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© 1999-2012 Rubber-Cal All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any of the material contained herein in any format or media without the express written permission of Rubber-Cal, Inc. is prohibited.
3012 South Croddy Way, Santa Ana, CA 92704.
Tel 1.800.370.9152 Toll Free Tel 1.714.772.3000 International
Santa Ana, Calif., June 20, 2008 - Elephant Bark has a new role coming this fall on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" series. Also, in a supporting role, the ½ inch recycled rubber tiles, Eco-Sport tiles will make appearances as well. In preparation for the new seasons, Six and Seven, Rubber-Cal's rubber flooring was chosen to cover the 7000 square foot facility.
"The Biggest Loser", as many primetime television watchers know, is a reality series to become the biggest loserof weight. The show is be hosted by Alison Sweeney (starred in Days of Our Lives). There are two trainers, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, who coach the contestants through the rigorous exercise and challenges they must face.
The traditional show begins with contestants being split in two teams. The teams compete to lose the most weight a week, and at the end of every week, the team that loses the least must vote off a member of their own team. Eventually the teams are dissolved and contestants compete individually, with the lowest two contestants being voted on for elimination. Contestants compete for a $250,000, and eliminated contestants compete for $100,000 "At Home" prize, where they continue to try to lose weight without being on the show.
The show is also keen on promoting a healthy diet. This is a low-calorie diet based on the Biggest Loser pyramid of 4-3-2-1 (four servings of fruits and veggies; three of lean protein; two of whole grains; and one "extra"), along with good old-fashioned exercise. Eat a diet based largely on fruits, vegetables and lean protein, add a heavy dose of physical activity and you will lose weight, lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and become stronger and more energized.
Tufts University obesity clinician and researcher Michael Dansinger, MD, developed the weight loss program accompanied by dietitian and chef Cheryl Forberg, RD, and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, working with writer Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, PhD. Over the course of the 12-week program, you can expect to eat small, frequent meals containing plenty of fiber and protein, for fullness without too many calories. Season 5 featured a "couples" edition, with loved ones competing together for the prize. Season 6 is rumored to be a "family" edition, where families compete against each other for the $250,000 prize. Season 6 is currently being filmed. Season 7 is set to be another "couples" edition, and will likely take place in the same facility as season 6.
In each season, a large workout facility is used for the contestants to workout in. Similar to a commercial gym, the Biggest Loser gym is filled with bikes, elliptical machines, treadmills, weight machines, racks, and of course -- a floor to put this all on. This season, a new facility was created, and Rubber-Cal's Elephant Bark was used for the flooring. Two large areas were covered with the 3/8 inch Elephant Bark All Black, which is available in 4 ft by 50 ft rolls. These large rolls made it easy to install; with some double-sided tape on the bottom of the rolls. It was just a matter of rolling out the rolls, and making any minor cuts that would be needed to fit it in place properly.
When the episodes begin airing, you will see a red line going down the middle of the exercise area, creating the middle division. This was created using the half inch Eco-Sport tiles, which worked out perfectly.
For photos of the product installed you can view the following link:
For information about the products used take a look at these links: | <urn:uuid:e630337e-b78a-4009-bbbe-856e976fec00> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rubbercal.com/Press_080620.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959431 | 851 | 1.609375 | 2 |
We spend the first half of our lives acquiring things, and the second half getting rid of them.
If your home is overflowing with stuff, you’re not alone. It’s all too easy to accumulate worldly goods. And while many of those things are probably lovely and full of emotional resonance, in the aggregate, they’re cluttering your life physically and energetically. It’s hard to move forward (let alone move) when your home resembles a well-packed self-storage unit.
There are all sorts of strategies to clearing out your possessions, ranging from doing it in one fell swoop to hiring a professional organizer to doing it in increments, like getting a big box and one by one, placing in it items you might be willing to part with. All of these approaches can work — once you’ve flipped the mental switch.
While that sounds simple, anyone who’s struggled with this understands the psychological and emotional challenges of throwing out, giving away or selling beloved possessions. (And simply reminding ourselves that we “can’t take it with us” doesn’t help.) These five stories, culled from Next Avenue’s archives, could help you take your first, or next step.
5 Approaches to Clearing Out the Clutter
1. Identifying too much stuff as a burden is not some modern concept. In the “Economy” chapter of his masterpiece, Walden, Thoreau observed, “I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of.”
And yet while most of us appreciate the need to “deacquire” as we get older, we also agree that it’s easier said than done. As Akiko Busch has observed, “One may be forced to downsize space due to economic dictate in recessionary times or might simply choose to live more simply and sustainably. But even if the mandate to cede one’s belongings is clear, one still needs insight and judgment to do so — and that can pose some complex challenges.”
In her fine essay "The Art of Shedding Possessions," she describes how she went from being overwhelmed at the task of turning her adult son’s former bedroom (still alive with “ghosts” of his youth spent there) into a viable guest room.
2. A great place to start the process is your clothes closet. This offers multiple benefits: You not only get to shed possessions and clear out what might be a big clutter fest, you’ll probably discover things you love that you’d forgotten about. And, best of all, when you follow the five steps and many practical tips in style coach Susan Sommers’ piece "Shop Your Closet," you can create a sharp new look for yourself. See: Less can be more!
3. It’s typically easier to help others in this situation. Emily Berns Heyser found herself thrust into that situation when her mother-in-law needed to downsize into a smaller space that was more appropriate for her declining state of health. But this woman equated the need to get rid of her prized possessions with a decree that her life as she’d always known and lived it was over.
As Berns Heyser writes of her “Mutter” in "Giving Things Away Can Make a Life Transition Easier": “A longtime widow with chronic diabetes, she was irascible and depressed, anxious about the future and doubtful that any change could be for the better. It was as if she saw her life as already over, and all the appurtenances of that life — from the books she had read to the clothes she had worn to the Christmas ornaments she had crafted — finished and done with as well.”
So as a loving (and clever) daughter-in-law, she hatched a neat plan: After packing and moving Mutter’s essential items, she set up a table outside the older woman’s home and created a kind of ongoing free flea market. Naturally the “shoppers” were thrilled, but the biggest surprise of all was Mutter’s positive reaction.
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Photo courtesy of Howard Sandler/Shutterstock.com | <urn:uuid:97eb09bf-fe8c-4fb0-881c-5ec3089279c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.more.com/print/467312 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963964 | 945 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Something is said to be hyper real when a natural reality and an artificial reality of high fidelity collide, to the point where the senses are completely subsumed and the mind can no longer tell what is ?real? from what is not ?real?.
Below, we offer a selection of links from our resource databases which may match this term.
Related Dictionary Entries for Hyper Real:
Resources in our database matching the Term Hyper Real:
The Hyper IMS system is a prosthetic implant designed to track and monitor a person's blood pressure in real time. Designed to reduce the need for continual doctor visits, unnecessary drugs and stress, the prosthetic organ is implanted directly into the femoral artery in the groin. There, it monitors blood pressure thirty times a minute.
A report from the BBC on the rise and rise, and rise of the [first] Internet generation, and at how social networking and virtual worlds are basically an integral part of life now, for many.
Virtual always suggests unreal, or imaginary. A virtual entity can pass for, a real thing but is less than the real thing itself. Sounds like a nice statement. Are we really so sure its true?
This book looks at the halfway there virtual reality of video gaming, arguing that such worlds are half-real, consisting of real rules in a fictitious world. Winning or losing in the physical world, but slaying the beasts within the virtual.
The vLink Computer System approach to skiing is rather novel. It's a data collection sensor set that clips to the front of a pair of skis, and in real-time, monitor in real-time forward speed and lateral displacement data of the skis as the skier proceeds down a mountain.
Resource Type not Available
What is real innovation? This short article tells you what it's not and lists several worlds that truly are innovative - and what makes them that way. Read this, to avoid becoming just another 'same old'.
A look at teaching in virtual worlds, particularly Second Life, along with the real benefits such educational methods bring, from Christian Science Monitor.
Michael Heim, the author of this book, describes modern 'VR' as a pale imitation of real VR. On this point, he is of course, all too correct. He then goes on to state that the real thing is fast approaching. We'll soon be able to totally immerse ourselves in detail-rich, highly interactive artificial worlds....
Resource Type not Available
Industry News containing the Term Hyper Real:
Results by page
A new technique in Magnetic Resonance Imaging dubbed "Hyper-SAGE" has the potential to detect ultra low concentrations of clincal targets, such as lung and other cancers. Development of Hyper-SAGE was led by one of the world's foremost a...
Intel Corporation introduced its revolutionary Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor and Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor Extreme Edition today, bringing Intel?s award-winning and super-fast Nehalem microarchitecture to the mobile market.
August 9, 2004 - SIGGRAPH - Los Angeles - The Web3D Consortium today announced that the X3D? specification has been approved by the International Standards Organization (ISO) as International Standard ISO/IEC 19775 with formal publication e...
A futuristic world, complete with autonomous household companions, android medics and even robot entertainers, will greet visitors to the Prototype Robot Exhibition in Japan from 9 June, 2005.
"This is a chance for researche...
(Press Release) VirTra Systems, Inc. today announced the submission of three patent applications on its new IVR 4G combat readiness simulator to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Following the broad patent applic... | <urn:uuid:f0711526-f314-4eb7-be6b-c6ffe781cb4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virtualworldlets.net/Resources/Dictionary.php?Term=Hyper%20Real | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908405 | 761 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi opened her visit to the United States with talks Tuesday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the welfare of Burmese refugees in America.
The 67-year-old Nobel laureate, who arrived on Monday for a nearly three-week visit, met with Clinton at her office in the State Department.
The top U.S. diplomat briefly spoke to Aung San Suu Kyi on the resettlement of Burmese refugees in the United States and the visitor's trip next week to Fort Wayne in Indiana state, home to a large number of Burmese.
There is "so much excitement and enthusiasm about the fact that you can actually come," Clinton told Aung San Suu Kyi, according to journalists and photographers who were allowed a couple of minutes to witness their meeting before they went into closed talks.
Aung San Suu Kyi said she had heard about Fort Wayne while tracking Burmese news when she was under house arrest for nearly two decades during the rule of the previous military junta.
Since 2006, about 55,000 Burmese refugees, most whom were living in Thailand, have been resettled in the United States. Many of them had fled nearly five decades of harsh military rule and fighting between government military troops and armed ethnic groups.
Aung San Suu Kyi will take part later Tuesday in a Washington forum organized by the Asia Society on the ongoing transition in Burma and the challenges facing the country. Clinton will make introductory remarks at the event.
Clinton made a landmark trip to Burma nine months ago in the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state in more than 50 years to begin reconciliation with the nominally civilian government of President Thein Sein who took over in March last year.
The two countries then named ambassadors to each other's capitals, formalizing diplomatic relations for the first time since Washington withdrew its ambassador in 1990.
The United States also eased investment and financial restrictions to reciprocate nascent reforms in Burma but said it will maintain an import ban amid continuing human rights and ethnic conflict concerns.
The Obama administration is believed to be considering easing a ban on imports from Burma into the U.S., one of the main remaining sanctions imposed on the country. The U.S. Congress last month renewed the ban for another year.
Aung San Suu Kyi may also meet President Barack Obama during her trip, which is her first to the U.S. in 40 years.
The White House has yet to announce whether she will meet Obama but sources say he could hold talks with her despite his hectic re-election campaign.
Just before Aung san Suu Kyi landed at the Dulles airport in Washington Monday, Thein Sein ordered the release of another 514 prisoners, including dozens of political detainees, in an apparent bid to pave the way for the U.S. to further ease sanctions ahead of his trip to attend the U.N. meeting.
Aung San Suu Kyi is also scheduled to attend a high-level meeting organized by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, a day before Thein Sein addresses the General Assembly, reports have said.
Reported by RFA's Burmese service. Written in English by Chris Billing and Parameswaran Ponnudurai. | <urn:uuid:3748a8a1-9e9d-42c4-910d-aeacd2be6b9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/assk-09182012111617.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967514 | 691 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Music of the Ainur
|The Music of the Ainur|
|Location||The Timeless Halls|
|Result||The conception of Eä|
|Part of||Eru's creation|
|Participants||Eru, the Ainur|
|Description||A great song described by Eru and played by the Ainur|
Eru conceived the Ainur from his thought and taught each of them how to make music. At first the Ainur would only sing alone or in small groups while the others listened. The observance of their brethren singing taught each Ainu more about the other and the mind of Ilúvatar. Their "unity and harmony" thus increased, and eventually, Eru brought all the Ainur together and declared that they would play a song greater and more complex than they had ever sung before. He told them that they would be allowed to weave their own thoughts and ideas into this Music, since they had been kindled with the Flame Imperishable and thus had the power of creativity. The Ainur were so overwhelmed by Eru's description of this Music that they bowed before him in silence.
The First Theme
After Ilúvatar told them about the Music, the Ainur began to fashion it. Their voices, like the sound of harps and trumpets and choirs, passed "beyond hearing" into the depths and heights of sound. The great Music filled the Timeless Halls and passed beyond them even into the Void, so that it "was not void". The Ainur's flawless Music satisfied even Ilúvatar during this early stage.
But soon, faults entered into the great Theme as a result of the discords of Melkor, an Ainu whose thoughts had become strange and unlike those of his brethren due to his wanderings in the Void. Ilúvatar had given the Ainur permission to weave their own ideas into the Music, but Melkor's thoughts actually clashed against Eru's Themes, because Melkor wanted to "increase the power and glory of the part assigned to himself". Melkor's desire to bring into being creatures of his own with the Flame Imperishable and fill the emptiness of the Void put him at odds with Ilúvatar's vision. These discords of Melkor that became evident in his music dismayed those around him, and many faltered in their singing or else attuned their song to his.
The original harmony of the Music was thus consumed by a "sea of turbulent sound" until it became like a "raging storm". At that point, Eru responded by rising from his seat and raising his left hand. It seemed to the Ainur that he then smiled. After his reaction to the Music, a new Theme began amid the chaos.
The Second Theme
The Second Theme was "like and yet unlike" the First; it gathered new power and beauty. Soon, however, Melkor's discord rose up against it, and there was a "war of sound more violent than before". This time, Melkor's Theme triumphed over that of the others; many of the Ainur stopped singing entirely out of dismay. Ilúvatar then rose from his seat again, his expression stern this time. He raised his right hand, and yet another Theme unfolded.
The Third Theme
The next Theme had a sadness and a beauty unlike the others before it. It began quietly amid the confusion of the Second Theme, and sounded like the rippling o soft and sweet notes. It gained power and depth over time, until two completely different songs were being made. One was filled with "immeasurable sorrow", which gave it tremendous beauty, while the other was a loud, pompous theme playing in violent opposition to it. Nevertheless, this repetitive theme could not overcome the sorrowful one, and the latter merely took the former's greatest notes and "[wove them] into its own solemn pattern". The strife between the two themes caused the dwelling of Ilúvatar and even the Void beyond it to shake. At this point, Eru stood once more and raised both his arms, "and in one chord, deeper than the Abyss, higher than the firmament... the Music ceased".
Ilúvatar then spoke to the Ainur about the Music and the consequences that would arise from any attempts to bring discord into it, as Melkor had done. To show them the result of their actions, he led them into the Void and spoke, "Behold your Music!" The Ainur saw a vision of what their song had created—"a World that was globed amid the Void... but was not of it". They saw the history of this World as it unfolded, and witnessed the part each had played in its making. Even the discords of Melkor contributed to the glory of this creation.
The Ainur were amazed when the Children of Ilúvatar came into this vision, for they were a part of Eru's plan that had not been revealed to them before the Music was played. The Children were sung into being by Ilúvatar during the Third Theme, and none of the Ainur had dared contribute to their making.
Ilúvatar suddenly took away the vision, and the Ainur did not get to see how it would end. Some say that they only saw the history of the Universe until the Dominion of Men. The abrupt ending of the vision caused restlessness among the Ainur, and Ilúvatar perceived that they wanted the vision to be given true being, so that—even despite the terrible flaws that had been introduced into it—the Universe would be as real as they themselves were.
Therefore he said, "Eä! Let these things Be!" He sent the Flame Imperishable into the Universe, and far off in the Void a light appeared—the beginning of the achievement of the Music of the Ainur.
The Universe still operates according to the design declared in the Music, and the flaws within it come from the discords of Melkor, which have been part of it since its beginning. Nevertheless, Ilúvatar insisted that these faults would but bring forth new and greater things in the Music's achievement.
Perhaps the culmination of the good results of Melkor's discord will be the Second Music of the Ainur, a song that will be even more profound than the first. In it, each singer will fully understand his part in the Music, and all the Themes of Ilúvatar will be played correctly. The Music will be given being as it is being sung, instead of only being made at the insistence of naive creatures. | <urn:uuid:8cc246a7-b339-45ab-91f0-9df01b391af8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tolkiengateway.net/w/index.php?title=Music_of_the_Ainur&oldid=53430 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982214 | 1,368 | 2.203125 | 2 |
1 2 3 4 6 7
Comment 21 of 61, added on January 3rd, 2010 at 7:24 AM.
At first I thought it was a poem about someone who sows what he cannot reap
-- it touched the heart of the teacher in me.
But the singer reaped what he'd sown -- and I realized this could well be a
hymn to matrimony!
The leap of faith the couple takes at the altar is realized long, long
afterward.... See More
What is it doing in my kids' poetry book?
The kids are the fruit of that faith, hope and love at the altar, so it is
somehow very appropriate to be in one of their books.
Comment 20 of 61, added on December 9th, 2009 at 4:36 PM.
i have to do this poem for my english techer. i had to get it memorized. it
has a great moral to it
billy from United States
Comment 19 of 61, added on October 21st, 2008 at 11:45 AM.
I learned this poem when I was in primary school and now at 75 yr of age,
it comes to my mind friendship has no boundary or specific destinations. It
is for and to all.
Henry from Canada
Comment 18 of 61, added on March 13th, 2008 at 5:27 AM.
in this poem,,, i've got moral lessons,,eventhough i could hurt people(we
are not perfectly made).thus, it just only reminding us people that WE!
should be careful what we say and what we do!Sometimes our patience could
be gone!!!But here in poem shows that there is forgiveness if we have
mistaken...If you have some of angryness in our heart just let go! Just say
to God He'll take the fight and win it for you!!! HAVE A BLESSED DAY!
Comment 17 of 61, added on December 17th, 2007 at 11:58 AM.
would like the words to the poem hiawatha
from United Kingdom
Comment 16 of 61, added on April 29th, 2007 at 8:24 PM.
We sang the words to this poem as a song in chorus this year, as well as
the first verse to "Snow-Flakes".As I read these poems to myself, the
chords that accompanied these words are playing in my head... I believe
that Longfellow has a hidden talent as a songwriter as well as a poet.
(come to think of it, What's the difference?)
Madeline from Uzbekistan
Comment 15 of 61, added on January 23rd, 2007 at 5:59 PM.
i really like this poem it kinda touched me you know wat im sayin
Comment 14 of 61, added on January 6th, 2006 at 9:40 PM.
The poem The Arrow and the Song was written by the famous poet Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882). Henry lived in the romantic era long with
composers Berlioz and Schumann. The romantic era was a period of brilliant
masterpieces centered mainly of peace, love and symbolism. The Arrow and
the Song was one of his greatest works and its meaning continues to today
with the arrangement for choir by Marilyn Lightfoot.
In the first line of the first stanza, the word arrow represents a
friendship because like arrows, friendships can fly a far distance. The
second line of the first stanza, “It fell to earth, I knew not where;”
signifies that what the arrow symbolizes has been forgotten or lost from
sight. The last two lines in the first stanza signify that things can
change in a blink of an eye because if you blink you can literally miss the
flight of an arrow.
The word song in the first line of the second stanza can represent many
things. It can represent memories, dreams or rumors because if any of these
things are spoken aloud, like a song, others will learn of them. I also
noticed that the first two stanzas were very similar to each other and that
lead me to believe that the arrow and the song both symbolize the same
things. Also the second line of the first and second stanzas, “It fell to
earth, I knew not where” represents that you can have no idea of where
certain things may end up and they may bear unexpected consequences. The
last two lines of stanza two confirm this. It also represents that a small
act of kindness can convince a person to do an act of kindness to another
and so on and so forth.
In the first sentence of the last stanza, I believe they choose the word
oak because oaks are solid, strong and in this poem are used to symbolize a
person’s soul. Also in the second sentence of the first stanza, “I found
the arrow still unbroke;” signifies that they found that the friend from
the first stanza was still their friend, no matter what disagreement they
may have had. Finally, the last two lines of the third stanza states “And
the song, from beginning to end/I found again in the heart of a friend.”
These lines imply that seeing or talking to a friend can revitalize hopes,
goals, and dreams.
The title also supports my theory. Since an arrow is intended to be
harmful, this may be the reason that the friendship was “killed”. Also,
since songs are meant to be meaningful, pure and beautiful, this can easily
represent memories, dreams or goals, since they are meant to be meaningful,
pure and beautiful.
Patrick Steeves from Canada
Comment 13 of 61, added on December 16th, 2005 at 4:25 PM.
For chorus in 8th grade our chorus teacher, Dr. Laun Berry, composed The
Arrow and the Song by, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It is avery touching
song and tells a story about a very important lesson learned about
friendship. The amazing lyrics and sything words are what make this poem
Lauren from United States
Comment 12 of 61, added on December 15th, 2005 at 6:47 AM.
An analysis on diction…
Since Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a well-known poet of the Indian poems
of Hiawatha, it is not a surprise that he used the words arrow and song to
present this poem. An arrow is an ancient weapon used by the Indians and
other ancient people in warfare and hunting. The Indians in particular made
their individual arrows for their own personal use; thus, they can identify
their own amidst a hundred of other arrows. And long before writing was
developed, Indians express their thoughts and feelings, orally; thus,
singing was one of the popular arts in oral communication. So literally,
one can picture an Indian shooting an arrow without specific target and
lost sight of it. At another instant, the same Indian sang a song and lost
sight of it, for nobody can see where a song goes. But later on in his
life, he saw his arrow again stabbed deep in an oak, intact. And he also
realized that his song was wholly kept in the heart of a friend.
An analysis on Imagery…
The author used metaphor in conveying a very basic yet important lesson to
the readers; for naturally, an arrow is a harmful weapon—it hurts and
worst, kills; while the song obviously relieves or refreshes the mind and
heart. Thus, one can conclude that these two things represent or are a
metaphor of the two kinds of words that each of us is capable of saying:
the destructive or piercing words and the constructive or praising words.
At the same time, the oak represents a person hurt by the cruel words one
has spoken. The evil words had remained fresh and nurtured in spite of
time. And the friend represents a person one has encouraged with such
pleasing words that the deed was remembered through time.
An analysis on theme…
The poem reminds everyone to think twice and be aware of what one
speaks—for words travel very quickly. And once out can either dishearten
or encourage the person involved, and those words could affect him or her
for a lifetime.
Honey Love Longos from Philippines
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
1 2 3 4 6 7 | <urn:uuid:09de6666-5262-40fb-a506-0c01126cab5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/longfellow/12239/comments/5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956213 | 1,805 | 2.09375 | 2 |
When to Go
- Places to Explore
- Travel Tips
- Fodor's Choice
When to Go
Long days of sunshine and fairly mild year-round temperatures make Hawaii an all-season destination. Most resort areas are at sea level, with average afternoon temperatures of 75°F-80°F during the coldest months of December and January; during the hottest months of August and September the temperature often reaches 90°F. Only at high elevations does the temperature drop into the colder realms, and only at mountain summits does it reach freezing.
Kauai is beautiful in every season, but if you must have good beach weather, you should plan to visit between June and October. The rainy season runs from November through February, with the windward or east and north areas of the island receiving most of the rainfall. Nights can be chilly from November through March. Rain is possible throughout the year, of course, but it rarely rains everywhere on the island at once. If it's raining where you are, the best thing to do is head to another side of the island, usually south or west.
If you're a beach lover, keep in mind that big surf can make many North Shore beaches unswimmable during winter months, while the South Shore gets its large swells in summer. If you want to see the humpback whales, February is the best month, though they arrive as early as December and a few may still be around in early April. In the winter, Napali Coast boat tours can be rerouted due to high seas, the Kalalau Trail can become very wet and muddy or, at times, impassable, and sea kayaking is not an option. If you have your heart set on visiting Kauai's famed coast you may want to visit in the drier, warmer months (May-September).
If you happen to be in the Islands on March 26 or June 11, you'll notice light traffic and busy beaches—these are state holidays not celebrated anywhere else. March 26 recognizes the birthday of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, a member of the royal line who served as a delegate to Congress and spearheaded the effort to set aside homelands for Hawaiian people. June 11 honors the first island-wide monarch, Kamehameha I; locals drape his statues with lei and stage elaborate parades. May 1 isn't an official holiday, but it's the day when schools and civic groups celebrate the quintessential Island gift, the flower lei. Statehood Day is celebrated on the third Friday in August (admission to the Union was August 21, 1959). In October, the Queen Emma festival in Kokee meadow commemorates the queen's famous horseback ride to the uplands in 1871. Check the local daily paper for upcoming events.
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- $325 -- Waikiki 4-Star Oceanfront Resort, Reg. $395 Sheraton Waikiki
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- $1399 & up -- 7-Nt. Hawaii Cruise on Norwegian, R/T Honolulu American Express Travel
- $835 & up -- Sheraton Maui 3-Night Trip w/Car Rental — $835 Pleasant Holidays
- $775 & up -- Hawaii 3 Nts. w/Air & Car; All Islands on Sale — $775 Pleasant Holidays | <urn:uuid:0943f0b3-dcb0-4e1c-8a41-7e5c1ab18c9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/hawaii/kauai/travel-tip_2381561.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940661 | 839 | 1.78125 | 2 |
She did it! A jumping spider named Nefertiti went all the way to space for 100 days, hung out on the ISS, and now the little spidernaut has re-entered our atmosphere. She has officially hung up her space suit and retired to a quiet life in the Insect Zoo at the National Museum of Natural History.
Above is a video of Neffi aboard the ISS in her temporary home. She probably misses it, but likes having other aging insect friends to play bridge with. Here’s how the first jumping spider to go to space and successfully readjust to life on the blue planet did it:
This is awesome. You know what else is awesome? Imagining Neffi escaping undetected while aboard the ISS, and an astronaut with severe arachnophobia discovering her crawling around the place. [NMNH h/t @Smithsonian] | <urn:uuid:e49e77bb-ef41-434f-a78f-7048c4d554ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/12/a-spidernaut-spent-100-days-in-space-and-returned-home-a-hero/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952168 | 180 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Terpan (4e Race)
From D&D Wiki
Stout, lumbering dwellers of the desert, noted for their strength, durable shells, and slow, patient wisdom.
|Average Height: 7'0"-8'0"|
|Average Weight: 300-400 lb.|
|Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom|
|Speed: 5 squares|
|Languages: Common, Draconic|
|Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Heal|
|Reptillian: Your race is reptillian and is cold-blooded. You have the reptile keyword.|
|Slow Metabolism: Your body is just as slow and methodical as your mindset. You make endurance checks for holding breath after five minutes instead of three. You make endurance checks for ignoring hunger after five weeks instead of three. You make endurance checks for ignoring thirst after five days instead of three.|
|Hardened Shell: Your prominent shell makes hitting you from behind difficult. You gain a +1 racial bonus to AC against attacks in which you grant combat advantage due to flanking.|
|Immovable Object: Your weight and solid build makes it hard to budge you when you don't want to move. Once per round, you may make a saving throw when you are shifted or moved by an opponent. If the saving throw is successful, the shift or movement is reduced by three squares, to a minimum of zero.|
|Unstoppable Momentum: You have the racial power Unstoppable Momentum|
|Unstoppable Momentum||Terpan Racial Power|
|Once a Terpan gets up to speed, gods help you if you are in his way.|
|Trigger: When you charge an opponent.|
|Effect: You receive a bonus to your attack roll equal to the number of squares you moved during the charge.|
Gradual in their steps, methodical in their thinking, and deliberate in their actions, Terpans are a hardy reptilian race that hails from the deserts and wastelands of the world. They live in quiet tribal communities built around oases or other sources of water, and live off of the desert plants and animals. Often, they make elaborate systems of irrigation and crop fields, making meticulous use of the limited supply of water. Their food of choice generally consists of a few hardy grains, fruits of thorny plants or cacti, and the occasionally trapped insects and small animals, which they consider an uncommon delicacy. Because of their slow metabolism and their low requirement for food and water, a single oasis can support a surprising size of community.
Terpan communities and tribes are informal societies. Members are free to come and go as they please, and they are welcoming of Terpans from other tribes. They are usually governed by a group of the oldest and wisest individuals. There are no inherited, appointed, or officially elected positions; rather the ones in power are there because the other members of the tribe like his logic or advice and simply decide to follow him.
Play a Terpan if you want...
- To play a race who favors solid defenses over speed.
- To be at home in the hottest and driest places of the world.
- To combine brute strength with patient wisdom.
- To be a member of a race that favors the Fighter, Paladin, Knight, and Cleric classes.
Physical Qualities
The Terpans are bipedal reptilian creatures with a prominent body shell. Their heads are dominated by a blunt snout and a large beak like mouth. The upper mouthpart ends in a sharp downward point, with a groove on the inside that the upward pointing end of the lower mouthpart fits into. At the end of their snout they have a pair of tiny nostrils, and they have large eyes set on either side of their head that can move independently of each other. Their eyes are most commonly solid black.
Their body is defined most by the large shell that covers their back, chest, abdomen and waist. This shell consists of two halves. The back half, called the carapace, is larger and stronger than the front half. The carapace covers the whole back, reaching up to the back of the neck on the top and down to the tops of their legs. The front half, called the plastron, is the smaller half of the shell, covering the chest and abdomen. Both carapace and plastron are inflexible and fused in place, making a durable natural set of armor for the Terpan. The head and neck comes out from the top of the shell, and two arms set at either side just below the level of the neck. On either side of the other end of the shell, two legs come straight down, often with a short, stubby tail between them. The Terpan's arms and legs are very thick and strong, the contours of muscles can easily be seen beneath the scaly skin. Their hands bear two thick fingers and a thicker thumb, each with a blunt claw at the end. Similarly, their feet bear two large blunt toes facing forward, and one backward, all with blunt claws as well.
Overall, rare is the Terpan that does not have a bulky, sturdy build, often with females being bulkier and larger than the males. Their skin is covered with strong scales, sometimes bearing ridges along the edges of their arms, legs, head and neck made from raised scales. These scales, and the Terpan's shell, come in a variety of hues, including black, brown, grey, dark green, light tan, and everything in between. The Terpan carapace in particular often bears patterns of the afore mentioned colors, each Terpan possessing a unique pattern.
Playing a Terpan
Terpans are very thorough in their deliberations. When faced with a problem they take the time to carefully consider each angle of it, and several possible solutions before deciding on one as the best. Hasty reactions and impulsive actions are frowned upon in Terpan society. This mindset often means the Terpan may take a long time to act, but once they reach a decision, they pursue it with all their ability. If they set out to make a creation of art, they'll do everything they can to make it a masterpiece. If they make a meal, they will go to lengths to make it worthy of a king's feast. If they leave to explore, they won't return until they are certain they have seen everything there is worth seeing. And if they decide to fight, they won't stop until their opponent is unwilling or unable to ever threaten them again.
Because of their patient and wise natures, Terpans tend to fall on the good side of the alignment spectrum. As stated above, they are welcoming of Terpans outside of their tribes. They also try to welcome individuals of other races, though they often find them impatient and impulsive. The Terpan tend to get along best with dwarves, sharing many characteristics with them and favoring their long term mindsets. However, they aren't necessarily lawful. When resolving an issue, they will take the laws of the land or nation into consideration. But it will be just one aspect of their decision making process. If they conclude their goals are best reached outside of the law, then they will go outside of the law.
One should bear in mind that, while uncommon, evil aligned Terpans do exist. These can be dangerous when they turn their patience and wisdom to their own gain or the detriment of someone else. They don't mind waiting years to bring a plot or scheme to fruition, and can hold a grudge for a long time after everyone else forgot about it. They are not wantonly cruel or sadistic, but if they decide that killing, assassination, pillaging, torment, or pacts or deals with the unholy effectively advances their own ends, they won't hesitate.
Terpan Characteristics: Strong, durable, patient, wise, methodical, thorough.
Male Names: Rogani, Bermanu, Uronduo, Oringi
Female Names: Giranda, Reminen, Danemu, Miduana
Terpan Adventurers
Three sample Terpan adventurers are described below.
Dimbera is a Terpan cleric who was adopted raised by the elders of a small tribe of the desert. For many years she lived with them, even after reaching adulthood and becoming a cleric of their god Firstborn. Eventually, though, she came to the decision to leave the tribe to spread the knowledge of Firstborn to other peoples, and to find out why she was left with the elders, and what happened to her biological family.
Mordimu is a Terpan fighter who decided to set out and prove he was the strongest mortal warrior. He travels from city to city, and pits himself against the best fighters each settlement has. In between these matches, he supports himself by taking on jobs for the local mercenary guilds.
Bogimin is a Terpan paladin who witnessed unspeakable cruelty inflicted by a powerful necromancer. He swore that day he would not rest until every undead creation of the necromancer has been destroyed, from the lowliest zombie to the most powerful lich, no matter where in the world they dwell. | <urn:uuid:7ba9a378-d851-4ad9-8ee3-13c6d9ab817d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Terpan_(4e_Race) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955305 | 1,927 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Sue Sturgis imparts news from the Knoxville News Sentinel that the U.S. Department of Energy is going to start as early as this week transporting "strategic nuclear material" from several sites around the country through Tennessee to a South Carolina facility.
According to reports, the weapons-grade plutonium could be shipped from Washington State, California, and New Mexico along the I-40 corridor, which would take it straight through Nashville's inner core neighborhoods. The map above pin-points neighborhoods along the plutonium's possible transit line through Nashville.
According to the News Sentinel:
DOE has evaluated the potential impact of a severe accident while transporting plutonium in certified containers with high-security trucks, known as Safe Secure Transports or SSTs. In the worst-case hypothetical scenario, involving crushing force, long-term fire and release of 10 percent of the radioactive material, DOE estimated that an accident in an urban area could cause as many as 114 cancer fatalities.The transit project is scheduled to run through 2010, which seems like a long time to risk a DOE nuclear accident and possibly endanger the lives of Nashvillians.
CORRECTION: I located Hadley Park blocks too far to the West on the map above. It should be closer to TSU. Apologies both to my Hadley Park friends and those who live around West Park, over which I superimposed "Hadley Park." | <urn:uuid:31bc3dfe-adeb-476c-a3fa-eb6e8b5debd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://enclave-nashville.blogspot.com/2007/10/radioactive-waste-could-travel-through.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958887 | 285 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Steven F. Hayward was previously the F.K. Weyerhaeuser Fellow at AEI. He is the author of the Almanac of Environmental Trends, and the author of many books on environmental topics. He has written biographies of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan and of Winston Churchill, and the upcoming book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents. He contributed to AEI's Energy and Environment Outlook series.
Senior Fellow, Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, 1992-present
Member, California Departmental Transportation Advisory Committee, 1996-2001
Contributing Editor, Reason Magazine, 1990-2001
Bradley Fellow, 1997-98; Henry Salvatori Fellow, 1993-94, Heritage Foundation
Public Interest Member, California Citizens Compensation Commission, 1990-95
Director, Golden State Center for Policy Studies, 1987-91
Executive Director, Inland Business Magazine, 1985-90
Richard M. Weaver Fellow, Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 1985-86
Director of Journalism, Public Research Syndicated, Claremont Institute, 1984-87
Ph.D., American studies; M.A., government, Claremont Graduate School
B.S., business and administrative studies, Lewis and Clark College
The distinguished jurist Robert Bork has died at the age of 85. Roger Kimball recalls him here, noting with understatement that the left’s scorched-earth opposition to his Supreme Court nomination was “obscene.” I have a long account of it in "The Age of Reagan," but the core of...
In the next American Enterprise Debate and Election Watch event, Norman J. Ornstein, resident scholar at AEI and co-author of “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks” will face AEI fellow and Reagan biographer Steven F. Hayward in a spirited debate about whether the Republican Party has become too extreme.
The environment has long been the undisputed territory of the political left. Philosopher Roger Scruton agrees that the environment is the most urgent political problem of our age but argues in his new book "How to Think Seriously About the Planet" that conservatism is far better suited to tackle environmental problems than either liberalism or socialism.
Why can't our opponents be reasonable? In his new book, “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of morality in our rapid and automatic moral intuitions.
The liberal critics of Republicans want the GOP to behave itself and go back to the good old days best described by Eugene McCarthy’s quip that the chief purpose of moderate Republicans is to shoot the wounded after the battle is over. No thanks.
Quick: How many kinds of gasoline do we use in America? Most people would say three or six: regular unleaded, mid-grade, and premium, along with the ethanol blends of the same that have become nearly universal. The actual number is somewhere above 45, though hard to pin down exactly, according...
The entire Republican presidential candidate field has shared one common defect from the start; none of them talk with any serious depth about what used to be close to the center of many presidential campaigns in times of tumult: how we should interpret the Constitution. | <urn:uuid:0c97ce60-d84b-40f8-a14d-60579143fa12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://karin.agness@aei.org/scholar/steven-f-hayward/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93162 | 670 | 1.765625 | 2 |
A dress shoe for special occasions such as weddings or proms. Formal shoes are typically made from more delicate materials, such as patent leather, peau de soie, satin, or silk. Formal shoes often feature a plain toe for a more conservative, polished look.
Prom describes a type of footwear specially designed for prom night. Prom shoe styles vary widely in design and color, and their different styles can be chosen depending on the prom gown they are meant to complement. Still, the most common prom styles are generally ankle straps and slingback sandals with medium to high heels with shinny uppers or decorated with sparkling ornaments. Low heel thong sandals decorated with sparkling rhinestones are also a popular choice. | <urn:uuid:f31236be-ab4b-425d-b22b-5f1a11a2740c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.outletbuy.com/discount-prom-$35-$65-womens-formal-shoes.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937572 | 150 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The litany of highly visible data breach incidents in 2012, further compounded by the steep penalties being delivered by data protection watchdogs, means that the pressure to protect the integrity and confidentiality of mission-critical information has never been greater.
