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By Don Shilling
The hybrid motorcycle can be loud and fast or quiet and energy efficient.
A Boardman company was instrumental in the design of a one-of-a-kind motorcycle that will be unveiled on television Thursday.
Lawless Industries designed the drive system that allows the rider to choose between a silent, gas-free ride or one that’s high- performance and high-decibel.
“This is big, fast and loud, or you can flip a switch and go green,” said Bill Ebie, a parts distributor from Cleveland who worked with the local company.
The bike will be shown publicly for the first time Thursday on “American Choppers,” a show that features the custom-bike designers from Orange County Choppers in Montgomery, N.Y. The episode, which airs at 9 p.m. on the cable network TLC, will document the creation of this unique motorcycle.
Big-time clients are fairly normal for Shawn Lawless, president of Lawless Industries, but publicity isn’t. Most of his designs are meant to be as unobtrusive as possible.
Lawless designs underbodies of floats for Disney amusement parks in Florida, California and other countries. The battery-powered devices produced by his 12-employee company on South Avenue are meant to be quiet, slow and safe.
Orange County Choppers, however, is all about loud, fast and edgy.
The bike on this week’s show was ordered by Schneider Electric, a French company that provides electronic controls for a variety of industrial equipment. Schneider wants to use the bike as a showpiece for its equipment.
The bike features a touchscreen with all of the gauges and controls, cameras on the front and back, and four computers that handle all of the engine and motor functions.
It all started in September when a Schneider official asked Lawless if he would be interested in coming up with a design for a hybrid motorcycle that retained its muscle.
Lawless not only agreed but he upped the ante. He suggested a design with four modes.
Two of the modes are electric only. One of them uses just one electric motor and produces 50 horsepower, or enough to go 60 mph. The other uses two electric motors, so it has 100 horsepower.
Another mode operates like a hybrid car. It alternates between using both a gasoline-powered engine and an electric motor. This mode can be used for longer trips because the bike travels only about 40 miles when using only battery power.
But it’s the last mode that makes the bike worthy of prime-time TV. It features all of the engines firing at once, which produces 200 horsepower and a top speed of more than 100 mph.
“It can be whatever you want it to be,” Lawless said.
Lawless had to work quickly. The TV folks wanted a prototype in two weeks.
“They basically said you have to invent a hybrid electric vehicle, and you have a couple weeks to do it. And if it works or it doesn’t work, it’s going to be on TV,” Ebie said.
Lawless’ crew immediately got to work.
“We worked a lot of hours and a lot of overtime and on the weekend,” he said.
Lawless proved his design would work by retrofitting an old motorcycle with an engine from a garden tiller and two battery-powered motors. He took it out to Quaker City Raceway near Salem and topped out at more than 100 mph.
Next, he brought in Ebie, who works for Crescent Electric Supply, a distributor of Schneider products. They had two more weeks to integrate the Schneider components.
Ebie wrote 100 pages of computer code and installed the automation controls that were attached to a motorcycle in a sidecar.
All of that was delivered to the TV studio, where the Orange County Choppers crew molded it into a new creation.
“They took that pile of parts and created a rideable work of art,” Lawless said.
The taping was completed later in the year, and Lawless and Ebie were there for part of it.
“How much they show us on the show is up the TV producers,” Lawless said.
The bike made a brief stop in Boardman in December so Lawless and Ebie could make some adjustments.
Given that the components in the bike cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, they were careful.
“It was a little nerve-wracking taking it on the first ride,” Lawless said.
Schneider now will use the bike for promotional purposes at trade shows. | <urn:uuid:702d25ab-cd7d-49b9-a20c-09d9cd246a0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vindy.com/news/2010/jan/12/unique-motorcycle-saves-energy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966143 | 976 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Search Loci: Convergence:
To deny, to believe, and to doubt well are to a man as the race is to a horse.
W. H. Auden and L. Kronenberger (eds.) The Viking Book of Aphorisms, New York: Viking Press, 1966.
John Ward's Compendium of Algebra
This is the title page of A Compendium of Algebra (1724), written by John Ward, an English mathematicians about whom very little is known. He was born in 1648 and died sometime around 1730. It is known that he taught mathematics in Chester and is famous for another mathematics work, the Young Mathematician's Guide, first published in 1703. That work was imported in large quantities to New England and was used for a time as a textbook at Harvard University. It contains a very interesting method of calculating pi.
On pages 38-39, Ward discusses what happens when the number of equations is more than, equal to, or less than the number of unknowns.
Pages 52-53 show two typical problems from the book, each with a detailed description of the steps in the left hand column of the solution of the problem. | <urn:uuid:8fcc29f8-26ad-42fe-bd0a-dce1e223168a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/46/convergence/1/46/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=2591&bodyId=3882 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954683 | 246 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Gum the way it used to be.
Glee Gum arrived here this week for review and it didn't take long for it to disappear. The slogan Gum the way it used to be makes Mom happy and the flavor made my kids happy. Glee Gum comes in a wide range of eight flavors and sizes. My kids loved the bubblegum flavor. Spearmint and cinnamon were some of my favorites, but it was hard to choose. Glee is available in Canada and the U.S. It is all natural made from rainforest chicle, harvested in Mexico and Guatemala. Chicle is a sticky substance that comes from the sapodilla tree. Interestingly, the gum comes from the tree in much the same manner that maple syrups comes from our trees here in Canada. Chicle harvesters climb the trees deep in the woods and cut criss cross marks in them then the sap trickles down the tree. It's boiled and then put into a mold. After that it is sent to the U.S. and sweetened, coated and packaged. The web site is cute, fun and quirky and it shows you how the gum is made. It's a little bit retro and retro candy packaging is hot right now. I love the adorable candy making kits sold on line. They are all available on the site and in stores too.
Fun chewing gum facts:
1. Most popular flavors are cinnamon, spearmint and peppermint.
2. During WW II US military personnel spread the popularity of chewing gum by trading it and giving it as gifts to people around the world.
3. Chewing on gum while cutting onions can keep you from producing tears.
Glee gum is adorable and I can't wait to get my hands on a candy-making kit. I was given free samples of this gum for the purposes of review.
In London you can get Glee Gum at several health stores and Real Canadian Superstore. | <urn:uuid:0000bfa8-31ca-4211-8d5b-b02c896cef61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thriftymommastips.com/2012/04/glee-gum-all-natural-gum-and-chewing.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961365 | 399 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Young inventors in Knoxville will continue to show off their ideas this week. Fifth grade students at Northstar Elementary showcased their inventions on Friday and the forth graders will have their chance Wednesday. The competition is part of Invent Iowa which is run by the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa. The program is in its 24th year and encourages students to think creatively and solve problems through the invention process. Winners of the local competition can then move on to the sub-statewide contest at Iowa State University on April 16th. | <urn:uuid:31144048-84ff-4c43-982f-3381ec62af88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kniakrls.com/2011/01/knoxville-students-compete-in-invent-iowa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967919 | 111 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Dec 22, 2011, 11:07 AM EDT
Some fun facts about Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s new president following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il: He attended prep school in Switzerland in the 1990s, spent most of his time obsessed with basketball and computer games, never passed an exam, and loved Michael Jordan. And his nickname in school was Un Dim.
Wearing Nike trainers, a Chicago Bulls sweatshirt and jeans, he was introduced to Class 6A by the headmistress of Liebefeld-Steinholzi School near Berne. She lied: “Boys and girls, this is Un Pak. He comes from North Korea and he is the son of a diplomat.”
North Korean schools are swell, I’m sure, but Un’s dad sent his son to prep school in Switzerland, where he didn’t do so hot. When he was 15, Jong Un was transferred from the ultra expensive International School Of Berne to the nearby state-run Liebefeld-Steinholzi School. There he met a Portuguese diplomat’s son, Joao Micaelo, who recalls what Jong Un was like. They hung out in the dorm a lot, for instance.
“But, curiously, I never saw his room. We were mostly in the communal living room. We watched a lot of kung-fu films — especially Jackie Chan movies. He loved them. He had everything which we never saw coming close to our own cinema.
“After school we met at the basketball court and threw a few baskets, with both of us pretending to be Michael Jordan. We were all envious of his genuine NBA basketball, which must have cost more than £100.
“We spoke about girls and about our grand plans. At weekends there were parties and a lot of under-age drinking. But I never once saw a drop of alcohol pass his lips and he wasn’t interested in girls.”
Obsessed with basketball and video games? Terrible in class? Sounds like half the college population in the U.S. But the part about never drinking and not being interested in girls … quite disturbing. May God have mercy on the world.
- So long folks, it’s time for me to take off 18
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- HBT: Mets' Wheeler goes six scoreless in MLB debut | <urn:uuid:e8815646-c8d0-4b4b-b858-f5be073e0c1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/12/22/new-north-korean-president-loved-chicago-bulls-michael-jordan-jackie-chan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96869 | 701 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Retro Game of the Day! Shining in the Darkness
Shining in the Darkness by Sega and Climax Entertainment (Japanese developer, not the similarly-named UK house) released for the Sega Genesis in 1991.
Those who know me are aware that I was never big into RPG gaming; still when an EGM offshoot magazine called Mega Play published early screens of a game called "Shining Darkness," it was hard to ignore.
The screens looked impressive, the game was 8 Megabits (impressive for a cartridge memory size at the time) and there really was nothing else that looked like it on the market at the time. The wave of SNES RPGs was a ways off still, and there hadn't been much at all on the Genesis either.
The game looked (and played) much like a souped-up next generation version of Sega's well-known 8-bit hit Phantasy Star. Two important differences - this was a newer generation software, and where PS was definitely a traditional mange style, SITD had a very unusual art style (particularly for a Japanese RPG) - it felt like a mix of light-manga with a bit of a European-inspired style perhaps, and it looked very out-of-place on the Genesis for that reason, although not to it's detriment.
The game itself was as you'd expect, and in modern consideration it looks and plays out quite primitive; but at the time, it was very fresh. The game was slow, a crawling grind, with very limited options (as many RPGs of the day were) yet it was still quite engrossing with it's charming-yet-dark world and fairly well-written character dialogue.
Ultimately, Shining in the Darkness was a title I never got terribly far through, but for me it will always be memorable as an early landmark title on the system and a worthy follow-up to it's source material.
Pick up our popular iPhone app 180, now available for Android - FREE! | <urn:uuid:0b2ede5a-124c-4953-892d-23c6ad3fb166> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RonAlpert/20110502/89421/Retro_Game_of_the_Day_Shining_in_the_Darkness.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981294 | 410 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Pig stem cell transplants: The key to future research into retina treatment
A team of American and Chinese scientists studying the role of stem cells in repairing damaged retina tissue have found that pigs represent an effective proxy species to research treatments for humans. The study, published in STEM CELLS, demonstrates how stem cells can be isolated and transplanted between pigs, overcoming a key barrier to the research.
Treatments to repair the human retina following degenerative diseases remain a challenge for medical science. Unlike species of lower vertebrates the human retina lacks a regenerative pathway meaning that research has focused on cell transplantation.
"The retina is the light sensitive tissue surrounding the inner surface of the eye. Its outer layer is made up of rods and cone photoreceptor cells which convert light signals," said lead author Douglas Dean from the University of Louisville. "Traditionally transplant studies have focused on mice and other rodents because of the variety of genetic material they represent, however mouse retina tissue is rod dominant, which is significantly different to the human eye."
Dr Dean's team turned their attention to pigs because, as with humans, the swine eye contains a cone dominant central visual streak, making it a closer anatomical and physiological match.
"Studies into swine models have been hampered in the past," said Dean, "because the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) needed for such transplants have not been isolated from pigs, while their compatibility with a host's photoreceptor cells had not been demonstrated."
Dr Dean's team gathered iPSCs from swine skin fibroblasts and demonstrated that these cells differentiated in culture and could be integrated with the cells of a second pig's retina.
While only a small section of the retina was transplanted for this study the results could open a new avenue of research into degenerative conditions as researchers have a more effective human proxy species to work with.
"Our results demonstrate that swine stem cells can be integrated into a damaged swine neural retina," concluded Dean. "This research now lays a foundation for future studies of retinal stem cell transplantation in a swine model."
Provided by Wiley
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Last year was significant for the sustainable industries, marked by the rise of natural gas, the decline in renewables, and debates on energy policy issues surrounding the election. Despite the uncertainties of where the market is headed, we expect to see an uptick in investments and deals across the natural gas, energy efficiency, and smart grid sectors over the next year. In 2013, we predict that the energy efficiency will be active with the continued growth of IT, but the natural gas sector will be the center of major investor attention. In the coming months, we also believe that our country will move towards a formal, comprehensive energy policy.
2013 predictions for the Energy, Environment, and Applied Technology Sectors:
1. Where the Money’s At: Natural Gas
With a lower barrier to entry and more cost effective production than its renewable energy alternatives, natural gas has experienced rapid growth in the United States. This sector has the potential to drive a significant number of jobs for the US economy, especially those around energy research and development initiatives. Additionally, natural gas has been credited as a viable bridge to transitioning the international economy to sustainable energy, and ending the US’s dependence on foreign oil. As investments increase in 2013, Cascadia expects to see natural gas siphon investment dollars away from the renewable energy sector.
2. GT Meets IT: The Energy Efficiency Sector Will Remain Active
While many forms of renewable energies suffered from lack of investment in the past year, the energy efficiency sector stayed active. Since the development of the energy efficiency software is far less costly than infrastructure investments in clean technologies, like wind and solar, there’s a higher ROI for investors. Cascadia Capital believes the nexus of information technology and green technology initiatives will continue to grow, and that the industry will experience ongoing investment coupled with increased consolidation in the energy efficiency sector.
3. Smart Money’s on the Smart Grid
While smart grid investors have lost substantial dollars in recent years, the sector has continued to experience growth based on cutting edge technological advances, development of smart meters, increasing electricity generation prices, government incentives promoting green tech, and the development of transmission facilities to provide energy to remote areas. In fact, Research and Markets estimates the sector will grow to $57 billion by 2016. New solutions that make the grid smarter are beginning to gain serious traction with utility customers, and as a result, we expect that smart grid providers will seek investor capital to scale up their businesses. Cascadia expects that investors will have a renewed focus in the sector, which will result in capital pouring back into smart grid technologies.
4. Washington Gets Serious About an Energy Policy
All eyes are on the President to see how his reelection will impact the national energy policy. Hot button issues include the future of oil and natural gas production, the regulation of carbon emissions, climate change, and the support for renewable energy. With a Democratic President and Republican control in the House of Representatives there will certainly be significant debate; however Cascadia predicts that 2013 will be the year that a comprehensive national energy policy will come out of Washington. We expect this policy to extend beyond cap and trade to level the playing field for a variety of energy sources and providers, and enable oil and gas to coexist with renewables.
The overall rate of policy adjustments, technological adaptation, and strategic transactions that impact the energy, environment, and applied technology sectors have been staggering over the past several years. We expect this dynamic industry to be highlighted by investor attention towards the natural gas and energy efficiency sectors throughout this year.
Michael Butler, Chairman & CEO
The co-founder of Cascadia Capital, Michael Butler leads the firm and is an emerging thought leader in the New Energy Economy. His recent focus on sustainable technology has helped propel Cascadia into some of the most important transactions in this market.
Prior to co-founding Cascadia Capital, Butler served as a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers responsible for global equity sales and equity syndicate. He also served on the firm’s Equity Commitment Committee, Equity Syndicate Committee and Private Equity Commitment Committee. Before joining Lehman Brothers, Butler was a Principal with Morgan Stanley & Company, where he was responsible for divisional global product and risk management and was a member of the division’s Operating Committee. He has been involved in numerous equity financing transactions for both public and private companies.
Butler holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington and an M.B.A. in International Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. | <urn:uuid:81dfe6bc-1ab9-4cbf-91a4-242d1475d1ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://breakingenergy.com/2013/01/18/what-s-next-for-the-energy-environment-and-applied-technology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939796 | 927 | 1.9375 | 2 |
The Logic Of Alstrynomics:
Human existence and civilization is simply the exchange of production between humans. Production comes in many forms with the most common being goods and services. There are three primary ways one human can get the production from another:
1. Love/Volunteer.....getting production for free with nothing expected in return (IE a mother's care for her child)
2. Barter/Money.....exchange based on direct trade or a derivative such as gold or currency(this is competitive exchange between two willing participants)
3. Force/War/Slavery/Theft......using immoral means to obtain the goods and services of another(only one party is willing to trade in this relationship and the other is unwilling or would be unwilling if the trade is by deception)
Money is simply represents a unit of production, and under present political/legal systems, created by the soverign by consent of the people. By definiton, in order for money to be legal/moral, it must be CREATED directly from production or the reasonable expectation of production(a loan)....otherwise, the Soverign's simply printing money out of thin air is the functional equivalent of counterfeiting.
If a soverign could simply print money without consequence.....every one would print as much as it could and give it to its people to pursue prosperity.
However, the market would never accept such behavior and within a relatively short period of time render that currency worthless.
America was bestowed the honor of having its currency the reserve currency of the world because America was the primary producer of the world and its soverign and the Fed maintained the integrity of the dollar for many decades.
Until...............9.09..........when it became the accepted policy of the U.S. and the Fed to allow our currency to simply be printed out of thin air not backed by production or the reasonable expectation of production.
At that point, there was only one thing left backing the dollar, and that was the use of force and the connection of the dollar to oil. As long as the American dollar could be converted into a bbl of oil, the dollar would still function in trade.
However, if the printing continued for a protracted period of time, it was only a matter of time before nations would eventually stop accepting the dollar for oil and trade....and when that happened, America would only have one choice left, force other nations to accept our currency for trade.......
and eventually WW3 would begin......a war to be the mother of all wars.........and when its done, the Digital Age begins as we learn we are Collectively Interdependent with each other.
War has an amazing power to teach those that live how dependent they are on others to survive....and when its over, the memory is so horrible people will voluteer their production to insure it never happens again.
In our/America's case, the perception of prosperity was simply too alluring to face the consequences that one generation bankrupted our nation....and now time has about run out.....
It is not the end of the world.....just the end of a world as we know it. | <urn:uuid:3699f183-7b10-456b-9c11-8d9b3dffad0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/preparedont-fear/572755 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962198 | 648 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Those who know no differentPublished 8:24pm Monday, September 10, 2012
Today marks the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that changed our world forever. The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 changed so much of our way of life that many forget the way things “used to be.”grains
But while it is tough for us to remember the days of when the twin towers dominated the New York skyline, there is an entire generation now in elementary school who know nothing different.
They don’t know a world where the Taliban was an obscure group being harbored in Afghanistan. They are more likely to be able to point out on a globe where Iraq, Pakistan and Yemen are then they are able to locate where towns like Loachapoka or Notasulga are in Alabama.
These third, fourth or fifth graders have grown up in a country that has always been at war and are quite likely the relatives of someone who has served one or more tours of duty in either Afghanistan or Iraq, or both.
These children, when traveling, have never been to an airport without the Transportation Safety Administration and have never been allowed to walk through a metal detector with their shoes on.
Most are more likely to recognize an image of Osama Bin Laden then they are one of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley.
Eleven years after the horrific attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, the wounds that were inflicted upon us are slowly healing. The Pentagon is repaired, a monument has been built in Shanksville, Penn., and a new, taller Freedom Tower is under construction, set to dominate the skyline in New York once again.
But how will history tell of the day our lives, and the lives of generations since, changed? How will they tell the story of the 343 firefighters who died when the towers collapsed? How will history tell the story of the airline passengers who fought back and prevented their plane from being used as another suicide missile?
What we have learned is that history can never tell the story the way it was, nor does it try to. All we can do is teach this generation the reasons why the world changed and why it is up to them such tragedies are never repeated.
Today, on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we commit again to never forget. | <urn:uuid:2548b344-4ae0-4559-ba39-d1fc0789065d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.selmatimesjournal.com/2012/09/10/those-who-know-no-different/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961887 | 473 | 2.375 | 2 |
Inspiring Future Entrepreneurial Leaders
Along with the advanced skills and technical understanding gained from attending a world-class engineering school, the UELP offers new engineers the opportunity to take their expertise a step further. This program utilizes courses available at our Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology to help students gain insight into leadership, entrepreneurship, commercialization, and innovation. Available individually or as part of a program sequence, CET courses are taught with the input of executives and entrepreneurs, and are designed to combine classroom study with experiential learning.
An introduction to CET Programs
For those exploring the CET for the first time, we recommend the Distinguished Innovator Lecture Series. Bringing real world innovators and issues into the classroom, these classes offer an exciting introduction to the CET course model. Since each speaker is new and topical, these classes may be repeated.
For students interested in greater depth and highly applied project experiences, the CET offers a number of evolving project classes that include new venture creation, leadership projects, and technology development projects.
The Complete CET Experience
The 6-unit CET Concentration in Engineering Leadership is ideal for students interested in the full program sequence. This concentration empowers students to become technology leaders through classroom and hands-on study of entrepreneurship and commercialization. | <urn:uuid:d3693d3b-8c5c-4866-981d-5179d131d294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://funginstitute.berkeley.edu/undergraduate-engineering-leadership-program | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929595 | 262 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Harvesting corn for one mile without stopping is possible with this prototype articulated machine called a Tribine.
A new prototype for farmers fuses a commercially available combine with a custom-made grain tank, creating an articulated harvester that can carry grain in bulk.
The mission and design of the prototype Tribine harvester is outlined at 2013 Ag Connect by Ben Dillon, the Indiana farmer who invented the machine.
"The Tribine addresses all of the major trends that we see in worldwide agriculture," inventor Ben Dillon says, "and that is higher yields, bigger fields, more understanding about compaction, machinery costs going up, labor costs going up, labor harder to find–qualified labor–and the move toward controlled traffic."
Dillon is a semi-retired Indiana farmer who grows corn and soybeans in North Central Indiana. He holds a degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University, spent years working in the field of business and returned to the farm full-time for 15 years before starting to cash-rent his land out. Dillon also holds 28 patents on harvester technology, which he has been developing since 1997.
(WATCH: Tribine Unveiled at 2013 Ag Connect in Kansas City [VIDEO])
The current Tribine represents the fourth generation of harvester prototypes he has built and will be displayed this year at Ag Connect.
(Register here to attend Ag Connect Expo & Summit from Jan. 29-31, 2013, in Kansas City.)
As farmers increasingly grow higher-yield corn on more acreage, they need to get across the field as quickly as possible with minimal compaction, Dillon says. The Tribine achieves this because it can harvest corn with a 12-row head for 1 mile without stopping. It is a Class 7 combine in terms of threshing and is powered by a 375- to 400-hp engine.
A grain tank built by Kansas-based manufacturer Crust Buster is connected to the front end of the machine and can hold 1,000 bushels. (A traditional combine with a 16-row head, by contrast, generally can’t travel even half a mile before it must be unloaded into a grain cart running in tandem through the field. Dillon says the Tribine cuts back on diesel fuel and labor costs because neither a tractor nor a cart is needed in the field while it works.)
(Watch video of the current Tribine harvesting corn in Indiana.)
The machine is equipped with a 22" unloading auger that can empty the custom-made cart at a rate of 500 bu./minute. At that rate, it takes two minutes to load a semi.
The Tribine weighs about the same as a conventional Class 8 combine but is shorter at 35’ compared to the 39’ length of some traditional machines. Its articulated design features a pivoting rear axle that allows for shorter turns and permits crab steering. That means the front module can continue moving in a straight path while the grain cart is shifted closer to the semi, extending the reach of the auger 23’ away from the cart body.
What’s more, the articulated design allows for the installation of bigger tires that create less compaction in the field. The Tribine’s symmetrical design means there are only two tracks left in the field.
Limited testing at Dillon’s farm in mid-December demonstrated the basic functionality of the machine. More testing is needed, he says, and input from grain farmers is crucial. Future changes are needed, such as improving the direction in which the chaff spreaders throw.
Dillon began his harvesting research years ago by attaching a grain cart to a standard combine, a model that proved ineffective. Working with two family members–a son who is an electronic engineer and a son-in-law who is a mechanical engineer–he then designed a grain cart that was both powered and steerable. The third generation was a large machine on tracks that carried 1,000 bushels of grain. Dillon operated it for harvesting on his farm for four years.
The Tribine was assembled at a shop he rents in Mound Ridge, Kan. Instead of cutting a traditional combine in half, Dillon simply removed the rear axle and made it articulated.
He has had discussions in an effort to identify a production partner with the facilities and resources to produce a machine like the Tribine. The prototype is not far along enough to say when the Tribine might be commercially available or how much it might cost, Dillon says.
- March 2013 | <urn:uuid:68b9b384-0f0b-4b82-867e-7b990af15a98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agweb.com/legacyproject/article/tribine_prototype_harvests_and_carries_1000_bushels/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948332 | 925 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Captain America covers
First Issue #100 - April 1968
Last #454 - August 1996
Continued from Tales of Suspense (1959 series)
Continued in Captain America (1996 series)
Captain America comic books rejuvenated the Marvel comic book here from the Golden Age of comics. Another creation of the great Jack Kirby (along with Joe Simon). Captain America comic books tell the exploits of Steve Rogers, a rejected WWII army recruit who takes a super-serum and becomes Captain America. Falling into an iceberg at the end of WWII, Captain America is discovered, de-frosted and brought back to action by Marvel comics in the 1960s. His origin was substiantially altered by the imporant mini-series, Truth: Red White and Black. Early issues of Captain America (1968 series) were later reprinted in Marvel Super Action (1977 series). | <urn:uuid:c71f6747-e96a-4318-bc45-9dc4036327da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newkadia.com/?isu=713%7C448 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931811 | 176 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Rebecca Miller Ffrench was trying to figure out how to recreate her local bakery’s apple-cider doughnuts at home, when her eldest daughter, Anna, made a helpful suggestion. “Why don’t you make the doughnuts that are in there?” she said, referencing a faded little blue book. The book was an inheritance — Ffrench’s great aunt’s recipe journal — and by adding apples and cider to the well-worn recipe, mother and daughter created the doughnut they craved.
Ffrench called her grandmother, the sister of the recipe-writing great aunt, to inquire about the origins of the doughnut. It was the same one her grandmother used to make with her grandmother, back in the 1930s, in Madison, Wisconsin. Every Saturday, they fried up 20 dozen for a Women’s Exchange.
Ffrench loved her grandmother’s reminiscence as much as the recipe. “She opened up a window into our family heritage,” said Ffrench. “Recipes really tell a story. There’s a lot to be learned from food.”
In Sweet Home: Over 100 Heritage Desserts and Ideas for Preserving Family Recipes (Kyle Books, 2012), Ffrench, a full-time resident of Phoenicia, shares the stories behind dozens of recipes passed down by elders and along by friends. On Saturday, May 19, she will be at the Tender Land Home, 64 Main Street in Phoenicia, for a 4-6 p.m. book signing, with samples of some sweet treats. All proceeds from books sold during the event will benefit the Phoenicia Library.
Ffrench is a former contributing writer for Cookie, a Condé Nast lifestyle magazine for modern mothers that ran 2005-2009. She planned to write a book about children’s parties — one of her specialties — but Sweet Home, and the urge to learn more about her family’s heritage, soon took precedence. The resulting recipe collection is an eclectic mix of crisp Norwegian cookies from her mother’s side, hearty German cakes from her father’s side, a selection of Jamaican desserts inspired by her husband’s father-in-law, who grew up on the island, and Hudson Valley staples from favored neighbors. In other words: it’s all-American.
“I hope to inspire readers to take the time to cook with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, or even a very close friend, someone who they like to spend time with, someone who has a recipe that they really treasure,” said Ffrench, “and to carry on the tradition and the memory of that person, and the time spent together.”
Ffrench also encourages bakers to develop recipes and rituals of their own. The book’s four sections are: preserving, celebrating, giving and creating. All recipes are accompanied by the stories that shaped them.
There’s one for Mormor’s Rosettes, Norwegian cookies made by dipping cast-iron forms into a thin batter that’s then fried. (Her daughter Camilla categorizes them as “like a deep-fried waffle.”) German Apple Custard Cake, with a custardy layer and cobbled-top crust, originated at her father’s family’s Bockbierfest celebrations.
A recipe for Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding leads with story about the family’s recent trip to the island to see where Ffrench’s father-in-law grew up. Oliver Bailey, owner of Oliver’s Dutch Pot in Treasure Beach, taught them how to make the traditional dish “with ‘ell on top, ‘ell on bottom” — “hell on top, hell on bottom” — that is, over an outdoor fire with coals above and below the pudding.
“The sweet potatoes were covered in red earth,” said Ffrench. “There was a spigot out back, where we washed them and the grater. That experience, with my father-in-law and my kids and my husband, all of us, was one we’ll treasure forever.”
My early favorite is Mom’s Banana Cake, made with too-ripe bananas and rolled oats and topped with a schmear of cream cheese and butter frosting. I liked the trick of incorporating the baking soda and the baking powder directly into the buttermilk, which I believe contributed to the hearty texture. It felt substantial, like it could tide me over till dinnertime. In the Ffrench spirit, I brought a big piece over to my neighbors, who provided the batter’s two fresh eggs.
I honestly can’t wait for June, when I can make the Mile-High Strawberry Cake pictured on the front cover. Three layers high, stacked with sliced strawberries oozing juice and fresh whipped cream, it looks like early-summer heaven. The book is full of such photos, taken by photographer and Ffrench neighbor Philip Ficks.
Ffrench is currently working on incorporating an interface into her blog, Sweet-home.com, that would let readers post their favorite family recipes and stories. “That’s my dream,” she said. It’s a sweet one.
For more information on Ffrench’s appearance this Saturday, call (845) 688-7213.
Mom’s Banana Cake
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup rolled oats
1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 very ripe)
*To make sour milk, add ½ teaspoon lemon juice to 1/3 cup whole milk and let stand for 5 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dash of salt
1. Make the banana cake: Preheat the over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan using baking spray.
2. Cream the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes on high, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each time until incorporated.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the sour milk.
Alternately add the milk mixture and flour to the creamed butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour (add the flour in half-cup increments), mixing to fully incorporate the ingredients each time.
5. Blend in the oats and mashed bananas. With the mixer on low, beat for 30 seconds.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan.
7. Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting: In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes on high, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl and beat for another 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat on high for another 30 seconds.
Using an offset spatula, frost the top of the cooled banana cake. | <urn:uuid:c0f8138f-c5cf-4659-bbec-24a425e6d7e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hudsonvalleyalmanacweekly.com/2012/05/16/author-offers-up-old-family-recipes-to-evoke-a-delicious-past-help-the-phoenicia-library/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936927 | 1,673 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The New York Times has an interesting essay by Jon Meacham on Oct. 31, 2008, on what presidents read, and what books influenced their lives.
Andrew Jackson was, to put it kindly, no scholar. When Harvard voted to give him an honorary degree in 1833, a Massachusetts newspaper wrote that he deserved an “A.S.S.” along with his “L.L.D.” From afar, the man Jackson had defeated for the White House, John Quincy Adams, was horrified his alma mater was recognizing a barbarian who could barely spell his own name.
As usual, though, the press and Jackson’s enemies did not have the man exactly right. I just finished five years of work on Jackson and his White House years, and I found that the reconstruction of his literary interests, from youth to old age, illuminated much about the arrangement of his intellectual furniture. His heroic sense of possibility? He loved Jane Porter’s novel “The Scottish Chiefs.” His thunderous rhetorical habit of posing a question and then answering it? He grew up memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism of the Presbyterian Church. His provincial obsession with manners, bearing and etiquette? He was a fan of Lord Chesterfield’s letters. His reflexive characterization of enemies like Henry Clay as “Judases” and his dependence on imagery from the Old Testament? He cherished the Bible and his late wife’s copy of Isaac Watts’s translation of the Psalms. His shrewd political sense? He was an unlikely admirer of the French philosopher Fénelon’s “Telemachus,” a kind of Machiavellian guide to ruling wisely. .. -- Read More | <urn:uuid:5258b898-9658-41dc-bbea-34264ae2bef7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lisnews.org/taxonomy/term/37?page=13 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980479 | 362 | 2.296875 | 2 |
The Canberra Times/AFP has the alarming news:
China is aiming to increase its coal production by about 30 per cent by 2015 to meet its energy needs, the Government has announced, in a move likely to fuel concerns over global warming.
