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“Courtney's House exists to provide a safe place for Child Survivors of Domestic Sex Trafficking to heal and call home.”
A survivor of domestic sex trafficking, Tina Frundt creates a loving environment for survivors to recover and provides access to trauma informed services. Inspired by her mother’s encouragement to use her story to make a difference, Tina founded Courtney’s House in 2008.
At the age of 14, manipulated by an older man promising love and understanding, Tina was brought to Cleveland, Ohio where the reality became frighteningly apparent. That first night, two of his friends raped her, beginning a nightmare of repeated sexual, physical and mental abuse.
In Washington, D.C. and across the country, young girls and boys walk the streets, where this nightmare is played out over and over again. Tina founded Courtney’s House in order to let survivors know they are not to blame for their trauma and to promote a systemwide change in the way domestic survivors are approached and addressed.
Over the years, Tina has reached over 600 victims of sex trafficking. Continuing to inspire not only survivors, but also law enforcement officials, attorneys, service providers and community organizations working to help children who are subjected to the abuses she endured as a child. | <urn:uuid:8cbfd9c3-3a1a-4505-8abf-ff3e4ea7c1ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dvfawards.com/about-nom.php?nom=tina | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954055 | 260 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Diagnosing your problem starts with using your senses
Got a motor down? No matter how urgent the problem — and motor failure can cause some very urgent problems — always develop a plan of attack before you start repair work. Gather up any background material you may have on hand and then use your senses to inspect the site. Then conduct resistance, fuse, and motor tests to help pinpoint the cause of the failure.
Initial inspections. Spend a few minutes with the operator and get as much history as you can on the failed motor. Find out if anyone else recently attempted repairs or modifications. If so, what did they do and when? Sometimes an inexperienced person can unwittingly create additional problems while trying to help. Knowing what has already been done can shorten troubleshooting time.
Armed with background information, you're ready to start your inspection process. Begin by removing power to the motor and starter — following approved and accepted lock-out/tag-out procedures — and disengaging the motor. Then after recording the motor nameplate information, turn the shaft to determine if it rotates freely. Your basic senses can also help you determine a great deal about what's wrong. Listen carefully for unusual noises (such as scraping), smell for burned insulation, and feel for excess heat. Now look at the motor starter for loose connections and hot spots indicated by discoloration. Check all fasteners, including the mounting hardware, and re-tighten. This completes your initial pre-measurement inspections. Now it's time to begin some testing.
Resistance of line and load circuits to ground. Manually engage the starter and measure the resistance through its contacts. You should read 0.09 ohms or less. Disengage the starter and inspect the contacts closely. You'll need to use your megohmmeter to ground test line and load circuits at the starter. This will effectively identify the resistance to ground of the starter, line circuits to the disconnect, and load lines to the motor and starter windings.
Generally, AC devices can safely operate at not less than two megohms to ground, and DC devices can safely operate at not less than one megohm to ground. But be careful: before ground testing, make sure you disconnect any electronic controls because they can be destroyed by misapplied high-voltage test equipment.
The resistance you see will depend on the horsepower of the motor. For example, a 50-hp motor should ideally show 0.05-ohm resistance. Measurements between phases should be roughly equivalent. Given the variety of motors in use, you may not have access to the specific engineering data for each one. However, the exact measurement value is less important than the balance between phases. While you can't expect identical readings, they should be close.
For single-phase and DC applications, the resistance measurement is suitable for identifying open circuits and for historical use.
Fuse checks. Check each fuse for continuity (one fuse per phase). Remember that a blown fuse is a symptom, not a cause. Don't assume that replacing a fuse will fix the motor. By doing so, you'll run the risk of causing even more damage and downtime.
Then check the fuse holders for spring tension. Repeated fuse replacement can “expand” the fuse holder (usually a clip) and compromise the spring tension necessary for good contact. Pinhead-sized arc damage anywhere on the clip, fuse, or surrounding areas is evidence that the fuse holder has lost tension. Inspect breakers and busses for overheating and arc damage. Inspect the cord caps (connectors) for correct circuit installation and tightness.
Line to line checks. Now you're ready to check voltage value and balance on the line (supply) side of the fuseholder. You're testing line to line, so operating voltage doesn't have a path to ground. If you find an unreasonable voltage imbalance between any two phases, that's a problem. A 5% voltage unbalance is normal and reasonable.
But don't assume the supply is healthy if you get good readings — even the weakest electrical connection will pass a voltage reading without applied load.
Motor junction box. By this point you've made preliminary determinations of where the problem exists. Now it's time to open the motor lead junction box and check the connections inside. Even if you found nothing wrong during the preliminary testing, you should still check the motor connections — many motor failures result from poorly installed wire nuts or insufficiently insulated connections grounding inside the junction box or shorting together.
If during your testing you recorded low ground readings or open readings at the load side of the starter, your next step is to test stator winding phase resistance and resistance to ground. This will help you determine whether the discrepancy is in the motor or in the line circuit. To conduct the tests, break the motor connections and test first in one direction (the motor) and then in the other (the supply).
For the motor, test the stator winding resistance phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground. If you find a phase-on-phase short, the motor needs evaluation for a rewind or for replacement. If you find a phase-to-ground short, a motor shop may be able to do an in-place repair for a large motor. However, you might end up needing to rewind or replace it.
For the supply, test first with the motor disconnect open and locked out. Use your megohmmeter to test the insulation resistance to ground. If the wiring fails that test, look for problems in the connections or in failed conductor insulation. Note: A stator phase resistance test will identify a bad motor but isn't an absolute verification of a good motor. Final load voltage and current tests verify a good motor. You never know when you'll find a motor that tests well but has a thumb-sized hole blown from the coils.
Final tests and procedures. Once you've corrected all identified problems and the motor is installed and aligned, you're almost done. Energize the motor and test the controls and overall system operation. While the motor is running, record the operating voltage and current, check the balance, and verify that your measurements are within the nameplate specifications. Then apply the sense tests again:
Listen for unusual noises.
Smell for smoke or hot insulation.
Feel the motor for excessive heat or vibration.
Look for possible obstructions.
Now engage the load. Apply the four sense tests again. Once you're sure you've addressed all of the problems with this motor, it's time to go home.
Toland is the foreman at Buzzell Electric Works in San Francisco. This article was prepared for and supported by Fluke Corp.
Sidebar: Tools You Need
Minimum 500V output with high impact rating.
Must measure AC and DC and feature multiple jaw sizes.
- General DC power source
An example is a 35A bridge rectifier configured with a 120V power cord and test leads.
- Series field DC power source
A 9V battery will suffice.
- Magnetic compass
Used to quickly identify field coil polarities.
- Digital multimeter
Minimum 600V, CAT III true RMS rating, with low resistance (0.01 ohms or lower) featuring a cycle function and capacitance test. | <urn:uuid:1b24a0eb-70de-49f2-9fdb-7651ba41fd28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ecmweb.com/content/motor-and-motor-control-troubleshooting-techniques | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91696 | 1,498 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Better jobs in better supply chains
Published: May 20, 2010
This is the fifth in a series of Briefings for Business that Oxfam has published recently, the purpose of which is to offer ideas and insights into topical poverty issues and what they mean for business.
Oxfam believes business plays a key role in poverty reduction by creating jobs that enable people to work their way out of poverty. There is a growing body of evidence that better labour standards also benefit business by boosting sales, staff recruitment and retention, and supply chain productivity. Sustainable, green and ethical are moving from the margins to the mainstream. Is your business prepared?
Better Jobs in Better Supply Chains sets out two key labour issues based on Oxfam’s current analysis and two business behaviours that hinder rather than help. In each case the issue is explored and the benefits of addressing them are identified.
The four issues highlighted are:
- Precarious work and poverty wages
- Weak relations between management and workers
- Purchasing practices that undermine labour standards, and
- Over-reliance on audits
Leading companies, working with NGOs and trade unions, have started to tackle the root causes of poor standards. Case studies are included on initiatives by Adidas, Next, Marks & Spencer, ASDA George, Danone, McDonalds and many other companies.
There is a tool to help you benchmark your company, a section on emerging issues and a list of resources.
Oxfam invites you to tell us about other initiatives in these areas, which we will collate and publish on our website in the Autumn. | <urn:uuid:9332f132-b1e6-4d6f-b043-e6285571bc94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/better-jobs-in-better-supply-chains | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953496 | 324 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Environmental Archaeology. The journal of human palaeoecology
Volume 6 Published October 2001
D. N. Smith, R. Roseff and S. ButlerAbstract
The integrated palaeoenvironmental results from a shallow palaeochannel in one of the old courses of the Trent at Yoxall Bridge, Staffordshire, are presented. The sampled deposit consisted of an accumulation of worked and fallen timbers, dated to 1049 to 810 cal BC, in the base of the channel. Sedimentological, pollen, plant macrofossil and insect analyses were carried out. The sediment seems to have been deposited by flooding within an area of back-swamp in the abandoned channel. The local landscape appears to have still included substantial woodland. There is also evidence for limited pasture and arable land. Pollen from the upper parts of the sampled horizons suggests that woodland clearance and cultivation may have increased in the area at this time. Although it was not possible to directly date the onset of the valley wide alluviation at Yoxall Bridge, it is probably consistent with the suggested date of around the first half of the first Millennium BC for this part of the Trent valley. One beetle present, Panagaeus cruxmajor (L.), is today very rare, its decline perhaps a result of habitat loss.
Keywords: Yoxall Bridge, River Trent, Late Bronze Age, Pollen, Plant macrofossils, Coleoptera
Eileen M. Murphy
Large quantities of animal bones were recovered from Medieval and Post-Medieval contexts during recent archaeological excavations in the historic town of Carrickfergus in Co. Antrim. A notable proportion of the dog bones present in this corpus of material displayed clear evidence for butchery and/or skinning. This is an unusual occurrence since it is generally the case that only the occasional dog bone in an archaeological assemblage will display cutmarks. The location of the cutmarks on the bones and the possible motivational factors behind their occurrence will be discussed.
Keywords: DOGS, BUTCHERY, SKINNING, MEDIEVAL, POST-MEDIEVAL, IRELAND
This essay is part of a continuing research program that investigates settlement patterns, palaeoenvironmental change, and archaeological variability in the earlier sites recorded by the Wadi Hasa Survey (WHS) in west-central Jordan (MacDonald 1988). In previous papers, we described both general and regional models for hunter-gatherer positioning strategies (Clark 1992), synthesised Levantine palaeoenvironmental information pertinent to the 100-10 kyr BP interval (Clark 1984, Schuldenrein and Clark 1994), and generated idealised site placement models based on relationships between site size and elevation in environments characterised by marked topographic relief (Coinman et al. 1988). Here we examine temporal distributions of cultural stratigraphic units within and across Hasa tributaries to determine whether or not correlations between site size and elevations indicate change over time in forager adaptations related to regional palaeoenvironmental fluctuations. Regional palaeoenvironmental models based on Mediterranean coastal data are themselves evaluated in terms of their applicability to inland Irano-Turanian steppe adaptations.
Keywords: GEOARCHAEOLOGY, ETHNOGRAPHY, NEAR EAST, SETTLEMENT, QUATERNARY, CULTURE STRATIGRAPHY
The fairy-circles, a group of mysterious earthworks, are restricted to the coastal heathland of Jæren, south-western Norway. They are the result of a specialised farming practice adapted to local environmental conditions and are often situated on convex landforms of Quaternary deposits. These earthworks comprise an enclosure defined by a bank and an oval or rectangular ditch in loose deposits. They have been recorded, archaeologically investigated and debated since the 1820s. Problems concerning their form, function and period of use have until now been unsolved.
Factors such as climate, Quaternary deposits, vegetation cover and land-use were recorded to put the fairy-circles into an environmental context. Principal components analysis (PCA) was performed on fossil pollen data from structures within 16 of these man-made constructions and compared to modern and fossil analogues. This study reveals a change in the pollen taxa throughout the period of use of these historic relics suggesting that the wet heaths and mires found on the slopes and concave landforms were used for haymaking, and that the fairy-circles served as bases for haystacks. The onset of this activity may be dated back to the Late Iron Age while the upper age limit is tentatively put at AD 1835.
Keywords: SOUTH-WESTERN NORWAY, HEATHLAND, LAND-USE, HAYMAKING, FAIRY-CIRCLES, HAYSTACK BASES
Sabine Hosch and Stefanie Jacomet
In the Neolithic lake shore site of Arbon-Bleiche 3 on the southern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) 27 houses were excavated, all built in the short time span between 3384 and 3370 B.C. (dendrochronological dating). During the excavation, a surface sampling for archaeobiological investigations was carried out. For this preliminary report we present the results of plant macrofossil analyses based on 17 samples, including some taken from parts of two houses and the spaces in between. The most important methodological results are that there were no differences between random and systematic sampling of the cultural layer. To obtain a statistically high enough number of remains in the bigger sieve fraction (³2 mm), sample sizes should be much bigger than previously thought (>3 litres). A Rarefaction Analysis (RA) showed that a minimum of eight samples per unit should be analysed to provide a representative spectrum of the most important useful plants. The economy of Arbon-Bleiche 3 was based on the growing of cereals (mainly tetraploid naked wheat, emmer and barley), flax and opium poppy, and many wild plants were collected as well. Comparing the spectra of cultivated plants with those from other sites, the results from Arbon bear a closer resemblance to spectra of the late Neolithic Horgen culture, from which the first traces are found starting from around 3400 B.C. onwards in eastern Switzerland. Inside the two investigated houses the concentrations of plant remains were lower than in the areas between the houses. In addition, there are relatively clear differences in the useful plant spectra between the two investigated houses.
Keywords: NEOLITHIC, LAKE SHORE SITES, PLANT MACROFOSSILS, SAMPLING METHODS, SAMPLE SIZES, INTRA-SITE VARIATION, SWITZERLAND
A taxonomy of animals as used by the early medieval inhabitants of the northern coastal area of the Netherlands, the so-called terpen region, is formulated on the basis of archaeozoological data from settlement sites and cemeteries, iconographic evidence in the form of animal brooches, and historical and literary evidence. The archaeological and historical evidence sheds light on the economic roles of animals, the former on their symbolic roles as well. Iconographic and literary evidence mainly provides information on imaginary animals figuring in narrative, mythology and heroic imagery.
Keywords: EARLY MIDDLE AGES, ARCHAEOZOOLOGY, ICONOGRAPHY, HISTORICAL EVIDENCE, LITERARY EVIDENCE
Roel C. G. M. Lauwerier and Jørn T. Zeiler
Bones from eleventh and twelfth century layers of Valkenburg castle in the Netherlands show a context of nobility with, among other things, a small but clear component of game and the indication of falconry. The remains of rabbits found at this site appeared to be a logical link in the distribution history of this species. This paper corrects the dating of these bones. The introduction of the rabbit to the Low Countries is discussed on the basis of historical and archaeological information.
Keywords: ARCHAEOZOOLOGY, MIDDLE AGES, RABBIT, BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, HAWKING
This report presents the entomological evidence obtained from 4th century fills of a Roman well at Piddington, Northamptonshire. Analysis of the Coleoptera remains was restricted to one sample from the lower fill. A large fauna suggested an open, dry environment with areas of vegetation and accumulations of occupation debris nearby. The deposit was formed through a variety of mechanisms including accidental incorporation, natural deposition and possibly the deliberate dumping of refuse.
Keywords: PIDDINGTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, UK, COLEOPTERA, ROMAN, WELL, ENVIRONMENT
The presence of morphologically complete mammalian erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBC) from bloodstains has been previously evidenced in prehistoric implements. While the presence of ancient non-human blood on a prehistoric tool is evidence of the real use of this on an animal resource, the presence of RBC in a smear is evidence of blood. In a simulation of a prehistoric predation human operative chain, mammalian bloodstains on palaeolithic-like chert implements were obtained from two specimens belonging to the order Artiodactyla: collared peccary (Tayassu tajacu, family Tayassuidae) and Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas, family Bovidae). After one year, the unburied peccary blood smear and the buried gazelle smear were coated with gold and then examined by a scanning electron microscope. Results revealed the presence of preserved RBC with several shapes like those found in haematological studies, as well as curved plasma fractures and negative imprints, two bloodstain-characteristic morphologies which are interpreted as due, respectively, to erythrocyte-plasma interaction when drying and to imprinting by dried plasma matrix.
Keywords: RED BLOOD CELLS, BLOODSTAINS, SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, HAEMOTAPHONOMY, PALAEOLITHIC, EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY | <urn:uuid:b5e726d8-1e43-49e5-90cc-6668c627ac5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.envarch.net/publications/envarch/vol6.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925256 | 2,152 | 2.71875 | 3 |
The words ‘Paganism‘ and ‘Pagan‘ come from the Latin ‘paganus,’ meaning ‘country dweller. In simplest terms – Paganism is a religion of place, or a native religion, for example the Native American’s religion is Pagan, Hinduism is a form of Paganism. All Pagan religions are characterized by a connection and reverence for nature, and are usually polytheistic i.e. have many Gods and/or Goddesses.
Paganism is a religion of nature, in other words Pagans revere Nature. Pagans see the divine as immanent in the whole of life and the universe; in every tree, plant, animal and object, man and woman and in the dark side of life as much as in the light. Pagans live their lives attuned to the cycles of Nature, the seasons, life and death.
Unlike the patriarchal religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) the divine is female as well as male and therefore there is a Goddess as well as a God. These deities are within us as well as without us (immanent); they are us.
They are not simply substitutes for the Muslim or Judeo-Christian God. This is because the Gods of the major religions tend to be super-natural i.e. above nature whereas Pagan deities are natural, symbolizing aspects of nature or human nature. Having said that God and Goddess are split from the Great Spirit or Akashka which probably equates to the God of the patriarchal religions.
The Goddess represents all that is female and the God represents all that is male. But because nature is seen as female the Goddess has a wider meaning. Often called Mother Earth or Gaia she is seen as the creatrix and sustainer of life, the mother of us all which makes all the creatures on the planet our siblings.
Ancient Pagans would have worshipped one or a small number of Gods and Goddesses, while often recognizing the validity of other people’s deities.
The concept of an overall, un-named Goddess and God, the sum totals of all the others, appears to be a recent one but individual named deities represent particular human qualities or archetypes and are often used as a focus for celebrations and spiritual rites.
Paganism has developed alongside mankind for thousands of years; as cultures have changed so has Paganism, yet it is grounded in deep rooted genetic memories that go back to neolithic times and before. Thus Paganism is not just a nature religion but a natural religion.
To Pagans the four ancient elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water have special significance. The importance of these is hard to define because they have so many correspondences, for example they are associated with the four directions, North, East, South and West.
Each element is a kind of spiritual substance from which all things are made especially ourselves and at the same time are Guardians both of ourselves and of the Goddess and God, and guarding the gateways between this world and the other world.
Many Pagans believe in reincarnation in some form. It gives Pagans a substantially different view of life. Early Christians saw Karma as a kind of treadmill, trapping people in endless reincarnations, never free. But Pagans see reincarnation as, at best, a chance to improve or to continue unfinished work, and at worst just a simple recycling of souls. | <urn:uuid:d018503c-1e28-454e-b064-78ca6a6270f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whitepower.com/index.php/2012/04/18/paganism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957985 | 698 | 3.078125 | 3 |
” Do you remember your first tackle box? I remember mine. It was a battered, old, Army-green metal box passed down from my father. It had a single metal latch on the lid, a thin, bent-wire handle and three rickety, fold-out trays. It wasn’t pretty — but it served me well, toting what few lures I owned safely back and forth to the water.
Things have a way of changing over time, though. Today, metal boxes are a thing of the past. And while the hard-shell, molded-plastic tackle box that took its place is still used by many anglers, fishermen are turning more often to soft-sided tackle-storage systems.
There are many compelling reasons why “ | <urn:uuid:928fc9f8-f184-4480-beb7-427eae1fd292> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://youviewed.com/tag/berkley/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969046 | 161 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Perdue School Students Study Alternative Energy Sources
SALISBURY, MD---With fuel costs constantly rising, Drs. Danny Ervin and Tylor Claggett, professors of economics and finance in Salisbury University’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business, continue to study alternative energy sources.
They recently joined six SU students to examine one such alternative up close at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) renewable energy and environmental protection facilities near Atlantic City, NJ. The students were: Jinwoo Kim of Woodstock, MD; Joseph Early of New Market, MD; Richard Betzel of Pasadena, MD; Scott Forney of Crofton, MD; and Rusi Karabaliev and Nyi Nyi Naing of Salisbury.
The ACUA facilities serve the communities that make up the eastern half of Atlantic County, NJ. The authority’s primary purpose is to collect and treat the municipal waste water and solid waste from the several dozen communities in the eastern part of Atlantic County.
However, when driving up to ACUA’s waste water treatment facility, the most striking features are the five 1.5-megawatt wind turbines that tower 380 feet above the complex, Claggett said. These are gleaming white structures capable of generating enough electric power to serve 2,500 homes. The turbines have been operational since December 2005. On many days, the wind farm generates almost twice as much power as ACUA requires. The excess “green” power is sold to the local utility.
ACUA has other state-of-the-art projects in the works. For example, the authority boasts five solar arrays with a combined rated capacity of 500 kilowatts or one-half of a megawatt. These are photovoltaic systems that convert solar energy directly into usable electricity. One array serves as an eye-pleasing and convenient cover for an employee parking lot.
Several miles from its waste water treatment facility, ACUA owns and operates a state-of-the-art solid waste landfill and recycling center. The landfill is equipped with a sophisticated methane extraction system. There is more than enough methane available to power two generators, each with a rated capacity of well over one megawatt of electricity. This power is sold directly to the local utility.
The recycling center separates household garbage into many marketable commodities such as recycled pasteboard, scrape aluminum and bulk plastics. In addition, trash and yard waste is converted to high-grade mulch, which is sold for local soil enhancement.
During the site visits, students also spoke with several ACUA officials, including Richard S. Dovey, president; Tom Lauletta, vice president; and Paul J. Gallagher, vice president and general counsel, who discussed the historical and operational aspects of the installations.
“The trip provided a memorable experience for both students and faculty and should serve to encourage students to think outside the box when contemplating possible career paths,” Claggett said.
For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu. | <urn:uuid:7359b1b6-3162-420a-a109-2507762afffb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.salisbury.edu/newsevents/fullstoryview.asp?id=3225 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926249 | 646 | 2.171875 | 2 |
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Among the leading lights of 20th-century concert music in South America, Argentina’s Alberto Ginastera is acknowledged for his successful blending of indigenous music with the more rigorous elements of European art music. Over a career extending over more than half a century, Ginastera would eventually leave behind the folk idiom and write in more contemporary styles, even adopting the twelve-tone system in his later scores. His most frequently played works, not surprisingly, are from the earlier period of his career, and they are reminiscent of the “folkloric” music of other composers who mined the riches of Latin American source material.
Ginastera’s Estancia, written in 1941 on a commission from American Ballet Caravan, was intended as a “ballet in one act and five scenes based on Argentine country life,” originally including spoken and sung elements. Because of problems on the part of Ballet Caravan, the ballet itself went unperformed until 1952, but a suite of four dances from the score was introduced at the venerable Teatro Coloacuten in Buenos Aires in 1943.
The first of the dances, entitled “Los trabajadores agrícolas,” offers an exceptionally energetic cast of field hands: clearly some dramatic license is being taken with the verisimilitude of the depiction. Eventually, the relentless rhythm subsides a bit and a tune begins to emerge. The second item in the suite, the “Danza del trigo” (The Wheat Dance), provides a lyrical interlude, which is followed by an energetic and rhythmically sophisticated dance for “Los peones de hacienda” (The Cattle Men). The furious final “Malambo” takes its title from a dance that has long figured in a competition among gauchos (Argentine cowboys). An authoritative source informs us that “the malambo was characterized by a fast and constant movement in eighth-notes and a constant 6/8 rhythm.”
— Dennis Bade | <urn:uuid:c3e6b03d-a478-4b0a-b72c-93b39e923f93> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/four-dances-from-estancia-alberto-ginastera | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953011 | 429 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Kyuzo Mifune's seven rules of judo practice.
These seven rules are written for those who practice the martial art of Judo, yet you can use your imagination to see how these simple rules are invaluable guides that you can apply to your own life and work outside the dojo. You can certainly see the applications to public speaking and leadership. For example, a sure way to lose credibility in front of most audiences is to make light of your competition (in the case of business) by saying disparaging things about them. True humility is a sign of strength, over confidence or arrogance is a sign of weakness. Take some time to think about these seven rules as they relate to your own life and work.
- Do not make light of an opponent.
- Do not lose self-confidence.
- Maintain a good posture.
- Develop speed.
- Project power in all directions.
- Develop self-control.
- Never stop training.
Whether we are talking about business, or presentation, or of life in general, there are no panaceas to the challenges we face. There is no substitute for study and steady practice and a commitment to continuous improvement. For this point, too, Judo has a lesson for all of us. "Do not place hope in finding a secret technique," said Kyuzo Mifune. "Polish the mind through ceaseless training; that is the key to effective techniques." | <urn:uuid:ce540be0-9fad-467b-a19a-6f91081457a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2010/09/presentation-and-life-lessons-from-the-dojo.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945701 | 298 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Mayo Clinic has a long-standing tradition of teaching both the art and science of medicine. As the country's oldest, largest and best-known academic group practice, Mayo Clinic was founded on the belief that the mutual interdependence of clinical medicine, clinical research, and medical education — the three Mayo shields — fosters the highest standard of medical care.
Physicians, scientists, residents, students, pharmacists, nurses, social workers and allied health staff collaborate to work as a team. Our physician faculty members are referred to as "consultants" in recognition of their role as teachers and mentors of residents and students.
Internal medicine residency training at Mayo offers:
- A comprehensive three-year curriculum that prepares residents for a clinical or academic career in general or subspecialty internal medicine
- A rotation schedule that emphasizes block ambulatory care experiences in primary care and specialty clinics
- Full resident responsibility and autonomy for patient care
- An intensive didactic core curriculum that covers inpatient and outpatient practice
- A formal three-year curriculum in evidence-based medicine
- A comprehensive research curriculum that fosters scholarly inquiry leading to presentations at scientific meetings and peer-reviewed publications
- Extensive hands-on experience with all internal medicine procedures
- A formal curriculum in quality improvement and change management in health care systems
- A formal curriculum in health care systems and the costs of healthcare
- A variety of elective opportunities including rotations at Mayo Clinic Florida in Jacksonville and Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale, as well as an HIV/AIDS rotation at Maricopa Medical Center, Arizona
Residency education at Mayo is based on a foundation of general internal medicine. The program includes rotations in all internal medicine subspecialties, geriatrics, neurology, ambulatory care blocks, emergency medicine, intensive care units, and various electives in addition to general medicine experiences. Some rotations allocate separate blocks of time in the inpatient, outpatient and consultative settings. Each resident receives several comprehensive review texts as well as electronic access via iPad (provided by the program for each resident) or computer systems to UpToDate, MD Consult, Medline, and an extensive collection of electronic resources. Scheduling is flexible, and preferred rotations can be scheduled to facilitate planning a subspecialty career.
Excellence in medical education is a requirement of our faculty, who are selected for hospital service and outpatient education clinics based on the effectiveness of their teaching. Faculty have dedicated, protected time to provide teaching to the residents with whom they work.
- Ambulatory Medicine
- Emergency Medicine
- Hospital Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Continuity Clinic
- Medical Consultation
- Breast Clinic and Women's Health
- Selective Rotations
- Elective Rotations
- Teaching/Educator Training
Over the three years of categorical residency, more than 800 didactic lectures are presented to internal medicine residents. The didactic portion of Mayo Clinic's Internal Medicine Residency Program includes:
- Core Curriculum Conferences
- Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
- Primary Care Conferences
- Grand Rounds
- Clinical Decision Making Journal Club
- Board Review
- Systems-based Practice and Quality Improvement Conferences
- Morning Report (Inpatient and Outpatient)
- Evidence-Based Medicine Didactic Conferences
A comprehensive, three-year didactic core curriculum addresses both inpatient and outpatient medicine. During PGY-1, the weekly core curriculum covers basic topics in internal medicine. These general core lectures are supplemented by a lecture series in each subspecialty service. Food is provided for residents, and conferences are telecast to multiple locations throughout the medical center so that residents can attend regardless of rotation or assignment.
In addition, more than 150 institutional clinical and research conferences are held each week.
Faculty will teach basic interviewing and physical examination skills to residents during the first year of residency using standardized patients and teaching videos. Residents will also learn in-depth clinical skills as part of each specialty curriculum. Workshops in procedural skills are provided during orientation and on specialty and ICU rotations.
During the second or third year, residents have the option to complete one general medicine rotation at Mayo Clinic Arizona in the role of a senior resident. This site provides an experience in a metropolitan-based practice that complements the rotations in Rochester. During this assignment, Mayo subsidizes the costs of travel, housing, car rental and licensure. Residents consistently rate this rotation very highly.
Selective and elective time
Selective and elective rotations vary among residents and are largely determined by career interests and individual requests.
- Additional consultative or clinic experience in internal medicine
- Subspecialty outpatient education clinics
- A choice from more than 100 electives inside and outside of internal medicine, including other Mayo practice sites
- Participation in research projects
- A third-world experience caring for the medically underserved at one of many global locations, supported by up to a $2,500 "Mayo International Health Program" scholarship for travel
- HIV/AIDS experience at Maricopa Medical Center, Arizona (travel and housing reimbursement provided)
Mayo Clinic Rochester has taken an enthusiastic leadership role in teaching residents, fellows, and staff physicians the principles of evidence-based medicine: literature searching, critical appraisal, and evidence-based clinical decision-making. Through a three-year, multidisciplinary curriculum, residents learn these skills, enjoy many opportunities to apply them in clinical practice, and apply these skills in educational settings. The ability to find, appraise, and apply evidence in clinical practice is one of the central themes in our philosophy of medical education.
Systems-based practice and quality improvement
The internal medicine residency program offers unique opportunities for learning systems-based practice, quality improvement, and patient safety. Residents participate in a longitudinal curriculum through which they design and implement their own quality improvement projects. Our goal is to give every resident the opportunity to innovate and improve patient care at Mayo.
Faculty development in clinical teaching
One of the visions of the internal medicine residency program is to set a national standard of excellence for faculty development in clinical teaching, in line with the mission to provide the best clinical training for our residents in the Mayo Model of Care. Third year residents are mentored in developing skills in clinical teaching during a Senior Medical Resident Teaching (SMR-T) rotation. The goals of this faculty development curriculum are to: 1) enhance versatility in clinical teaching, 2) provide education frameworks to analyze clinical teaching in the context of adult learning theory and 3) provide a forum for collegial exchange. During the rotation, senior residents will have the opportunity to apply newly acquired teaching skills while supervising continuity clinic interns. With the completion of this curriculum, senior residents receive a Certificate in Clinical Teaching. | <urn:uuid:adecda36-bbc6-4a91-85a2-39004abc70d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mayo.edu/msgme/residencies-fellowships/internal-medicine-and-subspecialties/internal-medicine-residency-minnesota/curriculum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933668 | 1,386 | 1.835938 | 2 |
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week proposed a new plan to protect individual privacy online. Modeled on the successful "Do Not Call" registry, this new scheme—called "Do Not Track"—would allow consumers to choose whether third parties can track their online browsing and buying habits. Currently, these third parties (often advertisers on otherwise trusted websites) can and do track user habits in ways many would find shocking and intrusive.
"The FTC wants to help ensure that the growing, changing, thriving information marketplace is built on a framework that promotes privacy, transparency, business innovation, and consumer choice," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said at a news conference on Wednesday. "We believe that's what most Americans want as well."
Do Not Track would work a lot like Do Not Call, but there are differing ideas about the implementation. Rather than maintain a list of consumers—the Do Not Call list is 200 million members strong—Do Not Track could require some technology in web browsers, either through an add-on or built-in functionality, which would prevent sites and services from tracking the user. That would be a simpler and more secure and private solution than maintaining a list.
However it's implemented, Do Not Track would also make requirements of the companies that do collect personal data online. Under discussion are "substantive privacy protections" (which would ensure that individual user data is secured and retained only for set periods of time), simpler choices for consumers, and greater transparency around what data is collected and retained.
Google is the highest-profile company that opposes such a plan. But then Google is arguably the company with the widest range of privacy violations, as well. In fact, the FTC specifically noted that "self-regulation of privacy has not worked adequately," and while the agency didn't specify Google, reining in the online giant's behavior is clearly part of the plan.