With today’s businesses concerned with protecting what matters as they operate across international borders, and with cloud computing practices now commonplace, data protection legislation has been propelled to the forefront of the corporate agenda.
The research examines the legal obligation to encrypt personal data in both Europe – with particular focus on the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain, and in Asia – focusing on Singapore, South Korea and Japan. The study details that the obligation to encrypt information often extends beyond personal data to other forms of confidential, non-personal data, specifically in the finance sectors.
“As this research demonstrates, the intricacies and abundance of data protection regulations today are aggravating compliance concerns for businesses that operate in multiple environments and geographies,” said Stewart Room, partner and data security specialist in Field Fisher Waterhouse’s Privacy and Information Law Group. “With the increased demand for transparency following security breaches, and tougher monetary penalties and legal sanctions for negligence, encryption of data is not only a reasonable expectation – but a near necessity.”
The research further demonstrates how the legal focus on encryption has progressed from laptops and storage media to include databases, unstructured data, Big Data, the cloud and application data. In doing so, encryption represents the most comprehensive means of keeping sensitive data safe and certifying compliance.
“More and more companies today find themselves in a quandary trying to protect what matters by implementing a security solution that effectively protects their sensitive data while also satisfying myriad country-specific compliance regulations across the geographies where they operate,” said Paul Ayers, VP EMEA at Vormetric. “Encryption, with associated key management, effectively separates and defines who can access what data where, thereby mitigating not only the risk of an embarrassing data breach but also the associated legal ramifications for lack of security due diligence.”
By subscribing to our early morning news update, you will receive a daily digest of the latest security news published on Help Net Security.
With over 500 issues so far, reading our newsletter every Monday morning will keep you up-to-date with security risks out there. | <urn:uuid:7a956b40-38f9-4c5d-8d27-b5657f3e06f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=14395 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921953 | 480 | 1.796875 | 2 |
City schools save big with energy effort
Posted: November 30, 2012
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER — The city school division is turning things off.
Lights, computers, kitchen appliances and roof exhaust fans are all going dark and falling silent when they’re not in use.
All the while, energy specialist and operations assistant Jean Harper-Smith has been vigilantly overseeing all energy consumption so she can quickly identify and correct areas in need of attention.
As a result of its increased emphasis on energy conservation, the division has achieved a 24 percent cost savings over the past two years totaling $787,839 — money that has been applied toward personnel and instruction.
According to Executive Director Kevin McKew, $400,000 a year is the equivalent of seven teaching positions.
“We knew we had to generate internal savings to keep programs alive,” he said.
“It’s the little changes adding up to huge savings. When we have 800,000 square footage of school space and classrooms, if half aren’t practicing efficiency, it translates into huge dollars.”
The savings began in 2010, when Winchester Public Schools formed an alliance with Texas-based energy conservation company Cenergistic to implement an energy-savings program.
The company trained Harper-Smith and staff to analyze all energy use throughout the division, including natural gas and electricity, water and sewer, heating and cooling, energy management systems, behavior modification, and grounds care.
Harper-Smith tracks energy consumption with energy-accounting software and compares consumption now to what it was before the program started.
“This district is very good about cooperating with the program,” she said. “Everybody works as a team.”
The savings have come from turning off roof exhaust fans and units when buildings are not being occupied, setting heating and cooling to come on at certain times of the day instead of running 24 hours, reducing energy use in the summer months, updating old or failing systems, shutting down all elementary school kitchens in the summer and storing food at one kitchen, and reducing water used in landscaping and irrigation.
There have also been behavioral and cultural changes.
Teachers and staff are now advised to turn everything off at the end of the day and to keep their eyes open for things like leaky faucets or lights left on in empty rooms.
“At one time, custodians would come in and turn on all the lights in the entire school,” Harper-Smith said.
“That’s dollars out the window,” McKew added.
Because of the savings, the division’s proposed utilities budget for fiscal year 2013-14 is $1.5 million instead of $2.3 million, McKew said.
The division is paying Cenergistic — which will present the division with its Environmental Excellence Award on Dec. 10 — $8,000 per month for the first four years.
In 26 years, the company has worked with more than 1,250 educational, ministry and health care organizations to help them save more than $3 billion in utility costs.
— Contact Rebecca Layne at email@example.com | <urn:uuid:a221657f-b95e-45b6-a5ed-c7160e6295b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.winchesterstar.com/articles/print_preview/city_schools_save_big_with_energy_effort | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942599 | 667 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Congress Urged to Pass Immigration Changes
A group of business representatives, Christian organizations and law-enforcement officials convened in Washington on Tuesday to push congressional leaders toward creating a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants, calling it a moral and economic imperative to fix the nation’s “broken” immigration system.
GOP leaders including House Speaker John Boehner have signaled that they are willing to take up immigration legislation, after an election in which Hispanic voters, who tend to favor liberalized immigration laws and were vital to President Barack Obama‘s re-election. However, any effort to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants is sure to prove divisive in the party, as many in the GOP say it would grant amnesty to people who broke the rules.
All told, about 250 conservatives and centrists are in Washington for two days to plan their strategy and then make their case on Wednesday before leaders of both parties on Capitol Hill. | <urn:uuid:7f30678a-2a44-497c-9a34-2b7758152ff2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sojo.net/press/congress-urged-pass-immigration-changes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970361 | 187 | 1.585938 | 2 |
IF IT WEREN'T FOR the little photo gallery on the wall, the office where Dr. William Notcutt's research assistants keep track of their patients would be just like any other cubicle at the James Paget Medical Center in England. As phones ring and stretchers wheel by and these three women go about their business, the snapshots—Cheryl Phillips, one of Notcutt's staffers, gently holding an emerald green bud of marijuana; a group of people in lab coats smiling for the camera, sinsemilla towering over their heads; a hangar-sized greenhouse stuffed to the gills with lush pot plants—are about the only evidence that this hospital in East Anglia is at the epicenter of one of the most extensive medical marijuana research projects in the world. In part, that's because there's no actual pot here; by the time it gets to Paget, GW Pharmaceuticals, the British startup that owns the greenhouses, has turned the plants into Sativex, a pure extract of pot that comes in a pharmacy-friendly bottle and is designed to be sprayed into the mouth. And in part it's because the frivolity is carefully confined to the photos, taken against company policy during a field trip to the secure, undisclosed location where GW grows its weed. After five years, Phillips and her colleagues have grown used to having cannabis—as the British call marijuana—in their workaday lives. Not only that, but their boss has been on a bit of a campaign to keep things sober. "To get to the perception that this is a medicine," Notcutt says, "we've had to move away from the funnies that relate to the pot world. So no pot jokes."
Over a beer at the end of his day, this rumpled, 59-year-old anesthesiologist and contract researcher for GW is positively ebullient about the news that just today the Canadian government approved Sativex, a success he thinks is likely to be repeated soon in England and eventually in the United States. He'll gladly tell you how important earnestness has been in getting GW to this point, how Sativex owes its success not only to the rigorous science of its successful clinical trials but also to painstaking attention to matters of perception.
Take the spray concept. There are sound medical reasons for spraying cannabis under the tongue rather than smoking or eating it. The mucosa of the mouth will absorb the drug faster than the digestive system, indeed almost as fast as the lungs, but without irritating the respiratory system. And Sativex can be precisely metered—a single one-tenth milliliter spray contains 2.7 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), pot's main psychoactive chemical; 2.5 milligrams of cannabidiol, which doctors think reduces anxiety and muscle tension; and all of pot's active ingredients known as cannabinoids—so that it can be accurately studied. But it also has "the advantage of looking like a medicine to the outside world," Notcutt says. "It has been served up like a medicine, prepared like a medicine, researched like a medicine. It looks like a medicine, and it's prescribed like a medicine." Taking pot out of joints scored on the street and putting it into bottles found on pharmacy shelves shows that "we're not just being silly about the herb, even though in the end that's exactly what it is. It's as if you just squeezed the plant," he says, wringing an imaginary stalk in his hands.
Notcutt began trying to medicalize cannabis more than a decade ago, and has been working with GW and its founder and ex-ecutive chairman, Geoffrey Guy, since the company's inception in 1998. He credits Guy (who wouldn't be interviewed for this article) with hitting upon the spray, just one of the measures he's taken to distance Sativex from its unsavory origins. Guy has styled GW, which he started solely to develop cannabis medicines, as just another drug company seeking to develop just another drug. He raised money in the usual ways—first from private investors, then with a 2001 stock offering that garnered $48 million, and finally, in 2003, with an estimated $65 million licensing deal with German pharmaceutical giant Bayer—and used it to purchase the rights to pot varieties that a Dutch company had spent millions of dollars and more than a decade developing for their medicinal properties. Guy presents himself as neutral in the drug wars and gained the support of the British government by offering to in- stitute extraordinary security measures at his grow facility to prevent "diversion." The British government, in turn, gave him permission to grow his pot and test it on human subjects and so exempted GW from an international treaty forbidding private production of outlawed drugs. Guy developed a way to blend the plants (a process he has likened to making blended burgundies) into precise mixtures whose chemical profiles can be standardized (which regulators like), patented (which investors like; cannabis itself can't be patented), and then described in company press releases as "a novel prescription pharmaceutical product derived from components of the cannabis plant."
Having successfully distilled pot's reputation as a medicine from its reputation as a way to get high, Notcutt says, "the powers that be at GW worked hard to maintain this myth. We start in that comfort area, we don't talk about anything outside this comfort area." This hard work has no doubt paid off in Canada and England, reassuring regulators that, as Notcutt put it, "we're talking about a serious medical subject here." The real audience for all this mythmaking, however, isn't Britain or Canada, which will ultimately account for only a small percentage of the cannabinoid drug market, estimated to be almost $1 billion a year. It's the United States, where, Notcutt says, things are different. "Marijuanaphobia is much greater on your side of the pond," he told me. "We've never had the reefer madness." | <urn:uuid:6e86a1cb-a809-4d71-8135-732713058a30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2005/11/respectable-reefer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974405 | 1,232 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Wikipedia to go Dark Tomorrow Over SOPA and PIPA
There’s a bill working its way through Congress that has the potential to ruin the Internet as you know it. Maybe. It’s called the Stop Online Piracy Act, and it will ruin everything you ever knew—and loved—about Internet memes. And video. And embedding stuff. Basically, it could change everything that makes the Web a great place to waste a few minutes, and eventually an afternoon and, before you know it, your life.
SOPA allows businesses to point out offending “rogue sites” stealing copyrighted material, regardless of those sites’ country of origin, and have them shut down. In addition, those businesses can point out any site they think maybe, possibly, have facilitated copyright theft. SOPA’s – and it’s fun counterpart in the Senate, PIPA – gives movie studios and media companies the ability to essentially delete any website they deem a threat. As noted in some areas of the web, this basically means any website that’s ever existed, since what is the Internet besides a bunch of people wasting time and stealing each other’s shit?
The White House weighed in on the bills weekend, saying it will “not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet.” Although they released a similarly vagued-outrage statement before the Defense Authorization bill, and look how that went.
So companies are putting forth their own protest with regard to the bill. Wikipedia English is going dark at midnight, tonight. (British dude goes: What the hell did I do?) Reddit and Boing Boing will join in.
Wikipedia has posted this message (in part) to its English front page:
It is the opinion of the English Wikipedia community that both of these bills, if passed, would be devastating to the free and open web.
Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a “blackout” of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.
The main problem with the legislation is the problem with all of Washington’s literary atrocities, generally speaking: It’s really, really vague and was written by lobbyists. Therefore, there’s no telling who’ll be able to extract what from the bill or “interpret” it to allow whatever to happen. | <urn:uuid:f7ae3940-22b2-4f99-a341-3ffa9c5ee3f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2012/01/17/wikipedia-to-go-dark-tomorrow-over-sopa-and-pipa/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949976 | 610 | 1.523438 | 2 |
There’s a problem, says Dr. Eric Willmarth, when patients get their expectations for recovery set by “a Xanax commercial.”
In much of medicine, it really is “mind over matter.” The trouble is most doctors and hospitals don’t practice that way.
That’s why Dr. Donald Moss, chair of Saybrook’s School of Mind-Body Medicine, told the Washington Times a story about a patient who had a heart attack, and whose “ejection faction” (a measure of how well the heart was pumping) was at 60%. His doctor told him “Your ejection fraction is 60%,” and left.
The patient assumed this meant his heart was functioning at 60% of capacity, and suffered a pronounced decline in his physical health.
School of Mind-Body Medicine Students Explore Authentic Leadership and Research in January, 2013 San Diego Residential Programs02/06/2013
Residential Conferences are an integral part of the Saybrook University School of Mind-Body Medicine experiential learning model. The RC’s are a meaningful place for students to connect with the Mind-Body Medicine community and dive deeper into their coursework. The January 2013 RC in San Diego included two courses, Intermediate Hypnosis MBM 5625 and Coaching for Health and Wellness MBM 5630, and two optional programs, Authentic Leadership: Leading from Within and a Research Seminar.
Terri Goslin-Jones PhD, a mentor at Saybrook, facilitated the Authentic Leadership seminar. During this seminar the participants used creativity, appreciative inquiry, and “witnessing” to create a leadership vision for themselves. Each participant created a poster or small cards by using magazine photos, yarn, color, and anything that was meaningful for them to represent their exploration towards leading from within. In addition, the group explored Appreciative Inquiry, which uses powerful questions and focused listening to gain a deeper understanding of oneself and another person. Below are some reflections from students who attended the seminar.
Every year millions die from cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, HIV infection, and diabetes. These conditions contribute to 40 % of all deaths in the more developed and affluent countries. For each of these diseases, healthy behaviors have been identified, which can prevent onset of these diseases. For example, the onset of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes can be prevented by maintaining a healthy body weight. Once these conditions are present,behavioral and lifestyle change are important for managing the course of these illnesses.
Efforts to increase healthy behaviors and minimize health risk behaviors (such as smoking) become increasingly important in enhancing health in this context. Mobile technology such as texting and smart phones offer platforms for innovative approaches to health enhancement and disease management.
School of Mind-Body Medicine to Feature Videoconference with James Lake, MD, Leader in Integrative Mental Health Movement01/26/2013
On February 12, 2013, James Lake will make a presentation for the School of Mind-Body Medicine: “The Promise of Integrative Mental Health”
James Lake, MD, is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the integrative mental health movement. Integrative mental health is a comprehensive whole-person approach to mental health care providing an alternative to the mainstream biomedical and pharmaceutical approach to mental health treatment. The addition of evidence-based behavioral, nutritional, and spiritual/transpersonal interventions can supplement and sometimes replace medication regimens for individuals with acute and chronic mental health disorders.
Dr. Lake is the author of several books: Integrative Mental Health Care: A Therapist’s Handbook (2009), Complimentary and Alternative Treatments in Mental Health (2007), of Integrative Mental Health Care (2006), and Chinese Medical Psychiatry (2001).
Saybrook University Psychology Student Completes Dissertation on Biofeedback and Yoga for Undergraduate Stress Management01/16/2013
Carla Benejam lives in Salinas, California with one of her three sons and a big tabby cat. When not teaching courses in biology, life science, or psychology at Cal State University Monterey Bay, she spends many days in her apothecary garden, growing and tending herbs and seasonal veggies. Carla has been teaching for ten years and before that owned a rather eclectic used book store in Monterey. She has an affinity for languages and has studied German, French, Spanish and Indonesian, and a little Italian. Travels have taken her to Sumatra (to see young orangutans in the wild), Fiji, Moscow, Singapore and the Malay Peninsula, Britain, France, Spain, Alaska and Hawaii, Nepal, India, and Tibet.
Carla has a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley in Physical Anthropology, and a master's degree from San Jose State College in Evolutionary Biology. On December 27, 2013, she defended her dissertation and completed her doctorate in Psychology from Saybrook University in San Francisco. She is currently preparing a program of biofeedback for stress relief for college students to be implemented at her university, and is also pursuing life as a garden wise woman. Although a Psychology student, the three individuals guiding her dissertation were all faculty from Saybrook’s School of Mind-Body Medicine, chair Donald Moss, and committee members Eric Willmarth and Eliza Bigham.
Over 30 years ago, as a 19 year old girl, Beth Haggett told her husband that someday she wanted to earn a PhD in Psychoneuroimmunology. When she first heard that Saybrook University was developing a PhD program in Mind-Body Medicine, she jumped at the opportunity and became the first to apply for the new program.
On December 28, 2012, Beth defended her doctoral dissertation, and became the first student to complete the new PhD. Her degree is a “PhD in Mind-Body Medicine with a specialization in Health Care Systems.” She achieved her goal within the time frame that she set for herself of three and one half years. Most importantly, because of her mind-body learning, and the self-care that was a component in her mind-body medicine education, her own mental, emotional, and physical health have improved dramatically in the course of her education. Beth’s husband and adult children have also benefitted greatly from applying mind-body skills to their lives.
Jim Cahill, New Student in Saybrook’s School of Mind-Body Medicine, to Appear on Radio Broadcast on the Use of Biofeedback in Pain Treatment12/21/2012
Jim Cahill is a new student enrolled to begin the master’s program in Saybrook University’s School of Mind-Body Medicine, in January 2013. Jim Cahill is a certified biofeedback practitioner, and is the developer of Mindfulness-Based Biofeedback Therapy(tm), combining ancient Indo-Tibetan self-regulation techniques with modern biofeedback. He was on the Board of Directors of the Biofeedback Society of California, edited the magazine California Biofeedback, and practices at both Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and Scripps-XiMED in La Jolla, California.
Jim will appear at 8 PM Eastern time on Saturday December 22, in a radio interview with Dr. Paul Christo, a prominent pain specialist and past Director of the Blaustein Pain Treatment Center and the Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship Training Program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Christo hosts the Aches and Gains radio show on WBAL (1090 AM).
Saybrook University Trustee, Dr. Rick Hanson, offers "Just Twelve Things" -- Rich Guidelines on Finding Resources for the Soul.12/21/2012
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a Trustee of Saybrook University, and an expert on mindfulness, neuroscience, and the cultivation of compassion. Dr. Hanson is a neuropsychologist and author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (in 22 languages) and Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time (in 9 languages). Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom and Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, he’s been an invited speaker at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. His work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, FoxBusiness, Consumer Reports Health, U.S. News and World Report, and O Magazine and he has several audio programs with Sounds True.
Dr. Hanson's weekly e-newsletter – Just One Thing – has over 67,000 subscribers, and also appears on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and other major websites. For the holidays, he offered his readers the following special compilation called "Just Twelve Things." He has given permission to reprint the item for the School of Mind-Body Medicine community. The Twelve Things include upcoming workshops, blogs, poetry, courses, all supportive of mind-body-spirit learning. Our thanks to Dr. Hanson for his service to Saybrook University and for this blog entry.
Two Saybrook School of Mind-Body Medicine Students Study Healing Traditions of China in Memorable Visit: Introducing Pegi Black and Mary Singler12/13/2012
Pegi Black and Mary Singler are both nurses and PhD students in the Fall 2010 cohort in Saybrook University’s School of Mind-Body Medicine. Together, they traveled to China for their School of Mind-Body Medicine practicum experience. They joined the small delegation from the People To People Ambassador’s Healing Traditions of China program led by Lucia Thornton, a prior President of the American Holistic Nurses Association. Initially, Dr. Norman Shealy, a pioneer in holistic health who earned a doctorate in humanistic psychology from the “Saybrook Institute,” was to be Ms. Thornton’s co-leader. However, at the last minute Dr. Shealy was unable to attend.
School of Mind-Body Medicine Graduate Participates in Research Investigation of an Application of Emotional Freedom Techniques for Trauma: Marisa Iacobucci, MS12/06/2012
Saybrook’s Mind-Body Medicine Program began in the fall of 2009, and since its inception several students have earned a Master’s degree in Mind-Body Medicine. As students continue to graduate and make their mark in the world, it is inspiring for other students to learn about their passions and paths.
Marisa Iacobucci was one of 16 students in the first cohort and completed her Master’s degree in Mind-Body Medicine in January 2012. Marisa decided to pursue a Master’s in Social Work (MSW), after completing her degree, as it is her intention to work with veterans and their families as well as individuals with chronic pain and illness. While she was finishing her degree at Saybrook she began to look into MSW programs. At the same time, she participated in an Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) training at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The training was taught by Carol Look (http://www.attractingabundance.com/eft/about-carol/) over a three-day weekend and included the basics of EFT and its value in treating trauma in individuals. | <urn:uuid:33fb5fcf-213a-4782-9c51-c8551f62c281> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.saybrook.edu/forum/mbm?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93952 | 2,340 | 2.234375 | 2 |
London Community News
International urban planning guru Brent Toderian fed more than 100 London residents a bitter pill of truth Wednesday evening (Dec. 12).
London is falling behind in key areas related to land use planning, development and transportation, the CEO of Toderian UrbanWORKS told the captive audience during more than two hours of speaking and answering questions at the London Convention Centre.
“To my eye, seeing the rest of Canada and internationally London has fallen behind but it has an opportunity,” he said.
That opportunity is ReThink London, the city’s vehicle for public consultation and input as it writes a new Master Plan. He said it has the potential to drive the Forest City into a leading role in this country.
“London, given its position, its size, the Forest City (moniker), is well positioned to be a leader in smart city building,” he said. “But if it’s too focused on the minutia, or continuing to debate these false choices, like good planning versus speed (of development approval) then it’s going to be hard to make progress.”
One of his many points was that shortsightedness is the bane of great planning and development.
“In 100 years no one is going to care this grey-slab apartment tower was approved 15-percent faster,” he said.
His talk, attended by city councillors Judy Bryant, Sandy White and Harold Usher, was sometimes painfully honest, often soberingly frank and ultimately inspiring.
“I believe in the importance of what I call ‘constructive candor’,” he said. “If you’re not willing to acknowledge where you are, you can’t improve. So when I say ‘you’re behind on some of these key things,’ that candor is necessary if you’re going to change. I don’t like cynicism (or) negativity. You do it with a positive tone about the possibilities but if you’re not honest about where you are, why would people feel the need to change?”
Toderian is a noted speaker and author on municipal planning new-speak. The self-described “urbanist” has worked as a chief planner for the cities of Calgary and Vancouver. He steered that city of 600,000, the most expensive place to live in Canada, through the massive developments precipitated by the Olympics and helped design the uber-green, off-the-grid Olympic Village. He was contracted by the city to assist with ReThink London for the duration of last week.
Toderian calls Vancouver home now, but the University of Waterloo alumnus spent almost a decade in southwestern Ontario, and has worked before with London’s chief planner, John Fleming.
He said London is his favourite city in the region, a place he has “a lot of affection for.” He called on members of Downtown London sitting in the audience to stand as he said this collective is a “mid-sized Canadian success story” that he praises around the world.
He said there is a thirst to do better in London.
“A lot of cities don’t perceive a problem,” he said. “It would be a problem if London didn’t perceive a problem.
“I don’t know how council feels (but) I know how (city) staff feels and my sense is the community feels this is a key moment for the city. I think ReThink is a perfect title. That’s what it’s going to take. It’s going to take a different kind of thinking.”
He said there is a “really, really energetic and powerful discourse” taking place in London right now.
“I’m optimistic because of the quality of the discourse I think staff (members) have created,” he explained. “What they do with that is the next step. You can squander that once you’ve created it … but it doesn’t take just (city) staff. It takes the community, (city) council, the land development industry, stakeholders, everyone being engaged and buying into the fact that a re-think is necessary.” | <urn:uuid:a44ed85b-80da-4f84-bd47-1a7fdf347146> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.londoncommunitynews.com/news-story/1487496--constructive-candor-needed-to-rethink-a-lagging-london-international-urban-planner/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960251 | 906 | 1.617188 | 2 |
View our full testing methodology article.
- Accessory Port Testing
Ports to which an external storage device can be connected to are tested using HD Tune Pro to obtain their maximum, minimum and average read and write speeds. USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and eSATA ports are tested using a Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB SSD that is capable of saturating the theoretical bandwidth available.
The Corsair Neutron GTX is housed inside an Icy Dock external enclosure which features a SATA I/II/III to USB 3.0 and eSATA converter.
- Gaming Tests
3DMark Vantage is ran on the Performance preset to get a feel for how the computer would manage gaming. The CPU, GPU and combined scores are reported. A higher overall score is the best and a high GPU or CPU score shows particular prowess with tasks that use that part of the computer.
3DMark 11 is run on the Performance preset and the Physics, GPU and combined scores are reported. This test is only run if the system supports DirectX 11. A higher overall score is the target, though a high individual result shows prowess in a particular area.
- System Tests
PCMark 7 is run to get an overall idea of how the system performs as a whole. It tests all aspects of the PC and puts a score on how well it performs overall. In this test, a low scoring area can affect the overall score, so it's important to read the analysis. A higher score is better.
MobileMark 2012 is another test run to get a feeling for the system performance taken as a whole. MobileMark 2012 uses real-world applications as part of the benchmark. We use the Office Productivity suite which includes applications like Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word. The test also reports battery life as all tests are run on battery. Higher is better for both results.
CrystalDiskMark is run to put a number on how well the system hard disk drive / SSD runs. It measures five different metrics, of which higher is better for all. The higher the numbers, the snappier the operating system will feel, especially if the "4K"¯ number is high, as most operating system files are small files.
- Battery Life
PowerMark is used to measure battery life of the system when set to "Balanced"¯ and "Performance"¯ power plans. This test simulates several different activities, but uses custom built applications.
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Further Reading: Read and find more Laptops content at our Laptops reviews, guides and articles index page.
Do you get our RSS feed? Get It! | <urn:uuid:92c5cf45-1eb1-4363-93a7-35df99b9c2de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/4921/hp_folio_13_ultrabook_laptop_review/index5.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916244 | 541 | 1.632813 | 2 |
...and finds some inequalities of more than casual interest.
Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications* released its annual Analysis of Internal Migration in Japan Derived from the Basic Resident Registers (in J: 住民基本台帳に基づく人口・人口動態及び世帯数の調査).
The survey provides one of the three official population figures of Japan, the other two being the results of the personal interview surveys done every five years and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor's population clock.
The Basic Resident Register Survey is just that--the sum of the number of registered residents as reported annually to the Ministry by every local government.
Now the survey reconfirmed what a lot of people knew already:
1) the country's on the downhill slide--the total number of registered residents in Japan fell by 3,505 persons
2) if you live around Tokyo or Nagoya--or in Shiga or Okinawa Prefectures--and you feel as though the world is crowding in on you, you are not imagining things.
The population of Metro Tokyo grew by 0.74% in 2005 (highest growth in the nation); Aichi Prefecture by 0.49%. The immediate area around Tokyo grew by an aggregate 0.47%. The long-lived and loose-living Okinawans had the greatest rate of biological increase (births minus deaths). Shiga grew purportedly because some geniuses are building vast highrise suburbs there for the Kyoto-Osaka market.
3) If you lived anywhere else your neighbors were getting scarcer (OK, OK - Fukuoka grew a 0.10%--so sue me). The worst to go looking for new customers for whatever it is you want to sell was perennial loser Akita, where last year 0.88% of the population either died or moved away. Aomori shrunk by 0.85%; Kochi by 0.81%; Nagasaki by 0.75%.
Akita, Aoki Mikio's beloved Shimane and Abe Shinzō's stomping grounds of Yamaguchi are tied in the contest for the longest losing streak--all have been losing population for 14 straight years.
4) Your neighbors, in addition to getting scarcer, were getting older (just before getting scarcer, one should guess). In Akita, Shimane and Kochi, the percentages of persons over 65 years of age are 27, 27 and 26, respectively--way over the national rate of 20.3%
5) Osaka--where not a hell of a lot has gone right for a while--lost its place as the second most populous todōfuken. Kanagawa is now number two in the rankings, having added 40,000 persons over the last year (all those Kawasaki towers filling up, you know) .
Now these and a lot of other fun facts for marketers and super store locators can be found on the MIC website and the morning newspapers of August 5.
What the Nikkei did with the figures that was clever was run a cross check of the population shifts in the local government registers against the representation of those areas in the Diet.
The most over-represented district in the Diet is Kōchi Prefecture District #3 (population 264,014), whose Representative is Yamamoto Yūji (LDP - 6 elections).
The most under-represented district is Hyōgo Prefecture District #6 (the city of Takarazuka--among other things) whose Representative is Kobiki Tsukasa (Who? Never heard of him. Oh, Koizumi Kid...LDP - 1 election).
Now what is interesting is the ratio of inequality. From the Nikkei's calculation every vote in Kōchi #3 is the equivalent of 2.177 votes in Hyōgo #6.
I was under the impression the top level of inequality was much higher, above 3-to-1.
2.177 sounds almost...mild, really.
It is still pretty depressing that the voters in these 27 districts --and the least represented districts are all either urban districts (Nagano #1 is Nagano City) or in Hokkaidō (I guess that explains the Takushoku Ginkō failure)--have votes worth half as much as those of the voters of Kochi District #3 and its simulacrae in Shimane, Tottori, et al.
And dangnabbit, these underrepresented districts are the places that are growing (pax Hokkaidō), that have vibrant economies (ibid) and are where the young and the restless can be found!
All figures courtesy: Nihon Keizai Shimbun
Morning edition for August 5, 2006.
* MIC - What an embarrassingly cute acronym! MIC! MIC! I work for MIC! As in MIC...KEY...M-O-U-S-E! | <urn:uuid:93463dce-b15b-4854-8759-aa114b9f0e81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shisaku.blogspot.jp/2006/08/nihon-keizai-shimbun-runs-numbers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941834 | 1,043 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Klaatu “3:47 EST”
In the late summer of the U.S. Bicentennial, an album was unleashed upon the public which caused much rumor-mongering and gossip within the music world. That album was 3:47 EST, the debut album by Canadian progressive/psychedelic group Klaatu. The album was hailed superb by critics and fans alike. Furthermore, what people couldn’t get over was the striking similarity between the style of some of the tunes on the album with The Beatles’ music. Thus, the inevitable “did The Beatles reunite to make an album?” rumors began.
Supposedly, in 1966, The Beatles recorded enough material to fill an entire album that was intended to be a follow up to Revolver. Of course, the master tapes were somehow “lost” from Abbey Road studios. Dealing with Paul McCartney’s alleged “death” in a car accident, The Beatles didn’t want to be bothered with re-recording the album. When a Paul McCartney look-alike stepped in to take “dead Paul’s” place, The Beatles decided to stop touring and began working on an entirely new album which turned out to be Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 1975 rolled around, and these very “missing” master tapes were rediscovered while researchers were gathering information for a future Beatles documentary entitled The Long And Winding Road (which became the Anthology series twenty years later). The remaining Beatles decided it would be a great opportunity to release the recorded material as a proper album, sort of in tribute to the “late” James Paul McCartney. They came to the conclusion that it would be best to release the album with no songwriting credits, and no photographs. That way, the album could be purchased and enjoyed solely on its musical merits, and free of any Beatles-hype.
Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not completely…
When the record hit store shelves, people began wondering a bit. Why was the album put out by Capitol records (which was the label The Beatles songs were released on in America and Canada)? Why were there no pictures or names of the band members anywhere on the sleeve? Why were there no proper production or songwriting credits given, only “Produced by Klaatu”, and “All selections composed by Klaatu”? ”Klaatu” was the name of the alien from the film The Day The Earth Stood Still, and why on Ringo Starr’s Goodnight Vienna album was there a photo of Ringo dressed as Klaatu, standing with Gort (the robot in the film) in front of the spaceship from the movie? Is that just an odd coincidence? Why did a few of the songs on the album have vocals which sounded a lot like Paul McCartney and John Lennon? The questions go on and on. I don’t want to waste any more of your time on this entire back-story. There’s tons of information available on the internet. What is for sure, however, is the pure listening joy this album delivers, no matter who was responsible for it! (By the way, Klaatu was/is a real band from Toronto, Ontario. They released several other critically-acclaimed albums, and went on tour. They’re still performing today.)
“Calling Occupants (Of Interplanetary Craft)” starts off the album, and is probably Klaatu’s best remembered song, although it only stalled at #62 on Billboard’s Hot 100. A year later, The Carpenters recorded the song, where it reached a respectable #32 on Billboard’s Hot 100. A perfect piece of proggy-space pop, with a memorable shout-out to visitors from outer space. “California Jam” is track two, and sounds more like early ’70s AM Bubblegum pop than The Beatles. A good, uptempo power-pop tune, though. The album continues with “Anus Of Uranus,” which is a bit of a heavier song with a silly title. Side one finishes with the second highlight of the album (the first being “Calling Occupants”), “Sub-Rosa Subway”. Now, this is where I can begin to understand The Beatles comparisons. The singer certainly sounds a lot like Paul McCartney, and the basslines are undeniably McCartney-esque. But still, the song sounds a bit too modern to have been supposedly recorded in mid-1966. This is a song which you’ll probably find yourself putting on repeat.
The album continues being a blast to listen to. The production is great, the songs are great, the music is great! True, songs like “Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III” sound a bit like something the Muppets (Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem!) may have recorded, so you’re not going to find a life-changing album here by any means. But, who cares? This album finds its way to my turntable almost on a bi-weekly basis, when I want to listen to something fun and arrogance-free. Pick it up if you have the chance. You’ll be wanting to purchase their other albums after hearing this, which are just as much fun. This record will put a smile on your face, for sure. | <urn:uuid:737b9c3a-f9bf-4ae4-ae20-a368addfd14c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://therisingstorm.net/klaatu-347-est/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961747 | 1,145 | 1.914063 | 2 |
The Information Clearinghouse Committee
In the September 2005 report of the Autism Task Force to the Governor and General Assembly, the Information Clearinghouse Committee identified challenges faced across the State of Illinois and made recommendations.
"B. Findings: Challenges
- There is insufficient coordination or sharing of information among the wide range of agencies (state, nonprofit, for-profit) that provide information and services across the State. As a result, there are duplications of effort and lack of a "big
picture" plan for getting information out efficiently and effectively.
- At the local level in particular, people seeking information about Autism of available services too often do not know where to turn. This is, in part, due to historic tendencies among agencies to centralization or broad regionalization. Even when
services exist locally, it is frequently very difficult to identify them and gain access.
- Most information on ASD is in the text format, whether on paper or web-based. There is an extreme shortage of appropriate multi-sensory and alternative formats, such as radio, streaming video, and multimedia presentations like those found on
www.childnet.tv and some other sources.
- Many, if not most, web sites and other information tools are not designed to be accessible for people with disabilities. Given the rate of co-morbidities and particular the reading and communication difficulties experienced by people with Autism,
this represents a serious barrier to accessing information and services."
(Excerpt quoted from the REPORT OF THE AUTISM TASK FORCE: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, September 2005, p.23.)
Two cornerstone recommendations followed from the findings. First the Committee advised that "an Illinois Autism Information Clearinghouse should be established that provides 'big picture' planning and broad inclusive collaboration on Autism
information dissemination for stakeholders, providers, and consumers of services for individuals with ASD. [Second,] The Illinois Autism Information Clearinghouse should be charged with coordinating information identification and dissemination, product
development to fill gaps and training for key stakeholders (parents, librarians, service providers, medical and mental health professionals) in collaboration with all Autism-related entities statewide." (2005 Report, op cit, p.23)
The Illinois Autism Clearinghouse Web Site
The third recommendation was that there should be an "Illinois Autism Information Clearinghouse web site…as a prime, cost-effective vehicle for information dissemination. The web site should be written in plain language and designed for usability and
accessibility. It would link to key Autism information on other web sites." (2005 Report, op cit, p.23) The web site you are visiting, launched in 2007, is the first fruit of this vision. The Information Clearinghouse Committee pledges to continue
developing this key resource. We will keep the challenges to ASD information dissemination foremost as we work and ask your help as we do so. We envision the Illinois Autism Clearinghouse becoming a true, primary source of information on ASD for the
citizens of Illinois.
This web site is a major part of our work, but not the only one. We will also follow through on other recommendations, such as a coordinated ASD awareness and information campaign. We encourage and welcome your ideas on needed information.
The Illinois Autism Task Force
Impact of ASD
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is widely recognized as an urgent national healthcare crisis. According to the Center for Disease Control, the prevalence is one in every 150 children born today. This represents a drastic change from past prevalence
rates. According to the Center for Disease Control, classic Autism consistent with the Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV diagnosis occurs at a rate of one in 1000 individuals. When individuals within the Autism Spectrum are considered, including pervasive
developmental disorders (PDD), one in 500 is diagnosed. When Asperger's Disorder is considered, one in 150 individuals is diagnosed. In Illinois, as recently as the 1996-97 school year, only 1,980 students age 3-21 were served by the public school system
under the special education category of Autism. During the 2002-03 school year, 6,125 children were receiving special education services under the Autism category. However, by 2004, 8,076 students were listed, a 32% increase in only one year. The
dramatic increases experienced in Illinois are consistent with increased prevalence nationally.
Illinois Initiatives Prior to 2005
Even before 2005, Illinois had undertaken several initiatives to address the impact of ASD. The Illinois General Assembly commissioned The Autism Program (TAP) which addresses the needs of ASD-challenged children in the areas of screening,
identification, diagnosis, programs and services, workforce development, and research. Equally important has been the Illinois State Board of Education's (ISBE) sponsorship of the Illinois Autism Technical Assistance and Training program, which provides
professional development and training to local school districts and special education cooperatives. ISBE also sponsored Giant Steps, a school with a professional best practices curriculum for ASD challenged children. Additionally, DHS sponsored the Early
Intervention Program (EI), which provides services to children birth to three years of age.
Development of the Autism Task Force
Given the impact of ASD on families across the state, the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) led the development of a multi-agency Autism Task Force on April 27, 2004. DHS recruited parents of children and adults challenged by ASD,
representatives of State agencies, healthcare professionals, service providers, academic professionals, and members of the legislature to serve on this task force. Bennett Leventhal, M.D., a leading medical expert in ASD, and Brian Rubin, a parent of a
child with ASD, were selected to co-chair the Task Force.
DHS Secretary Carol Adams designated Assistant Secretary Grace Hou to facilitate the group, which met for the first time on April 27, 2004. The charge to the Committee included five goals:
- to provide initiatives to promote best practice standards for diagnosis and treatment within existing systems of care;
- to provide educational opportunities throughout the State on diagnosis and treatment;
- to support existing systems of care for persons with ASD across the life span
- to work with universities and providers to identify untapped resources and unmet needs;
- to encourage and support research efforts on services to persons with ASD across the life span.