[Note to Canberra Times: Some statements are so obvious you can skip the journalistic hedging.]
Land and Resources Ministry chief planner Hu Cunzhi said the Government planned to increase annual output to more than 3.3 billion tonnes by 2015.
That is up from the 2.54 billion tonnes produced in 2007, according to the ministry.
In short, from 2007 to 2015, China will increase its coal production by an amount equal to two-thirds of the entire coal consumption of the United States — an amount that surpasses all of the coal consumed today in Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.
Such is the legacy of 8 years of the Bush administration blocking all national and international action on climate change, and indeed actively working to undermine international negotiations by creating a parallel do-nothing track for countries like China. As Chinese officials have told me, we gave them the cover to accelerate emissions growth.
Some might claim a different president would never havebeen able to get China on a different path. But if Al Gore had been
elected picked by the Supreme Court in 2000, I assert that China would not be planning for its 2015 coal production to be triple that of current U.S. coal production.
Changing China’s rapacious coal plans will arguably be Obama’s single greatest challenge in terms of preserving a livable climate and thus the health and well-being of future generations and thus any chance at a positive legacy for his presidency (see “What will make Obama a great president, Part 2: A climate deal with China”
The story continues:
Annual production of natural gas would more than double to 160 billion cubic metres by 2015, while that of crude oil would increase by 7 per cent to more than 200billion tonnes, Mr Hu said.
The Government would set up reserves of oil and coal as part of its efforts to ensure national energy security, Mr Hu said at a news conference.
China began building four strategic oil reserve facilities on its east coast this decade, and two of these are now in operation.
The country’s energy consumption expanded by an average annual rate of 5.4 per cent between 1979 and 2007, the official Xinhua news agency said yesterday, which fuelled average annual economic growth of 9.8 per cent.
China depends on coal for about 70 per cent of its energy.
Its thundering growth has meant the country has become one of the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, alongside the United States.
China said coal, the cheapest and most plentiful source of fuel in the country, would remain its main energy source, despite the impact global warming had already had on the country.
China has repeatedly defended its use of coal, pointing to its efforts to develop renewable energies while blaming industrialised countries for the bulk of the greenhouse gases that are already doing the damage. It also emphasises the per capita emissions of greenhouse gases of China, the world’s most populous country with more than 1.3 billion people, are far lower than those of the US and other developed nations.
That Chinese argument, I think, can now be officially labeled the insanity defense (see Hadley Center: “Catastrophic” 5-7°C warming by 2100 on current emissions path). Yes, the industrialized countries must sharply reduce their emissions — but absent a reversal of this Chinese coal policy, catastrophic climate impacts are inevitable.
[Note: I changed the headline from "single-handedly destroy the climate." Must give credit where credit is deserved to the rich countries for putting the climate in a position where China can finish it off.]
- Chinese Premier: Rich nations should ditch ‘unsustainable’ lifestyles … and stop buying all the crap we make
- Can China go green?
- Who will be the biggest obstacle to climate action in the next decade — China, Russia, India, or us?
- Is it the end of the line for coal-to-oil in China?
- Chapter Nine Excerpt: The U.S.-China Suicide Pact on Climate
- Are China’s Carbon Emissions China’s?
- Taking on the “China Excuse” for inaction
- Bush-like doubletalk from Chinese foreign minister
- China’s immoral energy policy — Part II: The efficient alternative
- The immorality of China’s coal policy is breathtaking (literally) — Part I | <urn:uuid:96ff0c1c-8111-4842-b321-91e3d8c8ed26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2009/01/09/203545/china-announces-plan-to-single-handedly-destroy-the-climate/?mobile=nc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942913 | 961 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise when it comes to proper body composition. Not getting a good night's sleep will lead to elevated cortisol levels, a stress hormone that is partly responsible for excess belly fat. Sleep in a completely darkened room (blackout blinds or shades highly recommended), and power down TV, computers and electronics several hours before bedtime. If shift work makes it difficult to sleep an uninterrupted 8 hours, try fitting in a nap or two during the day.
Improper sleep can also cause cravings, especially of carbohydrates. That's due to our evolutionary heritage. When we're exposed to artificial light outside of the normal sunup-sundown cycle (shift work, 24 hour grocery stores, late night TV, etc.), we trick our bodies into thinking it's perpetual summer (with its extra long days). Summer means that famine (winter) is around the corner, so our bodies are driven to feast to avoid potential famine. There is a lot of hormonal work going on behind the scenes (insulin, melatonin, seratonin, dopamine), but that's the general gist of how finely tuned we are to sleep cycles and how excess light affects our bodies. I recommend reading "Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival" by T.S. Wiley.
Finally, stay away from excess carbohydrates, especially at night. If you snack, try a protein-rich source of food with good fats. From nuts and seeds to full-fat Greek yogurt, there are lots of choices that won't spike your insulin.
Response by Greg Carver | <urn:uuid:b1b72503-cf4b-43be-a2d8-ccf30c2b0251> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wyldeabouthealth.com/questions/view/473 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948465 | 318 | 2.484375 | 2 |
The connections between Jackie Robinson and the Jewish people, are broader, deeper and more intimate than I knew when I started my research for this series of postings.
"Robinson’s breaking of baseball’s color line in 1947, one of the most important civil rights advances of the first half of the twentieth century, benefited very significantly from such Jewish cooperation and support," write Stephen Norword and Harold Brackman in their SABR award-winning research paper, "Going to Bat for Jackie Robinson: The Jewish Role in Breaking Baseball's Color Line," originally published in the Spring 1999 issue of the Journal of Sport History.
Throughout his career, Robinson played with and against numerous Jewish major leaguers in the late 1940s and 1950s, including Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax, to name but a few.
He also enjoyed the support of some renowned Jewish sportswriters and journalists, and was assisted in his personal life by a variety of Jewish friends and business associates.
The number of collectibles showcasing the relationship between Robinson and the Jews includes baseball cards, books and movies, among other items.
Over the coming days, JewishSportsCollectibles.com will explore each of these connections in a series of upcoming postings about Jackie Robinson and the the Jews.
Watch JSC for additional postings. | <urn:uuid:83c2733d-4f66-4f1d-8fcb-f7c64370b079> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishsportscollectibles.com/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965308 | 267 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Beef ribs that are cut into 3 to 4 inch sections, consisting of meat, fat and bone. Short ribs are cut from the chuck and plate primal sections. They have a lot of flavor, but are fatty and fairly tough. For best results, short ribs should be cooked slowly with moist heat. Short ribs that are cut parallel to the bone are known as English style short ribs and may contain some bone or may be boneless. Short ribs cut across the rib bones, in a slab, are known as flanken. | <urn:uuid:fdf66885-b821-40c3-9234-f65a85f82040> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--34391/short-ribs-beef.asp?slide=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988046 | 106 | 2.015625 | 2 |
It's well over a decade since figurative painting burst back onto the art scene - sidelining, in the process, a tentative resurgence in abstract art following its plummeting visibility in the '80s and early '90s.
Despite high-profile advocates such as Mark Grotjahn, Beatriz Milhazes, Sarah Morris or Anselm Reyle, the opening years of the 21st Century generally marked an even lower point in its fortunes.
Now, however, a new generation of artists seems increasingly inspired by the non-representational, with collectors and curators following suit in a re-appraisal of its merits.
It's a fascinating re-emergence that not only serves, like all trends, to displace the overly-familiar, but also appears to answer deeper cultural concerns.
Simultaneously encompassing many of the most characteristic historical forms of abstraction, it's underpinned by telling geographical differences.
For much of Europe, an emphasis on involved painterly practice appears to remain more or less constant, with high value placed on immediacy and expression.
This seems particularly marked in the UK, where many of its new and emerging abstract artists espouse a painterly idiom and palette derived at least in part from the first flowerings of modernism, such as the orphism of Robert and Sonia Delauney, early cubist experiments, or the home-grown productions of the Bloomsbury Group and Omega workshop.
In Germany, modernist influence is likewise a conspicuous aspect of new abstraction, but here the emphasis falls on geometric forms such as suprematism, constructivism and the aesthetics (even ethos) of the Bauhaus.
This surprising resurgence of European interest in early 20th century experimentation - an engagement that even extends to literary output via a new emphasis on textuality and verbal narration in art - appears related to several factors.
For one thing, the centenary of the first flurry of modernist practice coincides exactly with the present. For another, its 'international' nature - although in truth an essentially pan-European cultural interchange - is replicable at the start of the 21st century in ways that the creation of the post-war Soviet bloc rendered impossible. Today, artists from Eastern Europe again play as formative a role in the continent's artistic discourse as they did at the start of the last century.
Perhaps most significantly, however, present-day social and political realities are uncannily reminiscent of those of the modernist era. Global financial crisis, ever-present threats to security, accelerated developments in science and technology and a widening division between rich and poor contribute to the recognition of a fundamentally altered world order, particularly with regard to the new political teleogies that fast-emerging super-economies have already begun to establish.
All of these issues informed the original modernist agenda which, while vacillating between optimism and despair, was nevertheless convinced of the supremacy of art and its ability to make sense of a raidly changing world.
Given the specific relation of modernism to the European cultural psyche, it's perhaps unsurprising that for US artists, post-war abstraction seems to provide more relevant aesthetic models.
Certainly curious, however, is the tendency to bypass the quintessentially American nature of abstract expressionism for later, though certainly related, abstract movements such as minimalism and hard-edge painting.
As usual, our round-up of some of the best contemporary abstract art is miscellaneous in nature, featuring well-known practitioners alongside emerging artists as well as virtual unknowns.
But the point is to show how all bring different approaches to the theme of abstraction - breathing new life, in the process, into a genre that's stealthily reclaiming its place in the limelight. | <urn:uuid:a568903a-ace2-4728-a2ce-7c09c50f88ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://modernedition.com/art-articles/new-abstract-artists/new-abstract-art.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946726 | 771 | 1.9375 | 2 |
The coupler connecting the children's trailer bike to the adult's bicycle has welds that can fail, posing a fall hazard to children.
The recall involves about 7,000 single-wheeled, children's bicycles that connect to an adult's bicycle by a coupler with the names "Pathfinder," "Run About," and "Alley Cat." The recall includes the following model numbers:
The model number is located on the lower seat tube of the frame. The affected couplers have welded plates; bicycles that have couplers with cast parts are not included in this recall.
Bicycle stores and retailers nationwide from January 2007 through August 2007 for between $80 and $120.
What To Do:
Stop using the trailer bicycle immediately and contact Pacific Cycle for a free repair kit. For additional information, contact the company toll-free at (877) 564-2261 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit www.instep.net, www.schwinnbikes.com, or www.mongoose.com.
Our product recalls database includes information and content from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other sources. Our database is not comprehensive. For more complete information concerning recalls, visit www.cpsc.gov or, for car seats, www.safercar.gov.
Save BIG on a FULL YEAR OF FUN with FamilyFun® Magazine for just $12! Every issue is all about family-friendly recipes, extraordinary activities, hands-on crafts, kid-approved vacations – we have it all, for just $12! But HURRY – this offer won't last!(U.S. orders only) | <urn:uuid:d803e1ae-ad9c-4933-8ad7-7f82f95710bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parents.com/product-recalls/sporting-goods/pacific-cycle-childrens-trailer-bicycles/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937175 | 360 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Cacti or succulents are the usual go-to plants when xeriscaping, or dry-land gardening, but herbs are an attractive alternative.
Many herbs have Mediterranean origins, and can grow well where the soil is sandy and water is scarce.
”All plants need water, but that varies with the variety and the setting,” said Debbie Boutelier, president of The Herb Society of America. “Herbs are a good choice if you're experiencing a drought, have high, hot sun or problem settings.”
Such problem areas might include boulevards, driveway strips, slopes or bare spots that have been baked into lawns.
The best results when xeriscaping with herbs come when using native plants, or plants that have adapted well to a particular area, Boutelier said. “Natives handle climatic change better than something you have to force,” she said. “Planting correctly is the first rule.”
Mulching or adding compost runs a close second.
”Having plants in the right place and doing cultural things that help preserve moisture, like mulch, will provide so many benefits,” said Dennis Patton, a Kansas State University Research and Extension agent. “Soaker hoses and drip irrigation also have a place in the landscape. They can put water at the base of the plants where it's needed.”
Xeriscaping is a practical way to garden no matter where you live, from the desert Southwest to the Canadian highlands and even Hawaii.
”More and more people are looking for lower maintenance in their gardens,” Patton said. “That means less watering,” and finding plants that can thrive that way but still have some foliage. “We're not talking yucca here. This is where herbs come in. They're used to dry climates and give off splashes of color while providing other advantages.”
Herbs are great all-around plants, Boutelier said: “One plant can give you a lot of purposes -- culinary, ornamental, medicinal, groundcover.”
This isn't to say that herbs don't present challenges. Many varieties aren't winter-hardy. Perennials often become annuals in extreme climates. Others might be invasive.
”Lavender is a touchy plant for us here in Kansas because of our clay soil, but it would be a good one in many well-drained parts of the country,” Patton said. “I'm not a big fan of mint because of its aggressive tendencies, but it's great in the right spots. It's all a matter of knowing what you're getting into.”
Other drought-resistant herbs to consider:
-- Fennel is a perennial with leaves and seeds used for flavoring. “It's also good for attracting butterflies,” Patton said.
-- Low-growing herbs include yarrow (beware the aggressive runners) and thyme. “Creeping thyme makes a good groundcover and becomes fragrant when you walk on it,” said Jeff Schalau, an agent with University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. Lavender is another appealing aromatic herb, as are rosemary and oregano.
-- Taller herb varieties that pack a lot of color would include phlomis (Jerusalem sage) and evening primrose, but the latter should be potted to contain its growth.
-- Mint, if confined to containers, bee balm and angelica require little in the way of water, fertilizer or herbicides.
-- Russian sage, horehound, santolina, marjoram, catnip, sweet alyssum and lamb's ears also fare well with minimal watering.
Not all herbs can be grown in all areas. Check with your university extension office or garden clubs for local information.
For more information online, see this Clemson University Fact Sheet: http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/vegetables/crops/hgic1311.html. | <urn:uuid:09b8eae0-32f3-4f47-952e-806bccf45607> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.times-standard.com/lifestyle/ci_22488096/herbs-are-colorful-choice-water-deprived-gardens?source=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942408 | 860 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Culture puts the brake on women's mobility
Article sourced from IPS:
The bicycle has been hailed as having done "more than anything else in the world…to emancipate women" -- the words of 19th century American feminist Susan B. Anthony. But for many women in South Africa, culture and tradition make it difficult to take advantage of the increased mobility and access to social and economic opportunities, not to mention the reduced carbon footprint, offered by bicycles.
"Most people think that cycling is for children, and definitely not for African women -- especially married ones," says Myolisi Njoli of Luvo Bicycles, a non-governmental group that manages a programme in the Western Cape Province called 'Women in Cycling' on behalf of the provincial government.
Marianne Vanderschuren of the Centre for Transport Studies at the University of Cape Town, and Africa convenor for the Cycling Academic Network (a collaboration between Brazil, India, Holland and South Africa), has come across similar views in her research: fears that cycling makes a woman seem undignified or unfeminine.
Notes Meshack Nchupetsang, one of the directors of the Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN), also in the coastal city of Cape Town, "It is a challenge to liberate women and get them onto bikes. We live in a century when women are our partners, and bikes offer a way to improve our socio-economic status, but even when women feel free enough to ride, there are these issues of safety..."
According to the latest statistics from the International Road Federation (for 1999-2004), South Africa has the world's highest death toll on the roads. The federation is a non-profit based in Brussels. In addition, a conference paper by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, a government-funded organisation in South Africa, indicates that 40 to 45 percent of accident victims use non-motorised transport.
"South Africa is a culture with no respect for life," says Vanderschuren. In this environment, women may view cycling as too dangerous: "Women are the ones with obligations to care for children and family, but are afraid for their lives when they're vulnerable road users. In South Africa cycling is a high risk activity, and women traditionally take fewer risks."
Then there is the issue of status: "To get respect in this country, you are supposed to drive or be in a car," notes Vanderschuren.
'Women in Cycling' is making a determined effort to ensure that women on bikes become less of an exception to the rule, however.
A group of 20 women in the low-income settlement of Khayelitsha, Cape Town, recently graduated from the programme, which has been underway for three years. In black cycle shorts, T-shirts and helmets, they received certificates in road safety, cycling skills and maintenance, looking somewhat out of place in an area more used to seeing women walking, or crammed into public transport.
"These women have seen the benefits that riding a bike can bring, and they will not take 'no' for an answer," says Njoli. Approximately 200 women have received training under the initiative.
Bicycles are particularly suited to women's travel patterns, notes Vanderschuren. This is because women often make more, and shorter trips to a variety of destinations during off-peak commuter times, as they juggle work, child care and household responsibilities.
In addition, bicycles offer freedom from the schedules and time-tables of public transport that might prove confining for women who need flexibility when allocating their time.
"A bicycle is right for me...On a bike I can always do things in my own time," says Juanita Maguni, who cycles to work in the suburb of Manenberg. Still, while "It's easy to cycle, it's...difficult to ignore people's comments about a woman on a bike...I have to muster my courage to ride."
In a country where women frequently shoulder the burden of poverty, bicycles can also prove cost efficient. They are faster, cheaper and more efficient than motorised transport over distances of between five and 20 kilometres.
Second-hand bicycles -- imported by BEN through partnerships with Dutch and German non-governmental organisations -- can cost about 30 dollars, no small amount for many households, and in certain instances the equivalent of two month's minibus taxi fare. According to the latest United Nations Human Development Report, about a third of people in the country live on less than two dollars a day.
Still, says Rufus Norexe, a bicycle mechanic who works with BEN and lives in the informal area of Westlake, once your bike is paid for, it's paid for.
According to the most recent South African National Household Travel Survey (from 2003), on average, commuters who earn less than about 75 dollars a month and take public transport spend over a third of that income on transport. The vast majority (more than 80 percent) spend more than 20 percent of their income on transport.
BEN also distributes new and refurbished bikes to health workers and pupils, amongst others -- this for its own programmes and on behalf of the national Department of Transport, as well as for Access Africa: a programme of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. This lobby group is based in New York.
"There is a strong correlation between poverty and urban mobility," says Aimee Gauthier, of Access Africa.
"Poverty complicates mobility and lack of transport options complicates poverty," she adds. "Transport costs put a lot of financial pressure on households where financial pressures already exist."
South Africa's national government has recognised the role that bicycles can play in poverty alleviation, and through its Shova Kalula ("Pedal Easy", in Zulu) programme aims to deliver one million bicycles throughout South Africa by 2015, mostly to women, health workers and learners.
Until cultural change gathers momentum alongside the provision of bicycles, however, outdated views will continue to put a spoke in the wheel with getting more women on bikes.
"It's so difficult," Norexe says, when asked about the number of women who enquire about purchasing bicycles. "People from rural areas, they are holding on to their traditions; and although my wife cycles in Cape Town and wears trousers, she can't do this on my father's premises."
By Gail Jennings
Access this article online:
Safety and Security MDGs
Mobility as a Human Right
Regional East and South Africa
Regional West and Central Africa
Regional Latin America | <urn:uuid:710923b2-11c5-4ae9-8d6f-d2b1668b475b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ifrtd.gn.apc.org/en/full.php?id=247 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957877 | 1,357 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Nauru accuses asylum seekers of hindering medical treatment
About two dozen asylum seekers on Nauru are on a hunger strike, and another is so sick he's been flown to Australia for treatment. A Nauruan government official's told Saturday AM some detainees tried to stop workers helping a man attempting to hang himself this week.
Source: AM | Duration: 4min 24sec
ELIZABETH JACKSON: A Facebook page set up by asylum seekers on Nauru describes scenes of chaos with reports of self-harming, assault, roll calls in the middle of the night, numerous suicide attempts and a general atmosphere of tension and severe frustration.
But a Nauruan government official has today told Saturday AM there's just a small group of detainees who are causing the trouble and they're inciting others to join in.
Matthew Batsua, is a senior member of the Nauruan government and he says the same group even tried to stop health workers helping a man who attempted to hang himself this week.
Tom Nightingale reports.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: The desperation of one detainee in the Nauru detention centre led him to try to hang himself inside the site's laundry on Thursday night.
The Nauru government's Matthew Batsua says what happened immediately after was shocking.
MATTHEW BATSUA: When they were trying offer the help that he obviously required, they were being obstructed by others who were keen to see a negative outcome.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: He's a senior member of the government, and co-chairs the committee set up to oversee the centre.
He says a small group of detainees are protesting and trying to encourage others to join them.
MATTHEW BATSUA: To me and to the Nauru government, this is sadly behaviour that concerns us seriously. If they have their issues they should pursue those issues individually, but they should not be compromising others as well
TOM NIGHTINGALE: The Nauru government has begun interviewing asylum seekers to process their refugee claims.
Matthew Batsua says some are pressuring others not to co-operate, in the hope that their claims will instead be processed by Australia.
Professor Louise Newman from Monash University headed a government advisory panel on the mental health of asylum seekers for four years.
LOUISE NEWMAN: I've heard reports from detainees and from staff that there have been some elements of coercion where some individuals who are very determined to engage in protest and hunger striking have encouraged others to be involved.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: She says people inside the centre are under extreme pressure.
LOUISE NEWMAN: Look, that's fairly, sadly very typical in those sorts of very emotionally charged environments where people are at high levels of tension and high levels of distress. So we - people can be, if you like, encouraged to engage in that sort of activity.
What we probably have is a minority group who are extremely determined to continue protest because really they see themselves as having very little other option or ways of influencing the situation they find themselves in.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: But Mr Batsua says the island is well equipped to cope. And he says local authorities haven't been surprised by what's resulted.
MATTHEW BATSUA: We went into this with our eyes wide open. We did expect that there'll be a strong resistance to being processed in Nauru.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: Yesterday an Iranian man was flown to an undisclosed Australian hospital for medical treatment that's not possible in Nauru after a hunger strike lasting 50 days. Professor Newman says others could follow.
LOUISE NEWMAN: I understand there's at least one other person where transport to the mainland for medical treatment is being considered.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: Considered or recommended?
LOUISE NEWMAN: Recommended.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: How urgent do you understand the request to evacuate him to be? How urgent is that?
LOUISE NEWMAN: I'm not sure of the current urgency but I am aware that recommendations have been made that the person should be transferred.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: The Immigration Department and the company contracted to provide medical services on Nauru wouldn't comment on whether a second detainee has been recommended to be evacuated.
According to Mr Batsua, about two dozen others on Nauru are on hunger strikes. But he doesn't think the Iranian man being flown to Australia will lead others putting themselves in similar states.
MATTHEW BATSUA: Those kind of things are hard to predict. It may not happen. All I do know is the number of people participating in voluntary starvation decreased since we announced and since we've commenced the transferee interviews.
TOM NIGHTINGALE: The Immigration Department says the Iranian man flown to Australia will be returned to Nauru once he's judged healthy enough to travel.
ELIZABETH JACKSON: Tom Nightingale with that report.
And the Minister for Immigration, Chris Bowen, declined an interview this morning with Saturday AM. | <urn:uuid:e4eb8a4b-ba34-4fd6-a8fb-21be8b289f63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-01/nauru-accuses-asylum-seekers-of-hindering-medical/4402510 | 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 | 0.961904 | 1,053 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Genomic data and prediction: the value of comprehensive information
Genome projects produce very large data sets, starting with genomic sequence but also now providing gene expression data from microarrays, phenotype data from systematic gene disruption screens etc. These data sets look attractive to constrain highly parameterised models; one particular advantage is that their comprehensive nature means that every gene, for example, can be considered. However, for the most part systematic genome studies remain a long way from providing what is required to constrain predictive functional models, either because they do not measure the desired properties (e.g. molecular activities), or because we can't interpret the information that is obtained (e.g. failure to fold proteins from sequence). | <urn:uuid:90629fb3-b919-42c7-adec-1d1746943fec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newton.ac.uk/programmes/SMC/Abstracts1/durbin.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909723 | 144 | 2.078125 | 2 |
In the Garden:
Potato vine, vinca, and springeri fern are all durable and attractive fillers for containers.
Instant Gardens: The Beauty of Container Gardening
You don't have to retire your green thumb just because you have a limited area for gardening. Planting in containers allows you to have an abundance of flowers and many kinds of vegetables and herbs, wherever you want.
Growing in containers offers many advantages. Container gardens require minimal weeding, they can be placed close to a water source, and they can be located at comfortable heights that minimize bending down or kneeling for tending.
The beauty of container gardening is that you can grow many kinds of different plants with different needs, side by side. Just a few terra cotta pots planted with succulents, such as sedums, ice plant, and hens and chicks, create a serene, desert setting. Plus, they're easy to care for.
Choose a container that gives plant roots room to grow, but not so much room that the plants don't fill out the container. The foliage of different plants should touch to provide shade for the soil and help retain soil moisture and keep weeds from gaining an upper hand. Be sure there is drainage at the sides or bottom of the container. Container-grown plants will not tolerate soggy feet.
Don't be tempted to dig up ordinary garden soil and put it in your containers. Use a prepared potting mixture for container gardening. It is generally formulated to provide better drainage and aeration. Compost-based soil mixes also contain nutrients to help the plants grow. Use waterproof drainage saucers beneath pots to prevent stains on patio floors, outdoor carpets, and decks.
If you are worried about watering containers frequently to keep plants alive, add water-absorbing soil amendments. These polymers are very effective in potting mixtures for increasing the soil's water-holding capacity. When hydrated, the granules look like chunks of gelatin about 1/2 inch in diameter. Read and follow label directions for the specific polymer that you select.
Use several sizes of containers for an interesting arrangement against a wall or along a pathway. Container gardens can flourish in the most whimsical holders, such as an old bathtub filled with bright and cheery alpine poppies and the bold colors of marigolds.
Half whiskey barrels, cast-iron urns, and old stone sinks are all large enough to hold a variety of flowers and vegetables. Old coal ash buckets and watering cans will make colorful planters, and they're just the right size for smaller plants like herbs. Group several together right outside your kitchen door for a portable, fresh, herb garden.
For taller growing plants including tomatoes, dahlias, gladiolus; and vining cucumbers, morning glories, and thunbergia, place stake supports or a trellis into the container when you first plant the transplants. This prevents damaging the root system by adding supports later in the growing season.
Container gardens can create potted pleasures of charming color and fragrance all through your landscape.
Care to share your gardening thoughts, insights, triumphs, or disappointments with your fellow gardening enthusiasts? Join the lively discussions on our FaceBook page and receive free daily tips! | <urn:uuid:8a1a5eb2-09ca-4433-be64-f7d8499e723e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.garden.org/regional/report/arch/inmygarden/1411 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919779 | 674 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Read Time: 2 - 4 minutes
In addition to candidates, the Internet played a larger role in the election and how voters participated. Millions of more people had Internet access during the 2008 election than they had in 2004. As the candidates and parties wrestled with how to use the new tool most effectively, voters benefitted from more information. All voters were able to find more information about the candidates and candidates were able to make direct contact with voters. Both candidates consistently messaged to the base voters, communicating policy positions, new leadership plans, or asking for donations.
During the 2002 election, 80,295,249 voters participated in the election. The 80M represent 27.7% of the total US resident population. In that same year, 167,196,688 Americans were actively using the Internet. This correlates to 58% of the total US population. By the time the 2004 presidential election took place, 68.8% of the US resident population were Internet users. That election saw 60.7% of eligible voters turnout to the polls, but represented only 42% of the resident population. 2006 saw 41.6% voter turnout while approximately 69% of Americans had Intent access. 2008 represented a presidential election where 62% of eligible Americans voted and 72.5% had online access. The most recent (2010) national election, a mid-term, saw 41.7% of the eligible population vote on Election Day, while 77.3% of the national population were Internet users.
Although the increases have been small in turnout percentage, the last decade has shown more voters turning out at the polls and greater Internet access each year. More people are voting during the mid-term elections than the year prior and more voters are weighing in during the presidential elections than in the previous election.
The Internet provides a mechanism to sidestep old ways of disenfranchising voters and practices that make it difficult for voters to participate in an election. Internet usage has surpassed 90% in the US since the last election, and its effects on voting or a correlation between turnout and such a high degree of access is yet to be seen. Having such a large number of Americans using the Internet without a portal for democratic participation is striking.
In the next segment: Many barriers to voting are premised on the assumption that voter fraud is an issue in the United States that must be dealt with or we will be putting our democracy at risk.
In 2008, 220,141,969 Americans had Internet access, compared to 201,661,159 in 2004. | <urn:uuid:a6f362d8-88c1-4162-80c2-a3d051e962e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ivn.us/tomorrows-democracy/2012/08/23/internet-access-vs-voter-turnout/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967389 | 512 | 3.15625 | 3 |
- For Teachers
Could you plz help me with the hyphenation English dictionary. There must be a txt, html, or any other sort of downloadable dictionaries - I'd be very thankfull if you recommend me one.
Why do I need hyphonation when any text editor has got one? A friend of mine is writing a text-editing programme & I'm having a little argument with him about hyphenation rules. The best solution to the problem would be in my getting the hyphenation English dictionary and showing him any particular case. In case there isn't one (I mean the dictionary of course, not the case- there're loads of them ) I'd be very gratefull if a native speaker (preferably philology educated) would consult me on some difficult cases. So to start with what about "ed" & "ing" can we separate them from the root or not, i.e. "finish-ed" or "read-ing" - I mean "ed" here sounds like "t" & if I'm not mistaken it's not a syllable - there's no vowel!
Is there a resource to guide on hyphenation of english words. Google has referred me to thei 'usingenglish.com' but I have been unsuccessful in locating anything.
It's not an exact science, but here are some guidlines from a style book that seem reasonable:
Words already hyphenated should be broken at the hyphen.
Break words according to their derivation: aristo-cracy, melli-fluous.
Words of one syllable should not be broken.
If possible, at least three characters should be taken over to the next line.
Words should not be broken so that their identity is confused or their identifying sound distorted (e.g. rap-ist).
Personal names should not be broken.
Figures should not be broken or separated from their unit of measurement.
A word formed with a prefix or suffix should be broken at that point. | <urn:uuid:276bd11f-f107-4fcb-8fd4-bcd21faa9edc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/13230-hyphenation-english-dictionary.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941096 | 422 | 3.109375 | 3 |
The Sahara's Frozen Conflict
Gareth Evans, The Wall Street Journal Europe |
21 Jun 2007
Efforts to end the near-forgotten conflict in Western Sahara seem to have picked up momentum, after 16 years of bloody war and another 16 of failed peacemaking. The conflict began when 350,000 Moroccans marched into the formerly Spanish-controlled region in 1975, generating armed resistance by the Polisario Front movement of the local Sahrawi people, who wanted independence, not a new overlord. After apparent concessions from both Morocco and the Polisario, U.N.-sponsored talks involving the local and regional parties began this week.
But appearances can be deceiving. The dynamics of the conflict have not changed, and the formal positions of Rabat and the Algeria-backed Polisario are far apart. It's little surprise the negotiations stalled after only two days. Morocco has proposed creating a "Sahara autonomous region" but insists on retaining formal sovereignty over the area. The Polisario wants a referendum with independence as a clear option, the eventual solution proposed in 2004 by James Baker, then the U.N. Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara.
There are many reasons why the various parties in Western Sahara do not want to compromise. Elements of the Moroccan, Polisario and Algerian leaderships have vested interests in the status quo. The 1991 cease-fire is working well enough that neither the Algerian nor Moroccan publics are pressing for change. The Moroccan monarchy and Algerian presidency also have limited room for maneuver with their military commanders.
The Security Council, which has given itself the responsibility for resolving the conflict, continues to insist that an acceptable solution "will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara." So far, however, the U.N. has wholly failed to put its doctrine into practice and to organize a referendum allowing for choice between at least two options: integration with Morocco and independence. That is what would be needed for the U.N. to really put its money where its mouth has been.