Browser makers such as Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla do all include some form of privacy controls already, of course, and they will likely argue that such features mitigate the need for Do Not Track regulation. But consumer advocates note that such features need to be manually enabled, and re-enabled each time the browser is started up. Do Not Track would require such functionality to be enabled by default, and always enabled unless a user explicitly opts out. | <urn:uuid:d3a69884-ad01-4027-ae77-51ab4d70606c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://winsupersite.com/paul-thurrott039s-wininfo/ftc-proposes-do-not-track-option-internet-users | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960249 | 473 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Jack Kahl, founder and former CEO of Manco, makers of Duck brand duct tape, has learned that the dictatorial style of running a company is not necessarily the most successful. When his father contracted tuberculosis, Mr. Kahl's mother told her children that in order to survive they would have to work together as a team. He operates his business the same way. "A great leader knows that people must be included in the company's decision-making process and that you have to share information with developing leaders rather than hoard it," Mr. Kahl related in a recent Wall St. Journal article.
This is the key to a thriving business, practically and philosophically. You don't lose by taking into account the feelings and viewpoints of others. You don't lose by treating colleagues, employees -- or anyone for that matter -- like a mensch. "Each man for himself," "It's a dog eat dog world" are not Jewish ideals. Stepping on others, stabbing people in the back will not ultimately lead to success, business or otherwise.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Kahl also cites the influence of Sam Walton. "Sam was the consummate coach, forever building up his people, telling them, 'Thank you. That's a good idea.' He shared detailed information with all his employees, even part-timers, about how much Wal-Mart paid for their products and what they sold for, so everyone felt part of the game."
Common decency, concern for others, and a check on our egos are the prerequisites to true success.
The theory of consensual management actually comes from the greatest leader of them all. When God was creating the world, He said, "Let us make man in our image..." Why the words "us" and "our"? Who is God referring to? Jewish tradition teaches that God was consulting with the angels. God was showing us how to treat others, demonstrating an inclusive style of leadership. Even though there was a risk that some detractors might use this verse as proof that there are a pantheon of gods rather than one, God deemed this principle so important that it's worth the risk. It's worth taking the risk that some individuals may rebel against the Almighty, suggesting that His power is limited, in order to communicate the crucial character traits of decency and humility.
Why? Decency and humility are nice ideas, but isn't that a high price to pay?
In an era of Enron and World.com we need to recognize this essential point: Common decency, concern for others, and a check on our egos are the prerequisites to true success.
If it's only about me, I'll be susceptible to lying about business transactions, taking advantage of insider tips, manipulating my stocks, destroying evidence, destroying competitors, and frequently my colleagues as well. If it's only about me, I'll neglect my family for the rush of power, and whatever I achieve will be cold and lonely.
But if it's about others, we're less likely to trip up. How will this deal affect them? What do my employees think of this goal? Maybe someone else has a better way, a more productive strategy. If it's about others, we'll make ethics in the workplace a priority rather than an afterthought. If it's about others, we'll act to promote the general good. Everyone will benefit from the company's success. And how we treat people at work will spill over into our homes and communities.
The Almighty was willing to risk His reputation in order to demonstrate how to achieve true success. The least we could do is try to emulate Him. | <urn:uuid:0f8d22f6-b93d-431d-a182-549781cc52d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aish.com/ci/be/48881752.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977382 | 743 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Legend has it that Cyprus was the playground of the gods and it is easy to see why. A beautiful island to visit and explore at any time of the year. The autumn is ideal for those looking to discover more about life on the island as the intense summer heat has eased but the days remain sunny and bright.
Cyprus has a long, colourful history and has been ruled, at various times, by Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, French, Venetians, Otomans and British. Each has left behind something of their culture, making Cyprus the unique blend that it is today.
From the beautiful beaches lapped by the Mediterranean to the majestic beauty of the Troodos mountains range, Cyprus is an island of contrasts with a long tradition of hospitality. The major embrace modern life and offer plenty to see and do for all ages, even outside of the summer months. For those looking for a more sedate break, the countryside is dotted with small villages where time seems to have stood still and the old folk sit outside coffee shops watching the world go by.
Lefkosia, the island’s capital, is at the heart of the island and like much of Cyprus is a fascinating blend of old and new. Much of the old city has been renovated in recent years and is contained within giant 16th century Venetian walls. Plentiful pavement cafes keep café culture well and truly alive here, along with a broad selection of cultural attractions- from museums to theatres to art galleries.
While you might think that the coastal towns of Lemesos, Larnaca and Pafos would be more focused on summer activities, they offer plenty to do in the cooler months.Many of the island’s major ancient sites are located near these towns and offer fascinating insights into the past.
Visitors shouldn’t miss the extensive ruins of Kourion to the west of Lemesos, Hala Sultan Tekke near Larnaca, or the extensive Archaeological Park and Tombs of the Kings in Pafos. In fact, so impressive are the historical sites of Pafos that the entire town has been added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List!
Cyprus may have a long history, but it is also a high-tech business centre at the cutting-edge of modern technology. Given the island’s advantageous position on the border between Europe and Middle East, its excellent air links with the region, and the exceptional IT infrastructure, many international businesses have established operations here.
Love Cyprus...for all seasons...and all reasons. | <urn:uuid:4e9d2a80-9ea3-418a-94f8-36fcce0a5b90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://knossostravel.com/page-id/241 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956218 | 532 | 1.914063 | 2 |
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A water meter is a device used to measure the volume of water usage. This article provides an overview of technical aspects of water meters. The worldwide prevalence of metering as well as its economic benefits and costs are covered in the separate article on water metering.
In many developed countries, water meters are used at each residential and commercial building in a public water supply system. Water meters can also be used at the water source, well, or throughout a water system to determine flow through that portion of the system. Water meters typically measure and display total usage in cubic feet, cubic meters or US gallons on a mechanical or electronic register.
There are several types of water meters in common use. Selection is based on different flow measurement methods, the type of end user, the required flow rates, and accuracy requirements.
In North America, standards for manufacturing of water meters are made by the American Water Works Association.
There are three common methods of flow measurement in use:
Common types of water meters
In addition to the more common types of meter, there are meters designed for special uses. Most meters in a typical water distribution system are designed for cold potable water only. There are specialty water meters manufactured for specific other uses. Hot water meters are designed with special materials that can withstand higher temperatures. Meters for reclaimed water, have special lavender register covers to signify the water is non-potable and should not be used for drinking.
Water meters are generally owned, read, and maintained by a public water provider such as a city, rural water association, or private water company. In some cases an owner of a mobile home park, apartment complex or commercial building may be billed by a utility on one meter, and want to share the cost of the bill among the tenants. In this case, private meters may be purchased to separately track usage of each unit in what is called submetering.
Displacement water meters
This type of water meter is most often used in residential and small commercial applications. Displacement meters are commonly referred to as Positive Displacement, or "PD" meters. Two common methods of positive displacement measuring are Oscillating Piston meters and Nutating Disk meters. Either method relies on the water to physically displace the moving measuring element in direct relation to the amount of water that passes through the meter. The piston or disk moves a magnet that drives the register.
PD meters are generally very accurate at low to moderate flow rates typical of residential and small commercial users, and are common in sizes from 5/8" to 2". Because displacement meters rely on all flowing through the meter to "push" the measuring element, they generally are not practical in large commercial applications requiring high flow rates or low pressure loss. PD meters normally have a built in strainer to protect the measuring element from rocks or other debris that could stop or break the measuring element. PD meters normally have bronze, brass or plastic bodies with internal measuring chambers made from molded plastics and stainless steel.
Velocity water meters
A velocity type meter measures the velocity of flow though a meter of a known internal capacity. The speed of the flow can then be converted into volume of flow for usage. There are a number of types of meters that measure water flow velocity to determine totalized usage. They include jet meters (single-jet and multi-jet), turbine meters, propeller meters, and mag meters. Most velocity based meters have an adjustment vane for calibration of the meter to required accuracy standards.
Multi-jet meters are very accurate in small sizes and are commonly used in 5/8" through 2" sizes for residential and smaller commercial uses. Multi-jet meters use multiple ports surrounding an internal chamber to create a jet of water against an impeller. The impeller rotation speed is in relation to the velocity of water flow. Multi-jets are very accurate at low flow rates, but are not used in larger sizes since they don't have the straight through flow path of turbine meters use for the high flow rates used in large pipe diameters. Multi-jet meters generally have an internal strainer element that can protect the jet ports from getting clogged. Multi-jet meters normally have bronze alloy bodies or outer casings with internal measuring parts made from modern thermoplastics and stainless steel.
Turbine meters are less accurate than displacement and jet meters at low flow rates, but the measuring element does not occupy or severely restrict the entire path of flow. The flow direction is generally straight through the meter, allowing for higher flow rates, and less pressure loss than displacement type meters. They are the meter of choice for large commercial users, fire protection, and as master meters for the water distribution system. Strainers are generally required to be installed in front of the meter to protect the measuring element from gravel or other debris that could enter the water distribution system. Turbine meters are generally available for 1-1/2" to 12" or higher pipe sizes. Turbine meters bodies are commonly made of Bronze, cast Iron, or ductile iron. Internal turbine elements can be plastic or non-corrosive metal alloys.
A compound meter is used where high flow rates are necessary, but at times there are smaller rates of flow that still need to be accurately measured. Compound meters have two measuring elements and a check valve to regulate flow between them. At high flow rates, water is normally diverted primarily or completely to the turbine part of the meter. When flow rates drop to where the turbine meter cannot measure accurately, a check valve closes to divert water to a smaller meter than can measure the lower flow rates accurately. The low flow meter is typically a multi-jet or PD meter. By adding the registration of the high and low meter registers, the utility has the total consumption through the meter.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
The next generation of technology designed to help utilities streamline operations is known as AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure). AMI systems typically involve a standard water meter, connected to a radio, which is often two-way. The most functional (and powerful) AMI system would be a fixed network, with two way communication. This eliminates the need for meter readers, and all the costs associated with them (wages, vehicle insurance, replacing reading equipment, as well as intangible costs related to estimated billing, and slow-responding customer service). A system like this will allow the utility to acquire reads from their headquarters, and they can update their reads on demand. There are also remote shutoff valves available, and real-time leak detection, all of which help improve a utility's bottom line.
With real-time leak detection, leaks can be dealt with promptly, avoiding billing disputes associated with a leak detected months after it began (as is common with estimated billing, and quarterly reads).
Note that the remote shut-off valves shouldn't be completely closed on delinquint accounts; water is needed to sustain life. It is recommended that the remote shut-off valves be partially closed on delinquint accounts, in order to reduce water pressure without denying flow entirely. Note that again, this frees up personnel that do not need to go into the field to perform a shutoff. These valves are particularly valuable in neighbourhoods with high turn-over (military housing, university towns,
These networks are often designed as a "mesh" network. This means that the radio units connected to the meter do not need to be in radio range of what is known as the "collector" (device which collects the radio singals from nearby meters and routes this data to the utility's office). Radio signals from meters which are in moderately remote locations can be relayed by neighbouring radios until this data gets to the collector (and ultimately the office). These radio singals usually indicate a unique account number, water usage, as well as a series of "flags" (tamper, low battery, leaking, others) which help the water utility respond to any issues which may be developing with that particular account/customer.
Magnetic flow meters, commonly referred to as "mag meters" are technically a velocity type water meter, except that they use electromagnetic properties to determine the water flow velocity rather than mechanical means which jet and turbine meters use. Mag meters use the physics principal of Faraday's law of induction for measurement, and require AC or DC electricity from line or battery to operate the electromagnets. Since mag meters have no mechanical measuring element, they normally have the advantage of being able to measure flow in either direction, and use electronics for measuring and totalising the flow. Mag meters can also be useful for measuring untreated water, raw (untreated/unfiltered) water, and wastewater, since there is no mechanical measuring element to get clogged or damaged by debris flowing through the meter. Strainers are not required with mag meters, since there is no measuring element in the stream of flow that could be damaged. Stray electrical energy flowing through the flow tube can cause inaccurate readings, therefore most mag meters are installed with either grounding rings or grounding electrodes to insure this bypasses the electrodes inside the flow tube which are use to measure the flow.
There are several types of registers on water meters. A standard register normally has a dial similar to a clock with gradations around the perimeter to indicate water usage measured by the meter, as well as a set of odometer wheels similar to that in a car. Modern registers are normally driven by a magnetic coupling between a magnet in the measuring chamber attached to the measuring element, and another attached to the bottom of the register. Gears in the register convert the motion of the measuring element to the proper usage increment for display on the sweep hand and the odometer. Many registers also have a leak detector. This is a small visible disk or hand that is geared closer to the rotation speed of the drive magnet so that very small flows that would be visually undetectable on the regular sweep hand can be seen.
With Automatic Meter Reading, manufacturers have developed pulse or encoder registers to produce electronic output for radio transmitters, reading storage devices, and data logging devices. Pulse meters send a digital or analog electronic pulse to a recording device. Encoder registers have an electronic means for an external device to interrogate the register for either the position of the odometer wheels or a stored electronic reading. Frequent transmissions of consumption can be used to give smart meter functionality.
There are also some specialized types of registers such as LCD display instead of mechanical odometers, and registers to output data or pulses to a variety of recording and controller devices. For industrial applications, output is often 4-20mA analog, for the recording or control of different flow rates in addition to totalization.
How to read a water meter
Different size meters may indicate a reading in different resolutions. One rotation of the sweep hand could be 10 gallons or 1000 gallons. If one rotation of the hand represents 10 gallons, the meter has a 10 gallon sweep. Normally the last number(s) of the odometer are non-rotating or printed. The position of the sweep hand represents and replaces these fixed zeros if trying to determine actual water use. If one rotation of the hand is 10 gallons, the sweep hand is on 7, and the odometer shows 123456 plus a fixed zero, the highest resolution reading would be 1,234,567 gallons.
Many utilities bill only to the nearest 100 or 1000 gallons, and often only read the leftmost numbers. They would only read and bill using 1234 and rounding to 1,234,000 gallons based on a 1000 gallon billing resolution and the example above. The most common rounding for a particular size meter will often have different colored odometer wheels, the ones ignored being black, and the ones read being white.
|This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Water_meter". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.| | <urn:uuid:9326bd6a-133d-4e31-9ca4-5ecf85ac3b09> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/Water_meter.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946867 | 2,498 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Sustaina-foodies, like other activists, never know where the journey is going to take them. Increasingly these days, it’s taking them to the fermenting crock, or even the fermenting barrel.
They are drawn to natural fermentation — a centuries-old technique best known today for sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles — because it is simple, it preserves the local harvest with little or no external energy, and it is believed to help digestion and promote good health.
Begin with the harvest: Whether you are growing your own or have a farm share, you need a better solution for the bumper crop than just eating double portions or sharing it with the neighbors, although that’s mighty friendly of you. And if you just get rid of it, what will you eat in the winter?
Sure, there’s still the grocery store, but because of New England’s modest growing season, that anchors you to the millions of food miles these foodies are trying to avoid. Besides, many advocates argue that industrialized food eschews vegetable fermentation almost exclusively. To locavores, the word sustainability is growing ever more encompassing. It includes how far away a food is raised or grown, how heavily its growth depended on fossil fuels, how the land and soil were treated, whether the growers and field hands were treated fairly, and other factors.
Sandor Katz, author of the six-figure-seller “Wild Fermentation,” sees the increased interest as “a corrective from the second half of the 20th century, when people said goodbye to the idea of local food. People are waking up to the costs and drawbacks of that.” Katz’s latest book, published in May, is “The Art of Fermentation,” which goes well beyond vegetables to include bread, wine, beer, and more. Katz says a third of what people consume is a product of fermentation.
You can preserve your harvest by freezing or canning (which requires hot water), but the energy costs can turn the discerning sustaina-foodie into a latter-day Goldilocks, looking for the solution that’s not too hot and not too cold. And that is natural fermentation, sometimes called lacto-fermentation for some of the bacteria that help turn fresh veggies into a groaning board of pickled produce.
Andrea Chesman, the Vermont author whose first and latest books (among about 20) are about pickling, includes daikon radish, carrots, and a hot pepper sauce among her favorites. Like most vegetable fermenters, Chesman starts her list with cabbage, the staple of sauerkraut and kimchi. Chesman says she has fallen for curtido, a jalapeno- and oregano-spiked Salvadoran variation. “The first time I tasted it, it knocked my socks off. It seems it should taste more like sauerkraut, but it’s completely different.”
For locavores who lack the inclination to do the work themselves, meanwhile, a few options remain. Real Pickles of Greenfield, owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team Dan Rosenberg and Addie Rose Holland, offers about a dozen fermented products. When Rosenberg began Real Pickles in Somerville in 2001, he wasn’t looking for a business opportunity; he was an activist trying to promote change. “The idea was to start a pickle business that would commit to buy only within the Northeast, and as locally as possible, and to sell only in the Northeast.” Adds Holland: “This is an entirely mission-oriented business.”
Rosenberg decided to rely on natural fermentation under the influence of author Weston Price, whose work, says Rosenberg, looked “at the commonalities of traditional diets that appear to have been helping people be healthy for a long time, and have been mostly absent from the American diet for a long time.
“I think this is a healthier food.”
Dan Rosenberg, co-owner of Real Pickles in Greenfield, is teaching a seminar on advanced lacto-fermentation at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Northeast Organic Farming Association conference at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Fees range from $28 (teen/youth, Sunday only) to $170 (adults, 3 days). For more information, go to www.nofa | <urn:uuid:88cf4de2-ba67-4845-a447-0a7493c10198> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2012/08/07/locavores-turn-fermenting-crock-preserve-their-veggies/Ad9LMv1KJ814hAjkhNxPSI/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957408 | 927 | 2.5 | 2 |
A journey to explore the tastes of Poland will lead you to rediscover the times when the same lands were occupied by people of different nations: Jews, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Tatars. The cultural contributions made by these peoples included their special culinary traditions. This variety is noticeable on Polish tables even today.
Ancient recipes are still kept alive in Poland. Just go to Podlasie, where you can try the typical Lithuanian kibiny, potato kartacze stuffed with minced lamb and kindziuk, an original dried sausage.
In the vicinity of Sejny, you will find traditional Prussian sekacz, a delicate-tasting and unusually-shaped cake fire-roasted on a spit. In the Lublin area you can sample the old Polish pierog bilgorajski, a potato pancake baked with cottage cheese and buckwheat groats.
Never leave Podhale without taking with you some of Poland’s most famous cheese, the smoked oscypek made from ewe’s milk to a recipe borrowed centuries ago from wandering Romanian shepherds. It is also worth being tempted by other delicacies from the Podhale family of dairy produce: the mild bundz, the spicy bryndza or the very healthy zetyca, whey made from ewe’s milk.
Malopolska is also famous for the smoked sausage called kielbasa lisiecka, produced since the 1930s in Liszki near Krakow. It is hard to imagine Polish cooking without soups, such as borsch, consommé and mushroom soup. Among the best known is zur na zakwasie, made of fermented rye flour and particularly popular in Silesia, and the highlanders’ kwasnica, a goose consommé with threads of sauerkraut.
For dessert we recommend pierniki (gingerbread cakes) from Torun. These are perhaps Poland’s most representative confectionery product, with a tradition going back to the Middle Ages. The cakes, smelling of honey and spices and baked in many different shapes, have been presented on special occasions to important personages, including emperors, Nobel prize winners and presidents.
Other towns have also developed their own distinctive bakery produce. Krakow has its pretzels covered with sesame and poppy seeds, also called by their Jewish name of bajgiel. Kazimierz Dolny is known for its onion rolls and yeasty cockerels, while Poznan has its rogale marcinskie, crescent-shaped cakes baked on November 11 for the day of St. Martin, the city’s patron saint.
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Saint Vincent & The Grenadines are a series of fibrocartilaginous islands forming the lower part of the Carribbean coccyx of the Lesser Antilles that extends down towards the Venuzuelan Pelvis of Latin America. A referendum in 2009 proposed the removal of Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state, but was narrowly rejected with 57% in favour of the remote British figurehead.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, campaigned against the faintly silly idea of having an elderly colonial throwback as their chief public representative. Now serving his third term in parliament, he is affectionately known as Comrade Ralph amongst his fellow Vincentians.
This affectionate knowing can only deepen as Ralph joins World Leaders in Their Underpants where he will meet other senior figures whose statesmanship is confounded by the commonwealth. | <urn:uuid:59c7c37f-6cb1-4d7b-a8b0-93a9c5bd4de5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nickhilditch.com/ralphgonsalves/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974321 | 170 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, isn’t shy about criticizing things that displease him. In recent months, he has taken aim at GitHub’s support for pull requests, the GNOME 3 user experience, and overzealous security mechanisms in software. That last case proved especially controversial, as Torvalds jokingly suggested that the developers responsible should kill themselves.
Now, computer graphics hardware manufacturer NVIDIA is his latest target. Torvalds publicly criticized the company last week during a question and answer session that followed a presentation. He called NVIDIA the “single worst company” that Linux developers have ever worked with, then pointed out that NVIDIA’s failure to work constructively with the Linux community is especially disappointing in light of the company’s large presence in the Android market.
After criticizing NVIDIA’s development practices, Torvalds concluded by addressing the company directly: “NVIDIA, FUCK YOU." Torvalds proceeded to raise his hand and present his middle finger. The talk was recorded, so the moment has been preserved for posterity (jump to the 49 minute mark for his remarks about NVIDIA).
Although it sometimes seems like AMD and NVIDIA are competing to see who can make the worst drivers for Linux, NVIDIA’s proprietary drivers are often the better of the two. AMD, however, has been more responsive to requests for collaboration from the Linux development community and has taken several steps to accommodate the development of open drivers.
NVIDIA hasn’t stepped up to officially support some features like its Optimus graphics switching technology on the Linux platform, and its drivers are also buggy and not particularly reliable. (Of course, NVIDIA’s track record with Windows drivers isn’t particularly good, either.)
The growing emphasis on hardware-accelerated rendering and ubiquitous compositing on the Linux desktop has made the graphics driver issue particularly painful in recent years. Linux developers have been working on independent open source driver implementations that are increasingly capable, though most are still no match for the proprietary drivers. | <urn:uuid:0baf9085-65ea-4caa-9768-1382a10f7e3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/06/linus-torvalds-says-f-k-you-to-nvidia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958061 | 422 | 1.632813 | 2 |
identity and involvement
Painting a picture of a “typical” high school dropout is not an easy task. The reasons behind a student’s decision to leave school can vary from specific life events, such as pregnancy or work obligations, to no longer seeing a reason to come to school due to boredom or frustration. One thing we do know is that the dropout crisis disproportionately affects high-poverty communities. Low-income students fail to graduate at five times the rate of middle-income youth and six times that of higher-income youth, according to a recent study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
So how can schools and communities in these high-poverty areas combat the high number of students dropping out of school? And where does expanded learning time (ELT) connect to preventing school dropouts?
Actor Mark Wahlberg is a high school dropout.
Yes, he defies many qualities commonly associated with dropouts. But even though he’s an extremely successful, well-known celebrity, Wahlberg recognizes the importance of a high school diploma.
“If my career goes south, I’m working at McDonald’s. I’m driving a tow truck,” Wahlberg told an auditorium full of high school students. “That’s why I’m going back to high school.”
Last week, Wahlberg spoke to students at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA., about his experience dropping out of high school in ninth grade. He became involved in gangs, violence and drugs — and even spent time in prison.
In Michigan, homeless students and dropouts will have a new place to earn their education and seek shelter.
Covenant House, which is scheduled to open in August, anticipates an enrollment of 150, but it could double that number if needed.
A new survey has found two of the most common reasons why teens drop out of high school: lack of parental and educational support and becoming a parent.
The information was released in the 2012 High School Dropouts in America survey conducted by Harris/Decima on behalf of Everest College. The national survey asked 513 adults aged 19 to 35 and found that 23 percent of Americans said not having parental support and encouragement was a reason for not graduating from school, and 21 percent said it was because they became a parent.
Taking a multifaceted approach to stemming the dropout tide is essential.
One such approach is career and technical education.
In his Boston.com blog Rock the Schoolhouse, Jim Stergios looks at the successes vocational-technical schools have had in turning at-risk students into graduates.
A report by the Pioneer Institute looked at all CTE schools, and they found regional CTE schools, which are not under the purview of a district or superintendent, are showing some pretty amazing numbers.
The graduation rate for special education students in CTE schools is 82 percent, which is nearly 20 percentage points higher than traditional high schools. The dropout rate is also much lower: in typical high schools it was 2.8 percent in 2011, in regional CTE schools, it was .9 percent.
As nearly every state around the nation adopts the Common Core State Standards, some people have questioned whether raising the academic bar is fair for students who are already struggling academically.
In the study, “High Standards Help Struggling Students: New Evidence,” Education Sector analysts Constance Clark and Peter Cookson, Jr. used state-by-state NAEP data to determine the effect of higher standards on student achievement.
What they found was that there was no negative effect, and in fact, the high standards probably have helped.
Struggling students at Paducah Tilghman High School in Kentucky are getting help making up credits.
The school’s “Credit Recovery System” gives students a second chance and some much needed one-on-one attention, according to Principal Art Davis.
In the decade-old program, about 200 students have been able to earn their diploma when they otherwise would have dropped out.
"In a traditional classroom that kid has to wait, they get frustrated, they don't want to wait," Davis told WPSD News.
The state’s dropout rate was 4.1 percent, according to the Montana Office of Public Instruction, but Great Falls High School has the highest dropout rate in the state at 7 percent.
But administrators there know what’s at stake.
"Kids who drop out are in great danger of getting into trouble with the law or having other problems. In our prisons right now, roughly 75 percent of the inmates have dropped out of high school," Principal Jane Gregoire told KRTV.
One of the big focuses the school has had is helping American Indian students graduate.
Students in West Virginia have swag.
"It doesn't matter what type of clothes you have, we all have swag," Delegate Meshea Poore, D-Kanawha, told students at Mary C. Snow Elementary School earlier this month.
SWAG stands for Students With Awesome Goals, and it rewards kids in kindergarten through fifth grade for attendance, behavior and academic performance, according to an article in The Charleston Gazette.
The State Department of Education reports that nearly 7,000 West Virginia students dropped out of high school in 2009, and one in five had five or more unexcused absences in 2011. Nine percent of students — which is more than 29,000 — were truant more than 10 days last school year.
Both Latino and African-American leaders in Lawrence, Mass., are encouraged by lower student dropout rates in their city.
“I’m very happy,” Mayor William Lantigua told the Eagle-Tribune. “This is a good indicator and it’s due to the efforts and progressive actions of Superintendent Jeffrey Riley. I have no doubt that there will be better results in the future because of the programs he has implemented.”
Lawrence Public Schools is one of five urban districts that have made the largest gain in reducing the number of dropouts between 2007-2008 and 2011-2012, according to state education data. | <urn:uuid:51733b0a-0559-4949-be57-b277fe581865> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nodropouts.org/category/blog-tags/identity-and-involvement | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969518 | 1,301 | 2.375 | 2 |
Q&A: Homeowners should weigh factors when considering flood insuranceby Tom Crann, Minnesota Public Radio
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Only 111 Duluth households had flood insurance policies when the area was hit by heavy rains and flooding last week, according to the National Flood Insurance Program.
Less than 1 percent of homeowners statewide spring from flood insurance, according to the Insurance Federation of Minnesota.
Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Michael Rothman spoke with Tom Crann of All Things Considered about the factors homeowners should weigh when considering flood insurance.
Tom Crann: Why do you think so few Minnesotans actually have flood insurance?
Michael Rothman: It's a little bit based on experience, and somewhat, that people are facing changing weather patterns. I also think it's something that people who should have flood insurance don't often get the information or aren't required to do it.
It's one of those things where do have a bit of a gap and more awareness and education is important because people need to take a look at their flood insurance needs. Not just in areas where there are rivers, but in other areas where we know from rainstorms and some big events that it can be serious damage and consequences.
Crann: I think a lot of people think that if they don't live in a floodplain that they actually can't get flood insurance, or don't need it. Is that correct?
Rothman: I think that's probably true. Anyone can purchase flood insurance no matter the projected risk of flooding in your area. There's a high-risk, a moderate-risk and low-risk areas. We've seen in recent years that even in moderate and low-risk areas there's flooding. And people that are in those areas should be looking at their flood insurance needs.
It's relatively inexpensive. It depends on, of course, everyone's own circumstances. Insurance is one of those things where you take into account your own risk and decide whether you can afford the premium and take the risk or not. Many people can't and shouldn't take the risk. Generally, flood insurance runs between $400-$1500 or so a year.
Crann: It will be more expensive though in either floodplain areas or more frequently flooded areas, right?
Rothman: People can go on what's called the FloodSmart website and it will show you a projection, estimation of those costs.
Crann: Some say that climate change is bringing more of these events with a lot of precipitation. Do you think that's going to change the way we consider the risk of flooding and getting insurance?
Rothman: It's important for everyone to recognize, yes, that weather patterns are changing. It's not limited to river areas that flooding and flash flooding like this is happening. These floods are greater than the average, these are 100 year events or even greater that we're experiencing. And it does make sense for people to consider whether or not they should purchase flood insurance.
Also, there's a cheaper form of insurance that can cover some of the issues that relate to sewer backup or sump pump failures. It's not just flood insurance. That's a relatively inexpensive way to go, and it's just an add-on or endorsement to the policy.
Crann: What's next for people who suffered losses and may not have been insured?
Rothman: We'll learn more about that, but the state, local units of government and other organizations are assessing right now and getting appropriate responses to those people that need assistance. As we develop and we figure out the exact scope of this, it will play itself out and we'll get to some more assistance.
Crann: Are we at a situation where we recommend that people check their coverage and policies?
Rothman: It's important to consider the risks of flooding. This is an experience that shows that it doesn't necessarily limit itself to the high-risk areas.... I think that in terms of flooding, just like any other homeowners risks that are out there, people should act now. They should take a look and determine whether or not they need insurance.
They can also do home inventories, I often encourage people to make lists, take photographs. Then when a potential insurance claim happens, immediately contact their insurance company or agent, make a claim then work through the process.
If any issues come up, people can call the Minnesota Department of Commerce, our consumer response team is available. We have a number they can call, which is 651-296-2488.
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- Geographic Location: Europe
- Languages: English, Norwegian
Anki King grew up in a small village in Norway. After completing her arts education in Oslo, she moved to New York City in 1994 and studied at The Art Students League until 1998. King exhibits frequently both in Europe and in the United States. Her work is included in private and public collections including the Appleton Museum of Art, in Ocala Florida. King has also exhibited at the Katonah New York Museum of Art, the Las Cruces New Mexico Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Tokyo. She teaches and lectures at institutions such as The Art Students League of New York, NurtureArt Inc., and on line at Sessions.edu. Over the last twenty years King has made works in an abstract-expressionist style, always including figurative elements. The still-standing full size figures that often appear in her paintings are tall and slim, somewhat awkward, with large hands. The human forms in King’s paintings are used as a vehicle of expressing emotional memories and feelings. Her direct and solemn work requires pondering of the image for a deeper search and understanding. Recently she has also been making sculpture and installation a part of her expressive language.
Exhibit change by:
Through my personal artwork
I'm passionate about:
Love and empathy
Read the conversations in the Community Forum and add your voice.
Browse the take actions in the Women, Power and Politics exhibition or submit your own.
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From Exhibiting You:
Morgan Levey interviewed Anki King for I.M.O.W. Read the interview.
Curate your own exhibition of museum content! Add your favorite stories to your profile by navigating to the story page and clicking on the + sign in the right column. | <urn:uuid:95b4010b-556e-4d81-83f3-9086bfc38abf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://imow.org/community/directory/user/index?language=en&id=16946 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952336 | 372 | 1.84375 | 2 |
By Michael Still
Ames247 Staff Writer
Finals week is finally upon us, and while most students are doing last minute cram sessions and pulling all-nighters to study for their exams, students in the theater department are preparing in a slightly different way.
This week, students taking Brad Dell’s Directing 2 and musical theatre classes will be presenting their final projects for audiences at the One Act Play Festival, and the Musical Theatre Cabaret.
The two classes have been hard at work all semester, and now that work will be displayed for everyone to see. However, these performances won’t be for entertainment purposes only, because they will also serve as the students’ final exams.
In Directing 2, students have been spending most of the semester preparing for this final project. Their assignment was to choose, cast and direct their own one act play.