After its inception, the Autism Task Force met regularly to discuss its visions and recommendations for how the State of Illinois might better serve families and individuals across the life span impacted by ASD. The Autism Task Force established the
following committees to assess and study: a Transitions Committee with subcommittees for Early Intervention to Early Childhood, High School to Adult Life, and Seniors with ASD; Medicaid Waiver; Information Clearinghouse; Research/Training/Workforce
Development; and Insurance.
The Illinois Autism Task Force Established by Law
The momentum and energy of the Autism Task Force dovetailed into complementary action by the Illinois legislature. On July 21, 2004 Governor Rod Blagojevich signed Public Act 093-0773, An Act in Relations to Persons with Disabilities, into law. PA
093-0773 directed DHS to convene a special task force, such as that described above, to study and assess the service needs of persons with ASD. The original Task Force morphed into the current Illinois Autism Task Force, which meets regularly and reports
annually to the Governor and General Assembly. | <urn:uuid:cfe00b9d-032f-4509-9d68-f8430c2b5621> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx/page.aspx?item=41753 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936787 | 1,532 | 2.75 | 3 |
One of the objectives of the programme is to train globally aware citizens of the future. As part of this, all students are required to study a language in year one of the programme, and are encouraged to continue to pursue language study right through the programme. The degree allows students to major in French, German, Portuguese and Spanish.
The Modern Language Centre
For students not intending to major in a language, the College's Modern Language Centre offers a wide range of modules in various languages and for various abilities. Students are placed into sets according to ability when they arrive.
Students can continue to study language modules from the Modern Language Centre throughout the three years of their programme.
In 2011-12 the Centre is offering modules in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Linguistics, Mandarin, Panjabi, Russian, Spanish and Urdu.*
Students can major in French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. The language majors include language training classes, as well as modules in the literatures and cultures of the target languages, and a period spent abroad at partner institutions.
*Note: Not all modules run every year, depending on demand. See the Modern Language Centre webpages for more information. | <urn:uuid:be819214-317b-4644-bb9c-58e51a383b1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/liberal/study/languages.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922046 | 254 | 2.0625 | 2 |
> From: Daniel Shahaf <danielsh_at_elego.de>
>To: Ashod Nakashian <ashodnakashian_at_yahoo.com>
>Cc: Markus Schaber <m.schaber_at_3s-software.com>; "julianfoad_at_btopenworld.com" <julianfoad_at_btopenworld.com>; "mtherieau_at_gmail.com" <mtherieau_at_gmail.com>; Subversion Development <dev_at_subversion.apache.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 9:46 AM
>Subject: Re: Compressed Pristines (Summary)
>> >1. Filesystem compression.
>> >Would you like to assess the feasibility of compressing the pristine
>> >store by re-mounting the "pristines" subdirectory as a compressed
>> >subtree in the operating system's file system?
>> No :-)
>> There are two ways to answer this interesting proposition of
>> compressed file-systems. The obvious one is that it isn't something
>> SVN can or should control. The file-system and certainly system
>> drivers are up to the user and any requirement or suggestion of
>> tempering with them is decidedly unwarranted and unexpected from
>> a VCS.
>The suggestion wasn't that you teach svn how to change the OS's fs
>settinsg, it was that you investigate how solutions at the OS level
>compare to the other approaches already suggested (custom format -based
>and sqlite-based pristine store).
That's an easy question. The answer is that at *best* they'll do as good as in-place compression. However, in practice they'll do much worse. The reason is that the OS level compression works on not only the single file level, but actually at the block level. This is to make modifications reasonably fast (read compressed data, uncompress, modify, write recompressed data). If the complete file is compressed then even changing a single byte (neglecting that no storage works on the byte-level anyway) will yield performance that will at least linearly degrade by the filesize.
>In short: if 'mount -o compress=yes' provides 90% space savings then we
>would have little reason to implement space-saving solutions in svn itself.
>But it's the user's, not svn's, responsibility to run that.
I should kindly disagree here. The user can do that any time, anyway. SVN is trying to improve its pristine store design, not advise users on how best to organize their storage (in general or when using SVN). In addition, I find discriminating against users who don't have that luxury or knowledge to be a bit unfair. At least if are claiming to support the wide range of systems that we do.
Received on 2012-04-04 19:19:22 CEST | <urn:uuid:918226ec-b5aa-4148-a070-a62664cd1add> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://svn.haxx.se/dev/archive-2012-04/0047.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922911 | 648 | 1.742188 | 2 |
A town located on the southern coast of Long Island, N.Y., near its eastern tip.
(Trawler: t. 145 (gross); 1. 123'6"; b. 19'6"; dr. 10' (aft); s. 7.8 k.; cpl. 26; a. 2 1-pdrs.)
Amagansett (SP-693)—a trawler built in 1879 at Kennebunk, Maine—was chartered by the Navy from Mr. E. Benson Dennis of Cape Charles, Va., on 18 May 1917, the day after she was placed in commission at Norfolk, Va., Ens. J. L. Brooks, USNRF, probably in command.
Fitted out for service as a minesweeper, Amagansett spent her entire Navy career based at Norfolk, Va., patrolling the waters of the 5th Naval District. She continued to serve the Navy for four months following the armistice of 11 November 1918. She was placed out of commission on 12 March 1919 and returned to her owner. Her name was struck from the Navy list that same day. | <urn:uuid:96a43310-cb15-40fa-a7ad-5a96606a3e43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a7/amagansett.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971628 | 233 | 2 | 2 |
Item title reads - Hot Cold.
M/S of heavy machinery and big wheels in factory which makes artificial ice. Containers are filled with water and lowered into bath of freezing salt and ammonia. The water freezes and the blocks are brought out by a crane arm, the blocks are then dipped into water...
Unidentified out takes (cuts, rushes) - CP UNI 3.
The audience is invited to play a guessing game - strange shots are revealed to be of a gasometer.
Men lay bricks - very short segment of film.
Good educational film about the making of a glass jar at a glass factory.
Various shots of men at work in a foundry.
The printing process of postage stamps in Italy.
Unemployed miners seem to be helping themselves to a few sacks of coal.
Big machines work in a quarry. | <urn:uuid:fb6a15a4-14fe-4476-8f60-4234f1d1ab19> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britishpathe.com/video/hot-cold/query/work | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96232 | 173 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Installing SSL Certificate
I'm trying to install an SSL certificate on our website (Centos 6.3). I thought this would be relatively simple, but my limited knowledge of Linux has foiled me again.
As of now if I try to go to the https link it says it can't establish a connection in firefox. If I try to restart apache I get
Syntax error on line 1039 of /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf:
SSLCertificateKeyFile: file '/etc/ssl/certs/mykey.key' does not exist or is empty
It's entirely possible I messed something up in moving the key or the creation or any step along the way. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. | <urn:uuid:abe0d07f-d3d8-43be-a582-d60b70361ac3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/servers/installing-ssl-certificate-print-194857.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929212 | 159 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Illustration by Samuel Nyholm
Superheroes Rise From Camp to Art: Virginia Postrel
The newest banner in the window of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh features a strikingly realistic portrait of Superman. Unfazed as bullets bounce from his chest, neck and forehead, the Man of Steel wears a calm, resolute expression, made all the more convincing by the creases and fine lines of early middle age.
To comic book fans, it’s an instantly recognizable image: Superman as imagined by Alex Ross, one of the contemporary comic world’s star artists. And the Warhol Museum exhibit “Heroes and Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross,” which opened Oct. 1, marks a significant cultural moment.
Displaying more than 130 of Ross’s paintings, drawings and sculptures, from his early childhood to recent works, it’s the first museum show devoted to a single artist’s renderings of superheroes, treating the works not as cultural history but as art.
It’s a very Warholian gesture, honoring commercial art whose subject matter is beloved by the public but traditionally scorned by critics. “Warhol was a big comic book fan, and we’re the pop culture museum,” says Jesse Kowalski, the museum’s director of exhibitions, explaining why he conceived and organized the Ross show. “What art is more pop culture than comic book art?”
Unlike some of the museum’s more esoteric shows, such as a current exhibit of Warhol’s films (“This is boring!” a disgusted visitor declared), this one is a crowd-pleaser.
More important, it also captures a significant shift in public attitudes, one with big economic consequences. Contemporary adult audiences simultaneously recognize the artifice and fantasy of the superhero world and appreciate its imaginative pleasures. Straightforward escapism has replaced scorn, embarrassment and defensive irony.
As a result, superheroes have become cultural staples --the subjects of billions of dollars in merchandise, video games, television shows and, of course, blockbuster movies, including four of this year’s top 20 box office hits so far.
It wasn’t always this way. Back in 1966, a Newsweek feature on the then-cutting-edge Pop movement declared that “not only is it permissible for adults to read pulp comics, it is a sociological necessity.” Far from making superhero comics legitimate adult fare, however, the Pop moment left them stigmatized as camp -- the Zap! Pow! Holy Ridicule! of the short-lived “Batman” TV series. Comic fans generally loathe that show.
“They made people laugh at Batman. And that just killed me,” writes Michael E. Uslan, the executive producer of the contemporary Batman movies, in his memoir “The Boy Who Loved Batman.” As a child, Uslan writes, he vowed “to restore Batman to his true and rightful identity as the Dark Knight ... a creature of the night stalking criminals from the shadows.”
As a producer, he fulfilled that vow with Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman,” demonstrating that superhero stories, if done with conviction, could be enormously lucrative. That first Batman film grossed $411 million worldwide. Uslan’s most successful production, Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” released in 2008, has taken in more than $1 billion worldwide.
These triumphs depended on taking a more direct, less ironic approach to superheroes -- one that could acknowledge the fantasy while nonetheless creating a world in which superheroes seemed real. The Warhol Museum exhibit suggests why this approach has such an enduring appeal.
There is, first of all, the pure aesthetic pleasure. Like Andy Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn and Jackie (or, indeed, of Superman), the Ross paintings offer new and beautiful ways of seeing familiar, emotionally resonant icons. The exhibit may be Pop, but it definitely isn’t camp.
“I want to convince the viewer that this is legitimate, that this is something inspiring, not something comical,” Ross tells me. “I’m on the side of the material. I’m trying to win you over.”
Fantastic Made Realistic
Like Norman Rockwell, some of whose works also appear in the exhibit, Ross works from live models and he paints (in gouache, as opposed to Rockwell’s oils) rather than, in the traditional comic-book style, drawing and coloring his figures. The result is a seemingly realistic rendering of the fantastic.
“It almost looks like history,” says Larry Levine, a graphic designer who was touring the opening with a friend. Another visitor, Stephen A. Glassman, the president and chief executive officer of the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, marveled at the paintings’ vibrant colors and vivid forms. “I’m just knocked over by how absolutely gorgeous these images are,” he says.
Beyond the pleasures of color and form is, of course, the inspirational allure of the heroes themselves. “They’re everyone’s dream of how to solve problems and resolve all the conflicts in the world,” Glassman says. “It’s not realistic, but it makes you feel good.”
Such unapologetic, frank escapism accounts not just for the broad appeal but also for the versatility of superhero stories. Embracing the artifice of superheroes means accepting that there is no single correct approach to the genre. If you don’t treat superheroes as a joke but nonetheless admit (to yourself and your audience) that they’re obvious fiction, you can experiment -- fool around with different styles of art, different assumptions about the setting, different sorts of plots.
Stories can be grim or joyful, philosophical or silly, revisionist or traditional, family-friendly or adults-only. It is this approach, with its ample space for reinvention and reinterpretation, that has allowed superheroes not only to satisfy generations of hard-core fans but also to become such profitable mass-market properties.
With their plenitude of possible incarnations, superheroes can be deployed in nostalgic war pictures (“Captain America: The First Avenger”), mythic family dramas (“Thor”), action comedies (“The Green Hornet”), New Frontier science fiction (“X-Men: First Class”) or alien-filled space opera (“Green Lantern”) -- to stick only to this year’s Hollywood movies. (Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, meanwhile, has his own superhero movie, “Ra.One,” premiering on Oct. 26.)
Room for Camp
Nolan’s Batman trilogy, whose final installment, “The Dark Knight Rises,” will come out next year, is as dark as “The Incredibles” was sunny. In an agapic moment, the utterly unironic Ross even allows a place for that hated Batman show. “There’s perfectly well a need for camp in comics as well as realism,” he says. “There’s no reason not to have both.”
Outside the museum, the Superman banner flanks the front door on the right, while to the left is another banner, headlined “It’s All About Andy.” Warhol would have enjoyed the juxtaposition. He really was a fan.
Along with prints from Warhol’s 1981 Myths series, including a Superman glimmering with diamond dust, the exhibit has examples from his personal stash of comic books, including not only Batman and Lois Lane (“Superman’s Girlfriend”) comics but also the classic Fantastic Four issue “The Coming of Galactus.” Warhol gave his nephew Jules Feiffer’s lively 1965 defense of the genre, “The Great Comic Book Heroes,” and he owned superhero memorabilia (the display features a Wonder Woman pop-up book and Wonder Woman shoelaces, still in their original package!).
Seated once next to Warhol, Michael Uslan brought up his favorite subject. “Oh,” responded the artist in his affectless way. “I love the comic books.”
Born the late 1920s, Warhol knew comics in their heyday (comic book sales peaked in the 1940s). These days, the books themselves are like runway couture: niche creations that support a host of more-profitable mass merchandise. But America loves their super-powered progeny, all the way to the bank -- and now the museum.
(Virginia Postrel is a Bloomberg View columnist. She is the author of “The Future and Its Enemies” and “The Substance of Style,” and is writing a book on glamour. The opinions expressed are her own.)
To contact the writer of this article: Virginia Postrel at email@example.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this article: Tobin Harshaw at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Bloomberg moderates all comments. Comments that are abusive or off-topic will not be posted to the site. Excessively long comments may be moderated as well. Bloomberg cannot facilitate requests to remove comments or explain individual moderation decisions. | <urn:uuid:0a6e37b9-cf3b-4147-82d3-dce838393c74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-07/superheroes-already-commerce-grow-up-as-art-virginia-postrel.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935504 | 1,989 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Economic case for planning reforms debunked
Last modified: 13 February 2012
A new study into the costs and benefits of the planning system finds that the Government's proposed reforms are likely to have little or no effect on growth and could even undermine public wellbeing.
The new report 'Inexpensive Progress?' commissioned jointly by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), the National Trust and the RSPB, examines the fundamental question at the heart of the planning reform debate – 'Is the planning system holding back economic growth?'
The report, prepared by Vivid Economics, finds that although there have been a few studies of the costs of the planning system, the claims made on the back on them have been overstated - and very little has been done to measure the benefits that good planning delivers.
It concludes that while there are costs in some sectors, there is no evidence that planning has large, economy-wide effects on productivity or employment and that the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is unlikely therefore to have much effect on growth.
Martin Harper, Conservation Director for RSPB, says: 'This report clearly shows that the decision makers behind these reforms do not properly understand the benefits that the planning system brings our society
'The Government's own groundbreaking work as part of last year's National Ecosystems Assessment revealed that our green spaces provide economic, social and health benefits. This kind of enlightened thinking must be reflected in the final NPPF.
'The Government has a big challenge in steering us out of the economic difficulties we find ourselves in, but this can and must be achieved without sacrificing the countryside and coast that many of us hold so dear.'
Neil Sinden, Director of Policy for CPRE, says: 'To many of us the benefits of the planning system seem obvious. It allows us to take account of the needs of the whole community, while facilitating necessary development that protects and enhances the environment. Sadly, these manifest benefits are often ignored by those who can only see the red tape standing in the way of their bulldozers.
'Effective planning should not be seen as a choice between growth or the environment. As this report argues the aim of planning should be to secure long term wellbeing. It should give pause to all those who care deeply about the countryside and the role the planning system plays in improving our quality of life through shaping the places we live. We urge Ministers to heed its finding before finalising their planning reforms.'
Ben Cowell, Assistant Director of External Affairs for the National Trust, says: 'Planning imposes costs but it also produces significant benefits. Without a strong planning system, our landscape would look very different today. Government needs properly to understand both sides of the equation before it reaches conclusions about the impact that planning has on the economy.
'This report is a vital contribution to the debate about how we deliver good development in the future, and prevent bad decisions from being made in the pursuit of short-term gain.'
The main conclusions from the report include:
- the NPPF is unlikely to have any positive effect on growth or employment in the short run. Given the importance of the planning system, it is desirable the NPPF's impact is closely monitored after it is implemented;
- it is difficult to quantify the costs of planning system and rigorously isolate the effects of planning versus other influences, but for particular impacts of the planning system robust estimates of gross costs of the planning system are available;
- the value of the 'benefits' of the planning system are less well understood. Much more research needs to take place to quantify the social, distributional and environmental benefits of the planning system;
- information on market prices could play a valuable role in plan-making, but only if there is a feasible way of complementing this with information on the 'nonmarket values' of land (which include the value of the environmental services provided);
- it is particularly important to ensure that cross boundary issues continue to be addressed following the abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies.
Comments on the report:
Professor Dieter Helm, University of Oxford, says: 'In such a contentious area as planning, there is a clear need for an integrated economic framework, bringing together both the economic costs and benefits of planning. The Government's reforms give a presumption in favour of sustainable development, and it is vital that there is a clear analysis of what is - and what is not - sustainable. Economics has a key role to play. This report is a great start.'
Stephen Joseph, Executive Director, Campaign for Better Transport, says: 'This report shows clearly that cutting back on the planning system won't help the economy in the way the Government has been claiming. Planning reforms should be based on evidence rather than assertions, promoting genuinely sustainable development rather than a vain dash for growth at any cost. Apart from anything else, out of centre development creates more road congestion, and so hurts the economy.'
Tom Burke CBE, Environmental Policy Adviser to Rio Tinto and a Visiting Professor at Imperial and University Colleges, London, says: 'This report is a timely antidote to the government's planning policy which is a toxic conjunction of incompetence and ideology.
'Turning 1,000 pages of detailed planning guidance into 50 pages of ambiguous text is licence for planning lawyers to print money. Instead of the current speedy and predictable passage through the planning system developers will be faced with the uncertainty and cost of the courts. This will slow rather than accelerate growth. Since there is no evidence to support it, it is clear that the real driver for this foolish policy is simply de-regulatory mania of the nastier parts of the Conservative party.'
Liz Peace, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation, says: 'The media has been very quick to paint the development world as being against sound planning and truly sustainable development. That is absolutely not the case. Developers want to see plans put together and decisions made against a sound, well constructed evidence base.
'This report argues that such an evidence base needs to be wide-ranging and take into account not just traditional and easily measured economic impacts but also more amorphous concepts such as the availability of brown field land and the costs and benefits of green belts. We welcome this contribution to the debate and look forward to a continuing constructive dialogue on it with CPRE, the National Trust and the RSPB.'
How you can help
Help us continue our conservation work | <urn:uuid:ebc8a0da-1cae-4cbe-9e62-d6642d1d7f3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/304678-economic-case-for-planning-reforms-debunked | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949966 | 1,310 | 2.25 | 2 |
The general has no real Afghanistan-ground experience. But his is not the first ISAF commander to be in that position. Before then-Army Gen. David Petreaus took over ISAF command, he had overseen the war in Afghanistan from his perch as chief of Central Command in the United States.
Chief among the issues Dunford faces is an Afghan government that has, at times, been critical of NATO forces and their actions in Afghanistan.
Afghan security forces, considered the key to the country's success when troops withdraw by the end of 2014, still have a long way to go before they are able to handle some operations without the help of the international forces.
He also faces the issue of Afghanistan's ongoing insurgency, including the attacks that continue to be carried out by Taliban militants and the Haqqani Network.
But officials close to Dunford have told CNN that the general is not going into the job blind. Since August, he has been studying the history of Afghanistan as well as the military operations since the war began in 2001, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. | <urn:uuid:5f601a15-92a2-4990-98a3-11600a781686> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlky.com/news/national/US-Marine-general-assumes-command-of-ISAF/-/9366074/18486594/-/item/1/-/fdvqtf/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982571 | 233 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Lately, I’ve been concerned about a trend I’ve noticed on Puffer-keeping forums: Aquarists purchase an additional Puffer to prevent the first Puffer that they own from “getting lonely”. In this article, I hope to explain why this is unnecessary, and may even be hazardous for your Puffers. (» Click here to read the rest of this article…)
TPF Author: Damien Wagaman, AKA puffer_archer
About the Author
What to do if a puffer inflates with air?
Almost anyone who has heard of a puffer can tell you what makes them different from every other fish. It is their amazing ability to double or triple their size when needed for their protection. This amazing ability is made possible by unique adaptations. First, they do not have ribs. This allows their stomach to expand without having bone interference. Second, they have specialized muscles around their stomach and within their mouth to funnel water into the stomach. Finally, puffers have a thick rubbery skin that can expand easily. Both the stomach and skin are also pleated and folded, providing more room for expansion. Nearly all puffers also have spines that become very visible and erect when the puffer is in its expanded form. (» Click here to read the rest of this article…) | <urn:uuid:69aee5cc-544e-4d82-aab9-3a4dff6c5f52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/author/puffer_archer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968552 | 275 | 1.984375 | 2 |
- Why is it so hard to pursue our dreams, and get started on the creative challenges that mean so much to us?
- How can we overcome our inner Resistance to doing the things that matter?
- What rewards can we expect from persevering in the face of difficulties?
- What are the creative opportunities — and pitfalls — of social media and digital publishing?
These are some of the questions I put to bestselling author Steven Pressfield in this fascinating audio seminar about the creative process and the life lessons he’s learned.
In the course of our hour-long conversation, Steve was extremely generous with his ideas, and unflinchingly candid about some of mistakes he has made on his own journey, and what he has learned from them. He’s a terrific raconteur, using stories about his own experiences and drawing analogies with the lives and works of other creators. And the lessons he draws from them are full of hard-won wisdom.
If you care about your work, and are trying to achieve something remarkable, this is an interview you want to download and listen to again and again.
About the Author: Mark McGuinness is a Coach for Artists, Creatives and Entrepreneurs. For a free 25-week guide to success as a creative professional, sign up for Mark’s course The Creative Pathfinder.Tweet | <urn:uuid:f0900027-c758-46da-ae5f-07fcf225de63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lateralaction.com/articles/art-of-remarkable/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962072 | 275 | 1.695313 | 2 |
John F. Terzano
Adjunct Professor of Law
B.A., George Washington University; J.D., UDC David A. Clarke School of Law; LL.M., American University Washington College of Law.
John Terzano is President and co-founder of The Justice Project. He has been involved in social justice advocacy for thirty years. Terzano led a five-year campaign to pass the Innocence Protection Act (IPA), the first piece of federal death penalty reform legislation to pass Congress and be signed into law. The IPA allows for DNA testing of individuals who may have been wrongfully convicted and authorizes funding to states to clear their DNA backlogs and improve forensic laboratory capacity and standards across the nation as well as provide assistance to states to improve the quality of legal representation for indigent defendants in State capital cases among other reforms. As president of The Justice Project, John is instrumental in working to reform the criminal justice system through public education, litigation support and legislative reform efforts.
Terzano is also Vice President and co-founder of Veterans for America (formerly known as Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation - VVAF), an advocacy and humanitarian organization that is uniting a new generation of veterans with those from past wars to address the causes, conduct and consequences of war. VVAF’s work on the international campaign to ban landmines was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. Terzano served two tours in Vietnam while in the Navy from 1970-74 and helped to lead the first delegation of American veterans to return to Vietnam after the war ended. Terzano became a leading advocate of reconciliation with America’s former enemies in Vietnam, an experience that ultimately helped lift the economic embargo by the U.S. and normalize relations between the U.S and Vietnam.
Terzano received his undergraduate degree in public affairs from the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University; graduated magna cum laude from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC-DCSL); and received a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in International Legal Studies from American University's Washington College of Law. Terzano is an Adjunct Professor of Law at UDC-DCSL, is a former Vice Chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities Criminal Justice Committee and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Center for Human Rights and Friends of the Law Library of Congress. | <urn:uuid:612a45f7-e17d-4a8f-a3ea-d8c3bbf8ea9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.law.udc.edu/?page=JTerzano | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963422 | 512 | 1.5 | 2 |
David de Kretser
Template:Infobox Governor Professor David Morritz de Kretser AC (born April 27, 1939) is an Australian medical researcher, and the Governor of Victoria. He succeeded John Landy as the 27th Governor of Victoria on April 7 2006. The Victorian Premier at the time, Steve Bracks announced the appointment on January 19 2006.
Of Burgher ancestry, De Kretser was born in Sri Lanka (then known as Ceylon), and immigrated to Australia with his family when aged nine. He was educated at Camberwell Grammar School (where he is currently a member of the school board), received his MBBS from the University of Melbourne in 1962, and his Doctor of Medicine degrees from Monash University in 1969.
De Kretser is an infertility and andrology expert, and a long-serving academic. He began working at Monash University in 1965 in the university's department of anatomy, and currently works as both foundation director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development (recently renamed the Monash Institute of Medical Research) and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences (Biotechnology Department). He was also a senior Fellow of endocrinology at the University of Washington in Seattle from 1969 to 1971.
He founded a medical research group, Andrology Australia. Among memberships of other professional groups, he is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
De Kretser has been married to his wife, Jan, for over 40 years, and has four sons. In 2001, he was named as Victoria's Father of the Year. On June 12, 2006, in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, he was awarded Australia's highest civilian honour, Companion of the Order of Australia.
In an interview shortly after his appointment to the office of Governor was announced, Professor de Kretser commented on the prospect of Australia changing its constitutional system. The Herald Sun reported in June 2006 that, in response to questions regarding Australia's monarchy, de Kretser said, "I would think probably it is in the longer term. When that would be is a very hard question to answer...I think if you asked a lot of people whether Australians wanted a republic you would probably get an answer yes." Professor David Flint from Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, said "speaking in favour of a republic seems inappropriate for one who has represented the Crown, but to do so in office is at the very least, a most inappropriate entry into politics, apart from being an act of gross disloyalty to the Sovereign to whom the viceroy has sworn allegiance."
- Lucas, Clay. "Victoria's new governor named", The Age, 19 January 2006.
- BioMelbourne (2003). BioMelbourne: Professor David de Kretser AO. Retrieved January 19 2006.
|Governor of Victoria
2006 – present
There is no pharmaceutical or device industry support for this site and we need your viewer supported Donations | Editorial Board | Governance | Licensing | Disclaimers | Avoid Plagiarism | Policies | <urn:uuid:bfd382fa-67ef-4959-a02b-a4bc57dd3abe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/David_de_Kretser | 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 | 0.973871 | 630 | 1.796875 | 2 |
- uploaded: Mar 21, 2012
- Hits: 534
Are you aware of the Arctic Circle Doomsday Seed Vault? Technically it’s the Svalbard International Seed Vault. The media has hailed it as an attempt to create a doomsday ark containing a wide variety of seeds to ensure the future of agriculture in the event of widespread crop disasters. A closer look behind the curtains finds some suspicious characters heavily vested in the vault’s activity.
The doomsday vault’s operation:
The doomsday seed vault is situated on the island of Spitzbergen, Norway, located in the Svalbard island group within the Arctic Circle. It exists in an old copper mine, which is connected by a long steel tunnel from outside of the mine’s mountain. It is steel and concrete fortified with all the latest technological innovations for supplying power and maintaining seed security.
It is considered a safety deposit box back up for all other seed banks located throughout the world, of which there are many. Because of its remote but accessible location, entrance at 400 feet above sea level, and the permafrost protection for the vault if there is a power failure. On the surface, the project makes ecological sense.
Norway technically owns the vault, and endows those who place seeds into the vault with absolute ownership and access of the seeds. The Global Crop Diversity Trust based in Rome is the prime coordinating international agency for the doomsday vault, and they have strong Rockefeller connections.
An earlier LA Times article mentioned that all seeds are accepted, except for genetically modified seeds. However, this stipulation wasn’t noticed on the vault FAQs web page. The doomsday vault donors listed include the Gates Foundation, Rockefeller, Monsanto, and Syngenta, an international counterpart to Monsanto based in Switzerland http://www.croptrust.org/main/donors.php
Suspicions are warranted:
International investigative journalist William Engdahl voiced his concerns in a 2007 Global Research article just prior to the vault’s opening: “Doomsday Seed Vault in the Arctic - Bill Gates, Rockefeller and the GMO giants know something we don’t.”
Engdahl has serious issues, supported by documented historical evidence, regarding the major doomsday vault sponsors. He connects their shadowy dots from earlier 20th Century agribusiness endeavors of the usual suspects to now. They thrive on NGO front groups with humanitarian titles and push vaccinations in third world countries as well.
Even Norway was involved with producing sterilization agents that were attempted under the guise of free tetanus vaccinations - for women of child bearing ages only - in Mexico, Nigeria, and the Philippines during the 1990s.
Among the listed sponsors are: Monsanto; The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Bill privately invested heavily in Monsanto stocks); world agribusiness giants Dupont/Pioneer Hi-Bred and Syngenta, both promoting GMO seeds and all the chemicals needed for large scale monoculture farming; global network groups supported by Rockefeller foundations to ensure the master monopolist Rockefellers have strong claim on agribusiness.
Engdahl points out that the so called “Green Revolution” was a steady networking grab, allowing the monopoly Rockefellers to eventually gain control over much of international agribusiness while ruining small third world farms and forcing those farmers into cheap labor pools.
How do the above mentioned groups keep their mission statements straight, funding millions into the doomsday vault while simultaneously funding large sums into The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)?
Cloaked in benevolence, AGRA is an attempt to ruin small, independent farming in Africa and replace it with GM and monoculture large scale farming, which demands all the various chemicals the private companies sponsoring the doomsday vault provide. | <urn:uuid:f8dbe325-416a-4dd1-bff2-8162d6fc5588> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/91798/Doomsday_Seed_Vault/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910742 | 914 | 2.671875 | 3 |
When I was a kid, I was generally considered to be kinda weird. Even I considered myself weird. I loved to read, loved to lose myself in stories, loved to imagine situations and conversations and dream about traveling to different places and times.
When I attended my first writers’ conference, I realized I wasn’t weird. I was simply a writer of fiction. Our brains are wired just a bit differently. So, for those of you who aren’t writers—or maybe you’re not sure yet whether or not you are—I thought I would share a brief glimpse at Writer-Speak, the language and phrases writers use whenever we get together in person or online.
- WIP: Work-in-Progress, or the current manuscript
- the bright shiny (aka, the squirrel): any other project that steals our attention from the WIP
- suckopsis: sarcastic name for writing a synopsis of the plot of our WIP
- HEA: Happy Ever After, the expected outcome in romance stories.
- CPs: our Critique Partners, who give us honest feedback and often save us from ourselves as we work on the WIP
- a partial: what is often requested by editors and agents, this generally consists of 3 chapters (approx. 50 pages) and a suckop—er, SYNOPSIS.
- BICHOK: Butt-in-Chair, Hands-on-Keyboard, generally a reminder to get the words typed to finish our WIP
- TSTL: Too Stupid To Live, a phrase that often describes a heroine in a book doing something that is, well, something the reader immediately sees will turn out badly (Note: I actually read a book once where the author did, in fact, kill off her heroine after a TSTL moment.)
- NaNo: Short for NaNoWriMo, which is short for National Novel Writing Month, which runs Nov. 1-30 and is a challenge for writers to write a complete book of at least 50,000 words in those 30 days.
- the sagging middle: the center section of the story, where we often find that the pace slows down or the plot loses excitement
- the black moment: that key moment, usually near the end, where it looks like the hero or heroine is about to lose everything but takes the risk for the greater good (and it usually turns out for the good and gives an HEA ending)
- 1K1Hr: 1,000 words in 1 hour, this is a challenge we issue to each other to get that word-count written
- plotting: time we spend consciously thinking about where the story will go next, often accompanied by staring at the ceiling, walking in circles around our living room, long showers, household chairs and endless hours of MineSweeper.
- pantsing (aka into the mist): time where we just write the story as it comes to us, allowing the characters to lead us where they will, with very little pre-planning. | <urn:uuid:6217ad21-104a-45ca-9896-40b6e487fd43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://magicalmusings.com/2012/10/30/writer-speak/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946345 | 629 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Internet Appliances / COPPA / Web Attacks
Hosts:93,047,785 WebHosts:25,675,581 Users:393,420,000
Led by 3Com's Palm Pilot, handheld devices with Internet connectivity
began to become a reality. These devices allowed users to view news, sports,
stock quotes, weather, road conditions, and much more. They could also
purchase stock, place online bids, send and receive email, book flights,
and perform online banking, with more features arriving daily.
The United States Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) became
effective April 21, 2000, and is an act that applies to commercial web sites
and online services that collect information and could be used by children
under the age of 13. COPPA helps protect an underage child's privacy by either
restricting the child's access to the site without a parent's permission or not
allowing that child to access the page because it collects data.
A massive denial of service (DoS) attack was launched against major Web sites,
including Yahoo, Amazon, and eBay in early February. Various domain name
hijackings took place in late May and early June, including internet.com,
bali.com, and web.net. | <urn:uuid:256ac45a-cde9-42af-827e-054d86214f2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://historyoftheinternet.org/History%20Of%20The%20Internet%202000.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937735 | 268 | 2.125 | 2 |
"Holland has always been a country where at least three cultures of Europe came together," says Geert Mak, a popular Dutch historian. "The southern part is the French culture. The Atlantic part is Great Britain and later America. And there's also the Scandinavian part in the north. We are really a mixture."
As we chat in the sunshine of a late-summer day, the proof of Mr. Mak's point lies all around us. We are in Friesland, the northernmost province of the Netherlands, where Mr. Mak has a summer home near the tiny village of Jorwerd, the now-famous subject of his first best-seller. To foreign eyes, Friesland is an endless sequence of quaint farmhouses, windmills, swans paddling in canals and flat green fields stretching off to a distant horizon: the perfect Dutch postcard.
And yet, in a sense, Friesland isn't Dutch. It is an ancient land with a people, history and identity quite different from those in the provinces to the south. It even has its own language. Children here learn Dutch as they do English -- from school and television.
Divided by culture and language, the Dutch have also been separated for centuries by faith.
The Protestant Reformation brought Calvinism to the Netherlands and left the country close to evenly divided between Protestants and Catholics. Elsewhere in Europe, this division meant endless civil war. Not so in Holland. Instead, Dutch Calvinists and Catholics came to an understanding: Each side knew God would ultimately cast the other into the fiery torments of hell -- just what the infidels deserve -- but in this life, people should go about their business.
And business, more than any other factor, is the key to understanding why the Dutch chose peaceful co-existence over the endless hate, murder and war that prevailed elsewhere on the continent during the 16th century.
"It was not because we were such nice people," laughs Mr. Mak. "It was a country very oriented to business. And when some guy from the Ottoman empire comes and wants to trade, you cannot put him on the stake because he is a Muslim. It's very bad for business."
Thanks to this tradition of pragmatic tolerance, Amsterdam became a haven for persecuted intellectuals and despised minorities. It is no accident that Amsterdam is where Baruch Spinoza -- the son of Jewish refugees from Spain -- fashioned some of the earliest and most influential arguments in support of tolerance and diversity.
In the 19th century, as modern institutions evolved, Dutch society created what came to be called "pillars" -- institutions organized along confessional lines. Catholics had their own churches, hospitals, political parties, schools, trade unions, newspapers and, later, radio stations. Protestants had a pillar, too. Socialists developed a secular pillar.
Dutch politics consisted of leaders from each pillar meeting and negotiating a consensus on national policies.
This system of living apart-but-together functioned well until the 1960s, when a drift away from religion eroded the authority of the churches. A broad movement, supported mainly by the left, sought to erase the pillars and replace them with non-denominational public institutions.
They succeeded. Today there are remnants of the old pillars but the system is all but gone.
Pillarization had at least one lasting effect, however. In the 1980s, as Muslim numbers grew, many officials concluded that the obvious thing to do was add a Muslim pillar. So there would be Muslim schools, Muslim parties, and so on. Few worried that this would isolate Muslims and impede integration. This was the traditional Dutch way of handling difference, after all.
Today, there is widespread agreement in the Netherlands that this was a mistake and that Muslim immigrants need to be integrated to the greatest possible extent into public institutions. But to blame that mistake -- as many pundits do -- on leftist, 1960s-era multicultural thinking is to ignore Dutch tradition and the centuries of success the Dutch had in coping with a multicultural society. | <urn:uuid:684147f1-1b65-4b5c-b756-4bff7e93f03e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dangardner.ca/index.php/articles/item/169-the-dutch-way | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969801 | 827 | 2.25 | 2 |
Raising Reds Author to Give Talk and Sign Books
Woodstock, NY—On Sunday, September 12, from 2 to 4 p.m., Paul C. Mishler, author of Raising Reds: Young Pioneers, Radical Summer Camps, and Communist Political Culture, will give a talk at the Eames House, 20 Comeau Drive in Woodstock. Mishler’s presentation will be titled, “From Camp Woodland to the Woodstock Festival and Beyond.” Camp Woodland was located near Phoenicia from 1939 to 1962 and it helped to spark a revival in Catskill Mountain roots music. This event marks the final day of the Historical Society’s current retrospective exhibit on Camp Woodland.
In Raising Reds, Mishler focuses on the era of 1920 to 1950. During this time the Communist Party was able to make significant inroads into American society. Communists were active in labor unions and universities, and they published their articles in popular newspapers. These activities were undermined and demonized in the early 1950s due to McCarthyism and the advent of the Cold War. However, Mishler contends that the Communist radicalism of the 1930s re-emerged in the New Left’s activism of the 1960s.
Further, in his book Mishler explores how, during the Great Depression, some Americans believed that the music of the people was being forced underground due to the rise of larger, more impersonal instituions of social, commerical and industrial development. Therefore, during the 1930s, the Communists and their allies sought to discover/construct/create an alternative America grounded in the roots of the country’s culture. Camp Woodland set in motion an experiment to bring this alternative democratic model into being. The camp’s organizers felt that the most important way for Woodland to establish new ground was via a celebration of folk music and early American folk values, and that this could be made the basis for societal change. Mishler contends that these same beliefs led to the activism of the 1960s, to the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, and beyond.
