secretary of the Territory and defines his duties. It establishes also a legislative power; declares of whom it shall be composed, and how the persons composing it shall be elected, and the qualification of the voters electing them.
In defining the legislative power it says among numerous other things:
'SECTION 6. The legislative power of said Territory shall extend to all rightful subjects of legislation consistent with the Constitution of the United States and the provisions of this act.
'All the laws passed by the legislative assembly and governor shall be submitted to the Congress of the United States, and if disapproved shall be null and of no effect.'
It then thus establishes the judicial power:
'SECTION 9. The judicial power of said Territory shall be vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, Probate Courts, and in justices of the peace.'
The same section then declares of how many justices the Supreme Court shall consist; that the President of the United States shall appoint them (as the act also does that he shall the governor, secretary, attorney, and marshal, enacting that the United States shall pay the salaries of all), and how many judges of the Supreme Court shall make a quorum, and for what term their commissions shall run. It divides the Territory into judicial districts, makes District Courts, enacts that the judges of the Supreme Court shall hold them; and adds:
'The jurisdiction of the several courts herein provided for, both appellate and original, and THAT OF THE PROBATE COURTS and of justices of the peace SHALL BE AS LIMITED BY LAW. Provided, that justices of the peace shall not have jurisdiction of any matter in controversy, where the title or boundaries of land may be in dispute, or where the debt or sum claimed shall exceed one hundred dollars, and the said Supreme and District Courts respectively shall possess chancery as well as common law jurisdiction.'
The act gives power to the Supreme and District Courts to appoint their clerks, and enacts additionally:
'Writs of error, bills of exception, and appeals shall be allowed in all cases from the final decisions of said District Courts to the Supreme Court, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. . . .
'Writs of error and appeals from the final decisions of said Supreme Court shall be allowed, and may be taken to the Supreme Court of the United States in the same manner and under the same regulations as from the Circuit Courts of the United States.'
But though the act goes into full details about the Supreme and District Courts, and, in fact, about everything else relating to the government of the Territory, it says nothing more in any part of it about Probate Courts than the eleven words above quoted, on page 376, in small capitals.
With this act of Congress in force as the fundamental law of the Territory, the Territorial legislature in 1855 passed an act, entitled 'An act in relation to the judiciary.' That act says:
'The several Probate Courts in their respective counties have power to exercise original jurisdiction, both civil and criminal, and as well in chancery as at common law, when not prohibited by legislative enactment; and they shall be governed in all respects by the same general rules and regulations as regards practice as the District Courts.'
Congress had not enacted any act 'disapproving' of this Territorial act, and thus rendering it, by Federal legislation, null and of no effect.
In this state of enactment, Congressional and Territorial, Higley sued Ferris in the Probate Court of Salt Lake County, on a promissory note for $1000, and obtained a judgment there. The case coming into the District Court of the third judicial district, was reversed, on the ground that the Probate Court had no jurisdiction of such a suit; and this judgment being affirmed on appeal to the Supreme Court, it was now brought here by writ of error to that court.
The question, of course, was whether under the organic act of the Territory vesting the judicial power of that Territory 'in a Supreme Court, District Courts, Probate Courts, and in justices of the peace,' and declaring that the jurisdiction of those courts-mentioning specially 'that of the Probate Courts' should be as limited by law-the said organic act-in its grant of power to the Territorial legislature to legislate on all 'rightful subjects of legislation consistent with the provisions of the act' meant that the jurisdiction of the courts should be limited-that is to say, should be defined by its law-the law of the Territory alone; or whether it also referred to and included the ancient law, well known in nearly all the United States of America, which fixes the constitution of those courts which under various names, including that of Probate Courts, have the care of the estates and concerns of persons deceased.
Messrs. C. J. Hillyer and T. Fitch, for the plaintiff in error:
It cannot be argued that the establishment and definition of jurisdiction of courts of record is not 'a rightful subject of legislation,' or that Territorial legislation to that end with respect to local courts, is inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States.
The only inquiry is then whether the Territorial statute conferring common-law and chancery jurisdiction upon Probate Courts is inconsistent with the provisions of the act of Congress.
It is submitted that Congress, in declaring that the jurisdiction of the Probate Courts shall be 'as limited by law,' intended a law to be hereafter enacted either by itself or by the Territorial legislature, and that the Territorial legislature, in conferring upon the Probate Courts common-law jurisdiction to an unlimited extent, did no more than it was empowered by the act of Congress to do. It is further submitted that the failure of Congress to subsequently annul this act of the Territorial legislature by a disapproving statute validates the exercise of power by the Territorial legislature, even if it had been originally of doubtful validity.
The idea that Congress, in using the words 'as limited by law,' intended, not statutory enactments alone, but 'the law' in its broader sense, wherein the history of Probate Courts, the constructions of eminent writers and the interpretation of courts as to the powers and jurisdiction of Probate Courts in general are considered as part of 'the law,' can hardly be sustained. A grant of power from the lawmaking body, accompanied by a reservation that such power so granted may afterwards be 'limited by law,' means a law to be thereafter enacted, and not a judicial construction of existing enactments.
Neither can it be argued that, as the section of the act of Congress heretofore quoted confers original chancery and common-law jurisdiction upon the District Courts, it therefore, by necessary implication, excludes such jurisdiction from all other courts under the application of the maxim. The act of Congress referred to is not a penal statute, and the maxim, 'Expressio unius,' &c., does not apply.
The words have power' in the Territorial act, are unusual in a statute meant to grant power. The usual words are, shall have power.' One of the judges of the court below was of the opinion that the words used were meant as a simple declaration of the Territorial legislature that the jurisdiction already existed, though he did not rest the case on that ground. His opinion is submitted.
No opposing counsel.
Mr. Justice MILLER, delivered the opinion of the court.
^1 Act of September 9th, 1850; 9 Stat. at Large, 453.
^2 January 19.
|This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).| | <urn:uuid:984e76c7-5d08-42a3-aa53-5f7fd7e0574a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ferris_v._Higley | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949388 | 1,689 | 2.734375 | 3 |