A one act play is a production that contains a complete plot structure, but is significantly shorter than a full length play.
Although one act plays are shorter than regular plays, they still require just as much work. Diana Wohl, an open option freshman, is one of the actresses cast in a one act play this year. She knows, first hand, the amount of work that goes into putting a production like this together.
“We have normally been rehearsing at least two or three times a week, but since this week is the final stretch, we have been rehearsing every day,” Wohl said. “ I was expecting to put in a lot of work, but the amount of hours that go into making a good and captivating production are a lot different than the hours it takes to simply memorize something.”
The extra hours they put into perfecting their productions and solidifying their visions are what will earn these student directors an “A” when it comes to performance time.
The directors are not the only ones doing hard work this semester. For the actors, there is an added pressure on top of memorizing pages of lines and blocking.
“There’s a sense of accountability,” said Scot Renz, sophomore in performing arts. He was cast in a one act play, and has felt the pressure to work his hardest to not let his director down, because the directors are counting on the actors to make their one act plays come to life.
Meanwhile, in musical theatre, students are preparing their final projects as well. Over the course of the semester, the students have been perfecting songs from musicals in hopes of putting their best work into the final showcase. Danielle Levings, senior in psychology, has been working hard on her music for the class.
“Our final is a Cabaret, where we each perform two individual songs and some group numbers,” Levings said. “We have been learning the music in class, and practicing the harmony parts on our own. We also work on songs we’ve learned throughout the semester, and the goal is to have our best performances at the final.”
Kelsie Hardison, junior in liberal studies, has also been working hard to prepare for the musical theatre final. She says that she enjoys the class, because she feels comfortable with her fellow performers.
“The support from our classmates is great,” Hardison said. “It’s not just Brad, but everyone who contributes, and we are all helping each other and giving feedback from different perspectives.”
Much like Directing 2, the students in musical theatre put in a lot of hours outside of class to perfect their final projects.
“We have to set our own schedule and pace of learning these songs, like finding time to meet outside of class with our accompanist, and run through it a few times before performing it in class,” Hardison said.
With the festival and cabaret approaching, it is time for the students to show off all their hard work. They have not had to memorize any key terms, take notes or make numerous flashcards, but they have been working countless hours to put together a “performance ready” piece that will determine their final grade.
“I think the most exciting part will be when everyone finally gets to see what we’ve been working on,” Wohl said. “I think it will be really fun to see what everyone else has been doing, because there are so many talented people participating in these showcases.”
The Musical Theatre Cabaret will take place Monday night in the M-Shop, and the One Act Play Festival will take place Wednesday and Thursday nights in the M-Shop at 6:00 p.m. | <urn:uuid:7f7c76dc-302f-4bc9-ba98-d0da01180dbb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ames247.com/2012/04/27/students-show-off-their-work/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974891 | 970 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Select Vestries Bill
A bill for the better regulating of Select Vestries, usually referred to as the Select Vestries Bill, is customarily the first bill introduced and debated in the United Kingdom's House of Lords at the start of each session of Parliament. The equivalent bill used by the House of Commons is the Outlawries Bill.
The bill is read after the Queen's Speech, after the Commons have returned to their chamber, but before any debate on the contents of the Speech. The bill is given a pro forma first reading upon the motion of the Leader of the House of Lords, to demonstrate that the House can debate on whatever it chooses and set its own business independently of the Crown.
The title of the bill refers to the Select Vestries that were established in each parish to administer the Poor Law. These bodies met in the vestry of the local parish church and were responsible for imposing a form of local taxes known as the Church Rate. Over time, these bodies became notoriously corrupt.
The term Select Vestries Acts collectively refers to two Acts of Parliament passed in 1818 and 1819 respectively, the Act for the Regulation of Parish Vestries (Vestries Act 1818, 58 Geo. III c. 69), and the Act to Amend the Law for the Relief of the Poor (Poor Relief Act 1819, 59 Geo. III c.12). These acts were promoted by William Sturges Bourne, MP and Chairman of a Committee to reform the Poor Laws, and are therefore also known as the Sturges Bourne Acts.
- Outlawries Bill in the House of Commons
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Content from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
What Is This Site? The Ultimate Study Guide is a mirror of English Wikipedia. It exists in order to provide Wikipedia content to those who are unable to access the main Wikipedia site due to draconian government, employer, or school restrictions. The site displays all the text content from Wikipedia. Our sponsors generously cover part of the cost of hosting this site, and their ads are shown as part of this agreement. We regret that we are unable to display certain controversial images on some pages the site at the request of the sponsors. If you need to see images which we are unable to show, we encourage you to view Wikipedia directly if possible, and apologize for this inconvenience.
A product of XPR Content Systems. 47 Union St #9K, Grand Falls-Windsor NL A2A 2C9 CANADA | <urn:uuid:61f40634-7a2f-48fa-a2a9-b7b2c3df22a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wikipedia.sfstate.us/Select_Vestries_Bill | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943314 | 556 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Many people think of bats as scary and dangerous creatures. The truth is that bats are very beneficial to our environment. Bats can consume large numbers of insects in a short period of time. So, let’s build some bat houses.
Bat houses should be made of exterior plywood or cedar (rough on the inside). The inside should have grooves. The house should be at least 24 inches tall, 13 inches wide, and about 3 inches deep. There should be an opening at the bottom of the house. Your house needs to be placed at least 12-15 feet up, the higher the better, and should face a south to southeasterly direction getting 6-8 hours of sunlight a day.
Building a backyard bat house is fun, easy, and ecological. Bats eat mosquitoes, moths, and other insects and pollinate some flowers. Encourage them to populate your yard by building a bat house out of materials you have at hand, then watch them fly out at dusk to hunt for food.
Here are some simple instructions (keep in mind, there are many plans to building a bat house available; this is only one):
1) Screw together scrap wood pieces to make two walls 24 inches high and 13 inches wide. Screw together two side walls 24 inches high and 3 inches wide.
2) Hammer holes in the large walls about 6 inches from the bottom of the house using the large nail. These allow air to circulate within the house.
3) Staple pantyhose material to the wider walls, reinforcing about every 2 inches up the sides of the house. The material provides a perch from which bats can hang in the house.
4) Assemble the four sides by screwing them together, then caulking. Next, lay the walls aside while you build the roof. Assemble two roof pieces 8 inches by 15 inches. Screw together at a 30-degree angle, then screw and caulk to walls.
5) You can paint the outside of the house a dark color or just leave it natural. Nail the house 15 to 20 feet from the ground on a tree, pole or house (a pole is the best). The opening in the bottom is the door for bats that fly in to sleep during the day.
a) Do not hang bat house in tree or shady area. Make sure it receives 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day.
b) Mount box at least 12 feet above the ground.
c) Hanging the bat house near a pond or stream may increase your chances of attracting bats to use it.
d) Bats usually will not use a bat house during the winter.
e) Be sure to clean and do maintenance on your bat house each winter.
There are many free plans on the internet, or you can buy a book that shows you step-by-step. The main thing, have fun building these and enjoy watching the bats.
Information for this article was taken from several internet sites.
For all your real estate and building needs or questions, call Debbie at 830-833-4249 or 713-818-6658, or send an email to debbie@vallone realestate.net. | <urn:uuid:b9f456cd-4dbc-4df3-85ac-81d8ebc59c1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blanconews.com/news/101837/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931949 | 663 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Jan. 17, 2013 Studies have shown that women are less likely to take the most direct approach to ensure that they receive fair pay compared to their male counterparts -- simply asking. So what happens when women begin to negotiate for higher salaries? Could women begin to close the gender pay gap simply by learning to negotiate for more money?
A new study finds that women can successfully negotiate higher salaries, but unlike men, they have to pay attention to the approach they use in order to avoid social backlash. This study was published in Psychology of Women Quarterly (a SAGE Journal).
"The anticipation of social backlash or pay discrimination is taxing for women and undermining of their human potential," stated the study authors Hannah Riley Bowles and Linda Babcock.
In part one of their study, Bowles and Babcock surveyed 402 participants who were asked to watch a video in which a recently-promoted female employee negotiated her new salary. In some of the videos, she expressed a concern for her relationship with her manager, for example by including phrases such as "I hope it's OK to ask you about this" and "My relationships with people here are very important to me," in others she negotiated her salary while alluding to another offer she had received, while in others, she did both. The survey participants were then asked to answer a series of questions about whether they would enjoy working with the woman and whether or not they would grant her the salary she desired.
After analyzing survey results, the researchers found that alluding to another offer increased the likelihood that the women would get the pay desired and that showing concern for business relationships helped to mitigate social backlash. However, combining these strategies was not successful and did not avoid social backlash.
In part two of their study, the researchers surveyed 177 college-educated Americans with work experience. Like part one, the participants were asked to view short episodes in which female employees negotiated their salaries using different techniques. Additionally, the participants watched male negotiators use the same negotiation scripts. The survey participants were then asked to rate their willingness to work with the negotiators (both male and female) as well as their willingness to grant their compensation requests.
The researchers found that when the study participants watched episodes in which female negotiators legitimized their compensation requests and communicated concern for organizational relationships, the participants found the women to be more relational, found their requests for compensations to be more legitimate, and did not socially punish the women for having negotiated. Conversely, the men who expressed the same relational concern as they negotiated were not more successful than when they used a direct negotiation approach.
The researchers called for further research that will take into account both monetary outcomes of women who negotiate for higher compensation as well as the social and relational factors that might affect compensation negotiation.
"While gender constraints are real, they are not inescapable," the authors continued. "We expect men to be in charge because they are, and we expect men to earn more because typically they do … every woman who reduces the gender gap in pay and authority reforms the social structures that keep women in their place."
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- H. R. Bowles, L. Babcock. How Can Women Escape the Compensation Negotiation Dilemma? Relational Accounts Are One Answer. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2012; DOI: 10.1177/0361684312455524
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Bruce Hall, photo © Christopher Voelker. www.voelkerstudio.com
Bruce Hall is a legally blind photographer, teacher, musician, and autism advocate. He exhibits his photography internationally. Bruce and his wife Valerie are currently collaborating on a large-scale, extremely personal project examining their twin sons' profound autism.
Hall’s work has been published in textbooks, magazines including National Geographic, as well as shown in art exhibitions internationally including: the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian; UCR/California Museum of Photography, Riverside, California; Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City; The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.; Photo San Francisco; Photo L.A.; Flacon Arts Complex, Moscow, Russia; Galeria De Arte, Universidad Iberoamericana, Puebla, Mexico; Center for Visual Art, Denver, Colorado; Playboy Cyber Club; Insights, San Francisco; and the San Diego Natural History Museum.
The Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division recently purchased a portfolio of photographs from Hall’s Autism in Reflection series for their permanent collection. Bruce was recently featured in a short documentary for HBO, Dark Light: The Art of Blind Photographers. Produced by Corinne Marrinan and directed by sports photography legend Neil Leifer. In 2010, Bruce Hall and Pete Eckert had the opportunity to photograph model Hiromi Oshima for Playboy.
In 1970 Playboy translated the magazine into Braille. Forty years later, Bruce and Pete were the first blind photographers to shoot for Playboy.
Bruce Hall's night sky was devoid of stars, a vast sheet of darkness. Hall was born with a word salad of eye conditions: nystagmus, myopia, astigmatism, amblyopia, macular degeneration and exotropia. "I grew up hearing about stars, but I'd never seen them. When I was nine or ten, a neighbor kid down the street let me look through his telescope. We pointed it at the North Star. It was like an opening into another world." Hall saw not just stars, but possibilities. The childhood glimpse became a turning point, directing Hall into a lifelong engagement with seeing devices: cameras, lenses, magnifiers, telescopes, computer screens.
Since then, Bruce Hall has constructed his world from photographs. When he looks into your eyes, it'll be on his forty-inch Sony high definition monitor. Most photographers see in order to photograph. Bruce Hall photographs in order to see.
Hall is one of four artists in the exhibition who, while legally blind, retain some limited, highly attenuated sight. "I think all photographers take pictures in order to see, but for me it's a necessity. I can't see without optical devices, cameras. Therefore, it's become an obsession. It's beyond being in love with cameras; I need cameras." Susan Sontag called photographs objects "that make up, and thicken, the environment we recognize as modern." By this logic, Hall leads a hypermodern life, employing an ever-present camera to build his visual world one photograph at a time.
Hall calls his device-enabled interface with the world "intensified seeing." The devices are extensions, amplifications of his body. "Without cameras, my life would be bleak. With cameras, I can see." The result is a strange form of double vision. "I always see things twice. First, I see an impression. I take what I think I see, later I can see what I saw. I have certain aims, guesses, impressions, but the photographs are always a surprise."
by Douglas McCulloh, Curator, sight unseen, International Photography by Blind Artists. UCR California Museum of Photography. www.cmp.ucr.edu/exhibitions/sightunseen/
For recent news, upcoming shows and exhibitions click "news and events" link, below. | <urn:uuid:a645107f-0b19-41d9-b0ea-62a8a715ad47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://visualsummit.com/Asset.asp?AssetID=14536&AKey=GJXBH5T9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952557 | 808 | 1.632813 | 2 |
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Starting Thursday, a new Kentucky law will cutback even more on the amount of some cold medication you buy at the store.
One box of Mucinex, for explain, is equivalent to about 1.08 grams. This new law will cut you back a couple boxes each month.
In an effort to cut down on meth manufacturing, a new law lowers the amount of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine you can buy from 9 grams to 7.2 grams.
Local pharmacies like Art Jacobs are prepared for the change.
They installed Meth Check, an electronic log that tracks how much pseudoephedrine someone buys.
Jacob says, "If they exceed the legal limits in the meth check program it comes up no matter where they're getting it in the state and it will automatically block them getting it."
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has some concerns. They say, "This law will force thousands of Kentucky allergy patients to make frequent visits to their doctors to request special exceptions for these medications, adding significant costs for patients."
But Art Jacob insists it won't be an issue. He says, "I think that 7.2 grams is an adequate amount for people to buy and still control their allergies or any symptoms they may have I don't think it will have any effect on them at all."
The law will also limit pseudoephedrine to 24 grams a year, after that you'll need a prescription. | <urn:uuid:fd85e6af-441e-440c-bd85-c94479cf73d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wdrb.com/story/19005614/more-restrictions-on-buying-cold-medicine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943747 | 344 | 1.648438 | 2 |
My first job in medicine involved keeping the floors of the surgery area very clean. So at the age of sixteen, I saw things most teenagers could never see. I remember in particular an operation called a C-section I saw through the small glass window that was in the center of the swinging door. I had never seen any delivery, much less a C-section delivery. But what really interested me at the time was how they were going to get that baby to breathe.
I figured that in a normal delivery a woman would go into labor when it "was time," that is, when the baby was ready to start breathing, so that when the baby popped out, of course he or she would naturally start breathing. But my teenaged grasp of cardiorespiratory physiology fell short in explaining how the baby would start breathing when "taken" via C-section.
I watched. It happened. The baby was delivered. The baby started crying and breathing. No slaps. The baby just knew to breathe. I was amazed. How did it happen?
A good novel will go through several drafts before the finished product ends up in the bookstore. In the natural course of writing, many revisions allow the author to take elements at the end of the novel, the climax-or denouement-and make them all the more dramatic by planting hints earlier on in the story. The more that all of the elements fall together, the more striking the release of tension at the climax of the novel.
To understand the transition between life before birth and life after birth, one has to go back to the study of the fetus. There, elements are introduced which don't really reach their climax until that moment at birth when the baby spontaneously breathes for the first time. The whole thing is a set-up, like the climax of a novel.
The embryo of a developing mammal is a system of open layers of tissue that fold upon themselves, creating tubes and tubes within tubes. As the embryo grows, not all parts grow at the same rate, causing twists and kinks within these tubes. Acrobatic twists and gyrations develop that result in a bunching up of a multi-chambered convolution that will be the heart.
In the adult, oxygen-poor blood returns from parts of the body to the right side of the heart. This blood is then pumped to the lungs, oxygenated, then sent back to the left side of the heart, which then pumps it to the brain and the rest of the body where the oxygen is needed. And then this process starts all over again. And again and again, seventy or eighty times a minute, for seventy or eighty years.
But in the fetus, the lungs are collapsed. The most miraculous organ of all-the placenta provides oxygen. The placenta, slapped up against the wall of the mother's uterus (womb), allows the passage of oxygen and nutrients from the mother's blood through a membrane to the baby's blood. From here, it flows through the umbilical cord into the baby.
The right side/left side circulation of the born baby is not the case in the unborn baby. With the lungs collapsed, there is no need for the right side of the heart to send blood to the lungs-the blood is already oxygen-rich, thanks to the placenta. Instead, there are two short cuts that allow the blood to by-pass the lungs. One is called the ductus arteriosus and the other is the foramen ovale.
The ductus arteriosus steals blood normally routed to the lungs and lets it flow straight into the aorta on to the rest of the body. The foramen ovale is actually a hole in the heart itself, allowing blood in the right side to flow through the wall into the left side and out, likewise, to the rest of the body. In both cases, the lungs are bypassed.
Being born changes all of that.
With delivery, the lifeline of the umbilical cord is severed. Air hunger develops, and a reflex causes the newborn child to gasp for air. Like in a good novel, the plot thickens. With this gasping, the lungs expand for the first time and convert from a crimped up, solid block of tissue to soft, air-filled bags. It's the change in the consistency of the lungs that starts all of the magic.
When the lungs are in their unborn collapsed state, it takes a lot of pressure to try to pump blood through them. When they inflate at birth, this pressure falls so that it's easy for blood to flow into them. With this sudden fall in resistance, the path to the lungs becomes less resistant than the force needed to pump blood through the ductus arteriosus and foramen ovale. The flow in the heart becomes stronger on the left, which causes a one-way flap to slam shut over the foramen ovale, closing it. The generous diameters of the pulmonary arteries to the lungs far out measure that of the ductus. The laws of physics apply here: it is easier to flow to the lungs than through the ductus and it withers. That first gasping causes the ductus and the foramen to be bypassed, and the lungs that were previously bypassed, finally join the club.
Like a good novel, everything falls together at birth, and in the closing pages we can all breathe a sigh of relief, with our lungs of course. We close this book and get ready for the sequel called life after birth. | <urn:uuid:e6c04887-583a-46d7-8b0a-d901d5c6f2e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/baby-to-be/fetal-development/anatomy-fetus-circulation-breathing_70431 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952352 | 1,144 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Dickens, Charles. The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit. With Illustrations by Phiz. (London: Chapman and Hall, 1843-1844) Original Parts.
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit is a satirical comedy of a young British Martin Chuzzlewit who eventually travels to America to seek his fortune. Dickens's novel emerged as a scathing satire of American culture, which included a satire of American journalism as an unscrupulous and scandal-driven industry. Dickens portrayed many of the Americans characters as a bunch of liars, snobs, bullies, aggressive savages and swindlers.
In this passage, Martin Chuzzlewit has just disembarked from the ship appropriately named “The Screw”, which had taken him from England to New York. He is immediately greeted by “Colonel Dive”, Editor of the “New York Rowdy Journal” and the young correspondent Jefferson Brick both of whom epitomize the corrupt and unscrupulous nature of the press in America. Martin then meets an unnamed American stranger at a party to which Colonel Dive has brought him. Martin and the stranger begin a candid conversation on the role of satire in America.
The passage reflects Dickens awareness that his satirical novel would garner criticism in America for its biting satire. It is also reflects how Dickens may have wanted his readership to view him: as an outspoken writer, willing to voice the truth as he saw it, despite public criticism. The novel initially garnered poor reviews due partly to the negative response it elicited among Americans. Dickens maintained that his work was neither anti-American nor different than any of his prior satirical works, such as Oliver Twist, which satirized English society and its institutions.
Gift of William M. Elkins
Posted by Joe Shemtov at 12:21 PM | <urn:uuid:b77b8aef-0c93-4201-bbe8-e1033dc231df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spiritofsatireintherarebookdepartment.blogspot.jp/2009/12/dickens-charles-life-and-adventures-of_24.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972084 | 379 | 2.796875 | 3 |
The next letter in the bankruptcy alphabet, U, stands for unsecured debt. Unsecured debt is any debt that someone owes for bills where no collateral was pledged. What does that mean? I can tell you what is not an unsecured loan to explain. Examples of collateral are houses and cars. So loans where you pledge your house as collateral (a mortgage) or a car (car loan) are secured debt. If you don’t make payments on your mortgage, the bank will foreclose on your house; likewise, if you don’t make payments on your car loan, the finance company will repossess the car.
Loans where you don’t have collateral, then, are unsecured loans. Unsecured debts are typically debts like credit cards and medical bills. Most unsecured debts can be eliminated in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. These are the debts and bill collectors that can be the most aggressive in their collection attempts. These collectors are often quick to sue someone who is behind in their payments and to garnish debtors’ wages. It makes sense, because they have nothing to “fall back on”, no collateral, to help pay off the loan.
A bankruptcy case will stop the lawsuits and phone calls from the aggressive, annoying, bill collectors right away.
If you have unsecured debts that you are having problems paying, or if you are being sued, or just need advice on what to do, call us.
We have offices in the Chicago Loop, Oak Lawn, Skokie, and Waukegan to serve your needs.
LAW OFFICES OF DANIEL J. WINTER
53 W. Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
Latest posts by Daniel J. Winter, Esq. (Posts)
- Bankruptcy Lawyer Reviews- Why are they Important? - June 1, 2013
- Student Loan Interest Rates – a Ticking Time Bomb - May 27, 2013
- Credit Repair? Is it for Real? No!. - May 21, 2013 | <urn:uuid:7a5a0fa5-672b-43a7-8e2b-f0f7e9bf7150> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bankruptcylawchicagoblog.com/bankruptcy-alphabet-u-is-for-unsecured-debt/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957769 | 426 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Histological validation of ultrasound-guided neurography in early nerve regeneration
Ultrasound-guided near-nerve neurography is a new tool that can be used to assess nerve regeneration before reinnervation occurs. In this study, ultrasound-guided near-nerve measurements were validated against axon diameter counts in rabbits during a 15-week regeneration period after a crush lesion of their peroneal nerve. The course of the nerve was determined ultrasonically, and the active near-nerve needle electrode was maneuvered just next to the nerve under ultrasound guidance. Measured action potentials were compared with axon diameter counts from histological sections of these same nerves. A moderate to good positive correlation was found, which reached a maximum of 0.7 at a cut-off of 3 μm, corresponding to the minimal size of the myelinated axons. Our results suggest that, following a similar validation study in humans, ultrasound-guided near-nerve neurography may be clinically useful when early evaluation of nerve activity is needed. | <urn:uuid:2a72193d-a8c8-4ac8-84b4-9c6cdd7bdcc2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/24105/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950372 | 215 | 1.960938 | 2 |
US troop death toll reached 2,000 on same day Rumsfeld wrote letter
Amidst a new batch of torture-related documents released to the American Civil Liberties Union on Monday, a letter bearing former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s signature stands out.
On October 25, 2005, Rumsfeld wrote to President George W. Bush, “Attached is an article on the subject of detainees that came from a staff reporter of the Wall Street Journal, which I think covers the subject pretty dam [sic] well.”
“It’s hardly a secret that Pfc. Lynndie England was sentenced last week for her role as ‘leash girl’ in the infamous abuses photographed at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison in late 2003,” Pollock wrote in 2005. “But it was also noticeable that the denouement of this spectacular story was relegated to the innards of newspapers that had once given it weeks of front-page treatment. That’s almost surely because the trial of the last of the Maryland Army Reservists to face justice–like those of the others that came before her–offered no evidence to support claims that the abuses were caused by a Bush administration that had ‘created the climate’ or ‘set the tone’ for ‘torture.’”
Pollock even specifically noted that Rumsfeld was in the hot seat.
“Almost immediately the leaked photos of Pfc. England and her compatriots generated calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation,” Pollock continued. “So-called torture memos were unearthed, in which administration lawyers had discussed the range of permissible interrogation techniques–for al Qaeda suspects in the wake of 9/11. And by one of the greatest leaps of logic ever seriously entertained in our national discourse, those memos were said to have caused the behavior of soldiers in Iraq who knew nothing beyond the limits outlined in the Army Field Manual. Ted Kennedy, for one, offered up a useful reminder of why Americans have never wanted him to be president by declaring that ‘Saddam’s torture chambers reopened under new management, U.S. management.’”
Pollock’s conclusion: “Let me add some final words on how the Abu Ghraib scandal has affected America’s image in Iraq. It hasn’t been helpful, of course. But–having traveled there three times in the past 2 1/2 years, most recently in August–I can attest that the dominant image of the American soldier in the minds of most Iraqis is that of liberator, as depicted in the sculpture shown here by a craftsman from Saddam’s hometown of Tikrit. Americans can be proud of the way their young men and women have performed in Iraq and elsewhere in the war on terror. And they can be proud of the way the military has meted out justice for those few abuses that have occurred.”
Although some observers might find it bizarre that Rumsfeld would send an op-ed still pushing the “US troops will be viewed as liberators” meme in October of 2005, the president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, said as much to Bush in September of 2008.
Weeks before Rumsfeld wrote Bush, Sen. Jefferson Sessions (R-AL) cited the WSJ editorial during a debate on the floor about adding an amendment prohibiting torture to the 2006 Department of Defense appropriations act.
Referring to Abu Ghraib, Sessions said, “Those guards, have all been tried and convicted. The Wall Street Journal, just a couple of days ago, published an op-ed entitled ‘The `Torture Narrative’ Unravels.’ It noted that the trial and conviction of PFC Lynndie England, who was sentenced as the ‘leash girl’ for her activities there, ‘was relegated to the innards of newspapers.’ That did not make any big news–the Army’s professional, proper response to a lack of discipline.”
“The op-ed goes on to note that ‘by one of the greatest leaps of logic ever seriously entertained in our national discourse, those memos’–that were written by the Department of Justice in analyzing what the President’s proper powers were with regard to the detaining of enemy soldiers, who are not lawful combatants–that it was ‘one of the greatest leaps of logic ever seriously entertained in our national discourse’ to say that memos as part of a discussion in the Department of Justice of the United States had anything to do with those soldiers in Iraq carrying out that abuse,” Sessions continued. “But that is what was alleged. It was during a campaign season, I understand, and it resulted in calls for the resignation of Secretary Rumsfeld and, I guess, to call for the removal of the President of the United States before the election.”
Sessions was just one of five senators to vote against the McCain-sponsored amendment, S.AMDT.1977, which “prohibits torture by confining military interrogations to the techniques in the U.S. Army Field Manual on Interrogation.”
The same day Rumsfeld wrote that letter, the media reported that the death toll for US troops in Iraq had reached the 2,000 mark. An article on MSNBC.com reported, “The chief spokesman for the American-led multinational force called on reporters covering not to look at the 2,000th death since March 2003 as a milestone, describing the number as an ‘artificial mark on the wall.’”
Things got worse for the Secretary of Defense shortly after he wrote that letter. As more torture allegations continued to mount, reports surfaced that the Pentagon was secretly paying Iraqi newspapers off, and US casualties continued to dominate news reports, progress in Iraq began to be seen as pessimistic by both parties. Rumsfeld was able to stick it out for another year or so, before suddenly resigning after the November 2006 elections. | <urn:uuid:94b2239d-8b46-487f-9710-6c851c245005> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/02/03/rumsfeld-bush-2005-wsj-oped-dismissing-torture-allegations/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973727 | 1,270 | 1.828125 | 2 |
The Kallikak Family a Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness
by Henry Herbert Goddard
The following computer-generated description may contain errors and does not represent the quality of the book:
On September 15, 1906, the Training School for Backward and Feeble-minded Children at Vineland, New Jersey, opened a laboratory and a Department of Research for the study of feeble-mindedness. A beginning was made in studying the mental condition of the children who lived in the Institution, with a view to determining the mental and physical peculiarities of the diiferent grades and types, to getting an accurate record of what deficiencies each child had and what he was capable of doing, with the hope that in time these records could be correlated with the condition of the nervous system of the child, if he should die while in the Institution and an autopsy should be allowed. As soon as possible after the beginning of this work, a definite start was made toward determining the cause of feeble-mindedness. After some preliminary work, it was concluded that the only way to get the information needed was by sending trained workers to the homes of the children, to learn by careful and wise questioning the facts that could be obtained.
APA: Goddard, Henry Herbert. (2013). The Kallikak Family a Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness. Hong Kong: Forgotten Books. (Original work published 1922)
MLA: Goddard, Henry Herbert. The Kallikak Family a Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness. 1922. Reprint. Hong Kong: Forgotten Books, 2013. Print.
|1. family||2. feebleminded||3. kallikak||4. children||5. normal|
|6. married||7. martin||8. child||9. girl||10. mother|
|11. facts||12. school||13. woman||14. deborah||15. field|
|16. father||17. died||18. worker||19. daughter||20. descendants|
|21. question||22. families||23. chart||24. because||25. line| | <urn:uuid:491954f8-2859-4787-9f46-4f65ad1416ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forgottenbooks.org/books/The_Kallikak_Family_a_Study_in_the_Heredity_of_Feeble-Mindedness_1000020776 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905712 | 457 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Early Friday afternoon, an ominous blog post from Twitter hit the Internet. Michael Sippey, director of consumer products at the San Francisco company, began by talking about Twitter’s recent push into “expanded tweets” — allowing certain developers and publishers a way to include more information in their tweets than the standard 140 characters will allow. Full headlines, introductory paragraphs, the Twitter handle of the author — all part of the expanded tweets feature, whose launch partners include the San Francisco Chronicle.
It wasn’t until his penultimate paragraph that Sippey wrote the words that have Twitter’s small army of third-party developers worrying for their futures. “These efforts highlight the increasing importance of us providing the core Twitter consumption experience through a consistent set of products and tools,” Sippey wrote. He continued:
Back in March of 2011, my colleague Ryan Sarver said that developers should not “build client apps that mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience.” That guidance continues to apply as much as ever today. Related to that, we’ve already begun to more thoroughly enforce our Developer Rules of the Road with partners, for example with branding, and in the coming weeks, we will be introducing stricter guidelines around how the Twitter API is used.
An API, for the uninitiated, is an application programming interface — a way for apps and online services to talk to each other. Twitter helped to pioneer the idea of creating a wildly flexible API. From its earliest days, if you didn’t like the way Twitter presented tweets, whether on the Web or the mobile phone, you were free to build a new version of it from scratch. And why not? In those days it wasn’t at all clear what Twitter even was. Letting developers experiment with new apps helped bring Twitter’s core benefits into focus.
All of that depended, though, on Twitter’s API remaining open and relatively free of restrictions. On Friday, Sippey reminded developers that what Twitter giveth, Twitter can taketh away.
The beauty of third-party apps
Loren Brichter’s Tweetie.
Which is a shame — because as it so happens, “client apps that mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience” are some of my favorite apps ever. When it comes to Twitter apps, my first love was Loren Brichter’s Tweetie, which came out for iPhone in late 2008. Among many other innovations, Tweetie invented the concept of “pulling” down on the timeline to refresh it — a gesture that quickly made its way into countless other apps, including Facebook’s and (as of iOS 6) Apple’s Mail client for iPhone.
Twitter loved Tweetie too, so much so that it acquired the app. As sometimes happens with apps that get acquired, Tweetie gradually became more bloated and difficult to use. (The app was also renamed to “Twitter for iPhone,” or just Twitter.) In April, when the company introduced its still-confusing “connect” and “discover” tabs, those found their way into the old Tweetie app as well — at the expense of the search button, the direct-messages button, and other features users had come to enjoy easy access to.
Fortunately, during this time a new hero had emerged — Tweetbot, a gorgeous app from iOS developer Tapbots. The company had previously developed well regarded calculator and weight-tracking apps; Tweetbot was more ambitious by an order of magnitude. In a way it was old-school: there’s no “connect” and “discover” to be found, and @ replies, direct messages and searching all live inside the main app window.
But Tweetbot is full of flourishes that make Twitter more useful. A mute filter lets you temporarily silence the friend tweeting nonstop from a marketing conference on the opposite side of the country. A search bar sitting at the top of the timeline helps you find that link a friend tweeted earlier in the day that you meant to check out. A bookmarking feature saves your place inside the timeline, so that if you caught up on tweets in the morning on your iPad, you could open up Twitter while waiting on the Muni platform and Tweetbot will remember where you left off.