Paul Mishler is an Associate Professor of Labor Studies at Indiana University. Raising Reds is published by Columbia University Press. Mishler will be on hand to answer questions and sign books. Refreshments will be served and the event is free. For more information call 845.246.3436 or log onto www.campwoodland.org.
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day members of the Town Council and Chamber of Commerce gathered to officially welcome two bright red bicycle-shaped bike racks to Woodstock. The new racks were purchased with funds raised through last summer’s Roots of Woodstock Live Concert and Eco Raffle. The racks are intended as functional sculpture—signaling to visitors and residents that Woodstock is serious about its 2007 Zero-Carbon Initiative. One rack is located in front of the Woodstock Chamber booth at 10 Rock City Road. The second is at H. Houst & Son (an Eco Raffle sponsor), 4 Mill Hill Road. In honor of the occasion publisher WoodstockArts designed a 20.4 mile bicycle route featuring “Stories of Woodstock.” Click here to download the PDF.
Other green initiatives underway in Woodstock during this 40th anniversary year include the following:
- The Chamber’s Experience Woodstock Card. Available to residents and visitors for just $25, this card is a passport to a festival of special offers at many of Woodstock’s leading shops, galleries, performance spaces and other venues in the area. Its purpose is to encourage everyone to think globally but shop locally, thereby helping Woodstock and the environment. The card is currently accessible online at the Chamber web site, as well as at Lotus Fine Art & Design (33 Rock City Road), Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty (11-13 Mill Hill Road) and Rondout Savings Bank, (295-4 Route 375, near the Hurley Ridge Market in West Hurley). Read the rest of this entry »
In 1964, while I was at school in Scotland, Van Morrison and Them exploded on the U.K. charts with “Baby Please don’t Go”—and most memorably with “Gloria.” It took everyone by surprise. Where the heck did these guys come from?
Later on when I was back in the States, I attended a Sound-Out in Pan Copeland’s field. Much to my amazement there was Van, not more than twenty feet from me on a makeshift stage. Astral Weeks had just been released, and according to Clinton Heylin’s bio, Van Morrison: Can You Feel The Silence, he was playing the gig with former members of the Colwell-Winfield Blues Band. Ex-bandmates Jack Schrorer and Collin Tillton were in attendance. It was late August 1969, there was a hint of autumn in the air, and Van was giving an all-out performance. In Roots of the 1969 Woodstock Festival: The Backstory to Woodstock, there is a copy of the performance check. The band netted $50! In 1970 this core group of musicians, plus a few others, worked with Morrison on his classic Moondance album. International acclaim and fortune soon followed for Morrison. Read the rest of this entry »
Forty years ago the ’69 Woodstock festival triggered many new trends. One such, the back-to-the-land movement, helped bring eco-consciousness to the forefront. The following year Earth Day was created. In March 2007 the Town of Woodstock passed a Zero-Carbon Initiative, pledging to neutralize Woodstock’s carbon footprint by 2017.
In a nod to these go-green efforts, the 8/15/09 Roots of Woodstock Live Concert was designated a Zero-Carbon fundraiser. This 40th anniversary tie-in event, held at Woodstock’s Bearsville Theater, included an Eco Raffle with prizes contributed by a dozen of Woodstock’s leading businesses. Monies raised were to be used for the purchase of Energy Star refrigerators or bicycle parking racks.
Given the relatively modest amount raised by the raffle in this challenging economy ($1,166), the concert producers together with the Woodstock Environmental Commission (WEC) have determined that the money should be used for bike racks. The Town of Woodstock plans to purchase four racks, and the Roots producers will buy several more with the raffle proceeds. David Lewis of the WEC has offered to coordinate placement of the racks throughout the town. | <urn:uuid:927758b4-163c-4edb-9ce6-5389b08d1a47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rootsofwoodstock.com/tag/woodstock-n-y/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954156 | 1,361 | 2.125 | 2 |
WSU will hold a field day at its new research orchard.
Washington State University will hold a field day on July 22 to showcase its new research orchard located at Sunrise Lane between Wenatchee and Quincy.
WSU bought Sunrise Orchard in 2006 to replace the research blocks at the Tree Fruit Research Center in Wenatchee, which is in what has become a residential area. Dr. Jay Brunner, executive director of the center, said this is the last year that the old orchard will be used for research. The new orchard, which is much bigger, is better suited to modern research, which often requires large-scale experiments.
Sunrise Orchard had 150 acres of orchard (including 80 acres of certified organic orchard) when WSU purchased it and 137 acres of undeveloped land, some of which was designated for buildings. The university has been gradually replanting and converting it into a state-of-the-art orchard that will allow scientists to conduct research relevant to the modern tree fruit industry.
Brent Milne of Entiat, Washington, who serves on an industry advisory committee, said research conducted at the orchard will be crucial to the future of the industry over the next 20 to 30 years. It's the place where new growing techniques and new cultivars will be developed.
"Without research, this industry's going nowhere." he said. "We always have to have research, and that's the place to do it."
Agricultural businesses helped provide infrastructure, such as irrigation system, deer fencing, electrical supply, and equipment compound. The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission allocated $500,000 and staff time for development of the orchard, and nurseries and fruit companies donated trees.
Since 2007, close to 30 acres of apples, pears, and cherries have been replanted, mainly for research projects in horticulture, plant pathology, and insect pest control. Brunner said the plantings have been designed for multiple uses. The trees are on Malling 9 rootstocks and are planted three feet apart with ten feet between rows. Selections from WSU's apple breeding program have also been planted at the orchard.
An orchard management advisory team made up of Milne, Dave Piepel, Tory Schmidt, and Tom Auvil, has been meeting frequently to advise on the management of the new high-density plantings and identify potential sources of support for the orchard. Milne said industry donations of equipment, trees, trellising supplies, etc., are critical at a time when Washington State University is facing large budget cuts.
The university is working with the tree fruit industry to develop a long-term vision for how the orchard will be developed.
One of the challenges for the immediate future is to continue to develop the infrastructure in terms of completing the equipment housing and maintenance areas, Brunner said. There are plans, if resources are available, to install modular buildings that scientists could use as labs to process field samples rather than driving almost 20 miles to Wenatchee. Advisory committee members have recommended that an irrigation pond be installed to store water from the river early in the season or during peak use times.
The remaining 65 acres of organic apples are leased to an orchard management company, and that arrangement will likely continue for five years, unless a major grant allows more of the orchard to be redeveloped, Brunner said.
WSU originally provided $150,000 a year for operation and maintenance of the orchard, though that has been cut by $10,000 for the next biennium. The funds are used mainly for labor and supplies. With less funding than expected, the research center will have to prioritize where it uses labor and depend more on research program funds to cover part of the development of new blocks and their operation and maintenance, Brunner said. Income from the organic block will likely vary from year to year and will be used to cover shortfalls in funding for equipment or for high-priority projects.
Funds designated to the university from the estate of Lilly and Grady Auvil have been used to buy a low-profile tractor with cab for the new high-density plantings, as well as a weed sprayer, an all-terrain vehicle to pull the weed sprayer, and a large-capacity dump trailer. However, more equipment is needed.
"We're stretched," Brunner said. "All of our equipment is pretty old. We need at least one more tractor and two new sprayers this year to be in a position to manage the orchard properly in the future." | <urn:uuid:59cfab68-facc-42a5-880a-dd38be5cfc6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goodfruit.com/Good-Fruit-Grower/July-2009/Research-revealed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964541 | 939 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Jansen -- Jefferson County
Peter Jansen was a politician, colonizer, farmer, diplomat, traveler, and the founder of a town, which was named in his honor. Born in Berdjansk, South Russia, in 1852, he and his father Cornelius Jansen, came to the United States in the spring of 1874. They selected a site in Jefferson County for a Mennonite settlement, and purchased 1,280 acres.
Soon his fellow-believers (who had previously migrated to Russia from Holland) arrived in this country, where they were free from persecution. The colony worked together to build homes and businesses. Their first church building was completed in January 1879. Now called the Jansen Bible Church, it is still active, and recently completed a new building.
Nebraska never had a bigger booster than Peter Jansen. In 1882 he wrote, "...after nine years in this state, I would not swap my sheep ranch for the Russian Emperor's whole empire."
People of other denominations also settled here. An Evangelical church (now United Church of Christ) was organized four miles to the north in 1882, and is still in operation. A German Methodist Episcopal Church organized in 1889. At the turn of the century there were six Mennonite churches near Jansen. A Nazarene and a Methodist church were organized in 1922, and a Lutheran Church was established in 1929.
In 1886, when the Rock Island Railroad laid its rails across Jefferson County, Jansen purchased land, laid out a town, then deeded it to the "Town of Jansen." Immediately, lots were sold and buildings were established.
It was Jansen's intention that no liquor be sold in the town. When selling lots, a clause was inserted in the transfer: "It is expressly agreed between the parties hereto that intoxicating liquors shall never be manufactured, sold, or given away in any place of public resort as a beverage on said premises; and that in case this condition be broken or violated, this conveyance shall be null and void." In spite of this precautions, it was discovered that one lot had been deeded without the "prohibitive clause." Soon a liquor store was established, after which others set up shop. Legal action was never taken against them.
Within a year there was a post office and the nucleus of a solid business district was in place. The bank, founded by Jansen in 1887, has operated continuously since that time. Within the first decade there were over 30 businesses operating. The population in 1910 was 308.
Peter Jansen purchased 480 acres of land northeast of town. He built a beautiful home with a large front yard, erected barns, planted trees, and had a fine orchard on what was later known as the "Jansen Ranch."
Sheep-raising was one of the early enterprises of the settlers. There were also flocks of geese, ducks, and chickens. The silk industry was another enterprise of the early Jansen community. Large groves of mulberry trees were planted, the leaves of which were to be used as food for the silk worms. Silk production, however, never became a successful venture in Nebraska.
On June 19, 1929, the town of Jansen survived a storm which swept over Jefferson County, but the extent of the damage was widespread. A Mennonite church in the east part of Jansen, which had been purchased by a Lutheran congregation, was badly damaged even before it could be used.
In 1936, Jansen celebrated 50 years of existence. The three-day celebration was sponsored by the American Legion and local businesses. There was a large parade and a display of antiques, many from Germany and from Russia.
After World War II, returning servicemen purchased many of the main street businesses. This brought renewed life to the community of about 220. Located on Highway 136 between Beatrice and Fairbury, it is still "on the map" with just over 200 residents. There is a post office, a fire hall, and nine thriving businesses.
In 1986 Jansen held its centennial celebration. The event started on Sunday, August 17, when the Flying Conestogas from Beatrice flew over. A great parade followed, and Jansen's main street was bustling with people and activities all day long. The centennial rekindled an appreciation for our heritage and a better understanding of the community. Hopefully, our town will still be around to celebrate its bicentennial! Jansen a very nice town in which to live.
By Helen M. Rahe, Box 121, Jansen, NE 68377. | <urn:uuid:81946f9e-a380-404d-8f9d-8c4feb3d9099> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.casde.unl.edu/history/counties/jefferson/jansen/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986774 | 947 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Vision and Mission
Louisiana State University in Shreveport, a premier regional university recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarly activity, and service, will foster the principles that education is more than training, that wisdom is more than knowledge, and that service to the greater society is an obligation of each educated person.
The mission of Louisiana State University in Shreveport is to:
- Provide a stimulating and supportive learning environment in which students, faculty, and staff participate freely in the creation, acquisition, and dissemination of knowledge;
- Encourage an atmosphere of intellectual excitement;
- Foster the academic and personal growth of students;
- Produce graduates who possess the intellectual resources and professional and personal skills that will enable them to be effective and productive members of an ever-changing global community; and
- Enhance the cultural, technological, social, and economic development of the region through outstanding teaching, research, and public service.
The mission of Louisiana State University in Shreveport will be accomplished through the efforts of faculty, staff, and students who take pride in their individual and shared accomplishments; who teach, learn, and conduct research in an environment of high expectations, ethical values, and mutual respect; and who value and protect freedom of expression and inquiry. The university community values and promotes excellent teaching and accommodates differing learning styles in its efforts to help all students reach their full potential.
- Student success is the focus of all university programs and services.
- Effective advising and support are essential if students are to reach their potential.
- On-going planning and evaluation directed toward the improvement of all programs and services enhances the university's development.
- Innovative use of technology increases the effectiveness and efficiency of university programs and services.
- Good teaching is essential to the intellectual growth of students.
- Commitment to excellence is the foundation for all programs and services.
- Diversity among faculty, staff, and student enriches the university environment.
- A student-centered campus enhances the teaching-learning experience.
- Research supports teaching excellence, faculty growth, and community service.
- Integrity and high ethical standards govern every decision made and every action taken within the university community or on behalf of the university.
- University responsiveness to community needs has a positive impact on the quality of life within the region. | <urn:uuid:362dafb6-5204-4c79-b081-979bf9029a63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lsus.edu/offices-and-services/institutional-effectiveness-and-planning/vision-and-mission | 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 | 0.92795 | 470 | 1.539063 | 2 |
NEWTOWN - Residents in the Connecticut community where 20 children and six staff members were shot to death have started a petition to ban assault weapons.
The proposed Sandy Hook Assault Weapons Ban would "be modeled in accordance with the anticipated Federal Assault Weapons Ban," according to those who support it.
Multiple businesses near the massive memorial in Sandy Hook have posted green and white signs asking people to support the ban. The signs are done in the same style as the all-caps signs around Newtown that read, "We are Sandy Hook. We choose love."
Signs encourage Newtown residents to support an assault weapons ban "for the safety of our residents and to honor the memories of the 26 victims of the December 14, 2012, atrocities brought forth upon our community." Supporters are petitioning Newtown leaders "to immediately complete and pass an ordinance called the Sandy Hook Assault Weapons Ban."
"To be modeled in accordance with the anticipated Federal Assault Weapons Ban; the 'Sandy Hook Assault Weapons Ban' will be subject to future modification to achieve and maintain a practical, community-supported ordinance that demonstrates the courage and commitment of this community to lead the way, in a State and Federal Constitutionally-compliant manner"
But it's not clear how many people have signed the ban, or an exact time frame.
Among the businesses displaying the petitions were Demitasse Cafe and Sandy Hook Deli and Catering. However when asked how to sign the petition Sunday, staff there were unsure and did not appear to be collecting signatures.
Speaking to Newtown two days after the shooting, President Obama said he would use "whatever power this office holds" to prevent similar tragedies. Sunday night, more than 300,000 had petitioned Obama on the White House website to limit guns through legislation, with some of the petitions specifically addressing the need for an assault weapons ban.
But tens of thousands more also petitioned the president to not restrict the rights of law abiding gun owners, and more than 9,000 asked that petitions on an assault weapons ban be dissolved as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.
"We hear you," Obama said in a video response. "Now like the majority of Americans, I believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to bear arms. We have a strong tradition of gun ownership that has been handed down from generation to generation. And the fact is, most gun owners in America are responsible."
Obama, who praised many gun owners for wanting to prevent tragedies like Newtown, has called on Congress to take up and pass "common sense legislation that has the support of a majority of the American people," he said.
That would include banning assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips like the kind killer Adam Lanza was carrying in Sandy Hook Elementary School. A Bushmaster XM-15 rifle was recovered at the school along with several hundred rounds of unused ammunition. Police think the 20-year-old who killed himself as police arrived would have continued killing children.
Obama also tasked Vice President Joe Biden with leading the effort to come up with a comprehensive set of proposals to keep children safe. That would include addressing school safety, mental illness, and "a culture that too often glorifies guns and violence."
Biden helped draft the 1994 crime bill that led to the Federal Assault Weapons Ban that year, which expired a decade later. Previous efforts to renew the bill have failed.
Obama said he wants the proposals by January and that he'll do "everything in my power as President to advance these efforts."
An unwavering National Rifle Association said Sunday that not a single new gun regulation would make children safer, that "a media machine" relishes blaming the gun industry for each new attack like the one that occurred at a Connecticut elementary school, and that a White House task force on gun violence may try to undermine the Second Amendment.
"Look, a gun is a tool. The problem is the criminal," said Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the nation's largest gun-rights lobby, said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
On Friday, he asked Congress for money to put a police officer in every school and said at a press conference, "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."
LaPierre said the arming of every single school in America needs to come "before we engage in any lengthy debate over legislation, regulation or anything else," and also before children return to school.
The NRA leader dismissed efforts to revive the assault weapons ban as a "phony piece of legislation" that's built on lies. He made clear it was highly unlikely that the NRA could support any new gun regulations.
"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said Sunday on NBC. "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."
Information from The Associated Press and Hearst Newspapers photographer Joshua Trujillo is included in this report. Casey McNerthney can be reached at email@example.com. Follow Casey on Twitter at twitter.com/mcnerthney. | <urn:uuid:d63084c0-16f4-4813-a1d6-adec1250136e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.norwalkcitizenonline.com/newtownshooting/article/Newtown-residents-petition-for-assault-weapons-ban-4142399.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974777 | 1,059 | 1.585938 | 2 |
They all come home
Effective re-entry programmes can keep ex-prisoners out of jail
JEN KWONG NG was released in June after serving 20 years in a prison in upstate New York. Desperate for work, he reconnected with the old “friends” who had got him into trouble in the first place. He had just met them in the park when his phone rang. It was Harlem's Exodus Transitional Community offering him an internship. “I told my boyz”, remembers Mr Ng, “I gotta go. I gotta go to work.”
Exodus helps ex-prisoners to get back on their feet. The numbers needing help are staggering. One in every 100 American adults is in prison or jail, one in 31 is under correctional supervision—and after their release, most will find themselves back behind bars. According to a new Pew report, 43% of American offenders are returned to state prison within three years of their release. The recidivism rate varies from state to state: 45% in Alaska and just 4.7% in Montana. But of the 301 people who completed the Exodus programme in 2010, only nine went back to prison.
Unless they are offered a good re-entry programme, prospects are bleak for those returning home. Drug and alcohol abuse is the norm, and a quarter of prisoners have mental-health problems. Few have finished high school. Many have bad work histories. And a criminal record reduces the likelihood of employment, by as much as 57% for black applicants.
Most prisoners are released back to their neighbourhoods, but these are often ill equipped to deal with them. East Harlem receives more than its fair share: some 2,200 people are released on parole in Upper Manhattan each year. Within one seven-block stretch—from East 126th Street to 119th Street, dubbed “corridor for re-entry”—one in 20 men have spent time in prison. Exodus lies in the heart of convict alley, says Julio Medina, its founder.
Newark, New Jersey is even bleaker. A quarter of Newark's 280,000 residents have at some point been “involved” with the criminal-justice system. To reverse this, Cory Booker, the mayor, together with the Manhattan Institute, a think-tank, set up the Office of Re-entry, which focuses on work. Former inmates can walk into City Hall and ask for help in getting a job. Since the programme began in 2008, 60% of those who took part in it have managed to find work. Only 10% have reoffended.
Charles Hynes, Brooklyn's district attorney, also sees jobs as essential. Fed up with putting the same people away time after time, in 1999 he created ComAlert (Community and Law Enforcement Resources Together) to act as a bridge between prison and the community for parolees returning to Brooklyn. “We welcome people home,” he says. “And we want to keep them there.”
He joined forces with the Doe Fund's “Ready, Willing and Able” programme, which provides jobs, such as street cleaning, for a weekly stipend. Later on, ex-inmates can train in food preparation or pest control. According to a Harvard study, Com Alert parolees are 30% less likely to be re-arrested than parolees who have not been through the programme.
ComAlert also offers drug treatment and counselling. This is crucial. Nearly a third of state and a quarter of federal prisoners commit crimes while under the influence. The Centre for Court Innovation found that re-arrest rates dropped by 64% for those who had completed at least 90 days of court-ordered drug treatment.
In Hawaii, HOPE (Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement) also focuses on drug treatment. It deters drug use by insisting on regular drug screenings and threatening short stays in jail. Probationers taking part in HOPE are 55% less likely to be arrested for a new crime. Similar schemes are being piloted or considered in Alaska, California and Alabama.
Over the past 30 years, the emphasis in correction supervision has been on surveillance. As a result, the number of people sent back to prison for parole violations increased seven-fold from 1980 to 2000. In 2009 parole violators accounted for a third of all state prison admissions.
Arizona is one of the states trying to do something about this. People on probation there can earn up to 20 days off supervision for every 30 days they show progress and compliance. Since 2008, the number of probationers returning to prison has fallen by 28% and the number with a new felony conviction by 31%. Had the rate of reoffending remained at 2008 levels, Arizona would have had to spend $35.9m in 2010 and up to $3 billion would have been needed to build new prisons.
The cost to taxpayers is enormous. More than $60 billion each year is spent on prisons and jails. A year's stay at a state prison costs about $45,000—Harvard would be cheaper. State correction spending in America has increased over the past 20 years from $10 billion to more than $50 billion. Almost 90% of voters favour reducing prison time and creating a stronger probation and parole system. The Pew report found that if states could reduce their reoffending rates by 10%, more than $635m could be saved in prison costs. One report estimated that New York would save $3.2m for every 100 people who do not return to prison.
In 2008 George Bush signed the Second Chance Act, which hoped to break the cycle of reoffending and, at the same time, increase public safety and rebuild families (more than half of prisoners are parents). But most of the innovation has been at state and local level. A recent report from the Council of State Governments Justice Centre, which highlighted programmes that were working well, argued that adhering to four principles would greatly help to lower costly recidivism rates.
First, the focus should be on the people most likely to re-offend, since early intervention is crucial. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 30% of all re-arrests occur within the first six months of freedom. Second, programmes should be based on scientific evidence and measurable outcomes. With this in mind, the Urban Institute and John Jay College are working to develop a library to compare re-entry practices, programmes and policies. Third, community supervision must improve. Fourth, ex-prisoners must get support in their own neighbourhoods rather than looking to centrally-based institutions.
The principles are not radical. “But they do work,” says Frank Wolf, a Virginia congressman who held congressional hearings about re-entry. That is reassuring, since 95% of people in state prisons will one day return to their communities. | <urn:uuid:f47f6579-faa0-4baa-94ca-b5e8f60f8322> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/node/18587528?story_id=18587528 | 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 | 0.97144 | 1,406 | 2.203125 | 2 |
For the ninth straight year, PennDOT has received a national honor for its support of the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania, which includes Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Day.
The Keep America Beautiful and U.S. Department of Transportation Partner Award recognizes states for their support of litter cleanup programs.
Pennsylvania’s efforts in 2012 collected more than 6.7 million tons of litter from roadways, waterways, shorelines, parks, wetlands, railroad rights-of way, trails and school yards. In addition, since 1990, PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway Program has grown to cover more than 16,000 miles of state-maintained highways. The program currently boasts more than 7,000 participating groups which include over 130,000 volunteers. | <urn:uuid:3234f175-9c22-43b2-b0b2-d622fb16dddb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://venangocountydailynews.com/penndot-earns-national-award-for-great-american-cleanup/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95823 | 158 | 1.976563 | 2 |
M GATES: I think that's an important thing to understand about Bill and me, which is we knew -- even during the time we were engaged, we talked about the fact that this wealth would go back to society. That was a given between us, because we both grew up in families where volunteerism was really important, giving back was really important. And Bill had thought it was going to be later in his career, in his 60s. But once we started getting going in a small way, it builds on itself.
I don't measure success in numbers. But I consider my contribution of more than $1.3 billion to various causes over the years to be one of my proudest accomplishments and the best investment I've ever made
TED TURNER, CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS WHO WON AMERICA'S CUP, MEDIA MOGUL WHO REVOLUTIONIZED TELEVISION NEWS WITH CNN, WHO MARRIED A MOVIE STAR AND WAS INVOLVED WITH THE BIGGEST MEDIA MERGER EVER-- AOL TOGETHER WITH TIME WARNER. WHEN HE WAS SURPRISINGLY FIRED FROM THAT VENTURE, HE REINVENTED HIMSELF WITH A SECOND CAREER AS PHILANTHROPIST---- AND IN 1997, HE STUNNED THE WORLD WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST DONATIONS IN HISTORY, ONE BILLION DOLLARS TO CREATE THE United Nations FOUNDATION.
AMANPOUR: Was it scary to give a third of your wealth away?
TURNER: It is scary because everybody is always afraid that they're going to go broke.
NEVERTHELESS, THESE BUSINESS GIANTS ARE NOT AFRAID TO GIVE BACK IN BIG WAY.
BUFFETT: I've got everything I possibly need. I've never given up a meal, a movie, a vacation trip, anything in my life. And I've got all this huge surplus. I've got a whole bunch of what I call claim checks on society. Little stock certificates. They sit in a box and have been there for 40 years. They can't do anything for me. They can do a lot for other people if intelligently used.
AMANPOUR: you said you won the ovarian lottery. Is that because of opportunity? Was it because of smarts?
BUFFETT: It was being born in America in 1930. I was born in the right country at the right time. Bill Gates has always told me if I had been born, you know, many thousands of years ago, I'd have been some animal's lunch because I can't run very fast, I can't climb trees, and some animal would be chasing me and I say, well, I allocate capital. The animal would say, those are the kind that taste the best. You know?
AMANPOUR: And how did you get your head around not giving it all to your children?
BUFFETT: Well, I just think the idea of dynastic wealth is kind of crazy. The idea that you should be able to do nothing in this world, you know, for the rest of your life and your children and your grandchildren just because you picked the right womb does not really seem to be very American.
AMANPOUR: If you're not giving up anything, are you a do-gooder? Are you a philanthropist?
BUFFETT: I'm somebody doing something that's very logical to me. And I consider the real philanthropist the person who sticks $5.00 in a collection plate this Sunday and can't go to a movie because of it. Plenty of people do that. They actually give up an extra toy for their kids at Christmas by giving that $5.00 or $10.00. I consider somebody like my sister who spends hours every day working to help other people. They're giving away time which is precious.
AMANPOUR: And yet you have called it a moral obligation. | <urn:uuid:e449c411-5979-4795-ab6c-303ad8651197> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/week-transcript-giving-pledge/story?id=12258827&page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975448 | 839 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Former US presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was in Israel this week as the guest of a Jewish organization that is working to reclaim Arab-dominated parts of Jerusalem.
During a visit to several small nascent Jewish neighborhoods on the eastern side of the capital, Huckabee told reporters that from a historical, legal and logical viewpoint, Jerusalem must remain undivided under Israeli rule.
"It is possible for different cultures and people to live together, but it is not necessarily very realistic to expect two governments to operate on the same street," said Huckabee in a not-so-veiled criticism of the US-driven peace process that envisions an Palestinian Arab state with half of Jerusalem as its capital.
Beyond Jerusalem, Huckabee lamented the very idea of Israel making territorial compromises to those who had sworn to destroy it.
"It is a historic reality that...the entire land, was originally intended to be a homeland for the Jewish people," said Huckabee, while not rejecting the idea of a sovereign state somewhere else for the Palestinian Arabs.
"There are many, many places where a homeland for the Palestinians could in fact take place that would be consistent with their roots," he said. "But there is only one place on earth where the Jewish people could have a homeland that is consistent with their roots."
The former Arkansas governor also visited other hotspots around Israel like the rocket-battered southern town of Sderot. Huckabee said that Israel's best hope as far as America's backing is concerned is for fellow Republican John McCain to beat Democratic rival Barack Obama in the upcoming US presidential election.
"McCain has a much stronger view of how Israel must protect itself. There is no naivete on his part about the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program," said Huckabee in a swipe at Obama's stated intention of engaging Iran in formal dialogue and shelving the military option for dealing with the Islamic Republic's defiant nuclear program.
Huckabee also assured Israel that if elected, one of McCain's first moves will be to finally comply with the Jerusalem Embassy Act passed by Congress in 1995 by moving the US embassy to Israel's capital.
Huckabee's whirlwind 48-hour visit was sponsored by the Jerusalem Reclamation Project, the US arm of Ateret Cohanim, an Israeli organization that works unceasingly to purchase Arab-owned properties in Jerusalem and repopulate them with Jews.
Many in Israel saw Huckabee's visit as the first step in a bid to be chosen as McCain's running mate, though Huckabee himself denied that he has vice presidential aspirations. Nevertheless, with strong support among America's Evangelical Christian electorate, Huckabee's name is being tossed around by not a few Republican groups as the best choice for McCain. | <urn:uuid:9a895880-4a36-46d3-9f9e-08a152e2000c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/16949/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970518 | 546 | 1.820313 | 2 |
By Sharon Stevens
St. Louis, MO (KSDK) - The record-setting hot weather causes most of us to perspire. And as sweat evaporates, the skin cools down. But what happens if you can't sweat?
A Hazelwood family has to live with those concerns every day.
The disease, called ectodermal dysplasias, is a rare disorder. Thousands of people have to take extra precautions to stay cool and to stay alive.
Four-year old Zane Higgins loves to play outside with his little sister in the backyard of their Hazelwood home. But when Zane's ears start to turn red, that's a warning sign; it's time to seek cooling.
Both Zane and his mom are affected by ectodermal dysplasias, a genetic disorder that causes defects in hair, teeth, nails and sweat glands.
Zane does not sweat at all; his mother sweats once or twice a year.
"I was made fun of a lot as a kid, but my mom taught me that people make fun becaue they don't understand," said Virginia Higgins, Zane's mother. "So if you make them understand, they won't make fun."
The family shared photos taken in Mascoutah, Illinois last month at the annual "Don't Sweat It Walk" to raise money and awareness about the ailment.
While there's no cure or medical remedy, a protein is being tested on mice and dogs that could make a difference in the future.
On a hot day like the ones our city has been experiencing recently, you'll find some people in the park, but for the Higgins family, a trip to park or even the backyard requires a lot of planning and forethought.
"We use a cooling vest for him. If it's very hot outside we use spray bottles. If we're going to be out for an extended period of time, we wet our clothing," said Virginia Higgins.
Here's how to reach the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias:
P.O. Box 114, 410 East Main Street
Mascoutah, IL 62258-0114.
Web site: www.nfed.org | <urn:uuid:72bb5650-fe72-4760-893a-946ad46ca9ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/327250/3/People-who-cant-sweat-at-risk-during-heat-wave | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965966 | 461 | 2.5625 | 3 |
October 6, 1986 |
Tony Blackson hunched his shoulders against the rain as he sat in his wheelchair on the banks of Dove Lake in Gladwyne, his fishing rod extending from beneath his feet into the brown water. Suddenly, his rod started to tremble, and his companion, Caroline Blume, a student at Episcopal Academy, lifted it out of the water as shouts of "He's caught something!" rose up and down the bank. It was a moon-shaped bluegill, the second gill fish Blackson had caught that morning.
April 18, 1990 |
In the cold, early morning air, Bobby Zwicharowski, 15, and his uncle James Axten of Port Richmond watched the water race downstream and waited. "Take the slack out of your line - it's going out in the current," Axten said. As he did so, Bobby felt a tug, and his fishing rod bent almost double from the struggle going on beneath the water. Just minutes into trout season, which opened at 8 a.m. Saturday, fish were being caught in the recently restocked Pennypack Creek. The creek was also restocked this week by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, and will get another batch of trout next week and the week of May 7. On Saturday, hundreds of colorfully jacketed fishermen in tall rubber boots lined the sandy banks from the waterfall at the Frankford Avenue entrance to Pennypack Park to the point where the winding creek disappears among the bare trees.
May 11, 2011 |
TUNICA, Miss. - The bulging Mississippi River rolled into the fertile Mississippi Delta on Tuesday, threatening to swamp antebellum mansions, wash away shotgun shacks, and destroy fields of cotton, rice, and corn in a flood of historic proportions. The river took aim at one of the most poverty-stricken parts of the country after cresting before daybreak at Memphis just inches short of the record set in 1937. Some low-lying neighborhoods were inundated, but the city's high levees protected much of the rest of Memphis.
May 17, 1993 |
At 7:30 in the morning, just before the Lady Chris pulled away from the dock, many of the Germantown High School students aboard began singing a familiar melody: "The ship set sail for the shore of this uncharted desert isle . . . for a three-hour tour. " For many of these 35 students, most raised on Philadelphia city streets, that song - and Gilligan's Island, the TV show that spawned it - were the only connection they'd had to the open sea. Some of them had never been on a boat before.
July 16, 1986 |
From Art Museum employees encamped amid some of the great artworks of the Western world, to union members torn between principle and putting food on the table, to suicide counselors working overtime, the 16-day city strike continues to take a toll on the collective psyche of municipal employees. The people who have been living inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the last two weeks are reluctant to talk to anybody. A man who in a weary voice answered the museum's phone number after nine or 10 rings couldn't get off the line fast enough.
May 18, 1988 |
When the contestants in the Zurbrugg Open golf tournament meet touring pro Rosie Jones on Monday, they can ask her how to hit a 1-iron or how to cast for spotted brown trout, because Jones likes fishing almost as much as golf. She was sequestered last week at her residence in Hilton Head, S.C., taking her first break of the year after playing in 11 of 12 tournaments, but her agent, Robin Murev, said Jones "travels all the time with her fishing rod. She can tell you about the best fishing holes in the country.
December 17, 2001 |
The best free safety in football, at least according to his coaches and teammates, wasn't sure he would ever get his first interception of the season. Brian Dawkins had been knocking the ball down on plenty of occasions, and creating havoc in the Eagles' blitzing schemes. But that first pick of the year - that took a while. It took until late in the third quarter yesterday at DeadEx Field, host to 84,936 disgruntled Washington fans and home to a team that can officially consider itself a former contender for the NFC East title.
March 21, 1996 |
The people who brought you blood-splashed furs and liberated lobsters have trained their sights on a new target. The fishing rod. And the hands and hearts behind it. The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals this summer will hit Cape May and other coastal spots, lakes and fishing holes around the country, beating the waters for a ban on sport fishing. PETA fish campaign coordinator Tracy Reiman promised that protesters, accompanied by 6-foot mascot "Gill the Fish," will maneuver their boats among fishing craft.
May 31, 1999 |
Forgive Nigel Griffin's fishing buddies. Not much was happening on the banks of the Schuylkill, so Griffin figured it was safe to answer nature's call at a nearby portable toilet. Naturally, that's when the fish paged him - or so he thought. Beep-beep-beep-beep beeeeep! Griffin stumbled out of the fiberglass closet, ready to reel to shore whatever was swimming in the river's cool depths. No such luck. The jerk on the line, he realized, was not in the water, but standing nearby, grinning.
September 12, 1994 |
The breeze, cool and soft, tosses the tassels of marsh weeds growing just behind the beach, then slips across the hard sand and over the water where Robert P. Kessel, 72, stands shin-deep in the thump and hiss of advancing and retreating waves, practicing that ancient, solitary act of gambling, surf fishing. The sun rose less than an hour ago. Now, its reflection stretches toward Kessel across the calm sea in a broad, golden path that seems to head for France, and the sun shines through the thin curling waves as they break, translucent green, in front of Kessel or at his knees, sending up into the air dollops of sea water that splatter on the front of his chest-high rubber waders. | <urn:uuid:bbdbc960-2fa8-4571-9340-7725af22e9d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.philly.com/keyword/fishing-rod/featured/3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97086 | 1,308 | 1.859375 | 2 |
CHINA's criminal justice machine moves relentlessly and predictably. It thus come as no surprise to people who had followed the case that that Xue Feng (pictured above), an American geologist, was convicted on July 5th and sentenced to an eight-year prison term on charges of illegally obtaining state secrets related to the oil industry.
Criminal defendants in China enjoy little in the way of guaranteed access to legal counsel, rights to call their own witnesses, or the opportunity to challenge evidence and testimony against them. Seldom do Chinese criminal-court proceedings end with anything other than a guilty verdict. For the nine years ending in 2006, the national rate of conviction in first-instance criminal cases stood at over 99%.
Its predictable result notwithstanding, Mr Xue's case was far from typical. For one thing, the American ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, was in attendance at Beijing's Number One Intermediate People's Court when the sentence was announced. For another, the wheels of justice turned more slowly than usual this time. The verdict came down more than 31 months after Mr Xue's initial detention in November 2007, after numerous false starts and postponements, in apparent violation of China's own laws governing the time allowed for prosecutors to conclude a case.
Mr Xue's family alleges that he was repeatedly beaten and tortured while in official custody—they say that police stubbed out cigarettes on his bare arms. Sadly the scenes they describe are all too common in cases like his.
Mr Huntsman's presence at the sentencing was a clear indication of the American government's interest in the case, but it was not the first. During an official visit to Beijing last November, Barack Obama quietly raised Mr Xue's case with Chinese leaders. Months earlier, American officials had been denied permission to send consular officials to observe court proceedings against him, again in violation of China's own laws.
According to the Associated Press, which first broke the news of this case, American officials were in doubt as to the wisdom of advocating more publicly on behalf of Mr Xue. Upon finally gaining consular access to American officials, Mr Xue told them he favoured a public campaign for his release. But officials were persuaded against this by Mr Xue's wife, who still lives in the United States. She argued that such a campaign might both harm his chances for release and endanger members of her family who live in China.
Born in China, Mr Xue was educated and later took citizenship in America. He ran afoul of Chinese law after arranging the purchase of a database on China's commercial oil industry on behalf of his American employer, an energy-consulting firm.
What counts as a state secret in China is notoriously murky and arbitrarily enforced. In another recent case an Australian citizen of Chinese origin was charged with violating state secrets for passing along commercial information related to the iron-ore market. Stern Hu had been employed by Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian mining giant.
Despite frequent and vocal representations made by Australia's government on Mr Hu's behalf, he was convicted on charges of bribery and violating trade secrecy, and sentenced in March to a prison terms of ten years. According to some of the Australians who have followed Mr Hu's case most closely, there are indications that he did indeed violate Chinese law. Though Australia's government failed to keep Mr Hu out of jail, its efforts to publicise his case may have benefited him in some measure. It seems that he at least has not been tortured. | <urn:uuid:11c32c11-7635-4f7e-9a3c-49e3ba750e00> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/comment/589798 | 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 | 0.981145 | 698 | 1.9375 | 2 |
LONDON - Daredevil dancers have sky-walked, bungee-jumped, and tumbled across some of the British capital's best-known landmarks ahead of the Olympic Games.
The performance — called "Surprises: Streb" — saw red-suited acrobats bounce up and down like yo-yos from London's futuristic Millennium Bridge, while others walked across the roof of London's glass-domed city hall.
At the 17th-century stone column known as The Monument, performers spun around in what appeared to be a giant hamster wheel.