The U.N. has its reasons for being cautious. Morocco's consent is hardly likely, and in its absence such a referendum would have to be imposed on it by a Security Council resolution under Chapter VII of the Charter, a course both extremely unlikely to win the necessary votes and full of operational pitfalls.
The alternative approach is for the Security Council to allow and encourage the parties to negotiate the terms of a settlement themselves, without imposing any conditions as to the outcome. It remains wholly unlikely that Algeria and the Polisario Front will persuade Morocco to resolve the dispute on the basis of the democratic principle of self-determination: Rabat's fear of an independent Western Sahara destabilizing the monarchy is just too strong.
But it is conceivable that the parties could agree on a package of reciprocal concessions that the territory's population, and its neighbors, could live with. For example, the new autonomous region could be designed to correspond exactly with Western Sahara boundaries; Rabat could stop encouraging settlement of the region from other Moroccan provinces; and it could accept the Polisario as a legal political organization capable of assuming political power in the autonomous region, if elected.
The trouble with the Security Council's position is that it has in fact set the negotiators mutually exclusive objectives. It is simultaneously continuing to stipulate that the talks between the parties vindicate the right of self-determination (which means independence is an option) and welcoming Morocco's recent autonomy proposal (which rules out independence). This recipe for deadlock is not a matter of bad faith or familiar Security Council power politics so much as competing imperatives. Self-determination, with all that implies, is a longstanding U.N. doctrine that no one really wants to abandon. Yet autonomy, while strongly favored by traditional Morocco supporters, the U.S. and France, has long been seen by others as well as a possible practical solution.
So with the best of intentions, the U.N. has succeeded only in encouraging another round of lobbying. The latest proposals by Morocco and the Polisario Front -- addressed not to each other, but to the U.N. and major Western governments -- are meant to impress the international gallery rather than serve as opening moves in a sincere negotiation with the historic adversary.
Whether achieved by a full self-determination referendum (the ideal solution), or a negotiated settlement, the main objective must be to bring this conflict to an end. Though the status quo looks appealing, it hides costs that have been unacceptably high for everyone concerned. The Sahrawi people have suffered most. Even if the 1991 cease-fire stopped most of the outright violence, refugees in the Tindouf camps in Algeria live in isolation and poverty, under political leadership that is barely democratic. Those who live in the territory controlled by Morocco fare a little better materially, but Rabat systematically suppresses political rights calls for self-determination and any right of free association.
Moroccans have also borne huge financial costs for the military presence there, the investment in the "Southern provinces," and tax breaks and higher salaries for civil servants based in Western Sahara. All of this hampers national development elsewhere. The situation is all the more serious since poverty in the country's slums is generating momentum for a Salafi Islamist movement. Algeria also faces financial and diplomatic costs, and the security problem of continuing tension on its western border. The international community has to pay large sums for an observation force and economic aid.
The answer is for the Security Council to admit its approach has become part of the problem and make a decision: either to push for self-determination, with all the problems that go with that, or let the parties resolve the dispute among themselves without preconditions.
Mr. Evans is president of the International Crisis Group, which has just published, at
, two reports on the Western Sahara. | <urn:uuid:ee70076a-1fae-4ea0-a9ee-74130acdd0b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/middle-east-north-africa/north-africa/western-sahara/the-saharas-frozen-conflict.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955155 | 1,202 | 1.867188 | 2 |
By Doron Zeilberger
Posted: March 1, 2012.
Pure Mathematics has lately grown so specialized so that even to understand the statement of most problems needs lots of background, let alone solving them.
But in addition to our "day job" it is good to keep in mind all these beautiful open problems that are so easy to state, and (seemingly) so hard so solve. While it is extremely unlikely that you would solve any specific one, it is still unlikely, but less extremely so, that you would solve at least one of them, that is provided that you know sufficiently many of them. In this talk I will tell you about some of my favorites, and if you ever prove one of them, don't forget to mention that you first heard about it from me.
Doron Zeilberger's Home Page | <urn:uuid:ad34e2c4-65e8-48d4-ae30-0b554c098dbb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.math.rutgers.edu/~zeilberg/mamarim/mamarimhtml/famous.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981734 | 172 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Atomic Force F+E and Asylum Research, the technology leader in scanning probe/atomic force microscopy (AFM/SPM) announce the first European AFM in Biology Class to be held February 23-25, 2010 at Atomic Force Corporate office in Mannheim, Germany.
This world-renowned class, held at Asylum Research in Santa Barbara for the past six years, is open to all Atomic Force Microscopy users that want to increase their knowledge of AFM in biology and the life sciences. The class combines lecture with extensive hands-on sessions for personal instruction and interaction with the Asylum and Atomic Force technical staff.
“We cover all the essential AFM topics that biologists need and want to learn about – from sample preparation to advanced imaging and force measurements,” said Dr. Irène Revenko, Applications Scientist and class director. “I am very excited to be teaching the lessons and experiments that we’ve done for so many years in Santa Barbara here in Europe at the Atomic Force facility. The class is fun, with a good mix of lecture and equipment time.”
Commented previous class attendee Dr. Yael Dror of Oxford University, “You all did a remarkable job in all areas! I am especially grateful for your sincere willingness to help each of us and the time and energy you spent with me to help, explain, guide and think together about my results. But above all you shared with us your love of the AFM, which couldn’t possibly be ignored, and gave us an insight into a very special company.”
This comprehensive three day course covers all major topics for AFM in biology, including sample prep, force measurements, and imaging DNA, proteins, lipids and live cells. The Asylum Research MFP-3D™ AFM is used exclusively for the hands-on sessions. Class size is limited. A PDF of the registration form can be downloaded from the Asylum Research web site at www.AsylumResearch.com/News/BioClassRegistration.pdf. | <urn:uuid:a4d0d286-d896-4454-a251-084cdfc67a9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?newsID=15203 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922461 | 421 | 1.632813 | 2 |
In A Difficult Job Market, EF Opens New Schools To Respond To Demand For Multilingual Professionals
For young people today, it’s more and more common to study multiple languages, as many careersrequire not just one foreign language, but two or even more. In an increasingly difficult job market, speaking two foreign languages maynot only get you a job, but can alsosubstantially increase your salary.EF Education First is responding to this multilingual trend by opening four new language schools across Europe and EF is also offering a special study program for accelerated multilingual learning.
To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:
School Direct figures publishedThe EU has recognized multilingualism as such an important factor in the competitiveness of European employees and companies, that in 2007 they appointed an EU Commissioner devoted to promoting multilingualism in Europe. EF Education First, the world’s largest private language education company, has also taken note: “In Europe, employers often ask for English plus either Spanish, French, German or Italian, and we see more and more companies asking for Chinese”, explains Mats Ulenius, Vice President at EF. “Young people realize what becoming multilingual will do for their careers and their salary potential. As a result, we see a higher demand from students for courses in all the popular third languages.”
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EF has responded to the multilingual trend by opening four new language schools in Europe: Paris, Madrid, Rome and Munich.Their doors will be open by February 2012 and students canapply online at www.ef.com/centers.
The company’s new flagship French school, EF Paris, is in its own palace-like building just steps from the Opera and the fashionable boutiques of the 9th arrondissement. “EF offers a wider range of special interest classes than any other French school in Paris, including a popular French Cuisine course taught in the school’s custom-built professional kitchen”, says Alix Lallement, the director of the school.
Like Paris, EF’s other new continental schools are also opening in the heart of exciting cities. “Students want to experience the sights and sounds of the local cultureafter class, so the location of the school is important”, says Jurgen Oehler, director of EF Munich, which is based in a stunning glass building in the hipLeheldistrict. Similarly, the EF Madrid school is in a landmark building in the vibrant Salamanca neighborhood, and EF Rome, perhaps the most impressive,is housed in a patrician mansion with frescoed ceilings, just around the corner from the famous Piazza Navona.
EF has also introduced a special program, called the EF Multi-LanguageYear, for students determined to become multilingual quickly. Participants choose two or three of EF’s 41 International Language Centers worldwide to create their own tailor-made, nine-month study tour,learning up to three languages plus the invaluable experience of cultural immersion in multiple countries.
|Review Magazines. All rights reserved Tel: 01234 348878 Fax: 01223 790191 Email: firstname.lastname@example.org Sitemap| | <urn:uuid:6f9b0b90-8404-4532-b52d-ab9b311468d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.education-magazine.co.uk/In_A_Difficult_Job_Market_EF_Opens_New_Schools_To_Respond_To_Demand_For_Multilingual_Professionals-a-1712.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915583 | 790 | 1.625 | 2 |
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Wislawa Szymborska Has Died
Décès de la poétesse Szymborska
La poétesse polonaise Wislawa Szymborska, prix Nobel de Littérature 1996, est morte ce soir à l'âge de 88 ans, a annoncé son assistant Michal Rusinek. Elle est morte dans sa maison à Cracovie "tranquillement, dans son sommeil", a-t-il déclaré à l'agence de presse polonaise PAP.
Née le 2 juillet 1923 à Bnin, dans la région de Poznan (ouest), Szymborska a fait ses études à la Faculté des lettres et de sociologie de l'Université Jagellonne de Cracovie. Elle a vécu ensuite dans cette ville historique du sud de la Pologne jusqu'à la fin de ses jours.
Elle est auteur d'une vingtaine de recueils de poèmes, marqués par une réflexion philosophique sur des questions morales de notre époque, coulée dans une forme poétique très soignée.
Wislawa Szymborska a aussi traduit des poèmes, surtout la poésie classique française, dont celle d'Agrippa d'Aubigné et de Théophile de Viau, et celle du poète juif Icyk Manger.
Indépendante d'esprit, elle est restée à l'écart de la vie politique, faisant partie de ces intellectuels polonais pour qui la dimension spirituelle de la vie passait avant toute chose.
From The New York Times:
Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel-Winning Polish Poet, Dies at 88
By RAYMOND H. ANDERSON
Wislawa Szymborska, a gentle and reclusive Polish poet who won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature, died on Wednesday in Krakow, Poland. She was 88.
The cause was lung cancer, said David A. Goldfarb, the curator of literature and humanities at the Polish Cultural Institute in New York, a diplomatic mission of the Polish Embassy.
Ms. Szymborska (pronounced VEES-mah-vah shim-BOR-ska) had a relatively small body of work when she received the Nobel, the fifth Polish or Polish-born writer to have done so since the prize was created in 1901. Only about 200 of her poems had been published in periodicals and thin volumes over a half-century, and her lifetime total was something less than 400.
The Nobel announcement surprised Ms. Szymborska, who had lived an intensely private life. “She was kind of paralyzed by it,” said Clare Cavanagh, who, with Stanislaw Baranczak, translated much of Ms. Szymborska’s work into English.
“Her friends called it the ‘Nobel tragedy,’ ” Dr. Cavanagh, a professor of literature at Northwestern University, said in an interview on Wednesday. “It was a few years before she wrote another poem.”
Ms. Szymborska lived most of her life in modest conditions in the old university city of Krakow, working for the magazine Zycie Literackie (Literary Life). She published a thin volume of her verse every few years.
She was popular in Poland, which tends to make romantic heroes of poets, but she was little known abroad. Her poems were clear in topic and language, but her playfulness and tendency to invent words made her work hard to translate.
Much of her verse was contemplative, but she also addressed death, torture, war and, strikingly, Hitler, whose attack on Poland in 1939 started World War II in Europe. She depicted him as an innocent — “this little fellow in his itty-bitty robe” — being photographed on his first birthday.
Ms. Szymborska began writing in the Socialist Realist style. The first collection of what some have called her Stalinist period, “That’s What We Live For,” appeared in 1952, followed two years later by another ideological collection, “Questions Put to Myself.”
Years later she told the poet and critic Edward Hirsch: “When I was young I had a moment of believing in the Communist doctrine. I wanted to save the world through Communism. Quite soon I understood that it doesn’t work, but I’ve never pretended it didn’t happen to me.
“At the very beginning of my creative life I loved humanity. I wanted to do something good for mankind. Soon I understood that it isn’t possible to save mankind.”
By 1957, she had renounced both Communism and her early poetry. Decades later, she was active in the Solidarity movement’s struggle against Poland’s Communist government. During a period of martial law, imposed in 1981, she published poems under a pseudonym in the underground press.
She insisted that her poetry was personal rather than political. “Of course, life crosses politics,” she said in an interview with The New York Times after winning the Nobel in 1996. “But my poems are strictly not political. They are more about people and life.”
Ms. Szymborska “looks at things from an angle you would never think of looking at for yourself in a million years,” Dr. Cavanagh said on the day of the Nobel announcement. She pointed to “one stunning poem that’s a eulogy.”
“It’s about the death of someone close to her that’s done from the point of view of the person’s cat,” she said.
That poem, “Cat in an Empty Apartment,” as translated by Dr. Cavanagh and Mr. Baranczak, opens:
Die — You can’t do that to a cat.
Since what can a cat do
in an empty apartment?
Climb the walls?
Rub up against the furniture?
Nothing seems different here,
but nothing is the same.
Nothing has been moved,
but there’s more space.
And at nighttime no lamps are lit.
Footsteps on the staircase,
but they’re new ones.
The hand that puts fish on the saucer
has changed, too.
Something doesn’t start
at its usual time.
Something doesn’t happen
as it should. Someone was always, always here,
then suddenly disappeared
and stubbornly stays disappeared.
Wislawa Szymborska was born on July 2, 1923, near Poznan, in western Poland. When she was 8, her family moved to Krakow. During the Nazi occupation, she went to a clandestine school, risking German punishment, and later studied literature and sociology at the prestigious Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
Her marriage to the poet Adam Wlodek ended in divorce. Her companion, the writer Kornel Filipowicz, died in 1990. She had no children, and no immediate family members survive.
Czeslaw Milosz, the Polish exile who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1980, said of Ms. Szymborska’s Nobel selection: “She’s a shy and modest person, and for her it will be a terrible burden, this prize. She is very reticent in her poetry also. This is not a poetry where she reveals her personal life.”
Her work did, however, reveal sympathy for others — even the biblical figure who looked back at Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt. Ms. Szymborska speculated in the opening lines of “Lot’s Wife” on why she looked back:
They say I looked back out of curiosity,
but I could have had other reasons.
I looked back mourning my silver bowl.
Carelessly, while tying my sandal strap.
So I wouldn’t have to keep staring at the righteous nape
Of my husband Lot’s neck.
From the sudden conviction that if I dropped dead
He wouldn’t so much as hesitate.
From the disobedience of the meek.
Checking for pursuers.
Struck by the silence, hoping God had changed his mind.
Her last book to be translated, “Here,” was published in the United States last year. Reviewing it for The New York Review of Books, the poet Charles Simic noted that Ms. Szymborska “often writes as if on an assigned subject,” examining it in depth. He added: “If this sounds like poetry’s equivalent of expository writing, it is. More than any poet I can think of, Szymborska not only wants to create a poetic state in her readers, but also to tell them things they didn’t know before or never got around to thinking about.”
In her Nobel lecture, Ms. Szymborska joked about the life of poets. Great films can be made of the lives of scientists and artists, she said, but poets offer far less promising material.
“Their work is hopelessly unphotogenic,” she said. “Someone sits at a table or lies on a sofa while staring motionless at a wall or ceiling. Once in a while this person writes down seven lines, only to cross out one of them 15 minutes later, and then another hour passes, during which nothing happens. Who could stand to watch this kind of thing?” | <urn:uuid:d0526f03-e403-44c2-9a62-625954c811f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newenglishreview.org/blog_email.cfm/blog_id/40370 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905122 | 2,161 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Astronomy Lecture Spotlights Discovering Our Place in the CosmosJanuary 23, 20087 p.m.
As part of the ninth annual Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, Astronomer Joel Primack of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Philosopher and Attorney Nancy Ellen Abrams will present The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos
, a non-technical multimedia lecture, Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
in the Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College. Admission is free
and the public is invited. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive early to locate parking.
Remarkable discoveries in the last decade are transforming cosmology--the study of the universe as a whole. Our cosmos appears to be made mostly of dark matter and dark energy, with the stars and galaxies we can see making up only a tiny fraction of it. We are beginning to understand the first few minutes after the Big Bang and the way in which the structure of the universe arose.
This interdisciplinary program is something of a departure from our usual series of lectures, but should intrigue and challenge everyone interested in the meaning of science for our times.
and Nancy Ellen Abrams
' program is both a progress report and philosophical reflection on our modern view of ourselves and our place in the cosmos. Using the latest science, cosmic images and visualizations, plus music, themes from myth, and even cartoons, they will illustrate how the new ideas about the universe have widespread cultural implications.
Primack is an award-winning physicist and cosmologist, who writes for both his colleagues and the public.
Abrams is a former Fulbright Scholar and student of mythology. While working for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, she invented a method called "scientific mediation" that lets government agencies make intelligent decisions despite scientific uncertainty. Together they teach the Cosmology & Culture
course at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and have written a popular book, published in 2006, with the same title as this lecture.
The free lecture series is sponsored by the Foothill College Astronomy Program, NASA Ames Research Center, SETI Institute and Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Past lectures from the series are available online in MP3-format at www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.html.
Visitors must purchase a campus parking permit for $2 (eight quarters). Parking lots 1, 5 and 6 provide access to the theatre. For more information, access www.foothill.edu or call (650) 949-7888.Phone us at: (650) 949-7888Click here for more information.
Check this link for additional information: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/index.htmlSpecial Notice: Visitors must purchase a campus parking permit for $2 | <urn:uuid:a89e5d16-27ee-44ee-b4ab-92fd584d320e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foothill.fhda.edu/ast/ast_story.php?sr=2&rec_id=1044 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904567 | 604 | 2.453125 | 2 |
After 11 weeks of law school, I can no longer think like a sane person.
My wife says, “Good Morning.”
Is it really? How do you quantify “good?” Is that better than “okay” or are the two analogous? Is “good” too subjective of a standard to properly categorize morning? How would a reasonable person define “good” in relation to morning? I didn’t step on sharp child’s toys barefoot nor any overnight surprises left in the hallway by cats. Can you—should you—define good in the negative? Is it good if something bad has not yet happened? But that implies that good is a constant state of existence unless some outside force acts upon your good morning. Who is this outside actor and would they be liable for infringing on your good morning? What does the Restatement say?
Morning. Is it morning or has the day transitioned into that quasi-time sometimes referred to as mid-day. Which time zone is the official record-keeper of morning? Television programs list their starting times as 9/8 Central. If that is the rule, then morning ends at 11 a.m. Central time, since it is already noon on the East Coast. Unless the mid-day gray area takes affect. Is mid-day a minority jurisdiction rule or a majority? The clock reads 11:05 . . . 11:06. Did my wife make the statement before 11 a.m., which might make the statement correct, or did she say it after 11 a.m. Central, in which case her statement is totally inappropriate? I didn’t make a note of the exact time. Okay, assuming her statement was made before 11 a.m. and we are operating under the majority jurisdiction rule of morning ending at noon/11 Central, then she was technically correct in the statement, which forces evaluation of the next question:
Does an accurate statement of “good morning” require a response under standard common courtesy rules when the speaker is your spouse of several years and the modifying adjective “good” has no ascertainable authority?
Common courtesy would necessitate an answer according to local custom. Wait. What’s my authority? Crap. I’ll have to look that up. I can’t do it now. She is looking at me. She looks annoyed. Perhaps the custom has policy roots in self-preservation. Go with it. Since local custom and courtesy require an answer, one must be given. However, under Rule 11b I can’t provide an answer that I don’t believe to be factually accurate. But, I am free to amend my answer once within 21 days.
At 11:08, I look up.
“Yes, the chair has four legs.” I say. Then I walk out of the kitchen carrying the sugar bowl and leaving my coffee in the fridge where the milk should have gone. | <urn:uuid:053f2acb-c855-473b-863f-0f6f3f184ba9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bitterlawyer.com/1l-debriefs-the-morning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965372 | 621 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Supply and use tables and the input-output tables based on them describe in detail product flows in the national economy. They are suited for analysing production activity structures and interdependencies between industries. The tables add detail to national accounts and form a coherent framework for describing product flows in the accounts. As the tables are compiled as an integral part of national accounts they also improve the quality of other national accounts data. Supply and use tables describe the supply of products formed by domestic production and imports, and the use of these products as intermediate products in the production of other products and as final products for consumption, capital formation and exports. The actual, symmetrical input-output tables provide a picture of interdependencies between industries, while analysis tables derived from them indicate the importance of the production and final use of different industries to the production and employment in the whole economy. | <urn:uuid:805cb927-f8a7-47d7-9356-c9cd50511aa2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stat.fi/til/pt/meta_en.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922566 | 173 | 3.34375 | 3 |
The Bloomberg administration said yesterday that it was exploring placing tolls on city-controlled bridges on the East River and perhaps others. An idea that has been proposed by mayors several times before, it seems to be gaining momentum as a way to help cure the city's ailing finances.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg did not mention the idea when he presented his budget plan, but deep within it -- in a section explaining sources of money that the city hoped to tap in the next few years -- the administration included $800 million expected by 2006 from ''congestion pricing'' and ''E-ZPass initiatives.''
While administration officials stressed that they were still in the early stages of discussion, they said that money could come from a range of new charges to drivers.
Clearly the most prominent plan for generating the money -- and the one that the Bloomberg administration was most reluctant to talk about yesterday -- would place tolls on the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queensboro and Williamsburg Bridges, and possibly other bridges under the city's control (like those on the Harlem River).
The measure, city officials said, would probably require approval from both the City Council and the State Legislature.
''Everything is under consideration,'' said Jordan Barowitz, a mayoral spokesman, when asked about the budget projections.
Tolls on the East River crossings have long been supported by many traffic experts, who say that they would reduce excessive traffic into Manhattan, prompt more people to take public transportation and generate badly needed income for the maintenance of the city's streets and bridges. Other pieces of the plan, officials said, could entail higher parking rates at meters across the city during high-traffic times, a practice known as congestion pricing, which is intended to encourage drivers to use roads earlier in the day, or later.
Another idea to accomplish that, and to raise money for the city, would be higher tolls on bridges and tunnels controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority during peak travel periods. Under one concept being discussed, some of the toll money would then go to the city, in part because the cars using those crossings during high-traffic times are costing the city money for road repair, traffic and environmental controls and other services.
Privately, administration officials said that some details about the plans would probably be released in April, when more information about the mayor's budget proposal will be made available. A senior official described the new toll proposal as being ''on the table as something we want to start to discuss.''
Charging cars for using the city's free bridges was first proposed in 1973, as a way for the city to comply with federal requirements that it reduce its car pollution.
But the idea, which has always been approached by elected officials with a great deal of trepidation, was dropped by Gov. Hugh L. Carey, after the federal government allowed the state to comply by showing that it would use all available financial sources to meet basic public transportation needs. The idea was revived under Mayor Edward I. Koch, who hoped that bridge tolls and a $10-a-day fee on all vehicles entering Manhattan south of 59th Street would discourage unnecessary driving as well as gridlock, which damaged both the city's economy and environment.
During the administration of David N. Dinkins, a mayoral commission proposed East River tolls to help the mayor deal with the city's long-term budget problems. But Mr. Dinkins never supported the idea. | <urn:uuid:8b3f1cbd-2aec-4bd5-9920-08337bc7afff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/15/nyregion/mayor-s-budget-proposal-transportation-mayor-looks-tolls-for-bridges-east-river.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974153 | 695 | 1.851563 | 2 |
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Geir Hilmar Haarde is an Icelandic politician and former head of government. Geir was Prime Minister of Iceland from 15 June 2006 to 1 February 2009 and Chairman of the Icelandic Independence Party from 2005 to 2009. Geir initially led a coalition between his party and the Progressive Party. After the 2007 parliamentary election, in which the Independence Party increased its share of the vote, Geir renewed his term as Prime Minister, leading a coalition between his party and the Social Democratic Alliance. That coalition resigned in January 2009 after widespread protests following an economic collapse in October 2008. In September 2010, Geir became the first Icelandic minister to be indicted for misconduct in office, and stood trial before the Landsdómur, a special court for such cases. Haarde originally faced six charges, but two were dismissed in October 2011. Haarde was convicted on one of the four charges. (via Freebase) | <urn:uuid:90fbaaa6-c334-496b-a787-a6398b37802b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.linktv.org/topics/geir-haarde | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985461 | 216 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The right wing in America and abroad never tires of trotting out the accusation of “class warfare” anytime anyone tries to raise taxes on the rich — or even tries to prevent those taxes going down. Yet despite decades of accusations of “class warfare” taxes on the rich are lower than at anytime since World War II, almost everywhere in the world. If there’s a class war going on, the rich are surely winning.
Nowhere are the rich prosecuting their class war against the rest of society more ferociously than in Greece. The pro-rich parties won a wafer-thin majority in the June 2012 elections. Now they are using their majority to push through so-called “reforms” to decimate services to the poor and working classes. By a vote of 153-147 the Greek parliament cut the wages of government employees more than 40%, cut government pensions by up to 25%, and increased the retirement age by two years.
Greek conservatives are willing to destroy the Greek economy if that’s what it takes to drive down wages and benefits for the poor and working classes. The economy has already contracted by 20% since the beginning of the crisis. Government cutbacks are largely responsible for turning a recession into a national catastrophe. With more than 25% of its workforce unemployed, Greece is rapidly turning into a poor country.
When one-quarter of the population is out of work, you can only blame the government.
When one person is out of work, you can maybe blame the person. When one-quarter of the population is out of work, you can only blame the government. Someone with no background in economics or economic history might argue that austerity is the right response to a recession. But no one can argue that after four years of austerity what Greece needs is more austerity.
Of course, one day the crisis will pass. People will go back to work, and Greece will start growing again. When that day comes, the government will claim that its austerity program generated the ensuing growth, just as the governments of the Baltic states are making such claims today. That’s plain ridiculous, but it will happen.
It’s predictable because the best way to be sure of growth in the future is to cause a depression today. If you put 25% of your population out of work, 15% unemployment will seem like an improvement. Improvement, yes; good policy, no. Greece needs jobs more than it needs a balanced budget, and if it needs a balanced budget the best way to do it is by taxing the rich, not squeezing the poor.
But the rich don’t like that answer, and for now the rich are in power. God help the Greeks. It’s going to get worse — much worse — before it gets better. Even when things get better, they won’t be anywhere near as good as they would have been had the government pursued sound, pro-people policies. It’s a class war … and the rich are winning. They may already have won. | <urn:uuid:39af772b-2a59-4450-beec-ec24c84cb037> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inequality.org/class-warfare-greece/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962664 | 627 | 1.84375 | 2 |
After eight days of bombardment, Syrian government forces reclaimed the northwestern town of al Haffa on Wednesday, forcing rebels to stage a dawn retreat.
President Bashar al-Assad's government said through the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency that its forces had "restored security and calm after clearing it from the armed terrorist groups."
It said it had seized a cache of armaments, including sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and explosive devices.
An opposition group said rebel forces had withdrawn from Haffa and surrounding villages "in order to preserve the lives of civilians." The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Haffa had been under heavy shelling for eight consecutive days.
Fighting raged elsewhere as well, as the Syrian military pummeled cities from both the ground and sky, opposition activists said.
The Homs province city of Rastan came under fresh attack from planes and rocket-propelled grenades, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.
At least 77 people were killed Wednesday, including 23 in Homs province, the group said.
CNN cannot independently confirm reports of casualties because the Syrian government has restricted access by international journalists.
Escalating violence has prompted the United Nations peacekeeping chief to become the first official from the global body to declare the Syrian crisis a civil war.
"Yes, I think we can say that," Herve Ladsous said Tuesday. "Clearly what is happening is that the government of Syria lost some large chunks of territory, several cities to the opposition, and wants to retake control." | <urn:uuid:8ad795cb-5c7b-4e0a-92dc-e09bc4a5a49b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wyff4.com/news/national/After-8-days-of-bombardment-rebels-retreat-from-Syrian-town/-/9324256/14796752/-/e780dnz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967982 | 316 | 1.671875 | 2 |
BSEE Director James Watson observed during the early morning hours of July 29 the successful latch-on of the capping stack from the Unified Command. Director Watson watched live video feed from the remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that were assisting in the placement of the stack onto the wellhead.
Five hours and fifteen minutes shy of five days is the time it took to deploy and latch the capping stack onto the simulated wellhead in the Gulf of Mexico at approximately 7,000 feet water depth as part of the deepwater subsea containment system deployment drill.
The short time it took for this containment response milestone can be compared to the months that it took to build and successfully latch a capping stack onto the Macondo wellhead during the Deepwater Horizon response.
BSEE inspectors are aboard both the Laney Chouest and the Olympic Intervention IV vessels participating in the exercise. During the latch-on phase of the exercise, BSEE inspectors aboard the Laney Chouest were monitoring the deployment sequence of the heave-compensated landing system, a buoyancy system that provides controlled landing of large subsea equipment, verifying that the approved procedures were effectively followed. BSEE inspectors aboard the Olympic Intervention IV monitored the deployment of the subsea accumulator module and the ROV operations in support of the successful capping stack landing.
The exercise continued with well shut-in procedures and pressure testing to confirm that the capping stack would fully contain the well conditions outlined in the scenario.
This exercise involves the mobilization and field deployment of the capping stack to the sea floor in approximately 7,000 feet of water, latching it to a test wellhead, and pressurizing the system. The capping stack is a critical piece of equipment that has the ability to shut off any flow of oil from a well if other shut-off systems, such as the blowout preventer (BOP) fail. Following the Deepwater Horizon tragedy, the Department of the Interior instituted reforms that required offshore operators to have the ability to deploy containment resources, such as a capping stack, in response to a blowout or other loss of well control.
Press Release, July 30, 2012 | <urn:uuid:a3f85faf-19e5-45e5-a4fa-30ed2f1a912c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.offshoreenergytoday.com/bsee-director-observes-deepwater-containment-drill-usa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96228 | 442 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Rocky Mountain House : Bicentennial Trail
Central Alberta, Canada
Bicentennial Trail is a recreation trail popular for mountain biking and hiking in the community of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada. The trail was constructed to celebrate the Bicentennial of the community of Rocky Mountain House.
The 5 kilometre Bicentennial Trail links the community of Rocky Mountain House with the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site.
The route visits the banks of the North Saskatchewan River prior to following the same route as Highway 11a. Much of the route explores along the same lines as the highway passing by the Pine Hills Golf Course.
Much of the route travels along a single-track gravel and dirt trail. It is considered an easy-going route with few elevation gains.
The western trailhead entrance to the Bicentennial Trail begins from the Visitor Centre at the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Centre.
The eastern trailhead entrance begins from the North Saskatchewan River Bridge on Highway 11a in the community. A large monument and plaque marks the eastern trailhead entrance.
Next to the river trailhead is a small day use area with picnic tables, an outhouse and a playground. Opposite the trailhead is the Riverside Park with a boat launch.
How to Get to the Bicentennial Trail:
Travel to Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada. From downtown Rocky Mountain House on main street (52 Avenue) travel west connecting to Highway 11a. Prior to the Highway 11a bridge look for the large stone monument marking the trail on your right. You can park in Riverside Park. | <urn:uuid:76b1bef4-c4fb-4dca-9011-a0c0a83a29b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albertaeh.ca/rocky-mountain-house-parks/bicentennial-trail.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925988 | 322 | 1.75 | 2 |
Windows XP only: Today's USB flash drives are huge, but they come formatted with the FAT32 limit of 4GB files—if you want to format them as NTFS under Windows XP you'll need a little trick.
Windows XP does have the ability to format drives with the NTFS file system, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the format dialog—normally the option is disabled. To enable it, open up Device Manager and find your USB drive, go to the Properties -> Policies tab and then choose "Optimize for performance". Once you've done this, you'll see the NTFS option in the format dialog.
Readers should be warned, however, that once you've enabled write caching you will need to use the Safely Remove Hardware dialog to avoid losing data—though once you format the drive as NTFS you can switch the write caching back off.