And if there’s nothing in Tweetbot as quite as innovative as pull-to-refresh, it has done more than any app I know to promote the idea of a “long press.” Tap and hold on a link or a photo in Tweetbot for more than a second, and a menu pops up with various useful options. Long-press on someone’s profile and you can follow or unfollow them, for example, or long-press on a link and you can send it to your favorite read-it-later service, like Pocket or Instapaper.
Taken together, those touches make Twitter eminently more useful to me, and thousands of others. There are dozens of Twitter clients, each with bells and whistles of their own, that those apps’ users find indispensable.
At the same time, Twitter itself has done little over the past six months to improve its own apps. (Expanded tweets, which have yet to make it to the mobile clients, don’t count.) Features like muting and bookmarking across clients have been a part of third-party apps for some time now; meanwhile, Twitter hasn’t even found a way to synchronize the read state for its direct messages, so every time you log into a new app every direct message you have ever received shows up as “new.” No wonder developers are tripping all over themselves to build mobile apps of their own.
No free lunch
Which isn’t to say Twitter doesn’t have cause to change its API restrictions with developers. For starters, none of those developers are showing advertisements in the stream — something that deprives Twitter of revenue that arguably belongs to it. As much as we recoil at the idea of yet more ads being thrust in our faces, it’s the revenue model Twitter has chosen for itself. Third-party apps like Tweetbot are essentially free riders in Twitter’s ecosystem, and if Twitter decides that’s unfair, it’s hard to blame them.
It’s also clear that Twitter wants to show its users more than 140-character messages. Expanded tweets are just the beginning; according to Sippey’s blog post, we’re going to see many more features built into tweets. If third-party apps can’t or won’t display those new features, they will have broken Twitter. It makes sense that Twitter will want to control that experience.
At the same time, whom do you trust more to build a beautiful mobile showcase for those new features — a company like Tapbots, or the company that turned turned Tweetie into the current version of Twitter for iPhone? Third-party developers emphasize interface and user experience over everything else because it is, literally, all they have to sell. Twitter’s motivations are complicated by monetization goals, user growth targets and other aims that have muddied the look of its mobile apps. Its iPad app still doesn’t have the features it brought to the iPhone in April. When it comes to integrating expanded tweets into the mobile timeline, third-party applications are likely to do a great job, and do it faster than Twitter — if Twitter lets them.
Tweetbot, from Tapbots.
A possible solution
The prospect of third-party apps dying a sudden death has been met with generalized panic around geekier corners of the Internet. The Times’ Nick Biltons suggested the company may have “just cut off its entire face to spite its nose.” Developer Dalton Caldwell lamented that Twitter’s ad-based revenue model may have inspired the company to “drop another bomb on their developer ecosystem.” Another developer, Aaron White, announced he had given up on the platform.
But hope remains a solution will be found. Nova Spivack, CEO of the “social dashboard” company Bottlenose, wrote an impassioned plea to Twitter executives over the weekend that they reconsider new API restrictions. He proposes that the company offer two APIs — a free one that includes ads from Twitter, and a paid one that lets users opt out of ads. The latter option seems less likely, but I’d be more than willing to put up with the occasional ad in Tweetbot if it meant I could still use the other features I have come to depend on.
If Twitter gives mobile developers a chance, there’s reason to believe they would come up with ways to display new features that is at least as elegant as Twitter would itself. After all, they always have. Makers of third-party clients played a crucial role in helping Twitter grow to its current size — it seems only fair that Twitter stands by them as it grows into its next incarnation. | <urn:uuid:023f4cef-ab7d-45e0-8b66-dbd63e2a327a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.seattlepi.com/techchron/2012/07/page/7/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951796 | 1,887 | 1.609375 | 2 |
In late September, Councilman Gary La Pelusa made an effort to change that by holding what he hoped would be the first in an annual tradition of 3rd Ward parties using the park as a backdrop.
"A lot of people don't know about the park or who Dr. Morris was," La Pelusa said. A former used car lot, the park opened for the first time in 1980, one year after Morris retired, to celebrate his 52 years of service.
Although Morris began his medical practice in Bayonne in 1926, he was honored not only for his long years of service, but for his number of accomplishments - especially as a member and president of the Bayonne chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
After his retirement, Morris was honored by the University of Vermont, from which he graduated as the "Outstanding Physician of the Year" for 1982.
Social and medical causes
Born in Florida, Morris attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania before finishing his medical studies at the University of Vermont. He interned in St. Louis, Mo., and then moved to Bayonne in 1926.
During the 1930s, Dr. Morris began teaching health classes to residents and helped establish the Bayonne Youth Center.
Over the years, Dr. Morris has been credited with working to desegregate Bayonne theaters, restaurants, and other places of business, and was instrumental in helping members of the African American community complete their education and to find jobs. He sometimes even gave his own money to help others.
During the early days of the Bayonne Boys Club, Dr. Morris often paid the rent on the building to help keep it open.
For many years, Dr. Morris also served as the president of the medical staff at Bayonne Hospital, and was highly regarded by local churches of every faith. He was also a member of local, county, and state medical societies.
La Pelusa said the park was key to remembering Dr. Morris and to creating a cultural hub around which the 3rd Ward might build.
Paid for by the Gary La Pelusa Civic Association, the celebration on Sept. 20 featured music and food.
"I didn't want to burden the city for having to pay for this," La Pelusa said during his presentation before the crowds of people who showed up.
Although La Pelusa credited his association and the efforts of city officials, such as Events Coordinator Ginger Kemp, Mayor Terrence Malloy gave full credit to La Pelusa. "He made this happen," Malloy said.
Calling it "a small jewel," La Pelusa said the city will likely work to spruce up the slightly dilapidated park with the hopes of doing more extensive upgrades to it in the future, possibly even using Urban Enterprise Zone funds to pay the cost.
"This is the only park on Broadway," he said. "And it is in the UEZ." | <urn:uuid:1528e037-bc22-4a92-8d15-ab196eb6a227> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/2417238/article-A-park-in-his-name-Dr--Morris-remembered-at-park-party | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986947 | 597 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Mending fences in space: Tracking debris
'Space fence' a series of radar signals managed by Air Force
The Air Force wants to rebuild a "fence" around Earth to keep out the riffraff.
Sounds like a Hollywood script to counter aliens or asteroids but it's a real program the military wants to update at an estimated cost of $3.5 billion.
Just don't expect any space cowboys digging post holes and wrangling barbed wire in orbit.
The "space fence" is a series of radar signals managed by the Air Force that has long tracked an ever-growing pile of rocket and satellite parts and other man-made fragments from collisions that zoom around Earth's vicinity at thousands of miles per hour.
The military tracks about 20,000 pieces of so-called "space junk" but the actual size of the problem is ten times larger than that. Pieces that need tracking are as small as a softball to as large as a bus.
Regardless of size, the debris is a danger to manned space flight, such as the International Space Station, and unmanned operations, like the hundreds of satellites circling the planet at any one time.
Those satellites bring in television, run GPS and carry cell service, so the everyday and commercial stakes of managing the problem are high. The military also operates communications and other satellites.
The space station crew has been forced to take shelter in escape capsules because of the possibility of being hit by orbital debris on three occasions. The last incident was in March when a piece of debris from a Russian satellite passed close by.
The Air Force alerts NASA and private satellite companies about any "space junk" threatening to collide with one of their spacecraft.
"As every collision creates more and more objects, the problem only gets worse over time, it won't get better over time," says Scott Spence, director of the Raytheon Corporations Space Fence Program.
Like an old ranch fence, the Air Force Space Fence is worn out and needs to be "restrung" before something slips through.
Contractors Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are competing for a $3.5 billion contract to come up with an improved system that can identify more and smaller pieces. An announcement on a new contract is expected at year's end.
"The fence will have greater sensitivity, allowing it to detect, track and measure and object the size of a softball orbiting more than 1,200 miles in space," according to an Air Force information sheet about what it expects.
Improved capabilities will also allow the military to receive evidence of satellite break-ups, collisions and unexpected satellite maneuvers, the Air Force said.
The Air Force said it plans on putting up to two radar systems in the United States and in the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific to better track debris.
The Air Force expects construction to begin at the end of 2013 and have a completed system up and running in 2017.
But what about the overall problem of what to do with the debris? It seems as if the technology is not there yet.
"Space has a lot of challenges. The physics of overcoming how much space you want to cover if you want to clean up the debris around the Earth is a daunting one," Spence said.
"If you can prevent a collision from occurring by having better fidelity of what's up there and you can prevent 4,000 objects from being created from a collision when a satellite collides, that's more cost effective to do than trying to clean up the 4,000 objects after the fact," he added.
Like any good fence, the "space fence" makes for good neighbors if you can keep track of them.
Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:bac0c55f-039b-407a-b31a-68da0fc01b36> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wpbf.com/news/nationalnews/Mending-fences-in-space-Tracking-debris/-/8788944/17125638/-/format/rsss_2.0/view/print/-/mh4p29/-/index.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 | 0.955658 | 776 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Making the UK more resilient
The government report states that the GCHQ has invested in new capabilities to better identify and analyse hostile cyber-attacks on UK networks. Other schemes to help better understand cyber threats include the MoD's tri-service Joint Cyber Unit, which is hosted by GCHQ in Cheltenham.
In January 2013, an information-sharing environment dubbed Cyber Information Sharing Partnership will be launched. This will initially involve companies within Critical National Infrastructure but the government says that it intends to make it available more broadly, including to SMEs in a second phase.
Helping to shape an open, vibrant and stable cyberspace that supports open societies
The report points to the London conference on Cyberspace as a success in this area, as is the allocation of £2m per annum for an international Cyber-Security Capacity-Building Centre, which it hopes will enable industry to back initiatives to tackle cybercrime and improve cyber security across the globe.
For the future, the government wants to "expand and strengthen" the UK's bilateral and multilateral networks and to develop international collaboration through the work of EU, NATO and other bodies.
It also will play an active role in discussions on the new EU cyber strategy.
Senior government officials told delegates of their plans to address the cyber security skills deficit in the UK.
"As part of [meeting the skills gap] we have integrated modules of cyber security into ICT teaching at schools," a senior government official said.
Mark Brown, director of information security at professional services firm Ernst & Young, told Computing that the skills gap has to be addressed in order for the government and businesses to cope with the change of pace in technology.
"We have to address the choice of students from the age of nine. We are in a world where our children are digital natives but they understand applications and functions of IT rather than what goes on behind IT. We need to create awareness for students to choose to take educational subjects for a career in information security," he said.
In the government report, it states that going forward it will ensure that all graduate software engineers have had adequate training in cyber security. It also states that it will put in place a scheme to certify cyber security training courses.
The Cyber Security Challenge has also helped to boost the pipeline of candidates that can work in cyber security roles, the government said.
"More than 10,000 people have now registered for the Challenge and many have chosen to move into the industry as a result of successfully completing the tasks we place in front of them. From RAF technicians and actors, to students and postmen, we have identified raw talent to boost the growing cadre of UK cyber defenders that would otherwise have remained undiscovered," Cyber Security Challenge CEO Stephanie Daman told Computing.
A key new aim, government officials said, is to recruit "cyber reservists" to the MoD.
"The services will engage additional experts to support their work in defending against the growth in cyber threats. A further announcement will be made in spring 2013," the report explained.
Does Google know too much about you?
The trend towards non-desktop-based devices is enabling more flexible working practices and behaviours
Date: 29 May 2013
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO ILLNESS. Business intelligence is enjoying an upsurge of interest. In an era in which businesses and organisations...
Date: 11 Jun 2013
The enterprise mobility summit will examine how organisations can manage the increasing array of endpoints which are enabling mobile computing in business.... | <urn:uuid:9e8ca7e8-8c5a-41fc-b075-5231dded6ec0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2229166/one-year-on-the-uk-cyber-security-strategy/page/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955238 | 725 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Spanish Placement Test
The Modern Languages and Classics Department urges all incoming students to consider studying a foreign language as part of their Siena educational experience. Knowing another language helps students in whatever field they choose to study. In addition, Siena’s curriculum stresses an appreciation for diversity in human experience. Studying a language is an important part of that process. You may consider pursuing a double major, minor and/or studying abroad to complete your language study.
Language Course Placement
Spanish Placement Exam
If you are taking a Spanish course in the fall or are planning to take one in the future, please be sure to note this on the Academic Interest Form on the "Be A Saint" portal and we will contact you with instructions on how to to take the Spanish Placement Exam.
The test should take no more than 25 minutes. Please remember that the exam score should place you in the accurate level of Spanish, however, in some cases it will be possible for students to change levels if the need arises. We want to make sure you are placed in the right level of Spanish. If you feel that you are not placed in the correct level, please contact the director of the Spanish program, Carolyn Malloy-Madrid at email@example.com for assistance.
Taking the test does not mean you are obligated to take a Spanish course, but it will give you an idea of your level and will also help us to gather data for our program.
Whether you’ve taken the AP Language or Literature Exams, college Spanish courses, or are a native or heritage speaker, you should take the placement exam.
AP Exams taken in high school: If students receive a score of 4 or 5, they are given 3 credits for a 201 equivalent.
College courses in high school: If students have credit for 201 and/or 202, they should take 301(fall) or 302(spring).
Native and heritage speakers of the language to be studied require consultation with the director of the Spanish program, Carolyn Malloy-Madrid at firstname.lastname@example.org for appropriate placement.
CLEP Exams: Students may receive up to 6 credits in French, German or Spanish based on the exam score. | <urn:uuid:fb522fa7-3ff9-4dd5-b097-54b731b7f61a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.siena.edu/pages/8553.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934502 | 460 | 1.984375 | 2 |
TeachTown products are based on rigorous research from staff experts and global studies in the field of autism. Our flagship product, TeachTown: Basics, uses evidence-based best practices from Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Speech and Language Pathology, and developmental psychology to teach a wide range of meaningful skills. As research on social development demonstrates that it is essential to capture the attention of students before the age of 8 years, TeachTown: Social Skills will captivate and teach behavioral improvement in the classroom through animated video modeling to children with autism.
The National Center for Technology Innovation funded this study that was published in "Autism – The International Journal of Research and Practice."
Learn how Basics Home enhanced learning and decreased problem behaviors.
Review the results of over 1,100 students in real-word settings.
The reward games reinforce attention to task, motivation and improved social behaviors.
Video modeling is one of the most popular and effective approaches for teaching social skills to children with special needs. | <urn:uuid:c977235a-a6a0-4a68-86b9-155f0a026347> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://web.teachtown.com/research | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927068 | 201 | 2.84375 | 3 |
It's as much a symbol of Britain as Big Ben and the Union Jack. But the widespread use of mobile phones has all but killed off the quintessentially British red telephone booths that once sprinkled the United Kingdom landscape by the tens of thousands. An estimated 11,000 remain in use throughout Britain today, according to the Daily Mail.
The red booths (“boxes” in the UK) are finding new life in private collections and towns of all sizes all over Britain and the world. British Telecom held its first auction of the red telephone boxes in 1985. Last year, with less and less demand for pay phones, BT decided to sell off 60 more of the old kiosks to private buyers via telecom company X2 Connect. Prices for refurbished phone booths start at £2,250 ($3,400) each.
A traditional red telephone box was downright cozy, with a shelf for personal items and …Sturdy red kiosks
After trying a few designs with limited success, BT introduced the sturdy red cast-iron boxes called K6 in 1935 for the Silver Jubilee celebration of King George V. Designed by architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the much-loved design featured glass-paned doors and a domed roof. It had a lighted interior with a shelf for a resting one's handbag or briefcase, a writing shelf with notepad, a cigarette holder with ashtray, a heater and a mirror.
Over the following 30 years, as many as 92,000 boxes stood sentry in locations from Central London to Scotland's remote Shetland Islands, as well as in Gibraltar, Bermuda and other Commonwealth nations.
In the days before cell phones, an illuminated telephone box seen from afar on a dark and rainy street comforted like a beacon directed toward home. I remember well the firm clunk of the kiosk's heavy doors (each kiosk weighs nearly a ton) and the satisfying clink of coins dropped into the box.
A little bit of Britain
X2 Connect, the pay-phone company charged with restoring and selling the old phone boxes, stores them at a “graveyard” in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where it restored many of them prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics. Customers from all over the world are interested in owning this little piece of Britain. The new owners have found innovative uses for decommissioned red telephone kiosks: home shower cubicle, backyard garden feature, defibrillator machine holder, toilet enclosure, art gallery, wine cabinet, sculpture.
A lone red telephone kiosk is a pop of color in the countryside in Harborough, Leicestershire (Photo by Maria Adams, …This doesn't mean the red phone kiosks are disappearing entirely. Under the Adopt-a-Kiosk plan, communities around Britain can buy the phone boxes for £1 and use them for artistic or social purposes. The village of Westbury-sur-Mendip, Somerset, population 806, found a way to purchase its own telephone kiosk and refurbish it as a book exchange for villagers.
End of an era
Although it’s been a symbol of English life for nearly a century, the days of using the iconic red telephone box for its original purpose are numbered. With an estimated 92 percent of the British public owning a mobile phone, the economics of the lovely red telephone kiosks and their required maintenance simply do not make financial sense for BT.
Still, some aren’t happy about their removal. In October 2012, residents of Kilmuir, a tiny fishing village in Scotland, set up a round-the-clock vigil, using their cars to block a crane from access to the local red telephone kiosk when they found it under threat of being hauled away. Such efforts guarantee that at least a few of the K6 boxes will remain scattered across the countryside, just waiting for you to take their pictures (and maybe hug them, while you're at it).
by Laurie Jo Miller Farr
Photos: The iconic K6 telephone kiosk was designed in the 1930s and became a much loved piece of British street furniture. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
A traditional red telephone box was downright cozy, with a shelf for personal items and other features. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
A lone red telephone kiosk is a pop of color in the countryside in Harborough, Leicestershire (Photo by Maria Adams, courtesy of mariadams.com) | <urn:uuid:dacccbee-c04b-44f2-b094-a840db0f0835> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://shine.yahoo.com/visit-britain-us/london-calling-buyers-making-britain-red-phone-booths-233930216.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942477 | 921 | 2.390625 | 2 |
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's health care bill would change federal policy on abortion, but not open the spigot of taxpayer dollars that some abortion opponents fear.
Abortion rights groups such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America say the House and Senate versions of the bill represent the biggest expansion of abortion restrictions in years, yet they're not trying to defeat the measures. Instead, a bitter dispute among abortion opponents over which version is stricter could derail Obama's quest to remake the health insurance system.
Major anti-abortion groups such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Right to Life Committee say the Senate provisions expected to come before the House shortly are a backdoor taxpayer subsidy for abortion. Other abortion opponents disagree.
"I actually think the Senate bill will more effectively prohibit federal funds from going to abortion," said Stephen Schneck, director of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at Catholic University of America in Washington. "That legislation will actually reduce the demand for abortion in the United States."
Here's a look in question and answer form at a simmering conflict that is vexing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as she and other Democratic leaders try to find enough votes to pass health care:
Q: Obama said he wouldn't tamper with the status quo on abortion, so what's the problem?
A: That's what he said, but it's not exactly what happened.
Current law — known as the Hyde amendment — prohibits federal funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
The first drafts of the Democratic health care bills, written by abortion rights supporters in Congress, would have allowed health insurance plans receiving federal subsidies to cover abortion as a legal medical procedure. They couldn't get the votes to advance, so eventually Democratic abortion foes took over writing the language. But any trust abortion opponents might have had in the administration was gone.
The House and Senate ended up passing different provisions.
Q: OK, what are some of the differences?
A: Both bills would set up a new health insurance marketplace for small businesses and people buying coverage on their own, with government subsidies to help keep premiums affordable. That's the similarity.
Here's the key difference: The House provision, written by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., would prohibit health plans receiving subsidies from covering abortions, except as allowed by the Hyde amendment. Women who want coverage for abortion would have to buy a separate policy.
The Senate language, written by Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., would allow the plans to cover abortion with private funds collected directly from policyholders. People who want the coverage would have to write two checks to their health insurance plan, and the plans would keep the money in a separate account from taxpayer funds.
With the Senate bill going back to the House, Obama is asking Democrats to unite behind it.
Q: Would the Senate bill change the status quo?
A: Yes. The federal employee health benefits program is seen as the model for the new insurance marketplace, and none of the plans available to government workers may cover abortion, except as allowed by Hyde.
"It would be a pretty significant change," said Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America. Stupak and Nelson, both longtime abortion foes, serve on the group's advisory board. Day said Stupak's approach is preferable, because it closely follows existing law. But the Senate rejected it, forcing Nelson to develop his plan as a fallback.
Q: Does that mean the Senate bill allows taxpayer money for abortions?
A: Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, says money is fungible, and the separation between taxpayer funds and private premiums is only a fig leaf.
"The Senate bill departs from long-standing federal policy by authorizing tax subsidies to help tens of millions of Americans buy private health plans that could cover abortion on demand," said Johnson. "Anyone enrolling in such plan would be required to make separate payments into an abortion fund."
But Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington and Lee University, analyzed the two bills and concluded the only difference is an administrative technicality.
"What Stupak says is you have to buy a separate policy, and what Nelson says is you have to write two checks," said Jost. "There's no public funding of abortion."
And people who don't want to pay for other people's abortions wouldn't be forced to do so, Jost added. They could simply pick a plan that doesn't cover it.
Q: What are the odds that health plans which don't cover abortion would be available?
A: There would definitely be a demand for them, and not just from people with moral objections. Single men and older women would have no reason to pay an extra premium for abortion coverage.
"Because this is such a hot political issue, my expectation is that insurance companies would definitely offer it both ways," said Robert Laszewski, a former health insurance executive turned consultant.
Abortion coverage is now widely available through workplace health plans, but many women who have abortions pay out of pocket instead of using their insurance.
Q: Don't abortion opponents have other concerns about the bill?
A: A major one has to do with $11 billion that Obama wants to pump into community health centers serving low-income people and the uninsured. As the bill is currently written, those funds are not explicitly covered by the Hyde amendment.
White House health overhaul spokeswoman Linda Douglass says Obama is willing to clarify the language.
Q: What are the odds that these disputes can be worked out?
A: Stupak sounded optimistic Monday. "The president says he doesn't want to expand or restrict current law (on abortion). Neither do I," Stupak said. "I think we can get there."
Abortion opponent Rev. Derrick Harkins, pastor of the Nineteenth St. Baptist Church in Washington, said he believes it ultimately could hurt the anti-abortion cause if the health care bill collapses because of the divisive issue.
"You can't be blanket pro-life and not address those things that encourage women to make the choice of having an abortion," said Harkins, a board member of World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals. "If you are really looking to reduce the number of abortions in America, one of the things that will make that happen is to have comprehensive health care coverage." | <urn:uuid:c61375bb-a299-464e-b9c4-7f3695b372d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/mar/09/health-care-bill-policy-change-abortion-how-radica/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973105 | 1,339 | 1.710938 | 2 |
By MATT CRANE
The sounds and images of space exploration take center stage Thursday as the Starkville-Mississippi State University Symphony presents its “Space Music” concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Rent Auditorium on the Mississippi University for Women campus.
Selected by symphony conductor Michael Brown, the program will feature the “Star Wars” theme song, the “Jupiter” movement from the Holtz composition “The Planets,” “Pezzo Capricioso” by Tchaikovsky and “Double Cocerto for Violin and Symphony” by Bach.
Brown said the goal for the children’s concerts is to engage children from Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties in the extracurricular idea of music.
“This year we are focusing on the solar system and space exploration and finding a way to connect the music with those studies,” he said. “We’ll perform four times before the evening concert and expose over 3,500 students in Columbus and more than 1,200 in Starkville to the symphony.”
Brown said he is grateful for the program for children and the opportunities it gives area students to expand their knowledge not only in the classroom, but in life as well.
“There will be children that will be seeing a symphony orchestra maybe for the first time and that’s important,” he said. “Aside from the studies that say music makes you smarter, I think it makes you a better human being.”
Brown said 10 Suzuki-trained soloists will perform with the orchestra during the Bach composition and guest cellist Griffin Browne will be featured on Tchaikovsky’s “Pezzo Capricioso.”
Brown said the concerts represent the symphony’s mission to not only entertain and educate the community now, but hopefully create interest for future musicians.
“We hope that we’re giving back to the community,” he said. “More importantly, however, we’re making an investment for the future.”
Director of the program for children Joe Ray Underwood said the symphony’s 30-minute “Space Music” concert for students will be expanded into a longer show for the evening performance, and said he is thankful from the support the symphony has received from National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Arts Commission and the community as a whole.
“We have received a lot of support from the community and the university,” he said. “We’re now able to invited every child in Oktibbeha County that wants to come and we’ve had to limit seating at our events because of the overwhelming response.”
An art contest for children kindergarten through sixth grade will take place before the concerts with winners garnering prizes from the Downtown Book Mart and Cafe in Starkville.
Underwood said professional images from space provided by NASA and the Hubble Telescope will be interspersed throughout the concert on a projector along with the art work from the children.
“The children have drawn their impressions of space exploration and the planets,” he said. “It has been fascinating to see the creativity of the kids.”
Underwood, echoing Brown’s sentiments on the impact the concert can have, said the symphony has been providing programming for children since the mid-1970s and is excited about the doors it continues to open.
“It is really neat to see the children light up and get excited,” he said. “Some of them will actually be inspired to learn how to play an instrument, and we might have some future composers in those audiences.”
Underwood said Starkville residents interested in traveling to Columbus for the evening concert can contact Barbara McLauren to reserve a place on the MSU shuttle bus schedule to transport residents to and from the concert.
Underwood said the bus will depart from the Lee Hall parking lot at 6:15 p.m. and return immediately following the 7:30 p.m. program in Rent Auditiorium on Thursday.
To reserve a seat, call 662-323-6182 or email firstname.lastname@example.org . | <urn:uuid:5c2d81de-7c09-47b8-9110-a62dc3386ee7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://starkvilledailynews.com/print/11684 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946627 | 901 | 1.507813 | 2 |
I know both parties are guilty of deception in their advertisements, so I just picked one from the side that offends me more. While on the official website for Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), I noticed a handful of tactics described in unSpun, as well as an explicit example from it. The website claimed, among other things, that:
1".Boxer wrote the law to ensure that drinking water standards are set to protect children and other vulnerable populations and fought the Bush Administration’s attempt to allow more arsenic in drinking water. "
As we all read in unSpun, Bush 'allowing more arsenic in drinking water' actually meant Bush trying to reduce the current arsenic levels, just not by as significant a margin as the opposition was hoping for. | <urn:uuid:f2fd99eb-dd67-459d-a0b5-80225049417f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.youthvoices.net/taxonomy/term/15844 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972825 | 158 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Paperwork When Buying a Car in Kansas
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Be sure that all liens have been removed from the title and that the seller signs off in the appropriate area. You should both sign your names and print them as well, and include the purchase price of the vehicle on the title. Include an odometer reading if the vehicle is 10 years old or newer. Then, you can take it to have the vehicle titled and registered in your own name.
The seller must provide a title, either the original or duplicate. If the seller cannot find the title, they will need to request a duplicate title. Do not buy a car when the seller can't produce a title.
Also see the Kansas Department of Revenue's FAQs for additional details about how to sell or buy a vehicle without a title in hand.
When it comes to registering and titling your vehicle, you will need a completed bill of sale. You can, if needed, conveniently download this document from our Bill of Sale page.
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We put a lot of effort into making our content helpful & accurate. Please let us know if you see something that isn't clear or correct; we are here to ease any frustrations you may have while navigating DMV topics. We are not a government agency, please reach out to your local DMV, insurance agent, or respective professional for further assistance on specific situations. | <urn:uuid:b127306c-6d99-425e-baea-f5b2eacc1547> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dmv.org/ks-kansas/buy-sell/used-cars/paper-work-when-buying-a-car.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900509 | 389 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The Massachusetts Historical Society has two main membership categories—Fellows and Members. Both groups are important to the life of the Society. Fellows and Members help support the Society's mission and receive benefits such as a subscription to our annual journal, the Massachusetts Historical Review, and invitations to special events.
Election as a Fellow of the MHS is an honor bestowed by the Society on distinguished scholars and civic leaders. The Fellows are the legal governing body of the MHS, and therefore have the privilege of shaping the Society. Learn more about the MHS Fellows or renew your Fellow dues.
Membership at the MHS is open to all with an interest in American history. The Society welcomes Members from near and far to join its community of history lovers. The MHS offers a handful of different membership categories aimed to encourage participation in its various activities. Learn how to become a Member or renew your membership now. | <urn:uuid:0d7241e7-a2fd-4b38-89d3-ab33f2b58473> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.masshist.org/support/membership | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960661 | 186 | 1.851563 | 2 |
It was the event that turned Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger into a national hero and now the plane involved in the Miracle on the Hudson crash will be up for sale. The plane, which faced certain doom when birds flew into the engines on January 15, 2009 is up for auction. US Airways Flight 1549 ended in the Hudson River and the Airbus A320-214 was later lifted from the water. It ended up in a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey. Chartis Insurance, a division of AIG, is managing the auction which is open to the public and scheduled to end on March 27. The plane is not exactly flight ready, the wings are separate from the fuselage and the plane has severe water damage and still bears the impact of the crash. It has been treated with a corrosion inhibitor but has been otherwise untouched for months. The engines aren't part of the deal. The plane is being auctioned as salvage but might also attract trophy seekers interested in buying the plane and then parceling off segments to collectors. One potential problem to discourage that is that the buyer must move the plane by April 10 or take over the storage bills. The auction listing complete with pictures is here.
[via AV Web] | <urn:uuid:018c64bb-1539-49fd-bf33-9ab24a0d9ed9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.luxist.com/tag/Airbus+A320/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972911 | 253 | 1.539063 | 2 |
In the unit on biomolecules, we learned that proteins (not just enzymes) are the worker bees of the cell. What's more, different proteins have different three-dimensional, or 3D, structures that determine their functions. This may shock you, but when it comes to determining a protein’s structure, thermodynamics plays a big role.
As a protein's polypeptide chain is synthesized (read: made), it immediately begins folding into a compact structure. During folding in water-based solutions, proteins tend to bury their hydrophobic, or water-fearing, amino acids on the inside of the structure, and interactions form between different portions of the polypeptide chain.
Why might a protein want to hide its hydrophobic amino acids? If you said, "because the cell is mostly water, Shmoop," you've just won a trip to Hawaii!* Hydrophobic amino acids like water about as much as a cat does. When it comes to thermodynamics, a protein is all about keeping its "paws" out of water. A protein's structure can also be affected by its interactions with other proteins and cofactors that bind to it.
Regardless, we always know this much: a correctly folded protein has found the lowest energy conformation possible for its structure.
When a protein has lost its highly folded, low-energy conformation, we call it a denatured protein. Certain solvents, or liquids that like to dissolve other molecules, like those with wacky pHs or high salt concentrations, and high temperature will successfully denature a protein. These conditions interfere with the protein’s intramolecular interactions, or interactions between different parts of the same protein molecule, which causes it to unfold.
Sometimes, a protein can refold on its own once the denaturing conditions are removed, a process called…renaturing. Most of the time, though, proteins need the help of other proteins, called chaperones, to fold, or refold, after denaturation. (Side note: You may remember the word "chaperonins" from another unit. Chaperonins are a specific type of chaperone. You're welcome.) Chaperones work by binding to the partially folded protein and encouraging it to take on the structure that is the most energetically favorable. It’s helpful to think of protein folding in terms of an energy diagram. A correctly folded protein will remain in the shape that allowed it to reach its lowest point of energy on the energy curve.
One thing that is blatantly apparent from looking at this energy curve is that the data is jaggedy and fairly ugly. Wait, no. One thing that you may suspect after looking at this energy curve is that a protein can easily get stuck in one of many energy "valleys" on the way to its lowest energy state. These partially folded intermediates, called transition states, can be extremely stable little pockets. If we wanted to get morbid on you, we would compare these pockets to those nasty tree wells you need watch out for when you ski.
Fortunately, it's the role of a chaperone to guide the protein through these energy valleys, helping it along to its lowest energy state. When you look at a protein whose amino acid sequence has changed a lot during evolution, the structure of that protein can remain surprisingly the same. Proteins like ATPase can have "family members," or other proteins that share the same basic structure, which in this case, is the hexokinase family. Even evolution itself is constrained by thermodynamics. A protein’s amino acid sequence may change over time, for various reasons that we won't get into right now, but it must still fold into its lowest obtainable energy conformation when all is said and done.