And at Trafalgar Square, a group of dancers wowed tourists with delicate manoeuvrs on a gently rotating ladder.
Sunday's eye-catching series of events is part of London's Cultural Olympiad, a celebration of film, music, theatre and other art which is coinciding with the games due to begin July 27. | <urn:uuid:e1228976-680e-4999-8d75-592bb56193a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.estevanmercury.ca/article/GB/20120715/CP17/307159973/0/estmercury07/daredevils-jump-off-dance-across-and-tumble-through-london&template=cpArt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94226 | 186 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The Adventure web site explores the many facets of economic growth with stories, fun facts, an illustrated timeline, an animated game, and a variety of projects and activities. Everything is drawn from New England's history, which is particularly well suited to illustrate how growth occurs. Why is the "growth" lesson important? Understanding how the economy grows gives us perspective for making sound personal decisions, not only about saving, spending, and investing, but also about things like education, housing, and jobs. And these decisions shape our lives and impact our well-being, both as individuals and collectively as participants in the local, national, and global economies.
So, come invest yourself in history and let the adventure begin! | <urn:uuid:a98bb6b3-ca86-4e36-abbe-f3fede33a518> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economicadventure.org/index.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 | 0.949008 | 142 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Scott A. Elrod of Angelton recently received U.S. Patent 8,066,939 for “Descenting Methods.”
Texas Business Patent of the Day: Do you smell like fish after fishing and cleaning fish? A Brazoria County man devised a way to unstink your stink.
Scott A. Elrod of Angelton recently received U.S. Patent 8,066,939 for “Descenting Methods.”
Elrod applied for the patent on February 24, 210.
The patent assignee is Parah LLC of Angleton.
Elrod’s invention is directed to descenting systems and methods; in certain aspects, to such systems and methods for facilitating human/animal encounters and activities; and in other aspects to methods and systems for reducing or eliminating human odors that are detectable by animals, according to the patent document.
The invention relates to a method of descenting the clothes and apparatus of sportsmen, both professional, non professional, military personnel, bikers, campers and others.
A method is provided for reducing or removing human scent and any other scent that is not advantageous in an environment from clothing and equipment of hunters and fish odors from fishermen utilizing an oxidizing agent which is ozone and/or a combination of hydroxyl and hydroperoxide ions.
More particularly, there is provided a method of reducing or removing human scent and any other scent in a space between a human and an animal that is not advantageous in an environment, including scents emitting from human breath, human bodies, and from clothing and equipment, the methods utilizing an oxidizing agent which is, e.g., ozone and/or a combination of hydroxyl and hydroperoxide ions.
Hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and wildlife photographers all have an interest in attracting wildlife, such as, but not limited to, deer; and/or an interest in not being detected by animals. Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell to react with their surrounding environment, including to sense danger, interact with other deer and find food.
Scents that are not a natural part of the environment will often function as a warning to deer, which may result in the deer being spooked and running from the unnatural scent.
Human breath and foot odor also will warn animals.
Some of these compounds are the result of bacteria reacting with body emanations, while other compounds directly emanate from humans. Other compounds emanated from humans can include pheromones, deodorants and perfumes as well as the detergents, perfumes, scents, and additives left on human clothes.
While it is not known which specific compound or blends of compounds emanating from humans are identified by an animal as human, there is currently no effective way to eliminate or reduce odors from humans and from clothing and equipment enough to reduce the odors to inhibit detection by wildlife or effectively attract wildlife.
Persons interested in preventing detection by deer detecting human odors or interested in attracting deer often use masks, attractants, or cover scents to prevent alerting and spooking the deer. Some commonly used masks are carbon sprays which, in addition to being dangerous to inhale and which can irritate skin, become ineffective once dry.
Many of the attractants contain deer urine or estrous, which besides being offensive to the human user, have limited shelf life and are generally ineffective since especially the estrous tend to occur naturally only in certain seasons. Cover scents such as fruit extracts or fragrances last a short time and are often so over-powering that the deer easily identifies the smell as unnatural and runs.
The use of descenting soaps and shampoos is messy, time-consuming, often skin irritating, often ineffective and does not address breath odor. Breath descenting using herbs are generally distasteful, and face masks containing carbons or sieves are extremely uncomfortable.
More recently, the use of clothing containing activated carbons and/or clothing containing bacteria killing metals such as silver has gained some popularity. However, activated carbon has a very low capacity for odorants and requires temperatures preferably above 400 degrees C., more preferably above 600 degrees C. to regenerate the carbon.
These temperatures are well beyond temperature (100 C to 120 C) that a conventional gas or electric clothes dryer is capable of achieving. Placement of clothing in ovens capable of achieving 400 C plus temperatures needed to regenerate the carbon can damage the fabric of a garment. Silver or other metal-containing clothing requires direct contact of the metal with the bacteria to be effective, which is almost never the case since the clothing would then be so restricting as to be uncomfortable. These types of clothing are also expensive and do not address human odors such as those in human breath, nor do they address any of the odors emanating from the foot or any exposed part of the skin like the head and hands.
It has now been discovered that gaseous ozone effectively kills bacteria and reduces or eliminates odors emanating from humans as well as odors contained in clothing worn by hunters. The advantages of ozone over other known masking and descenting methods include the facts that: ozone is a gas that eliminates odors emanating from a person such as a hunter and from personal equipment and can eliminate odors in a space between a person and an animal; and ozone is completely natural to the environment and leaves behind a very pleasant clean smell that wildlife and humans readily recognize, such as after a lightning storm.
Known ozone generators include electrical discharge, UV light, and combinations thereof. The generator may be battery operated, operated with a car adaptor, and/or may be operated with AC current. The AC current may be supplied directly from an electrical outlet, or may be supplied using a portable generator.
Ozone is well known to treat odorous air, microorganisms, bacteria, mold, smoke, aromatic hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds Ozone is often used to descent hunters’ clothing and other personal effects to be worn or carried on a hunting trip. In this case, the hunter, the clothing or personal effects are placed in a container, a portable enclosure, or a special descenting closet or room located, e.g., in a lodge or cabin in which the hunter is staying.
As soon as the hunter leaves the building and enters a vehicle, or passes a moving vehicle, or begins to sweat, any prior descenting is of little value.
Animals have an acute sense of smell and are capable of recognizing a human scent or any other scent that is not advantageous in that environment at long distances. To avoid such recognition a hunter will attempt to stay down wind of the animal being hunted. Certain known methods used by hunters to trick animals are to mask the human odor utilizing a carbon spray or cover spray scents or an animal scent. Unfortunately the animal scents which are utilized, are obnoxious and linger on the clothing for long periods of time and often do not mask out human scents. Some of the scents utilized include animal urine. A hunter who is camping overnight does not desire the animal scents to be carried over to bedtime, home or car.
There are other drawbacks in utilizing animal scents or any other scents. The scent may attract a predator of the game which the hunter is not hunting for which the hunter may not be prepared to encounter. Containers containing food, beverages, or any other substance emit scents readily recognizable to animals that may not be masked by animal scents or may not be natural to a given environment. Female hikers, campers, hunters, etc. can emit a readily recognizable scent to animals from menstruation that may not be masked by animal scents. Also, the weapon used by the hunter has an odor recognizable by some animals which cannot be disguised with a scent.
Fishermen have the problem of fish odor on their hands and clothes which is difficult to remove. For fishermen camping overnight the fish odor is not only undesirable because of the odor but can also attract animals such as bears which the fishermen is not prepared to meet.
Hunters have prepared their clothing before hand by washing to remove prior scents and/or human odor. The washing materials may also leave an odor. However, out in the field the hunter can sweat and permeate the clothing with a human scent. It would be desirable to deodorize clothing during a hunt or while on a fishing trip.
Elrod’s invention, in certain aspects, is directed to systems and methods which use gaseous ozone to kill bacteria and reduce or eliminate odors emanating from humans, e.g. in breath or from skin, as well as odors in clothing worn by a person that are volatilized into the air space between the human and the wildlife to prevent wildlife from detecting the presence of humans and/or to enhance encounters with and the attraction of wildlife. One embodiment is directed to wearing or carrying a portable ozone generator while walking, waiting for, or engaging in attracting wildlife. Another embodiment is directed to wearing or carrying a portable ozone generator while engaging in an activity such as walking, waiting for wildlife, or engaging in preventing wildlife from detecting the presence of humans.
Another embodiment is directed to clothing incorporating or combined with ozone directing apparatus or devices. Yet another embodiment is directed to the treatment of clothing--e.g. directly with ozone, prior to or while being worn--to enhance the attraction of wildlife. Yet another embodiment is directed to the use of gaseous ozone in or around a tent, site, or blind to reduce or eliminate odors to enhance the attraction of wildlife, for example, for hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and wildlife photographers. Yet another embodiment is directed to the use of gaseous ozone in or around a tent, site, or blind to reduce or eliminate odors to prevent the detection of humans by wildlife, e.g., for hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, and wildlife photographers.
The invention relates to a method for deodorizing the clothing and apparatus of sportsmen, professional or non professional. More particularly, there are provided methods for reducing or eliminating human scent or any other foreign scent from clothing etc.; and there are provided methods for removing human scent or any other foreign scent (collectively "foreign scents") from items and/or clothing, e.g. clothing used by hunters before or during a hunt--through the use of ozone or hydroxyl and hydroperoxide ions produced by ionization in a manner that would not cause irritation or injury to the user or equipment. Also, there is provided a method for removing fish odor from fishermen and their clothing and equipment while in the field including lures, tackle boxes and containers. The principal objective of the invention is the provision of a method for effectively removing human scent from clothing used by sportsmen.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method for military personnel to escape detection by other humans or by scent animals (e.g., scent dogs). In certain particular aspects the present invention provides methods for reducing or eliminating human or any other foreign scent from items, e.g. from clothing and equipment, used by military personnel desiring to evade detection or capture--through the use of ozone or ozone with hydroxyl and hydroperoxide ions produced by ionization in a manner that would not cause irritation or injury to the user or equipment. | <urn:uuid:d9a26bbd-0401-45d5-b1d2-c54298b48a03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.texasbusiness.com/patent-to-unstink-the-stink--cms-7345 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947388 | 2,321 | 1.789063 | 2 |
All | Editorial | General Tech | Graphics Cards | Networking | Motherboards | Cases and Cooling | Processors | Chipsets | Memory | Displays | Systems | Storage | Mobile | Shows and Expos
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 30, 2005 - 06:33 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
The SETI League has posted instructions on how to do it! The diagram has links to pages containing specifics.
This site shows how you can set up your own SETI receiving station using nothing more than an old C-band satellite TV dish, general coverage receiver and your PC. With it, you can also do radio astronomy as well. Can't beat that!
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 30, 2005 - 06:16 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Maybe you won't be able to get the latest and greatest game titles the same day as your friends running Windows, but as Phoronix found out, when they do release them for Linux, Ageia PhsyX will work.
"For nearly a year Ageia has been making headlines with its innovative physics technology that they hope will revolutionize game-play not only for PC games but also console platforms such as Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 30, 2005 - 06:09 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
The Tech Zone has posted a guide on assembling a laptop that will game as well as full tower PC's. If you follow their advice, the only technical difficulty you might have at a LAN party would be your battery dying.
"Gone are the days when you would have been laughed at if you walked into an all-night LAN party carrying your trusty laptop and expecting to hang with the giant computer towers standing at everyone's feet.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 30, 2005 - 11:38 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
HONG KONG, Sept. 27, 2005 — Cisco Systems® and Intel Corporation today announced a collaborative effort to support EPCglobal Hong Kong's EPCnetwork initiative to bring end-to-end supply chain visibility to the Pan Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 29, 2005 - 06:46 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Techspot has their own High End PC component guide up, in case you wanted a second opinion after looking at Ryan's Hardware Leaderboard. Or I suppose you could pick up one of the new offerings from Dell, and have it all together when you pick it up.
"Back like a bad RMA request, TechSpot's High-end PC builders' guide takes another stab at fabricating the finest custom PC possible.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 29, 2005 - 02:44 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Hi-Techreviews takes a look at the Thermalright SI-120. This is the follow up to the XP-120, and fits on almost any AMD chip, and with a LGA 775 RM you can put it into an Intel system, assuming your motherboard can fit it in.
"When the XP-120 heatsink was released it became an immediate success with people singing its praises in forums here in the states and abroad. Yet as good as it was there was one thing that made it far from perfect and that was its failure to fit on a large number of motherboards.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 28, 2005 - 06:01 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Want to overclock your SFF PC, or just put 2 gigs of high speed Corsair memory in it to improve performance? Shuttle and SilverStone thinks you should be able to, and so do the guys at hardCOREware!
There's no question who rules the prebuilt SFF system market. Shuttle was the first true innovator, and haven't rested since taking over.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 28, 2005 - 02:42 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
At 4.5 inches tall, the Ultra Fire Heatpipe AMD CPU Cooler may not fit in every case, but it is certainly compatible with sockets,
370, 462, 754, 939, and 940 are all supported. PimpRig puts it and it's dual 80mm fan design to the test! It's not quite as good as watercooling yet, so if you have your heart set on the lowest heat, look below.
"Not to call Ultra liars but I wanted to see how heavy this heatpipe really was.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 27, 2005 - 04:11 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Don't just build a replica of R2-D2, make him useful too! Head on over to PimpRig to see all the pics.
"One of our forum regulars, TheGreatSatan, has completed his amazing R2-D2 project.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 27, 2005 - 03:19 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Not only is Corsair's Xpert TWINXP1024-3200XL DDR fast RAM, but it has programmable LED lights. If you long for the days when red scrolling LED signs were everywhere, now you can get some for your PC, just like ModTheBox did.
"Included with the Xpert TWINXP1024-3200XL DDR Memory modules are two matching 10-digit alphanumeric displays. Each display consists of a small PCB with identical 34-pin connectors.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 26, 2005 - 11:33 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
ThermalTake's Bigwater SE is a 120mm Fan & Radiator, a copper waterblock, a 12V pump and a 5.25" drive bay tank. It might not be quite as easy to install as it's predecessor, but it is cheaper, and as Tweaknews discovers it cools pretty well.
"Some time ago, Thermaltake entered this market with a complete system they called Bigwater. Recently, Thermaltake introduced their next generation successor to the Bigwater liquid cooling system.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 23, 2005 - 07:31 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Whether you want ultra quiet, ultra powerful, or a compromise between those 2 extremes, one of the 3 fans reviewed by Overclockers Online will probably be exactly what you are looking for.
"As we can see in the testing numbers there is not a huge difference between the three models and because of this there is no single winner.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 23, 2005 - 03:00 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
It's friday, sit back, relax and shoot some ducks with the BFG9000. Even better, if you figure out how, you can convince the dog that laughing at you isn't exactly the best idea.
"Some cool folks have combined the classic NES game Duck Hunt with Doom. Duck Doom Deluxe is an updated version of the 2004 Duck Doom. I've been playing this game quite often recently and it is highly addictive. The objective is simple.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 22, 2005 - 07:25 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Futurelooks has posted a very simple and easy to understand guide on inexpensive upgrades that can keep your computer running. If you are wondering where to start when upgrading an older PC, give it a read!
"The cruel reality of the personal tech revolution is that to keep up with the virtual Joneses, you have to upgrade your hardware and software about every two years. Nowadays, no one wants to spend several grand on a new system.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 22, 2005 - 03:39 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
3DXtreme reviews 2 of Aerocools latest cases, the Masstige which resembles a slightly scaled down CM Stacker, and the AeroEngine II, that bears a striking resemblance to a light weight ThermalTake Armor. Check out the review to see how they compare to the originals.
"Today 3DXtreme is proud to present our latest review of the AeroCool Masstige and AeroEngine II Cases. We've been privileged to review some of AeroCool's newest hardware and they've never failed to impress us.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 21, 2005 - 11:57 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Start your overclocking, t'is the season to squeeze some extra heat out of your PC, and start thinking about what you want other people to buy you. The Guru of 3D has his hands on a Thermaltake Tai Chi, another giant heatsink that has been hollowed out and sold as a PC case. If you can afford it, this case will not dissapoint.
"Thermaltake recently released a new PC case.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 19, 2005 - 12:14 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
With the size of components shrinking, the size of the cooling seems apparatus to grow. With the norm quickly becoming huge heatsinks, 120mm fans, oversized videocards, or a radiator and waterpump, the size of your case can become an issue. Gamepyre reviews the Lian Li PC76, a huge case, 24.79'(D) x 10.43'(W) x 22'(H), that should fit just about anyhing you want in it.
"After our exhaustive tour-de-force, there's one thing we've got to say about this case — it's big, really big — you wo
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 16, 2005 - 12:01 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Titan's Robela Water Case is a simple watercooling solution, that will net you some good temperatures. As just about everything is built right into it, you get to worry less about jumping into watercooling to see what it is all about. The folks over at hi-techreviews show you just what this case is made of.
"What do you get when you take a full-size tower case and turn one side-panel of it into a radiator with two 120mm fans mounted on it? You get the new Titan Robela Water Case.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 14, 2005 - 12:22 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
SystemCooling reviews the ThermalRight SI 120, a much more compatible version of the XP 120, with almost no performance difference. If you want your A64 to run at under 40C, but couldn't fit the XP 120 into your PC, then this may be the cooler for you.
"The new Thermalright SI-120 heatsink is a redesigned XP-120 that offers greater motherboard compatibility while still accommodating a 120mm fan of your choice.
Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 12, 2005 - 12:17 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Miss one Monday, and a dozen new reviews come out. First up today we have the MGE Titanium at Think Computers, a case that seems to incorporate every new innovation in case design from the past year into one case. It is roomy, it still has enough space for a watercooling setup, and all that, and a price tag around the $100 mark. If that's not the case you're looking for, there are almost 20 other reviews to choose from!
'Pre-mod computer cases, it se | <urn:uuid:7af59826-5526-44c7-8df9-51080d54e9d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcper.com/news/cases-and-cooling?page=76 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933616 | 2,367 | 1.53125 | 2 |
If you’re on the roads, bear police tips in mind
In advance of expected heavy snow in Hertfordshire today, the county’s police force has restated general guidance to drivers to help them prepare for tricky conditions on the roadcs.
Motorists are being advised to prepare for disruption and to avoid making non-essential journeys. If planning to drive, be prepared for the journey to take longer than usual and take extreme care.
Ensure you are wearing sensible and warm clothing and footwear, and if you are travelling by car, you should be prepared for a breakdown and carry extra provisions such as a flask of hot drink, food, blankets and a shovel.
Drivers are reminded that should there be a need to abandon their vehicle, and it is causing an obstruction or is in a dangerous position, it may be removed and the owner will have to pay the removal and storage charges. Abandoned cars have to be removed before ploughing and additional gritting can take place and this cannot be done where cars are obstructing the highway.
Drive extremely carefully when the roads are icy. Avoid sudden actions as these could cause loss of control. You should:
> Drive at a slow speed in as high a gear as possible; accelerate and brake very gently
> Drive particularly slowly on bends where loss of control is more likely. Brake progressively on the straight before you reach a bend. Having slowed down, steer smoothly round the bend, avoiding sudden actions
> Check your grip on the road surface when there is snow or ice by choosing a safe place to brake gently. If the steering feels unresponsive this may indicate ice and your vehicle losing its grip on the road. When travelling on ice, tyres make virtually no noise.
> Drivers are also advised to ensure they have sufficient fuel for their journey and that their screen wash is topped up to ensure they can clear the windscreen whilst driving.
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Sunday 26 May 2013
Temperature: 6 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
Temperature: 7 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South west | <urn:uuid:2e37f016-cfbd-40bc-840c-16d0f73d7f67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.berkhamstedtoday.co.uk/news/if-you-re-on-the-roads-bear-police-tips-in-mind-1-4697196 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947694 | 456 | 1.734375 | 2 |
working time / workload
This guidance document includes both a detailed summary of teachers’ conditions of service, as set out in the STPCD, as well as NUT policy and advice.
Teachers' workload has been a constant theme of discussion throughout 2002, but no previous study has focussed _ as this one does – on the relationship between teacher workload and class size.
The briefing provides advice and guidance on defending leave of absence arrangements
This guidance explains the contractual changes which came into effect on 1st September 2005 whereby teachers can no longer be required to invigilate external examinations. It includes FAQs on exam invigilation.
Consultation on proposed changes to ensure compliance with school teachers’ Pay and Conditions document
This document provides detailed information on how the Government is proposing to ensure compliance with all elements of the STPCD.
This leaflet provides up-dated advice and protection to members on excessive demands for planning which draws on the practical experience of NUT members in schools.
This document provides practical guidelines which could be used by NUT school representatives to press for the development of a whole-school policy on planning.
The ballot of members in the autumn of 2006 showed overwhelming support for the NUT’s workload guidelines. The guidelines document ‘Teachers’ Workload and Working Time Policy’ was sent to all NUT representatives before the ballot and a summary document was sent to the home addresses of members.
The guidance for head teachers is aimed at helping head teachers to provide a healthy work environment. It includes:
This guidance is intended to assist NUT members in 6th form colleges in achieving improvements to workload and working time arrangements in their colleges. | <urn:uuid:7bc4c49c-4a9d-45c9-ac4d-12c58028bb27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.teachers.org.uk/taxonomy/term/353 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945302 | 346 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Something strange and wonderful happens when light enters a dark space through a tiny opening. Aristotle described the phenomenon back in the fourth century B.C. Leonardo in Renaissance Italy sketched the process. In Coney Island and other 19th-century seaside resorts, tourists lined up to see the magical results. Shift to a Boston classroom, the year 1988. Cuban-born Abelardo Morell, teaching an introductory photography course at an art college, was curious to step back in time. On a sunny day, he covered the classroom windows with black plastic, making the space as dark as a cave, cut a dime-size hole in the material, and told his students to watch. Almost instantly the back wall came alive like a movie screen, its surface covered with a fuzzy image of people and cars moving along Huntington Avenue outside. Then the double take: The image was upside down, sky on floor, ground on ceiling, the laws of gravity seemingly gone haywire.
Morell had turned his classroom into a camera obscura, a dark chamber, the Latin name for perhaps the earliest known imaging device and the ancestor of the photographic camera.
Explaining the optical principle behind the device is probably the most complicated thing about it. A camera obscura receives images just like the human eye—through a small opening and upside down. Light from outside enters the hole at an angle, the rays reflected from tops of objects, like trees, coursing downward, and those from the lower plane, say flowers, traveling upward, the rays crossing inside the dark space and forming an inverted image. It seems like a miracle, or a hustler's trick, but it's high school physics. The brain automatically rights the eye's image; in a regular camera a mirror flips the image.
A portable version of the camera obscura—the chamber was now a box, the hole was fitted with a lens—first became popular in the 17th century and was adapted by painters like Johannes Vermeer and Canaletto as a drawing aid. Scientists used it to observe solar eclipses, just as children do today with pinhole cameras made from shoe boxes. To capture a projected image, innovators in the early 1800s began inserting chemically treated paper or metal plates at the back of the boxy camera obscura, and the art of photography was born.
For Morell, a professor of photography, that day in the classroom was a revelation. "When I saw how these savvy, techie students were charmed and disarmed by the image on the wall, I knew this was something very potent."
His first project, conceived as a teaching aid, was to photograph the process itself. The result was "Light Bulb" from 1991. Using simple household materials, Morell illustrated the shape-shifting workings of a pinhole camera, conveying with the elegance of a Dutch still life how a photographic image forms.
Morell next set the challenge of photographing the apparition-like image that forms inside a room that's been turned into a camera obscura. To his knowledge this had never been done before. It took months to engineer the technique, to figure out the right size of hole to allow both brightness and sharpness and to determine the right exposure time, for detail to emerge on film. Then he had to choose a room—with a view.
Morell's breakthrough came in his own house in Quincy, a Boston suburb. He set his large-format view camera on a tripod in his son's bedroom, with only a pinprick of light entering, and opened the shutter. He left the room and waited. For eight hours. The result was mesmerizing. The developed picture showed inverted trees and houses from across the street hovering over the boy's toys like a scene from a fairy tale. "I was giddy," Morell said. "It felt like the moment photography was invented."
From that eureka moment, Morell has gone on to produce with his camera obscura one of the most original and enthralling bodies of work in contemporary photography. His views range from brazen New York City panoramas to warm Italian vistas. A few years ago he switched to color, enjoying its intensity, and began turning images right-side up with a prism.
Replacing film with a digital sensor, which is more light sensitive, he cut exposure times from hours to minutes, permitting him to capture clouds, shadows, and other fleeting atmospherics. He is most excited about his work with a floorless tent, a portable camera obscura that he takes to rooftops or parks or city streets to project images directly onto the ground, giving his latest photos a rough-textured grandeur.
"I want to refresh how people see the world," says Morell. Melting boundaries between landscape and dreamscape, his images wake up our eyes. | <urn:uuid:604a4a7a-9970-406a-a6b1-ce6eb4e8ce9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/05/camera-obscura/oneill-text | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971963 | 990 | 3.8125 | 4 |
European banks are “grossly under- capitalized” and the debt crisis is more serious for the region than the 2008 meltdown as governments are constrained by fiscal pressures, former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said.
“In 2008, governments could intervene to sort out the problems of banks,” Brown said at the World Economic Forum in the Chinese port city of Dalian today. “In 2011, banks have problems, but so too do governments.”
Investor skittishness over Europe’s sovereign debt crisis raised lenders’ funding costs and caused a rout in the region’s banking stocks this month. European Central Bank President Jean- Claude Trichet pressed euro-area governments late yesterday to take decisive action to restore confidence after the ECB extended an emergency lifeline to lenders.
Brown said that while the ECB is part of the short-term solution, it needs additional assistance.
The European Financial Stabilization Mechanism, which is run by the European Union’s 27-nation executive arm, is “not enough,” Brown said. “Substantially more resources” are required, including from the International Monetary Fund and lenders including China, he said....
“European banks as a whole are grossly under- capitalized,” Brown said. “We’ve now got the interplay between banks that are not properly capitalized and sovereign debt problems that have arisen partly because we’ve socialized or accepted responsibility for the banks’ liabilities.”With this background in mind, a quick review of the FDR Framework and how it could restore confidence and help to address the bank and country solvency problems in Europe is useful.
The FDR Framework gets its name from both the President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose administration introduced the philosophy of disclosure to the capital markets and from the framework's focus on financial disclosure requirements.
FDR introduced disclosure of all the useful, relevant information in an appropriate, timely manner to accomplish two linked goals. First, to restore confidence in the markets. Second, to keep the government out of making investment recommendations. Disclosure achieves both of these goals because it allows market participants to analyze the information disclosed for themselves to assess the risk and reward of any investment.
There was one part of the financial system that disclosure could not be introduced to: banking. Simply put, without access to 21st century information technology, it is not possible to disclose to all market participants each bank's current asset and liability-level data (all the useful, relevant information) in an appropriate, timely manner.
Instead, his administration set up a system where the government both regulated and supervised the banks. Included in bank supervision was the idea of bank examiners having access to and looking at the current asset and liability-level data 24/7/365.
Unfortunately, the lack of disclosure also meant that the market participants were dependent on the bank regulators to properly analyze the risk of each bank and convey it to the market.
Besides the historically opaque banks, there was another source of opacity in the financial system. That source was Wall Street and the products it developed. As Yves Smith observed on NakedCapitalism, no one on Wall Street was paid for developing low margin, transparent products.
Examples of opaque products Wall Street developed include structured finance securities and exchange traded funds. While both are conceptually simple, that was before Wall Street engineered opacity into the information needed to value these products. Neither of these products provide investors with all the useful, relevant information on the underlying "assets" in an appropriate, timely manner so that investors can value the product.
The FDR Framework is the backbone for a financial system based on using 21st century information technology both to facilitate disclosure and the analysis of the disclosure.
Under this framework, governments are responsible for ensuring that every market participants can access all the useful, relevant information in an appropriate, timely manner. This includes current asset and liability-level data for banks.
Under this framework, market participants have an incentive to assess each investment using the disclosed information because, under the principle of caveat emptor, they are responsible for any gains or losses on the investment.
Previously, this blog discussed how using the FDR Framework, policymakers and regulators in Europe could restore confidence and address the issue of bank and sovereign solvency. This involves two steps.
Step one is for the policymakers and regulators to issue a statement that describes what the actual condition of each bank is providing as needed the hard facts to back up the analysis (this is something that Societe Generale did recently in a bid to restore confidence).
Step two is for the policymakers and regulators to promise and implement utter transparency (set up a data warehouse where all market participants can access the current asset and liability-level data for each bank).
Setting up this data warehouse is critically important, because market participants will put far more faith in the analysis if they see that the data is going to be released that confirms or debunks the analysis. The market is likely to give the analysis the benefit of the doubt because not releasing the data suggest there is something to hide. | <urn:uuid:6d4d0602-6cd0-47cd-baf5-4b6c1ed2a2db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tyillc.blogspot.com/2011/09/fdr-framework-101.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941711 | 1,050 | 2 | 2 |
Prayerfully study Alma 11:40–45; 40; and 3 Nephi 11:1–17. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,” p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.)
Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.
A Book of Mormon for each child.
A glove or stocking.
Pictures 4-49, The Resurrected Jesus Christ (Gospel Art Picture Kit 239; 62187), and 4-45, Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere (Gospel Art Picture Kit 316; 62380).
Suggested Lesson Development
Invite a child to give the opening prayer.
(If no glove or stocking is available, you might use enrichment activity 2 as the attention activity.)
Hold up your hand, and explain that it represents the spirit that is inside our bodies. The hand can move. Hold up the glove (stocking), and explain that it represents the physical body. When we are born, the spirit and the body are temporarily joined together, and the spirit gives the body life. The body cannot move by itself. But just like when the glove is placed on the hand, the body becomes alive and can move when the spirit enters it. (Put the glove on your hand.) We all have a spirit and a body. Explain that when we die, the spirit separates from the body. (Remove the glove from your hand.) Can a body move or live without the spirit? After we die, is the spirit still alive and can it move? (Move your hand and fingers to illustrate.) At the time of the Resurrection the body and spirit are reunited. (Place the glove back on your hand.) Everyone who lives on the earth will be resurrected after death. Jesus Christ was the only one who could make resurrection possible for us. (Adapted from Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Apr. 1973, pp. 79–80; or Ensign, May 1973, pp. 51–53.)
What does it mean to be a witness? (A witness is a person or thing that gives evidence or testifies of facts.) The New Testament in the Bible is a written witness that Jesus Christ was resurrected and brought resurrection to all people. What book is a second written witness of the Resurrection?
Teach the Book of Mormon accounts from Alma 11:40–45; 40; and 3 Nephi 11:1–17 about the Resurrection. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture accounts, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Emphasize that the Book of Mormon is a written witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Use the pictures at appropriate times.
Discussion and Application Questions
Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson. Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures.
How did Jesus Christ die? (Luke 23:33; 2 Nephi 10:3.) Help the children understand that because of his great love for us, Jesus Christ volunteered in premortality to be our Savior. He knew he had to die for Heavenly Father’s plan to work for us.
What happened to Jesus Christ on the third day after he died? (1 Corinthians 15:4; Mosiah 3:10.) Where was his spirit for those three days? (1 Peter 3:18–19; D&C 138:11–12, 18.) Where do our spirits go after we die? (Alma 40:12.)
How did the people in Jerusalem know Jesus Christ was resurrected? (1 Corinthians 15:5–7.) How did the Nephites, who lived in America, know Jesus Christ was resurrected? (3 Nephi 11:8–10.) When the Nephites first saw Jesus Christ, what did they think he was? (3 Nephi 11:8.) Why did Jesus want the Nephites to touch the prints of the nails in his hands and feet? (3 Nephi 11:14–15.) How would you have felt if you had been among those who saw the resurrected Christ?
How can you know Jesus Christ was resurrected? (By seeking and gaining a testimony.)
What was the Savior’s resurrected body like when he visited the Nephites? (3 Nephi 11:15.)
Who else will be resurrected? (1 Corinthians 15:20–22; Alma 40:4.) What will our bodies be like when we are resurrected? (Alma 11:43–45; 40:23.) You might mention that any disabilities or infirmities we might have will be for this earth life only. We will be made whole and perfect in the Resurrection.
How is the Book of Mormon a scriptural witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Why does Heavenly Father want us to have both the Bible and the Book of Mormon? (2 Nephi 29:8.)
Since most of us have not seen the resurrected Jesus Christ as the Apostles and the Nephites did, how can we gain a knowledge of the Resurrection? (From the scriptures and the Holy Ghost. [See Moroni 10:4–5.])
You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.
Explain that Jesus Christ wants each of us to know that he was resurrected and is still alive today. Ask the children why they think Jesus wants us to know this. Their answers might be similar to the following ones:
To give us the peace of knowing that after death we continue to live and that one day our bodies will reunite with our spirits.
To motivate us to obey the commandments so we can be truly happy and live with Heavenly Father in the next life.
To comfort us with the knowledge that when someone we love dies, he or she will one day live again.
Write on the chalkboard a word that brings to mind a recent news story or a newspaper headline. Explain your interest in the story. Ask the children what they think is the greatest news ever announced to the world. List the children’s responses on the chalkboard. Discuss what would be different if these events had never occurred. Why is the news that Jesus Christ was resurrected the greatest news ever told? What would happen if the Resurrection had not occurred? Read and discuss 2 Nephi 9:19–22.
Sing or read the words to
“He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, p. 34), “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (Children’s Songbook, p. 64), or “Jesus Has Risen” (Children’s Songbook, p. 70).
Testify that the Book of Mormon is a scriptural witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Testify that because of the Savior’s love for us, he willingly suffered and died for each of us. His resurrection made it possible for all people to live again.
Suggested Family Sharing
Encourage the children to share with their families a specific part of the lesson, such as a story, question, or activity, or to read with their families the “Suggested Home Reading.”
Suggested Home Reading
Suggest that the children study 3 Nephi 11:8–17 at home as a review of this lesson.
Invite a child to give the closing prayer. | <urn:uuid:9e7220fa-c5d8-41c6-a193-63e6d80dfd47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lds.org/manual/primary-4/lesson-45?lang=eng&country=afe&media=audio | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942663 | 1,584 | 3.796875 | 4 |
A Warm and Wet September: September 2008 Overview
New Jersey State Climatologist
Center for Environmental Prediction, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences/NJAES, Rutgers University
October 2, 2008
Unlike August, with its dry and cooler than average weather, September was warm and wet across the Garden State. The month saw more afternoons with temperatures exceeding 90° than in August and the first tropical storm crossing New Jersey since Bertha in July 1996 (in 1999 Floyd stayed just offshore). The statewide average temperature of 68.0° was 2.7° above average. This makes this the 13th warmest September since records commenced in 1895 (see table below). Temperatures have been above average in 9 of the past 12 months. September heat was concentrated in the first half of the month, when maxima reached 90° at multiple stations on the 2nd-5th and the 14th. Four south Jersey stations reached 95° on the hottest day, the 4th, with dozens more in the low 90°s. Cooler conditions prevailed later in the month, with morning lows dropping into the mid to upper 30°s from the 19th-21st in northwest valleys and on the 21st in the Pinelands.
Rainfall was plentiful in September, with totals exceeding twice the norm in a number of locations. Statewide, an average of 6.30" fell, which is 2.15" above average and ranks as the 11th wettest on record (see table below). Precipitation had been below average during 5 of the previous 6 months. Portions of southern NJ were the driest in September, with the Atlantic County communities of Folsom (3.36") and Hamilton Township (3.69") receiving the least rainfall. Elsewhere, totals exceeded 8" at one or more stations in Bergen, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties. South Brunswick (Middlesex, 10.59") and Hillsborough (Somerset, 10.14") received the most rain. The first major event of the month was associated with Tropical Storm Hanna. A leading rain band arrived late on the 5th into the morning of Saturday the 6th, with totals only exceeding 1" at a few coastal locations. The coast was buffeted by wind gusts in the low 40mph range during the PM hours (4 stations had peak gusts of 41 or 42mph). Meanwhile, heavy rain swept into inland areas, tapering off late in the evening. All told, 32 of the 116 Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network stations reported more than 4", with Morris Township (Morris, 5.57") and Glen Rock (Bergen, 5.46") receiving the most.
Strong onshore winds with some coastal flooding and beach erosion impacted the state on the 25th-26th, with gusts up to 44mph at Harvey Cedars (Ocean) and 41mph at Sea Girt (Monmouth). These winds were accompanied by some heavy rain, particularly on the 26th, which combined with more downpours on the 28th to finish off the wet month.
Interested in receiving our monthly summaries at the end of each month? Send us your e-mail address here to join the mailing list.
Past Climate Summaries | <urn:uuid:990b357c-965b-4dcd-9471-9d0280aa9302> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim/?section=menu&%20target=sept08 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925307 | 680 | 2.421875 | 2 |
- Arts & Sciences Home
- Dean's Office
- Faculty & Staff
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science offers two undergraduate majors: the Mathematics Major and the Computer Science Major. In addition, students may also chose either of the two departmental minors: the Mathematics Minor or the Computer Science Minor.
For those who wish to focus on either applied mathematics, financial mathematics, mathematical economics, or mathematics education while majoring in mathematics, the Department provides emphases in all three of these areas with lists of recommended courses.
For those who wish to focus on cryptography and security while majoring in computer science, the Department provides an emphasis in this area with a list of recommended courses.
In addition, the Department cooperates with the Department of Computer Engineering in offering the option of a five-year combined B.S. and M.S. program for those majoring in computer science.
The Department also cooperates with Santa Clara University's Center for Science, Technology, and Society in the interdisciplinary Minor in Science, Technology, and Society. | <urn:uuid:45bee654-aae0-473d-aecb-fe4a14d719a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scu.edu/cas/math/programs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903849 | 212 | 1.609375 | 2 |
[for additional information about the STANDUP Act, go to www.saferoads4teens.org]
November , 2009
The Hon. Christopher J. Dodd
United States Senate
448 Russell Building
Washington, DC 20510
Re: H.R. 1895, The Safe Teen Driving and Novice Driver Uniform Protection (“STANDUP”) Act
Dear Senator Dodd:
I write to join thousands of parents and auto safety experts in urging you to re-introduce in the U.S. Senate the STANDUP Act, to use federal financial incentives and sanctions to prod states to adopt minimum national standards for their safe teen driving laws.