The choice between NTFS and FAT32 isn't cut-and-dry—while NTFS does allow larger file sizes, encryption, compression, and permissions, there's a lot more overhead to using it—and more importantly it won't really work on non-Windows systems. Hit the link for the full walk-through and more information about the pros and cons. | <urn:uuid:6ca5475c-22da-4795-8e67-2a60d56dba0e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifehacker.com/5195783/format-a-usb-drive-as-ntfs-in-windows-xp?tag=ultranewb | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945705 | 261 | 2.015625 | 2 |
2010 was the year that proved that logo change is not always for the better. Gap got taken to the cleaners when it updated its branding and Tropicana came a cropper when it removed the iconic orange and straw from its packaging. Perhaps with these debacles in mind, Starbucks waited until 2011 to unveil its new face. By going with a minimalist approach, eliminating all words (the old logo said "Starbucks Coffee") and playing up the siren figure, the company appears to be pulling an Apple. But given a fundamental difference between the two, the new Starbucks logo could turn out to be a lemon.
At Apple, January 9th 2007 marked the end of an era when Steve Jobs announced that the word "Computers" was being dropped from the company's title. That change acknowledged the reality of Apple's evolution. As Jobs pointed out in his Macworld keynote, of the four brands shown onscreen — Mac, iPod, AppleTV, and the new iPhone — only one was a computer. As for the logo, by then the monochromatic Apple was instantly recognizable with or without the Apple name.
Starbucks, too, has a highly recognizable image in its siren. But consider the difference between Apple's and Starbucks' situations. At the point of its rebranding, Apple had already proved to its customers that it stood for more than just computers. By contrast, Starbucks is dropping the word coffee in anticipation of venturing into new territory. In his January 5th 2011 post on the Starbucks blog, CEO Howard Schultz openly admits that the new design, while harking back to the brand's heritage, is intended to "give us the freedom and flexibility to explore innovations and new channels of distribution." He states that the Starbucks evolution will begin this Spring.
It's easy to see how, from a corporate viewpoint, leading with the logo makes eminent sense. If you intend to invest heavily in offerings outside the coffee category then removing the word "coffee" is logical. For that matter, if coffee is no longer to be the core of the brand, it's logical to remove the word "Starbucks" given how synonymous it has become with coffee.
But therein lies the risk. If the name "Starbucks" is so strongly associated with coffee that you have to remove the name in order to launch another product, does that not suggest that the corporate strategy is out of synch with customer understanding?
To be sure, if before the launch of the iPod you had asked people what Apple's brand stood for, many would have said "computers." It is only now that people perceive that it isn't computers, or even iPods, iPhones, or iPads. The Apple brand has freed itself from product category ties and has become a shortcut to positive brand associations: leading-edge technology, cool design, simple to use. Likewise, looking toward Schultz's promised evolution, I am sure that Starbucks' logo designers intend it to transcend product and signal all those "third place" feelings of connectedness, comfort, and reliable quality.
Perhaps the public will follow them to that place eventually. But the chances are lower since, by announcing the logo change without a track record of out-of-the-category innovation, Schultz is promoting a corporate strategy, not acknowledging a customer reality.
Customers are notoriously unreceptive to logo changes, and this will be no exception. (See the comments already piling up in response to Schultz's post.) That is something that marketers need to ignore to some extent, but it's another good reason not to make them in advance of strategic shifts. Starbucks' rebranding might only invoke one deep-seated emotion in customers : their antipathy to change. And that would get its evolution off to a shaky start.
Nigel Hollis is Executive Vice President and Chief Global Analyst at brand research consultancy Millward Brown, and author of The Global Brand: How to Create and Develop Lasting Brand Value in the World Market. See his further thoughts on Starbucks' marketing strategy and other brand matters at his blog on Millward Brown's site.
For another perspective, see design guru Bill Gardner's post: Starbucks' New Logo: A Welcome Refresh. | <urn:uuid:1428cea9-9d49-432f-ab9f-9a7d0366ae1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/01/starbucks_new_logo_apple_or_le.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959692 | 852 | 1.601563 | 2 |
CALL TODAY FOR OUR SUMMER HOURS
STUDENT DRIVER CLASSROOM TRAINING
Buckle-Up Driving School classroom training consists of ten, 3 hour lessons geared toward the successful passing of the MN Drivers Permit Test. Enrolled students must attend classroom training a minimum of two times per week which allows flexability for student athletes and other family commitments. At Buckle-Up Driving School, a lot of heart and soul goes into each student.
Upon completion of the classroom training, those students enrolled in “Behind-the-Wheel” training with Buckle-Up Driving School will receive their “BLUE” card, which will enable them to take their drivers permit test at one of the state’s testing facilities. Those students not enrolled for “Behind-the-Wheel” will receive a “Certificate of Completion” as proof of the completion of the 30 hour classroom requirement.
STUDENT BEHIND THE WHEEL TRAINING
The “Behind-the-Wheel” trainig will consist of 4 lessons each 1-1/2 hours in duration. Lessons are one-on-one with the instructor. Within Buckle-Up’s local area, pick-up and drop-off are included as part of the the package. If the student is outside the local area, an additional fee may apply or arrangements can be made to pick-up/drop-off at a convenient location.
Students are not allowed to drive without their Valid Minnesota Driver’s Permit. Failure to have their Driver’s Permit at time of pick-up will result in cancellation of the lesson and will be subject to a $40.00 cancellation fee.
ADULT BEHIND THE WHEEL TRAINING
The “Behind-the-Wheel” training for Adults consist of 3 lessons each 2 hours in duration. Lessons are one-on-one with the instructor. Lessons are designed to fulfill state requirements and concentrate on individual’s driving weaknesses in preparation to pass the Minnesota’s Driver’s Exam. | <urn:uuid:45bf1ec1-39c0-487b-b732-712bc7c2410b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://buckleupdriversed.com/training-for-drivers-ed-for-students-and-adults | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932941 | 439 | 1.5 | 2 |
Jerash camp was set up as an "emergency" camp in 1968 for 11,500 Palestine refugees and displaced persons who left the Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It is known locally as Gaza camp.
The camp covers an area of 0.75 square kilometres and is situated 5km from the famous Roman ruins of Jerash. After 1967 UNRWA quickly set up facilities for food aid, sanitation, health services and education.
In order to withstand the harsh winters, the original 1,500 tents were replaced with prefabricated shelters.
Between 1968 and 1971, 2,000 shelters were built with support from emergency donations. Over the years, many of the camp’s inhabitants have replaced the prefabs with more durable concrete shelters. Many roofs are still made of corrugated zinc and asbestos sheets, which can cause diseases such as cancer.
- More than 24,000 registered refugees
- One women’s programme centre
- Four schools in two double-shift buildings
- One food distribution centre
- One health centre
- One community-based rehabilitation centre
- One camp development office
- Demographic profile
Programmes in the camp
- High unemployment
- Around 3 in 4 shelters are not suitable for accommodation because of structural problems. | <urn:uuid:8a1bafca-b695-43ea-8031-e456162a63d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=131 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950938 | 266 | 3.4375 | 3 |
A Collected History of Light is an archive which captures the essence of a specific time, place and experience through precisely recorded light samples.
Light is fundamental to human existence. The human experience of time and place is intricately bound by our relationship with light. The quality and quantity of light available in any environment significantly influences the nature of life within that place. The subtleties of luminosity and colour have the capacity to trigger memory and create a sense of the familiar, but can equally initiate feelings of dislocation and the unknown. A Collected History of Light reflects the ephemeral nature of the human experience of light and seeks to create a poetic visual space which encourages curiosity, contemplation and wonder.
A Collected History of Light is based upon the idea that the essence of a specific experience of place and time is contained within the light captured in that moment. This art work offers an opportunity for the audience to consider the evocative qualities of light through their comparative observation and exploration of the light samples contained within the archive.
This work is currently in development. | <urn:uuid:bed9e338-5a0a-4caa-87fa-1d18b8d21029> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://michaelafrench.com/portfolio/a-collected-history-of-light | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93924 | 214 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Pompton Lakes Dam
The storm is forecast to linger for 36 hours, according to experts. The prolonged event means high tides will complicate the effects of the storm.
The nearly 600-page report found that the Pompton Lakes Dam floodgates worked correctly during Hurricane Irene last August and during flooding in March of 2010 and March of 2011.
Floodwaters rose all across New Jersey, closing roads from side streets to major highways as Irene, the first hurricane to make landfall in the state in more than a century, weakened and moved on, leaving more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power.
Hundreds of people remained out of their homes Saturday as major flooding continued along the Passaic and Raritan rivers in New Jersey.
- One Tank Trips: Duke Farms Wax or Real? 'World War Z' Premiere Scaffold Collapse At Hearst...
- The 67th Annual Tony Awards... Stars Arrive At The 2013 Tony... Funeral For Frank Lautenberg Enterprise Pavilion Update
- Manhattanhenge 2013 Apparent Home Explosion In... President Obama Visits Jersey... Memorial Day 2013
- Shuttle Pavilion Update Tornado Devastates Moore,... Metro-North Derailment Repairs Bridgeport Metro-North Train... | <urn:uuid:8993a07f-186d-4270-b8b1-ed8de67c2b8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newyork.cbslocal.com/tag/pompton-lakes-dam/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903674 | 254 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Just as it is important to us to use "green" building materials, it is increasingly important to have an environmentally sound landscape design.
Gotham Construction, Inc. can help you define what that means to you - using less water, little or no maintenance, eliminating pesticides, being more cost effective - or a combination of ideas.
Once defined, we can help you establish a set of goals for sustainability and implement them in your design. We also know that different cities like West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica etc., and even the neighborhoods within those cities all have their own unique guidelines for water usage, green space, using indigenous plants and many other regulations.
Gotham Construction, Inc. can help make sure all the right specifics for your zone are implemented ensuring a harmonious exterior living environment. | <urn:uuid:351e2446-19bc-4596-b801-9ae7f98c4c3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gothamconstructioninc.com/landscape.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934099 | 164 | 1.523438 | 2 |
It’s hard out there for a Millennial. While the national unemployment rate has kept firm at 7.9%, the jobless rate for Millennials (or the 80 million Americans born between 1980 and 2000) continues to increase, reaching the alarming rate of 13.1% in January. Millennials now have the highest generational unemployment in the United States.
The Pew Center calls Millennials the “boomerang generation," because nearly 40% of all Americans between the ages of 18-34 still live at home with their parents; numbers this high haven’t been seen in over 70 years. And the boomerang trend is expected to continue or even worsen. The National Bureau of Economic Research reports that those who graduate during a recession will earn 10% less over a decade of work. Unfortunately for Millennials, research shows that 70% of overall wage growth occurs in the first 10 years of one's career.
But those who do manage to find jobs are also struggling. Young people with high school degrees have seen their inflation-adjusted wages decline by 11.1%; college graduates have seen a smaller, yet significant, decline of 5.4%, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
As a result, Millennials aren’t taking on debt or making economy-boosting purchases. Young people aren’t buying houses or cars and they’re delaying marriage and children. According to The Pew Center, home ownership amongst young people has fallen from 40% in 2007 to only 34% in 2011. 73% of young households owned or leased a car in 2007 compared with only 66% in 2011.
Many have also begun to wonder if college is worth the cost — outstanding student loan debt now tops $1 trillion. In 2011, two-thirds of college seniors graduated with an average of $26,000 in student loan debt.
Gerald Celente, Editor and Publisher of the Trends Journal, believes the depressed livelihoods of today's younger generation — "generation eff'ed" as he refers to it in a recent edition of his magazine — will lead to a revolution of sorts.
"The new frontiers are going to be the burnt out urban centers, so it might be the Millennials who become the homesteaders, farmers, and gardeners of Detroit, or Camden," says Celente. "When people lose everything and have nothing left to lose, they lose it. And you're going to start seeing a lot of young people losing it in a lot of different ways."
These are startling statistics and advocates have run with them calling Millennials a “lost generation,” attempting to parlay unrest amongst America’s youth into some sort of rallying cry or at least attempting to appeal to them as a voting bloc.
Yes, the numbers are staggering but calling Millennials a lost generation and telling young people to stop attending college seems alarmist at best.
While the unemployment rate for young workers is nearly twice as high as the overall rate, it still pays to stay in school. Between 2011 and 2012 the unemployment rate for High School graduates was 31.1% while the unemployment rate for college graduates was 9.4%, a significant difference.
Of course young people have a harder time finding employment than their adult contemporaries; they have less experience and are new to searching for work. In both recessions and expansions young unemployment is historically nearly double the national rate.
Millennials aren’t the new homesteaders, they’re not moving in droves to abandoned urban centers like Detroit to farm and start art galleries. This view of young Americans applies largely to those with liberal arts educations and money to fall back on.
Are Millennials really “generation eff’ed”?
While things don’t look great for the current generation of young adults, they are not hopeless. Let’s not disregard 80 million Americans.
Be sure to watch the video above for Celente's contrary opinion.
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More from The Daily Ticker | <urn:uuid:bda01234-8693-44f3-abb3-2297f0e10f46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/millenials-lost-generation-130643180.html?.tsrc=yahoo | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953764 | 865 | 2.375 | 2 |
PMNCH Knowledge Summary #21 Strengthen National Financing
Publisher: The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
Publication date: 2012
Language: English only
Note: Full text and all graphs, tables and references for each Knowledge Summary are available only on the PDF version
National financing for health refers to funds from public or private sources within a country that are committed to the health sector. Compared with funds provided by external donors, national fi nancing represents an increasing proportion of total health expenditures in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Average total health expenditures in low-income countries are estimated at approximately $25 per capita. Of this, assistance from external donors represents just $6.
External assistance will continue to be required in many low-income countries but paying for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) interventions can also be facilitated by increasing the value for money of existing resources, mobilizing mo re funds from public and private sources within LMICs, and improving accountability for these resources.
What do we know?
Improving health outcomes for mothers, newborns, and children requires sufficient funding to implement proven interventions that span the continuum of care from pre- pregnancy to delivery, the postnatal period, and childhood. The global economic crisis has led to a slowdown in the growth of international development assistance for health, and prompted increased focus on value for money of existing resources (“more health for the money”), raising additional public and private resources within LMICs (“more money for health”), and accountability for resources and results.
Mechanisms for “More Health for the Money”
Improving RMNCH outcomes from the resources available can be achieved by making service delivery more effective, efficient, and equitable.
Ensuring the effectiveness of investments requires priority-setting so that funds are allocated to those interventions and services that have the most impact. The LiST tool, the OneHealth tool, and other evidence-based methods can help facilitate priority-setting but will only lead to changes in RMNCH policy and outcomes with commitment from governments and partners to utilize findings in funding allocation decisions.
Poor donor coordination and poor alignment with national priorities can hamper efficiency of health sector funding. Harmonizing mechanisms such as sector-wide approaches, the Health Systems Funding Platform, and country compacts under the International Health Partnership (IHP+) may address these inefficiencies.
Performance-based financing (PBF) is a supply-side results-based financing mechanism by which health facilities and/or health workers are rewarded according to measurable improvements in quantity and/or quality of their output. The objective of PBF is to incentivize the facility or provider to increase efficiency, improve quality of care, and/or improve equity through expanded service provision, as shown in Rwanda. Studies of the impact of PBF programs have shown improvement in some (but not all) RMNCH indicators. In many contexts, it has been difficult to attribute gains achieved to PBF since the mechanism has usually been implemented alongside other health reforms. A recent systematic review concluded that more robust and comprehensive studies are required.
Decentralization, a process of devolving responsibilities of the health system to local levels of government, can be a more efficient way of producing health outcomes because programs can be designed by local actors who are accountable to locally elected officials and have knowledge of the local context. Studies of the impact of decentralization reforms have however shown mixed results.
Prepayment schemes such as national or social health insurance (SHI) have the objective of sharing healthcare costs equitably across a population group (such as formal sector workers) or the entire population in order to improve access to health services and reduce poverty from catastrophic health expenditures. Prepayment schemes exist in many high-income countries, but also LMICs as varied as Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Rwanda and Thailand. They have proven superior to direct out-of-pocket payments for health services: a recent review found that SHI improves service utilization and reduces out-of-pocket expenditures.
Demand-side financing refers to mechanisms—conditional cash transfers (CCTs) and vouchers—that have two main objectives: (i) to reduce poverty and improve equity by transferring cash, indirect reimbursement, or in-kind rewards to poor patients; and (ii) to encourage uptake of specific health services by making the cash transfers conditional upon use of such services. CCTs, widely implemented in Latin America, have shown measurable results for RMNCH. For example, the Oportunidades program in Mexico has resulted in improved indicators relating to both growth and anemia in children between the ages of 12 to 36 months from poorer households, and has led to a 22% decrease in the probability in children under three being ill in the preceding month. But these programs have also encountered challenges such as government difficulties in sustaining payouts and the inability of many of the poorest of the poor to meet the conditions attached to the cash transfers. An example of a voucher program is India’s Chiranjeevi Yojana maternal health voucher scheme in Gujarat state . Equity gains may also be realized through subsidies for RMNCH-related medicines or commodities that reduce the consumer price of these commodities for more equitable access.
Mechanisms for “More Money for Health”
Additional funds for RMNCH can come from both public and private sources within LMICs, using pre-payment mechanisms such as taxes and levies, social health insurance, and investment funds. Out-of-pocket payments are another way to raise funds, but have been shown to be less equitable and efficient than prepayment mechanisms in financing the health system.
Taxes and levies
One method to raise and sustain resources for health includes improving efficiency of tax collection. ndonesia reformed its tax system and administration in 2001, leading to a tax yield rise which raised government revenue; health spending increased faster than for other sectors. Another method is to earmark Value Added Tax (VAT) or sales tax. For example, Ghana utilizes a National Health Insurance Levy to finance 70% of its National Health Insurance Scheme. Earmarking corporate taxes has also been used, as in Gabon where the government since 2008 has implemented a 10% tax on mobile phone companies’ profit to cover those not able to contribute to National Health Insurance. In the Lao PDR, electricity sales from a hydropower project go to social and environmental projects, including a public health program to improve services for women and children.18 Other taxes that have been utilized by countries to raise revenue are excise-taxes on products that pose risks to health (such as tobacco and alcohol) and financial transactions-related tax, tourism tax, and luxury tax.
Social health insurance and investment funds
Social health insurance (SHI)—where workers and employers pay contributions to cover a package of services for workers and their dependents—is an important mechanism to raise national funds for health. SHI has been expanded in many countries to the informal sector and to the poor through government revenue and also through external donor support. Investment funds can be an additional source of national financing.19 Examples are diaspora bonds (utilized by India, Israel, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka) and impact investments (private financing directed to projects or industries in LMICs that generate social benefits along with financial returns).
Mechanisms for Ensuring Accountability for Results and Resources
Accountability for financial resources and health outcomes is a critical part of strengthening national financing for RMNCH and involves three interconnected processes of monitor, review, and action.
Mechanisms include resource-tracking tools that assess whether resources are being used as intended and Ministry of Health-led annual health sector reviews that examine progress of implementing national health plans. Annual reviews can be supported by mechanisms such as the IHP+ country compacts and country Countdown to 2015 events. Parliaments and courts are also important entities for ensuring government accountability. In the Ugandan parliament, for example, the women’s caucus spurred legislation to protect women during and after pregnancy through provisions in the national Employment Act and Labour Act, clear budget lines for RMNCH were established, and the budget was held up until the RMNCH allocation was increased.
Civil society can play an important role in holding government to account for the use of RMNCH resources and results. A social accountability approach using village health report cards and public hearings has been used in India’s National Rural Health Mission. Social accountability tools are more effective in settings when they are used with incentives for service providers to change behavior in response to citizen views, and when they are embedded in programs and systematically implemented.
Ensuring sufficient funding for the proven interventions that span the continuum of care requires the strengthening of national financing for RMNCH through mechanisms that give more value for money, raise funds for RMNCH, and ensure accountability for resources and results. Each of the mechanisms in this paper has been applied in diverse ways and circumstances; many of them are implemented as part of a package of health reforms. These financing mechanisms must be carefully coordinated and integrated to promote universal coverage and avoid fragmentation of health systems. | <urn:uuid:04cfe4db-55db-455d-bc25-1409e7a6cd40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://who.int/pmnch/topics/part_publications/knowledge_summary_21_strengthen_national_financing/en/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944022 | 1,880 | 2.703125 | 3 |
If you want Santa to bring you lots of Goodies, you have to make sure,
you leave some really yummy Cookies and a glass of Milk for him.
Everybody I know loves Cookies, whether they admit it or not. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, our House is a Bakery and the smell of Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander and Vanilla can literally drive you nuts. But-oh-they taste soooooooooo good. There are every imaginable kinds – from Chocolate Chip to Butter Cookies to delicate Austrian Almond Horns and Espresso Clouds. Many are old World Recipes and none are Diet, although some are very healthy with lots of Nuts and Fruit.
When you go through the Trouble of making Cookies at Home, don’t skimp on the ingredients. Use only the Best! Real Butter, Real Chocolate, Real Vanilla! Imitation just won’t do your Creation Justice!
It is also critical that you use the right Equipment. Measurements are much more crucial when baking, than when cooking. Get a good set of dry and wet measuring cups, or better yet, get a Kitchen Scale. Its so much more accurate. A good Stand-up Mixer, one that will not walk all over your Counter, will make the Work much easier and faster and the right Cookie Sheet can be the Difference between a Delight and a Disaster.
Clean off the Counter and bring out out all the ingredients, to make sure you are not missing something at the very last Minute. One of the Items I can’t live without is Parchment Paper. It is easily available in any Grocery Store now. You put it on the Cookie Sheet and put the Cookies on it and there is no need to ever grease the Sheet and your Cookies will never stick. Easy Cleanup too. Just throw the paper away. Oh, and its Eco friendly. If you are making Cut-outs, you can even roll them out on the Paper and transfer the paper to the Cookie sheet.
Decorations for Cookies are fun,
look great and taste wonderful!
If you have little ones, let them use their imagination for decorating the Cookies. They will enjoy it and be proud of their accomplishment, especially if they also get to enjoy eating some of them.
Some Cookies however don’t need any Decorations, because they are so yummy without it and look great on their own. | <urn:uuid:b34843d2-fad3-46fb-9fbf-d5f123226956> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mychristmasgiftblog.com/cookies-for-santa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947377 | 496 | 1.742188 | 2 |
The ability to market your green building’s attributes is a core benefit of incorporating sustainable practices, but there’s still a lot of confusion about how to tout your accomplishments in a meaningful way. Marketing green features is important to leverage your investment, but if done poorly, it can confuse your customers. The directives behind your campaign carry far more weight than the marketing tactics you implement. To effectively market your building’s sustainable features and bring relevance to your customers, follow the three Cs: credibility, context, and consistency.
Make your claims honest and tangible. Use straightforward communication to describe what you did, why you did it, and what benefit you created. Mention the certifications you secured that validate your efforts, or provide actual building data or studies that support your accomplishments. For example, a building owner in Portland, OR, had an external waste audit performed to verify that his facility’s recycling efforts divert 83 percent of waste from the landfill.
Be wary of the tendency to overstate your claims. Many have fallen into this trap while trying to gain attention. Your customers are far less interested in knowing that your building is the first 10-stry LEED Gold building with a white facade on Main Street than knowing what you actually implemented (and the difference it makes).
Author, educator, and management consultant Peter Drucker knew that value lies in what the customer perceives. “Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It’s what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for … ” he explains. Tie value to the customer’s priorities and ensure that your marketing messages speak to that need. Tell your customers in simple and genuine terms how you achieved certification and what these measures mean for building occupants, the community, and the environment.
The context is defined by what’s relevant to your end-user. Each city will have its own demographics and dynamics that influence your customer’s outlook. The desire for Class-A or Class-B office space and the nuances of occupancy rates also come into play when determining your customer’s decision-making drivers.
For value-oriented customers drawn to Class-B office space, clearly demonstrate the value proposition of moving into a green building. Focus on the fact that you created a high-performance work environment and lowered operating costs. In other words, your message should state this: “Why pay for Class-A office space when you can have all the benefits of it at a lower price?”
Those drawn to Class-A office space have a different set of priorities. You can differentiate yourself from standard Class-A offices by using a marketing message that states: “Is it really a Class-A space in today’s marketplace if it doesn’t include high-performance measures and offer a healthier work environment?” Class-A office seekers are also generally image oriented and want to be perceived as leaders. Three years ago, a study showed that two-thirds of Global Fortune 500 companies were issuing standalone reports that dealt solely with their environmental and social initiatives; the interest in sustainability among this group continues to rise. Choosing to locate in a facility that incorporates green measures sends a message to companies’ employees and clients that they’re concerned about important issues and among the best in their class.
One often overlooked aspect of green marketing is consistency. Make sure every aspect of your marketing effort tells the building’s green story accurately: interpretive signage in the building, your website, brochures and other collateral, and your staff (real estate brokers, asset managers, property managers, etc.). Customers are dissuaded by inconsistency, and confusion can open the door to skepticism. Frequently, brokers representing the building to potential customers don’t know about the green building aspects. Train those who represent your facility to speak comfortably about your philosophy, implemented green features, and on how the green investments benefit building occupants.
Help the building tell its own story to create a word-of-mouth campaign. To educate, inform, and entertain, use engaging signage, video feeds, and energy usage meters that show how much energy is being offset. These measures can draw the public in to make your building a destination and help it sell itself.
If you have vacant space, present your building as a venue for educational events. Reach out to local AIA, ASHRAE, BOMA, and green building chapters, and donate your space for their meetings. Offer tours of the facility. If you set your building up to tell the story, the people who leave your facility become part of your sales force.
Properly marketing your green building can have many positive outcomes. In addition to bringing in new customers, once your campaign aligns with the three Cs, it can inspire your representatives, generate new ideas, and infuse pride in your workplace.
Jay Coalson, LEED AP, is president and CEO at Green Building Services Inc., one of the most comprehensive sustainable consulting firms in the nation. The firm provides environmental leadership and practical applications for green building projects in the United States and around the world. Jay can be reached at 866-743-4277 or email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:8f666f8c-69c1-40dd-a1dd-f57fce4204c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/9972/title/using-the-three-cs-to-market-your-green-building.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946297 | 1,081 | 1.765625 | 2 |
University of Colorado Distinguished Professor, James and Catherine Patten Endowed Chair, Clinical Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Co-Director of the NSF I/UCRC for Fundamentals and Applications and Photopolymerizations
Bowman Research Group
B.S., Purdue University (1988)
Ph.D., Purdue University (1991)
Photopolymerizations, Polymerization Reaction Engineering, Highly Cross linked Polymers, Dental Materials, Nanotechnology
Our general research thrust is the investigation of the formation, structure and properties of cross linked polymeric materials, particularly those formed from photopolymerization reactions. Specifically, our group is focusing on developing new materials and photopolymerization mechanisms for a variety of applications including biomaterials, microfluidic devices, dental restorations, liquid crystal displays, nanotechnology, and high technology. These interests are investigated by incorporating a mixture of polymerization reaction engineering, monomer and polymer synthesis, and experimental characterization.
Photopolymerization Reactions: The primary focus of our research effort involves the development, application, and understanding of photopolymerizations. We are currently utilizing a multifaceted approach to characterize the underlying mechanisms of the polymerization and the polymer structural evolution while also developing improved systems for a wide range of applications. The first approach involves experimental characterization and modeling of the polymerization kinetics and the cross linked polymer structural evolution. A second emphasis is the development of new monomers. In this effort we are designing, synthesizing and evaluating numerous monomer structures to obtain the most rapidly polymerizing system that forms a polymer with ideal properties. Lastly, we are developing new types of photopolymerizations, including both living radical polymerizations and thiol-ene polymerizations. These polymerizations are developed with the goal of leading to new applications and novel material architectures.
Polymers for Micro- and Nanotechnology: Our thrusts in the areas of micro- and nanotechnology are threefold. First, we are attempting to develop polymer – liquid crystal composites with controlled polymer nanostructures. To date, we have successfully created a three-dimensional polymer architecture that involves approximately 3 Å sheets of polymer separating 30 Å thick sheets of liquid crystal. These systems form materials for liquid crystal displays that have improved optical and mechanical properties relative to their non-polymer stabilized counterparts. Secondly, we are designing improved microfluidic devices that utilize living radical photopolymerizations to form unique, three-dimensional constructs. These devices, or labs-on-a-chip, are then used to detect diseases or chemical compounds. Finally, our micro- and nanotechnology efforts also focus on developing techniques for producing nanometer size patterns on surfaces. These capabilities will enable higher resolution patterning for micro- and nanolithography, including, for example, higher resolution semiconductor production.
Biomaterials Development: A focus of our group has been the development of new materials for various biological systems. In this area we are attempting to produce materials with controlled properties and controllable interactions to improve biocompatibility and functional performance. A thrust of our efforts in this area is in the development of novel dental restorative materials. The proposed materials, based on our improved understanding of the monomer structure – polymer formation – polymer property relationships in photopolymerizations, are targeted to polymerize more rapidly and form a material with improved properties. Additionally, we have developed techniques for utilizing our thiol-ene and living radical photopolymerizations to produce materials that facilitate improved control of material properties and polymer surfaces, respectively, in biomaterials. | <urn:uuid:c7d42909-ed34-4fd9-9fb9-58c3405240ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.colorado.edu/chbe/christopher-n-bowman | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909053 | 729 | 1.6875 | 2 |
- Historic Sites
New England In The Earliest Days
Before Plymouth Colony there was Sagadahoc, the short-lived settlement for which Sir Ferdinando Gorges had high hopes
August 1959 | Volume 10, Issue 5
Winthrop’s journal reveals him as becoming more intensely religious as family troubles accumulated and as the country moved from the balance of the Elizabethan Age to that sharpening of conflict, that scission and unbalance that foreboded the lamentable, the destructive, Civil War. All this group were very much under the influence of Puritan theologians—William Perkins of Christ’s, Ezekiel Culverwel, and the rest of them.
A group of such men, friends and relations, gentlemen, of ability and education—nearly all Cambridge men—came together. There were Isaac Johnson, John Humfrey, and Thomas Dudley, who, like Gorges, had fought under Henry of Navarre and was latterly a parishioner of the Puritan divine John Cotton at Boston. There were Increase Nowell and William Pynchon and Saltonstall. At Cambridge in 1629 they met and signed a compact to go to New England and found a commonwealth. They next decided to take their patent with them, for they meant to be in control themselves. This was the fundamental difference between them and the Pilgrims. These were not simple people content to obey; these were governing Puritans who were leaving the country because they could not have their own way. When they got to Massachusetts, from the beginning they made it clear that they meant to have it. People who wanted the Book of Common Prayer were soon given to understand that they had better leave—and indeed the Pilgrims had sent Church of England people away from New Plymouth.
Governor Endecott, that stern and unattractive Devonshireman, had gone before in 1628 to prepare the ground. In 1630 no less than fourteen ships left England with over a thousand colonists, and—since they had such strong backing and resources—no want of supplies. This was in marked contrast with everything that had gone before, in New England no less than Virginia. This was something exceptional. And there was another thing that was exceptional, too. In the interval they had managed to turn their patent from the New England Council into a royal charter, which confirmed to them not only territorial rights, but rights of government. “The charter created something that had not existed before, the right of these men as a corporate body to rule and administer the territory under their authority and to exercise complete sway over any colonies or plantations that might be set up on its soil.”
How had they managed it? Nobody knows. One thing is clear: they managed it when nobody was looking. For another, these Puritans were not lawyers, like John Winthrop, for nothing. For a third, there is no doubt at all that the Puritan magnates, the Earl of Warwick and Lord Saye and SeIe, were deliberately helping them out with their plans. They got their original patent from Warwick as president of the New England Council when Gorges was away at the war. There is no evidence of any conflict between Warwick and Gorges over the matter. And surreptitious as the whole thing was, it may have been simply that people thought the New England Council was moribund and were quick to take advantage of it. But the New England Council was not moribund, though it was some time before Gorges learned, or appreciated the significance of, what had happened. With the end of the war he married again, so that he could retire from his command at Plymouth, and was both free and in a position to take up his colonial projects where he had left them.