The million-dollar question at this point is: What happens if a protein doesn’t fold correctly? The answer is that normally, the cell degrades, or destroys, improperly folded proteins. Sometimes, though, improperly folded proteins can escape the cell’s quality control. This tends to have less than optimal consequences.
For instance, a protein that has incorrectly left its hydrophobic amino acids exposed is not just indecent and a waste of space.; it can actually be hazardous to the cell! Exposed hydrophobic protein regions can cause proteins to aggregate (clump together), become undissolved, and fall out of solution. Neurons, or your brain cells, are particularly sensitive to protein aggregation. The sad reality is that many neurodegenerative diseases such as mad cow disease and Alzheimer’s disease are caused by the aggregation of improperly folded proteins.
Proteins are not the only molecules that crave the lowest energy state for biological happiness; biological structures do as well. Plasma membranes are biological structures composed of lipids (see the Biomolecules unit for a refresher) that form the outer barrier of cells. A plasma membrane can be defined as having both hydrophobic, or water-fearing, and hydrophilic, or water-loving, parts to its structure. Plasma membranes contain phospholipid bilayers (phospholipid is often shortened to "lipid") like the one shown below. Given what you know about thermodynamics, where do you think that the hydrophobic parts of the lipids are located in this picture?
Right… the hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts are labeled. We forgot about that.
Just like the "burying" of hydrophobic residues in proteins, the hydrophobic regions of plasma membranes assemble together so that they are not exposed to the aqueous, or water-based, environment of the cell. Unlike the hydrophilic regions, or "heads," the hydrophobic regions, or "tails," of the lipids cannot interact with water molecules because they are uncharged and nonpolar. Lipid bilayers form spontaneously to shelter their hydrophobic regions as well as to promote the interactions of the hydrophilic regions with water. Amazingly, everyone wins. Especially the cell.
If we think about the thermodynamics of plasma membranes a little more, we can ask another question. What shape do you suppose is the most energetically favorable form for the lipid bilayer to take on? If the lipid bilayer formed just a flat sheet, the ends of the sheet would be exposed to water. That's a no-go. The only way that a phospholipid bilayer could completely shield itself from water is to form a sealed compartment, where the inner hydrophobic core of the lipids is shielded from the surrounding water. Tada! We find that a plasma membrane that encapsulates the whole cell is formed through a trio of thermodynamics, structure, and function.
*Trip to Hawaii not guaranteed. | <urn:uuid:43134495-0a8f-43d2-93a9-7025191e022f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shmoop.com/energy-flow-enzymes/structure-function.html | 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 | 0.957665 | 1,410 | 3.96875 | 4 |
How to teach a child to read? This is the most common and frequent question every parent asks.
Teaching children to read at a young age is extremely important for the development of their reading skills.
Teaching children to read helps them to assimilate information from printed materials and encourages them to take up reading as a hobby which can turn out to be extremely beneficial in increasing their knowledge and improving concentration.
But all children have different levels of grasping power and so every child learns to read at a different pace. That is why it is extremely important for you as a parent to be aware of your child’s ability and reading skill levels so that you can teach your child how to read more effectively and provide him/her with the appropriate books and activities.
You are the most important teacher for your child and so it is your responsibility to teach your child how to read.
Given below are the 3 most important tips on how to teach a child to read.
How to teach a child to read: Tip #1
You should start off by teaching your child alphabet letters and sounds at the same time.
It is a proven fact that children learn fast when they are taught the letter names and their sounds at the same time.
In one of the study, some preschoolers were randomly assigned to receive instructions in letter sounds only, letters only and letter names with their sound. The result was that the children, who were taught the letter names with their sound, were able to identify and pronounce the letter much better than the rest of the children.
While teaching your children to read, make them slowly trace the letter while they say the sound of the letter loudly.
For example, say you are teaching the letter “A” to your child then you must say something to the effect of:
“The letter A makes the /A/ (ah) sound.”
Then make your child say the “ah” sound loudly while he/she traces the letter “A”.
How to teach a child to read: Tip #2
When you teach your child how to read, make sure that you strongly enforce the habit of reading from left to right (or right to left depending on the language being taught) and from top to bottom.
You might be laughing at this tip thinking that this is the most basic rule of reading anything.
But children are not born with all the knowledge and so telling them from which direction to start reading and in which direction to proceed, will only help them to learn how to read at a much faster rate.
So always emphasize this point.
How to teach a child to read: Tip #3
Teach final consonant blends first.
Teaching your children words like “at”, “and” etc. can help your child to learn words which rhyme with “at” and “and” much easily.
For example “at” can help your child to also learn:
Spat and so on…..
While “and” can teach your child to learn:
Brand and so on…..
You can start teaching such blends to your child once he/she has learned the sounds of some of the consonants and vowels. You do not necessarily have to wait till your child has learned the sounds of all the letters.
Do keep in mind that learning to read is a long process but it doesn’t have to be a difficult process.
How to teach a child to read ultimately comes down to breaking it into small intuitive, logical and easy to follow steps. If done correctly then even a child as young as even 2 years old can learn to read. | <urn:uuid:4a90ebdd-ed1c-47d9-8665-27cfd239002b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.besteducationalgamesforchildren.com/3-most-important-tips-on-how-to-teach-a-child-to-read/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966595 | 761 | 3.859375 | 4 |
Burrup depicts the degradation of traditional sites pertinent to Dowling’s people, portraying the possible large-scale destruction of irreplaceable petroglyphs on the Dampier Archipelago. Murujuga or Murijuga, as Burrup is known by local Aboriginal people, is 28 kilometres north-west of Karratha, in one of the most isolated places in Australia, and its Indigenous petroglyphs, numbering between 500 000 and 1 000 000, are distributed over anarea of 88 square kilometres.
Murujuga has been nominated for the national heritage list but is in imminent danger of being destroyed through mining for natural gas, with six liquid natural gas processing plants mooted for the site – with accompanying pipelines – currently being proposed by the State Government. Western Australia has seen a phenomenal mining boom in minerals and natural resources over the past decade. Compounding the complexity of the issue, a number of local Aboriginal groups have recently signed a native title agreement with the State Government. Dowling’s painting conveys the paradoxical situation of Indigenous people having to choose between providing for their communities through exchanging access to traditional lands and keeping those lands.
This painting shows a father and his young daughter standing in the middle of the rock art at Burrup Penninsula in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. In the background shows the Woodside petroleum plant and port.
The rock art at Burrup has not been catalogued in its entirety and yet many have been relocated by Woodside. After much protest, the Federal Government finally stepped in to declare it a heritage site. Despite this, several rocks are still being moved every week.
This painting is about conflict between the cultural significance of this place to the Ngarluma people compared with that of the economic appetite of the Australian export industry. It is about the divide between these two value systems.
The images on the rocks reflect the two major totems for the area, namely the kangaroo and the spirit creation beings. This rock art is significant to world heritage and their desecration is on par with the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Julie Dowling, 2007 | <urn:uuid:7cd668e9-a624-49c8-8d44-ac9ef6e5db39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nga.gov.au/Exhibition/NIAT07/Detail.cfm?IRN=153855&BioArtistIRN=18776&mystartrow=85&realstartrow=85&MnuID=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953492 | 471 | 3.296875 | 3 |
- MAKE WAY FOR THE SULTAN OF SWIPESRon Fimrite | August 22, 1977
- Blaine LacherChristian Stone | April 11, 1994
- SI.comSports in Real Time ? All the Time ? All FreeJune 02, 2008
YOU CAN tell an Olympics by its medalists, and the London Games will be remembered for the multiple garlands of Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Great Britain's Mo Farah, as well as Americans such as Michael Phelps, Allyson Felix and the members of the championship women's basketball and soccer teams. But there's a story in the medals themselves, which came embossed with a lattice of lines—rays that, according to the designer, represent the athletes' efforts. Like the matrix of a social-media platform, they were meant to radiate in two directions, pulling in and reaching out.
The 2012 Olympics resembled just such a web of connectivity. Over 17 days all kinds of barriers melted away. In the upper-crust sport of equestrian, two golds went to a former stable hand, Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain. Fixing Ireland's Katie Taylor with a hug after she won a boxing gold in the lightweight division was her country's most famous fighter, Barry McGuigan, who had initially opposed women taking up the sport. Chad le Clos of South Africa had first idolized, then emulated, Phelps—and then beat him in the U.S. star's signature event, the 200-meter butterfly. Last Saturday night, after completing the finishing leg in the men's 4 × 100 relay to win his third gold of the Games, Bolt formed an M with his hands, borrowing Farah's signature gesture, the Mo-bot, out of respect for the British runner, who an hour earlier had added a gold in the 5,000 meters to the one he earned a week before in the 10,000.
So it went: After U.S. gymnast Aly Raisman told the Duchess of Cambridge how much she loved her fashion sense, the former Kate Middleton told Raisman how much she loved the team's leotards, and we all for a moment could imagine such a thing as a universal human closet.
No moment weltered out in as many directions as David Rudisha's world record on Aug. 9 in the 800 meters, a mark that London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) chairman Sebastian Coe had held for 16 years. Coe calls the 800 "the most difficult race to get right." Rudisha, a Masai from Kenya, took all the complexity out of it with a bald sprint from the start, then entrusted a crowd swollen with Coe's track-loving compatriots to take him to the tape. "I wanted to come here and make him proud," said Rudisha. Moments later Bolt had won his second gold medal, in the 200 meters, but he made sure not to do any interviews until after the end of the Kenyan national anthem.
From Coe to Rudisha to Bolt, and back—and then out, to unknowable billions around the world whom Coe and LOCOG had targeted with their slogan, Inspire a generation. That ambition had once seemed grandiose, but by Sunday's closing ceremony, an old-home night of British pop stars, it appeared much less so. "I've always wanted to inspire people," said Gabby Douglas, the first African-American to win an individual gymnastics gold medal. "This quote, 'Inspire a generation'—I can check that off my bucket list."
Inspiration isn't about medals per se, Coe believes, least of all how many one's own athletes win. "Moments are what people tend to remember," he says, "and that's what I believe is the driver of sports participation." The home team delivered plenty of moments and medals. Within a week the front page of The Sun went from WANTED: GOLD MEDAL to UNITED BLINGDOM. Instead of justifying failures for which the country had girded itself, the British suddenly found themselves having to explain a string of successes, including a haul of nine medals (seven of them gold) in the Velodrome. To French insinuations that something about this wasn't cricket, British cycling chief Dave Brailsford puckishly cited his bikes' "specially round wheels," which had been manufactured in France, by the way.
IF THE Games could be distilled to a single character, @ would be it. The number of Twitter users worldwide had grown exponentially in the four years since the Beijing Olympics, and the International Olympic Committee's director of social media, Alex Huot, promised that London would deliver "the biggest online conversation in Olympic history." Twitter complied, moving nearly six million Games-related tweets a day. But the Lords of the Rings discouraged members of delegations from reporting or commenting on other athletes or sports, and flatly prohibited anyone from mentioning personal sponsors, in accordance with the IOC's Rule 40, which is designed to protect the Games' big-ticket underwriters. That led to what quickly became known as the Olympic Spring, an athlete-driven Twitter protest under the hashtag #WeDemandChange. Those who think they can control social media don't really get social media, and if the IOC's Athletes Commission has any power, Rule 40 figures to be in for a hard look before the next two Olympics, in Sochi and Rio de Janeiro.
The Olympic Spring faded, but Twitter left its impact throughout. It culled the Olympic herd, as Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou and Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella were expelled for racist posts. It affected the men's cycling road race, as fans using the service on mobile devices interfered with the race's timing and GPS systems. It provided an alibi to Australian backstroker Emily Seebohm, a gold medal favorite who blamed her silver on a failure to get off Twitter and other social media and "into my own mind." Sometimes it simply offered postscripts to headlines, from Blind drunk at the minute (posted by British men's cycling time-trial gold medalist @BradWiggins) to a photo of the fastest man in the world in the Olympic Village at 3 a.m. with three Swedish women's handball players (@usainbolt).
Twitter even addressed the London Games' one glaring shortcoming, the allocation and distribution of tickets. After a few days marked by swaths of empty seats, someone started an account called @OlympicSeat to send up the situation with such musings as "I feel so empty." As organizers fitfully dribbled out additional tickets, a British computer geek designed a program that checked the LOCOG website every three minutes and tweeted out an alert each time a new batch became available. Organizers soon shut the program down for fear that it would empower scalpers, but not before a lesson emerged for organizers of future Olympics: What a bureaucracy can't get right, an unfettered information market can.
Of course, Twitter had its Olympic trolls and controversies. Saudi conservatives angered by the participation of female judoka Wojdan Shaherkhani and middle-distance runner Sarah Attar tweeted to a hashtag that translated from Arabic to "prostitutes of the Olympics." But Twitter accommodates a backlash to every provocation, and in a kind of digital judo move, Shaherkhani's supporters posted to the same hashtag, ultimately overwhelming the conversation with their point of view. When British diver Tom Daley retweeted a hostile message that accused him of letting his late father down with a fourth-place finish in synchronised 10-meter platform, Daley picked up hundreds of thousands of new followers, a phalanx of sympathizers who probably helped him win bronze in the 10-meter platform 12 days later. | <urn:uuid:3baf6cb8-b623-4e04-8200-de0c63980a83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1204821/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96571 | 1,601 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Queen Elizabeth wears a mauve straw hat decorated With violets designed by milliner Philip Somerville during her official tour of Singapore in October 1989.
Growing up in an era when hats were de rigueur for
ladies, the Queen has continued to wear hats throughout her
lifetime. They flatter her face, complement her clothes, and make
her stand out in the crowd. Because she is one of the most
photographed women on the planet, hat brims must never be allowed
to conceal her face - berets, pillbox hats, turban-shaped
hats and hats with upturned brims have always been popular. The
crowns were designed to protect her carefully set hair, the style
and colour had to match her outfits (she never wears hats in a
contrasting colour), and the materials had to be striking and
As with her clothes designers, the Queen has favoured a select band milliners throughout her reign. Simone Mirman, a French emigrée who had run the millinery department at the French couturier Elsa Schiaparelli, came to the Queen's attention when she started making hats for Norman Hartnell. She had succeeded in bringing French flair and ingenuity to rationed wartime Britain and had become much sought after in society circles. She was eventually granted royal warrants by the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret as well as the Queen. Mirman made the Queen's famous Tudor-style headdress, which she wore for the investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1969.
Australian-born Freddie Fox came to the Queen's attention when Hardy Amies asked him to design five hats for a royal tour in 1968. He was granted a royal warrant and went on to design more than 350 hats for the Queen over a period of 34 years.
Phillip Somerville, from New Zealand, began designing hats for the Queen under Ian Thomas's label and, from 1988, under his own name. He became a royal warrant-holder in 1994. According to Somerville: "The main thing is the hat has to stay on in any calamity, wind or rain, without the Queen having to hold it on. I have to make certain it sits on and stays on. I usually use two hat-pins. The Queen told me once she had never lost a hat." | <urn:uuid:c41af1e6-1741-4425-9572-1e22e45162c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.debretts.com/the-queen's-diamond-jubilee/style-icon/hats.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977277 | 481 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Only last year did we obtain confirmation of large gas finds off Israel’s coast,
and only a few weeks ago was the Sheshinski Committee's proposal for taxing the
gas submitted to the Knesset for consideration. No gas is expected to be pumped
in the next few years, only some years later will there be profits, and later
yet the “superprofits” subject to the special levy proposed by the committee.
But the Knesset Finance Committee is already wrangling over what to do with the
Many committee members do not want revenues from gas pumped in the
sea to go into the ordinary current revenues of the government. Rather, they
want the money to be set aside in a special fund whose permitted uses would be
designated in advance.
Many other countries have such special mineral
funds; Kuwait has had its own “sovereign wealth fund” since before it was even
sovereign, and more recently Norway established its special Petroleum Fund. Both
funds manage hundreds of billions of dollars, despite citizenries of only a few
million. Eugene Kandel, the head of Israel’s National Economic Council, endorsed
starting such a fund in Israel, and later Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
expressed his intent to establish one.
Such a fund can serve several
purposes, but it can also be subject to several objections.
One object of
such a fund could simply be saving up for a rainy day. In the early days of the
state, Israel ran up huge trade deficits, as do most young countries (including
the United States which ran up trade deficits well into the 19th century). Just
as an energetic young couple is likely to take out a mortgage relying on their
future ability to earn enough to pay for their home, so an energetic young
country is likely to borrow from abroad relying on its anticipated future
growth. But in middle age as income reaches a peak couples typically begin to
save for retirement. Countries do not retire but the underlying sound idea is
that when income is currently higher than it is expected to be in the
foreseeable future it is prudent to save. There is a finite amount of gas in the
offshore wells, it is likely to run out in a couple of decades and maybe Israel
should put a little aside for the future.
Another object is to insulate
certain revenues from the rough and tumble of political wrangling. All of us may
agree that providing for future needs such as pensions or education is prudent,
but somehow in yearly budget negotiations, outlays deemed urgent seem to take
priority over those deemed important. Setting up a fund is a way of taking a
step back and agreeing that certain funds will be outside the usual annual
There are also macroeconomic justifications for these funds. If
mineral wealth brings in foreign currency it can drive up the value of the local
money, harming export industries; by investing the revenues in foreign assets
the pressure on the local currency is reduced. If the money is spent too rapidly
it can lead to inflation and an “overheated” economy; investing in the fund
ensures the money is spent more slowly.
BUT SUCH funds also have their
downsides. The saving-up justification is subject to question; Israel is still a
young and growing country, and it is questionable if its economic circumstances
will really be worse in twenty or thirty years than they are now. The insulation
objective is also questionable; Knesset budget disputes may be volatile and
sometimes petty, but ultimately we do want public expenditures to be subject to
Why should the current government be allowed to decide
how future governments will spend their income? Indeed, when Finance Minister
Yuval Steinitz commented that it is premature to discuss what to do with the
revenues since they aren’t expected for years, a committee member reportedly
replied that the current government won’t last that long. That is actually a
good reason not to designate future uses now.
Another concern is that
governments are good at many things, but managing large economic enterprises is
usually not one of them. If there is a fund, who will be the fund manager? How
much discretion will he or she be given? How will economic interests (maximizing
return) be balanced against political interests? Given the dynamic economic and
political situation faced by Israel – and by the rest of the world – perhaps it
is futile to try to predetermine all of these considerations.
personally am not convinced by the arguments for a fund. The amount of revenue
anticipated is large, but not yet on the scale of Norway or Kuwait; Israel still
has foreign debt and it is premature to talk about having foreign holdings; and
furthermore the underlying justifications are not fully persuasive. But a little
forethought is a good thing and it will be interesting to see where the
discussions firstname.lastname@example.org Asher Meir is research director
at the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem, an independent institute in the
Jerusalem College of Technology (Machon Lev). | <urn:uuid:2caff002-8814-4960-870e-e6978ad5d6d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jpost.com/Business/Commentary/Article.aspx?id=211665 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954896 | 1,077 | 2.09375 | 2 |
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“Signing On” advance screening on Saturday
UPDATED 2/11/2011: "Signing On" is a documentary featuring the unrecognized healthcare needs of the deaf community in a predominantly hearing world. The inspiration for the film came from Anita Buel, a breast cancer survivor who lived in the only world she knew - American Sign Language (ASL). After an interview with a local TV station made her a contact for deaf women across the country, she was overwhelmed with requests for help and information. Recognizing how important an informative, bilingual documentary would be for both deaf women battling breast cancer and their doctors, Anita and co-producer Nancy Meyers made this film.
Signing On will screen at Jeanne d'Arc Auditorium in Whitby Hall of St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 12. A reception and program will take place before the screening in the Rauenhorst Ballroom, from 5-6:30 p.m. Ticket information at http://www.screenporchfilms.com/SigningOn/Screenings.html (A 3 p.m. screening sold out quickly, so check for ticket availability and order on-line.)
From being born a blue baby to overcoming breast cancer and enduring years of chemotherapy treatment, Buel has persevered. As a child, Buel was mistakenly diagnosed as mentally retarded until doctors discovered, when she was six years old, that she was deaf. Her parents, like 95 percent of hearing parents of deaf children, did not know how to communicate with their own daughter, though they supported her in learning ASL. At a young age, Buel learned lip reading, which helped her decipher the contents of a conversation. Later, she learned ASL at Gallaudet University. However, it was still like being in a separate world because she was unable to communicate with family members and later on, doctors.
At age 29, Buel felt a lump in one of her breasts, and consulted a doctor. The doctor told her she was too young to have breast cancer and made no recommendations about treatment. Because of the lack of translation, Buel did not get good answers from the doctor and did not know her own family's medical history very well.
After two years, Buel sough advice from a deaf friend who had gone through breast cancer. Her friend asked if she had gotten a mammogram. Puzzled, Buel signed, "What is a mammogram?" After her friend explained, Buel returned to doctors. They said she was too young to have cancer and that a mammogram was not required until age 40 unless breast cancer ran in her family. She persisted, and eventually was diagnosed with breast cancer. Years later, in 2008, when Buel's daughter faced breast cancer, she learned that her family carried the BRAC1 (breast cancer type 1) gene.
During the time when she was struggling with doctors and diagnosis, Buel withdrew from the deaf community for about ten years. The sign for breast cancer was to physically make a slicing motion of the breast which was extremely offensive to her. Feeling stigmatized, she isolated herself. It wasn't until later that she realized the deaf community must stick together.
Because Buel never wants any woman to feel alone as she did, she founded "Pink Deafies" in 2003 as a support group for deaf women battling breast cancer. Now with 17 members, 14 of whom are very active, the group has monthly meetings providing information and support. Buel said it is a place where we "share our frustrations. It gives us hope." Upon joining, each member signs her name to a quilt square - hence "signing on." Membership is not an ordinary commitment, said Nancy Meyers, but rather "a commitment until they die," because they want to be there for everyone in the group, no matter what.
The "Pink Deafies" are featured in "Signing On" as the unscripted documentary unfolds the everyday lives of these women. In order to make the film possible, director Barbara Allen and co-producers Anita Buel and Nancy Meyer applied for a grant of $5,000 from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Meyers said, "We didn't know what we were getting into." Part of the terms of the grant was that Buel had to make a presentation to the board. They were so impressed with her that they doubled the requested $5,000 to $10,000. That's when their idea became a reality, and their initial 15-minute informative clip transformed into an entire documentary, which took four years of hard work to complete.
Director Barbara Allen makes you step outside yourself and enter their world. "Imagine yourself going to another country and you don't speak the language. You find out you have a very serious disease and you must put yourself in the hands of people who do not speak your language; who do not know your language. Imagine what that would be like - and then imagine that's your own country."
CORRECTION 2/11/2011: Timeline for diagnosis and treatment clarified.
©2011 Sara Chars | <urn:uuid:41bde7b5-b101-4b05-85aa-3c749741a1ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2011/02/10/%E2%80%9Csigning-on%E2%80%9D-advance-screening-saturday | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97961 | 1,086 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Arnold Daniel Palmer (born September 10, 1929) is an American golfer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955. Nicknamed "The King," he is one of golf's most popular stars and its most important trailblazer because he was the first star of the sport's television age, which began in the 1950s. He is part of "The Big Three" in golf along with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player who are widely credited with popularizing and commercialising the sport around the world.
Palmer won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, and in 1974 was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He learned golf from his father, Deacon Palmer, who was head professional and greenskeeper at Latrobe Country Club, allowing young Arnold to accompany his father as he maintained the course. He attended Wake Forest University, on a golf scholarship. He left upon the death of close friend Bud Worsham, and enlisted in the Coast Guard, where he served for three years and had some time to continue to hone his golf skills. Palmer gathered himself, and returned to competitive golf. His win in the 1954 U.S. Amateur Championship made him decide to try the pro tour for a while, and he and new bride Winifred Walzer (whom he had met at a Pennsylvania tournament) traveled the circuit for 1955. Palmer won the 1955 Canadian Open in his rookie season, and raised his game systematically for the next several seasons.
Palmer's charisma was a major factor in establishing golf as a compelling television event in the 1950s and 1960s, setting the stage for the popularity it enjoys today. His first major championship win at the 1958 Masters cemented his position as one of the leading stars in golf, and by 1960 he had signed up as pioneering sports agent Mark McCormack's first client. In later interviews, McCormack listed five attributes that made Palmer especially marketable: his good looks; his relatively modest background (his father was a greenskeeper before rising to be club professional and Latrobe was a humble club); the way he played golf, taking risks and wearing his emotions on his sleeve; his involvement in a string of exciting finishes in early televised tournaments; and his affability.
Palmer is also credited by many for securing the status of The Open Championship (British Open) among US players. After Ben Hogan won that championship in 1953, few American professionals had travelled to play in The Open, due to its travel requirements, relatively small prize purses, and the style of its links courses (radically different from most American courses). Palmer was convinced by his business partner Mark McCormack that success in the Open - to emulate the feats of Bobby Jones, Sam Snead and Hogan before him - would truly make him a global sporting star, not simply a leading American golfer. In particular, Palmer travelled to Scotland in 1960, having already won both the Masters and U.S. Open, to try to emulate Hogan's feat of 1953, of winning all three in a single year. He failed, losing out to Kel Nagle by a single shot, but his subsequent Open wins in the early 1960s convinced many American pros that a trip to Britain would be worth the effort, and certainly secured Palmer's popularity among British and European fans, not just American ones.
Palmer won seven major championships:
The Masters: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
U.S. Open: 1960
The Open Championship: 1961, 1962
Palmer's most prolific years were 1960-1963, when he won 29 PGA Tour events in four seasons. In 1960, he won the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. He built up a wide fan base, often referred to as "Arnie's Army", and in 1967 he became the first man to reach one million dollars in career earnings on the PGA Tour. By the late 1960s Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player had both acquired clear ascendancy in their rivalry, but Palmer won a PGA Tour event every year up to 1970, and in 1971 he enjoyed a revival, winning four events.
Palmer won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average four times: 1961, 1962, 1964, and 1967. He played on six Ryder Cup teams: 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1971, and 1973. He was the last playing-captain in 1963 and captained the team again in 1975.
Palmer was eligible for the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour) from its first season in 1980, and he was one of the marquee names who helped it to become successful. He won ten events on the tour, including five senior majors.
Palmer won the first World Match Play Championship in England, an event which was originally organized by McCormack to showcase his stable of players. Their partnership was one of the most significant in the history of sports marketing. Long after he ceased to win tournaments, Palmer remained one of the highest earners in golf due to his appeal to sponsors and the public.
In 2004, he competed in The Masters for the last time, marking his 50th consecutive appearance in that event. After missing the cut at the 2005 U.S. Senior Open by twenty-one shots he announced that he would not enter any more senior majors. Since 2007, Palmer has served as the honorary starter for the Masters. He retired from tournament golf on October 13, 2006, when he withdrew from the Champions Tours' Administaff Small Business Classic after four holes due to dissatisfaction with his own play. He played the remaining holes but did not keep score. Palmer's legacy was reaffirmed by an electrifying moment during the 2004 Bay Hill Invitational. Standing over 200 yards from the water-laden 18th green, Palmer, who is known for his aggressive play, lashed his second shot onto the green with a driver. The shot thrilled his loyal gallery and energized the excitable Palmer. He turned to his grandson and caddie, Sam Saunders, and gave him a prolonged shimmy and playful jeering in celebration of the moment.
Palmer has had a diverse golf related business career including owning the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, which is the venue for the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational (renamed from the Bay Hill Invitational in 2007), helping to found The Golf Channel, and negotiating the deal to build the first golf course in the People's Republic of China. This led to the formation of Palmer Course Design in 1972, which was renamed Arnold Palmer Design Company when the company moved to Orlando Florida in 2006. Since 1971 he has owned Latrobe Country Club, where his father used to be the club professional.
In 2000, Palmer was ranked the sixth greatest player of all time in Golf Digest magazine's rankings.
According to Golf Digest, Palmer made $1,861,857 in 734 PGA Tour career starts over 53 years; he earned an estimated $30 million off the course in 2008.
He now resides near his golf course, Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Country Club and Lodge, in Orlando, Florida which was originally designed by Dick Wilson.
Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders, is a professional golfer.
And avid pilot for over 50 years, it was reported on January 30, 2011 by CBS-TV during the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament from San Diego, California (Palmer was not playing in it) that he has been telling friends that he does not intend to renew his Medical certifications for pilotsPilot's Medical Certificate when it comes up again. That effectively ends his piloting activities. He has said that next flight that he makes, from Palm Springs, California to Orlando, Florida in his Cessna Citation X will be his last flight as pilot in command.
Photograph Hand Color Tinted by artist Margaret A. Rogers. | <urn:uuid:940f56f2-e1b4-4154-ae47-3c6b374efcc2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://myvintagephotos.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=800 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985851 | 1,648 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Many people live in a state of lack, but there is also a whole group whose relationship to money is more aptly characterized as mild aversion or disinterest. This is a state of ambivalence, wherein there is resistance to money, a general disdain for the whole money game, and maybe even some rebellious tendencies that, of course, are non-serving. Many people on a spiritual path of service tend toward this relationship to money. Is this you to some degree?
Not only does this do you a disservice, but it also works against your true objectives to bring positive change to the world. Your truthful understanding of money will clear resistances and support you to having far greater impact. So long as you have ambivalence, you are unable to operate fully within the symbols of this creational realm.
Money is not some static entity through time; the energy of money has changed dramatically over time and symbolizes our present state of materialism. And truthful understanding of it is key in being able to revolutionize this realm at present.
Goethe said: “Everything transitory is but a symbol.” What he meant was everything in the world of transitory effects is a reflection of a spiritual reality—spiritual processes, impulses, and divine moral- and wisdom-filled law that underlies all of creation.
Money is a symbol as is everything in matter…all in matter is symbolic for something real at the spiritual level. By real is meant enduring…abiding…eternal. If we do not spiritualize matter, then we dwell in the illusion. The following statements are true for the world of matter:
· Illusion = Material world in which spirit is no longer perceived or understood
· Delusion = Projecting misconceptions and misperceptions onto illusion
· Partial Reality = Spirit revealed in all matter
· Reality = You and the Father as One
We dwell in ever greater reality in measure as we perceive spirit in matter and conceive from spiritual principle, until we realize that all thought emanates from the Father Principle, and similarly, we dwell in illusion bordering on delusion to the degree that we do not perceive beyond the material, conceive in order to secure external material conditions, and believe in separation.
Our task at present is precisely to spiritualize matter and lift out of a strictly material understanding devoid of spirit, as that keeps us fettered to the illusion and unable to rise to higher consciousness. The higher the consciousness, the more spiritualized, the closer we get to realizing Oneness of Being; the openings in 2012 are precisely ones leading to higher consciousness, i.e. to greater spiritual reality.
Most people have such a mixed relationship to money because we all need it and yet it feels tainted in our world. We easily charge for work that does harm to the environment…we easily charge for work we do not like…yet we collectively believe that environmental, social activism, benevolent or healing work, and other ‘labors of love’ should somehow be offered freely or not necessitate much monetary compensation. This is counter-productive to our evolution. Work that supports the good of all should receive the most support, while work that harms (most big business) should have the plug pulled out…
But more than being counter-productive in the sense of money not flowing to what is of value in our world, this sustains the misperception that we are needy of things external to us. So long as we have ambivalence to a symbol, we have externalized it and made it into more than a symbol and something that it is not. In truth, all symbols emerge from consciousness.
The amount of money in the world at present is staggering…beyond our comprehension. The spiritual message is this: there is no limit…if we have insatiable greed, it will be outpictured as staggering amounts of money that will eventually lead to our demise so long as it is put to ill use…But the staggering amounts also demonstrates that nothing is bounded—there is no limit to the spiritual resources that we may access and wield.
Money should be symbolic of value added to the world, whereas it is now a symbol of human greed. Since money operates in dissonance with the spiritual reality of value, we are in a situation where we have drawn from the bank of Spirit and are accumulating incredible interest! If we default on that loan, the system will implode–not out of punishment, but because we will have carried the illusion too far.
While money is not real in and of itself, our relationship to it is. If we can spiritualize money, we will be able to wrest the flows of money away from those who use it to cause harm, and into the hearts of the spiritually awakened who can be responsible custodians of it and put it in service of all. The staggering amounts of money wielded by the spiritual awakened will revolutionize the world.
This is not so much about redirecting it as it is about deeper spiritual awakening. It is easy to believe that you would be unaffected by having vast amounts of money, but that is rather naive. When more awakened people step up to the plate to wield far greater power in this realm, the awakening will be more complete. And the flows of money will be redirected but also, there will be less ill-use overall. Business practices will change to reflect the changing consciousness. Money is the next frontier for the spiritual aspirants who are ready to support conscious evolution. We must do it within this realm and work with all of its powerful symbols.