I write from searing personal experience and a two year odyssey of education about teen driving. My son Reid, 17 years old, died in a one-car accident on Interstate 84 in Plainville, Connecticut in December 2006. In December 2007, Governor Rell appointed me as a bereaved parent to Connecticut’s Teen Safe Driving Task Force, which she formed in the aftermath of several horrific teen driver and passenger fatalities. The Task Force was charged with thoroughly reviewing Connecticut’s graduated driver laws (“GDLs”). Serving on that Task Force, I immersed myself in the facts of teen driving and learned what the mainstream literature available to parents barely discloses: that driving is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for people under age 20, far surpassing suicide, disease, and other types of accidents; teens have crash rates three times that of older drivers; strict GDLs (supplemented by public education and enforcement) are a proven, effective way to reduce teen driver crashes and fatalities; and yet, across the nation, teen driver laws vary widely, with many states dragging their feet even while voluminous research points clearly toward the benefits of stricter teen driving laws.
Connecticut’s Task Force, I am proud to say, helped transform our state’s teen driver laws, previously among the weakest in the country, into one of the strongest. A state-sponsored public awareness campaign followed our new law’s August 2008 effective date, and 2009 is now shaping up to be the safest year ever for our state’s teen drivers. The STANDUP Act will induce every state to follow this lead, to amend its GDLs to reflect the significantly higher crash rates of new, young drivers.
My immersion in teen driving during 2007-08 led me in October 2009 to launch a new national blog for parents of teen drivers, entitled “From Reid’s Dad,” found at www.fromreidsdad.org. My goal is to provide parents with better information about teen driving than appears in most of the information available from motor vehicle departments and commercial driving schools. In trying to raise the information level nationally for parents, my blog is consistent with the goals of the STANDUP Act. In the blog’s first two weeks the enthusiastic, national response has further convinced me that the time is right for comprehensive, national GDL standards.
The federal government should be a strong partner with the states when it comes to saving lives and preventing injuries, and teen driving laws present an appropriate situation for federal intervention: a documented public health and safety crisis; a proven, low-cost solution; an enforcement mechanism through federal highway funds; and a track record of successful similar interventions (seat belts, drunk-driving laws, and child safety seats). The current patchwork of, and variations within, state teen driving laws is public policy madness that the federal government has the power and ample reasons to rectify.
Federal involvement invariably generates complaints in certain communities about states’ rights, unfunded federal mandates, and infringements on individual freedoms. Recently, a City Councilman in Cheyenne, Wyoming, arguing against that City’s ban on use of a hand-held cell phone while driving, was quoted as saying, “If I’m driving down the road, minding my own business and talking on my cell phone, leave me alone.” The fallacy in this statement is its assumption that a driver engaged in conduct that is demonstrably dangerous is “minding his own business.” Teen driver crashes affect everyone and should therefore be the concern of every driver throughout the nation on every road, every day.
The U.S. Senate needs to join the House and provide leadership on this issue. Too many lives are at stake. As a constituent of yours for 25 years, as a bereaved parent, and as a concerned driver and citizen, I urge you to be an energetic, articulate, common sense voice for this essential legislation. Thank you.
Very truly yours,
Timothy S. Hollister | <urn:uuid:c913c4bb-f468-4665-a4ba-13f0584d77b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fromreidsdad.org/blog/2009/11/ | 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 | 0.950283 | 975 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Treaty of Berlin, 1878
The Treaty of Berlin was the final Act of the Congress of Berlin (June 13-July 13, 1878), by which the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Turkey revised the Treaty of San Stefano signed on March 3 of the same year.
The treaty recognised the complete independence of the principalities of Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and the autonomy of Bulgaria, though the latter remained under formal Ottoman overlordship and was divided between the two principalities of Bulgaria proper and Eastern Rumelia, undoing Russian plans for an independent "big Bulgaria". The Ottoman province of Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as the former Sanjak of Novi Pazar were placed under Austro-Hungarian occupation, though formally remaining a part of the Ottoman Empire.
The three newly-independent states subsequently proclaimed themselves kingdoms (Romania in 1881, Serbia in 1882 and Montenegro in 1910), while Bulgaria proclaimed full independence in 1908 after uniting with Eastern Rumelia in 1885. Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia in 1908, sparking a major European crisis.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details | <urn:uuid:35a79a3e-ed49-41e5-9fbd-32bc905369cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Treaty_of_Berlin%2C_1878 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935033 | 270 | 4 | 4 |
This Vest May Well Be the Future of Indoor Mapping
Online maps and Google Street View are pretty crucial tools for getting somewhere. But once you're there, figuring out exactly where to go can sometimes be a challenge. Is room B624 in the basement? A building called B? On the 6th floor?
Soon, hopefully, confusion like this will fade away.
As we recently reported, efforts are growing to create indoor maps of buildings, especially in Seoul. Though Google already offers indoor maps of places like shopping malls and convention centers, the technology hasn't spread. A new device under development at MIT could change that.
According to MIT, the future of indoor mapping could be a new prototype they've developed. It's a wearable vest equipped with a stripped down camera from the Microsoft Kinect video game system that can scan a 270-degree arc as it moves through an environment. The setup is also outfitted with accelerometers, gyroscopes and a barometer to track the shape and form of the mappable space as the walker moves around.
This video explains further, and shows how a 3D map of an indoor area can instantly develop as a person wonders through a building.
And while mapping out where the Cinnabon is inside a shopping mall may be important to some people, the researchers at MIT see more important uses of this technology – from rescue scenarios to situations where hazardous materials has leaked inside a building or facility. The U.S. Air Force and the Office of Naval Research also supported this research, which indicates they may see some non-civilian uses in the future.
Image courtesy Youtube user MITNewsOffice | <urn:uuid:b4b8491a-6e8e-4f6b-a881-741de969ae6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theatlanticcities.com/technology/2012/09/vest-may-well-be-future-indoor-mapping/3399/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943051 | 337 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Now on View
The Hennepin History Museum offers a series of rotating exhibits focusing on everything from historic toys to Dakota bandolier bags; each exhibition is designed to reflect a piece of the Hennepin County story.
A Century of Wedding Gowns
The Century of the Child
This Hennepin History Museum exhibition looks at growing up in Hennepin County through a series of “time stations” that examine educating, entertaining, dressing, and putting children to work. You will see how these things impacted a century of kids and shaped the world we live in today. This exhibit will look at everything from rolling hoops to the hula hoops…
You will also glimpse the darker side of Hennepin County through subjects such as child labor, abuse, and the notorious baby farms that proliferated in Hennepin County at the turn of the 20th Century.
This unique exhibition will be a presentation of children's daily life seldom seen elsewhere.
Curiosities and Remnants
This exhibition is the first in a series of ongoing exhibitions which will look at curiosities and oddities from around Hennepin County. This first installment will highlight some of Hennepin History Museum's most unusual artifacts including the unique remains of a podiatrist's collection, a giant bellows, and a selection of archival artifacts.
The Hennepin History Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. | <urn:uuid:08d1d0c8-f08b-4f01-af30-8fa38af8cb8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hennepinhistory.org/now-on-view.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909575 | 302 | 2.34375 | 2 |
DRAWINGS, STORIES 3
DRAWINGS AND STORIES
The following is the second in a series of three posts presenting drawings and stories behind them by LW.
The cognitive scientist explained it to me this way. “For a few thousand years, architecture had been the conscious communication of a few important ideas within a particular human community. Chief among these ideas was stability. People considered their existence as fragile within a natural world basically hostile to them. In order to survive and, beyond that, to flourish on the planet, people had to struggle against the effects of nature, one of which was their own inevitable mortality that most often came about as a result of ‘natural causes.’ The cognitive processes that produced these ideas have their roots in the emergence of the human brain and its own self-reflectivity millions of years earlier than the invention of architecture and indeed of human society and the very idea of individuality. The neural structure of the human brain evolved differently from that of the animal brain, becoming larger and more complex. The brain’s complexity led to the invention of diverse defenses against natural forces and their effects, one of which was architecture. Architecture—the conception of enclosed spaces for living—made possible a balance between human fragility and natural hostility, a stability that encouraged and assured the establishment of both human society and individuality.
The structure of the human brain is the key to understanding the evolution of the human mode of existence. It is crucial, as we learned in the 20th century, that the human brain is ‘two-tiered.’ It is, like all brains, comprised of neural nets that function according to principles of electromagnetism—neurons processing electrons. The nets are biological computers computing what we broadly call ‘thoughts.’ The human brain on the first tier computes ‘rules’ of behavior, and, on the second tier ‘rules of the rules’ that enable us to change our behavior as our changing circumstances require, making us ‘adaptable,’ our supremely and particularly human trait. This means that we can change ourselves as well as change our environment, say, through making buildings.
When the severe environmental crisis struck our planet at the end of the last century, it became urgently necessary to change not only our behavior, but also the rules by which we govern our behavior. In short, we had to engage in second-tier, or second-order, thinking. It was only by doing this that we as individuals and as a global community were able to break out of our old, dysfunctional ways of thinking and living and invent, for example, new modes of constructing buildings. It was equally important that we also change our ways of living in them. Indeed, it would make no sense to build new kinds of buildings if we were unable to adapt ourselves to them. This had to happen on the level of individuals and not only the societal level, and within a generation or two at most.
Was it coincidence that the new way of building mirrored, in effect, the neural structure of the human brain by creating a continually regenerating network form that resembles the structures of both matter and energy? Or, could it be a sign that attitudes towards nature are less defensive than they were and more conciliatory? Debate continues on these questions up to the present moment, no doubt because the process of invention left little time for philosophical considerations. However, it seems certain that changes to the neural structure of the brain will result in a few generations. Our idea of what is human will necessarily evolve.”
Coming next: What the social scientist said. | <urn:uuid:306070d0-584b-4044-b84d-8ab640882b8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/drawings-stories-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973369 | 740 | 2.765625 | 3 |
What’s happening in…Sao Paulo, the city of amalgams? by Fernando Galan
Hotel Unique, Sâo Paulo - Terrace and pool atop the building
The setting (physical and metaphysical)
The urban structure of Sao Paulo, which retains practically nothing of the original city founded by Spanish Jesuits in 1554, conditions and almost determines its sociological, and so artistic, functioning. This is the norm in the majority of large cities; but in this case the ‘Paulist’ structure is characterized by some very specific aspects. Sao Paulo, which rivals Mexico City as the world’s most populous metropolis, is in many ways actually an amalgam. It’s an amalgam of adjacent cities, each one with its skyscraper-filled downtown and its residential areas which it shares structurally with its neighbors. It could be called the Los Angeles of Latin America. The rugged terrain lends an added drama to its urban horizons, especially when the skyscrapers are situated on the tops of hills, as occurs with the celebrated Avenida Paulista. It’s an amalgam of social classes, which is reflected in the tracts of favelas and in the luxurious mansions that congregate in various central districts. It’s an amalgam of races, which makes it, for example, the city with the largest population of Japanese outside Japan. It’s an amalgam of colors, of sculptural forms in its well-known modern and contemporary architecture; of exuberant vegetation, which grapples (and manages) to establish itself amidst all the asphalt, concrete and glass… It’s an amalgam of individual artistic initiatives which haven’t managed to become organized or coordinated in any expected or desirable manner… And it’s an amalgam of much proclaimed insecurity on the part of its inhabitants (which I have never personally experienced), with a Brazilian character and hospitality that seem to me to be the most engaging anywhere. It’s an amalgam, finally, of many invisible cities amid one of the most overwhelming urban realities that I know…
MAM (Museo de Arte Moderna), ad for the anual exhibition Panorama of Brazilian Art - Promotional slogan: “Enter yelling I know what contemporary art is and win a discount for entry to MAM”
In the terrain of the arts we can continue to speak of amalgams: of resources and trends, of tradition and innovation, of crucibles of ‘native’ and international influences, of these influences with their own creative originality, of poetics and critiques, of reactionary conformism and radical breaks… Sao Paulo, like all of Brazil, but exponentially multiplied by its density of population, is one of the prototypes of mestizaje, or cultural hybridization. It’s home, for instance, to such artists as Sebastián Selgado and Ernesto Neto. The former is characterized by a committed social content via the format of traditional photography, and the latter by an intimate and creative poetics via experimentation with new forms and materials. And by Regina Silveira and Nelson Leirner, veteran artists that escape all categorization, both explorers of new invisible worlds with their feet firmly on the most tangential reality. Regina, who flees almost obsessively from both the conventional and the commercial, has created work that moves literally (and with surprising agility) between light and shadow, between the security of firm ground and the levitating weightlessness of air and the heights. Leirner, for his part, although he lives in Rio de Janeiro, has developed almost his entire artistic career in Sao Paulo (where, moreover, his gallery, Brito Cimino, is located), has produced work that, based upon the most tangible position from a formal perspective, he enters, and lets us follow him, into the most invisible aspects of the conceptual. Recall the piece he contributed to the 2002 Sao Paulo Biennial, a large, closed space, immaculately white and empty, where the public could hear the sounds of a ball in an imaginary game of tennis, that came alternately from both extremes and made us all turn our heads from side to side,,, towards the non-visibility of what we saw in our imaginations.
Sao Paulo seems to be that: what we see, what it suggests to us and what we imagine. Even in the strictest sense of the word urban, when we imagine the city’s continuation, both the favelas and the skyscrapers, beyond the hills and greenery which reach our physical perception. The main exhibition spaces, galleries and institutions, are widely scattered and it’s difficult to take in more than three or four a day, what with the prolonged taxi rides required amidst heavy traffic, despite the city counting on an ample system of avenues and expressways that cross it from one side to the other. Sao Paulo also enthralls us because we always have to leave before having had time to do everything we wanted to…
Regina Silveira, UFO Project (2006) - Urban intervention - Courtesy of the artist; Photo: Renato Pera
With a population estimated at 12 million for the city strictly speaking, and in 20.5 for the state of Sao Paulo (which, at 8,000 km2, is not much larger than the city), out of a total of 186 million for Brazil (with its 8.5 million km2 – remember that all of Europe has just 10,5 and the U.S. 9.6), the city produces the immense majority of the country’s artistic activities, including art, galleries and institutions. Brasilia, the purposely built capital (which I’ve never visited, absorbing as Sao Paulo always is), has become the emblem of the Brazilian utopia, mistreated by political, economic and social avatars who have plundered the nation for decades. All the galleries known for their active participation at international events and for representing world renown artists are located here. They’re all, however, far way from one another, and there exists no real neighborhood focused on art as in the majority of the world’s great cities. I’d cite Fortes Vilaça, located in a striking white cube in the neighborhood of Vila Madalena; Brito Cimino, with its large and functional space in Vila Olimpia; Vermelho, one of the youngest but which is forging a reputation for the rigor and quality of its shows, with a discetely impressive design that combines closed and open spaces in the Higienópolis district; the veteran Luisa Strina, near the Avenida Paulista; Casa Triángulo, with its new location in Itaim; and Nora Roesler, also with an ample space in Jardim Europa...
As for institutions, the most dynamic and with the most contemporary and international curatorial policy is the Pinacoteca del Estado de Sâo Paulo
a state museum with a good historical collection of Brazilian art and two buildings located near the Estaçao da Luz train station. Another is the Paço das Artes
a state entity found at the entrance to the University of Sao Paulo campus, with excellent programs featuring younger and more radical art along with educational apprentice programs aimed at young curators. The city-owned Centro Cultural Sao Paulo
is also quite dynamic in many areas, but especially in the visual arts, besides it collection, it shows the newer generation of Sao Paulo artists.
Among private institutions, MAM (Museo de Arte Moderno)
is like an extension of the celebrated Biennial building, the work of the iconic Oscar Niemeyer and Hélio Uchôa, located in the middle of Ibirapuera Park. Faithful to its name, its agenda comprehends modern as well as contemporary art, including the most timely and experimental, such as its annual Panorama of Brazilian Art exhibits, which features the most important national artists. MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand)
professes to having “the most important collection in the southern hemisphere,” with works by Rafael, Rembrandt, Velázquez, Goya, Monet and many other classics. It also has a good collection of modern and contemporary Brazilian photography, the Pirelli-MASP collection. But is been adrift for years, having undergone a controversial architectural reform, and with unqualified leadership, it acts at a remove from the most relevant areas of contemporary art, national and international, and has lost the prestige it once enjoyed. The Instituto Tomie Ohtake
housed in a post-modern building inaugurated a few years ago and dedicated to the work of artists of Japanese origin, has a mixed program of contemporary Brazilian and international art, of a historic character, and a dynamic publications policy, courses and education for docents.
Hotel Unique, Sâo Paulo - Vista general; Cortesía de Hotel Unique
Two banks are leaders in the commitment of culture to the society which enriches them: Banco do Brasil and Itaú. The latter, (www.itaucultural.org.br
) with its three floors of exhibition space on the Avenida Paulista opts clearly for the most contemporary art and is an obligatory visit if you want to learn about the latest Brazilian art. Its two programs, Rumos and Panorama of Brazilian Art and Technology (www.itaucultural.org.br/paradoxosbrasil
) are good examples. With numerous departments, in addition to shows, it organizes symposia, publications, courses, and events of all kinds, and has its own collection. The cultural activity of the Banco do Brazil (www.bb.com.br) has a telling slogan: Art passes through here, though it’s exhibitions are more eclectic, embracing everything from archeology to contemporary art. It’s headquarters, an interesting building designed by Ernesto Pujol, includes exhibition space, a movie theater, auditorium and theater.
The University of Sao Paulo-USP
is home to MAC (Museum of Contemporary Art)
, whose history, from the middle of the 60s on, encompasses the best and most radical Brazilian art. It enjoyed great prestige until recent years, when more academic than professional administrations steadily removed it from the most relevant national and international orbits. It has a good collection of Brazilian and foreign art, whose origin was a donation by Matarazzo in the 1950s. The Centro Universitario María Antonia
, also belongs to the university, and defines itself as “a center for the discussion of new experiences in the areas of culture, the arts and human rights.” Its program is faithful to this ambitious mandate for an amalgam of activities: shows, classrooms, theater (for which it has a permanent space), concerts, classes, seminars, lectures… In recent years it has produced magnificent exhibitions of visual poetry, which is one of the strongest and most original Brazilian traditions.
We shouldn’t forget to mention the Fórum Permanente
an initiative aimed at the debate around the current objectives and functioning of museums today, that, although it emerged in October of 2003 with a national orientation, has managed to incorporate numerous relevant professionals from all over the world. It was motivated by the idea that Brazil’s art scene was suffering under “a very unstable institutional context.” Also worth recalling is its art fair, Sparte, a private venture of Fernanda Feitosa’s that just finished celebrating its second edition. In a country with an artistic tradition and potential as strong as Brazil’s, it’s surprising that something like this hadn’t arisen earlier. It’s located in a splendid building belonging to the Biennial (Ibirapuera), and given the standards of its director, it’s a fair with a very promising future.
In addition to the system of museums and galleries, the Arts Map, a bi-monthly free pamphlet (see the continuously updated web page, www.mapadasartes.com.br
), offers information especially focused on Sao Paulo’s art scene.
Sao Paulo leapt onto the international stage following the launch of its biennial
, the oldest after Venice, with its first edition in 1951, and which is among those that kindle most interest. It’s 27th edition opens on October 8th, with Lisette Lagnado as curator, and whose motto will be How to live together. The event, which will remain open until December 17th, this year features a project in which 10 foreign artists will produce works specifically “inspired by Brazil’s political and human geography.” They’ll live as residents in the cities of Sao Paulo, Rio Branco and Recife, and as this goes to press Lara Almárcegu (Spain) and Franco Jodice (Italy) had already arrived.
We can’t talk about Sao Paulo without mentioning its architecture, as vigorous and imaginative as the country’s economic and human potential. MASP, with its futuristic (for its time) architecture, was conceived by the Italian architect Lina Bo and due to its technical audacity, (it’s a parallelepiped supported at its extremes by four pillars, with a space of 74 meters between each of them), its construction took 12 years to complete, from 1956 to 1968. But there’s a building that’s absolutely representative of the audacious imagination that characterizes the creative life of the city, and that is the recently opened Hotel Unique. The architectural design is by Ruy Othake, the decoration by Joâo Armentano; the landscaping by Gilberto Elkis; and the gastronomical offering by Emmanuel Bassoleil. Located beside the park of Ibirapuera, Othake based his design on the concept of public art. The display of bottles from the bar in the lobby which rises the entire six meters of the room’s height, is like an installation in and of itself. And its terrace seems to me the best place for our gaze to take in at a glance both the physical and metaphysical amalgams of the city. Especially at night, it’s one of the most spectacular and beautiful urban views that I know of anywhere in the world. | <urn:uuid:980d30f5-5958-4de6-9324-c74881ffaedf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artfacts.net/index.php/pageType/newsInfo/newsID/3049/lang/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951999 | 3,014 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Welcome to Level 1. Every Thursday we are going to look at a random game's very first level. It doesn't matter what kind of game it is or what system it's for, we're here to dissect the game's first level and see what it tells us about the rest of the game. I promise you an eye-opening experience in each episode, starting today with one of the most influential games of all time. I'm talking about the original Super Mario Bros., the perfect way to kick start a brand new year and show!
Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
[ Release: 1985 - Console: Nintendo Entertainment System ]
Jumping head first into a brick wall. Yup, that pretty much sums up Super Mario Bros.!
It's hard to believe that it has been a quarter-century since Nintendo revolutionized the platformer genre forever. Super Mario Bros. not only marked a new beginning for console games, but is one of the most celebrated games of all time. Mario has since gone on to master time, space, the 3D world, golf, baseball, dancing and even martial arts. The original Super Mario Bros. has been ported to a number of handhelds and is currently available for download via the Wii's Virtual Console.
In Super Mario Bros. each level is split up into four worlds. This means that you will be asked to do four different things all before battling a boss creature at the end. Perhaps we should take a closer look at the first four worlds that make up Level 1 ...
As we enter the beautiful Mushroom Kingdom we're met by the warm sun, green shrubs and weird creatures that are looking to kill you. The
Super Mario Bros. Level 1-1
good news is, within the first few seconds we are introduced to the game's two main items, a coin worth 200 points and, more importantly, an orange and red mushroom that makes you taller. With the mushroom you discover that you are now able to break through some floating platforms, an ability that will no doubt come back into play in future levels.
Further down the linear path we discover two more secrets, a hidden 1-up and a pipe that leads you down into the sewers of the
Super Mario Bros. Level 1-1 (Hidden Area)
Mushroom Kingdom. Once you are done with that, you are spit out and introduced to a glowing yellow star, a power-up that gives our hero a few seconds of invincibility. As we near the end of the level we are asked to climb a tall staircase. Unfortunately this staircase only goes up, you are forced to jump towards a pole in order to complete the level and watch an insanely short cinema.
Is this the same world? After getting used to the bright sun of level 1-1, my eyes are forced to adjust to the darkness of the underground. Here we find more floating platforms and enemies. As we progress through the level we discover a flower that allows Mario to throw fireballs, unfortunately it does not make him any taller. There's a sad feeling when we realize that Mario has just found the last power-up type, so you better make do with the flower/mushroom combination. We keep
Super Mario Bros. Level 1-2
One thing we discover quickly is that this level has a check point, which suggests that if we die we won't need to warp all the way back at the beginning. I hate it when games do that. Instead we jump on the floating elevators and notice that we can literally jump on the ceiling of this underground level. If you do that you'll find a warp area, but we're not interested in such cheating. Instead we continue through a pipe wondering where it will lead.
Out of the darkness and back outside, where it's sunny. This level looks a lot like the first part of the world, only now you're being asked to make huge jumps without any safety net. We are being told to jump on tree-like platforms
Super Mario Bros. Level 1-3
and trust riding on a floating orange platform. Not sure why that's weird. At least it's sunny out and we don't have to worry too much about the enemies. This level is almost entirely an exercise in jumping on platforms, something Mario is good at. This level ends with another group of stairs and a flag pole, we see fireworks and a gigantic castle. It looks like that's going to be our next stop.
We enter the castle to discover that it's flooded with fire or molten lava, it's hard to say. Regardless of what it is, it's clear you don't want to fall into one of these pits (not that I wanted to fall into any other pit). The ceiling and floors are made of unbreakable blocks and there are fire traps waiting for me at every turn. Needless to say, there is danger at every corner. And just when you think it can't get any worse, fireballs start flying at you. It's here that you discover the first (and only) boss of Super Mario Bros., a dragon-like
Super Mario Bros. Level 1-2
character named Bowser. He jumps up and down, spits fire and blocks his only vulnerable spot, a level that will drop him into the fire below. We decide to but tradition and shoot fireballs at him, fighting fire with fire. It works and down goes Bowser. We're off to save the Princess. What's this? You say the Princess is in another castle? BASTARDS!
What Have We Learned Today?
The first level lays down the basic Super Mario Bros. formula, teaching us about the different power-ups, getting us ready for an every-changing group of worlds inside of each level and, most importantly, showing us how to defeat the game's one boss. It's also worth pointing out that the first level gently ramps up the difficulty. The first part of level 1 is slow and easy to navigate, giving you easily avoidable enemies and more power-ups than anybody could possibly
The Future: Level 2-2
need. The second part of the level allows you to do more exploration, adding in some narrow passages that up slightly ups the difficulty. The third part is full of hard jumps that will test your platforming abilities. All this teaches you everything you need to know to beat Bowser in the fourth (and final) part of the level.
What Did We Miss?
Had we stuck around for level 2 we would have gotten submerged in the game's first underwater section. It's here that we learn that plumbers are exceptionally good at holding their breath. We also didn't see how the warp zone
"Thank you Mr. Bush! But the WMD is in another castle!"
works, but I'm sure somebody will go back there and discover its secrets. It's also worth mentioning that before you beat the real Bowser, you are forced to go through a lengthy maze that will test your memory and resolve. Of course, we're not here to look at any of that. This is Level 1, now Level 2 or 8.
Conspiracy Theory with Dr. Rotwang:
"Having only played the first level, I feel like I can fill in the whole story so that I won't have to bother with the rest of this game. You play Super Mario, an everyday who is being oppressed by the man. In this case the man is played by Bowser, a lizard character that does nothing but stomp around. Does he remind you of anybody? Y'know, like your boss ... am I right? Anyway, the game is really just a lesson that you can never have what you want. You always get to the prize, but that damn Princess is in another castle. It's the story of my life, the grass is always greener on the other side of the railroad tracks. No it's not! Trust me, you end up doing the same things you hated before, only now it's in a new location. You're better off just committing suicide. And that's what Super Mario Bros. is saying, that this world is hopeless and you might as well just end it. Yeah, that's about right." | <urn:uuid:21ff228a-4cf0-41a5-b18a-cec283520ab9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.defunctgames.com/level1/1/super-mario-bros-level-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962372 | 1,678 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Let’s wrap up the introduction to Christian Initiation for the Dying. First, two sections that describe the church’s expectations should a dying person recover after being initiated:
278. One already admitted as a catechumen must make a promise to complete the usual catechesis upon recovering. One not a catechumen must give serious indication of being converted to Christ and of renouncing pagan worship and must not be seen to be attached to anything that conflicts with the moral life (for example, “simultaneous” polygamy, etc.). The person must also make a promise to go through the complete cycle of initiation upon recovering.
279. If persons who were baptized in proximate danger of death or at the point of death should recover their health, they should be given a suitable formation, be received at the church at a fitting time, and be given the rest of the sacraments of initiation.
Children present the same challenge to the parish’s priest and pastoral care ministers:
280. As far as possible, the Rite of Baptism for children and the Rite of Confirmation are celebrated in the usual way. The eucharist completes the sacraments of initiation. A dying child with the use of reason shares the common responsibility of receiving viaticum. It is also desirable that an even younger child complete his or her initiation by the reception of the eucharist, in accord with the practice of the Church.
There seems to be an expectation that the catechumen will be baptized, and that the renunciation of what conflicts with Christ has already taken place. This is more instructive on what the Church teaches about the entry into the catechumenate, that there is already a movement in the newcomer’s life to conform to Christian belief.
For the person not in the Church (Catechumens are seen as part of the Body of Christ–they are not “outside.”) there are perhaps two promises to be made. It would be left to the minister of baptism to ascertain a genuine renunciation.
The expectation is that a recovering neophyte will complete initiation (confirmation, and perhaps the Eucharist) at the church. This permits the faith community to welcome a new member, as they welcome regular catechumens.
What about non-Catholic Christians? Obviously the Church does not re-baptize someone who is already a valid part of the Body. Orthodox Christians, Protestants, and Anglicans may request the sacraments of the Catholic Church and validly and appropriately receive them in true pastoral need. The time of death would certainly qualify.
Children younger than seven may be confirmed and receive viaticum. I wouldn’t imagine there is an age limit, given the long Christian tradition of giving Communion to infants. | <urn:uuid:c3373d78-ed75-47e7-8860-049a8a461269> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://catholicsensibility.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/pcs-278-280-recovery-and-children/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95381 | 578 | 2.078125 | 2 |
The Dialectics of Orientalism in Early Modern Europe, 1492-1700
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, October 7-8, 2011
In early modern Europe, discourses on and images of the Orient and Islam are inextricably tied to the rise of national consciousness and the formation of a European identity as several Western states were striving for imperial supremacy. The goal of this international and interdisciplinary conference is to explore the dialectical function of early modern Orientalism for the creation of different notions of a collective self: national, European, and/or imperial.
We invite proposals for contributions that analyze the multiple uses of an imaginary Islam and Orient and compare at least two national orientalist discourses and/or the intersection of nation-building and the invention of Europeanness catalyzed through these discourses. Beyond being simplifications, what role do stereotypes play in the complex and often contradictory rhetorical dynamics that served to articulate, implement and promote both internal policies and supranational endeavors of imperial supremacy? To whom are these stereotypical representations addressed and through what media? In what instances does the creation of a fictive homogeneous nation lead to the conceptual “islamization” of minority groups? Is there a competition among European nation-states for the hegemony in the representation of the Oriental, and in which ways does it feed into a transnational rivalry for imperial power? What does the comparison of different national accounts of Orientalism reveal about the supposed homogeneity of the stereotypical Muslim?
Proposals for presentations of 20-25 min that address any of these or related questions will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary organizing committee. The conference language is English.
Please send a 250-500 word abstract by November 15 to email@example.com, along with information about your professional affiliation and a brief cv or a reference to your personal website.
For more information, visit www.earlymodernorientalism.illinois.edu
or contact the organizers: | <urn:uuid:b3728bf9-dcdf-4952-94ab-2e3b06e1d86b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/ceeresebulletin/2010/10/04/call-for-papers-the-dialectics-of-orientalism-in-early-modern-europe-1492-1700-uiuc-abstract-deadline-november-15/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901436 | 410 | 1.8125 | 2 |
A Foot In The Woods: The Simon’s Rock Interpretive Trail
by Quille Chayes ’12
“From the very beginning of the trail, it will immediately become apparent that one is entering a very different landscape from the mowed fields and well-kept pathways that dominate the developed part of Simon’s Rock’s campus,” a modest sheet of laminated white paper at an unobtrusive bulletin board states. It marks the entrance of the Interpretive Trail—a place for students or faculty to turn off of their computers and head into the woods for a breath of fresh air and a brisk hike.
But a lot more thought has gone into the Interpretive Trail than merely a pretty stroll through nature. The Interpretive Trail was originally the brainchild of Peter Tiso ’02 who developed a detailed map and comprehensive guide as part of his senior thesis. Two classes offered students the opportunity to participate in both the planning and construction of the trail: Home at the Rock: Mapping the Landscape Ecology of Simon’s Rock in fall 2005 and The Path: Trails, Pilgrimage, and Place in fall 2007.
Faculty member Chris Coggins led the students in the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map, clean and enlarge existing paths and construct water blocks and boardwalks. During these intensive, focused, courses, students learned about the campus and applications of the broader ideas in the field of geography.
The guide sheets on the trail explain the dominant species of our landscape, the history of the rocky hillside with tectonic and glacial influence, the wetlands surrounding the trail, the cradled shape of the ground around the hemlocks to help visitors enjoy the trail and nature.
Not every student uses the trail, but for those who do, it is a precious asset and a means to reconnect with our environment. This year the trail got some attention and greater awareness from students as part of Rock the Community: A Day of Service to Honor Emily Fisher. A team of 16 students, faculty, and staff cleaned and tended the trail.
Students can also have a part in the future of the trail. Long-term plans include adding a second extension of the trail from the Rock to Lake Mansfield, and ultimately, mapping out an entire network of trails through the campus lands. Until then, we students have our gorgeous landscape and single trail to enjoy and cherish.
And what better place to see the beauty of nature and the beauty of Simon’s Rock than a trail planned, mapped, and constructed by its own students? This is our land. It’s something that the community shares. The lnterpretive Trail brings us together. | <urn:uuid:f32c1c51-c04a-4885-b3f6-6964eee2a9ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.simons-rock.edu/newsroom/headlines/20121001-a-foot-in-the-woods--the-simons-rock-interpretive-trail | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942384 | 568 | 2.03125 | 2 |
February 4, 2012: The Western arms embargo (because of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre) against China is crumbling. France is leading the way. European firms are particularly eager to drop the embargo and some, like France, are ignoring it. This is done by disregarding the installation of dual-use Western equipment in weapons systems. The latest example is the use of French Arriel 2C engines (built under license in China) for the Z-9WE combat helicopter.
The Arriel 2C engine is only supposed to be used for Chinese civilian helicopters and is used for over 300 of them. Earlier models of the Z-9 use Chinese designed and built WZ8A engines. These were not satisfactory. So now China is advertising the use of Arriel 2C engines in its Z-9WE combat helicopters.
This use of Western engines in military helicopters is not new. Five years ago China installed Canadian PT6C-67C engines in its Z-10 helicopter gunship. China shrugs off foreign protests at this and, partly because of this, European military equipment manufacturers are pushing for a lifting of the embargo.
The Z-9 is a license built version of the French AS 365N Dauphin. It's a four ton chopper with a two ton payload. China has built over 200 of the Z-9s and many have been armed (with twin 23mm cannon, torpedoes, anti-tank missiles, and air-to-air missiles). | <urn:uuid:a07fccb1-5da1-4903-a3c3-8924855434b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/20120204.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953183 | 304 | 1.757813 | 2 |
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The European Commission will call for legislation on money-market mutual funds and securities lending agreements as part of a push to regulate so-called shadow banking.
Michel Barnier, the EU’s financial services chief, intends to propose a plan on shadow banking in the spring, Stefaan De Rynck, a spokesman for Barnier, said in an e-mail.
“The overall objective is to make sure that our new regulations do not result in pushing activities to the world of shadow banking,” De Rynck said. “To reach this goal, we will no doubt come forward with new legal initiatives in the next year on issues such as money market funds and securities lending.”
While watchdogs have reined in excessive risk-taking by banks in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in 2008, they are concerned that lenders might use shadow banking to evade new rules on capital and liquidity. The Financial Stability Board has estimated that global shadow- banking activities were worth about $60 trillion in 2010, as much as 30 percent of the total financial system.
Supervisors classify shadow-banking activities as those that allow banks to carry out business off balance sheets, as well as those which allow investors to bypass lenders and the functions they traditionally fulfill on the markets.
The FSB, which brings together central bankers, regulators and finance ministry officials from the Group of 20 nations, has said that it will publish draft recommendations for regulating shadow banks, with a final version to come by September 2013
Barnier’s proposals must be approved by governments and by the European Parliament before they can take effect.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jim Brunsden in Brussels at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at email@example.com | <urn:uuid:0db440e3-6500-412b-8738-602e6e4ef8f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-09/money-market-funds-may-face-regulation-in-eu-shadow-bank-plan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947844 | 403 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Last quarter, Apple's profits rose by 95 per cent and revenues grew by 83 per cent on the same period a year ago. The latest figures show profits of US$6 billion on revenues of $24.7 billion.The iPhone remains immensely popular, with sales of 18.6 million units, more than double that achieved 12 months ago, whilst the company cannot make enough iPads to keep up with demand.
Great stuff by any standards, but the results are overshadowed by the remarkable revelation that the iPhone automatically (and secretly) records and stores exactly where a user is and then time-stamps the data. In other words, your iPhone is watching you, tracking you and keeping detailed records of where you are and when you are there. What's more, if/when users synchronise the iPhone to a Mac, the data is copied over to the computer and secretly archived there as well.
However, whilst the data is hidden away from the average user, it is stored in unencrypted form so that it could be read anyone (or any agency) who actually get their mitts on the device.
Yup, your friendly, intuitive iPhone is spying on you, recording the co-ordinates of your latitude and longitude and and time-stamping them. It is not known when Apple started to spy on its customers in this way, but researchers say it might have begun with the iOS4 update that users willingly uploaded from June 2010 onwards.
This news came out at the "Where 2.0" conference that was held in San Francisco this week. Two data scientists, Pete Warden and Alasdair Allan announced that during the course of their researches into the innermost workings of the iPhone they came across the secret surveillance files. The two men say that the spyware seems to be confined only to Apple products and that they have found no evidence of anything similar being hidden away in other mobile device operating systems such as Android.
Apple's response to the discovery has been to say that users agree to use of the tracking facility when they click on the "I accept the terms and conditions" button that has to be pushed in order for an iPhone to work at all.
That's as maybe but have you ever tried to read the T&C's? They run to over 15,000 words - the length of a PhD thesis - and you need a PhD to understand the verbiage even if you do decide to devote several hours to reading it. That's because it is written from a technical viewpoint and nowhere is the reality made explicit (in ordinary layman's language) exactly what signing-up to the T&C's actually means.
The text describes the technology, not its potential effects on the lives of individuals.
And even if a customer did pore over all the wordy details (and how many ever do? One in a million? One in 10 million?) and didn't like what he or she read, what could that person do about it? It's a matter of don't sign up, don't get service. Caveat emptor. Talk about having your customers over a barrel.
Messrs. Warden and Allen point out that there is no evidence that Apple or any other body has accessed the stored information but that still begs the question as to why the tracking facility is there in the first place. Perhaps Apple is readying some gob-smacking new apps that need location information to work their magic. But if that's the case, isn't it time we were told? And, let's face it, its much more likely to be something to do with location-based advertising and yet another money-making opportunity for Apple.
The researchers say that whilst they were rootling around in the entrails of the iPhone, they at first "weren't sure how much data was there, but after we dug further and visualised the extracted data, it became clear that there was a scary amount of detail on our movements. It also became obvious that at least some other people knew about it, but it wasn't being publicised.”