Before and during the wars Gorges had been associated with an interesting man, Captain John Mason, born in 1586, who had served six years as governor of Newfoundland, 1615-21. In 1622 they took out a joint grant of all the land that subsequently became Maine and New Hampshire. Here Mason settled David Thomson in the first settlement on the Piscataqua, where he lived by the fur trade and fishing. In 1629 Mason took a grant of the southern half of the territory to himself, becoming thus the founder of New Hampshire. In that year, with Canada conquered and Champlain a prisoner in London, Gorges and Mason set up the Laconia Company, hoping to tap the Canadian fur trade through the Lake Champlain route to New England. The return of Canada to the French knocked this project on the head and left Gorges and Mason with a dead loss.
Gorges had, however, secured in Mason a valuable and energetic recruit to the New England Council, of which he became vice-president in 1632, and which—to the surprise of the Massachusetts Puritans—now burst into renewed activity. A number of individual grants of land were made, Gorges being now careful to make them outside the territory of Massachusetts Bay. Meanwhile people were pouring into the Massachusetts territory “in heaps”—by no means all of them Puritans; indeed, it is likely that a majority of them were not. But all power was held by the governing Puritan minority—they were a governing class and they knew well how to govern. The board there arrogated all power to themselves, and they proceeded to show their mettle by driving out of the colony those of whom they disapproved. | <urn:uuid:ce98ba2e-35a6-4248-8ed5-9104973bb5c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanheritage.com/content/new-england-earliest-days?page=8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986588 | 1,134 | 3.9375 | 4 |
Your science is wrong. Water vapor is indeed a potent greenhouse gas, but CO2 also matters. Consider the fact that even in arid deserts, it does not get as cold at night as it does on the moon. Why would that be?
Right. The atmosphere blocks, to some extent, the radiation of heat back to the sky. And what part of the atmosphere does that? The CO2. It's not as insignificant as you think. | <urn:uuid:bfcaf0c7-4e0e-4885-9dd2-7162ccd7929a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://townhall.com/social/usercommentprint/6562380 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979495 | 92 | 2.234375 | 2 |
EDITOR’S NOTE: When I started our survey of divorce at DivorceMinistry4Kids.com. one of the things that surprised me the most was how often I heard children express that one of their major losses during the divorce of their parents was a loss of pets. In this article, Rosalind Sedacca explores six ways that pets can be helpful to children and families going through a divorce.
Can a pet be helpful to your children during a divorce and the transition after? Without a doubt! If your family has one or more pets, let your children have access to them as much as they desire. There is a great emotional benefit to your children, and they are fortunate that the pets they love can still be in their lives.
If you don’t already have a pet, I recommend getting one – but only if you are in a position to be responsible to that innocent animal during this time of additional stress in your life. If a family pet is out of the question, please consider giving your children time to play with the pets of friends and family. Take them to petting zoos. Allow them contact with other life forms that can give them joy at a time when they are likely experiencing stress and insecurity.
Here are six key benefits a pet provides for families coping with divorce:
1. Unconditional Love: It has been proven that pets are a source of support and unconditional love for children. During and after divorce, when there is so much instability in a child’s life, a beloved pet can be the bridge to sanity. While much around them may be changing, sweet Fluffy is still there to love them and be by their side.
2. A confidant. Children like to talk to their pets. They are a trusted friend who they can confide in and share their deepest fears with. This is truly a gift to children and greatly helps with emotional resiliency. Pets are nonjudgmental. They listen attentively. They “understand,” And they always love you back. Isn’t that what your children need at a time like this?
3. Security. Pets have been shown to help children better cope with challenging times within a family. They feel less alone and abandoned. The relationship with the pet provides a deep sense of security that can’t easily be duplicated. Kids rarely outgrow their bond with Fluffy, even when they mature into their teens.
4. Bridge to adults. Pets can bridge the emotional and communication gap between adults and children – especially when Mom and Dad are preoccupied with so many details during and after a divorce. They are a source of calm as the family moves through the storm of post-divorce transition.
5. Stress Reduction. Medical studies have shown that pets are just as beneficial for adults. Walking and talking to your dog or petting your cat can actually lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, not to mention overall stress. Pets also are a great source of joy, a reminder that there are other aspects of life that are still wonderful to experience.
6. Best Friend. Pets also provide unconditional love, nurturing and comfort to adults who greatly need it as they transition through the grief of divorce. They’re a best friend when you’re alone and an appreciative ear when you want to vent or shed tears.
Connecting to other life forms is a wonderful way remind us that other beings depend on us for love, sustenance and nurturing – even through a divorce!
Rosalind Sedacca, CCT, is a Divorce & Parenting Coach and author of How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? A Create-a-Storybook Guide to Preparing Your Children — with Love! For her free book on Post-Divorce Parenting: Success Strategies For Getting It Right!, her blog, coaching services and other valuable resources on divorce and parenting issues, please visit http://www.childcentereddivorce.com. | <urn:uuid:ed57a8f5-188a-4991-b017-98ad8e008e07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://divorceministry4kids.com/2012/six-ways-pets-can-help-children-of-divorce/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966629 | 816 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Boston Harbor/Massachusetts Bay Studies research project conducted as part of Boston Harbor cleanup to predict the fate of contaminants and sediments introduced to Massachusetts' coastal waters from sources that include Boston sewage outfall.
This web site is an outgrowth of an agreement between the USGS and the New England Aquarium, designed to summarize and make available results of scientific research. It will also present educational material of interest to wide audiences.
Proposed removal of dams will change the characteristics of stream flow and will affect fish that swim upstream to spawn. A mathematical model of the river flow tells us where the likely problems will be located and how the flow will change.
Modified version of paper by F.T. Manheim and A.G. McIntire, Civil Engineering Practice, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 35-48 (1998). A new shoreline file has been created for Boston Harbor by digitizing and combining the most recent charts.
Site to locate most recent or archive reports for end-of-the-month hydrologic conditions with descriptions, data, charts, and maps giving an overview of water conditions during the month for the state of New York.
Report describes an electronic database of annotated citations relevant to fish passage through dams. Document may be searched using the search form or downloaded as an Endnote, Microsoft Word, or WordPerfect | <urn:uuid:61f9da27-023a-4a1c-9ae4-cb338ca655df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usgs.gov/science/science.php?term=526&type=feature&b=0&n=10&order=alpha | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927031 | 277 | 3.0625 | 3 |
Just who will the pupils talk to now?
The vital work of school counsellors is under threat thanks to Government cutbacks, writes SHEILA WAYMAN
CLARE, A STUDENT at Trinity College Dublin, believes she owes her life to a counsellor at her secondary school. She had developed an eating disorder after the death of a close friend was followed by the terminal illness of a close relative.
“I was struggling – dealing with death at home and death at school.” The one thing she felt in control of was food. Going into her Leaving Cert year, she started to make herself vomit after eating and thought it was great that she was losing weight.
It wasn’t until after Christmas that a friend realised what Clare was doing. “Obviously I begged and begged her not to tell anyone. I couldn’t turn to my mam or my dad at home.”
The school counsellor was the one person her friend could go to. The counsellor told the friend that he was leaving a whole class appointment open for Clare and if she wanted to drop in she could.
Although Clare reckoned she was fine, she decided to call into the counsellor’s office 10 minutes before the end of class – just to keep her friend happy.
“I went to see him every day after that for almost two weeks.” No matter how busy the day, he always made himself available at a time to suit her.
He worked her around to agreeing that he would make her parents aware of her bulimia “and slowly but surely the problem was resolved”, says Clare, now aged 22.
“If it wasn’t for him, genuinely, I would be dead. I would have kept going and nobody would have copped it. My parents were dealing with somebody dying, they were in and out of hospital, and I have a little sister as well.”
School guidance counsellors are the only mental health professionals to whom teenagers have direct access on a one-to-one basis. They are in the frontline of dealing with issues such as suicide ideation, self-harm, eating disorders, bullying and depression – along with the other half of their brief to advise on choosing careers, subject choices and college applications.
The impact of the decision in the last budget to do away with the “ex quota” allocation of counselling hours – based on the numbers of pupils in a school – and leave schools to find the hours within the existing allocation of teachers is only beginning to be felt now, since the beginning of the new school year in September. In many schools this means the guidance counsellors are spending significantly more hours in the classroom and have less time available for one-to-one counselling.
“The public has not realised what has been lost,” says the president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC), Gerry Flynn.
Initially, when guidance counsellors were established in schools, the focus was on the careers aspect. It is only over the years, he explains, as counsellors were being presented with a wide range of mental health issues that they started to pursue further training in this area.
It is not understood, he suggests, how much of the counsellors’ work is preventative. By its very nature, because of the confidentiality of the contact with students, “it operates below the radar. Even colleagues in the school wouldn’t be aware of it.”
The recent incident in Co Wexford, where a 16 year old was hospitalised after being unable to make an appointment with a school counsellor, is one indication of what can happen when a door shuts. In that case, after the Department of Education and Skills was informed, the school was granted a “curricular concession” of 11 hours a week to help meet its counselling needs this year.
“Guidance counsellors are obviously upset and worried about the way they are being treated but the real losers are the young people,” says Flynn. “It is the beginning of the dismantling of a support service that has been built up in schools over the years.”
One in three young people does not talk to anybody about his or her problems, according to research by Headstrong, the national centre for youth mental health.
Its My World survey found that 25 per cent of 12-19 year olds said they would be most likely to seek information or support from a teacher or guidance counsellor in relation to their mental health. This compared with 44 per cent who said they would be most likely to use a GP or other doctor, 28 per cent a psychologist and 11 per cent a phone helpline.
Barnardos receives regular queries about the availability of counselling supports for teenagers, from parents “at their wits’ ends” with concerns such as young people being bullied at school or involved in anti-social behaviour or showing signs of anxiety or stress. | <urn:uuid:78dbe366-9a36-4ef2-bddb-820097880e36> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/just-who-will-the-pupils-talk-to-now-1.549991?via=rel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98681 | 1,038 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Vocational Nursing is a respected, rewarding career that allows you to help people each and every day while you earn a great living.
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), care for the sick, injured, convalescent, and disabled under the direction of physicians and more highly trained nurses.
It’s a career that offers opportunities with high demand for qualified nurses in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and emergency medical centers, schools, colleges, home health agencies and convalescent homes.
About 28 percent of LVNs worked in hospitals, 26 percent in nursing care facilities, and another 12 percent in offices of physicians.
Others worked for home healthcare services, employment services, community care facilities for the elderly, public and private educational services, outpatient care centers, and Federal, State, and local government agencies; about 1 in 5 worked part time.
It’s also a great first step for those considering further advancement in nursing or the medical profession. | <urn:uuid:b4259b61-5e61-489d-9ed8-37682b6492c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://medicalcareersite.com/vocational-nurse/2007/12/what-is-licensed-vocational-nurse.html/comment-page-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95904 | 213 | 2.390625 | 2 |
We’ve had spring weather in early December — and that guarantees 2012 will be the hottest year on record for the United States.
I had reported on Monday that 2012 was virtually certain to be the hottest on record thanks to the warm November and blistering early December. Now Climate Central has done the math:
There is a 99.99999999 percent chance that 2012 will be the hottest year ever recorded in the continental 48 states, based on our analysis of 118 years of temperature records through Dec. 10, 2012.
The chart above is Climate Central’s projection of the 2012 temperature using observations through December 10 and an estimate of typical temperatures for the final 21 days of the month. If this holds true, then 2012 will blow out the previous record (1998) by more than 1°F.
How warm was early December? As Capital Climate calculates using National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) figures:
For the first 10 days of December, new daily record high temperatures have outnumbered record lows by a ratio of 92 to 1. For the 48 contiguous states, the ratio was an incredible 132 to 1, since 3 out of the 10 low records were in Alaska and Hawaii. During the entire week of December 2-8, not a single low temperature record was tied or broken in any of the 50 states, according to NCDC reports. With 3 weeks remaining in the year, the cumulative ratio of heat records to cold records for 2012 has reached 6.0 to 1, more than double the ratio in 2011.
If you want to know how to judge whether these ratios are a big deal, consider that a 2009 National Center for Atmospheric Research study found that the ratio for the entire decade of the 2000s — the hottest decade on record globally — averaged to 2.04, which is roughly double what it was a few decades before (see “Record high temperatures far outpace record lows across U.S.“). NCAR noted, “The ratio of record highs to lows is likely to increase dramatically in coming decades if emissions of greenhouse gases continue to climb.” Seriously.
This year has rewritten the record books — a winter with spring-like temperatures, a spring with summer-like temperatures, and an all-time hottest July.
You may remember that March Came In Like A Lamb and Went Out Like A Globally Warmed Lion On Steroids Who Smashed 15,000 Heat Records. As NOAA reported, in March, “There were 21 instances of the nighttime temperatures being as warm, or warmer, than the existing record daytime temperature for a given date”!
At the time, Meteorologist Dr. Jeff Masters said, “this is not the atmosphere I grew up with.” He published a detailed statistical analysis concluding, “It is highly unlikely the warmth of the current ‘Summer in March’ heat wave could have occurred unless the climate was warming.”
The science of attributing extreme events to global warming is still emerging, scientists still disagree to what extent a specific event like this heat wave is driven by global warming. But two of the leading experts explain at RealClimate why even small shifts in average temperature mean “the probability for ‘outlandish’ heat records increases greatly due to global warming.” Furthermore, “the more outlandish a record is, the more would we suspect that non-linear feedbacks are at play – which could increase their likelihood even more.”
And now we know have emerging scientific analysis that connects global warming and what is happening to the Arctic to more extreme events like heat waves:
And remember, we’ve only warmed about a degree and a half Fahrenheit in the past century. We are on track to warm five times times that or more this century.
In short, Mother Nature is just getting warmed up! | <urn:uuid:681f290f-4142-49c2-bb5a-49ea9b44a097> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thinkprogress.org/tag/heat-waves/page/2/?mobile=nc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950775 | 783 | 2.875 | 3 |
Some are rich some are poor, some save others spend, but as one part of the global world grows and another shrinks back the traditional power structures between the developed and the developing world are undergoing change and reconfiguration. What will the new world order look like, who will do well, and what changes are needed if companies are to survive and emerge stronger out of the recession? One thing’s for sure, “austerity” is the new buzz word and improved governance structures, better regulation and better value are needed if brands are to create trust and succeed. We report from the recent CIBAM Global Business Symposium on “The New World Order after the Crisis”.
The influential Cadbury Report which looked at the financial aspects of Corporate Governance in 1992 has been gifted to Cambridge Judge Business School and has been digitalised explains Sir Adrian Cadbury, Former Chairman of Cadbury and Cadbury Schweppes. | <urn:uuid:1942500f-2fc4-4105-ad36-400c9fa77862> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/media/2010/a-new-world-order-the-cibam-global-business-symposium-comply-or-explain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947831 | 191 | 1.632813 | 2 |
|Population||4,810 (Dec 2011)|
|- Density||274 /km2 (709 /sq mi)|
|Area||17.51 km2 (6.76 sq mi)|
|Elevation||685 m (2,247 ft)|
|Surrounded by||Einsiedeln, Freienbach, Hütten (ZH), Oberägeri (ZG), Wollerau|
Feusisberg is first mentioned in the 13th Century as Berg and Uffenberg. In the 16th Century it was known as Fessisskilch and in 1590 it was mentioned as Föussisberg.
Feusisberg has an area, as of 2006[update], of 17.5 km2 (6.8 sq mi). Of this area, 48.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 41.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 8.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (1.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).
The municipality is located on a terrace below the Etzel mountain and overlooking Lake Zurich at an elevation of between 600–800 meters (2,000–2,600 ft) above sea level. It consists of the villages of Feusisberg and Schindellegi as well as part of Biberbrugg. As of 2000[update] about two-thirds of the population of the municipality lived in Schindellegi.
Feusisberg has a population (as of 31 December 2011) of 4,810. As of 2007[update], 20.0% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 32.8%. In 2000, the vast majority of the population (91.1%) spoke German.
As of 2000[update] the gender distribution of the population was 50.9% male and 49.1% female. The age distribution, as of 2008[update], in Feusisberg is; 881 people or 23.3% of the population is between 0 and 19. 1,086 people or 28.7% are 20 to 39, and 1,340 people or 35.5% are 40 to 64. The senior population distribution is 244 people or 6.5% are 65 to 74. There are 169 people or 4.5% who are 70 to 79 and 59 people or 1.56% of the population who are over 80.
As of 2000[update] there were 1,577 households, of which 490 households (or about 31.1%) contained only a single individual. A total of 83, or about 5.3%, were large households with at least five members.
In Feusisberg about 74.2% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).
Feusisberg has an unemployment rate of 1.55%. In 2005, there were 199 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 77 businesses involved in this sector. 444 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 84 businesses in this sector. 1,010 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 183 businesses in this sector.
From the 2000 census[update], 2,342 or 62.0% are Roman Catholic, while 782 or 20.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there are less than 5 individuals who belong to the Christian Catholic faith, there are 30 individuals (or about 0.79% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 11 individuals (or about 0.29% of the population) who belong to another Christian church. There are 5 individuals (or about 0.13% of the population) who are Jewish, and 161 (or about 4.26% of the population) who are Islamic. There are 16 individuals (or about 0.42% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 338 (or about 8.94% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 92 individuals (or about 2.43% of the population) did not answer the question.
The historical population is given in the following table:
The municipality is located on the A3 motorway. The are two railway stops within the municipality, Biberbrugg station and Schindellegi-Feusisberg station, both of which are served by Zurich S-Bahn services S13 and S40.
- Swiss Federal Statistics Office – STAT-TAB Ständige und Nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Region, Geschlecht, Nationalität und Alter (German) accessed 3 October 2012
- Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
- Feusisberg in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 02-Sep-2009
- Canton Schwyz Statistics (German) accessed 27 August 2009
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Feusisberg| | <urn:uuid:76767cbe-fff5-4726-a52a-37576559ffcb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feusisberg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908875 | 1,113 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Phylliss Layland hugs her 3-year-old grandson Derek Grossnickle for the first time Wednesday, May 5, 1999, since her home was destroyed by a tornado Monday night in Haysville, Kan. A deadly tornado passed through the Wichita area, killing five people. Vice President Al Gore will tour the damaged area Thursday morning.
The Z-Bar Ranch in Strong City, Kan., will become the Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve with the passage of the Parks Bill Friday in Washington. The 10,800 acre ranch was built over a 100 years ago. The old schoolhouse will be included in the park.
Shek Weber (red cap), Debbie Dunn (blue) and Fran Dunn look at an old flag Weber found in the rubble of the Dunn's home Wednesday, May 5, 1999, south of Haysville, Kan. Weber raised the flag on a piece of tree branch he erected in their yard. Weber and Debbie Dunn are engaged. The Dunn family drove away from their mobile home when they heard a tornado was coming. They ran into the tornado in south Wichita but escaped injury.
William Least Heat-Moon, author of "PrairyErth (A Deep Map): An Epic History of the Tallgrass Prairie Country," ponders the changes and comfort he found while revisiting the Flint Hills in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Chase County.
Kansas State University head football coach Bill Snyder is carried off the field Saturday evening after addressing the fans in the Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Snyder announced his retirement earlier in the week and stepped down from coaching Saturday after his Wildcats defeated Missouri 36-28.
The Kansas Turnpike is seen Sunday, Aug. 31, 2003, one day after after floodwaters carried vehicles from the highway south of Emporia on Saturday night. Four children in one vehicle were killed and their mother is still missing in the floodwaters. Another man in another vehicle is also still missing.
Passengers on a United Airlines flight use the ladder of a Garden City (Kan.) Fire Department fire truck to get off of the plane, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, in Garden City. The United Airlines 757, Air Canada 727 and a US Airways Airbus 300 carrying hundreds of passengers landed safely at Garden City Regional Airport. Because the airport has no ramps that will reach the large planes, the fire department used its ladder truck to get passengers to the ground. The planes were part of a nationwide grounding after Tuesday's attacks on the East Coast.
Firefighters continue to watch the flames at what used to be Woody's Appliance store in downtown Hutchinson four days after the explosion that rocked the city. The Kansas Gas Co. was unsuccessful in stopping a leak at the Yaggy storage facility Saturday, seven miles west of Hutchinson, which is thought to be responsible for the gas leaks in the city.
A Hutchinson firefighter watches from atop a ladder truck in Hutchinson, Kan., Jan. 18, 2001, as a natural gas leak burns inside a downtown building. Officials believe natural gas from an old storage field caused the fire in addition to another explosion and numerous gas leaks reported in the community Thursday, The natural gas leaks and fires were voted the Kansas top story or 2001 in an Associated Press poll of the state's newspaper and broadcast editors.
Huge flames still erupt from the ground in what was a wedding supply store in downtown Hutchinson on Thursday afternoon. A gas explosion destroyed the building on Wednesday but officials have not been able to extinguish the flames that are being fed by an underground gas leak.
Serial killer Dennis Rader stands before Sedgwick County District Court Judge Greg Waller Thursday afternoon as sentencing is read. Rader recieved 9 life terms and a "hard 40" for the ten murders he commited over nearly 30 years
Natural gas sprays 20-30 feet in the air Thursday afternoon on the east side of Hutchinson. A natural gas leak believed to be from a gas storage field several miles away caused two explosions and fires in Hutchinson.
Dennis Rader prepares to sit in a Sedgwick County courtroom during the first day of testimony in his sentencing phase on Wednesday, August 17, 2005. Rader, also known as BTK, pleaded guilty to killing 10 people during a spree spanning 30 years in the Wichita area.
Framed by crosses commemorating the lives of five killed by raging flood waters Saturday night along the Kansas Turnpike, United States Geological Survey hydrologist Charlie Perry takes measurements Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2003, south of Emporia, Kan.
Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett waves to the the crowds gathered at Salina Airport on Thursday afternoon after crawling out of the Virgin Atlantic Globalflyer. Fossett became the first man to fly solo around the world nonstop on one tank of fuel. | <urn:uuid:3cf0b605-45f0-43bf-87b4-dab3fef5221a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kansas.com/2011/01/29/1694885_a1694855/kansas-1991-2011two-decades-of.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952677 | 976 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP) is a non-profit organization that strives to unite agencies engaged in the elimination of sexual violence. WCSAP provides information, training and expertise to program and individual members who support victims, family and friends, the general public, and all those whose lives have been affected by sexual assault. Our activities include:
At the state and national level, WCSAP diligently works to create, shape, influence, and enhance policy that impacts survivors of sexual assault, their families, and community safety. We introduce, track, and respond to bills that affect survivors and communities. At the state level we testify before state legislative committees and contact state legislators. Federally, we regularly contact Congress and participate in an annual sexual assault lobby day held in Washington, D.C. At the coalition, we work to educate our members about relevant policy and support them in contacting their legislators. We also provide input on court rules and other state policies that pertain to sexual violence, victim services, and many other social justice issues. Read more about addressing public policy.
WCSAP continually develops a wide variety of resources to assist sexual assault programs, allied organizations, and the public at large to increase their skills and awareness around issues of sexual violence. We produce print publications, online Tips, and a variety of other Special Editions. Read more about our resources and publications.
WCSAP provides many training opportunities for volunteers and professionals working to end sexual violence in our communities. WCSAP uses webinars, online education tutorials, in-person trainings, and our annual conference, to help increase the knowledge and skills of advocates, therapists, and magangers working to support survivors of sexual assault. WCSAP also provides technical assistance to members who are developing their own training programs. Read more about trainings and events. | <urn:uuid:09d1d07b-71ed-4c4c-bf3d-55bab991ee0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wcsap.org/about-us | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942287 | 370 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Report on the World’s Birds
September 22, 2008 (Ottawa & Port Rowan) – Common birds are in decline across the world, providing evidence of a rapid deterioration in the global environment that is affecting all life on Earth – including human life, according to a new report released today at BirdLife International’s World Conference in Buenos Aires.
The State of the World’s Birds publication and website highlight population declines of more than 50% over the last 40 years for 20 of North America’s most common bird species. These include boreal breeders (such as Evening Grosbeak, Greater Scaup and Boreal Chickadee) and numerous grassland species (Eastern Meadowlark, Loggerhead Shrike, Field Sparrow and Grasshopper Sparrow).
Canadian and U.S. results from the Breeding Bird Survey and the annual, continent-wide Christmas Bird Count were analyzed together to produce this report on how the common birds of North America are faring. “Though there is much we still need to learn about what is driving the declines, loss and degradation of habitat are usually implicated,” according to Jon McCracken, Bird Studies Canada’s Director of National Programs. “It is particularly worrying when we find that some of our most common species are headed into trouble.”
The story is the same for birds migrating between North American and Latin America. Over half (57%) of neotropical migrants monitored on their breeding grounds have suffered from population declines over the last four decades, including migratory species such as the Chimney Swift, Bobolink, and Canada Warbler.
“Birds are effective indicators of the health of our environment,” said Sarah Wren, Conservation Biologist at Nature Canada. “The truth is that while healthy bird populations suggest healthy habitats for all species, including humans, the opposite is also true. These bird declines should be seen as a warning.”
State of the World’s Birds identifies many key global threats, including human-induced climate change, the intensification of industrial-scale agriculture and fishing, the spread of invasive species, logging and the replacement of natural forest with monocultural plantations.
The decline of birds in Canada represents a literal ‘canary in the coal mine’ for our environment. Yet bird conservation groups agree that these trends are not irreversible.
“The federal government is legally responsible for protecting migratory birds,” said Wren. “Meeting this obligation must involve protecting Canada’s 597 Important Bird Areas as part of an integrated conservation plan.”
Large-scale public participation in monitoring and habitat stewardship is integral to the conservation of North American birds. “Through programs such as the Christmas Bird Count and Project FeederWatch, volunteer ‘Citizen Scientists’ play a vital role in gathering information about bird population status and trends. Their findings help researchers understand how changes in our landscape are affecting birds and biodiversity,” said McCracken.
The full report, State of the World’s Birds, is available online at http://www.birdlife.org/sowb.
Nature Canada and Bird Studies Canada are Canadian co-partners in BirdLife International. Together we deliver the international Important Bird Areas (IBA) program in Canada, which aims to identify, conserve and monitor a network of sites that provides essential habitat for bird populations. | <urn:uuid:9f1a5e0f-70cd-44de-bb2d-03e41eeefb35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naturecanada.ca/newsroom_sep_22_08_birds.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915235 | 710 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Feline sport at its best!
Featuring venerable athletes Shorty and Kodi.
Dirt, germs, bugs, stinkiness, things that can make you sick.
Feeling queasy? Me too.
While your pets do not normally affect your health in a bad way (unless, of course you have a pet allergy), there is a chance that a dirty pet can introduce something unpleasant into your household that you’d rather not meet.
So having a cleaned up pet, aka pet grooming, is good for your health. See how that is?
And it is also good for your pet’s health too!
Here is a recent article by Dr. Dave Altman of Animal Hospital of Onslow County in Florida:
“Pet owners who view grooming merely as a way of making their animals look and smell nice may not understand the veterinary necessity of such procedures. “Pet grooming is more than just a vanity measure — it’s an essential part of preventative care,” says Dr. Altman. “Grooming at a veterinary facility can prove invaluable for early detection and prevention of many health problems.”
A typical grooming session at the animal clinic may include bathing, trimming of hair and nails, dental cleanings and anal gland expression, accompanied by a careful evaluation of the pet’s skin, eyes and ears. “Bathing and hair care procedures allow us to learn a lot about the current state of a pet’s health,” explains the vet. “We examine the skin for any signs of trouble such as hot spots, lumps or obvious infections. We can also determine whether the pet suffers from flea, tick or mite infestations.” The vet adds that any such problems can be promptly treated with hypo-allergenic medicated shampoos or other products. “The mere act of bathing can do wonders for the skin by removing pests and cleansing the skin surfaces of oils that serve as bacteria.”
Nail trimming also plays an important role in pet care, according to Dr. Altman. “Most pet owners trim their animals’ nails to preserve furniture and flooring, but this kind of grooming can also preserve a pet’s health,” he says. “Indoor pets in particular do not wear their nails down the way a wild animal would. So the nails get longer and longer until they eventually catch on something and tear away from the paw. This is not only painful, but it also gives bacteria a chance to enter, especially if the pet licks the wound.” Regular nail trimming, the doctor explains, can help prevent this type of injury. “You can trim your pet’s nails yourself, but a veterinarian or professional groomer can do the job more efficiently — and without accidentally causing harm.” The veterinarian adds that anal gland expression is another task many pet owners prefer to leave to the pet grooming professional.
Some Jacksonville pet owners might not associate dental cleanings with grooming, but Dr. Altman notes that the inside of your pet’s mouth benefits from cleanliness just as his skin and fur do. “Proper dental care helps prevent tooth decay and dangerous gum infections. All of these procedures work together to keep your pet healthier and more comfortable,” says Dr. Altman.”
Grooming your dog or cat at home (between trips to the veterinary groomer) is a good way to do your own observations of how your pet is doing, and also to increase the bond you share with them.
Many pets see getting brushed as an petting, other form source of petting. It feels GOOD!
As you brush, pay attention to any tender areas, bumps, cuts or other things about their skin or body that might be concerning. Of course, keep an eye open for fleas and ticks, and get those critters removed right away when you spot time.
Brush or comb the whole body, including the ears, collar area and belly. If you can, brush daily. If not once a week or more is good.
Check ears and wipe clean if they are dirty.
Check teeth. Some people brush their pet’s teeth and you can find lots of products at any large pet store as well as purchasing them from your veterinarian or groomer so that you can do this at home between professional teeth cleaning visits.
Your veterinarian or groomer will also have tips for grooming your particular pets that with help you between visits.
As you do these cleaning and bonding activities, keep a notepad nearby to remind you of any questions you want to ask next time you take your pet in for a check- up. And it goes without saying, if you find something that concerns you, get your pet in to see the vet right away.
Looks good, smells good, stays healthier and loves you even more….what’s not to like about grooming????
Plus, pet grooming is good for YOUR health too!!
To find a local or specialty veterinarian who offers grooming services, just check our directory at http://www.vetlocator.com | <urn:uuid:03eb85d3-a883-48dc-9303-d8caf2aeda20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vetlocator.com/dailypaws/2012/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945207 | 1,065 | 2.5625 | 3 |
RS232 voltage level converter box
ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk
Sun Nov 16 16:10:00 CST 2008
> It looks like a converter box that takes TTL level serial signals and
> converts to RS232 levels, kind of like the MAXIM single chip solution
> except that it is using 1488 and 1489 chips.
OK, such things did exist.
> The problem is that it came with a PCjr, but it doesn't physically plug
> into a PCjr. The onboard serial port is only 16 pins, while the
> rectangular connector here is 20 pins. It physically doesn't work.
And the PCjr serial port is at RS232 levels anyway. The PCjr seiral cable
is just a cahle, no intenral componnets (I have the PCjr TechRef with
If it was used wit ha PCjr, then I would guess that the PCjr was
connected to the RS232 side of this coverter, and some other device,
using a TTL level serial port, was connected to the 20 pin header.
I can't think fo anything offhand that would have such a port. It might
have been something very specialised (say to control or program some
measuring instrument or something).
More information about the cctalk | <urn:uuid:6eccf101-d124-49c2-b2a8-33437d111339> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctalk/2008-November/077696.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923984 | 286 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Latest Updates to this Instructable as of 9/12/2012:
1. There is a full 2BEIGH3 update here, along with a source for Nylon 3D Printing material here.
2. If you have a new 3D Printing material, there is a Safety Test Procedure for any new and previously untested material here.
As a sample of the unique new properties of just one of these new materials, Here is a 3D Print of a Childs NYLON Prosthetic Insole on the 2BEIGH3 3D Printer.
With the 3D Printer configuration of the 2BEIGH3, you will be able to print parts that meet much higher standards for strength, flexibility and pliability. You will be able to design parts that can take 100's of severe strikes from a sledge hammer and still have a soft velvet like texture.