The spiritual revolution does not start with money; it starts with vision and desire to serve the good of all. And with vision and devotion to giving that vision the substance of form, you have a sound plan to add value to the world. From that, you may wield the flows of money, as flows of selfless love in support of your vision. And you will be tested because money is a powerful tempter in this realm. But as you deepen in selflessness, you will become undaunted because your power will come from spirit and not from the money, and that is how you spiritualize and transform money.
As you spiritualize matter your vision will clarify; and as you spiritualize money, you transform the most powerful ‘fallen’ symbol in our world and will learn to wield it with love. You will attract it to you and to others in support of a growing collective vision for the good of all; you will be infinitely supported to conceive of greater and greater and unbounded by what you can do.
Since money serves corruption at present (for the most part), it needs to be redirected to serve spirit if we are to establish spiritual law on earth. Therefore, it is critical that spiritually aligned people learn to wield the vast amounts of money and have it flow through them in service of all. This will serve to cleanse this realm like no other effort can. It is not enough to work with intention and prayer, we have to boldly step forth and wrestle with this powerful fallen symbol and its temptation, overcome them, and wield this source of power in service to Spirit from whence it comes.
Then the staggering wealth will be used to discover the unbounded material resources and the spiritual solutions to the many problems that we face on the planet.
Begin with visioning, and then allow yourself to wield the money to support that…you can pace yourself through to ever expanding deepening to Oneness and ever greater impact in the world. Do not leave out the step of spiritualizing money, as that is a necessary transformation at present.
Below are trigger affirmations and a vibrationally encoded image to support your inner transformation toward visioning ways to add value to the world and heal the money system in order to make good on our collective loan.
** I am waking up as spiritual visionary devoted to supporting the highest good of all.
Below is a vibrationally encoded image to elevate money flows to a higher order in alignment with value and love.
To access a printable version of the image and affirmations, click here. | <urn:uuid:c4381431-618a-412d-b269-e9bb2c6311c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://innermasterytools.com/articles-and-other-free-resources/money-revealed-transform-your-understanding-and-become-a-spiritual-custodian-of-this-infinite-supply/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947578 | 1,639 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Remember: Fafsa Means First-Come, First-Served
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Last week we took a thorough look at the college financial funding process, with no shortage of good ways to pay for a college education.
But federal and state college funds are limited, and the Free Application For Financial Student Aid program really works on a first-come, first-serve basis.
This week, the Sacramento, Calif.-based Student Aid Financial Services, which specializes in completing FAFSA forms for college-bound families, elaborated more fully on the issue. Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington have made a "first-come, first-served" warning explicit, saying they don't have as much funds on hand as they did before the Great Recession.
According to the National Association of State Student Grant Aid Administrators, state funding for college students has fallen 2% from 2007 to 2012, a slide the group expects to continue.
Thus the real need to get those FAFSA forms in early.
"Speed and accuracy are essential when preparing a FAFSA," said Brad Baker, president of Student Aid Financial Services. "The aid process is competitive and it pays to submit early."
That's no hyperbole. SAFS says that the average college undergraduate student secured $13,218 in state and federal aid, including loans, grants and work-study programs.
How can you leverage your FAFSA form to maximize the amount of money you can earn for your son or daughter's college education? Here are a few pointers from analysts at SAFS:
Know the price before you apply. SAFS advises get an estimate of what financial aid they may be eligible for before applying to specific schools. One tip: most college websites offer net price calculators that can help you narrow down your likely estimate for college aid. The company has more detail on net price calculators here.
You don't have to include a tax return. Since tax returns aren't due until April 15, it's perfectly fine to prove estimated annual income on your FAFSA form. "There is no penalty for estimating income, it is actually recommended so that deadlines aren't missed," SAFS says. "Students can easily make any necessary adjustments once their (or their parents') income tax filing is completed." | <urn:uuid:c7900b15-c310-44dd-aaed-c75e8d75a1fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://business-news.thestreet.com/carthagepress/story/remember-fafsa-means-first-come-first-served/11819654 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960404 | 478 | 2.078125 | 2 |
There’s a note of holiday cheer in the air as investors convince themselves that the United States is in better shape than once feared, that Europe may actually figure a way out of its mess and that China will glide to soft landing.
Still, it’s plain to me and my investment colleagues that 2012 is not going to be the year of the bull. There are too many risks, too many unanswered questions. The range of possible outcomes has rarely been larger.
The coming year promises to be just as convoluted as the one that’s about to end. A massive bout of debt “deleveraging” is ready to rip through the global economy as governments and consumers are forced to rein in their deficits. The effects will be felt by everyone.
How do you make money in this environment? Here are 10 investing themes we are following closely:
1. U.S. multi-family housing: Home ownership rates are declining while tight vacancy rates are providing good support for rents.
2. Asian consumers: Emerging markets are growing wealthier and investing in companies that serve their burgeoning middle classes will provide many wealth-building opportunities.
3. Dollar/discount stores: In North America consumers are becoming more frugal. Deep discount retailers are reaping the benefits.
4. Energy infrastructure: Pipelines and similar firms deliver strong free cash flow yields and benefit from high barriers to potential competition.
5. Gold mining stocks: They’re undervalued and are raising their dividends.
6. Water delivery services: The World Bank estimates that global agriculture will require up to 45 per cent more water over the next two decades.
7. Tobacco/beverages/movies: These sectors are where people spent their time and money in the 1930s. If times turn tougher, we could be ready for a repeat.
8. Utilities: Their yield and pricing power make for a potent combination.
9. Food products: You still have to eat.
10. Home improvement/gardening: Aging boomers are spending more time at home and dollars are going to flow to sectors that service this cocooning trend.
To be sure, good investing requires more than just picking the right themes. Choosing the appropriate asset mix is equally vital.
If you had put all your eggs in the S&P 500 basket a decade ago, your average annual return would have barely exceeded 1 per cent a year in U.S. dollars. But had you put 40 per cent of your portfolio into bonds back in 2001, your blended return would have been very close to 6 per cent a year.
So it is crucial to be diversified. There are also two long-term trends to keep in mind.
First, there is a growing shortage of a stable income-paying investments. Bond yields are pitifully low and dividend yields for the market as a whole are not that much more impressive. All of that speaks to the swelling appetite among investors for what I call SIRP – safety and income at a reasonable price. You want to own stocks that can deliver SIRP, not only for their inherent benefits, but also because their scarcity value is going to drive up their prices.
Second, as the rating agencies downgrade entity after entity, the global list of havens is dwindling. Again, investors are going to be willing to pay up for anything that can deliver safety in these volatile times.
Given these factors, we believe your dominant focus in 2012 should be on finding investments that can offer both capital preservation and safe income, whether that be in bonds, hedge-fund strategies or reliable dividend-paying stocks.
None of this is exactly new, of course. But building a diversified portfolio, concentrating on quality companies, and looking for ways to generate stable income at reasonable prices are themes that seem particularly appropriate for what could be a tumultuous 2012.
Yes. Virginia, there are ways to earn a return in a volatile, uncertain, deflationary environment. | <urn:uuid:60861bab-fa66-454b-b1de-c5175fa57b43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/david-rosenbergs-10-investing-themes-for-the-year-ahead/article4171620/?service=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958147 | 812 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Car curmudgeon Phil Edmonston has spent 43 years squeezing lemons.
As the well-known author of the Lemon-Aid new and used car guides, Edmonston continues to both inform consumers and agitate the automobile industry.
The 43rd annual editions of Edmonston's Lemon-Aid guides, published by Dundurn, are now hitting shelves.
Edmonston is crossing Canada on a promotional tour this month starting Feb. 14 from Toronto.
Speaking to him on the phone from his home in Panama, Edmonston discussed a few topics of note.
"This is an interesting year," Edmonston says of 2013.
"For the first time we've got all of the manufacturers on mostly an equal footing.
"The American manufacturers got a big boost due to the natural disasters that upset the industry, and Ford, GM and Chrysler are all having very good sales - but Toyota is poised to recapture the crown."
More than just a promotional tour, Edmonston plans to individually visit provincial governments and lobby for what he dubs "lemon laws."
"With a lemon law, Canadian consumers can leave their protest signs at home, and use the courts instead," Edmonston says.
"In the past, aggrieved car owners could picket, decorate their cars with lemons, or use independent garages to prove a mechanical failure was factory-or design-related.
"Car owners are too often told their vehicle is operating 'normally,' or that they are driving too fast, or too slow, or that all cars of that model behave the same.
Other times owners are bounced back and forth between dealer and carmaker, or simply told that the failure couldn't be duplicated."
Edmonston says a lemon law would essentially give an automaker three attempts to fix a problem. After three tries, if the condition persisted, Edmonston would like to see the vehicle replaced, or the purchase price refunded.
"Instead of hiring a costly expert to find out the cause of the car's stalling, sudden acceleration, loss of brakes, water leaks, paint peeling, etc.," Edmonston says of the lemon law, "the plaintiff need only show the car was out of service more than a certain number of days, or that the dealer failed to fix the vehicle after three attempts.
"The time has come in Canada for such a law," he says, and adds, "but there will be a lot of resistance from automakers."
After talking about his lemon law campaign, Edmonston switched gears and discussed his go-to new automobile picks.
"The best models have nothing to do with how much you pay," he says. "It's all about return on value, coupled with reliability and good performance."
The cars on his list include the Honda Fit and the Honda Accord, both for their economy and reliability. He also sees good value in the Mazda Miata and the Mazda3, as well as the Subaru Forester, Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Matrix.
For medium-sized SUVs, Edmonston commented on both the Hyundai Tucson and the Honda CRV.
Full-sized pickup trucks - some of the most popular vehicles across Canada - included the Ram line with diesel engines. Edmonston also likes the smaller Japanese trucks, such as the Toyota Tacoma.
"Some good car buys flying under the radar are the Hyundai Elantra and Veloster," Edmonston says.
In Canada, drivers tend to keep a vehicle an average of 11 years - and Edmonston says if you're happy with a vehicle, there's no reason you can't keep it for 15 years or longer. "If you're young and you want to save yourself the most money, get yourself a used car driven by your mom," Edmonston says. "And, when you're finished with it, give it back.
"The empty nest is no longer empty, and the same thing is applying to the family car. It leaves to go to college, and it comes back."
Edmonston's Lemon-Aid New Cars and Trucks 2013 (ISBN 978-145970-573-9, published by Dundurn, www.dundurn.com) is available at bookstores or online. At www.amazon.ca, the book is $18.80.
Have an auto-related item to share for the column or What's Next? Contact Greg Williams at 403-287-1067 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Visit his website at gregwilliams.ca | <urn:uuid:3f91e58e-29e3-4259-807b-afff02876559> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.driving.ca/montreal/research-car/news/curmudgeon+urges+lemon+laws/7991966/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966077 | 945 | 1.804688 | 2 |
David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker, thinks drones are just like nuclear weapons.
“We are in the same position now, with drones, that we were with nuclear weapons in 1945,” said David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker. “For the moment, we are the only ones with this technology that is going to change the morality, psychology, and strategic thinking of warfare for years to come.”
“But it’s inevitable that other countries — including countries that are hardly American allies — will follow. Then what?” he said. “We want to have it both ways: to be rid of terrorist threats without going to war in the old way, and not to have to think about the ramifications.”
There are two things here: the analogy to nuclear weapons, and the proliferation argument. Both bump up pretty hard against reality.
First, the nuclear weapons analogy is… curious. For starters, the reason nuclear weapons spawned their own field of study (both for effects and for counterproliferation) is because nuclear weapons cause such catastrophic, indiscriminate damage that no country can countenance their use in wartime without risking total obliteration. For example, here’s a map of a moderate-yield nuclear blast damage on Washington, DC.
In contrast, the Hellfire missile, which is the most commonly fired weapon from the MQ-1 Predator drone (the most common armed drone), carries 20 lbs. of explosive. More recently, the Hellfires have even been fitted with metal slugs instead of explosives — the drones are precise enough to not need a big boom to still get the person they’re targeting.
From a categorical perspective, then, the threat to people, international security, and the existence of entire societies are not threatened by drones the way they are by nuclear weapons.
Remnick then makes a different argument, which is that these weapons will seem more scary when other countries begin to use them. And this is true, to an extent: no one likes it when other powers get a hold of advanced technology. There are, however, two really big problems with this line of argument: the technology, and the politics.
First, the technology. Despite much hype to the contrary, drones are not fundamentally new technology. Even big, hundred-million dollar drones like the Global Hawk are really just aircraft fitted with radios to allow a pilot to sit outside the plane while it flies. Radio-controlled aircraft are a few decades old.
There are already shops online where you can buy the parts for a DIY drone kit and be off the ground running video feeds for only a few hundred dollars.
But that’s not how the U.S. uses drones. Again, contrary to popular perceptions, drones are rarely cheaper to buy or operate than conventional manned aircraft. For starters, while single drones are used in some limited ways for surveillance, more often they are operated in units called “orbits,” which are generally four aircraft manned around the clock to provide 24/7 coverage of a limited area. This is an expensive proposition.
According to the DOD’s Selected Acquisition Report, the MQ-1C Grey Eagle, a more modern drone than the old MQ-1, is actually more expensive to buy and to operate than an F-16 Falcon. Moreover, while it costs less to purchase than an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is actually requires more people and logistics to operate — making it more expensive overall.
Moreover, drones in their current state can only operate with the full consent of the host government. While it has the means to, Pakistan declines to shoot U.S. drones out of the sky (they even go out of their way to clear their airspace so the drones can operate unimpeded). Similarly, in Yemen, the government welcomes their use. Drones are slow moving aircraft without the sophisticated avionics manned aircraft have to evade detection and targeting — there’s just not as great a need when there’s no pilot on board. So unless these hostile regimes either figure out how to make even more sophisticated drones that can evade detection (an iffy prospect, since even the hyper-advanced U.S. hasn’t gotten there yet), there’s no likely scenario in the foreseeable future where drones can be used in the same way by, say, Russia.
Finally, there is the question of logistics. The average drone orbit requires around 170 people to operate in a remote base near the area where the drones will be used. This is an expensive and complex prospect involving sometimes-secret bases and a great deal of diplomatic wrangling along with military statecraft. Neither Russia nor China possess the stability or depth of relationship with host countries that would allow such an arrangement, at least not any time soon.
To summarize: drones are far less deadly, and their use far more expensive and complicated, than their critics describe. David Remnick’s concerns are certainly rooted in well-meaning skepticism of the program (and it needs a lot of skepticism), but such concerns are simply not grounded in fact. The figures I dug up here are all easily accessible on the internet — they require no access to privileged knowledge or inside access to officials to discover. It just takes some homework.
Why so many critics of the drones program do not put in the time to do this homework, whoever… well that I’ll just have to think about. | <urn:uuid:ead3ce26-37eb-4b40-b9d5-69fe1d9a37c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joshuafoust.com/keeping-drones-in-context/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951427 | 1,123 | 2.078125 | 2 |
A large bushfire in Victoria's south-west and is expected to be brought under control today, while another on the north-east border burns out of control.
And with lightening expected in parts of the state on Sunday and high temperatures forecast for this week, the public has been warned to be wary of fire risks.
“We're asking campers to be very careful with campfires,” a CFA spokesman said.
“Tuesday is the next day we're most concerned about. There will be some severe fire dangers in the state's north and north-east.”
On Sunday, areas in Victoria's north are tipped to be above 40, while southern and central districts will be mostly in the high 20s.
Authorities responded to 95 bushfires across the state on Saturday, 49 of which had been declared safe by midday on Sunday.
A large bushfire at Kentbruck, near Portland in the state's south-west, is being controlled by the Country Fire Authority.
Seven water-bombing aircraft and six helicopters have battled the blaze, which had burned through 2763 hectares by 9am on Sunday morning.
With much of the fire occurring in swampy areas, a CFA spokesman said normal fire trucks had been less effective than usual. He said they were having more luck battling the fire from above and with more mobile utes with water-spraying tanks attached.
Thick smoke is surrounding neighbouring communities, with smoke from the fire sighted about 100km away in Hamilton.
The Portland Nelson Road has re-opened but drivers have been asked to reduce speeds in areas where visibility is poor along the Winnap Nelson Road and the Princes Highway, between Greenwald and the South Australian border.
Meanwhile, Victorian and New South Wales firefighters are also battling an out-of-control bushfire on the north-east border at Ournie. The fire has already burned through 300 hectares, with smoke affecting communities on both sides of the border. No homes are under threat, but residents have been asked to monitor conditions and check their bushfire survival plans. | <urn:uuid:47242f00-01c5-46ee-8426-4534e4aea61a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/1219077/hot-week-ahead-prompts-cfa-fire-warning/?cs=12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97728 | 428 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The Western Front Today - Sanctuary Wood Museum
Sanctuary Wood is said to have earned its name in October 1914 when it was used as a 'sanctuary' to stragglers waiting to rejoin their units. At this time Sanctuary Wood was a relatively quiet area.
This was to be short-lived and its name deemed most inappropriate from November 1914 onwards.
After the war the wood was turned into a private museum by the land's owners, the Schier family (in whose hands it remains to this day).
They realised at an early stage that the wood would be of great interest to pilgrims and tourists. The trench lines and dugouts were enclosed, and the shattered trees fenced in.
The museum was closed during WW2 and the artefacts buried under concrete in the cellar. Visiting Germans were told that the artefacts had been stolen by the British.
Today Sanctuary Wood is considered by many to offer the finest preserved trenches on the Western Front.
Aside from battlefield artefacts the interior of the museum offers 3D stereoscopic photographs of highly graphic scenes taken during the war.
Nearby the museum is Sanctuary Wood CWGC Cemetery, containing over 2,000 burials. Also close to Sanctuary Wood museum is the Canadian Memorial at Hill 62 (also known incorrectly as 'Mount Sorrel', both during and after the war, even unto the present day).
The area was known as Hill 62 because the area was literally 62 metres above sea-level.
Film Footage of Sanctuary Wood Museum (1)
Film Footage of Sanctuary Wood Museum (2)
Film Footage of Sanctuary Wood Museum (3)
Film Footage of Sanctuary Wood Museum (4)
Film Footage of Sanctuary Wood Museum (5)
Before Endeavours Fade, Rose E.B. Coombs, After the Battle 1994
Major & Mrs Holt's Battlefield Guide - Somme, Leo Cooper 2000
A bunker comprised a fortification largely built below ground level.
- Did you know? | <urn:uuid:23d4b107-5033-4d59-a280-e9671d0dde54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstworldwar.com/today/sanctuarywood.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975433 | 408 | 3.15625 | 3 |
BOCA RATON — When Robert Richards hangs out with his ``homeboys'' in Fort Lauderdale, he slips into what he calls slang.
``I'll say, `What it be? I'm illin','' said Richards, 21, who majors in business administration at Florida Atlantic University. He translated the statement to mean, ``How is your day? I'm all right.''
But Richards said he knows how to separate the kind of language he uses with his friends from the kind he will use in the business world.
``I would approach a business client with common vernacular: How's the wife and kids? Have you been watching the stock market recently?''
The ability to speak both standard English and what is known as ``ebonics'' is the subject of a conference on Saturday at FAU titled, ``Ebonics: What, Why (or Why Not?) and How?''
The keynote speaker for the event will be Patrick Coggins, director of the Multicultural Education Institute at Stetson University in DeLand. He is also the professor in residence with the Palm Beach County School District, where he is a consultant for the African and African-American history curriculum.
Coggins' talk is titled, ``Ebonics: Bust or Reality in African-American Culture.''
The free conference will take place on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in FAU's Social Science Building, Room 250 on the Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road.
Teachers in Broward and Palm Beach counties can earn in-service points for their participation in the conference.
Workshop topics will include minority test scores, using dialects to teach standard English and the consideration that ebonics may not be the way to improve the education of inner-city black youth, who have done poorly as a group on standardized reading and writing tests.
The workshop comes in the wake of a national debate last year over the Oakland, Calif., school district's decision to recognize the linguistic value of ebonics, a dialect of English whose name is derived from combining the words ``ebony'' and ``phonics.''
As part of the move, the Oakland school district decided to train teachers to understand ebonics. That way, Oakland school officials reasoned, teachers could help students translate ebonics into standard English.
But critics slammed the decision as ``dumbing-down'' education by legitimizing slang.
Robert L. Trammell, a professor of languages and linguistics at FAU, said the national controversy over ebonics emerged from ignorance.
The general public got the wrong idea that the plan was to teach ebonics to children, who already know it, Trammell said.
``That is not what ebonics is about,'' Trammell said. ``Ebonics is taking reality, the fact that a certain number of African-American children do speak a very different dialect from the teacher, and from what's in the books, and that puts them at an educational disadvantage. And so what can the system do to help these children? That's what the Oakland school board was trying to accomplish.''
Trammell teaches his own class on black English to FAU students. But he stresses that the purpose of the class _ like ebonics training for schoolteachers _ is not to teach students how to speak ebonics, but to understand how it evolved from West African language and English.
When the slave trade brought people from West Africa, Trammell said, they combined parts of their own language and parts of the language of their oppressors.
``What we're really interested in is sensitivity,'' Trammell said. ``You cannot judge a person's intelligence by the language that they speak. We learn from what we're surrounded by.''
In August, psychologist Robert Williams, who coined the word ``ebonics,'' told the Association of Black Psychologists in Washington that decades of linguistics studies show ebonics resulted from combining English vocabulary with African language structure and does not constitute grammatically incorrect speech.
``Standard English is just another set of dialects,'' Trammell said.
But as far as Addie Adams, 30, a psychobiology and microbiology student at FAU is concerned, ebonics will simply hold African-Americans back from economic and social opportunities.
``My parents were educated and knew that if I learned slang, I could only get so far in life,'' Adams said. | <urn:uuid:dc9db88a-a7f6-49eb-a5c9-d4409eb91aad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1997-10-28/news/9710270790_1_ebonics-oakland-school-dialect | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957947 | 929 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Many U.S. wool buyers, warehousemen and wool processors gathered at the joint Idaho, Wyoming and Utah Wool Growers meeting Nov. 9-10 to discuss the 2012 wool season and to provide insight into the upcoming year. The panel consisted of Larry Prager and Scott Lammers, Center of the Nation Wool; Jason Banowsky, Lempriere USA; Mike Corn, Roswell Wool; Dan Gutzman, Pendleton Woolen Mills; Will Griggs, Utah Wool Marketing; Terry Martin and Rick Honaker, Anodyne Wool; and Bruce Barker, Great Plains Wool Co.
A general opinion was that the 2012 wool market was driven by a declining economic situation across Europe in conjunction with a warmer winter across the northern hemisphere, both resulting in disappointing garment sales last year. A larger inventory of garments resulted in less processing into fabrics, which ultimately resulted in less demand and lower trends in global raw-wool prices. The declining value of the U.S. dollar and the corresponding increase in the value of the Australian dollar was another contributing factor. It was also noted that the declining demand for goods forced China, the world's largest wool processing country, to reduce overall production of finished garments.
Consensus among the buyers and warehousemen was that continued better preparation of U.S. wools would result in broader demand and a wider array of uses of U.S. wools, regardless of micron. Specifically, the continued removal and separation of bellies from fleeces, topknots, leg wool, tags and second cuts and any off colored wool due to stains. Buyers and processors continued to note the problems being experienced with black fibers in white wool, contamination of hair-sheep fibers and poly contamination. Excess branding paint and markers were also discussed along with suggestions for handling paint on cold days, application recommendations (keep brands to 4 mm or less) and the axiom that " less is better" when applying paint.
The panel expressed the need for a larger supply of wool to meet the demand. Reduced supplies from declining sheep numbers have resulted in higher overhead costs for all segments of the wool industry. Due to the large volume of wool needed for processors to minimize costs, any problems or issues that occur with the wool results in higher costs.
It was reiterated that developing a plan with the shearing crew can reduce contamination as well as decrease the stress for the sheep and the labor during harvest. Making contact with the buyer or warehouse representative to discuss potential wool outlets can also assist in proper wool preparation. | <urn:uuid:c8f57f7d-f22e-4792-b235-7173c2aea4fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sheepusa.org/Sheep_Industry_News_Detail/newsID/5366 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953896 | 513 | 1.554688 | 2 |
As highlighted in chapter 3, a business needs to plan for various expenses. Expenses can include office supplies, raw inventory, facility costs (from mortgages to electrical bills), corporate perks such as season tickets, and an endless number of other expenses. Given the complexity within some organizations, categorizing every dollar spent by a business is difficult because some expenses are grouped into a generic category called general expenses instead of being recorded separately. General expenses for a sport-related business can be highly diverse, as seen in the next Concepts Into Practice example using Speedway Motorsports.
One question often raised relates to ticket prices and player salaries. For example, what effect did the Los Angeles Angels’ 2011 signing of free agent Albert Pujols have on ticket prices? Player salaries are a fixed expense—at the start of the season, the team knows what its total salary obligation will be except for possible bonuses and reductions in salaries if players are injured, cut, or traded. Furthermore, the team can then predict other expenses based on their level of salary expense. Similarly, the team can determine the potential revenue from broadcast rights, luxury seating, and sponsorship income. Considering these potential income areas, the team can examine how much it might need to charge ticket holders to ensure that it can cover its costs. Thus, expenses have a direct effect on prices of various items, from tickets to concessions.
We all know basic costs such as the price of going to McDonald’s and spending $5 for a meal. When you do this, the cost to you is $5. If you earn $10 per hour, you can calculate your cost as 50% of your hourly wage. On the basis of an eight-hour day, you could calculate your $5 meal as 6.25% of your daily wage. Cost analysis is similar for a sport business. | <urn:uuid:97eb5fe9-ce22-4788-9163-278e7a0ac331> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/business-expenses-affect-ticket-prices-and-more?ActionType=2_SetCurrency&CurrencyCode=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963793 | 370 | 2.78125 | 3 |
The New International Encyclopædia/Synagogue, The Great
|←Synagogue||The New International Encyclopædia
Synagogue, The Great
|Edition of 1905. See also Great Assembly on Wikipedia, and the disclaimer.|
SYNAGOGUE, The Great (Heb. hakkeneseth haggēdōlāh). An alleged assembly or synod, said to have been founded and presided over by Ezra and to have controlled the national and religious fortunes of the Jews after the return from Babylon, c.450-200 B.C. Its membership is generally given as 120, but sometimes as 80. The palpable chronological discrepancies that occur in the early accounts about this synod, together with other doubtful points, have led modern scholars to deny its existence. It is not mentioned by Josephus or the Apocrypha and is only twice referred to in the Mishna (Pirke Aboth I., 1 and 2). Even according to the Talmudical notices the ‘great synagogue’ continued only for a single generation. According to these notices the men of the great synagogue secured the acceptance of certain books of the Old Testament (Proverbs, Canticles, Ecclesiastes); they promoted the work of copying the Torah, devoted themselves to the perfection of a daily ritual, and introduced certain changes into the Old Testament text in order to avoid misunderstandings. The notion that they collected the books of the Old Testament and fixed the canon had no authority in the Talmud, and indeed does not arise till the sixteenth century. Kuenen has traced the origin of the name to the ‘great assembly’ which is described in Nehemiah viii.-x. This assembly was of a popular character, and no doubt marked an epoch in the history of post-exilic Judaism. An uncritical age made of this ‘assembly’ a permanent institution and attributed to it the various steps taken in the natural unfolding of that phase of Rabbinical Judaism which came to a temporary close when the canon of the Old Testament was definitely established. While some scholars (notably D. Hoffmann of Berlin) still cling to the traditional view, Kuenen's results have been accepted by the great majority. Consult his essay in Gesammelte Abhandlungen, pp. 125-160 (Freiburg, 1894); Hoffmann's reply will be found in the Magazin für die Wissenschaft des Judenthums, vol. x. (1883), pp. 45-63. See also L. Krauss, “The Great Synod,” in the Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. x. (1898), pp. 347-377. | <urn:uuid:0b079dd8-a577-4068-8473-e3849599ac23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_International_Encyclop%C3%A6dia/Synagogue,_The_Great | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923115 | 564 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Linux in Government: Jordan - A Surprise in the Middle East
Editor's Note: This article has been update since its original posting.
I stood on a street in Jerash and suddenly realized that no one ever told me what to expect. I had seen ruins before, and I had viewed photos (see Figure 1) of this Roman city. Still, I cannot think of anything that could have prepared me for the experience. Jerash isn't some pile of rocks left over after people pillaged it as a quarry, as are most remnants of the Roman era. As I looked in all directions, I saw the equivalent of a major city too large to cover by foot and ready for habitation.
When Ed White of DevIS contacted me in April to speak at last week's OSS event, I wondered if he was joking. With all the trouble in the Middle East I could not imagine why anyone would want to go there. As Richard Stallman wrote, "In late February, when I mentioned to people in Europe that I was soon going to Syria, they were worried for me". Obviously, Richard had little if any trouble in Syria. But was that a fluke?
I could have buckled under and declined, as many invitees from the US did. Instead, in spite of the propaganda on the US street, I chose to step off the plane in Amman. As with my visit to Jerash, I cannot think of anything that could have prepared me for the experience.
With one exception, you probably can jot down a few thoughts about Linux and free software, and you'll know what we discussed. The sponsor, INT@J, devoted this seminar to applying OSS to government, business, finance and academia. So, the presenters spoke about real-life scenarios and projects throughout the region. As one might imagine, sincere interest in and many deployments of Linux exist.
Although the presenters abstained from Microsoft bashing, we all were aware of the Redmond company's large footprint in the region. Someone said that Microsoft has 29 offices in the Middle East. I visited one of its Gold Partner's offices and saw about 40 busy developers working on a variety of projects for the government.
The gentleman showing me around the Gold Partner's office introduced me to one of the project managers and mentioned that I was speaking at the open-source software event. Immediately, the chap stood up and began to tell me what was wrong with Linux. When I asked him if he'd ever used it, he said he had not. Ever the diplomat, I stopped the conversation there and told him how pleased I was to meet him.
I also spoke to a number of businessmen from the region attending the seminar who are ready to start doing business now. People eat lunch later in the day in Jordan and use the noon hour for what they call a coffee break. Coffee breaks and lunches provide ample time to speak about business. I entered several conversations about real business issues, and many people followed up with me by e-mail before I returned home. I have never seen this happen before at one of these seminars, not to this extent.
Throw your preconceived notions out the window. I used to say the friendliest people in the world live in Texas. Jordanians, both Hashemites and Palestinians, convey more friendliness than Texans, along with a gentle and loving nature. Their warmth isn't a facade either. Also, I saw no evidence of a repressive religious regime. Christians represent as much as 8-10% percent of the population in Jordan. But how would one know when Jordanians themselves pay no attention to such things?
Jordanian people have an attitude of acceptance towards everyone. I asked about and saw no evidence of anyone attempting to convert people, and I saw no discrimination because of religion. One of the people I met works in a high position in the government, and she is Christian. It's simply not an issue as far as I could tell.
Jordanians also have a high level of education. Two of the people with whom I spent time attended college in Texas. Most of the participants I met at the conference either attended universities in the US or Britain. That may account for the population's fluency in English. Street signs demonstrate the bilingual nature of Jordan, English and Arabic.
I could say more about how Jordan and its people impressed me, but this isn't a travel column, so we'll move along with our discussion of ITC.
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Enter to Win an Adafruit Pi Cobbler Breakout Kit for Raspberry Pi
It's Raspberry Pi month at Linux Journal. Each week in May, Adafruit will be giving away a Pi-related prize to a lucky, randomly drawn LJ reader. Winners will be announced weekly.
Fill out the fields below to enter to win this week's prize-- a Pi Cobbler Breakout Kit for Raspberry Pi.
Congratulations to our winners so far:
- 5-8-13, Pi Starter Pack: Jack Davis
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- Next winner announced on 5-27-13!
Free Webinar: Hadoop
How to Build an Optimal Hadoop Cluster to Store and Maintain Unlimited Amounts of Data Using Microservers
Realizing the promise of Apache® Hadoop® requires the effective deployment of compute, memory, storage and networking to achieve optimal results. With its flexibility and multitude of options, it is easy to over or under provision the server infrastructure, resulting in poor performance and high TCO. Join us for an in depth, technical discussion with industry experts from leading Hadoop and server companies who will provide insights into the key considerations for designing and deploying an optimal Hadoop cluster.