Simon Davies, a director of Privacy International, commented, "This is a worrying discovery. Location is one of the most sensitive elements in anyone's life – just think where people go in the evening. The existence of that data creates a real threat to privacy. The absence of notice to users or any control option can only stem from an ignorance about privacy at the design stage."
Yes, perhaps. One thing is for sure, the location data captured and hidden on iPhones is, at the very least, a gift to the likes of divorce lawyers and who knows how long it will be before the police and other law enforcement agencies start to demand access to the data?
Apple is being uncharacteristically quiet about the revelation but the least it can do is explain, apologise and tell users how to turn off the tracking. By the way, the same facility is apparently embedded in iPads.
Martyn Warwick, TelecomTV. You can view the original article here. | <urn:uuid:83b2bee2-febc-4e43-bd8c-cb0ccc49c450> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.planetrecruit.com/2011/04/iphone-the-spyphone.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973258 | 1,025 | 1.679688 | 2 |
In the oldest tradition of the western lawman, the nine members of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station Deputy Reserve Posse ride horseback into the hills to preserve law and order.
For $1 a year, they endure horseflies, heat and dust. And they say they love it.
"They're really an extension of the old West," said Deputy Wayne Wallace, assistant coordinator of the Crescenta Valley reserves.
"Each person is different, " he said, "yet they come in here and put on a uniform and they're all here for the same reason: It's demanding but, in the long run, it's rewarding. You can't beat it."
During the week, most posse members pursue occupations somewhat less romantic. They include a bank executive, a meat cutter, a dry cleaner, a construction contractor, a printing company owner and a credit card investigator.
But on most weekends, posse members saddle up and ride rugged back-country trails to look for lost campers, patch up injured hikers and handcuff lawbreakers.
All said they have similar motives for volunteering as much as 80 hours a month to the posse trail: a desire to help the public, a love for the back country and, of course, to be on horseback.
"I know I've come out here in this," posse captain Bob Ouzts, a 52-year-old bank executive, said, referring to the blazing heat in Big Tujunga Canyon on a recent Sunday, "or been out in the winter, with the wind blowing, freezing and shivering in the dark, and I would ask myself, 'Why am I doing this, why am I punishing myself?' And the moment you find that lost kid, you know exactly why you're doing this."
Paula Riley, a 40-year-old credit card investigator for a bank and the only woman in the posse, said, "I guess we've all got that old-fashioned good-guy attitude."
The Crescenta Valley posse is one of 18 sheriff's posses in Los Angeles County, but its territory is considered among the most rugged and remote.
Mountain Peaks, Drop-Offs
Much of the station's approximately 425-square-mile area of responsibility lies within the rugged San Gabriel Mountains in Angeles National Forest, ranging from May Canyon near San Fernando to the Mt. Waterman ski area.
The area features high mountain peaks, sheer drop-offs, extreme temperatures and sudden changes of weather. It is a high-use recreation area now; it was once a hideout for the likes of Joaquin Murietta, Juan Flores and Pancho Daniel, \o7 bandidos \f7 who preyed on early settlers.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was founded in 1850 and a posse was soon formed to try to rout those stagecoach robbers, highwaymen and murderers from the surrounding hills.
Help Hikers, Campers
Things generally are not quite so exciting for the posse these days, although Deputy Jerry Heltzel two years ago caught a woman and her lover dumping the body of her husband with the aid of a male accomplice. The accomplice turned witness and was granted immunity from prosecution; the woman and her lover are serving long prison sentences.
But posse members more often spend time helping hikers and campers and making sure laws are obeyed instead of looking for criminals on the lam.
They also ride in residential areas with horse trails, such as in La Canada Flintridge, to keep motorcycles and four-wheel-drive vehicles as well as vandals and rowdy youths off the trails.
"It's a high-visibility thing," Deputy Wallace said. "We are there to let the people know we are there."
The posse also helps the forest service and the state Department of Fish and Game during deer season, when hunters flock to the area. The posse checks for illegal weapons, poachers and license violators.
Bill Brandstetter, a Forest Service ranger who works in Big Tujunga Canyon, said the posse's presence makes a difference. "The problems pick up when they leave," he said.
Ouzts (pronounced ootz) said the posse responds to more than 100 incidents each year. "Every weekend we go out, we have at least two or three problems to deal with," he said.
Posse members must pass 12 weeks of training at the sheriff's academy, attending nights and weekends. They are trained in arrest laws, search and seizure, crowd control, first-aid, firearms and some traffic-related skills.
Posse member Riley, who described herself as "110 pounds and 5 feet, 2 inches in fat socks," couldn't join the posse until the department dropped the height and weight requirements. She has been riding with the posse for two years now.
Struck by Limb
"She's one of the best I've ever seen," Ouzts said. "She gets along with people real well and she can be authoritative, too. She can handle the rowdies. Sometimes they kind of laugh at her at first because she's tiny, but she can make them forget about that all of a sudden."
Though she often has to stand on a large rock or a low fence to get in the stirrups, she rides tall in the saddle. Sometimes too tall. She was once riding hard, chasing a girl's runaway horse, when she was knocked from the saddle as she rode under a tree.
"I saw the leaves but I didn't see the limb," she said as she pointed out the spot above her right eye where she took the blow that knocked her out and required 16 stitches.
50 to 80 Hours a Month
Posse members normally ride, in rotation, one Sunday patrol and one training session each month. There also is a posse on the trail every Sunday and on most holidays.
With meetings and the time it takes to keep their horses and equipment ready, members say they each spend 50 to 80 hours a month on posse duties.
Each also spends several thousand dollars a year to feed, board and keep his or her horse healthy. The county provides each with one uniform, a duty belt and .38-caliber handgun.
Ouzts pointed out with a laugh that the annual $1 each is paid for insurance amounts to 78 cents after taxes. | <urn:uuid:31d753cd-f897-41ff-82d1-4f6c8b0057d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/1985-07-18/news/gl-7412_1_posse | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975401 | 1,325 | 1.5 | 2 |
by Swami Sivananda
The departing soul reaches the deity of the year and then the deity of the air.
Vayumabdadaviseshaviseshabhyam IV.3.2 (519)
(The departed soul) (of a knower of the Saguna Brahman goes) from the deity of the year to the deity of the air on account of the absence and presence of specification.
Vayum: the deity of the air; Abdat: from the deity of the year; Aviseshaviseshabhyam: because of non-specification and specification, because it is stated in general in one Sruti and in detail in another.
The description of the path of the gods is continued.
The Sutra fixes the order of the stages. The Kaushitaki Upanishad describes the path as follows: "The Upasaka or the worshipper, having reached the path of the gods comes to the world of Agni (fire), to the world of Vayu (air), to the world of Varuna, to the world of Indra, to the world of Prajapati, and then to the world of Brahma" (Kau. Up. I.3).
Now the world of Agni means the same as light, as both terms denote burning, and we, therefore, need not with regard to them search for the order in which they are to be combined.
Again the Chhandogya Upanishad (V.10.1) describes the path as follows: "They reach the deity identified with the light, from him to the deity of the day, from him to the deity of the bright half of the month, from him to the deities identified with six months of the northern path of the sun, from them to the deity of the year, from him to the deity of the sun, from him to the deity of the moon, from him to the deity of the lightning". Here Vayu is not mentioned in the path beginning with light. There is absence of specification.
In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Vayu is mentioned before Aditya. "When the person goes away from this world he comes to Vayu. Then Vayu makes room for him like the hole of a wheel, and through it he mounts higher, he comes to Aditya." On account of this specification which shows Vayu to come before Aditya, Vayu must be inserted between the year and Aditya. We should conclude that the soul goes to Vayuloka before going to the sun.
The Brihadaranyaka text (V.10.1) fixes that air comes immediately before the sun, because there is regular order of succession. But as regards air coming after the deity of fire there is no specification but simply a statement "Having reached the path of the gods he comes to the world of Agni, to the world of Vayu."
The Vajasaneyins in their text record "From the deities identified with the six months in which the sun travels northwards he reaches the deity identified with the world of the gods" (Bri. Up. VI.2.15). Here in order to maintain the immediate succession of the deity identified with Vayu (air) and that identified with the sun (Aditya) we must understand that the soul passes from the deity of the world of the gods to the deity of air.
Again in the texts of the Chhandogya and the Brihadaranyaka the deity of the world of the gods is not mentioned in the former and the deity of the year in the latter. Both texts are authoritative. Both have to be included in the full description of the path. As the year is connected with the months, the deity of the year precedes the deity of the world of the gods.
Hence the sequence is Archis (rays), Ahas (day), Suklapaksha (bright half of the month), six months when the sun travels to the north, year, the world of the gods, the world of Vayu, the sun, the moon, the lightning, the world of Varuna, the world of Indra, the world of Prajapati and the world of Brahma. | <urn:uuid:182a9b8f-60ce-4827-bad6-de490cf08868> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://swami-krishnananda.org/bs_4/bs_4-3-02.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94729 | 890 | 2.40625 | 2 |
NEW YORK, NY.-
For five days this May, Public Art Fund presents a striking new performance‐based artwork in the midtown oasis of Bryant Park. Walk the Walk by artist Kate Gilmore is a dynamic sculptural and performance‐based artwork activated by a group of womens walking, stomping, shuffling and marching on the roof of an eight‐foot‐high cubic structure. Like typical office workers, the artworks participants represent a variety of physical builds and types, all clothed in simple yellow dresses and beige pumps. These women will walk, march and stomp atop the temporary structure from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm for five days straight.
Acting out their work in an area densely populated by office buildings, Gilmores performers transform the workday into a visual spectacle and dissonant symphony. Public Art Fund Director and Chief Curator Nicholas Baume observes: In Walk the Walk, the office cubicle has morphed into a room‐sized open structure. No longer confined by it, Gilmores office troupe has literally raised the roof, making it center stage for their visually and acoustically startling performance. Bright yellow walls beckon passersby inside, providing a multi‐sensory experience. Once inside, visitors will be enveloped by the reverberations of the stomping feet overhead inserting them into a dramatic, improvisational audio piece.
Walk the Walk is part celebration but also part protest piece. The structure is painted the same color as the womens dresses, branding the participants to fit their surroundings. Attempting to challenge the physical and psychological systems that regulate our working lives, Gilmore takes internal struggles and makes them public. Even those unable to experience the work in person will have access via online video footage available on the Public Art Funds website at www.publicartfund.org
Drawing attention to, and celebrating the vast number of women who work each day in the City, Gilmores installation questions notions of work, its limitations, and possibilities, especially as they relate to themes of female identity, physical endurance, and personal expression. Walk the Walk joins a rich tradition of feminist art practices in a decidedly new way.
Best known for her single‐channel videos of private performances, Gilmores work often reflects attempts to master arduous physical tasks while wearing stereotypically feminine clothing and shoes. In Standing Here (2010), currently included in the 2010 Whitney Biennial, Gilmore is seen climbing a prefab interior column wearing a polka dot dress and pumps. Similarly, Walk the Walk juxtaposes the display of physical exertion with the trappings of appropriateness and conformity, raising questions about womens economic and political goals, as well as issues of individuality, class, and social mobility. However, Walk the Walk marks the first time that Gilmore has orchestrated her work for other performers, instead of participating as its main subject.
Born in 1975, in Washington D.C., Kate Gilmore lives and works in New York City. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine (1997), and her Masters of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts, New York (2002). Her work has been shown extensively, most recently in the 2010 Whitney Biennial, on view until May 30. She has had solo exhibitions at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose (2009); Franco Soffiantino Arte Contemporanea, Turin (2009); Smith‐Stewart Gallery, New York (2008); and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia (2008). Gilmore was awarded a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award in 2009. | <urn:uuid:aea69f70-aaa2-42a7-94a3-a0714b620a46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=37973&int_modo=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931666 | 729 | 1.515625 | 2 |
A pan-green majority in the legislature will be conducive to improved cross-strait ties and bring about political stability, Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (
"If the pan-green camp manages to secure a majority in the Legislative Yuan, China will have to divest itself of the illusion that the pan-blue camp will return to power. China would then be more willing to sit down with the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] and the pan-green camp," Wu said yesterday during an international press conference.
Wu went on to demonstrate that despite concerns that political moves instigated by the ruling DPP would threaten cross-strait ties, President Chen Shui-bian (
"In 2000, when Chen was elected president, everyone was afraid that war and a formal declaration of independence was imminent ? But that hasn't happened," Wu said.
"Our overall policy is one of goodwill, active cooperation, and lasting peace. You can't go wrong with this," Wu said.
In an attempt to assuage fears that the push for a pan-green majority and Chen's proposal for constitutional reform would destabilize cross-strait relations, Wu said the moves were part of the nation's democratization.
"Taiwan is a new democracy and there are many lingering issues left behind by past authorities," Wu said, adding that the national emblem closely resembles that of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and that the national anthem was the KMT's anthem.
"Our pursuit of democratization has nothing to do with changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait," Wu said.
Wu said that the chance for negotiations and constitutional reform were not mutually exclusive.
"But we will explain the process so as to minimize the impact," he said of constitutional reform. | <urn:uuid:66f9a624-3551-4f52-b45d-d69d56aa5385> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/print/2004/12/09/2003214342 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974374 | 363 | 1.726563 | 2 |
A Salty Death
Way to Die Young #3: Shake it like a Salt Shaker
Can too much salt be deadly? Well, not directly. An overdose of salt won't kill you but the short term effects can be discomforting and the long term effects could play a part in a premature death.
There currently exists talk of regulating the amount of sodium in consumer food products. Many people are outraged by the notion. Others rejoice for the public initiative to take a more active role in our nation's health.
Surely all Americans should have the freedom to choose the foods they eat. But, do they? Does food transcend other consumer goods in the regard of ultimate freedom from regulation? If the government can regulate alcohol, tobacco and medicine all which are plant derivatives they should also be able to regulate processed and packaged foods which exist in an unnatural state. From the point we buy a packaged food at our local retailer we give up our freedom of choice. We have passed this freedom and responsibility on to the corporation and retailer from whom we bought the food.
Excess sodium (daily RDA ranges from 1,500-3000 mg) leads to high blood pressure. Over a period of time high blood pressure could lead to hypertension, stroke and even a heart attack.
Other notable side effects may include edema (fluid retention or bloating), cardiac enlargement, osteoporosis, gastric cancer, various ulcers, kidney stones, kidney failure and heartburn. Salty foods also increase the amount of total intake. That is if you eat salty foods you are prone to eat more than a normal amount. The salt stimulated increase in appetite leads to weight gain.
The problem with salt is that is behaves like a drug in regards to tolerance. The more salty foods a person eats the more they become tolerable to them. So you begin to crave saltier foods and require salt to enhance the flavor of foods that become bland because of your increased tolerance. However if you “quit” salt cold turkey you can make a full recovery. Normal foods will once again taste delicious without salty enhancements and you slowly crave salty foods less and less. Eventually the same salty foods which you once couldn't live without will be spit out in disgust. **[One serving of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup contains 100% of your daily RDA of sodium.]
So should sodium or “salt” be regulated? Absolutely. The government isn't regulating consumer choice but instead corporate responsibility like they have for hundreds of years. Consider it a challenge for food companies to make great food without shortcuts but instead fresh, real ingredients.
The best solution for a low-sodium diet is to eat whole foods including fresh produce and unadulterated meats. You can eat all you want and never have to check a label for sodium content. And my government will never ban nature's abundant harvest. | <urn:uuid:ab7101df-3707-4cc3-96dd-27dd9cbe0e03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://howtodieyoung.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945096 | 588 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Now that everybody* has a home broadband connection, the need for IP addresses is a growing concern. With the rollout of IPv6 still pending, IP addresses are a limited resource. ISPs are understandably reluctant to hand a static IP address to every US$50/month subscriber. Some ISPs do, and some allow you to pay extra for one. For the most part, though, they’re a bit of a pain to get.
* not everybody
This is not a problem for the majority of home broadband users. Their needs — efficient web browsing, quick downloading of large files, “always-on” service, productive hours spent on WoW or AIM — are met admirably by the service provided. Giving them a static IP address, if they even noticed, would just result in increased security headaches as their insecure Windows machines suddenly had fixed addresses, making them easier to break into.
So why would a home user want a static IP address? Well, for hosting things. Without a static IP, nobody knows where to find you, so you can’t run a Web server or an FTP server or an email server. Here is a bit of the science behind it.
The bond between a static IP address and a domain name is fixed, and nothing shall come between it unless the host wants it to. 188.8.131.52 will always equal lycos.com, and vice versa. This is mandated in the DNS record, which basically says, “until you hear otherwise, the domain lycos.com is found on the machine 184.108.40.206.” (This is a simplification, but will suffice for our needs here today.)
Contrariwise, dynamic IP addresses are assigned to users on a rotating basis. Every time a DSL (or dialup) user connects to the Internet, he or she is automatically assigned a temporary IP address, on a short-term DHCP lease. These addresses resolve to hosts on the network of the ISP that provides them, like sdn-ap-001mantriP0371.isp.net – not to the home machine that is using the address at the moment.
Thus, a machine on a DSL or cable line without a static IP is connected to the Internet, but only one way. People from the outside can’t initiate communication with that machine except through an intermediary, because they simply can’t find it! This makes hosting from home impossible … except through trickery. For there is a solution, a clever one. It is called dynamic DNS.
How It Works
Dynamic DNS makes use of a feature of DNS called Time-To-Live, or TTL. The TTL is the field in a DNS record that specifies how long the record is valid. That is to say, it tells querying servers how soon to check back with the host of that record to see if the record has changed. A typical setting is 12 or 24 hours, which is sufficient for standard DNS usage, because server information just doesn’t change that often.
The fundamental principle of dynamic DNS is to create a DNS record with a TTL setting of five minutes or so. By thus imparting to the world that the address of the machine in question changes frequently, it is possible to allow that machine to serve as an Internet host. Dynamically updating the DNS information keeps the domain name you choose pointing to your machine, whatever its IP address may be at the moment. It works like this:
Say you have a dynamically DNSed web server running yourdomain.com out of your bedroom. I type “yourdomain.com” into my browser. My computer asks its ISP’s nameserver, “How do I resolve yourdomain.com”? The nameserver looks at its cache and finds no answer, so it starts the querying process.
First it asks one of the web’s 13 root servers. The root server only knows the rightmost part of the answer:the .com part. It refers the query to the specific DNS servers that handle .com queries.
So the nameserver asks one of those about yourdomain.com. It receives the answer that DNS info for yourdomain.com is handled by nameserver.yourdnshost.com. The fact-finding mission continues.
My nameserver asks the question again. Finally, nameserver.yourdnshost.com reveals the information – the specific IP address that yourdomain.com resolves to. It also passes along the TTL information for that DNS record:namely, that the address should be cached for no more than five minutes. My browser connects to that IP address and sees your lovely flying kittens or whatever. This whole process takes just a second or so.
If another user of my ISP should want to visit the same page within five minutes, they can use the information that the ISP’s nameserver has cached. After five minutes, though, the data will expire and the whole querying process will be repeated. Because the next time the query is run, the IP address that yourdomain resolves to may well be a different one, depending on the whim of your broadband provider.
How To Get It
To keep up the fast-change routine of frequently refreshing DNS records, you need a couple of things. First, a provider. This is “yourdnshost.com” in the above example. You could maintain your own dynamic DNS record, but you don’t even have a static IP address. Chances are you’re looking for less expense and hassle, not more. Fortunately, there are a number of providers out there willing to do the upkeep for you. Their fees range from free, to free with a one-time charge, to a monthly or yearly fee. Most charge more if you want your own domain name, such as yourdomain.com, as opposed to a subdomain like yourdomain.yourdnshost.com.
In addition to a provider, the other thing you need is a client. The client is a small piece of software that runs on your local hosting machine. It detects the machine’s current IP address and, when that changes, sends a notification to the DNS provider. Detecting the IP address is a simple matter if your computer is connected directly to the broadband line, but if you have a router or NAT in your setup, and several computers sharing your connection, then the process becomes a little sniffier, and the client has to be clever enough to get the IP address that the router or NAT machine is using.
A few different attempts to standardize the process have been made. This means that you have to get a client that’s compatible with your particular provider, and, when you change providers, you may have to change clients as well. I have argued before in these pages for standardization of various things, and I still think it is a wonderful thing, despite the initial hassle. But, last time I checked, we still live in the real world. A given provider’s site should tell you what clients you can run.
So download the correct client for your platform and provider, configure it, run it, choose your domain name, pay your dues, and you’re up and running! Now you can pick up anything!
Check out Webmonkey’s tutorials on web hosting and email hosting.
Tips & Advice
- Many ISPs don’t approve of you running a server on their hookup. Check your terms of service beforehand. And if you get caught violating any of them, remember:This conversation never happened. | <urn:uuid:2564223c-ac55-4f94-aad0-38b5c502d123> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/02/Set_Up_Dynamic_DNS | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935997 | 1,569 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Living with ALS, Part III: Bruce Kramer describes 'The Tell'by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio
Editor's note: This is our third report following St. Thomas professor Bruce Kramer as he copes with life after being diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Bruce Kramer's legs are getting progressively weaker and he needs a motorized wheelchair and custom mobility van to get around.
"I just feel so weak and I feel like that all the time in my arms and legs. My left arm and my legs," he told MPR's Cathy Wurzer. "The rest of me feels pretty good."
Here's part of the conversation:
CATHY WURZER: "What do your doctors say about the weakness that has overtaken your legs since we last talked?"
BRUCE KRAMER: "I have the walker right up at the doorway. I pull the wheelchair up to the walker. I get up to the walker and I sort of, I've got grab bars all over the place and somehow or another I manage to go through another day of an adventure in the bathroom and that's the only walking I do. It's about two to three steps with a walker."
WURZER: "You're blogging very eloquently about your journey on the Internet and you're calling it the Dis Ease Diary. You're deliberate about using the word in that manner, Bruce. Why is that?"
KRAMER: "I guess what I realize is that I am basically heading on a journey faster than the rest of ya'll and that journey is a journey of taking what is generally easy for us, and something gets in the way of that and we have to find a way around it and it gets harder and harder and harder and eventually we can't. Eventually we don't. Eventually we die.
"And then I realized that it's not just physical, that everyone carries some form of disease in some way, shape or form. If you've had a friend who's marriage has blown up or your own marriage has blown up. Relationships can be a source of disease. Your kids can be a source of disease. [Even] your parents."
WURZER: "I want to take you back to one of the blog entries called, "The Tell." When a person gets a disease they have to obviously tell friends and neighbors and colleagues and family members, and you've constructed what you call The Tell. What is that for you?"
KRAMER: "What I came to realize very quickly, by the second day after my diagnosis, was that even though I knew it was true, others had to deny it. I remember talking to my brother and his very first reaction was, 'You can fight this, you can beat this. I know you. I know who you are. Don't give up on me. You can do this.' And I was sitting there thinking to myself, if I thought I had a bat's chance, I would do anything I could. And I will.
"But I don't think I'm going to beat this. It's really going to be about how I handle it. I need to hear his denial and then his anger and we talked a couple of days later and he had moved to another space, but it made me realize this process isn't about me. I think that when we see people who have a disability it's really uncomfortable for us. It's not a pleasant thing. And it's not something that we want to [do] ... 'Gosh, I just want to hang around someone who is dying.' Most of us don't want to do that. So The Tell became more about me mustering the energy to remain engaged with where you are. That's a lot of work."
Kramer says he had to decide what to say when people asked about his health, especially when he was using a cane. If someone asked if he had injured a leg, he had to make a quick mental calculation: Did he say "yes," or tell them instead he has ALS and watch the shock, disbelief or embarrassment on the part of the person asking. That's the point of The Tell. The disease is a shared experience, even if only one person actually lives with the disease; telling someone he has ALS means that they have been brought into his reality, if only for a moment.
KRAMER: "I go back to my brother. He was the one who actually helped me focus this when he said, 'You can fight this,' and I realized that if I were fighting with this, it would be fighting with myself. This has become a part of me. This is who I am now. It doesn't define me and that's the piece that's really hard, I think, for humans. We tend to look at people. We don't put them 'person first.' We don't say, 'A person with disability.' We say, 'A disabled person.'
"Well, if you define a person that way, then their disability comes first and their person hood is an after thought. And that piece of all of this, that sense that we're all temporarily able bodied. We're all facing some form of disability in some way, shape or form in our lives. We just don't know it yet. Or we do know it and we carry a fear that it defines us.
"So then I started thinking to myself, well, probably the greatest thing I have learned that I could give back is that it doesn't have to define us. We are who we are and then we are who we are with the condition that we have. So, rather than fighting it, own it. It's just a part of you."
As if to prove the point, Kramer motors into his new van, maneuvers into the driver's seat.
"I grab hold, and that's it," he said. "I lift my legs up because I can't do it with my legs, and then forward we go."
Bruce Kramer: Living With ALS
• Part I: Music adds solace to Kramer's journey
• Part II: Like Gehrig, Kramer turned to Mayo
• Part III: Kramer describes 'The Tell'
• Link: Bruce Kramer's 'Dis Ease' blog
- Morning Edition, 03/07/2012, 6:40 a.m. | <urn:uuid:a1bba02b-c857-4f74-9ca4-3a03690b0a78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/03/06/bruce-kramer-als-the-tell | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986325 | 1,330 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Do you have a customer who refuses to pay you for the repairs you made to her car? Or maybe the roofer you hired didn't finish the work? These are just a couple of examples of the types of claims or disputes that are resolved by the Oregon small claims courts, or the "people's court."
And, now that you're ready to file a small claims lawsuit, you need to know the mechanics of what to do and how to do it. In general, you have to have to know exactly who you're suing, have the right paperwork, and file the suit in the right court.
In Oregon, it's your responsibility to try to settle the dispute before you file a lawsuit. You can do this by calling the defendant or writing a letter and asking for payment. When you actually file the lawsuit, you have to sign a sworn statement that you tried to settle the case.
Where to File
You file a small claims case with the clerk of the small claims division of the appropriate justice or circuit court. In Oregon, each county has a circuit court, but not every county has a justice court. And, some counties have more than one justice court. Generally, you should file your suit in the county where your claim arose, such as where a car accident happened, or in the county where the defendant lives. If not, file in the circuit court. If you're suing a business, you can sue in the county where the business is located. Basically, if there's a justice court where the claim arose or where the defendant lives or is located, then file in that court. If there's a written contract involved, it may say where exactly any lawsuit must be filed.
If you don't file the lawsuit in the right county, the defendant can ask the court to move the case to the proper court. Or, he can ask that the case be dismissed or "thrown out" of court. This can slow things down for you. So, if you're unsure about where to file your suit, contact the clerk of the circuit court in your area for some help.
Claim and Notice of Claim
Lawsuits begin when the plaintiff, the person who's suing, files a "complaint." In the Oregon small claims courts, there's a special form called the "Claim and Notice of Claim." The court clerk can give you the form, and she can give you a little help filling it out. Don't expect legal advice about your suit, though. The clerk can't tell you if you have a good claim or your chances of winning, for example.
When filling out the form, you need to give information about the case in a clear and simple way. Print neatly and just give the facts about your claim. Specifically, you'll need to give:
- Your name, address, and a telephone number where you can be contacted during the day
- The defendant's name and address
- The amount of money you want the defendant to pay
- Reasons why the defendant owes you money
It's very important that you have the proper name and address of the party you're suing. If you're suing:
- A business that's not a corporation, like a sole proprietorship, you should contact the "assumed names" department or office at the county courthouse city or town hall to get the legal names and addresses for the business and its owner
- A corporation, you can get its exact name and address from Oregon's Secretary of State. You'll also find the name of the company's "registered agent," the person who accepts important documents for the corporation
- A partnership, you should list the name of the partnership as well as the individual partners. Again the Secretary of State can help you get that information
At the time you file your forms, you have to pay a filing fee. The fee varies from court to court, and the exact amount is based upon how much money you're suing for. Nonetheless, you can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $100 for filing a Claim and Notice and Claim. If you're the defendant and you request a hearing and/or file a claim against the plaintiff (called a "counterclaim"), you'll have to pay fees between $40 and $100. The court clerk can tell you the exact amount of your fee when you file.
Generally, if you win your case, the small claims court will order the defendant to pay your filing fee (called "court costs"). This will be in addition to any other money or "damages" the court awards you on your claim.
Service of Process
"Service of process" is when one party gives the other party notice that he's being sued. Generally, this is done by making sure that the defendant gets a copy of the Claim and Notice of Claim that you filed. You're responsible for making sure that the defendant is served. When you file your Claim, the clerk will give you detailed instructions on how to do this. Generally, you need to have a sheriff or process server deliver a copy of the Claim to the defendant, and they will charge a fee for this. You can't serve the defendant personally, that is, you can't hand-deliver a copy to the defendant.
Make sure you have the right name and address! If the defendant isn't served properly your case can't go forward, and it may be dismissed, or "thrown out" of court. Then you'll have to start all over again. If you're suing a corporation, you need to serve its "registered agent." She's the person named by the corporation who's responsible for accepting important documents and papers on behalf of or for the corporation. If you're suing a sole proprietorship, you need to serve the business's owner or its registered agent, if it has one. If you're suing a partnership, you need to serve its general or managing partner.
Once you've filed suit, the defendant has 14 days to:
- Settle the claim, that is, simply agree that he owes you money and pay it to the court clerk, plus your court costs (or return to you the personal property you sued over, plus your court costs)
- Deny your claim, and demand a hearing, where he can choose to file a counterclaim, that is, file a claim that you owe him. The defendant has to pay filing fees for demanding a hearing or filing a counterclaim. If the counterclaim is for more than $7,500, the judge will ignore it, unless the defendant files a written request for and pays a fee for transferring the case of the small claims division and into the regular circuit court. The clerk will notify you by mail of the hearing date and time
- Demand a jury trial, if your claim is for more than $750 and the defendant pays a fee for a jury trial. The case will be moved to the regular circuit court. The clerk will give detailed instructions on what to do if the defendant requests a jury trial, but generally you have to file a formal complaint and pay a new filing fee
- Default. If the defendant demands a hearing and doesn't show up for it (or "defaults"), you can file a "Request for Default Judgment," and the court will award you the amount of your claim, plus your costs. You can get the default judgment form from the court clerk
In some circuit courts, your case may be required to go to arbitration if the defendant demands a jury trial. This is called "mandatory arbitration," or it may be called mandatory "mediation" in the court you're in. This is a process where a neutral third party, called an "arbitrator" or "mediator" listens to you and the defendant, looks at your evidence, and tries to get you to reach a settlement. If you don't come to an agreement or settle the case, it will go back to the judge for a jury trial. You and the defendant will have to pay for arbitration, which may be between $50 to $125 per hour. The court clerk can tell you if arbitration is mandatory and how much you'll have to pay.
If the case is transferred to the circuit court, it's a good idea to talk to an attorney. Both you and the defendant can have an attorney represent you in court, and the trial will be much more complex than if it was held in the small claims court.
Questions for Your Attorney
- I filed a small claims suit against a dog owner, who lives the next street over from me, because her dog bit me. She says that she never received "notice," but I know the complaint was mailed to the right address. What can I do now?
- How much will you charge to represent me in a jury trial that the defendant demanded in my small claims lawsuit?
- The defendant I sued in small claims court said that I filed suit in the wrong court and the case was moved to another court. Do I have to file another claim and pay another filing fee? | <urn:uuid:97b3d84e-7e33-48b8-a108-4ba0854cded1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://research.lawyers.com/Oregon/OR-Filing-a-Small-Claims-Suit.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964658 | 1,842 | 1.625 | 2 |
You never have to get wet in a storm again. Stop ruining your shoes and jackets because you were unprepared. Find all the protection you need from the elements right here! Whether you are in need of an umbrella or a new rubber pair of galoshes, you don't need to look any further.
About Safety Toe:
Safety toe is a feature of hazard boots and refers to a protective toe cap found on some work boots and other types of safety footwear. Safety toe caps are specially designed to protect the wearer against injuries caused by accidents such as high impact or extreme compression, which are likely to occur in industrial and construction environments. Safety toe caps are generally made of steel or a lightweight but strong composite material.
Steel is a material that comprises the front of steel toe shoes and steel toe boots. Steel is inserted in the tip of a boot and is meant to protect the foot from harm. Steel is often found in construction boots or work boots. | <urn:uuid:04221513-12f5-4ece-916d-d76e20245bfb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shoebuy.com/non-steel-safety-toe-rain-gear.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962953 | 193 | 2.390625 | 2 |
- Grünland (1) (remove)
- Assessment of grassland ecosystem functioning: Carbon dioxide exchange and the dynamics of carbon and nutrient pools in temperate and Mediterranean grasslands (2008)
- The objectives of this study were to examine the influence of environmental variables, extreme weather events, management methods and ecosystem heterogeneity on grassland ecosystem functioning in the context of the variables CO2 exchange, nutrient dynamics, production, nitrogen and carbon pools. Two sites were selected in Central Europe, to represent temperate grassland, namely a grassland at Grillenburg and a controlled experimental grassland in the Botanical Garden of the University of Bayreuth, (both located in Germany) and additionally one site at Herdade da Mitra, Portugal, was studied as Mediterranean grassland. In the temperate grassland mowing reduced the leaf area index (LAI) as well as the biomass, with a subsequent impact on the overall assimilatory capacity of the grassland ecosystem. The pattern of root biomass development reflected seasonal variations in temperature and rainfall as well as the growth of the aboveground biomass showing peak root mass between DOY 180 and 210. Cutting increased the foliar N concentration, which came as a result of increased demand for N in the regenerating fresh tissue after the cut. During winter and early spring daily rates of net carbon exchange were low and the balance between net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and respiration was nearly zero. The gross primary productivity (GPP) at the cut site was higher than at the uncut site due to vegetation recovery at the former and senescing leaves at the latter site. Results from the artificially created grassland showed that drought altered the carbon fluxes in the grassland ecosystems without significantly changing the aboveground biomass production. A possible consequence of drought in these grass species could be an increase in the LAI due to shifts in aboveground carbon allocation from reproductive to vegetative structures. The results showed a crucial role played by species composition in regulating carbon fluxes and ecosystem productivity. The more diverse community exhibited higher potential for carbon uptake as well as increased ecosystem respiration. In the Mediterranean grassland, trees added considerable amounts of nutrients to the soil beneath their canopies, and have the potential to facilitate understory production. Although there was no significant difference in the total biomass accumulation between understory and open locations, analysis of soil N concentration revealed higher soil N under the trees. Although NEE was limited by light intensity in the understory, model projections of GPP showed no difference between the understory and the open locations in their potential assimilatory capacities. Significant differences, however, occurred between the two locations in ecosystem respiration. Depending on the location (open or understory), grazing influenced CO2 exchange processes differently. We found no significant differences in GPP between grazed and ungrazed sites in the open locations, while large differences occurred in the understory, with lower NEE in the grazed as compared to the ungrazed locations. Mean maximum foliar N concentration in the temperate grassland occurred in mid-May, coinciding with early growing season, with 3.4% nitrogen, whereas in the Mediterranean grassland, it reached a peak value in early April which was lower (2.3 %), averaged over the stand biomass. As in the case of the foliar N, the root N concentration was also lower in the Mediterranean grassland (ca. 1 %) as compared to the temperate grassland (1.5 %). In terms of available N in the soil solution, it was low at Mitra (ca. 0.2 micromol g-1 soil) in early spring while it remained near 0.6 micromol g-1 soil throughout the season at Grillenburg. Thus, the development of biomass is sensitive to fluctuations in temperature and radiation during the optimal period for growth, but the total biomass accumulation is at a lower level in the Portuguese grasslands (as well as in the botanical garden) due to greater nutrient limitation. Mediterranean and temperate grasslands were found to differ more strongly than expected due to nutrient availability, which depends on the prevailing higher temperatures, annual changes in water balance and possibly nutrient removal from the ecosystem in Mediterranean regions. | <urn:uuid:b07e8635-dd01-405e-8f0c-4c884170d495> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://opus.ub.uni-bayreuth.de/opus4-ubbayreuth/solrsearch/index/search/searchtype/authorsearch/author/Heydar+Mirzaei/start/0/rows/10/subjectfq/Gr%C3%BCnland | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954789 | 861 | 3.015625 | 3 |
A college graduate is likely to earn $570,000 more than a high school graduate over a lifetime, according to the annual 529 Report by College Savings Plans Network, and students who have a college savings account in their name are six times more likely to get a higher education than those who do not.
A 529 college savings plan is a tax-advantaged investment plan for saving for future higher-education expenses, typically for a child or grandchild. The plans are administered by individual states.
CSPN reports that in 2011, "despite the economy and media reports that college may not be worth the investment," Americans used funds from 1.4 million 529 accounts to pay for college expenses, and investment in 529 plans reached a record high of $164.9 billion.
How do 529 plans stack up against other options, like Roth IRAs and Coverdell ESAs? For more see Tax-wise ways to save for college. Our recent report on student debt has several sections on how to dig out from under that debt, including how to avoid borrowing. | <urn:uuid:e637ad54-7dac-44e5-8753-0d701d709943> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.consumerreports.org/money/2012/04/benefits-of-a-college-degree-outweigh-costs-new-report-says.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963768 | 215 | 2.25 | 2 |
Although only Humes's book Monkey Girl is out, I was lucky enough to be interviewed for each of them, and have gotten to know the authors, and so I have an idea about which direction each one takes. Although they all center on the trial, each comes at it from a different angle, so you are just going to have to support the economy and buy all three.
Ed Humes's Monkey Girl is the crime drama version of the Kitzmiller case. Humes, who won a Pulitzer in 1989 for investigative reporting about the U.S. Military, reviews the evolution fights that have occurred around the country since 2000, when the ID movement started to get national attention during Kansas's "Evolution War I" ("Evolution War I" was the fight over the deletion of evolution from Kansas's science standards in 1999-2000; "Evolution War II" was 2004-2006 fight over ID-friendly science standards), and continuing through the No Child Left Behind Act, the Ohio Board of Education, etc., up to Dover. Humes gives a detailed anatomy of the case from the beginning -- events which were crucial although this was not always clear at the time, and this trains readers up to understand how the dramatic moments at the trial came to pass.