You will be able to print parts that are almost equal to Factory Die Extrusions. And in some cases, parts that can not be Die extruded due to complexity. The term "delamination" will cease to be a concern.
Nylon and it's derivative polymers have some great features that can be modified with fill density and layer height. Imagine being able to print a permanent coffee filter, bearings that need no lubrication, pliable IPhone cases, extremely tough bands that are so flexible you can tie them in a knot and they'll still support 200lbs!
My hope is that people use this guide to bring their designs and projects to tangible parts and objects as paper and CAD designs are great, but unproven, till built.
My goal for this guide is to take the mystery out of both CNC and 3D printing in such a way as to eliminate that….”its all to overwhelming” feeling or thought.
Because there are several other specific machine designs out there, both CNC and 3D Printer, please refer to this machine as the "2BEIGH3" or "2 by 3" as I will within this guide.
Step 1: Goals and Approach
The process is going to be that we build a machine, to make a better machine to then build a slightly different machine. And while that seems complicated, it’s mostly nuts and bolts. I will try to specifically show you how to create or build the parts you need and where appropriate, provide detailed drawings and CAD files.
You’ll see that I have borrowed some ideas from others here on the Instructables web site, and if I forget to mention an already published detail, please let me know and I’ll update.
So before we get started, what exactly does a 2BEIGH3 look like? | <urn:uuid:f99e9a8e-c044-4534-ac02-05eda34167d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.instructables.com/id/Combination-CNC-Machine-and-3D-Printer/CYCCX5AH2MYFYV8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948056 | 558 | 2.125 | 2 |
There is a scene in the movie Barfly where a woman turns to the main character and says “I can’t stand people. I hate them. Do you hate them?”
He turns to her and drawls, “No, but I seem to feel better when they’re not around.”
By his own report, Albert Nock didn’t like people very much. “Someone asked me years ago if it were true that I disliked Jews, and I replied that it was certainly true, not at all because they are Jews, but because they are folks, and I don’t like folks.”
He never cried as a child, and as a young man he had a ferocious temper, so it’s hard to imagine that he came by his distaste for mankind as a result of a stalwart dedication — endlessly rejected and attacked, as is generally the case — to improving the lot of his fellow citizens. Nock did not lose faith with mankind and end up bitter; he started off bitter, so it cost him much less to clearly see the follies of those around him.
So before you start this book, fair warning is in order.
Our Enemy, the State is founded on a pessimism so deep, so profound, and so bottomless that it is as if we are Pandora, opening the creaky, face-blasting chest of demons, and finding at the bottom not a glowing spirit of hope, but a grey bag of words that, when we touch them, dissolve us into blowing ash.
Nock builds this case slowly, carefully, and relentlessly. He divided general decision-making into social power and state power. The expansion of state power, he argued, always comes at the expense of social power, resulting in a continual escalation of statism, until the inevitable fascist or totalitarian collapse. He differentiates between the state (which Nock always capitalized: “the State”) and “government”; the state is theft and exploitation, while government is the spontaneous problem solving that always arises in the absence of centralized coercion.
Nock also understood that, like all animals, people always want something for nothing — and there’s no better way to get something for nothing than to manipulate the credulous masses into surrendering liberty and risk to the almighty political machinery of the state. As he repeatedly points out, people always forget that when you ask the state to do something for you, it will always end up doing something to you.
The state is founded on conquest and confiscation — this much is understood about the ancient world by most educated people, but Nock makes a powerful case that the same principles drove the foundation of the American Republic as well. The British ban on westward expansion stalled the insatiable greed of land speculation, and this drove the Founders — rabid speculators almost to a man — to risk political independence.
The unraveling of the myth of the noble founding of America opens the door — a trapdoor, really — to a special kind of despair faced by those who recognize that high moral language is almost always a cover for endless subterranean pickpocketing.
Moralists generally hope that when evil is exposed, good people rally to beat back the darkness; however, when high moral language is invented and used by evil to cover itself — and greedily accepted by those hoping to profit from the injustices of state power — then the robbers of mankind hold all the weapons — physical, emotional, and linguistic — and all hope is effectively lost.
As Nock points out, no revolution has succeeded in the West since the mid-19th century, and none can be expected to succeed anytime soon. No less an authority than Lenin himself is quoted as saying that no revolution can be expected to succeed unless the soldiers and the police are discontented, and nothing of the sort appears imminent anywhere across Western civilization — particularly when soldiers and policemen so depend on the state for rent-seeking wages, bloated pensions, and health care freebies.
Due to the implacable irrationality of mankind, Nock viewed the escalating expansion of state power as more a force of nature than the effect of ignorance. When considering the idea of a society free of centralized coercive oligarchies, he wrote:
“Perhaps, some aeons hence, if the planet remains so long habitable, the benefits accruing to conquest and confiscation may be adjudged over-costly; the State may in consequence be superseded by government, the political means suppressed, and the fetishes which give nationalism and patriotism that present execrable character may be broken down. But the remoteness and uncertainty of this prospect makes any thought of it fatuous, and any concern with it futile.”
Why should we read his book, then, if it holds no hope of change?
Nock answers this in the book itself, but I would like to add a few more reasons.
First, in elegant prose (and sentences so long that they left this audiobook reader gasping for breath), Nock dismantles the myth of the historical social contract, and eviscerates the Jeffersonian delusions that the state was instituted to protect citizens — and says that anything that releases us from the foggy grip of propagandistic pseudohistory deserves great praise.
Second, Nock’s pessimism is bitter, but bracing: Those of us thirsty for activism in the cause of liberty must embrace his challenge, which is that the time is far from right and the minds of our fellow citizens far from open — both being conditions required for any substantial social change.
Nock also helps point us in the right direction — or least away from the wrong direction — by reminding us that just as the state has no money of its own, nor has it any power of its own, it only has the power our delusions give it. This essential insight redirects us from railing against the Olympian storm clouds of lofty political power, and reminds us that the state is a mere effect of the beliefs of those around us, thus focusing our efforts horizontally — which is to say productively — rather than vertically. Railing against politics is like throwing the helium balloons of our hopes into a hurricane.
The state is designed for class exploitation and predation, and so cannot be reformed. This would be like trying to turn outright murder into self-defense after the fact.
If we cannot reform the state, can we enlighten our fellow citizens? Well, in Nock’s day — as in our own — people so strenuously resist reason, thought, and evidence that the true source of the state’s power — mere human delusion — can no more be overturned than the state itself. Exploitation rests on power, power rests on self-deception, and both are as absolute as gravity.
As the old saying goes, we have met the enemy, and he is us.
Nock’s deep cynicism often provokes a scornful backlash: “Surely, things cannot be so hopeless!” However, Our Enemy, the State has the enormous benefit of having been published almost 60 years ago. In Nock’s day, the state that, he so feared, lay in the future now largely lies in our past. We have endless wars, indefinite detentions, state-sanctioned torture, a prison population in America exceeding the ratio of prisoners in Stalin’s gulags. The list is well-known, virtually endless, and a tragic confirmation of the validity of Nock’s “cynical” view of our capacity to avoid political catastrophes. In politics, realism is merely cynicism plus time.
I hold no more hope than he does for reforming the state, or enlightening the general population, but we do have access to powerful opportunities for change that Nock could barely have imagined.
First, of course, is the great Gutenberg we call the Internet, which has smashed the barriers between production and consumption for all who think.
Secondly, the emerging science of brain and child development has given liberty activists a powerful opportunity to lay the foundations for a truly free and peaceful society. If, as most research seems to indicate, the state is a mere effect of the family — and, in particular, early childhood experiences — then by reforming childhood, we reform all aspects of society, including the state. The state is dominance, exploitation, violence, and manipulation: Children raised without punishment, without discipline, and without spanking or yelling will not become criminals or politicians — but I repeat myself — and will no more speak the language of subjugation and dominance than they will Elvish or Klingon.
The ultimate reformation is that of childhood. As Wordsworth said, “The Child is the father of the Man,” we might equally say that childhood has been, and will always be, the future of our species.
The task of rebuilding first requires unbuilding, and there are few better experts at demolition than Albert Jay Nock.
Stefan MolyneuxHost, Freedomain Radio
Original article appears on Laissez-Faire Today
The Daily Reckoning occasionally features commentary from financial analysts, experts, gold bugs, economists and an array of contributors from various fields and occupations. Their diverse insights and contrarian investing ideas are hand selected by your Daily Reckoning editors.
The children are the future. I’ve been teaching mine about value. Their teachers tell them fiat currencies are worth more the precious metals. Funny that his teacher wouldn’t trade her gold ear rings for his paper dollars. That told him more than I could ever teach him.
“Children raised without punishment, without discipline, and without spanking or yelling will not become criminals or politicians”
puh-leaze. A fabulous article up till then. You are a superb writer.
Great article right up until the drivel about not punishing your children.
Point of clarification, Stephan Molyneux was referring to physical punishment, not a total lack of boundaries for children.
Molyneux on corporal punishment: http://nospank.net/parableofboxer.pdf
Given a choice, Bernanke will likely strangle the currency (your money)... in favor of “strengthening” the economy.
Eventually, economic reality and markets will collide -- unfortunately, the higher the market, the harder the fall.
How certain business practices wind up jacking up costs before sticking you with the bill.
The Japanese Nikkei fell flat on its face overnight.
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Changes would boost Social Security fund
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In his Dec. 7 letter “Social Security didn't cause budget mess,” Bruce Bostick made a good case for not using the Social Security system to fix the budget mess and for raising the cap on taxed income. Let me extend his argument.
The Social Security system has its own source of funding and is currently taking in more money than it is paying out. At least it was the last time I checked, which was before the payroll tax was reduced. That was a bad idea.
I hope the federal government is reimbursing the Social Security system for the lost income, but I doubt it. People currently earning $107,000 or less pay tax on 100 percent of their income while people earning $1.07 million or more pay tax on only 10 percent or less on their income. Is this fair? Hardly.
Why should low-income earners pay a higher tax, percentage-wise, than high-income earners? The cap on taxed income should not be just raised, it should be eliminated. However, this $107,000 cap should be kept on the amount of income that is used to calculate benefits.
With these changes, the total benefits paid out by the system would remain the same, but the system would have more income. This might not solve all future problems, but it would be a big step in the right direction. | <urn:uuid:40d7fb2d-4320-4c90-ab78-1c8110690d0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/12/17/changes-would-boost-social-security-fund.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962873 | 390 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Forensic interviews are of vital importance in the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault and other crimes against children.
DCAC is at the heart of the multi-disciplinary team that responds to allegations of child sexual abuse and cases where children have witnessed homicide or acute violence. The program operates under an agreement with the Denver Police Department, Denver District Attorney's Office, Denver Department of Human Services, and Denver Health Medical Center. Child victims are interviewed by DCAC's highly-qualified, neutral forensic interviewers, in warm, welcoming child-friendly facilities that help to mitigate their trauma. Police and prosecutors may watch the interviews in separate observation rooms so that they can gather evidence without the child being aware of their presence.
Victim advocacy plays a crucial role in minimizing trauma for child victims and their families. DCAC's victim advocate provides continuity and coordination from the moment families are first referred to DCAC to the time the criminal case is resolved or treatment is complete. The victim advocate provides reassurance to frightened children and their families, tracks their case as they proceed through the legal system, ensures the family understands their rights under the law, and coordinates their access to treatment and the difference services they may need. | <urn:uuid:850f8902-c23c-4678-9b11-1ff8b4a2064b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://denvercac.org/ForensicInterviews.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956035 | 239 | 1.632813 | 2 |
CARACAS — The Russian military has reached a contingency agreement to land long-range supersonic bomber aircraft in Venezuela, according to reports from Moscow on Saturday, which analysts cast more as a nuisance than reason for alarm.
U.S. Defense and diplomatic officials said they were aware of the report but downplayed its significance.
''Our analysts weren't caught unaware and don't believe this is anything alarming,'' said Army Col. Bill Costello, spokesman for the Pentagon's Southern Command.
There was no immediate reaction from the Venezuelan government.
InterFax quoted a Russian Air Force chief, Maj. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev, as saying that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had offered an island off the country's Caribbean coast as a support base for strategic Russian bombers -- an apparent reference to La Orchila, home to Antonio Diaz Naval Air Station, off the north-central coast.
La Orchila is Venezuela's version of Camp David, a presidential retreat used by Chavez for summits and at-times clandestine meetings. The president also was detained there, briefly, during his 2002 ouster.
La Orchila has been the focus of Russian interest for some time.
Venezuelan media reported in November that, while President Dmitry Medvedev toured Latin America, Russian military inspected the island's airstrip.
The two nations' navies were engaging in joint exercises at the time, a reflection of a Russian military push into the region in recent years -- mainly to sell military hardware. But U.S. officials said at the time that they were more concerned about Iran's activities in the region than Russia's.
Analysts also noted the timing of Saturday's report: the United States and Russia are vying for influence in Latin America, even as the Obama administration has said it is seeking to hit the ''reset button'' on relations with the Kremlin.
InterFax quoted the Russian general as earlier saying that Cuba, too, has air bases with four or five runways long enough for the huge bombers that could host the long-range planes.
Read the full story at MiamiHerald.com | <urn:uuid:1dc41a7c-10b2-4547-be9a-3e220451adfe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2009/03/15/63998/report-russian-bombers-given-access.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975726 | 431 | 1.578125 | 2 |
I agree that the provider of a product has a moral obligation, to provide it’s customers with a product which is “Fit for Purpose”. (as I’ve already stated)
Nobody would deny that it’s in the interest of both the customers, and the producers to ensure that a product is stable before it’s released into the marketplace. whether it’s computer software, or a washing machine, or a pizza.
It’s in their interest,.. but it doesn’t always happen.
sometimes market forces, such as having a group of customers asking when it will be released,.. can effect the decision of the manufacturers to release a product,.. before it’s ready.
As for beta testing,. Again,.. this is a VOLUNTARY process, which you personally can CHOOSE to be involved in,.
If an individual chooses to test the product, they are ASKED to report any issues they find,.
the purpose of this is clearly to help find errors
the alternative to this is to have the “Developers”, using the software for hours, or days, testing all the possible menu options and features of the software in a logical, methodical way..
This means that if they’re using the software,. they’re not actively developing it,, they’re looking for issues.
Also consider that the Code writers may be excellent programmers, but may not be experienced users of the software they’re working on.
Experienced users, will usually see issues quickly. and while those experienced users are finding issues, the programmers can be developing the program.
For the Company,. the Developers, and the customers,. this process makes sense.
The company can eventually release a product which has been tested and works.
the developers can spend time developing,
the customers should end up with a better product because they’ve been actively involved in testing it at different stages of development, and have assisted in tracking down issues. so that developers can fix those issues.
It’s also worth noting that users can add “Feature requests” in the Bug tracker, as well as reporting bugs.
so, they have the ability to influence the addition of new features into the development process.
to say that “No other industry” involves a small group of consumers in a testing process before a product is released to the public is,.. Ludicrous.
Have you never been asked to try a new food item while out shopping, or to take part in a consumer survey. ?
All hardware,. whether it’s a washing machine, a toaster, or a car, goes through the testing processes which involves experienced users. who know what to expect from the product.
if you have a washing machine which develops a fault, you’d contact the manufacturer, or their service agent, and they’ll either send out a technician to repair or replace a component, or offer a direct swap, sometimes for a slightly different model number.
the technician reports the fault, ....the manufacturer examines the component , perhaps changing the design, and the next version of the washing machine rolls out of the factory. (improved)
product testing happens all the time. in all industries. although you may not be aware of it.
You’re right that the testing process in C8.5 has taken longer than C8,. and there are probably some good reasons for the length of that process.
I’m not claiming that the users are directly responsible for the product development,. that’s a ridiculous observation.
as i’ve already mentioned twice , the company has the obligation ensure that a product is “fit ft purpose”
BUT,. by involving experienced users in a testing process, makes that development process easier, and faster.
Sometimes there are issues which prevent the developer from releasing a new Beta version for testing,.
sometimes that decision is for the benefit of the users testing the product.
but anyone who is taking the time to test the functionality of the beta, and is finding repeatable faults,. but is not reporting those faults either for the reason that ...“it’s Not my problem”, or ,....those coders shouldn’t have written such bad code in the first place,.
That approach does nobody any good, neither the customer, nor the developers benefits from that.
These forum pages could be looked upon as being a “FREE” source of educational material, and technical support.
Nobody here is forcing the community of experienced users to spend time helping others.
nobody is demanding that you provide new users with your expert advice.
but it helps the users,. and it helps the company. and indirectly, it helps to grow the community of users, and develop better software for the users.
Nobody is being forced to beta test the products here,. whether that;‘s Bryce, Hexagon, Daz Studio, or Carrara.
It’s a Voluntary agreement,. you enter into it willingly by choice,. and as part of that testing process you agree to report any issue you find.
If you don’t want to report any faults because you’re not being paid for it,. then that’s simple,.. don’t get involved,.. don’t download the beta version, don’t report bugs.
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Dobsonian telescope is an excellent observing machine. It features
unmatched stability and smoothness of motion. Plus it is eminently
compact and transportable. However, the Dobsonian has one major
drawback -- no motor drive. You have to push it around to follow
what you're viewing. This can get to be a hassle.
But set a Dobsonian
on an Equatorial Platform and experience INSTANT MOTORIZED TRACKING
-- 75 minutes at a time! Wherever you point you are tracking --
smoothly, precisely -- without losing stability, ease of operation
mounted on an Equatorial Platform becomes the ULTIMATE USER-FRIENDLY
Pictures of Dobs on Platforms were taken at various Star Parties.
A C-11 on a Platform! Here
is what owner, Gail Massey of Goleta, CA has to say about
"I've been using the aluminum dual-axis platform you
built for me for more than two years now. As you may recall
it was originally designed to work with my 10" F/6
Newtonian, which had been mounted on a classic Dobson base.
The equatorial platform was essential in permitting me to
perform imaging with a CCD camera, and I have used it with
my 8" Newtonian as well. Last year it occurred to me
that I could also use the equatorial platform with an 11"
S-C tube assembly if it were held in a Dobson-type altitude
bearing fixture. This turned out to be easy and very successful.
The attached photos show how this is done. On the aluminum
equatorial platform I place the oak Dobsonian azimuth base
I've always used with my Newtonians. The C11 tube is held
inside a new lightweight rectangular adaptor box of 1/4"
plywood fitted with an oak dovetail to grip the dovetail
rail extrusion provided by Celestron on the bottom of the
C11 tube assembly. My adaptor box was made exactly as wide
as the altitude bearing box on my 10" Newtonian. On
opposite vertical sides of the box I attached circular altitude
bearings like the ones on the Newtonian. A small counterweight
was mounted on the lower front of the C11 dovetail rail.
The top panel of the adaptor carries a 9X50 finder scope,
a green laser, and a Rigel Quickfinder sight.
This arrangement is physically easier to set up than a
conventional tripod mount for the Schmidt-Cassegrain, and
the seated position for the observer is comfortable. The
lower inside of the old Dobsonian base provides convenient
storage for eyepieces and other items during an observing
session. Because of the setup convenience and the accuracy
of the platform this instrument now is the one I use most.
I try to observe with it whenever our weather permits."
Klein's 10" Orion Intelliscope on a Compact Platform
Swayze's stunning 16" Dob on its Equatorial Platform. Steve and his
brother, Bruce, put a variety of scopes on this Platform.
Fleming's unusual home built 22" Dob on a Dual-axis Platform
Powers with his fine looking 18" Starmaster on a Compact Platform.
Matthews with his beautiful (and massive) 30" built by Chuck Dethloff.
Corwin has his 350 lb scope on a Dual-axis Aluminum Platform. He has
added a lot of extra "goodies" onto the scope, including an 8" finder,
Sky Commander DSC's (which work very well with Platforms), an eyepiece
rack, a weather station, star charts and more.
homebuilt 22" Dob on a Dual-axis Aluminum Platform; Note how the north
end of the Platform is blocked up to account for the 5 degree latitude
change from Tom's home in northern California. This same Platform
is used effectively from southern CA (RTMC) to the middle of Washington
Miller's fine 20" Dob built by Chuck Dethloff. The scope sits on a
Townsend's 12.5" Portaball
on an Equatorial Platform. Check for Gene's letter on the "Owners
Speak Out" page for his impressions about the Portaball/Platform
Gee and her 15" Obsession
on a Dual-axis Equatorial Platform
12.5" All-aluminum binocular telescope built by Bruce Sayre.
This scope is sitting on a Dual-axis Aluminum Platform.
is an unusual configuration of a 13" Cassegrain optical system
mounted Dobsonian style and sitting on a Dual-axis Aluminum Platform.
The telescope and optics were made by Richard Wessling. The Platform
is on a low stand to bring the eyepiece (mounted on the yellow mirror
box) up to a convenient observing height. Mr. Wessling says, "This
arrangement works really nicely."
Bengier wanted his Compact Platform to match his OTA, so we did a
nice white enamel finish for him. Gary says the Platform "works
Banich's 20" Obsession
on a Dual-axis Platform. Howard made his own Platform from parts
he purchased from us. Great job, Howard!
Heijen in the Netherlands is using a Dual-axis Platform with his 12"
Dob to do celestial sketching. His observing report of first light
with the Platform can be seen here.
James Book of Ottawa, Ontario is
using his 12.5" Obsession with a new Compact Platform. An Obsession
stain and finish was applied to the Platform for a perfect match.
James is using the Platform as a new groundboard for the scope's
rocker box. This keeps the eyepiece height as low as possible.
your big Dob the ability to track the
sky opens up new observing opportunities.
Now it is
a real treat to use HIGHER POWERS. At 500x the Ring Nebula
floats motionless in a velvety black sky - you can really try for
the central star.
PLANETARY OBSERVING takes on new meaning. During moments of
super seeing, details can be fully studied and appreciated (Jupiter's
belts or Saturn's ring system, for instance). There are no interruptions,
no need to re-center a drifting planet. Spend all the time you want
to make a drawing - without having to touch the telescope.
is ASTRO-IMAGING. No problem with an Equatorial Platform:
your Dobsonian is tracking and camera-ready. This important Platform
application is fully treated on our imaging
DRAWING is reaching new levels of excellence and authenticity.
For many observers, recording on paper what they see is a soul-satisfying
activity. Good drawings take time, patience, more time. Here, the
usefulness of an accurate tracking system is obvious.
You like to
share your views at the eyepiece, perhaps bring out the "observer"
in people. I remember one dark night with a group of new viewers
at a star party. We did a fine tour of the September sky. Bright
Globulars, Ring and Dumbell Nebulae, the Andromeda Galaxy. Then
STEPHAN'S QUINTET. I put in 250x and for the next hour those
five faint galaxies hung in the center of the field like tiny ghosts.
Everyone had a chance to really see them, to come to terms with
E-mail us here! | <urn:uuid:c39fe046-f5f9-412f-b1d3-b1691edfb2a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://astronomy-mall.com/regular/products/eq_platforms/dobsonians.on.platforms.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92176 | 1,605 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Incentives for film and TV production continue to be a major priority for the Canadian government.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government unveiled a federal budget that slashed funding to some of the country’s cultural institutions such as Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board. However, the government remained steadfast on production tax credits, which helped build the total film production to about $2 billion in 2011.
A minor shakeup did occur on the local level in 2012 as two provinces made changes that either axed or reduced the savings of shooting in their regions — but the federal Conservative government has stuck to its existing incentives for nearly a decade.
“We’ve been able to count on the federal tax credits,” says Joanne Deer, director of public policy at ACTRA, the guild repping performers in English-language media. “We think they’re critical to increasing production in Canada.”
The rules for the federal incentives are complex, broken into two categories, and a production can only qualify for one of them. The more “Canadian” a production, the more favorable rebates it can receive.
Most foreign productions can apply for the Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit, the smaller of the two rebates, which is structured for Canadian shoots that are less interested in hiring mostly domestic talent. Productions can be returned up to 16% of their total Canadian labor costs. Feature films under this credit must have a budget above $1 million.
To qualify, a production must operate more than 50% of its activities through a permanent film or video production business in Canada. The applicant must also own the copyright of the production, or have contracted directly with the copyright owner for production services.
If the project has a significant number of Canadians in leadership roles, it may qualify for the stricter Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, which offers a deeper savings of up to 25% on labor costs. Before receiving any rebates, a production must be certified as Canadian by the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office.
A long list of rules must be adhered to for the redemption, and the project’s producer must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and the international copyright held by a Canadian corporation for at least 25 years. The project must also qualify under a “points” test for other key production members.
Quebec has, along with Ontario, the most lucrative film tax-credit program in the country. Foreign filmmakers shooting in Quebec are eligible to receive a tax credit for 25% of all the spending they do in the province. In addition, Quebec has a 20% bonus credit on labor expenses for all vfx, greenscreen and animation work done in Quebec. When you add the 16% federal tax credit on labor expenses, it makes for some serious savings for non-Canadians shooting in Quebec.
These new credits were brought in by Premier Jean Charest’s film-friendly Liberal government back in 2009, at the time virtually doubling the available tax credits. “The (Charest) government is totally supportive,” says Quebec film commissioner Hans Fraikin. “And the result of that support is three consecutive record-breaking years.”
Fraikin doesn’t believe a government run by the Parti Quebecois — the other leading party in the province — would be any less enthused about the tax credits. “You can’t go against the virtues of economic development,” he says.
Michel Trudel — partner with Mel Hoppenheim in Montreal’s largest studio, Mel’s Cite du Cinema — agrees that PQ leader Pauline Marois wouldn’t mess with the credits. “They create a lot of employment,” he says.
In June 2009, Ontario sweetened its 25% production services tax credit to an all-spend incentive, stackable on related provincial and federal credits, and later that year passed it into law — with no sunset clause. The enhancement came hot on the heels of a similar move in Quebec, which Ontario stakeholders said could have drained around $200 million to that province. The effect was immediate, with the province seeing an uptick in both domestic and foreign production levels with no sign of abating; unions and guilds say seasonal slowdowns haven’t occurred the past couple years.
It’s no secret the provinces — particularly the three big production centers — compete for foreign business; there’s long history of one incentive “boost” causing a chain reaction. But Ontario’s 2009 move was more than a political knee-jerk reaction.
In the mid-2000s, the province began to lag behind more competitive incentives in other places. Not just foreign but even Ontario producers started taking their business elsewhere. Individuals, guilds, unions and groups such as FilmOntario (an industry-funded consortium aimed at boosting Ontario’s edge) and the Toronto Film Board (an industry committee founded by then-mayor David Miller) lobbied hard. Premier Dalton McGuinty’s majority Liberal government (elected in 2003) recognized the sector needed policies to support greater stability and worked with interested parties to turn the ship around.
Cut to 2012. The Liberals lead a minority government. But nobody — at least not in Ontario — is making noise about changing production incentives. Last year Ontario’s production industry set a record for $1.26 billion total spend.
British Columbia’s provincial tax credit on foreign film production is steady at 33% on local labor cost, but a looming concern is the phasing out of the harmonized sales tax (HST), a tax credit that helped reduce production costs by 7%. It’s skedded to end on April 1. The industry is lobbying to reclassify the B.C. film and TV industry as a manufacturer to make it exempt from the goods and services sales tax (PST).
While the New Democratic Party is more union-friendly and generally believes in government intervention in order to assist certain industries, the Liberal party tends be less keen on subsidies. With film and TV amounting to a billion-dollar business, however, decisions are less predictable.
According to Peter Leitch of the B.C. Motion Picture Prodn. Industry Assn., historically both major political parties have been supportive of the business. He says the industry is in ongoing discussions with government about the tax credit, and the PST is a big part of that.
Politicians such as finance minister Kevin Falcon “get” the industry and its value, he adds, “but we don’t want to continue increasing the credits and all of the sudden we decrease them. That sends a bad message.” Ultimately, he says, tax credits have to be at a level where they are both consistently competitive and sustainable.
• Vfx talent behind boom | <urn:uuid:1dd15f10-6dcc-46b9-b0ea-d437eb191d31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://variety.com/2012/film/news/canucks-give-u-s-a-break-1118058579/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950501 | 1,425 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Indian Christian pastors hold palm leaves during a Palm Sunday procession in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, on March 24, 2013. Palm Sunday marks the sixth and last Sunday of the Christian Holy month of Lent and the beginning of Holy week.
rank and file clergy are very upset. The shocking thing is that Stevenson has shown no signs of repentance. He said he went through a period of personal discipline which is a bit like giving up chocolate for Lent. The woman he had an affair with, Tracey McRoberts is rector of St. Matthew's in the Shankill area of Belfast.
In Lent the idea of fasting and almsgiving is at the core of what the church believes and teaches. (Heifer Project) is just a great way, we think, for students to experience for the first time, in a really cushioned way within the school community, what that spirit of giving is like
Can I be one of the 1,057 pedants to point out that lent finishes on Palm Sunday rather than at Easter? No, not that kind of palm, Weird Uncle FiverMore quotes »
Catholics observe Ash Wednesday, start of Lent
of 9/11 and it's still scary. Every day when I get on the bus I pray that God may give me strength to do the right thing."Lent is the season in which Christians prepare for Easter , the observance of the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The faithful Read more »
Around the web
NLM Reprint: Pentecost - The Grandest Octave?
* * * “…consider the breviary offices for Pentecost and its Octave, the grandest, perhaps in the whole year…” (Blessed John Henry Newman) Last year I read with great interest Gregory Dipippo’s article on the Octave of Pentecost. In the light of that, and from New Liturgical Movement Read more »
- Pascha, religious freedom, US reporting
‘Christ is risen!’, for Greeks, Arabs, Russians & others
A blessed Pascha to the Orthodox readers of GetReligion. I hope you are recovering from the long, but glorious, week of services and the middle-of-the night rites and feasts. Personally, I think it is high time for a post-Great Lent barbecue run — from Patheos Blogs Read more »
Orthodox Christians conclude Holy Week with Palm Sunday service
Panagiotes Mamangakis hasn't eaten meat or dairy in 40 days.Mamangakis, an Orthodox Christian, has been eating lentils, vegetables and other protein-rich foods since March in observance of Lent. The 19-year-old University of Florida sophomore breaks his from Gainesville Sun Read more »
If you build confessionals, people will come … and use them
At Religion News Service there is something about confession and confessionals. Putting real confessionals in churches… that’s what I call promoting the New Evangelization. Let’s have a look at this excellent brick by brick story. DERBY, Conn. (RNS) The from What Does the Prayer Really Say Read more » | <urn:uuid:88154cac-2f7b-4cc4-819e-d9a0b9a676e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsday.com/topics/Lent_(event) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926969 | 658 | 1.734375 | 2 |
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Northanger Abbey (Vintage Classics)by Jane Austen
Now this is one Austen novel that is too often forgotten. Our heroine, Catherine Morland, might be naïve, but she is no dummy. Catherine is more complex than scholars give her credit for. I admit, she can create ridiculous fantasies that get her into trouble, but her inner core of right and wrong, her own moral compass, never leads her astray. She can be remarkably determined and forthright. And it's refreshing to meet an Austen heroine who is so shamelessly straightforward in her interest for the man of her choice! This is Austen at her most hysterically funny. Northanger Abbey is an easy link between Shakespeare's comedies and Monty Python skits.
Synopses & Reviews
Jane Austen's first novel, Northanger Abbey — published posthumously in 1818 — tells the story of Catherine Morland and her dangerously sweet nature, innocence, and sometime self-delusion. Though Austen&'s fallible heroine is repeatedly drawn into scrapes while vacationing at Bath and during her subsequent visit to Northanger Abbey, Catherine eventually triumphs, blossoming into a discerning woman who learns truths about love, life, and the heady power of literature. The satirical Northanger Abbey pokes fun at the gothic novel while earnestly emphasizing caution to the female sex.
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the first edition of 1818.
"Jane Austen is the Rosetta stone of literature." Anna Quindlen
Northanger Abbey is both a perfectly aimed literary parody and a withering satire of the commercial aspects of marriage among the English gentry at the turn of the nineteenth century. But most of all, it is the story of the initiation into life of its naïve but sweetly appealing heroine, Catherine Morland, a willing victim of the contemporary craze for Gothic literature who is determined to see herself as the heroine of a dark and thrilling romance.