Some of key questions to be discussed are:
- What is the “typical” Hadoop cluster and what should be installed on the different machine types?
- Why should you consider the typical workload patterns when making your hardware decisions?
- Are all microservers created equal for Hadoop deployments?
- How do I plan for expansion if I require more compute, memory, storage or networking? | <urn:uuid:ca4e1552-1504-401b-9b8d-86e66f7146c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8479?quicktabs_1=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954013 | 1,617 | 1.75 | 2 |
Partisan bickering continues in Washington, DC. The Republicans and Democrats are worlds apart on deciding a budget and taxes. It could get real interesting around August 1st when Congress will have to vote on the national debt limit. A lot of words are flying back and forth, but for now they seem to be just words. Both sides are drawing lines in the sand. Before a vote, someone will have to blink. However, one area where some bipartisan activity is occurring is in the area of trade.
There are currently three important free trade agreements (FTAs) pending between the United States and Columbia, Panama, and South Korea. The previous George W. Bush administration originally negotiated these FTAs but the then Democratic-led Congress was not willing to address them at the time. Since then, President Barack Obama’s administration has been slow to embrace the agreements. It wanted to do its own review and seek some changes so it was natural for the new administration to take time to do this. But it should not have taken over two years.
My guess is that the Obama administration first wanted to get past the mid-term elections and then figure out how to appease the labor unions. It’s not clear what was done to appease the unions, but the Obama administration is now moving on all three FTAs as it has indicated to Congress its willingness and need to accept and implement them.
Essentially all three agreements will significantly reduce the import tariffs of each country, provide more access for U.S. products, and offer benefits to agriculture. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Bill Donald recently testified before Congress that beef exports have added $145 per head advantage to cattle and these agreements will only increase that number.
These FTAs will benefit the rendering industry both directly and indirectly. It will probably take until at least sometime in 2012 for these agreements to get through Congress, but at least they are finally moving. Obama will be going against most of his own party in Congress; however, with his efforts and most of the Republicans, they should pass.
It has been made clear by the National Renderers Association (NRA) and many other livestock and poultry organizations that they agree with Donald, who further testified, “We can’t talk about trade agreements without discussing non-tariff trade barriers. International trade must be based on sound science, not political science. Abiding by internationally recognized science-based guidelines, like those set by the World Organization for Animal Health, promote fair trade for the United States and developing countries.”
On this note, Canadian and U.S. government animal health officials are respectively having talks with Chinese government health officials to allow tallow into China. NRA hosted the Chinese delegation as they visited rendering plants and officials in Washington, DC. We are optimistic that this potentially large market will soon be open for North American tallow. Our respective negotiators are emphasizing sound science and internationally accepted practices as the Chinese officials deliberate.
Another logjam that seems to have broken with the Obama administration is the Mexican trucking dispute. For the past two years, the Mexican government has levied $2.6 billion of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products because the United States has been in violation of trucking provisions agreed to by both nations under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
There was considerable support within the Obama administration to resolve this dispute for some time. However, it was clear that until recently the White House was listening to the labor unions and their vehement opposition to settle the dispute. It’s possible, in this case, White House officials decided to move on without union support.
FMD and MAP
I have written often of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Foreign Market Development (FMD) program and Market Access Program (MAP), both of which have been very beneficial to the rendering industry for many years. They are export market development programs that build on a strong industry-government partnership. The FMD and MAP are distinct, separate programs that address different aspects of market development and promotion and are examples of some of the most successful public-private partnerships.
With Congress looking for ways to cut spending to reduce the deficit, these programs are under intense scrutiny. There are 100 new members of the 112th Congress and I doubt many of them had ever heard of these programs before they arrived in Washington, DC. Coalitions of organizations and industries, including the NRA, that benefit and utilize these programs are working aggressively to get the facts to every member of Congress as they deliberate their votes.
These programs are not boondoggles and deserve serious consideration for continued support. For instance, a recent study by IHS Global Insight, Inc., commissioned by the USDA and released last year, found that the increase in market development spending through FMD and MAP since 2002 substantially increased U.S. market share. The bottom line in the study was that for every additional one dollar expended by government and industry on market development during 2002-2009, U.S. food and agriculture exports increased by $35, a 35-to-1 return on investment.
These are cost-share programs. The NRA contributes in dollars or in-kind contributions to these programs. It is important that the industry be able to continue to have these programs available, and NRA is working to preserve them.
The NRA International Market Development Committee recently met in Toronto for a strategic planning meeting where it took the long view on trade for the rendering industry. If the attendance and enthusiasm at this meeting was any indication, trade is important and a high priority for the rendering industry.
From the Association – June 2011 RENDER | back | <urn:uuid:d7b6bf0c-426a-401e-9b96-eb1d5ca6ea58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rendermagazine.com/articles/2011-issues/2011-june/2011-06-from-the-association/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970452 | 1,155 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Despite the government's numerous restrictions on U.S. governance and human rights programs, the closure of two U.S. outreach centers, and limitations on in-country travel, the United States held events focused on human rights, including discussion groups, literature distribution, and public lectures. The United States participated in the annual Eritrean Bookfair and distributed 6,000 publications on democracy, good governance, rule of law, and human rights. The United States continued to sponsor a series of workshops in Asmara on strengthening Sudanese civil society in preparation for that country's elections in 2010.
The United States sponsored monthly lectures, weekly films, exhibitions, reading clubs, and community service events. For example, U.S. funds supported four public information service centers, one in the capital of Asmara and three in other cities, that provide free Internet and library resources. Such programming has enabled the dissemination of information on a wide range of issues inclusive of human rights, such as democratic processes, women's rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities. The United States hosted a digital video conference on the first year of the Obama Administration.
In an effort to promote dialogue on ethnic discrimination, a U.S.-sponsored monthly lecture series included a panel presentation on the experience of African Americans in the United States. Another lecture focused on civil disobedience and the story of Rosa Parks. The book club read and discussed the racial issues in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
To introduce the Eritrean medical community to what can be done to promote tolerance of persons living with HIV/AIDS, the United States sent a physician on an international visitor program on the subject to the United States. In recognition of World AIDS Day, the United States hosted a lecture by another physician on the social and medical dimension of HIV/AIDS and its impact on Eritrea, including issues of tolerance. The United States also hosted a discussion of the book Ana’s Story by Jenna Bush, which chronicles the discrimination and abuse faced by a young woman with HIV in Latin America. The book prompted discussion of Eritrean society's lack of tolerance for persons with HIV/AIDS. The participants acknowledged more needs to be done to fight discrimination and offered concrete solutions to how HIV persons could be supported.
To promote women's rights, the United States sponsored a children's essay contest on women who have inspired them and hosted a panel discussion on women's education and opportunities in the United States, featuring the experiences of three women in the Embassy community. In addition, U.S. programming focused on female genital mutilation (FGM) by holding a World FGM Day event in conjunction with the national women's union, where hundreds of anti-FGM materials were displayed and distributed. Also, the United States held a women's roundtable on the social and medical implications of FGM. The United States continued support to a hospital where women undergo surgery to correct fistula, a condition that leads to stigmatization in Eritrean communities. In order to raise awareness among government officials of the needs of persons with disabilities, U.S. programming sponsored computer classes and library science workshops to allow dialogue between the hearing-impaired community and relevant government officials.
The United States showed the film Pray the Devil Back to Hell that told the story of the personal courage of a group of Muslim and Christian Liberian women who staged protests to stop the civil war and its atrocities. | <urn:uuid:22f32ead-e9ec-47eb-9e37-bfebfe87c486> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/afdr/2010/af/129734.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946018 | 700 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Glyn Moody writes "We hear a lot about politicians and countries rejecting ACTA, but not so much from the treaty's supporters. Here's a new site, called 'ACTA Facts,' which invites Europeans to 'get the facts' on how wonderful ACTA really is. Judging by its content, this one will be about as successful as Microsoft's 'Get the Facts' campaign a few years ago, which tried to dissuade people from using GNU/Linux. For example, a new report linked to by the site claims that ACTA could 'boost European output by a total of €50 billion, and create as many as 960,000 new jobs.' Unfortunately, that's based on numerous flawed assumptions, including the idea that countries like China and India are going to rush to join ACTA, when the treaty is actually designed as a weapon against them, as they have already noticed." | <urn:uuid:40f14e75-0339-4d5f-9658-a39e4f0130b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/06/12/2125255/pro-acta-site-says-get-the-facts?sbsrc=yro | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981304 | 179 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Are you raising a child with autism and stuck with thousands of dollars in bills that your insurance company refuses to cover? No problem, the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law counsels — just turn to charity (“Autism coverage plan may violate amendment,” Jan. 26). That’s wrong.
The first option for such Ohio families is to turn to taxpayers for special education and other services guaranteed under federal law. But with early intervention, such as the new health-care coverage Gov. John Kasich wisely has required, many children can be mainstreamed into school. That would greatly reduce taxpayer costs and substantially improve the child’s quality of life.
Perhaps for its next study, the center could document how many businesses have closed their doors since Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, and 27 other states have enacted autism insurance reform.
Vice President State Government Affairs Autism Speaks Lexington, S.C.
Columnist sees the wrong reality
In her Jan. 26 op-ed column decrying gun violence, “This gun owner looks for an end to the armed chaos,” Marilou Johanek amazed me with her statement: “Accidental shootings are as common as intentional ones. It’s reality in America. Get used to it.”
A few minutes of research reveals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, that in 2011, there were 31,125 intentional shooting deaths in America: 11,101 homicides, 19,766 suicides, and 258 “legal interventions” by police, in self-defense, and others.
Contrast this with 222 deaths caused by “discharge of firearms, undetermined intent.”
It is obvious that Ms. Johanek is unaware of reality in America.
Pride in country gone with Obama
I wish I could say I was proud that America inaugurated a president, but I can’t (“‘Our journey is not complete’; Speech offers hints on agenda for 2nd term,” Jan. 22).
I cannot be proud knowing that 51 percent of Americans were deceived into believing fabrications, divisive tactics, and character assassination against GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and re-elected President Obama.
I cannot be proud knowing that freedom-loving Americans who cherish their liberty and constitutional rights and want to be independent and self-reliant, without government intervention or handouts, are in the minority.
My pride in America has been tarnished. I fear sad times are ahead for us.
People sue over the silliest things
Two men in New Jersey are suing Subway because the fast-food chain’s foot-long sandwiches are an inch short (“Social media buzzes at picture of 11-inch Subway,” Jan. 17). When we ponder humankind, doesn’t it seem incredible that the wheel ever came into existence? | <urn:uuid:34785243-5551-4399-82d3-586cb3ce41f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toledoblade.com/Letters-to-the-Editor/2013/02/04/Ohio-right-to-give-aidto-autistic.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948563 | 602 | 1.546875 | 2 |
With a week to go before Italys parliamentary election, a late surge of support for former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has raised fears about a new governments commitment to economic reform and has caused yield spreads on Italian government bonds to widen.
Most political analysts still expect that a center-left coalition will emerge victorious from the February 24 election, but the pace of reform may well slow as elected politicians take back power from the technocratic government of Prime Minister Mario Monti, which has governed since November 2011.
The most recent Italian opinion polls showed the center-left Democratic Party headed by Pier Luigi Bersani had the support of 35 percent of the electorate, Berlusconis center-right coalition had 28.5 percent and Montis centrist group, Civic Choice, had 13.1 percent. A possible spoiler in the election was the antiestablishment Five Star Movement, headed by comedian Beppe Grillo, which polls show could take as much as 16 percent of the vote. There have been no polls since February 8 under Italian law, which bars polling in the closing stages of elections.
While Bersanis lead seems strong enough to give him control of the lower house of parliament, he could be vulnerable in the upper house, the Senate. A loss in the Senate would produce a standoff remarkably similar to what is happening in the U.S. Congress. .... | <urn:uuid:0fd3f7f5-c093-45f2-9e0e-63ad9fa3ed66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.institutionalinvestor.com/Article/3156787/Surge-in-Support-for-Berlusconi-Raises-Fears-About-Italys-Commitment-to-Reform.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980383 | 275 | 1.546875 | 2 |
See India as only National Geographic can depict it. This new reference map is one of the most detailed and comprehensive ever published for India and southern Asia. It includes India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Tajikistan, and portions of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. The India map is punctuated with thousands of place names, and embellished with shaded relief which highlights the region's dramatic topography in such places as the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalaya.
Map is printed on premium quality paper stock, rolled, and wrapped in kraft paper without display packaging. | <urn:uuid:9fef2678-8bf5-4d0d-a064-11de8b376a80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.natgeomaps.com/india | 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 | 0.919699 | 122 | 2.140625 | 2 |
We haven’t heard much about if from NASA yet, but the Telegraph is reporting that the space agency will soon begin training up an international crew of astronauts for a potential manned mission to an asteroid slated for later in the next decade. Starting next month, six astronauts are headed to the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO), the underwater habitat off the Florida coast that will serve as a simulator for the long duration mission to an asteroid, the UK outlet reports.
The multinational team of asteroid astronauts, which includes Britain’s first official astronaut with the European Space Agency, will spend its time living in tight quarters 65 feet beneath the ocean surface for 12 days, during which time crew members will undertake simulated spacewalks on the seafloor and learn to pilot vehicles in much the same way they would if they were working in proximity to an asteroid.A manned asteroid mission would of course be unprecedented (if the private sector doesn’t get there first), operating far beyond mankind’s furthest point of exploration on the moon’s surface. A trip to an asteroid could take astronauts up to three million miles away. It would likely take a year to make the round trip, and astronauts might remain there for up to a month.
Details of NASA’s vision for such a mission are to be presented to the international community at the Japan Geoscience Union meeting later this month. The agency will also present details underlying a robotic asteroid rendezvous mission that it hopes will return samples from an asteroid by 2016 as a precursor to any manned mission.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more. | <urn:uuid:defda7ed-9473-4dd6-8c52-2d973553047c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-05/nasa-training-astronaut-crew-potential-manned-asteroid-mission | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947652 | 372 | 3.65625 | 4 |
The risk of developing radiation-induced cancer from computed tomography (CT) may be lower than previously thought, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). "Radiation from medical imaging has gotten a tremendous amount of attention in recent years," said Aabed Meer, an M.D. candidate at Stanford University. "This is one of the first studies to track CT utilization in such a large population."
The researchers conducted a retrospective study using Medicare claims from 1998 through 2005 to analyze the distribution of CT scans, determine the ionizing radiation exposure associated with the exams and estimate the associated cancer risk in a population of older adults.
"The study focused on the elderly Medicare population, which receives the highest amount of per capita radiation," Meer said. "We analyzed more than 10 million records from the Medicare claims database."
The data were studied in two groups, including 5,267,230 records from 1998 through 2001 and 5,555,345 records from 2002 through 2005. For each group, the researchers analyzed the number and types of CT scans that each patient received to determine the percentage of patients exposed to "low" radiation doses of 50 millisieverts (mSv) to 100mSv and "high" radiation doses, in excess of 100mSv. They then used standard cancer risk models to estimate the number of cancers induced.
CT scans of the head were the most common examinations, representing 25 percent of the first group and 30 percent of the second group. However, abdominal CT delivered the greatest proportion of radiation, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the total radiation exposure in each group. Imaging of the pelvis and chest represented the second and third largest sources of radiation.
From 1998 to 2001, 42 percent of patients underwent CT scans. From 2002 to 2005, 49 percent of patients underwent CT scans. The percentage of patients exposed to radiation doses in both the low and high ranges approximately doubled from the first group to the second group. The researchers found this to be consistent with the increasing use of high-speed CT in patient diagnosis and management.
Cancer incidences related to ionizing radiation from CT were estimated to be 0.02 percent and 0.04 percent of the two groups, respectively.
"Our findings indicate a significantly lower risk of developing cancer from CT than previous estimates of 1.5 percent to 2.0 percent of the population," said coauthor Scott Atlas, M.D., chief of neuroradiology at the Stanford University Medical Center. "Regardless, the increasing reliance on CT scans underscores the importance of monitoring CT utilization and its consequences." | <urn:uuid:a31440ec-1e71-45f8-bb62-287b6528f973> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.surgicalproductsmag.com/news/2010/12/cancer-risk-radiation-may-have-been-overestimated?qt-recent_videos=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943434 | 538 | 2.75 | 3 |
Put the Puritans in Charge of the Punchbowl
by Arvind Subramanian, Peterson Institute for International Economics
and John Williamson, Peterson Institute for International Economics
Op-ed in the Financial Times
February 11, 2009
© Financial Times
The Greenspan "put"—the idea of Alan Greenspan, former US Federal Reserve chairman, that monetary and regulatory policy cannot prick asset price bubbles but should deal with the consequences when the bubble has burst—now looks dangerously quaint. Such "asymmetric" policy responses are out. But if they are to be replaced by more symmetric, countercyclical policies, then explicit or implicit target or guidance zones for the prices of all main assets—shares, housing, exchange rates, and perhaps even oil—are unavoidable.
The intellectual justification for the Greenspan put—articulated by Ben Bernanke, the current Fed chairman—was that identifying equilibrium levels of asset prices is difficult; and policy tools to prick or limit bubbles are limited. The unmentioned but perhaps real rationale is a kind of implicit market fundamentalism: Markets value assets best, and even if markets make mistakes, policymakers can never be sure in advance whether and to what extent mistakes have been made.
However, the wreck that is today's financial system is testimony to the catastrophically flawed nature of that doctrine. Policymakers have no choice but to have a view on what constitutes a reasonable or equilibrium level of all asset prices. Of course, determining such levels is subject to uncertainty. The most it is prudent to contemplate is that policymakers should determine not reasonable levels but reasonable zones for asset prices. One of us has in the past argued for exchange rates to have target zones with a margin of 10 percent around the central estimate. Perhaps that is too narrow, and perhaps it is unwise to specify hard target zones with an obligation to intervene to prevent rates moving outside them, but it is wrong to say there are no guides for where targets should be set.
In some cases, one must take account of rapid productivity growth or the discovery of oil. In other cases, real currency values remain pretty constant over the long run. If the rate of real dollars per real pound departs far from historical levels, one knows that it will revert. It is silly to pretend that we are totally ignorant. Otmar Emminger, former Bundesbank president, used to say that, while he could not identify an equilibrium exchange rate, he could certainly tell a disequilibrium rate. We are asking no more than that the authorities should think in advance about what disequilibrium rates for asset prices look like and seek to keep rates from straying into such realms.
The width of the zone should certainly vary depending on the asset and the associated uncertainty in determining equilibrium asset price levels. Note that history provides guides for assets other than exchange rates: When house-price/income ratios, or price/earnings ratios depart far from historical levels, they revert. One might accordingly think of a zone for house prices of, perhaps, plus or minus 30 percent; and for equities of, say, plus or minus 40 percent; and, more controversially, for oil of, say, $40–80 per barrel. Some might balk at trying to set floors for asset prices. But proposals in the current crisis, from government purchases of equity to lowering mortgage interest rates in order to prevent housing foreclosures, amount in effect to setting floors.
Even zones this wide would have called for action—on exchange rates, house prices, equities, and oil prices. A key question is obviously: What action?
The corrective action would depend on the nature of the bubble. It could be either national or international. For example, if the departure relates to the exchange rate, coordinated intervention might be warranted. In the case of oil, cooperation between the main oil exporters and importers might be necessary. Or, if sharp increases in asset prices were concentrated in some sectors, directed prudential policies (such as greater provisioning, higher margins, or tighter capital adequacy standards) or higher taxes would be called for. If, however, increases in asset prices were more broadly based and related to credit expansion generally, tightening monetary policies would be a more appropriate option.
The guidance zones should be made public. They would provide a signal that departures from these zones would elicit policy action. These actions should become stronger the greater the departures, in strong contrast to past behavior in the exchange market, where a successful attack on a publicly announced margin was rewarded by a withdrawal of the authorities.
Policymakers must combine paranoia and puritanism: paranoia about sharp departures of asset prices from reasonable levels and puritanism in taking away the punchbowl (by tightening prudential and monetary policies) to prevent the bubble from becoming intoxicating. Policy should strive to be as anticyclical as good judgment and common sense will allow, and hence more symmetric than Mr. Greenspan argued for. Mr. Greenspan wanted to address the hangover. It is surely better to avoid drunkenness. | <urn:uuid:8a35f468-7812-4302-9fd1-fb08ae51d183> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://iie.com/publications/opeds/print.cfm?ResearchId=1120&doc=pub | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943863 | 1,027 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Italian cuisine is gaining popularity day by day.Some of the most famous dishes in Italian cuisine are bruschetta,gnocchi etc. Its more difficult to pronounce these names then to make these dishes.lol. Take the example of gnocchi pronunciation. Many people are confused with the pronunciation of gnocchi.
Gnocchi Pronunciation can be carried out in the following way.
-First of all the g in gnocchi is silent.
-Hence you can pronounce “gno” as “nyo” since g is silent as stated above.
-The next part “cch” is to be pronounced as a “k”.
-The remaining “i” is to be pronounced as “ee” same as we pronounce the letters ee in “free”.
-So Gnocchi pronunciation becomes “nyokee”.
Also for those of you who aren’t Italian you may not know that gnocchi is actually a plural word. The singular word for gnocchi is “gnocco”.
So now the next time when you experiment in Italian cuisine in front of your friends or go to your favorite Italian be confident in your gnocchi pronunciation. | <urn:uuid:3aef03e3-6cb7-475c-8211-1e7672918168> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://4easytips.com/gnocchi-pronunciation/ | 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 | 0.957546 | 271 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Pentagon eyes accelerated "bunker buster" bomb
* Bomb could be ready for B-2 bomber by July 2010
* Would deliver 10 times explosive power of predecessor
By Jim Wolf
WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - The Pentagon is seeking to speed deployment of an ultra-large "bunker-buster" bomb on the most advanced U.S. bomber as soon as July 2010, the Air Force said on Sunday, amid concerns over perceived nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran.
The non-nuclear, 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, which is still being tested, is designed to destroy deeply buried bunkers beyond the reach of existing bombs.
If Congress agrees to shift enough funds to the program, Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N)'s radar-evading B-2 bomber "would be capable of carrying the bomb by July 2010," said Andy Bourland, an Air Force spokesman.
"The Air Force and Department of Defense are looking at the possibility of accelerating the program," he said. "There have been discussions with the four congressional committees with oversight responsibilities. No final decision has been made."
The precision-guided weapon, built by Boeing Co (BA.N), could become the biggest conventional bomb the United States has ever used.
Carrying more than 5,300 pounds of explosives. it would deliver more than 10 times the explosive power of its predecessor, the 2,000-pound BLU-109, according to the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which has funded and managed the seed program.
Chicago-based Boeing, the Pentagon's No. 2 supplier by sales, could be put on contract within 72 hours to build the first MOP production models if Congress signs off, Bourland said.
The threat reduction agency is working with the Air Force to transition the program from "technology demonstration" to acquisition, said Betsy Freeman, an agency spokeswoman.
Both the U.S. Pacific Command, which takes the lead in U.S. military planning for North Korea, and the Central Command, which prepares for contingencies with Iran, appeared to be backing the acceleration request, said Kenneth Katzman, an expert on Iran at the Congressional Research Service, the research arm of Congress.
"It's very possible that the Pentagon wants to send a signal to various countries, particularly Iran and North Korea, that the United States is developing a viable military option against their nuclear programs," Katzman said.
But he cautioned against concluding there was any specific mission in mind at this time.
The MOP would be about one-third heavier than the 21,000-pound (9.5 million kg) GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb -- dubbed the "mother of all bombs" -- that was dropped twice in tests at a Florida range in 2003.
The 20-foot-long (6-metre) MOP is built to be dropped from either the B-52 or the B-2 "stealth" bomber. It is designed to penetrate up to 200 feet (61 metres) underground before exploding, according to the U.S. Air Force.
The suspected nuclear facilities of Iran and North Korea are believed to be largely buried underground to escape detection and boost their chances of surviving attack.
During a visit to Jerusalem last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sought to reassure Israel that a drive by President Barack Obama to talk Iran into giving up its nuclear work was not "open-ended."
Iran says its uranium enrichment -- a process with bomb-making potential -- is for energy only and has rejected U.S.-led demands to curb the program.
For its part, North Korea responded to new United Nations sanctions, imposed after it detonated a second nuclear device, by vowing in June to press the production of nuclear weapons and act against international efforts to isolate it.
(Editing by Doina Chiacu)
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8. And on account of the suitability of the attributes.
The attributes also which the text ascribes to the bhûman suit the highest Self only. So immortality ('The Bhûman is immortal,' VII, 24, 1); not being based on something else ('it rests in its own greatness'); being the Self of all ('the bhûman is below,' &c., 'it is all this'); being that which produces all ('from the Self there springs breath,' &c.). All these attributes can be reconciled with the highest Self only.--The Pûrvapakshin has pointed to the text which declares the 'I' to be the Self of all (VII, 25, 1); but what that text really teaches is meditation on Brahman under the aspect of the 'I.' This appears from the introductory clause 'Now follows the instruction with regard to the I.' That of the 'I,' i.e. the individual Self, also the highest Self is the true Self, scripture declares in several places, so e.g. in the text about the inward Ruler (Bri. Up. III, 7). As therefore the individual soul finds its completion in the highest Self only, the word 'I' also extends in its connotation up to the highest Self; and the instruction about the 'I' which is given in the text has thus for its object meditation on the highest Self in so far as having the individual Self for its body. As the highest Self has all beings for its body and thus is the Self of all, it is the Self of the individual soul also; and this the text declares in the passage beginning 'Now follows the instruction about the Self,' and ending 'Self is all this.' In order to prove this the text declares that everything originates from the highest Self which forms the Self of the individual soul also, viz. in the passage 'From the Self of him who sees this, perceives this, knows this, there springs breath,' &c.--that means: breath and all other beings spring from the highest Self which abides within the Self of the meditating devotee as its inner ruler. Hence, the text means to intimate, meditation should be performed on the 'I,' in order thus firmly to establish the cognition that the highest Self has the 'I,' i.e. the individual soul for its body.
It is thus an established conclusion that the bhûman is the highest Self. Here terminates the adhikarana of 'fulness.' | <urn:uuid:a81a597c-b227-4462-8dba-0cafa05f87c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hindubooks.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=2317 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94219 | 518 | 2.328125 | 2 |
At next week's Sweet Apple Elementary School Literacy Fair children's author Leslie McKinney will teach from her latest book, "Too Much!"
The Literacy Fair, March 13-14, is an interactive event that encourages beginning elementary students to enjoy reading and explore creative writing skills that will benefit them throughout their academic careers, according to information about the event provided by the school.
"Sweet Apple is committed to developing lifelong readers, both through our classroom lessons and through innovative activities, like our annual Literacy Fair," said SAE Principal Natalie Richman. "Author visits are wonderful for our students because when they understand how a book is created, they appreciate each story they encounter."
McKinney's presentation will focus on her book's core theme, homophones, and she'll share highlights of how a story becomes published. In addition, the fair organizers say the event will offer the following interactive displays:
- Word Wall - Students will record their favorite action or describing words to create a vocabulary mural.
- Story Starter Journals - Students will explore their creativity to author a story of their own.
- Bookwalk - Students will walk, dance, or hop to music along an alphabet path to win a book for their personal library.
McKinney is the third author to visit Sweet Apple this school year, according to th press release. She follows writer David M. Sargent Jr. of the "Doggie Tails" series and local Roswell author Julie Ferris author of "Badges, Egg Salad, and Green Jackets: The Masters A to Z." Children's authors Diane Shore and Anne Wainscott-Sargent will present to Sweet Apple students later in the school year, concluding a series of five author visits, states the release. | <urn:uuid:33695ad9-fe70-4fce-8232-a67deec0df87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://roswell.patch.com/articles/children-s-author-to-visit-sweet-apple-elementary | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954237 | 359 | 2.6875 | 3 |
From Our 2010 Archives
Fewer Hours for Medical Residents May Backfire
TUESDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- A 50-hour workweek limit for surgical residents in Switzerland may negatively affect surgical training and quality of patient care, suggests a new study.
The law, introduced in 2005, limits hospital-based residents and consultants to 14 hours per day of work, including breaks. They must be given 11 or more consecutive hours per day of rest. The rules have generated heated debate among surgeons.
Latest MedicineNet News
In this study, researchers analyzed responses to surveys filled out in 2006 by 221 residents and 184 consultants in 52 surgical departments. Among the findings:
"Both groups reported increased chances for residents to maintain a social network and to rest," wrote Dr. Adrian Businger, of University Hospital Basel, and colleagues. "However, improved quality of life seems to be a passive consequence of the new regulations in light of the clearly negative effect on surgical education and on patient care. Residents were ambivalent about the consequences of the workweek limitation on surgical training. Residents and consultants believed that residents' training and quality of education had decreased. All aspects of surgical training were assessed as negatively affected."
The findings suggest the workweek limitations are a failure, the authors said. They suggest that resident paperwork be reduced or reassigned and said surgical residents must study while off-duty.
The study is published in the June issue of the journal Archives of Surgery.
-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: JAMA/Archives journals, news release, June 21, 2010
Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE! | <urn:uuid:5d41d8f2-dde1-4bec-a30f-15f91d3c0eb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=117419 | 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 | 0.957961 | 349 | 1.625 | 2 |
NYC Reopens Investigation Into 1992 Murder Of Trans Activist And Stonewall Veteran Marsha P. Johnson
has reopened the 20-year old investigation into the possible murder of seminal transgender activist and Stonewall Rebellion participant Marsha P. Johnson.
Prosecutors will take a fresh look at the 1992 death of gay icon and “mayor of Christopher Street” Marsha P. Johnson, the Daily News has learned. Johnson, an unmistakable Greenwich Village fixture who posed for an Andy Warhol series on drag queens, was pulled from the Hudson River, fully clothed, near Christopher St. on July 6, 1992. She had been missing for days.For those unaware of Johnson's place in the history of our movement, below is the full documentary of her life, Pay It No Mind.
Her death was ruled a suicide by the city’s medical examiner, but Johnson’s friends and family believe she was attacked by bullies who regularly harassed and assaulted her at the pier. The ruling was changed from “suicide” to “undetermined” in December 2002, as a result of a police investigation that determined there was not enough information to call it a suicide. Now, two decades after her death, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has agreed to reconsider the case, law enforcement sources confirmed.
(Tipped by JMG reader Nathaniel) | <urn:uuid:07b7b291-a9e5-463c-834e-88970e6f9e68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/12/nyc-reopens-investigation-into-1992.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960323 | 282 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Reimbursement for obesity is an “anomalie” Obesity is a serious disease that is often associated with increased mortality rates, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, degenerative joint disease and several types o cancer.
Due to the lack of coverage that obese people receive, they choose not to seek treatment for it. The market for treatments are “cheap and plentiful,” and effective treatments are time intensive and costly.
Medicare and Medicaid do not cover obesity as they do not recognize it as a disease.
Lack of coverage can be attributed to lack of understanding of obesity as a disease. However, there is a decrease in the development of new therapies as people feel these treatments will be no reimbursements.
There is also a perception that responsibility to treat obesity is on the individual themselves. The public perceives that these diseases are based on personal behavior.
There is evidence that things are beginning to change. The IRS is now allowing weight loss expenses to be deducted, when there were previous instructions not allowing this.
Future: Many health conditions can be treated by weight loss. | <urn:uuid:73327b3c-c4ea-4884-a010-9d7fc357ac28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tags.library.upenn.edu/project/4922/Obesity+Coverage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974735 | 229 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?
Why do banks charge a fee on ‘insufficient funds’ when they know there is not enough money?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
Whose idea was it to put an ‘S’ in the word ‘lisp’?
Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, ‘It’s all right?’ Well, it isn’t all right, so why don’t we say, ‘That really hurt, why don’t you watch where you’re going?’
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that’s falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
-Thanks Brad B. | <urn:uuid:26bae545-546d-48c4-80bf-be1219e9de39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://candy95.com/2011/01/questions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949727 | 375 | 2.34375 | 2 |
A new study suggests that drinking alcohol, coffee and tea may not cause acid reflux disease as once thought. That is surprising enough, but even more unexpected was the findings that table salt may increase a person's risk of developing acid reflux by 70.
In a recent study, researchers in Sweden had set out to identify the lifestyle factors that can cause acid reflux, and they came to some surprising conclusions. While smoking, as expected, strongly increases the risk for developing acid reflux disease, drinking alcohol had little impact. The same was found true with coffee and tea.