For example, a preliminary scuffle in the case was the issue of whether or not the plaintiffs would file for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in January 2005. The plaintiffs took depositions of the key Dover Area School Board members to gather evidence, but Buckingham and Bonsell denied under oath that they had originally talked about "creationism" before they talked about "intelligent design" (despite the fact that this was explicitly reported in the newspapers), and they said they didn't know who had donated the book Of Pandas and People. As a result, the plaintiffs declined to file for a TRO and moved forward with plans for a full trial with a full discovery period. Of course, it turned out that the board members were lying and this is what led to some of the fireworks at trial. The book is also excellent for the culture and historical context of the case -- and a tour with a Pennsylvania geology guide gives the really deep background.
Reviews and articles are already coming out about Monkey Girl, see edwardhumes.com, the York Dispatch, the York Daily Record (includes the "ruling" -- the blurb -- from the Hon. Judge John Jones III himself), Pharyngula, and a long and detailed review from Red State Rabble.
Nick "Trial Geek" Matzke Watch: guess who one of the geeks is in the chapter entitled "Send Lawyers, Geeks and Money"?
Matthew Chapman's title was announced first (as far as I know), and he got the best one: 40 Days and 40 Nights. This is, of course, based on the banter at the very end of the fortieth day of the trial, which seemed to me to be clear proof that we were actually on a movie set and the director was about to jump out and yell "cut!" Chapman brings a unique perspective to the case as the great-great-great-great grandson of pottery magnate Josiah Wedgwood (not Wedgewood), perhaps better known as the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin himself. The book is an expansion of Chapman's article in Harper's Magazine.
As Chapman admits early on, he did not inherit the science proclivities that are common throughout the rest of the Darwin family. You do not read 40 days for ponderous analysis, you read it for the humor. Chapman's specialty is character, and he manages to peg just about every participant with a few incisive remarks. The effect is hilarious, especially if you know the people involved. Plaintiffs' attorney Steve Harvey? "[T]he best suits in the trial." Eric Rothschild? "One might imagine that as a geeky child he had encountered some bullying and was not about to let it continue into adulthood." During the trial, Chapman sat in the jury box with the other reporters and glowered at the ID witnesses. At least, that's what I had thought he was doing. During the cross-examination of Scott Minnich, Harvey brought up the fact that Richard Bliss, an education specialist with the Institute for Creation Research, had been invoking the "intelligent design icon," the bacterial flagellum, a generation ago. Most observers were thinking, "Wow, so that flagellum argument really isn't new at all, is it?" But not Chapman. No, at that moment Chapman was focused on the question of what would possibly lead someone to name their child "Dick Bliss."
Nick "Trial Geek" Matzke Watch: guess who is described thusly: "usually looked as if he had just rolled out of bed." True enough, I'm afraid.
Finally, we have well-known science journalist Gordy Slack's The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything: Evolution, Intelligent Design, and a School Board in Dover, PA. This book is not due out until May, but I'm sure it will be worth waiting for. For a preview, see his article for Salon.com on the Kitzmiller trial (this article, which got some amazing quotes from Richard Thompson, was cited in the trial transcript just a few days later, to the embarassment of the Defense).
Gordy has a personal interest in the story: Some years back, his dad experienced a midlife crisis, was born again, and became a rabid ID fan in the early years of the ID movement. Slack, a science student and then a professional science journalist, was not very sympathetic to this, and the two of them have debated this issue for years. At one point, Slack senior even set up an appointment for father and son to have lunch with Phillip Johnson on the U.C. Berkeley campus. Of the three authors, I suspect Gordy may be closest to the PT posters and readers in terms of perspective, as someone who has tracked the ID movement and its forays into education, and who has personally wrestled with creationism and how to interact with creationist family members.
Nick "Trial Geek" Matzke Watch: Too early to say, but in discussing my role in the case with Gordy, I said something about how the obscure obsession of a creationism-debating internet nerd suddenly became a special superpower that was amazingly relevant in a nationally-followed court case.
The Devil in Dover - Darwin vs. Dogma in Small-Town America
All of these books are amazing, yes -- but wait, there's more! Intrepid local journalist Lauri Lebo (a.k.a. "Lois Lane") has reportedly got a book deal of her own. (Added in edit - the working title is: The Devil in Dover - Darwin vs. Dogma in Small-Town America.) Since Lauri was on the ground from the beginning in the Dover area, and is likely all-knowing, we are certain to get something interesting from her. Lebo gave a speech at the Evolution 2006 meeting. Following several of the Kitzmiller participants who all gave academic-type talks with Powerpoint presentations, Lebo stood up and read a remarkable essay about what journalism is and what objectivity means in a journalistic context, and how these issues came up in the Kitzmiller v. Dover reporter's maelstrom of editors, newspapers, the courts, scientists and PR guys, and the local community. That's an incredibly dry description of what was actually a quite moving piece, but it gives you an idea. Lebo also has the "fundamentalist relative" issue in her background, which seems to provoke thoughtfulness. I'm also hoping for a segue on the famous Lebo Beer Can Museum.
And still more
For those with more academic interests in the case, here are some items to watch out for:
* God on Trial: Dispatches From America's Religious Battlefields by Peter Irons, a polysci professor at UCSD. According to his description at amazon.com, Irons reviews a number of constitutional battles over church/state separation, and spends a chapter on the Dover case. Coming out May 17.
* The Panda's Black Box: Opening up the Intelligent Design Controversy -- this is an anthology featuring big names including Scott Gilbert, Edward J. Larson, Michael Ruse, and Daniel J. Kevles. I am particularly interested in what Ed Larson has to say about the Dover case, seeing as he literally wrote the book on the legal history of creationism, in his 1985 book Trial and Error. He should understand more thoroughly than most just what an important role this history played in the Kitzmiller case. But we'll see. Coming out April 27.
* Several other anthologies and books are in the works -- Robert Pennock is working on something, as are Wes Elsberry and Ed Brayton. And Nova is working on a documentary featuring reenactments of key scenes from the trial, and Ron Nyswaner of Philadelphia fame is working on a screenplay for Paramount. Heck, if I get into grad school this fall I might have to spend the summer finishing my own writing on the case just so that I can get Kitzmiller out of my system.
Note: There is apparently no actual photo of Gordy Slack anywhere on the internet. This is a photo by Gordy Slack. Imagine a tall guy with black hair taking this photo. That's Gordy. | <urn:uuid:9c1272a3-4da8-4f17-9456-4651a1fca630> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.talkreason.org/articles/books.cfm | 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 | 0.971786 | 1,969 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The Pros And Cons Of Electronic Health Records
Recently my doctor’s assistant asked whether I wanted to pay a nominal fee to convert my health history into an electronic record. My first reaction was a negative one. After all, I didn’t want my medical information available to anyone who could hack into it. But the more I learned about a computerized medical record, the more it seemed like a sound idea. Soon I may have no choice. One of President Obama’s stated health-care goals is "utilization of an electronic health record for each person in the United States by 2014." So get ready.
Having your medical records computerized and stored electronically rather than in paper files, promises to reduce medical errors including prescribing the wrong medications. (FYI: The National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine estimates between 44,000 and 98,000 people in the United States die each year because of errors such as being prescribed medicine to which they are allergic.) In addition, a physician making a referral could, depending on the system’s interactivity with other health-card providers, forward a patient's complete medical records with a single keystroke. This could reduce the wait time for an appointment. And if done with care, electronic records could eliminate duplication of services and ultimately save money. An electronic system can also provide easier access for patients to see their own records. | <urn:uuid:3d6de33c-3366-4b62-8d7a-218016291e15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thirdage.com/medical-care/the-pros-and-cons-of-electronic-health-records | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958304 | 281 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Well, probably not. Interest rates are headed up again, while European stocks have taken a pounding.
The momentary optimism reflected an unprecedented move by the European Central Bank (ECB) — Europe’s Federal Reserve — to make low-interest loans of 1 percent available to strapped banks for three years. In late December, more than 500 banks borrowed 489 billion euros (about $635 billion); and in February, 800 banks borrowed 530 billion euros ($690 billion).
The ECB “dumped tons of cash onto the banks,” says economist Jay Shambaugh of Georgetown University. As he notes, this had two beneficial effects. First, it relieved fears that some banks wouldn’t be able to repay maturing loans. Second, it helped reduce interest rates on government bonds because banks used the new cash to buy bonds. (Bond rates move in the opposite direction of prices; if bond prices rise — because investor demand increases — then interest rates fall.) For the banks, this seemed to present a huge profit opportunity: borrow at 1 percent; buy bonds yielding 5 percent or more.
But all this, though reassuring, barely affected debtor countries’ underlying problems.
Spain is the latest focus of concern. On March 2, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced that the country would miss its 2012 budget deficit target of 4.4 percent of the economy (gross domestic product) and wanted to raise that to 5.8 percent of GDP. After complaints from other European leaders, the target was set at 5.3 percent of GDP. But this required more austerity in an economy in deep recession.
“Spain is a classic expression of the problem,” says Shambaugh. “You look at its almost 24 percent unemployment, and it’s hard to see austerity as the path out.”
In a recent paper, Shambaugh argued that Europe’s problems are so intractable because they reflect three parallel crises that feed on each other. First, there’s a banking crisis. Banks have too little capital (a buffer against losses) and have a hard time raising funds. Next is the sovereign debt crisis. The high debts of many countries raise fears that, like Greece, they may default. And, finally, there’s an economic growth crisis. Low growth or slumps afflict most of the 17 countries using the euro.
Each crisis aggravates the others. Because banks hold huge portfolios of government bonds, fears about the bonds’ values weaken the banks and threaten their failure. Weak banks in turn don’t provide ample business and consumer loans to increase economic growth. And feeble or nonexistent growth shrinks tax revenues and makes it harder for governments to service their debts.
Just how Europe escapes this trap is unclear. In his paper, Shambaugh proposes a few policies that he thinks might help. For example, stronger countries such as Germany and the Netherlands might cut their value-added tax (VAT) to spur consumption — and imports from weak debtor countries. Slightly higher inflation in the stronger countries would improve debtors’ competitive position.
Europe’s best hope may be that faster economic recovery in the rest of the world triggers an export boom. But this is a hope, not a policy. The policy has been to muddle through.
“Whenever pushed to the brink, policymakers have always done something to pull them back from the brink,” says Shambaugh. “They’ve done things that no one thought possible five years ago” — including the ECB’s recent, cheap three-year loans. The improvisations have been impressive, but how long can they continue? | <urn:uuid:3cc5e974-4fa6-49bd-a430-107314042da7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wpost.com/opinions/europes-financial-crisis-never-really-went-away/2012/04/12/gIQAsZrwCT_story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937848 | 756 | 2.453125 | 2 |
LONDON.- Kings Cross St. Pancras Underground Station will unveil Full Circle by Knut Henrik Henriksen on Friday 27 November 2009, the first permanent artwork to be installed on the network since Paolozzis mosaics at Tottenham Court Road in 1984.
Full Circle has been created as an integral part of the Kings Cross station upgrade, an enormous undertaking that includes two new ticket halls and several new pedestrian tunnels, to cater for growing numbers of Tube customers. The work references the impressive contemporary architectural setting of the modernised Tube station and will be sited at the end of the new tunnel that leads passengers to the Northern line platforms.
The size and form of Henriksens sculpture is frequently defined by such architectural specificities as the height, depth and materials of a given location. These become starting points for his work and in this case the circular end wall of the concourse tunnel is the origin of his concept. The circle is truncated where it meets the floor, implying a lost segment of circle beneath. This segment has been reinstated, conceptually exhumed by Henriksen, and mounted as an integral architectural feature of the end wall. It is fabricated by the station upgrade contractor from the same material (shot-peened stainless steel) as the wall itself. The effect is of a minimalist relief: a subtle, elegant work in metallic grey. Henriksens practise is underpinned by a preoccupation with and critique of key Modernist principles - form fitting purpose and truth to materials; minimal embellishment.
In the 1930s, London Undergrounds Managing Director Frank Pick, fired up by European Modernist ideals, championed a unifying principle of the Tube network, which became known as Total Design. Through this concept such elements as the Roundel, the Tube map, the Johnston typeface, artists designs for posters and station designs, exemplified by the work of architect Charles Holden, have combined to become central to London Undergrounds world renowned identity. Henriksens Full Circle brings this vision up to date, seamlessly becoming part of the Undergrounds tunnels and passageways.
The installation at Kings Cross St. Pancras is just one of a number of significant permanent artworks commissioned by Art on the Underground for key stations on the network over the coming years. For example, Daniel Buren will create a dramatic new work for the Tottenham Court Road Tube station, which is undergoing a major upgrade. | <urn:uuid:0716342b-44c8-4e0a-829b-80e2c492aed3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=34558&int_modo=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95013 | 487 | 1.835938 | 2 |
- authority (n.)
- early 13c., autorite "book or quotation that settles an argument," from Old French auctorité "authority, prestige, right, permission, dignity, gravity; the Scriptures" (12c.; Modern French autorité), from Latin auctoritatem (nominative auctoritas) "invention, advice, opinion, influence, command," from auctor "master, leader, author" (see author (n.)).
Usually spelled with a -c- in English till 16c., when it was dropped in imitation of the French. Meaning "power to enforce obedience" is from late 14c.; meaning "people in authority" is from 1610s. Authorities "those in charge, those with police powers" is recorded from mid-19c. | <urn:uuid:c0914a30-7f64-4867-88b7-e1bc974b7af4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=authority&allowed_in_frame=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913786 | 167 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Patio Gallery exhibit honors the sculptress
The word “sculptress” tells you two things — the artwork is a sculpture and a woman created it. The feminine ending is outdated now, but it was hard-won. A male sculptor told Louise Nevelson, one of the prominent artists of the 20th century, early in her career that she couldn’t be a sculptor. Nevelson said he told her, “‘Don’t you know, Nevelson, you’ve got to have balls to be a sculptor.’ And I replied, ‘Oh, well, I’ve got balls.’ And (the man) shut up.”Louisvillian Enid Yandell also fought against this type of prejudice as a female sculptor working at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. She excelled in college, which gave her the opportunity to study with some of the best sculptors of her day, including Auguste Rodin and Lorado Taft. Along the way, she racked up many commissions and was the first woman admitted into the National Sculpture Society. Two of her important sculptures are “Daniel Boone” in Cherokee Park and “Athena,” created for the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition. When a group of local female sculptors were deciding on a name for their organization, it made perfect sense they chose ENID, in honor of Yandell’s accomplishments. The 21 sculptures in the Patio Gallery by 13 members are abstract, so the viewer has to do a little more work to relate to a piece. So much the better; if the meaning does not come easily, it may be more personal when you do “get it.”Ewing Fahey’s “Continuum” is a good example of this. The green stone-twisted circle stands on its own as a beautiful work of art, then takes on additional meaning when you understand it was meant to be placed in a cemetery. As her posted artist statement explains, “The circle is symbol of eternity. Here its twisting, broad planes form a continuous surface — if an imaginary line were drawn, beginning at any point, it would circle three times around before returning to its start. This is intended as a metaphor for the seamless nature of life, death and the hereafter. If a cross section were cut, they would reveal triangles, which symbolize faith, hope and love and the Trinity.”Spirituality also flows through the art of Jeanne Dueber, a Loretto, Ky., nun. Her hammered copper “Angel of Mercy” shows a face and two hands emerging from the smooth background, as if reaching out through the darkness to assist someone in need. This will be my mental image of a guardian angel from now on.Fun and humor highlight the work of collage artist Jacque Parsley. Her mixed media “An Arranged Marriage”diptych is full of doll parts, light bulbs and a turtle shell. Another of her works, “Death Plucks My Ear,” strikes a more serious note. Using a washboard as the support, she attached a doll’s head and plastic ear on the top. On the bottom are bronzed baby shoes. In the center of the washboard she placed an image of an Egyptian sarcophagus, then wrote the saying, “Death Plucks My Ear and Says ‘Live, For I Am Coming.’” Wouldn’t you love to see her studio, with its mounds of doll parts and assorted jumble? That would be an exhibition in itself. Caren Cunningham’s work is fun, as well — and recyclable too! After having surgery, Cunningham realized her usual medium of stone was too much for her. “I asked myself what would be the opposite of working with heavy, gray 350-million-year old limestone, and I decided that it would be lightweight colored plastic,” she explains in her artist statement. Her “Eight Totems,” created out of plastic, wood and galvanized steel, have been placed outside the building (they can be viewed from the gallery windows), and are the perfect antidote for a dreary winter day.More thought provoking and serious is “Saltation,” the sculpture by Joyce Ogden. Resembling a portion of a large hourglass, the steel frame, polyurethane rubber over cloth funnel has sand inside it as well as on the floor. The shape and function are familiar enough for the casual viewer to understand, yet it resonates, which is typical of Ogden’s work.A photograph of Enid Yandell, with chisel in hand, is posted on the gallery wall, letting her survey her namesake exhibition. I believe she would be proud. | <urn:uuid:73536e45-4db4-4b10-99a2-90bde39ce222> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://leoweekly.com/arts-entertainment/major-stories/features/patio-gallery-exhibit-honors-sculptress | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972476 | 1,012 | 2.328125 | 2 |
- Our Work
- Get Involved
- Inside Heifer
- Ideas in Action
Story by Madeleine Muñoz | Program Assistant | Heifer Peru
Translated by Jason Woods | Americas Regional Program Assistant | Heifer International
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a key element for economic growth and development. They offer opportunities for global integration while retaining the identity of traditional societies. ICTs can increase the economic and social welfare of the poor and empower individuals and communities.
(Information and Communication Technologies: A World Bank Group Strategy. Washington DC: World Bank Group, 2002).
At Heifer Peru, we have strategically considered the inclusion of information and communication technologies, or ICTs, for the development of campesino (rural farm) communities. We believe that its use decreases the inequity gap in access to up-to-date information, which can generate the capacity that is needed to begin self-sustained social and economic development of people. Thus, we look to ICTs to help improve the quality of life of people in the most vulnerable sectors.
Heifer International and the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) finalized a Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) in November 2011 that frames an alliance between the two organizations to identify areas of cooperation to help farming families move from a position of vulnerability to one of sustainability through ICTs.
Heifer Innovates in Peru
From the experiences of Heifer International, Heifer Peru is playing the role of pioneer in strengthening local capacities to integrate ICTs into the management of its projects. Through sustained work with IICD, partner organizations and community leaders who represent project participants, Heifer Peru has managed to complete the design of three pilot projects in three regions.
Campesinos Open Their Windows to the World
“We create pretty, natural garments from alpaca fiber, and we sell it in our towns at different fairs, but I think we aren’t very well-known yet. Our dream is for the world to see our work and to move forward to new markets. This is a vision, but I think that, little by little and in different ways, with promotion through catalogs, webpages, etc., we are advancing. And that would be a joy.”
Elizabeth Villanueva, member of the Association of Artisans of Flor de Sancayo, Puno
Information and awareness generate knowledge and empower people, so ultimately ICTs will help multiply the number of campesino men and women who can access the right to be informed. And in turn, they can share information in and beyond their communities by recognizing their work and vision of development.
Through the pilot experience, Central Campesino Communities (CECOBOSQUE), a participant in the Piura umbrella project, is enhancing its capacities in the use of webpages, social networks, radio programs and printed and audiovisual materials. This will increase its representation in the region as an important organization that carries the voice of 34,849 member families in 25 campesino communities who are pushing for sustainable development in the fragile dry forest ecosystem.
In Cusco, 58 artisan families that are members of the Association of Producers and Artisans of the District of Marcapata are working through the Cusco umbrella project and will be trained in the use of virtual catalogs and audiovisual equipment to improve the production and promotion of alpaca fiber products through social networks.
In Puno, 65 women artisans who are participating in the FEED project are seeking to use social networks and virtual catalogs to advertise the diversity of their alpaca fiber crafts regionally and globally, generating an interesting opportunity to access new markets.
A Concrete Perspective
ICTs are a medium to achieve greater results. At Heifer Peru, we are aware that poverty has many sides and ICTs are not a solution to poverty, but part of a good strategy to ensure equitable strengthening of capacities in communities.
These pilot experiences are the basis for taking a look at larger proposals, expertise generated and lessons learned so that ICTs can be clearly incorporated in the Americas regional programs, such as those involving the Andean countries of Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru. IICD’s experience in these and other countries worldwide is documented, and their experience in Peru is starting with Heifer. Linking ICTs to articulated themes such as the value chain of alpaca fiber, conservation of fragile ecosystems (mangroves, dry forest), climate change, food security and the empowerment of women can give a fresh perspective to our programs. | <urn:uuid:a69c946d-ed54-4574-a475-23c18be25ca6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.heifer.org/ourwork-standalone/peru-advances-through-technology%20use?msource=magento | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925131 | 957 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a cancer of lymphocytes that live in the bone marrow, lymph nodes and spleen. ALL accounts for 20 percent of acute leukemia in adults, but is also the most common type of acute leukemia in children.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) usually causes illness suddenly, within days or weeks. Most problems are related to the replacement of normal bone marrow and diminished normal blood counts. ALL causes bone marrow failure, which leads to:
In addition to these signs of bone marrow failure, ALL sometimes can cause enlarged lymph nodes, an enlarged liver or spleen, or pain in the bones or joints.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is usually suspected when a test finds abnormal blood counts and leukemic cells, or blasts, appear in the blood. Then, the diagnosis is established by examination of the bone marrow via bone marrow aspiration and biopsy. ALL is diagnosed when the bone marrow aspirate and biopsy contains 20 percent or more immature cells called blasts, determined to be lymphoid in nature.
It's generally difficult to be certain of an ALL diagnosis simply by the appearance of cells under the microscope. Therefore, additional laboratory tests are normally needed.
One important test is immunophenotyping (also called flow cytometry), which determines whether the cells are lymphoid (ALL) rather than myeloid (AML), based on proteins expressed in the leukemia cells. Immunophenotyping also determines whether they are T or B lymphocytes. In addition, chromosome testing, called cytogenetics, is a critical part of the evaluation that helps determine the appropriate course of treatment.
The treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) varies according to one's age, general condition at diagnosis and the results of the cytogenetic testing. Standard therapy for ALL has changed very little in the last 15 years or so, as the current strategy has been very effective at curing adults. The goal of treatment is a cure. Treatment can be divided into four phases:
The first two phases use intensive chemotherapy medications designed to kill the leukemia cells that grow quickly. Complete therapy for ALL typically continues for two to three years.
Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center. | <urn:uuid:2ee256e4-d026-4ea7-9acf-6c40e013b6b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/acute_lymphoblastic_leukemia/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932931 | 455 | 3.703125 | 4 |
TODAY: Memorial march for Markelov and Baburova; gay protesters beaten; Ephiphany holiday; Coordinating Council plans Spring march; naval exercises thought to be a reminder about Syria; anti-Magnitsky List now 60-strong; Moscow Exchange to list itself; WTO crash course; infrastructure savings; Bolshoi attack; mine explosion.
Hundreds gathered in Moscow on Saturday to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the murder of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalist Anastasia Baburova. Gay activists at a sanctioned march in Voronzeh yesterday were beaten ‘by an angry crowd’. More than 82,000 Muscovites bathed in ice-cold water to mark the Orthodox holiday of Epiphany. The Opposition’s Coordinating Council, which is supposedly concerned about low productivity since its inception, has scheduled its next protest for the Spring, focusing on the release of ‘political prisoners’. Vladimir Frolov urges leaders to find ‘ways to accommodate some of the protesters’ demands’. Russia has started its largest naval exercises in years as analysts said that ‘the drill was probably meant to remind the West of Russia’s links to Syria’. Russia admitted that it has denied a visa to former U.S. commander at Guantanamo Bay, in connection with its anti-Magnitsky Act legislation, as the International Affairs Committee explains that the current blacklist of U.S. officials stands at 60 people. ‘Putin may have rejected American ideas of democracy but he seems to have wholeheartedly internalised Bush’s approach to the culture war.’
The Moscow Exchange has announced its intention to float its own platform through the sale of stock. First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov says that the fact of BP raising its stake in Rosneft shows Russia’s willingness to surrender its state control over oil production. Government ministers have been offered free crash courses in WTO rules. A new report says that Russia could save more than $30 billion a year out of its $1.5 trillion infrastructure budget through ‘simple efficiencies’. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is pushing for cheaper high-speed Internet in households.
The acid attack on Bolshoi director Sergei Filin has ‘shone the spotlight on intrigue’ and long-term rivalries at the theatre. The four miners killed at an explosion at a mine in the Kemerovo region are thought to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
PHOTO: A participant hold portraits during a rally to commemorate the 2009 murders of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov (2nd R) and journalist Anastasia Baburova (R), in central Moscow January 19, 2013. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin | <urn:uuid:05faf2ed-a2da-42c5-8404-2cd18b0174a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://robertamsterdam.com/2013/01/n210113/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953517 | 574 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Primary Sources: Kill-All Policy
Intercepted and decoded by the Allies, this message from the Japanese Vice Minister of War to the Commanding General of Military Police in Taiwan explains the conditions under which Japanese commanders could execute prisoners of war without formal orders from Tokyo.
Author Linda Goetz Holmes, author of Unjust Enrichment: How Japan's Companies Built Postwar Fortunes Using American POWs, points out that it was not a military order, but a policy clarification, since the author in the war ministry did not have the authority to issue orders. Still, according to Holmes, the message was "transmitted to every POW camp commander in Japanese-occupied territory as well as the home islands," and widely known among former Japanese soldiers and former POWs. This memo was introduced into evidence at the post-war trials of Japanese war criminals.
1. (entries about money, promotions of Formosans at Branch camps including promotion of Yo Yu-Toku to 1st Cl Keibiin - 5 entries)
2 The following answer about extreme measures for P.O.W.'s was sent to the Chief of Staff of the 11th Unit (Formosa P.O.W. Security No. 10).
"Under the present situation if there were a mere explosion or fire a shelter for the time being could be had in nearby buildings such as the school, a warehouse, or the like. However at such time as the situation became urgent, and it be extremely important, the P.O.W.'s will be concentrated and confined in their present location and under heavy guard the preparation for the final disposition will be made.
The time and method of this disposition are as follows:
Although the basic aim is to act under superior orders individual disposion may be made in the following circumstances.
(a) When an uprising of large numbers cannot be suppressed without the use of firearms.
(b) When escapees from the camp may turn into a hostile fighting force.
2. The Methods.
(a) Whether they are destroyed individually or in groups or however it is done, with mass bombing, poisonous smoke, poisons, drowning, decapitation, or what, dispose of them as the situation dictates.
(b) In any case it is the aim not to allow the escape of a single one, to annihilate them all, and not to leave any traces.
3. To: The Commanding General
To: The Commanding General of Military Police
Reported matters conferred on with the 11th Unit, the Kiirun Fortified Area H.Q., and each prefecture concerning the extreme security in Taiwan P.O.W. Camps.
3. (The next entry concerns the will of a deceased P.O.W.).
I hereby certify that this is a true translation from the Journal of the Taiwan P.O.W. H.Q. in Taiwan, entry 1 August 1944.
STEPHEN H. GREEN [American cryptographer]
From the Journal of the Taiwan P.O.W. Camp H.Q. in Taihoku, entry 1 August 1944.
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Imagine this scenario; you’re at the store and want to buy a bottle of wine for dinner at home. You’re having steak and you want a red wine. This is the extent of what you know. There are a ton of varieties, regions, and styles of wine to choose from. And where your head spins are the price points. Is this $12 malbec not as good as that $25 syrah? Why is this cabernet sauvignon $9 while that one is $90? There is some noise to filter when it comes to price points, but here is a guideline of expectations as you go up in pricing tier.
<$10 – The domain of Three Buck Chuck, large volume wine, and hidden gems. The wines at this level are often value-oriented. They can play in this field because the wines can be a bunch of variables that can drive the price down. The wine can come from a winery that has massively huge volumes of wine. Or it comes from regions that can support large scale production. Or the winery owns all their capital goods and can afford a lower margin (often in Europe). At this stage, you can find good wine, but it will be tough to find a great wine. Good, however, is the pricing bar that many want to find in the wine they buy. It’s not too expensive and won’t be a hit on the wallet.
$10-20 – This is a magical level that plenty of consumer wants to play with. But here’s the thing; generally speaking, the quality bar is different at the $15 mark. Below, you’ll find good stuff. Above, you can come across great wines. How so? Because this is the sweetspot that the modern wine consumer wants to play in, so pricing has adapted. In this field you’ll start to find more layers, nuances, and subtleties in a good bottle. You’ll also have the opportunity to discover new regions that you may be unfamiliar. Portugal, Spain, Chile, and Argentina beckon.
$20-30 – This is a level where you can find some really interesting wine. Many in the industry feel it’s a growing category. Great wine can be had. A wine drinker has almost all of the wine regions of the world at their disposal. You’ll be able to get bottles with more aging, single vineyards, more fruit and provocative flavor notes.
$30-50 – We are now getting to the price category where wine nerds start to surface. Take all of the good that was mentioned at the previous tiers and now amplify them. The wine can border on magic. You’ll start to believe that notes of bacon fat or elderflower are present.
$50+ – You really love wine at this point. Or you want to impress someone.
$100+ – You and wine are soulmates. Or you want to impress someone’s parents.
$500+ – You probably read The Robb Report. And you probably have tasted a DRC. Most of us have only read about a DRC. Even more have no idea what a DRC is.
Disclaimer: wine pricing is a fluid and complicated area. Supply and demand is in play. Location has a hand in pricing. Know this; really good wine can be hand at any price point; it just requires a bit of know how to weed through it. And besides, it’s your palate, enjoy drinking with your tongue planted firmly in your cheek. | <urn:uuid:09cbb6d3-a982-41a0-a36d-7ae52a2f52cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goingforseconds.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963258 | 737 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Coach Kevin Sumlin, University of Houston, gives a presentation on training quarterbacks, touching on the unique relationship between players and coaches and demonstrating different drills and techniques he utilizes. He begins by describing his relationship with his quarterbacks and how it differs from his relationships with other players. He also shares famed coach Bill Parcells "QB commandments" and details how he holds his players to these ideals. He then breaks down various drills, including The Wynder, Figure 8, Michigan Drill, and much, much more. Sumlin places great emphasis on drilling quarterbacks to be efficient when things breakdown or when the QB is on the run.
66 minutes. 2011.
Very good information that speaks to the more advanced quarterback. I was looking more for a developmental video that dealt more with the very basics. This video is very good for coaches looking to take there kids to the next level of development, not for the beginner
Absolutely no question, this is one of the best training tools I've seen. Kevin Sumlin, who now coaches Johnny Football the Heisman winner, really knows his stuff. The skill training techniques are right on the mark and he explains WHY he uses each one. His rapport with the QB is solid. I only wish he had of had more time rather than have to rush but what we got was excellent.
Excellent DVD coach Sumlin explains his quarterback philosphy. Then follows it up with practice footage of his QB going through drills. after that he show game footage on how the drills in practice translate into the game. I feel the drills and concept that are explained in this dvd can be used at any level.
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© 2013 Championship Productions, Inc. | <urn:uuid:14547e51-09d0-415a-b792-cd40fe0313f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.championshipproductions.com/cgi-bin/champ/p/Football/Kevin-Sumlin-Training-the-Quarterback_FD-03845.html?crm=c-972 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972003 | 387 | 1.648438 | 2 |
More than a week after the ancient Iranian city of Bam was levelled by a devastating earthquake, the country's newspapers are at odds over the possibilities for better political relations with Washington, following Tehran's speedy acceptance of US humanitarian aid.
Hardline papers are dismissive about President Bush's motives. By contrast, the reformist press looks forward to a warming of ties between the US and Iran.
Some people have been excited about establishing relations with America... Witnessing such unrealistic reactions breaks the heart of a proud person who knows something about the tricks of the great Satan. Even if officials are in favour of establishing relations with America, they should not speak with such enthusiasm.
Jomhuri-ye Eslami (hardline)
These incitements to normalise political relations between Tehran and Washington are being made while a substantial amount of our country's assets are blocked by America.
US efforts to hinder Iran's access to nuclear technology meant for peaceful purposes... and many other hostile measures show that Washington's proposal on negotiations with Iran is in fact impracticable.
Who knows, perhaps the lives of our beloved Bam inhabitants were a huge sacrifice offered to God Almighty to save the homeland from sedition and a greater disaster. By respecting the lives of those who have been sacrificed, we should not give ground to extremist elements and political game-players, who, on different pretexts, seek to disturb the situation.
The walls of mistrust between the two governments are as formidable as ever. The current steps do not appear to be sufficient to pave the way for political dialogue. Time will tell whether the White House is serious in wanting a new beginning with Tehran.
Through his "earthquake diplomacy", George W Bush is trying to reaffirm his belief that America is a lighthouse that helps lost ships... The aim is to show that problems do not stem from American objectives, but rather from the values of the other side.
Iran and America are moving step by step - albeit slowly - towards improving relations; each asking the other to show good will and sincerity. Can anyone deny that the partial lifting of sanctions against Iran is a step towards this?
Mardom Salari (reformist)
Political observers and analysts looking at the new tendency in relations between America and Iran believe the two countries are standing on the threshold of new circumstances. But some of them believe that the Bam earthquake is only a pretext for resuming relations since, right now, the two countries are cooperating with each other in Iraq and Afghanistan. Khatami speaks otherwise.
We view America as the great Satan. And White House officials have labelled Iran a member of the axis of evil. Iran and America's relations with other countries clearly show that these myths are used to explain the unresolvable issues between the countries rather than act as the source of problems between them.
Yas-e Now (reformist)
The Americans, contrary to the viewpoints of many, mostly conservative, Iranian circles, do not need Iran for the administration of Iraq. But they clearly realise that peaceful relations with Iran would facilitate dialogue and contact with Iraq's Shias; that Iran's participation would help guarantee the end of tension in Afghanistan, and that Iran could help supervise hardline groups... Sooner or later an appropriate solution should be found.
BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. | <urn:uuid:827083db-e418-4bc0-87df-20d461bf9987> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3365179.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953009 | 705 | 1.59375 | 2 |
29. March 2012 12:53
Thanks to a licensing agreement concluded with UltraVision CLPL, Bausch + Lomb has started to offer silicone hydrogel contact lenses designed for patients suffering from keratoconus as well as some other conditions related to an irregular shape of the cornea.
The lenses are called KeraSoft IC and use several patented technologies offering both enhanced visual acuity and comfort to patients with irregular corneas caused by, for instance, a trauma, a surgery or a disease. Traditionally, such patients had to wear rigid gas permeable contact lenses, which are not appropriate for some of them, leading to shorter wear times and discomfort.
The director of Global GP and Custom Soft Lens Business for Bausch + Lomb, David Bland, stated that KeraSoft IC contact lenses will become a great option for patients with irregular corneas as soon as eye care practitioners gain more knowledge about them and about the process of fitting them. The company offers special training to all practitioners, so the lenses should widely available quite soon.
27. March 2012 12:42
Though the majority of contact lenses users believe that it is not a good idea to wear lenses in periods in which allergies usually exacerbate, experts point out that there are very effective methods of dealing with allergies, which do not require long breaks in contact lens wear.
According to News USA, allergic conjunctivitis occurs when a person’s eye comes into contact with an allergen (pollen, dust, animal hair, etc.), resulting in severe discomfort. The best thing to do in such cases is to take contact lenses out, but it does not mean that a person cannot put them back in as soon as the symptoms are under control.
What is more, the source assures that the number of methods of controlling allergies, which include pills and eye drops, is constantly increasing. Also, modern contact lenses are much more comfortable for allergic patients and new lenses that will make the lives of allergic contact lens wearers much easier are being developed by several manufacturers.
25. March 2012 20:12
Coloured contact lenses and carefully designed costumes have allowed Amy Jackson, a rising film star and model, to disappear into her character in Ek Deewana Tha.
The director of the film, Gautham Menon, wanted the actress to blend into her role (a conservative Malayali-Christian girl) and not just sell Ek Deewana Tha with her exotic beauty, which is why he paid a lot of attention to details such as contact lenses. The lenses turned Amy Jackson’s green eyes into brown ones, which – as she admits – helped her become Jessie on the set. The beginning of work in Bollywood was quite a shock, the actress revealed, but she soon got used to it thanks to the support from her colleagues, family and friends.
Amy Jackson’s career has been developing extremely fast. Having won several beauty pageants, including Miss Teen World (2008), she became a professional model, which led to proposals from the film industry.
Her first project was Madrasapattinam, a picture filmed in Tamil, for which she received a nomination for the Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress.
23. March 2012 20:03
Working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Washington, Microsoft’s science team is developing a contact lenses capable of monitoring blood glucose levels.
The so-called “Functional Contact Lenses” may (according to the researchers) make the currently used blood tests obsolete, as they will be able to provide data concerning changes in blood sugar concentration immediately, which will be a great help for all patients suffering from diabetes. The possibility of being informed of changes in blood glucose levels immediately means that the patient can respond to those changes straight away, taking their medications and this way preventing dangerous complications.
The lenses work by using bio-compatible electrodes which are placed on the surface of the lens. These electrodes measure the results of interactions of an enzyme with eye fluid, subsequently wirelessly transmitting data onto a computer, a smartphone or a tablet.
All data related to the measurements taken by the lenses will be stored digitally, which the patient’s physician will be able to use to optimise the treatment.
21. March 2012 19:55
Contact lenses that allow their users to enjoy virtual reality games and applications without the need to wear large and heavy head gear have been presented at CES 2012.
The contact lenses (referred to as iOptik) are part of a virtual reality system developed by Innovega. They have embedded special filters and optics, which – when a person wears specially designed glasses incorporating tiny LCD or OLED displays – enable a person to see not only what appears on the displays (which is normally too small to see), but also what is in the background. Both the image on the display and the world around the user are in focus and the user can concentrate on the elements of their choice.
According to the company, it is possible to fit such micro-displays onto standard sunglasses and still see full-colour, electronic images.
Innovega was founded four years ago and focuses on developing technologies associated with contact lenses capable of enhancing human sight. Its founders are experienced experts specialising in near-eye displays, contact lenses and Micro Optical Electro-Mechanical Systems. | <urn:uuid:405ef19b-584c-4257-9a3d-11eac6916cdc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.optykrozmus.co.uk/Contact-Lens-News-and-Information/2012/03/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957884 | 1,097 | 1.515625 | 2 |