When Catherine is invited to Northanger Abbey, the grand though forbidding ancestral seat of her suitor, Henry Tilney, she finds herself embroiled in a real drama of misapprehension, mistreatment, and mortification, until common sense and humor—and a crucial clarification of Catherines financial status—puts all to right. Written in 1798 but not published until after Austens death in 1817, Northanger Abbey is characteristically clearheaded and strong, and infinitely subtle in its comedy.
About the Author
Jane Austen (1775—1817) was born in Hampshire, England, where she spent most of her life. Though she received little recognition in her lifetime, she came to be regarded as one of the great masters of the English novel.
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Other books you might like | <urn:uuid:66ffcbaa-f240-434e-926d-5c3e612d4d51> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780307386830 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936634 | 647 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Innovations in acoustic design are sometimes hidden, misunderstood, or lost entirely once construction ends and design teams move on. Zackery Belanger worked for acoustician Kirkegaard Associates from 2002 to 2010, witnessing the EMPAC project through small design roles and large analysis processes. During this time he identified a few key innovations in the design of the Concert Hall and became convinced of their potential to advance the field.
For this research residency, Belanger will utilize the Concert Hall, numerical simulations, and established architectural design software to explore one possible future for architectural acoustics. In this future, our understanding of the relationships between enclosure geometry and sound will be an integral component of the design process. Surfaces of absorption, diffusion, transmission, and reflection will no longer occupy discrete categories, but instead lie on a continuous spectrum of geometric possibility, and the traditional use of the term “acoustic treatment” will become archaic. | <urn:uuid:69cc5611-317e-43ac-8dd9-4a342a754ba9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.empac.rpi.edu/research | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920707 | 187 | 2.15625 | 2 |
This post first appeared on MediaPost Search Insider on December 8, 2010.
My last installment of Search Insider contained a list of columns that I’ve written over the last several years that pertained to search and Web design. In this installment, I’m going to discuss and list more of my columns that may hopefully cause you to think about search in different ways.
While it is easy to pigeonhole and skew the search process into a sort of linear, “searcher conducts search, searcher makes purchase” type of mentality, I’ve long prodded Search Insider readers to consider the possibilities of search beyond the simple text box, and beyond the desktop. To the contrary, and from both a technical and neural perspective, search engines can be as complex as human beings themselves. So here are a few of my own favorite columns from the last few years — and why I think they may be worth a reread.
Google Bombing and SEM is Evolving into ‘Search Engine Activism’: By checking out the motives and tactics of online activists, the value of search is expanded beyond direct response and branding. This column includes a list of some of the earliest search activism campaigns, and a basic definition of the concept.
Perspectives Of The Search Engine Activist: Ethan Zuckerman and Chris Bowers both indulged me on their perspectives of activism in the search engines. While many of the tactics may be similar to search marketing, their definition of a “conversion” is changing your mind, and/or capturing your attention.
Deconstructing Search Engine Bias: Any discussion of search “bias” is somewhat linked to that of “SEM tactics” (natural and paid). My discussion starts with legal professor Eric Goldman’s paper on the topic of search engine bias. I expand his one PageRank example to include other optimization methods that are well known to marketers, but can also be handy for the average searcher to think more critically about results.
Google Trends: The 2008 Democratic Texas/Ohio Primary Post-Analysis: Google search popularity is often touted as a “political oracle” in that it can mirror election outcomes. In this nonscientific analysis, I proved that search popularity does not necessarily equal a corresponding election outcome.
Keyword Analysis of The McCain And Obama Acceptance Speeches: After reviewing a Wordle tag cloud in the New York Times that seemed to be lacking a few key concepts, I decided to run the speeches through an old-fashioned keyword frequency tool. The results offer interesting insights into the subconscious overtones of the candidates’ messages.
If Search Engines Could Talk: Confessions Of A ChaCha Clickstream: I put this engine to a test for the term “bass,” it was amusing, to say the least. If an engine could talk back in 2007, it might sound like this.
The GoogleBalt’s Great American Road Trip: Five Street-View Optimization Tips: In light of Google’s brilliantly surreal and unprecedented experiment in deploying a physical search engine, it occurred to me that we now need to start optimizing ourselves and our property. Street View Optimization (SVO) is born.
The Death Of Street View Optimization: Less than a week after I invented Street View Optimization (SVO), word is leaked back to Mountain View, and Google mounts a campaign to nip this one in the bud, lest they have another pesky SEO-like problem to deal with.
20 Funny, Clueless, Weird, and Existential Google Keyword Searches: Sometimes the topics of my column find me in odd ways. This one started with a lost set of keys.
Search Engines In The Physical World: Over the last few years, it has become very apparent that the search engines we are used to dealing with — those being mostly cerebral, via desktop search — are beginning to morph into something entirely different when considered in a mobile environment (mobile, in this case, meaning any situation that doesn’t require the user to be chained to a desk to conduct a search). While many marketers are still just getting a basic grasp of SEO and PPC, things are skewing at a rapid pace into other areas away from the desktop, like branches sprouting from two trunks growing out of the same tree.
Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/140860/search-beyond-the-desktop.html#ixzz1rgyZfksA | <urn:uuid:1174f5cb-c5ce-4d31-b78c-c6a23f645fbc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rgarner.com/tag/google/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933129 | 943 | 1.75 | 2 |
Hours after Pope Benedict XVI's resignation announcement Monday, speculation was surging over who might be his successor and what part of the world the new pontiff could be from.
The 118 cardinals who will pick the next pope are also in the running for the job. Those cardinals are from around the globe, but more than half of them hail from European nations, according to Vatican statistics.
Worldwide, the demographic trends among the Roman Catholic Church's nearly 1.2 billion members show a different breakdown, with the church seeing only a trickle of new members in Europe, while membership has grown significantly in Africa.
So this time around, could the pope be from Africa, where growth has surged significantly, or from Latin America, a longtime bastion for the church?
"It's always one of those exciting things. I bet there will be a line in Vegas, there probably already is," said Randall Woodard, an associate professor of theology at Saint Leo University. "Especially based on the growth of Catholicism and ... the geographic shifts that have taken place, a lot of smart money would be on Africa or Central America."
Some stressed that the pope's geographic background shouldn't be a factor.
"All of the questions about nationalities are nonsense," said Michael Sean Winters, a visiting fellow at the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies. "There are 118 men, and all of them have gotten to know one another. ... Their questions are going to be 'who can we see in that chair?'"
For many in Italy, the choice is already clear, according to John Allen, CNN's senior Vatican analyst.
"Around the dinner tables today in Rome, Cardinal Angelo Scola has the pole position," Allen said Monday.
Scola, an Italian, is the archbishop of Milan. | <urn:uuid:574758cd-6deb-420e-98c3-aac687939bce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wpbf.com/news/nationalnews/Could-the-next-pope-be-from-Africa/-/8788944/18498022/-/oann4v/-/index.html?absolute=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965245 | 366 | 1.976563 | 2 |
There are many good reasons to go on a detox diet. A lot of people wait until they are suffering or concerned about some internal issue before they consider detox methods. A more beneficial and cost-effective approach would be to undergo at least one of these processes regularly. The length of time between detoxifications is up [...]
Tag Archives | Master Cleanse
As a particularly virulent strain of flu is sweeping across the northern hemisphere, it turns out that the flu vaccine may not be all that effective against this virus. According to Natural News, “Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s own studies showed that they believe the flu vaccine to be only 16 to 63 percent [...]
Did you know that your microwave is conspiring to give you cancer? Did you know that your computer saps your energy, while your cell phone is plotting to give you a brain tumor? These are just a few conditions potentially caused by electromagnetic radiation emanating from devices you use on a daily basis. Okay, so [...]
Most commercial food producers feed their animals antibiotics to prevent bacterial diseases from spreading, but one organic farmer has come up with a different solution. Chickens at Bell & Evans farms have benefited from oregano oil and cinnamon being added to their feed. As consumers become more savvy about where their food comes from, Bell [...]
A detox should not be something you do in between long stretches of eating junk food and drinking sodas, advises naturopath Mim Beim. The whole point of this diet is detox your body and transition to eating a healthy diet that you can maintain in the long run. Here is an easy detox program that [...]
The “fiscal cliff” tax bill, which cuts spending and introduces federal tax increases, has been passed on January 1, 2013. It also includes a nine-month farm bill extension that will allow the current subsidizing of the already profitable factory farms to continue. This means that another $5 billion will go to big farming operations in [...]
Many of us experience post-holiday regrets when it comes to all the food we’ve consumed. And although guilt can motivate us to go on a strict new year diet, it’s important to keep in mind the idea of easing into it rather than charging ahead and downing gallons of beet juice and spirulina. Alina Zhukovskaya, [...]
If you’re worried about the way the holiday spirit is forgotten in the midst of hurried dinner preparations, last-minute shopping, and financial concerns, it’s probably time to slow down and recall the things that make this season fun and peaceful. “It all starts with reconnecting to the moments that mean the most to you, and [...]
When it comes to achieving anything in life, there is one major obstacle which prevents us from reaching our targets. The most irritating thing about this obstacle is that it isn’t real, it’s psychological. Our minds can be used as wondrous tools which allow us to fulfill our dreams and life ambitions, yet they can [...]
It’s well known that eating too much junk food can cause high cholesterol. Then logically, we should be able to reverse that trend simply be eating the right food: there’s usually no need to resort to medication. “Changing your diet to reduce your cholesterol levels is the best plan of action,” says Naturopath and Nutritionist Claire [...]
The Master Cleanse News Digest is a weekly curation of the best articles of the week about Master Cleanse and it’s pertaining topics. From holistic healing to detox and cleansing to personal health and development, this article will bring you all you need to know about your favorite cleanse. This article is put together thoughtfully and thoroughly [...]
Most people think that getting enough exercise and avoiding habits like smoking will ensure a long and healthy life, but there is one more factor to consider: sitting for long periods of time can significantly shorten people’s life span. Even those who walk, run, or swim after prolonged sitting sessions are still at risk of [...]
The DASH diet has become hugely popular in the U.S., especially with the holidays approaching. It promises to help you lose one dress size before Christmas, which sounds too good to be true. But it seems this is not just another fad designed to lure people who are desperate to lose weight for the holidays. [...]
The Master Cleanse News Digest is a weekly curation of the best Master Cleanse articles of the week. From holistic healing to detox and cleansing to personal health and development, this article will bring you all you need to know about your favorite cleanse. This article is put together throughout the week by one of The Master Cleanse [...]
We’re often told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, this doesn’t mean that simply by eating anything at all for breakfast we’ve done something good for our body. Although it’s not a good idea to run out the door on an empty stomach, certain foods can be harmful since our [...]
A cleansing diet is a great preparation for (or even part of) a weight loss diet. A cleanse will naturally help you get over sugar and caffeine cravings, eliminate toxins, and rev up the digestive system. “Figuring out which foods are best for a “cleanse” can be tricky,” says dietitian Keri Glassman of Women’s Health, “So [...]
In her upcoming book Paradigm Busters, Revealing the Real You, Marilyn Redmond, BA, CHT, IBRT, will offer a specific approach to balancing your life in a holistic way. The underlying concept of the books is that our health is strongly connected to our emotions, and shifting from fear to love and joy is often the cure to [...]
Carla Naumburg of PsychCentral believes that self-care should be the number one priority even for those who have children or aging parents to take care of. She learned this the hard way, having overextended herself to the point of being sick for several weeks. “For the past 3 weekends, my husband has had to take [...]
We all have a cause that is especially close to our heart. It could be the environment, human rights, or cancer prevention. This cause could motivate us to get fit or try a different sporting event if we’re tired of the same old routine. “In the context of a cause, the finish line looks closer [...]
Many people will set ambitious goals for 2013, but they may not have the strength to stick with their New Year’s resolutions. Motivational coach Henry Okwo has unveiled a new “mental workout program” that will help make it easier to achieve these goals. The program is a 100-day plan that focuses on mental strength. Whether [...]
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- Lynn: I am on the second day of my cleanse. How do I re...
- Kat: Hi, Your body is in starvation mode. It will s...
- Tina Jackson: Hi don't be afraid, just try it out. I'm gong t...
- Cheryl: Im scared! I committed to myself to do this clean...
- Millbrook Maple: Please contact me regarding Maple syrup. I have m...
- Lucy: Drink all the water you want. Continuing to drink ...
- Deirdre: Hello again. Headache I mentioned in previous pos...
- MK: Day 5 - as much energy as I had yesterday, boy was...
- BJB: I am so frustrated. I'm on day 8 and I gained 2 l...
- Jennifer: Thanks for the info :) Thats awesome that you wer... | <urn:uuid:b30ab7b5-1dc8-42a3-a028-f9ea1ca19a9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://themastercleanse.org/tag/master-cleanse/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942627 | 1,953 | 1.578125 | 2 |
A giant is a humanoid-shaped creature of great strength, usually of at least Large size.
Features: A giant has the following features.
- 8-sided Hit Dice.
- Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
- Good Fortitude saves.
- Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.
Traits: A giant possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
- Low-light vision.
- Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as any natural weapons.
- Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Giants not described as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Giants are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
- Giants eat, sleep, and breathe. | <urn:uuid:30417cbd-2b88-4a05-b996-c17bef2fefad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_gianttype&alpha=G | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921912 | 202 | 2.078125 | 2 |
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Jul 18, 2012
Fire in enclosed military environments such as ship holds, aircraft cockpits and ground vehicles is a major cause of material destruction and jeopardizes the lives of warfighters. For example, a shipboard fire on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in May 2008 burned for 12 hours and caused an estimated $70 million in damage. For nearly 50 years, despite the severity of the threat from fire, no new methods for extinguishing or manipulating fire were developed.
In 2008, DARPA launched the Instant Fire Suppression (IFS) program to develop a fundamental understanding of fire with the aim of transforming approaches to firefighting.
Traditional fire-suppression technologies focus largely on disrupting the chemical reactions involved in combustion. However, from a physics perspective, flames are cold plasmas. DARPA theorized that by using physics techniques rather than combustion chemistry, it might be possible to manipulate and extinguish flames.
To achieve this, new research was required to understand and quantify the interaction of electromagnetic and acoustic waves with the plasma in a flame.
The IFS program was executed in two phases. In Phase I, performers studied the fundamental science behind flame suppression and control, exploring a range of approaches before down-selecting to electromagnetics and acoustics.
In Phase II, performers determined the mechanisms behind electric and acoustic suppression and evaluated the scalability of these approaches for defense applications.
One of the technologies explored was a novel flame-suppression system that used a handheld electrode to suppress small methane gas and liquid fuel fires. In the video below, performers sweep the electrode over the ignited burner array and progressively extinguish the 10-cm2 gas flame.
Since the electrode is sheathed in ceramic glass, no current is established between the electrode and its surroundings.
A visualization of gas flows during the suppression would show that the oscillating field induces a rapid series of jets that displace the combustion zone from the fuel source, leading to extinguishment of the fire. Put simply, the electric field creates an ionic wind that blows out the flame. This same approach was not able to suppress a small heptane pool flame.
Performers also evaluated the use of acoustic fields to suppress flames. In the video below, a flame is extinguished by an acoustic field generated by speakers on either side of the pool of fuel. Two dynamics are at play in this approach. First, the acoustic field increases the air velocity.
As the velocity goes up, the flame boundary layer, where combustion occurs, thins, making it easier to disrupt the flame. Second, by disturbing the pool surface, the acoustic field leads to higher fuel vaporization, which widens the flame, but also drops the overall flame temperature.
Combustion is disrupted as the same amount of heat is spread over a larger area. Essentially, in this demonstration the performers used speakers to blast sound at specific frequencies that extinguish the flame.
IFS Phase II was completed in December 2011. IFS performers succeeded in demonstrating the ability to suppress, extinguish and manipulate small flames locally using electric and acoustic suppression techniques. However, it was not clear from the research how to effectively scale these approaches to the levels required for defense applications.
Remarking on the overall impact of the IFS program, Matthew Goodman, DARPA program manager, said, "We have shown that the physics of combustion still has surprises in store for us. Perhaps these results will spur new ideas and applications in combustion research."
For example, the data collected by the IFS program could potentially be applied to the inverse challenge of fire extinguishment, namely increasing the efficiency of combustion. Such technology could be especially beneficial to defense technologies that employ small engines.
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Sailing with nerves of glass
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jul 18, 2012
In the world of racing, tiny details can be the difference between victory and defeat. It is no wonder, then, that manufacturers of racing yachts are always on the lookout for new technologies to optimize boats and sails. An ingenious new sensor technology now helps them to extend the boundaries of what is possible. The constant hunger to break new records has turned boat building into a high-te ... read more
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Socrates vs. Plato
One of the areas of greatest disagreement between Plato and Socrates was on the issue of incontinence and how the idea manifests itself in people’s lives. This was one of the first areas in which Plato made a point of disagreeing with his teacher. As a consequence he develops a very different theory of motivation as compared to Socrates. We will look at Socrates’ theory as well as Plato’s and then decide if Plato succesfully proves his theory correct. Socrates believes that the argument most commonly used to support the idea of incontinence is illogical. He then begins to develop an idea of motivation as separated from the tradition weakness of the will approach. There is a certain style that Socrates uses to disprove the idea of incontinence, or at the least prove it illogical. The type of argument he uses is called a reductio ad absurdum in which the theory is put through different scenarios until it is found to be contradictory or nonsensical at which point it is thought that the theory has been disproved. The popular argument of incontinence is that one sometimes does what is worse, even though it is avoidable, because they are overcome by the pleasure of that thing. One can also use good to describe pleasu
For example, consider someone who wants something to drink but cannot because of an ailment that prevents them from drinking. Secondly, Socrates says that perhaps someone would take the greater harm in something for the lesser pleasure that came with it. This contradicts the above statement so it isn"tmt a possible theory. He also notes that this theory of opposition only applies to things that are directly contrary, in that they make no logical sense existing within the same soul and in fact cannot be reconciled or dealt with by the brain because they exist independent of each other. To sum up their opinions it can be said that Socrates denies that incontinent action is possible because free will only takes into account the value of the proposed action. re so it is the case that people are overcome by the good. Plato, on the other hand, has developed a more sophisticated method for discerning between rational and appetitive desires. The first argument Socrates makes is that the good in something outweighs the bad and the person knows this so they do what will be good. It seems that this idea was always a problem for Socrates because he always felt that it was a very intuitive idea and that there wasn"tmt really a need for explanation. He bases this on the priniciple of opposites which states that a single thing cannot be drawn in opposite ways at once and, therefore, there must be two different parts of the soul. Thus, Plato draws a line between rational desires which make sense to the logical part of our brain and desires that go contrary to our thought process but continue to manifest themselves nonetheless. Plato in fact takes the argument a step further and hypothesizes to different parts of the soul, the rational and the appetitive. This explains perfectly how someone would choose what is less good according to the rational self but is more desired by the appetitive self. People strive to maximize pleasure and minimize pain as discussed in the debate hedonism also in the Protagoras so that theory is also faulty. Socrates believes that nothing else has any motivational force.
Some topics in this essay:
Secondly Socrates, Socrates Socratestm, Plato Socrates, Socrates Socrates, rational appetitive, plato succesfully, , pleasure people, idea incontinence, denial incontinence, socrates believes, socrates denies, incontinence idea,
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Thursday’s second editorial urges the state Department of Insurance to open a new investigation into the activities of salesman Rick McDavid, whose exploits were chronicled by David Wren this past Sunday:
It was hard to read reporter David Wren’s article this past Sunday, detailing the financial ruin of dozens of local seniors in a complex insurance and mortgage plan, without becoming outraged and angry. Where was the state? Aren’t those selling insurance supposed to be regulated? Why was this allowed to continue for so long?
The state Department of Insurance, in fact, opened two investigations into the actions of salesman Rick McDavid, who it must be said has not been convicted of any wrongdoing and maintains he did nothing illegal. Both of those investigations – one in 2011 and one in 2012 – were dismissed quickly after McDavid said he didn’t do anything wrong.
In closing the second case, the investigator said that the matter was ended at least in part because of a lack of supporting documentation. That’s perhaps understandable, if frustrating. It’s hard to prosecute or investigate wrongdoing if you’re not sure what exactly is being alleged. But some of that blame may lie with the Insurance Department, which it appears never asked for more information beyond the standard complaint form before dismissing the cases. Now that reporter David Wren and attorney Sid Connor have done the hard work of pulling these stories together and illustrating their common threads, we hope the Insurance Department will rethink its former summary dismissals.
Clearly, something went very wrong for the many victims involved in this saga. McDavid’s purported actions were at the very least immoral, financing a lavish lifestyle by taking advantage in many cases of vulnerable seniors willing to trust a person referred to them by a fellow church member or relative. Nevertheless, it may yet turn out that he actually did nothing illegal. If that’s the case, the legislature should get work on laws that would prevent future unscrupulous copycats. The first step, however, should be another probe by the Insurance Department, and soon, this time giving McDavid’s activities more than a cursory glance.
Meanwhile, if nothing else, the story reminds us once more of lessons that are never too old to be learned again: If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Read it before you sign it. Don’t let yourself be bullied into signing anything you don’t understand, especially when it affects your personal finances. And don’t put all your faith in a handshake and a smile. | <urn:uuid:722fd99a-95c5-49ca-971a-78324125bd32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thesunnews.typepad.com/opinionblog/retirement/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967935 | 523 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Okay, so today I am discussing a medieval sleeping beauty that did not make it into my new book, Sleeping Beauties: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White Tales From Around the World, due to various logistical issues, such as length, translation and copyright.
The tale is Blandin de Cornouaille. From my book:
The piece survives in a single 14th century manuscript housed in the National Library of Turin. It is a long narrative poem that describes the adventures of two knights, Blandin de Cornoalha (also referenced frequently as Cornouaille) and Guilhot de Miramar, with an emphasis on the merits of selfless heroism during the height of chivalry. A few translations of this oft ignored piece can be found on the internet. The best I found is by Ross G. Arthur and includes an instructive introduction and bibliography. Blandin is the proper hero while his friend Guilhot, himself a fine knight but considerably less perfect, is presented as Blandin’s foil.
In the course of the story, Blandin learns of a maiden, named Brianda, who was enchanted by her father before his death and is kept in a castle guarded by ten knights. Blandin defeats the ten knights and then meets her brother who takes him to Brianda’s room in the castle where she lays enchanted on a bed, surrounded by seven damsels who serve her. Blandin immediately falls in love with her beauty...
When I was researching the story, I found an English translation--Blandin de Cornoalha and Guilhot de Miramar translated by Ross. G. Arthur--with a helpful introduction by Arthur. Alas, it has disappeared from the web in the original version that I studied. However, the translation by Arthur is at different places on the web, such as at Britannica.com and ReadOz. The story isn't a straight traditional ATU 409 Sleeping Beauty, but the heroine is enchanted and is rescued from her sleep by the hero, Blandin de Cornoalha. In fact, of the four medieval sleeping beauties I included in the book, this is the most distant cousin. The story is really that of Blandin de Cornoalha and his friend, not the sleeping heroine. Also, it is not a great piece of literature, but it is interesting as yet another example of enchanted sleepers.
A Catalan language version is available at Blandin de Cornoalha. And a list of resources is available at Roman de Blandin de Cornouailles et de Guillot Ardit de Miramar Bibliographie. | <urn:uuid:44054c0a-c550-40a5-b95e-6c6cff424097> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://surlalunefairytales.blogspot.com/2010/09/medieval-sleeping-beauty-blandin-de.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953891 | 538 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Mckinney Courier-gazette > News
Collin County burn ban lifted
A burn ban prohibiting outdoor burning in Collin County was lifted by the Commissioners Court during its regular meeting on Monday.
The county issued the 90-day ban in late July for the unincorporated areas of Collin County, which had been determined to be under drought conditions by the Texas Forest Service and the Collin County Fire Marshal. The ban outlawed all outdoor and open burning of natural vegetation, trees and limbs.
Burn permit holders may now burn outdoors, weather allowing. Those who were unable to utilize their permit during the ban period will be granted an extension to make up for the days lost, said Interim Fire Marshal Jason Browning. Even though the ban has been lifted, residents must have a burn permit to burn outdoors legally.
"The burn ban was successful this year, as we had 100 percent compliance among burn permit holders," Browning said. "The grass fires in the county dropped in half after the burn ban was put in place. The majority of fires we did have were caused by uncontrollable means such as trailer tire blowouts or faulty mechanical equipment during crop harvesting."
The Collin County Fire Marshal's Office takes into account several factors when enacting and rescinding burn bans, including climate, winds and rainfall. Environmental observation alone, however, is not always the most accurate way of determining the need to control outdoor burning, Browning said, as other drought signs lie beneath the earth's surface.
Because of this, counties rely heavily on the Keetch-Bynam Drought Index (KBDI), which is a measurement of the moisture content within the first 8 inches of the soil. The soil is measured on a scale of zero to 800, with zero meaning the soil is saturated and 800 indicating extreme drought conditions.
"While short grasses with shallow root systems may be turning green because of some rain, it can be deceiving," Browning said. "The problem is the larger brush and trees with deeper root systems are not getting any moisture because the rainfall hasn't penetrated the soil to the root system. These larger fuel loads are the most dangerous during a large grass fire event."
Browning said the county was justified in enforcing a burn ban this year based on local factors and the KBDI being in the 720-plus range for several weeks. This summer was not as bad as last year, however, as Browning said the KBDI hit 790 to 800 several times during that period.
Although the area is not as dry as it has been, Browning urged residents to use common sense when burning outdoors. Prior to burning, burn permit holders must call the Collin County's burn information line to determine the burn status for the day and are prohibited to burn on high ozone days. Wind is also a factor, as winds less than 6 mph are not sufficient enough for effectively fueling a fire, while gusts higher than 20 mph run the risk for spreading embers.
Burn piles should also not be larger than 10 feet in diameter, 5 feet in height and have a 50-foot clearance from structures and other combustible materials. At no time should outdoor fires be left unattended and there must be a water supply or adequately sized fire extinguisher readily available for use, Browning said.
For information on outdoor burning, fire education and how to obtain a burning permit, call the Collin County Fire Marshal's Office at 972-548-5576, or visit its web page at co.collin.tx.us.
Copyright © 2013 - Star Local News | <urn:uuid:148ed24c-3cf7-4fe3-a84f-f7fb8d859836> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mesquitenews.com/articles/2012/12/12/mckinney_courier-gazette/news/8933.prt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966717 | 731 | 1.984375 | 2 |
PM-2 ARCHIMEDES' PRINCIPLE
To investigate various methods for measuring densities of solids and liquids, making use of Archimedes' principle.
Micrometer caliper, vernier caliper, two half-meter sticks, overhead triple beam balance with specific gravity platform, double-pan trip scale (optional), overflow can with catch bucket, hydrometers (for light and heavy liquids), specific gravity bottle (pyknometer), 250 ml graduate, various beakers, straight glass tubing, glass U-tube, rubber tubing.
a) Various metal samples.
Read the material on Archimedes' principle, density, and specific gravity, in any textbook.
I. Archimedes' principle: When a body is fully or partly immersed in a liquid, that body experiences an upward force (the buoyant force) equal to the weight of the displaced liquid. The displaced liquid is that volume of liquid equal to the volume of the body below the water surface.
Another principle will be needed in some of the measurement methods.
II. When any two points in the same liquid are at different heights, the pressure at the lower point, p1, and the pressure at the higher point, p2, are related by
p1 - p2 = rgh
where r is the density of the liquid, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and h is the vertical distance between the points. The phrase "in the same liquid" is very important, and means that a path may be drawn between the two points, that path never leaving the liquid.
III.When an experimental situation includes both liquids and gases exerting pressure on each other, one may assume that any two points in the same gas have essentially the same pressure, independent of height. This is because the densities of gases are so much less than densities of liquids, that pressure differences in the gas due to height differences are negligible compared to pressure differences in the liquids.
4. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS:
A. Direct determination of density by mass and volume measure- ment. the mass is easily determined by weighing. Volumes of liquids are easily determined with a graduated cylinder. Volumes of solids of simple shape (spheres, cylinders, cubes) may be determined by direct measurement of their dimensions with rulers or micrometer and vernier calipers.
The only new technique you will need is when the volume of an irregularly shaped solid must be found. Here the overflow can may be used, with a liquid to overflow through the side spout. Fill the can till its overflows. Then attach a string to the solid and lower it into the can until it is fully submerged, catching the overflow liquid in a beaker. Now find the volume of the overflow liquid, by any appropriate method. If that liquid is water, it may simply be weighed, for 1 ml water has volume 1 cm3 and mass of 1 gm.
B. Specific gravity bottle (pyknometer). This special bottle is used to compare weights of precisely equal volumes of two liquids. The bottle has a special glass stopper with accurately mating ground-glass surfaces. Stoppers are NOT interchangeable between bottles; do not mix them up. The stopper has a hole which allows liquid to overflow as the stopper is inserted, insuring an accurate full fill every time.
The bottle must be weighed dry first. Then weigh it filled with the unknown liquid. Carefully dry it out (an alcohol rinse drys it quickly). Then weigh it filled with water. Dry it again.
C. Manometer methods. These methods use principles II and III to compare the densities of two liquids. Figs. 1 through 3 illustrate several possibilities, and leave it to the student to do the mathematical analysis. The method of Fig. 1 can only be used with non-miscible liquids. In Figs. 2 and 3 the two liquids are separated by air and never mix (if you are careful!). Fig. 2 shows an especially convenient method. The two U-bends are shaped so that a half-meter stick can be nested in each U for direct measurement of the height differences.
In Fig. 4 there's a stopcock or cork at S where reduced pressure may be applied to draw up the liquids in the tubes. A "Y" connector with three pieces of rubber tubing and a pinch clamp works well. This method requires measuring sticks which are not harmed by immersion in the fluids.
In all cases a length a is measured for material A and a length b is measured for material B. The formula relating the densities is:
r B b = r a AThough this equation is the same for all three cases, the derivation of the equation is different in each case. The student should derive this result for each case, starting from first principles.
D. Archimedes' Principle. This principle figures into many of the most accurate and practical density measuring devices. The primary purpose of this experiment is to investigate some of these methods. Other methods (A through C above) may be used to check your results.
(1) Place a beaker of water on a double-pan trip-balance. Balance the instrument's scales. Now what do you think will happen if you were to immerse your finger in the water, without touching the beaker. Analyze the situation and make your predication before you try it, using Archimedes' principle. If this doesn't make sense, consult with your instructor before proceeding.
(2) The specific gravity of brass is 8.4. What is the volume of a 500 gm brass weight (from a weight set)? Predict what would happen if this weight were suspended from a string and lowered into the water on your scales (as in Fig. 5. Predict how much mass would have to be added to or removed from the other pan to rebalance the scales under these conditions. Check your prediction by experiment. You can check your volume calculation by use of an overflow can.
(3) Obtain an unknown solid of irregular shape. You will use the method you have just discovered to determine its density. Weigh the unknown solid in the normal manner. Weigh the beaker with water, balancing the scales. Suspend the unknown solid in the water, and determine how much weight must be added to rebalance the scales.
Analysis: Since the water exerts a buoyant force B upward on the solid, then by Newton's third law the solid exerts force B downward on the water. This unbalances the scales by amount B, and mass having weight B must be added to rebalance them. Thus this added weight equals the buoyant force, and Archimedes' principle allows us to calculate the volume of the solid.
Check your volume measurement with the overflow can, realizing that it won't be as accurate as the Archimedes' principle method.
(4) Overhead beam balances (Fig. 6) usually have a platform which may be positioned above one pan so that a beaker of liquid can be set on it. This feature is provided specifically for measurements of density using Archimedes' principle.
Suspend the unknown solid object with a string as shown, and balance the scales. Now place the beaker of water on the platform and adjust the platform height until the solid is fully submerged. Rebalance the scales. The change in the scale readings represents the buoyant force. The initial scale reading is just the solid's weight. Calculate the density of the unknown solid from these measurements.
(5) Obtain a beaker of the light unknown liquid, and suspend the unknown solid in it. Using what you have learned, construct a formula for calculation the density of the unknown liquid from just these data: scale reading with unknown solid hanging freely, scale reading with solid immersed in water, scale reading with solid immersed in unknown liquid. The density of the solid will not enter the calculation, and you needn't even know what it is. Find the density of the unknown liquid from you formula. This method is the principle of the standard apparatus known as the Mohr-Westphal balance.
Check this result by use of a hydrometer. Place a large sample of the liquid in the tall graduate, and slowly lower the hydrometer into it until it floats freely. Read the hydrometer scale at the liquid level. Hydrometers often have some strange scales for specialized uses, so you must determine which one represents specific gravity. Many hydrometers are made in Europe, and they often use a comma for a decimal point.
(6) Obtain a rectangular block of wood. Weigh it and measure its dimensions, thereby calculating it volume and density directly. Predict what fraction of its volume would be below water level if it were floated on water (Use Archimedes' principle again). Check your prediction.
(7) A large tank of water is available. Predict how much weight you could place on your wooden block before it will sink. Check your prediction.
(8) The basic method of immersion (procedure 3 and 4) is straightforward for measuring density of objects heavier than water. But objects lighter than water would float. A simple modification of procedure is required.
Obtain a cork or piece of wood to use as an "unknown" solid. First weigh it dry. Obtain a metal weight with a hook (perhaps a lead sinker). Suspend the cork from a string (as you did in procedure 3 or 4), and hang the lead weight just below it. Now take two measurements with your scale, one with just the lead weight under water, and one with both lead and cork under water. The difference in these weights is the buoyant force on the cork.
This method obviously works with either experimental arrangement (of procedure 3 or 4), and the metal weight merely serves to keep the cork under water. We don't need to know anything about the weight of the metal sinker.
(9) If time remains you might wish to investigate some of the manometer methods for comparing densities of liquids.
6. THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
(1) Many books state Archimedes' principle in this way: "The buoyant force on a body is the loss of weight of that body when it is immersed in a liquid."
Now that phrase "loss of weight" ought to worry you a bit. If weight is defined as "the force on an object due to gravity," then the body doesn't "lose" any weight when immersed, the force on it due to gravity is the same whether it is in air, in liquid, or just sitting on the table.
So what is meant by "loss of weight?" Perhaps the above statement of Archimedes' principle assumes that we are using the (standard) method of procedure (4). There we "weigh" the object in air, then "weigh" it in liquid and take the difference in "weights" as read from the balance scale. But the second scale reading is not a "weight" by the usual definition, it is merely the tension in the string supporting the body. The difference in these two tensions is the buoyant force. Since we customarily treat any reading from a balance scale as a "weight reading," that may explain this strange statement of Archimedes' principle.
Some authors have proposed that we should define weight in a different way. They suggest: "'weight' is the force required to support an object at rest in its frame of reference." Defined this way, the weight of an object sitting on the table is mg, as before. The 'weight' of our object immersed in liquid is just the tension of the supporting string, consistent with the statement of Archimedes' principle above. The 'weight' of an astronaut in an orbiting space shuttle is zero. The astronaut is falling just as fast as his space-capsule, and no supporting force is required to keep the astronaut at rest with respect to space shuttle frame of reference.
(2) You probably noticed that all of the methods employing Archimedes' principle with a balance scale required the subtraction of two scale readings. Balances compare forces (weights), but their scales read mass units (grams). If we examine the analysis of procedure (4) we see that this doesn't matter.
Suspended in air: T1 = W = rsVg
Suspended in liquid: T2 + B = mg
Therefore, T1 - T2 = B
But Archimedes' principle tells us that: B = r2Vg
T1 - T2 = rwVg
T2 rsVg rs = = = ss T1 - T2 rwVg rw
Thus the specific gravity of the sample depends on the tensions T2 and T1 of the supporting string. The balance scale directly reads these tensions. But since our formula has a ratio of tensions, they may be measured in any consistent units"even in "gram-weights."
7. QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE COMING TO LAB:
(The instructor will check these answers before you are allowed to begin the experiment.)
(1) Derive the equation for specific gravity determined by the method of Procedure (4). Work out the random-error propagation equation. Use this to determine how many grams of a brass sample would be needed to obtain its specific gravity to 1%, if the balance scales can read to a precision of 0.1 gram.
(2) A bucket of water is sitting on a bathroom scale. The scale reading is recorded. A block of wood is floated on the water. How much does the scale reading change when the block is added? Now consider pushing the wooden block down carefully with your hand until it is "just" submerged (its top surface is level with the water surface). What determines the bathroom scale reading now? Show how the three scale readings can be used to determine the specific gravity of the wood.
8. QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN YOUR LAB REPORT:
(3) Will the added weight of the string affect the results of procedure (4)? Will if affect the results of procedure (3) if it were not included in the calculation?
(4) One kilogram of iron and one kilogram of brass are suspended from separate balance scales, each metal submerged fully in water. How do the scale readings compare? Express your answer as a function of the densities of the two materials.
(5) Two overflow cans are filled with different liquids. A wooden block will float in either liquid. Compare the volumes which overflow when a block is floated in each of the overflow cans. Relate this to the densities of the liquids. Also compare the overflow weights.
(6) One cm3 of brass and one cm3 of aluminum are each weighed in air and then in water. Compare their "losses of weight." Relate this to the densities of the two materials.
(7) Precision of reading the hydrometer scale is determined by the spacing of the markings on its stem. The sensitivity can be increased and the marking spacing made larger, by making a hydrometer with a larger bulb and/or smaller stem. Explain why this is so.
(8) In figure 3, what determines the height c? Express your answer as a formula. In view of this, is the figure drawn correctly?
(9) [MMG] Can you see from your analysis any general relation which must always exist between the density of a floating body, the volume of the body, the volume which is beneath the surface and the density of the liquid?
(10) You used a sinker to submerge a piece of cork beneath the water to determine the cork's density. Why was it unnecessary to know the density of the sinker?
(11) The supply room attendant offers you two hydrometers, both appropriate to the range of specific gravities you need to measure. One has a wider diameter stem than the other. Knowing only this fact, which of the two will you choose for the greatest precision?
(12) Use Archimedes' principle to prove the following: "When a body is floating on a liquid, it displaces a weight of liquid equal to its own weight."
Text and diagrams © 1998, 2004 by Donald E. Simanek. | <urn:uuid:f5ecc4e5-e154-4630-8317-142d09c0146c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/scenario/labman1/archim.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935948 | 3,395 | 3.921875 | 4 |
Skydiving: Why skydivers are happy people
Erin Rogers, Sentinel Leisure EditorSALADO - Skydiving.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Just the word alone can either bring up feelings of fear, excitement, anticipation or anxiety.
Two weeks ago when I heard the word “skydiving,” the feelings I had were curiosity and hesitancy.
Now, when someone says the word, a smile instantly spreads across my face and I feel like I need to report to the nearest drop zone and jump out of a plane immediately.
My friend Michele Huff and I made the commitment to go skydiving at Skydive Temple in Salado two weeks ahead of our jump date, and I didn’t allow myself to think about the actual fall until the day before I was going. I didn’t fully trust myself to follow through with the jump if I allowed myself to think about my toes creeping over the edge of the open door to an airplane flying at 13,000 feet above the Earth.
I arrived at Skydive Temple before Michele and had the opportunity to talk to a few of the jumpers there, who assured me that this would not be my last jump since I would be falling in love with the sport in about 45 minutes. I still wasn’t so sure, but I put on a brave face trying to convince them (and myself) that I was beyond ready to jump out of a plane.
Michele arrived, and we were introduced to our photographers and our experienced skydivers who we’d be jumping tandem with.
I was immediately comfortable with my skydive instructor, Sam King, who was fully relaxed and didn’t overload my already-nervous mind with too many instructions. He gave me a few key points to remember during our 30-minute training, chose a hot-pink skydiving jumpsuit for me – just my style – and strapped me tightly into the harness that would later attach me to him when we jumped.
Right before we walked out to the plane, my videographer, Austin Catchings, did a pre-flight interview to put in the video he was creating for me.
“What on Earth made you want to jump out a perfectly good airplane?” he asked me – which at that point, I still wasn’t sure about the answer. “I’ve always wanted to,” was my true, but still crazy, response.
Sam, Austin and I walked out to the plane with the other tandem skydivers and their instructors. I sat on the plane in front of Sam, so he could strap me to him on our way up, and we began our ascent to 12,000 feet.
When we were at about 4,000 feet, Austin came to do a pre-jump interview, asking if I was at all nervous.
“Not yet, but maybe in a few minutes when my feet are dangling out of the plane,” was all I could get out before I realized what I said – in a few minutes, my feet would be dangling out the door of an airplane at 12,000 feet.
While Sam secured my harness to his harness, I watched Austin put his helmet on that had a video camera strapped to the top of it, and a switch in between his teeth that took a still photo whenever he bit down on it.
I was still thinking about how cool Austin’s camera technology was when he opened the door and it was suddenly very loud and everything started happening very quickly – Sam said it was time to go while he tightened the goggles around my head.
The first skydiver was already out the door and Sam was scooting me to the back of the plane for our jump, Austin was actually OUTSIDE of the plane, hanging on to the edge of the door and smiling while Sam edged me and him closer to the open door.
I remembered that Sam told me to hold onto the straps of my harness when we jumped, and not to let go until he tapped my shoulder. So I held onto my straps, looked down at the ground so far below us, counted Sam rock us back and forth three times like he said he would, and we rolled sideways out of the plane.
Because of the absolute and all-encompassing rush, I couldn’t think. I knew I was supposed to be holding onto my straps, and I knew I was falling.
And I knew I loved it.
Sam and I were falling fast – but spinning slowly – and when we leveled out with our bellies facing the earth, I realized I was laughing, not screaming. The feeling of the free fall was incredible. I can say with honesty and full confidence that it was the newest feeling I’ve ever had – nothing in my life can compare yet.
I had forgotten about Austin in the controlled chaos of the jump, but he was suddenly there with us again, grabbing my hand to let me know he was there when I didn’t see him right away, because, let’s face it – I was a little distracted with that whole “jumping out of an airplane” endeavor.
He was smiling huge and waving at me, holding onto my hand so he wouldn’t fall away from Sam and I. Austin started making different hand signs for me, giving me different ideas for the photos he was taking of me. I’m thankful he was helping me out because I still couldn’t think straight at the time!
He stayed with us for a little while, and then before I knew it Sam pulled our parachute and Austin was gone. This was the most surprising part of the whole experience for me – realizing how fast I was falling. When Sam pulled the parachute, Austin was gone in an instant, I blinked and he was so far below us – that’s when I realized I had been falling that fast, too.
The second most surprising thing was how completely silent it was after Sam pulled our parachute – he and I were just floating and talking. He told me at one point that we were at the same height as the world’s tallest building. And at 800 feet, he told me that’s where the Army jumps from – it seemed a little too low for me.
Because the sky was partly-cloudy the day I went, Sam and I were surrounded by clouds. He asked me if I wanted to go inside one, saying it was something not many people have the opportunity to do since most people jump on very clear days.
He let me steer our parachute into a huge cloud, and it was pure white in every direction I looked – it seemed very unreal.
We came out of the cloud and Sam navigated us over the Central Texas landscape and pointed out different landmarks to me as we slowly floated down to the landing zone.
He gave me a few simple instructions on landing procedures and we had a perfect landing, Austin waiting there for me to do a post-jump interview.
After skydiving once, it would be impossible for me to not go again, because the feeling is something to chase.
I’m already planning my next jump, and am proud to say I now understand the reason skydivers are happy people. | <urn:uuid:b13a7be7-e4da-409e-ad07-108a32c51337> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/mobile/story.php?id=9936 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984263 | 1,513 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The belted kingfisher, a medium-sized stocky bird with a large crested head, loves the water.
They prefer clear water with trees overhanging giving them places to perch from which to hunt food. Here in Florida they love the mangroves as well.
When pursuing prey their flight speeds range anywhere between 30 mph and 45 mph depending on the wind factors. The kingfisher will hunt when water conditions are calm.
The belted kingfisher.
They dive from their perch and use strong bills to seize prey. They dive directly into the water closing their eyes just before breaking the surface. They use their sharp bill for spearing fish and carrying prey back to their perch.
They mainly eat small fish. Belted kingfishers also eat small frogs, crayfish, clams, oysters, small snakes, small turtles, grasshoppers and many other small insects.
Kingfisher birds hunt during the day, roosting in nearby trees at night. They make a loud rattling noise that can be heard when they travel from perch to perch.
Merry Beth Ryan, a member of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association, can be reached at www.merrybethryanphotography.com, by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone (941) 544-5023.
Belted kingfishers are not afraid of humans but are always on the lookout for predators. At times they will dive beneath the surface of the water to escape an attacking falcon, hawk, eagle or osprey.
Belted kingfishers have a large blue gray-colored head with a small white spot near each eye. They always appear top-heavy because of their large heads, short tail and tiny feet.
The female bird is more colorful but male and the female bird have a gray breast band. Males have a bluish-gray breast band and females have a chestnut-colored belly band.
For the most part belted kingfishers are a solitary bird they live except when breeding. Belted kingfishers have been known to share tunnels they dig in the sand to lay their eggs in with swallows. Two of the kingfisher's toes are fused together on each foot, which helps them dig tunnels. Their fused toes plow through the sand while making a tunnel to lay eggs inside.
The old Boca Grande railroad trestle often is a great spot to see these birds. I also see them often in Ski Alley on Lemon Bay while fishing.
I welcome seeing them because they are my good luck charm. I enjoy watching them perch ready to swoop down in search of their next meal. They are a pretty and colorful bird easily recognized. | <urn:uuid:267ab93c-5c3b-4410-9449-34f9e4c00835> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gasparillagazette.com/page/content.detail/id/515079/Wildlife-Encounters--Colorful-belted-kingfisher-dives-into-its-Boca-meals.html?nav=5047 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966246 | 570 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Apr 11,2008 00:00
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- On the last day of the 2008 National Work Zone Awareness Week, a 26-year old Springfield woman died early Friday morning from injuries she suffered during a crash in a highway work zone located northbound Interstate 5 in the Springfield area.
Christensen was not wearing safety restraints and was ejected from the car. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.
No construction workers were injured.
OSP troopers from the Springfield Area Command are continuing the investigation into the cause of the crash. Troopers were assisted at the scene by ODOT, the Lane County Sheriff's Office, Springfield Fire Department, and the Lane County Medical Examiner's Office.
The left northbound lane of Interstate 5 remained closed throughout the investigation.
Released preliminary 2007 statistics in Oregon show an increase in fatalities over 2006, from five to 11. None of those who died were construction workers; all were either drivers or passengers in motor vehicles.
For the past several years, ODOT has been educating drivers and encouraging safety in work zones by promoting the slogan, "Slow down. Better roads ahead." For more information and tips on safe driving, visit www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TS/workzonesafety.shtml.
Tips for staying safe in the "Cone Zone"
* Pay complete attention to driving. The most important thing drivers can do is focus on the driving task, especially in the transition zone before the work area.
* Orange is your clue. Slow down when you see orange signs, barrels and barricades. Speeding is the second most common factor in work zone crashes.
* Don't tailgate. Instead, double your following distance.
* Move over to the correct lane well in advance of the work zone.
* Leave early to reach your destination on time. You may experience delays in work zones — plan for them!
* Be patient. Be courteous to other drivers so you all arrive safely.
* Avoid work zones when you can by using an alternate route.
You can learn about construction updates, road conditions, traffic and more by calling 5-1-1 or visiting www.TripCheck.com. | <urn:uuid:a36991c0-c426-4f5d-962c-1fdc9b1480d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bendweekly.com/print/15277.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956802 | 451 | 1.789063 | 2 |
TORONTO For Olivia Santarelli, the story begins with a gymnastics injury.
It was thought to be just a pulled muscle in her side. But the pain persisted for months. One day last July, Olivia’s mother noticed a suspicious lump protruding from her rib cage.
Nearly a year later, the 10-year-old Toronto girl has become an authority on the rare bone cancer diagnosis that threw her life into chaos. “It’s called Ewing’s sarcoma,” she says, before rattling off her lengthy list of medications and treatments.
But when it comes to the pain, Olivia falters. “Oh, that’s hard,” she says, her tiny frame sinking back into the chair at her family’s kitchen table.
Symptoms change, she says. Sometimes her ankles prickle with pins and needles. Other times, her body throbs.
Providing pain relief to young patients like Olivia poses a major challenge for health-care providers as they must rely on the child’s willingness to talk about his or her symptoms. Children with cancer are often too exhausted or sick from their chemotherapy treatments to fill out pain diaries daily, says Dr. Jennifer Stinson, a nurse practitioner with the chronic pain program at the Hospital for Sick Children.
So the hospital’s pain team began to search for a fun way to engage children in their daily pain reports. What emerged was an iPhone app called Pain Squad, soon to be rolled out at McMaster Children’s Hospital and two other Canadian hospitals.
The app enlists cancer patients between the ages of 9 and 16 as “recruits” to help their police force “hunt down pain” by filling out twice-daily reports on their pain symptoms.
It’s a next-generation way to “optimize the management of symptoms in the home environment” and involve children in their own pain management, Stinson says. “There aren’t many things that kids with cancer can have control over. This gives them more control.”
According to a 2008 Canadian study on adolescent pain, an estimated 15 to 30 per cent of Canadian children suffer with chronic or recurring pain. But efforts to relieve pain, which can have significant long-term health problems if not properly managed, often fall short, says Ken Craig, a University of British Columbia psychology professor and pediatric pain researcher.
“Pain in children is often ignored, not assessed, undertreated or poorly treated. It’s a very serious problem,” says Craig, pointing to the challenges faced by both young patients and their health-care providers in communicating, understanding and managing the child’s pain.
It’s a challenge tackled by the Pain Squad app, designed by Toronto-based communications and design agency Cundari.
As part of the app, each user’s iPhone buzzes every morning and night with a reminder from “police headquarters” to fill out the report. “Recruits” must then answer a series of specific questions about their pain and how it affected their mood and daily activities. One section provides a full-body diagram where recruits are asked to tap the spots where they feel pain. When patients complete enough reports, they pass a level and are ‘promoted’, say from sergeant to captain.
About a month after her first round of chemotherapy, Olivia began filling out pain reports using a “faces pain scale,” a widely used assessment tool involving a series of cartoon faces bearing different expressions ranging from “no pain” to “very much pain.” But the treatment made her participation difficult. Her hands swelled to the point she couldn’t grasp a pen. The sores in her mouth and throat were so painful she had to be fed intravenously. And for a time, the crushing pain in her legs meant she couldn’t walk. The last thing Olivia wanted to do was complete the report, her father, Sam, says.
But then Dr. Stinson’s team arrived with an iPhone. Olivia’s ears perked up.
There’s been no need to coax Olivia into completing her pain diary since then, says Olivia’s mother, Gloria.
“She was actually recording the pain and we didn’t know it. It gives her a sense of control,” Gloria says, glancing over at Olivia, whose fingers zigzag across the screen as she completes the report on a recent morning.
“It’s much easier to record the pain with the game,” says Olivia. “It actually kind of makes pain recording fun.” | <urn:uuid:edafb42e-a758-4a3d-9aef-fd4f6f90d813> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2242597-iphone-app-helps-kids-manage-pain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957658 | 984 | 2.328125 | 2 |
We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the thermal effects of targets evaporated by nanosecond laser pulses. The subsurface temperatures were calculated to be higher than the surface temperatures during planar surface evaporation of the target material. While the evaporating surface is being cooled due to the latent heat of vaporization, subsurface superheating occurs due to a finite absorption depth of the laser beam. The temperature profiles of silicon targets irradiated by nanosecond laser pulses were determined by solving the one‐dimensional heat flow equation using an implicit finite difference method. The subsurface superheating increased at higher energy densities, and decreased with increasing absorption coefficient of the material. This internal heating of the target during pulsed laser irradiation can be correlated with the explosive removal of material from the target. This may lead to deposition of small particles on films fabricated by the pulsed laser evaporation technique. | <urn:uuid:67336540-cdcf-4c73-abee-44b83af82437> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apl.aip.org/resource/1/applab/v57/i19?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943845 | 184 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Some Protestants are against calling clergy "Father" like Roman Catholics call their priests, but some Protestant pastors think of themselves as spiritual fathers. A RC replied when asked about this and said you shouldn't call people Mister since it means Master, the word comes from the word Meister in German which means Master.
A Seventh-day Adventist brought up the RCC practice while talking about RCC being a beast or something in prophecy, so they are against it. (Some SDA are against being called Reverend citing Psalm 111:9. Psa 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend [is] his name.)
Some verses and reasoning against calling someone Father.
Mat 23:9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your
Father, which is in heaven.
Mark 10:29 mentions father, but Mark 10:30 doesn't while it's missing in Mat 19:29.
Mat 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or
sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my
name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit
Mar 10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is
no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or
mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,
Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time,
houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and
lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Jhn 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the
world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name
those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are]. | <urn:uuid:f8f0f071-b04c-4942-b390-5c6fd834b15f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/4502/are-there-any-christian-groups-that-follow-matthew-239 | 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 | 0.958649 | 423 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Insights from Both Technology and Business Applications Join Forces with PolySpot
January 18, 2013
The world only becomes even more data-driven and Wired offers up some insight on which field, business or technology faces more of the potential issues in collecting, storing and analyzing big data. The article “Big Data: Business or Technology Challenge?” delves into this question by answering it with several predictions.
Finding and employing different technologies that are operated by both side, business and IT, that work in harmony with each other through enterprise architecture and infrastructure technologies will become even more common.
The article states:
In 2013, we will see increased demand for Big Data tools and applications that will be easier to use and will satisfy the business user, not just data scientist users. All market indicators point to this. If you look at Hadoop-based technology capabilities, many are still immature and require unique specialized skills. We have already seen new product announcements that address this need, including the recent announcements on Cloudera Impala and Microsoft Polybase.
Many big player technology vendors are entering in on the scene now, according to the article. However, there are startups like PolySpot that have been integrating enterprise information in different applications, enabling important opportunities to present themselves to decision-makers for years. These types of companies will see success based on our predictions.
Megan Feil, January 18, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search. | <urn:uuid:af226de3-261b-41a5-918c-24bab6673f10> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arnoldit.com/wordpress/2013/01/18/insights-from-both-technology-and-business-applications-join-forces-with-polyspot/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949321 | 300 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Now, when people get to you they probably have a confirmed diagnosis of sarcoma, but around the country, maybe around the world, there are probably a lot of people where, A, it is not seen as sarcoma, or it's not understood which type it is. How can we help people who are listening to this get an accurate diagnosis?
Your first treatment and your first diagnosis is critical. It's not like starting school as a child and making up for a bad first grade with a good second grade and third grade. Once you get a bad start with a malignancy, especially a sarcoma, it's hard to make up for the losses. So your first treatment is critical. Your first diagnosis is critical, and it's really important that people get even if they don't travel to a center, a sarcoma center, it's really important that they get some kind of opinions and confirmation from some sarcoma experts, and they're all over the regions, about confirming their diagnosis its accuracy and what the treatment plan is. It's really critical for people with high grade tumors. | <urn:uuid:3ce66a17-5f27-4c8b-a7f5-ae9b9c7f7c5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.patientpower.info/program/a-team-approach-for-treating-sarcoma-in-children-and-adults/transcript/4 | 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 | 0.977842 | 227 | 2.234375 | 2 |
New Delhi: As
eminent jurists here recommended more accountability for the
judiciary, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Saturday said a clean
judiciary was the right of every Indian, adding that judicial
activism was right so long it concerned human rights and was not
on the wrong side of the constitution.
Speaking on "What Ails the
Indian Judiciary" at the Dr. K.N.Katju Memorial Lecture here,
jurists also suggested setting up of independent commission to
appoint judges to high courts and the Supreme Court.
"It is the right of every citizen in this country to have a clean
judiciary. Litigation in this country is no longer a rare
occurrence. Judges have the power of life and death over citizens
of this country," Chidambaram, himself an lawyer, said.
He said those who go to the courts go with the "hope and
expectation that justice will be done".
"The least that they expect from the system is an honest judge,
who will do justice according to law," Chidambaram said.
"Judicial activism that set out to protect the human rights is on
the right side. The wrong side of it does not conform to the text
of the constitution," he said.
Referring to the apex court proceedings on Public Distribution
system, Chidambram said that certain higher courts are over
ambitious as they believe that they can solve every thing.
The home minister said that government was alive to the need to
correct the PDS and tackling Maoist violence.
"I firmly believe that it should be done by the executive
(government) and the legislature with public support," Chidambaram
He said that America is faced with health care problems including
Medicare and medicure, but he was not aware if US Supreme Court
has stepped into this area.
According to him, not every problem facing the people could be
solved through the directions of the court.
In his keynote address, retired Supreme Court judge Kuldip Singh
said the recent reports of corruption in Indian judiciary were
"disturbing" despite being "minor as compared to various maladies
challenging the Indian society".
He said that the ailments inflicting the higher judiciary was
still in the stage of infection and could be treated by taking
recourse to complete accountability and transparency in the
appointment of judges and the working of the in-house mechanism to
deal with acts of wrong doing.
Kuldip Singh, who headed the Delimitation Commission, said that
the appointment of the chief justice of the Supreme Court should
be on the basis of selection and not seniority.
The former judge, who is credited with saving the existing forest
cover of Delhi, said all machinations and tricks of the trade come
into play when one knows that who will be the chief justice at any
given point of time.
He said that it goes to the credit of the apex court that it never
shut it eyes to the ailments inflicting it but was let down by the
Lok Sabha, referring to the failed impeachment proceedings against
Justice V. Ramaswami.
Former Chief Justice of India, Justice J.S.Verma, said that courts
should observe the "Lakshmana Rekha" of their jurisdiction and
should not encroach upon the domain of executive and parliament.
However, he said, courts could not shut their doors on the
aggrieved person approaching it. In such a situation there was
every possibility of such a person taking to recourse to extra
legal or unconstitutional means, he said.
He disapproved the apex court monitored sealing drive saying it
amounted to usurping the jurisdiction of other instrumentalities
of the State and ys governance.
Noted jurist K.K. Venugopal was of the view that the judicial
commission for the appointment of judges should include leader of
the opposition and certain eminent jurists, who are not members of
"This will also help in removing the inordinate delay in
appointments to the higher judiciary and checking nepotism," he
He said the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) had already
passed a resolution accepting the provisions of the Constitution's
67th Amendment Bill, which provides for setting up of the
N. Ram, editor-in-chief of The Hindu, also listed the formation of
the commission as an immediate "national agenda".
"One of the immediate national agenda should be setting up of the
National Judicial Commission to make recommendations for judicial
appointments in the Supreme Court and high courts and draw up a
code of ethics," Ram said.
Film maker Mahesh Bhatt said that it was very important to deliver
justice to the people who are in a hurry to unshackle themselves. | <urn:uuid:80559c00-739d-4859-b045-22e691d2c82f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ummid.com/news/2011/April/24.04.2011/chidam_on_judicia_in_india.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962659 | 1,018 | 1.875 | 2 |
We want to help create motivated and engaged young readers. This blog is about children's and YA literature (especially New Zealand), literacy research, and ways to get, and keep, kids reading.
The authors of award-winning Baa baa smart sheep, the Sommerset team of author Mark and illustrator Rowan, have released another high quality hardback picture book with some innovative features.
Told in rhyme, this simple tale shows Little Bug Red – sitting and chomping happily on top of a leaf – and Little Bug Blue in the cold and dark of the underside of the leaf, wishing he could be brave enough to view the world from the other side, but not quite courageous enough to take those first steps.
As the resolution arrives, and the world awaits discovery by two little bugs who fly away, the pages themselves are cut to show the munched leaves – with holes and edges artfully shaped, a technique sure to appeal to young readers.
I would have liked the story to be fleshed out more fully before the two little bugs flew away. The illustrations show Little Bug Red emerging from a chrysalis – having very quickly changed to a butterfly – which isn’t mentioned in the text. Little Bug Blue who hasn’t eaten anything sees the sun and is still a bug when the two fly off.
There’s potential for this book to be used in the classroom as a creative writing exercise, with the children filling in this gap in the story. Maybe the bugs enjoyed eating leaves together, developing their friendship, and both pupating and emerging as butterflies?
Having tested it out with a three-year-old, who wanted it read again immediately, I can say it was enjoyed by this young reader. See what you think – and send us your comments!
review by Janet
0800 LIB LINE
0800 542 5463
Get help from our advisers using this free phone line | <urn:uuid:7c2094ae-b18f-42ad-b55b-72be9f0a83c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://schools.natlib.govt.nz/mi/blogs/create-readers/12-04/two-little-bugs-mark-sommerset-rowan-sommerset | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957097 | 400 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Dr. David Myers of the Hope College psychology faculty has received national recognition from the American Academy of Audiology for his efforts to transform the way that America provides listening assistance to people with hearing loss.
Myers received the academy's President's Award for 2011 on Saturday, April 9, for launching the effort to "loop America," spearheading new hearing-loop technology which broadcasts public-address systems, television and telephone sounds directly to hearing aids, doubling their functionality.
The award was presented during the association's national AudiologyNOW! Annual convention, held in Chicago, Ill., on Wednesday-Saturday, April 6-9. Myers also co-presented a session on the benefits of the technology, which enables hearing instruments to serve as customized, wireless loudspeakers. The technology is now in hundreds of West Michigan locations, including most worship places, the Grand RapidsAirport and home TV rooms.
Myers has been an advocate for the hearing loop technology for more than a decade. He has created the website www.hearingloop.org to share information about the technology, and has also written some 30 articles on the topic that have appeared in publications ranging from "Audiology Today," to the "Saturday Evening Post," to "Technologies for Worship." His numerous publications also include the 2000 book "A Quiet World: Living with Hearing Loss," which tells of his journey of hearing loss, along with information about hearing technology and the psychology of hearing.
In June, he will be a featured speaker during the second International Hearing Loop Conference, being held in Washington, D.C. The conference is an initiative of the Hearing Loss Association of America, which is collaborating with the American Academy of Audiology on a "Get in the Hearing Loop" educational campaign to educate consumers and hearing professionals about the benefits of telecoils and hearing loops, thereby improving accessibility for the 36 million Americans with hearing loss.
Previously in recognition of his efforts, he received an award from the Grand Rapids Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America on Monday, June 15, 2009, during the group's Fifth Anniversary Celebration.
The April 9 recognition by the American Academy of Audiology is the third major award that Myers has received during the current school year. In October, he was honored for his career contributions by the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences Foundation. In January, he received the 2011 "Award for Distinguished Service on Behalf of Social-Personality Psychology" presented by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology during the organization's annual convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Myers, who has been at Hope since 1967, is a social psychologist and communicator of psychological science to college students and the general public. A professor of psychology, he held an endowed professorship at the college, as the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology, from 1982 to 2007.
His scientific writings, supported by National Science Foundation grants and fellowships and recognized by the Gordon Allport Prize, have appeared in three dozen academic periodicals, including "Science," the "American Scientist," the "American Psychologist" and "Psychological Science." He has digested psychological research for the public through articles in four dozen magazines, from "Scientific American" to "Christian Century." His 17 books include best-selling psychology texts----some in their eighth, ninth or 10th edition--and general-audience books on happiness, intuition, spirituality and his experience with hearing loss.
Myers completed his bachelor's degree at Whitworth College, and his master's and doctorate at the University of Iowa. He holds honorary degrees from Northwestern College, Whitworth College and Central College.
The American Academy of Audiology is the world's largest professional organization of, by and for audiologists. The active membership of more than 10,000 is dedicated to providing quality hearing care services through professional development, education, research and increased public awareness of hearing and balance disorders. | <urn:uuid:148ee6df-a69b-446b-81ae-8a5c00eb4752> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hope.edu/print/1375 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972587 | 797 | 1.929688 | 2 |