Does this mean that if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD--commonly referred to as acid reflux disease) you can drink alcohol, coffee, and tea with no reflux problems? No. While this study shows alcohol, coffee, and tea don't appear to cause acid reflux disease, they can still make reflux symptoms worse in those diagnosed with the disease.
As stated by Magnus Nilsson, MD, of Stockholm's Karolinska Hospital: "We know that drinking alcohol causes symptoms to occur in people who already have acid reflux disease, so we were quite surprised to find that long-term use did not increase the risk of developing it."
For those individuals who don't have GERD, alcohol consumption doesn't increase your risk of developing GERD. There are other factors, however, that will increase your risk of developing acid reflux disease.
It has been known for quite some time that smoking increases the risk of developing acid reflux disease, and worsens symptoms in those who suffer from it. What wasn't widely known was that people who had smoked every day for more than 20 years are 70 more likely to have acid reflux than non-smokers.
What hasn't been known, and what researchers found in the above mentioned study, is that people who ate large amounts of salt had a similar increase in risk for developing acid reflux disease as smokers do. Table salt hasn't been previously implicated as a trigger for acid reflux, but this study found that there was a 70 increased risk of developing acid reflux among those who always used extra table salt daily compared with those who did not.
Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, a gastroenterologist at New York University Medical Center, offers one possible for salt being a cause for acid reflux. She said it's possible that the people who are adding a lot of salt to their food may also be eating greasier foods, foods which may increase their risk of heartburn.
Swedish Acid Reflux Study: | <urn:uuid:8771c2ac-a775-45de-880e-b6e9b6d9d980> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://heartburn.about.com/od/whatcausesheartburn/a/studyreflxcause.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982633 | 536 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Last time on Bass Tone we looked at the daddy of all basses: the upright. Though it has many wonderful strengths as an instrument, there are some frustrating limitations, particularly for the non classically trained musician. We left off in the early 1950s, when a man called Leo Fender stepped in…
Released in 1951, Leo Fender’s “Precision” bass revolutionized bass playing. Its radical design maintained the tuning of the upright bass, but reduced the scale length from a whopping 42 inches to a manageable 34, added guitar-style frets on a bolted-on neck, used a sleek solid ash body, and flipped the whole thing on its side. A mark of Leo Fender’s genius is that the design decisions he made on the Precision have become the de facto standard of bass design. With only minor revisions, the Fender P-Bass—as it is affectionately known—is, along with its sister, the Fender Jazz (or J-Bass), still the most popular bass guitar in the world.
Electric Bass: E-A-D-G
In this clip the open strings of an electric bass are played from E to G.
The innovative construction of Fender’s electric bass revolutionized music. Suddenly, the bass became portable and affordable, and any guitarist could quickly learn to double on bass. He chose the name “Precision” because the fretted neck allows for perfect pitching of notes every time, even for beginners.
This had two immediate effects:
- The bass became a pretty easy instrument to pick up, leading to the popular trend of bands putting the cool one with no musical ability on bass.
- A skilled bass player could now tear up the fret board like a guitarist! It isn’t an exaggeration to say that modern musical styles such as funk and metal simply could not exist without the high-octane low end enabled by Fender’s magical melding of wood and wire.
A Note on Sound Clips
I played the electric bass recordings for this article using a five-string Warwick Streamer Double Buck—you can see me playing it in my profile pic. This is a bolt-necked bass with a construction similar to the Fender basses already described. I recorded the examples via an EBS HD350 amplifier acting as a preamplifier and EQ.
The P and J basses have a very similar construction, with the main difference being the P Bass’s unusual Z-shaped humbucking magnetic pickup, which gives this bass a fat rock sound. The strange shape was allegedly chosen to throw Gibson off the scent, as they still held the patents for this type of pickup and could have demanded licence fees! The J Bass features a pair of single-coil pickups, which produce a more articulate sound.
The following clip demonstrates a bass with a switchable pickup, changing from single-coil to a dual-coil humbucker sound. Notice, when switching from single-coil to humbucker, the volume, especially in the low frequencies, increases.
Electric Bass: Single Then Humbucker
If you are listening on headphones, you may notice some background noise on the single-coil sound. Single coils are notorious for picking up electrical noise from nearby equipment. The humbucker was invented to prevent this (see the Humbucker Wikipedia article if you want to know the science behind that).
The sound a pickup produces depends on other factors in addition to how many coils it has. The type of magnet, the number of wraps of wire, and the pickup’s size all are important. Most musicians consider so-called “alnico” magnets to sound the best. Bass players typically do not prefer the super-high-output, overwound pickups that most rock guitarists do, because active basses already produce very high output (more on that in a moment). If you like the feel of your bass but want to improve the sound, fitting a different kind of pickup is the best option.
The two pickups—one near the bridge and one near the neck—of a J Bass have individual volume controls. This innovation came about because bassists wanted to blend the more articulate sound of the bridge pickup and the fatter sound of neck pickup to produce a sonic sweet spot. The desirability of these in-between tones lessened the importance of switching from one to the other, so basses usually feature either individual volume controls or a blend control that fades input from one pickup while boosting it from the other.
Electric Bass: Blend
In the clip above, listen for the fading in and out of the bridge and neck pickups while I play a phrase several times.
Bass players tend to be more accepting of modern technology than guitarists are (though there is still a huge market for retro designs). Modern bass guitar designs are typically “active”, meaning they have a battery-powered preamplifier built in, which boosts the output level for a cleaner signal, and can provide two or three bands of equalization.
In these clips, I adjust the bass and treble controls of an active bass while playing a repeated phrase. Listen for how boosting and cutting the treble affects the sound, and then compare with boosting and cutting the bass.
First, the phrase is played with maximum treble cut. The control is then slowly moved to a neutral position, and then to maximum boost. A bass with more treble will stand out more in the mix, but notice how more treble also increases the amount of unwanted string noise.
Electric Bass: Treble Tweak
Next the phrase is played with maximum bass cut. The control is then slowly moved to a neutral position, and then to maximum bass boost. At maximum cut the bass sounds weedy and lacking in low frequencies, but at maximum boost it becomes muddy and indistinct.
Electric Bass: Bass Tweak
With both of the above clips, listen and try to identify where you think the ideal balance is.
Even if your bass has only one pickup and no tone controls, you can alter your tone by your choice of fingering. Unlike a piano, where each note comes from only one key, on the bass you can play the same note in more than one position. For example, using a higher fret on a thicker (lower) string will result in a fatter sound.
Electric Bass: Same Note, Different String
In this clip, I start by playing the open G string, and follow by fingering the fifth fret of the D string, the tenth fret of the A string, the fifteenth fret of the E string, and finally the twentieth fret of the B string. Notice the change from bright articulation of the open G to the thumpy fatness when I play the same note on the B string.
Now you have an idea of the range of tones which the electric bass itself can typically provide, and the kind of flexibility the electric bass offers over its hollow-bodied father, the upright!
We’ll continue next time with how different playing styles can affect the tone of the bass, and the innovative ways famous bass players have eked out new sounds from their instruments.
Also, look out for the next episode of the Bass Tone Podcast later this week, featuring more info and lots more sound examples for this topic!
Any questions, comments or suggestions? Don’t be shy! | <urn:uuid:e55bdd12-604c-4979-8bbe-dffaf679b714> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.easyeartraining.com/2011/04/13/bass-tone-playing-with-precision/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946313 | 1,536 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Apple's new iAd proposition has been generating a great deal of discussion lately, most of it positive, and most of it remarkably short-sighted. It seems most people, including Steve Jobs, have forgotten the basic lessons of computing and the internet. People who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The iAd has no future, and neither does the iPhone/iPad. I will show why iAds must inevitably die, and how Steve Job's strategy for iPhone and iPad will inevitably lead Apple into becoming at best a marginal niche player, at worst an ex-business.
We need to start by remembering what the smartphone platform is. First, let's forget the archaic concept of a "mobile phone." The iPhone is no more of a phone than a PC running Skype. The majority of iPhone time, money, and resources lies in apps. iPhones, just like smartphones running Google's Android or Microsoft's WinOS, are not phones but small computers that happen to have telephone capabilities. They may have started as phones, but they outgrew that classification a couple of years back. The only serious difference between a smartphone and a computer is size and the fact that smartphones are inherently location-aware. You will notice that the creators of smartphone operating systems are all computer companies.
As computers, smartphones are subject to the multi-layered business model common to all computers. Technology manufacturers, such as Nokia and Samsung, build the physical hardware. Above them we have the providers of operating systems, of whom the major players are Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Other companies provide apps and services. Some services are delivered directly through the operating system, such as SMS and phone calls, while others are delivered within applications themselves. Under this model, advertising falls into the category of services, while widgets combine apps with services.
Understanding the dynamics of this marketplace requires recognizing where the power lies, and how it shifts as technology evolves.
The smartphone marketplace
Hardware manufacturers make their money by selling new phones. They have no interest in making phones that last forever, or that can be upgraded via software. Just like PC manufacturers, their only chance of continuous revenue is by continually developing new models. The best way to sell a new model is to provide new capabilities, but opportunities for new capabilities are limited if the operating system does not provide access to them. Since operating systems are more difficult to develop than applications and services, and cannot upgrade as quickly, the emphasis on exploiting new capabilities inevitably falls on the app developer and service provider community. Thus the success of smartphone hardware providers is inextricably linked with the development of an active mobile app marketplace and a dynamic service provider community.
Irrespective of the capabilities of the hardware, both apps and services are limited by the capabilities of the operating system. If the operating system does not permit access to a new hardware capability, then that capability cannot be exploited. If the operating system does not provide an efficient development environment, then it may be difficult to exploit the new capability in a cost-effective manner. Thus hardware manufacturers, application developers, and service providers are all dependent on the operating system.
Operating system vendors can make money from both sides of the equation. They can license the operating system to the hardware manufacturer, and they can charge licensing for apps built on their platform, or for developer kits and support.
Operating systems are only attractive to hardware manufacturers to the degree that they offer future-proof access to new capabilities the manufacturer may one day create, and to the degree that the operating system is attractive to application developers and service providers.
Next page >> | <urn:uuid:e10f7ae6-26d8-4146-8372-94536886e392> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/26781.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948887 | 725 | 2 | 2 |
Although it is an unfinished and in many ways defective novel, Franz Kafka's The Trial has fascinated readers for more than 80 years. Several attempts have been made to film it – notably, by director Orson Welles – and also to turn it into an opera. Danish composer Poul Ruders is the latest but probably not the last person to do so. His librettist is Paul Bentley, who also provided Ruders with an excellent libretto for his compelling operatic version of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Great literature doesn't necessarily make great operas, but one shouldn't fault Ruders for setting his sights high.
This is not The Trial, however, but Kafka's Trial. Sticking quite closely to Kafka's original plot, Bentley has interlaced it with incidents from Kafka's own life – notably, his engagement to Felice Bauer, which was finally broken off when it was revealed that Kafka also was involved with Felice's friend, Greta Bloch. Bentley describes Kafka's meeting with the two women as an "unofficial tribunal," of which the outcome was that he was "hugely humiliated and hugely relieved." He forthwith returned to Prague and began writing The Trial. There's more to his unfinished novel than a tale of two women scorned, of course, but some of the novel's surreal character might be explained by Kafka's bizarre personal life.
One must not forget that The Trial is a comedy, albeit one of the blackest hue. Bentley's libretto makes that clear. For example, he introduces a group of "zanies" who arrange the sets and the props, and even participate in the action. By the same token, Ruders's music is comically grotesque, and as antic as a Keystone Kops chase scene. In fact, Kafka's Trial becomes something of a marathon, at least for this listener. This is a two-hour opera in one act (with a "prelude," really more of a prologue) with no intermissions. Pity tenor Johnny van Hal who plays the dual role of Kafka and Josef K. He is seldom (if ever) offstage, and given the difficulty of Ruders's high and awkward vocal writing, and the emotional intensity of the role, I am guessing that few singers will want to take on this challenge. I rather like this opera, but the demands it makes on performers and audiences alike don't bode well for it.
This impactful world première recording is taken from live performances in March and April of 2005. Hal's partners in extremis include soprano Gisela Stille and alto Marianne Rørholm. Both sound as frayed and frazzled as the tenor. Most of the other cast members sing multiple roles as well, so nobody gets very much rest in this opera. The presentation on CD is excellent (there is a nearly 300-page booklet), but this seems like an opera which needs to be seen to be appreciated fully, so I am hoping that there will be a DVD release somewhere down the road.
The Handmaid's Tale was a remarkable piece of work. Kafka's Trial is no less remarkable, but more has been grasped than actually has been attained, this time around.
Copyright © 2006, Raymond Tuttle | <urn:uuid:0f47034e-4d5c-4119-b6b4-0651586bd7b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/m/mpl26042a.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977628 | 676 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Mount Tibrogargan Summit
The glass house, so named by Captain James Cook on his voyage up the east coast of Australia. The shape of the mountains remainded Captain Cook of the glass furnaces from his home in yorkshire in England. Mount Tibrogargan is the third highest mountain in the range and the 2nd most steep. Climbing the mountain is not easy at the best of times and quite often people underestimage the difficulty of the climb, while others turn back when they realise that some rock climbing is required to get to the summit.
Standing at the top of Chicken Gate Rock on Mount Tibrogargan. This is where many will turn back and ...
View fro top of Glass Mountains.
The Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve in Queensland Australia is a 52 hectare remnant of the subtropical...
The Woodford Folk Festival has a diverse array of music and arts. The palace is a big top venue often...
Bars, booths, stalls, massages and a world of food fill the festival Woodford Folk Festival precinct.
The Village Green is circled by stalls and is adjacent to Cyldes Pond with the Duck and Shovel, the B...
The Bluestown venue near the entrance to Woodford Folk Festival is the main venue for blues and roots
Gerrard lookout early morning.
There are no kangaroos in Austria.
We're talking about Australia, the world's smallest continent. That being cleared up, let's dive right in!
Australia is a sovereign state under the Commonwealth of Nations, which is in turn overseen by Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.
The continent was first sighted and charted by the Dutch in 1606. Captain James Cook of Britain came along in the next century to claim it for Britain and name it "New South Wales." Shortly thereafter it was declared to be a penal colony full of nothing but criminals and convicts, giving it the crap reputation you may have heard at your last cocktail party.
This rumor ignores 40,000 years of pre-European human history, especially the Aboriginal concept of Dreamtime, an interesting explanation of physical and spiritual reality.The two biggest cities in Australia are Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is more for business, Melbourne for arts. But that's painting in very broad strokes. Take a whirl around the panoramas to see for yourself!
Text by Steve Smith. | <urn:uuid:4f93d18a-99a7-452e-ac30-0210359cc2e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.360cities.net/nl/image/mount-tibrogargan-summit | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945317 | 511 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Somehow I seriously doubt this. My Verizon LTE connection averages around 20 -30 mbps, but LTE is still no very widespread, Verizon and AT&T still don't have a lot of LTE subscribers and when you consider other customers most of which are on HSPA+ or HSPA, it becomes much harder to believe I have a HSPA+ 21 S2 on AT&T as my work phone and it averages about 7-8 mbps, the iphone 4S has a maximum speed of 14.4 mbps.
Are they averaging the theoretical maximum of a carrier's service or the average download speed users actually see?
In the article it's self they talk about how many carriers advertise speeds above 21mbps.
I think this is a trick to make carrier's look better than they are in real life.
Globally, most places are 14.4 HSPA+ or 21 HSPA+. Some countries are still using GPRS or EDGE, but the standard is pretty much 14.4 or 21, with the exceptions being LTE and GPRS/EDGE-only. | <urn:uuid:fe5c7569-1375-4cb1-bbfb-371d91d10608> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/r27164538-Somehow-I-seriously-doubt-this | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946267 | 228 | 1.835938 | 2 |
CANCER RESEARCH UK funded scientists have discovered why some breast cancers are resistant to the commonly used drug tamoxifen, their findings are published in Cancer Research.
Tamoxifen is given to most women for around five years after they are diagnosed with breast cancer to help prevent the disease from coming back. Some women gradually develop resistance to the treatment meaning their cancer is more likely to return. This discovery could lead to new drugs that counteract this resistance.
The team of scientists in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) found that when a gene called FGFR1 is turned on too much it causes resistance to tamoxifen and other hormone treatments.
When stimulated in this way breast cancer cells no longer rely on hormones to grow rapidly and spread, making hormone treatments like tamoxifen less effective.
Around a tenth of breast cancers have too much of the FGFR1 gene and these patients are more likely to see their cancer return after initial treatment and have a poor prognosis. But until now it wasn't known whether FGFR1 was behind this poor prognosis. Understanding the role that FGFR1 plays could help personalise treatments for women.
In lab studies the scientists were able to switch off FGFR1 in cancer cells with too much of the gene, by adding a drug that blocks the function of FGFR1. Once FGFR1 was switched off hormone treatments were once more able to work and destroy the cancer cells. Understanding more about switching off FGFR1 could lead to new treatments that benefit patients who do not respond to tamoxifen.
Lead author Dr Nick Turner, a Cancer Research UK funded clinician scientist from the ICR, said: "We have known for some time that breast cancer patients with too much of the FGFR1 gene in their cancer are more likely to have a poor prognosis, but we did not know if FGFR1 was behind this. Understanding how this gene can cause tamoxifen resistance reveals a new drug target for treating breast cancers in patients who would otherwise have a poor outcome.
"There are a number of drugs in development that stop FGFR1 working, and clinical studies are investigating whether these drugs work against cancers with too many copies of this gene." | <urn:uuid:9112e035-1062-4619-ba93-e040ff652d97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100224/Scientists-identify-key-mechanism-of-drug-resistance-in-breast-cancer-patients.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970775 | 464 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Dive into the wilds of Zambia for death-defying dips and wildlife wonders
Hakuna matata, yells our guide Alpha as he backflips into the water. Roughly translated, this means 'no worries'.
Later, we discover that an average of one person a year dies while swimming in Devil's Pool. No wonder I had to sign a disclaimer. But this is a thrill.
Situated on the very edge of the Victoria Falls in Zambia, the naturally formed pool is 350ft high. If you're brave, you can swim to the edge and look down into the gorge. We did it and were ringed by a dazzling rainbow.
High point: Victoria Falls, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is a spectacular sight
If you're not, just swim as near as your lily liver permits and cling on to the rock ledge a few inches in front. 'It slows the current down,' explains Alpha.
In the rainy season (roughly, November to March) 110 million gallons of water a minute cascade over the mile-wide Falls - one of the Seven natural Wonders of the World - on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, causing a spectacular and deafening explosion of spray that can be seen from 30 miles away.
It's the largest sheet of falling water on earth. Locals call it Mosi-o-Tunya, or 'the smoke that thunders'. Anyone stupid enough to enter Devil's Pool - reached via the tiny Livingstone Island in the middle of the Zambezi River - in the rainy season would be swept to their deaths by the raging torrent.
For the rest of the year, reduced water levels allow the natural rock walls to come close enough to the surface to form that all-important barrier.
Getting to the pool is something of a challenge in itself. I find this out while clambering ungracefully over the rocks, and make a mental note to pack a pair of plastic shoes for any future adventures.
But Alpha and his chums have come up
with an ingenious plan to ease our passage. They make our group of
eight join hands and we crawl in sideways. At least if we go, we all go
other activities around the Falls - elephant safaris, microlighting,
fishing, bush walks. I pass on bungee-jumping from the suspension
bridge that joins Zambia and Zimbabwe, but
take up the offer of an early morning helicopter flight.
Water babies: There are plenty of exciting activities around Victoria Falls
a fine way to see the huge gorge spread out below and spot buffalo and
elephants sweeping across the plane. After towelling off and dressing,
we're led to breakfast under a small, sparkling white marquee.
Equally gleaming cutlery and tableware has already been laid out, and alpha busies himself making eggs Benedict, muffins with bacon and fresh spinach and chocolate brownies.
Sated, it's then a quick hop via speedboat from Livingstone Island (named after the Scottish explorer David Livingstone, the first European to 'discover' the Victoria Falls in 1855) back to the Royal Livingstone Hotel, hippo-spotting along the way.
Set on the banks of the Zambezi near the Mosi-o-Tunya National Park, the hotel is pure colonial-era luxury: shaded verandahs, mahogany ceiling fans and liveried butlers. And, so far, the only place I've seen zebra and impala roaming not six feet from my bedroom window.
If you're a safari virgin, the Mosi-o-Tunya is a good starting point: it covers just 41 square miles, seven of them stretched out along the Zambezi River, and you don't have to venture far to see wildlife.
Up close and personal: The wildlife literally on your doorstep at the Royal Livingston Hotel
We'd already seen elephants dozing at the side of the road and giraffes and zebra right under our noses in the 15 minutes it took to get from the airport to the hotel. From the riverside deck you can watch hippos bobbing around in the river.
Since there are no predators here, the animals allow you to come closer than normal. So close, in fact, that you're liable to bump into them if you're not careful.
One of a number of properties belonging to Sun International, the hotel fulfills its social responsibilities by putting money into local community projects. These include schools for the blind, hospitals, HIV and malaria centres, orphanages and farming projects, most of which encourage visitors.
One such scheme is the Linda and Mapenzi Agricultural Centre, just outside Livingstone. Set up in 2006, it's now home to a number of blind people and their families, who grow their own fruit and vegetables and sell them to local restaurants and hotels.
Some of the food finds its way on to the Royal Livingstone Express, a beautifully refitted vintage steam train that runs along the restored Mulobezi Line. It was once one of the biggest privately owned railway networks in the world, constructed in the 1920s by the Zambezi Sawmills company to carry timber from Mulobezi to Livingstone when the country was northern Rhodesia.
Riding the train is an unashamedly opulent affair and most of the passengers have donned their finery. I've never seen so much Swarovski in one setting.
Before sitting down to a six-course silver-service dinner, courtesy of the train's own kitchen, we're served canapes and G&Ts in cut-glass crystal tumblers on the open-air observation deck.
As the Royal pulls out of Mulobezi station and trundles through the dusty Zambezi Valley under a blazing orange sky, scores of children come running out of their villages to greet us.
After the four-hour round trip we're dropped off at the hotel. It's pitch-black and I'm woozy from fine wines and gourmet food. In the morning, Alpha will be picking up more guests to take them to Devil's Pool. I'm confident he will bring them all back safely.
Four nights' B&B at the five-star Royal Livingstone Hotel starts at £1,489 pp, flying with South African Airways from Heathrow to Livingstone via Johannesburg. Price based on two sharing, 0871 703 4240, www.travelbag.co.uk. | <urn:uuid:73cddbe6-bd14-4c63-a048-55d93183e3a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1353806/Africa-holidays-From-Victoria-Falls-safaris-Zambia-all.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939496 | 1,345 | 1.875 | 2 |
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One government-appointed mullah believes sports may cause young women to lose their virginity.
Lina Al Maeena, 30, is founder of Jeddah United basketball team whose players are mostly students and housewives. She said in an interview that she had seen “drastic changes” in the mental health of women who had come to play regularly — many of them in headscarves, long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
She recalled how one girl who was suffering from anorexia “just blossomed” and “is one of our most amazing players.” Other girls who were on antidepressants no longer needed them because “their seratonin levels just went up naturally” during dribbling and shooting on the court, Al Maeena said.
“People think sport is only for losing weight,” said Lamis Darwish, a tall, slender 20-something who exercises several days a week at Impact, an all-women’s gym attached to a downtown Riyadh medical facility.
But Darwish says she also does it for her mental health. “It makes me happy, all the bad energy comes out,” she said.
Sports clubs like Impact are licensed because they are associated with hospitals or medical centers. But these facilities are scarce, and usually too expensive for most young women.
In an effort to meet the growing demand for women’s exercise facilities, some entrepreneurs have opened establishments that they describe to licensing authorities as “beauty salons,” or “natural treatment centers” because they know that they cannot get licensed as all-female gym.
These facilities are the ones now being threatened with closure because they are not properly “licensed.” And yet, officials admit, no government department — including the one that issues licenses for men’s gyms — is authorized to license women’s gyms.
After this was recently highlighted in the press, some members of the Shura Council, the state-appointed advisory body, expressed dismay that their recommendation several years ago to open all-female exercising facilities had not been implemented and they urged the government to do so.
But cleric Al Manee from the Council of Senior Ulema told the Saudi Gazette that the “decision on whether to permit sports clubs for women requires a ruling” from the Council.
More GlobalPost dispatches from Saudi Arabia: | <urn:uuid:f8dbad2e-da78-43d3-9430-b8f14ee8c1e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/saudi-arabia/090512/womens-gym?page=0,2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975933 | 507 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Jewish World Review Feb. 2, 2004 / 10 Shevat, 5764
Kay's say and the CIA
David Kay's exit interview was odd. In
resigning as chief U.S. weapons inspector
in Iraq, he made news. "I don't think they
existed," he said of the WMD supposedly
stockpiled by Saddam Hussein. But this
announcement came not in a Washington
press conference but in a phone interview
with a London-based news outlet (Reuters).
Then he declined to answer phone calls and
E-mails from the New York Times and talked to the London Telegraph
Reuters said Kay "fired a parting shot at the Bush administration." This
wasn't true and may have reflected the journalistic expectation (or hope) that
Kay would slam the door on the way out. Reuters eliminated the "parting
shot" from its copy a couple of hours later.
The right-leaning Telegraph, possibly with an opposite expectation, ran its
story under a sensational HEADLINE SADDAM'S WMD HIDDEN IN SYRIA,
SAYS IRAQ SURVEY CHIEF. Kay was quoted as saying that interviews with
former Iraqi officials established that "a lot of material went to Syria before the
war, including some components of Saddam's WMD program." The story
was tamer than the headline. Kay's account grew tamer still when he got
around to talking to U.S. media and the Senate: Whatever had been shipped
to Syria (satellites and on-the-ground reports established "a constant stream
of trucks, cars, rail traffic") could not have amounted to much, since no
significant, telltale evidence of production of weapons of mass destruction
has been found anywhere in Iraq.
Retooling. The first reports on Kay's comments, based solely on the brief
and thin Reuters dispatch, stuck to the simple failure to find WMD. But once
Kay started adding qualifiers and nuances, the story seemed less damaging
to the Bush administration and less helpful to the "Bush lied" constituency.
The stark no-weapons reporting (IRAQ ILLICIT ARMS GONE BEFORE WAR,
INSPECTOR INSISTS, said the first New York Times article) faded from
certainty to the finding that the weapons "probably" were gone when the
United States invaded. Kay is personally convinced that Iraq had no WMD,
but he acknowledged a dwindling chance that such forbidden weapons might
still be found.
Kay told National Public Radio that Saddam "had a large number of WMD
program-related activities," repeating the awkward phrase used in Kay's
interim report last October and repeated in President Bush's State of the
Union address. "So there was a WMD program. It was going ahead. It was
rudimentary in many areas." Later, he said that Iraq began retooling its
nuclear weapons program in 2000 and 2001 but never got as far toward
making a bomb as Iran and Libya. The Iraqis were working to develop
biological weapons using the poison ricin "right up until" the invasion in
March. Officers in the Republican Guard, he said, told interrogators that they
believed other guard units had biological or chemical weapons. This might be
interpreted as a small olive branch offered to the intelligence
community--maybe the CIA was picking up reports of beliefs, rather than hard
facts, about the existence of WMD.
"Clearly, the intelligence that we went to war
on was inaccurate, wrong," Kay said, but he
did not think intelligence reports had been
deliberately distorted and said he had found
no evidence that analysts had been
pressured to shade their assessments in
order to justify a war. His only political
finger-pointing was toward the Carter
administration (for its policy of relying so
heavily on technological surveillance and downgrading the need for spies) and
in the general direction of unnamed political or military leaders who allowed
post-invasion looting to go on in Iraq, thus allowing the destruction of official
papers about weapons.
Kay's smooth and convincing testimony at his Senate hearing helps to
discredit the theory that neoconservatives in the Bush administration
conspired to manipulate intelligence reports. In an op-ed piece in the
Washington Post, Duke professor of political science Peter Feaver writes:
"How could even the all-powerful neocons have manipulated the intelligence
estimates of the Clinton administration, French intelligence, British
intelligence, German intelligence, and all the other `coconspirators' who
concurred on the fundamentals of the Bush assessment?" Belief that
Saddam had WMD was so universal that one blogger, Calpundit.com,
launched a contest of sorts seeking the names of any serious analysts who
publicly doubted the actual existence of WMD in Iraq before September of
2002, when the U.N. inspections resumed. The blogger and his readers
identified two people who qualified: Russian President Vladimir Putin and
former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter. The point here is unmissable.
The huge consensus about WMD in Iraq was wrong, and the arrow is pointing
toward the intelligence services.
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John Leo Archives
Copyright ©2002 Universal Press Syndicate
here for more John Leo | <urn:uuid:0f494b6c-f27d-49dc-865b-b689952710a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/leo020204.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948673 | 1,190 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Beetles have got the largest number of species. They are part of the order named coleoptera which means sheathed wing. Beetles can be both harmful and harmless. Some of them act as pests like red flour beetle or Colorado potato beetle while some others like effective pesticides like ladybugs. Most of the beetles are useful in one way or the other. But some of them are really dangerous to your plants. Therefore it is necessary too get rid of them.
Controlling beetles can be difficult although new techniques have been developed to get rid of them. Now a day’s pest control is the best option to get rid of the beetles as they have got the perfect knowledge and instruments to treat them. If these pests are not treated properly they may cause social disturbances, physical damage and even psychological impairment. Therefore get rid of them as soon as possible. Here are some of the ways to avoid them:
Insecticidal soap – This soap is able to kill the beetles that eat your plants in your garden. A proper insecticidal soap can be made when proper amount of castile soap is added to proper amount of water. You need to spray this soap on all plant species. This won’t harm them and would kill the beetles. But remember that killing of all beetles in your garden is not good as some of them will prove to be beneficial for your plants. Killing of all beetles will only lead to ruining your garden and not saving them from beetles.
A clean house leads to healthy living – Cleanliness is next to godliness. A clan house and body keeps our health good. A clean house avoids the infestation of pests indoors. There are certain pests who feed on your carpets, furniture, couches, etc. carpet beetles are one amongst them. Use of insecticide, washing of carpets, vacuuming your house, use of boric acid solution can help you to get rid of these house pests. But if your house is neat and clean this problem of pests will be solved much before.
Beetle traps – Beetle traps are of various form, size and shape. But most of them are not effective in getting rid of pests. Infact some of them attract more pests rather than killing them. This leads to greater infestation. If you still want to use it than take the advice of an expert and get a look of various traps and then you select one trap for your house beetles.
Milky spore – This is generally used to control Japanese beetles. This powdered form pest control attacks beetles and passes on deadly infection to them. This eventually leads to the death of the beetle. The use of this can be a good way to control Japanese beetles.
Confusion might arise on how to differentiate beneficial beetles from non beneficial ones. If this is the case then take the help of the experts and then use the above mentioned measures. | <urn:uuid:15ad890f-6cee-4ac4-b3d0-523ce6bc4628> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.howtogetrid.org/tag/pestiferous-insects/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962483 | 584 | 2.890625 | 3 |
McMicken, Charles, born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1782, Charles McMicken was raised on the family farm in the pattern of most pioneer youth,
learning the lessons of hard work, economy, and skills such as surveying. The incident that led to his journey to Cincinnati began when he was plowing a
field and turned up a bumblebee nest. He was stung; the horses ran away and were injured by the plow. Both his father and his older brother blamed him for
the accident, which Charles believed was unavoidable. Feeling unjustly blamed, he decided to leave home and was offered his choice of a horse, saddle
and bridle, or $100 in cash. He chose the horse and set out to seek his fortune at age 21.
In the spring of 1803, he arrived in Cincinnati, sold the horse, and began work as a clerk in the general merchandise business of John Smith, United States
senator from Ohio. Soon, McMicken was ready to trade on his own behalf and left for New Orleans with two flatboats of flour. Unfortunately, his boats sunk
just north of the city and he lost his investment. He then sought work as a clerk in a store inNew Orleans. Following the old lessons of hard work and economy, McMicken began to prosper. By 1837, he turned his attention away from business and began to invest in real estate.
In Cincinnati, his first purchase was the northeast corner of Third and Main Streets in 1835. He continued to buy land in Cincinnati, eventually owning land valued at $500,000. In 1840, he purchased the property to be known as the McMicken homestead on McMicken Avenue, where he lived during the later years of his life. During these years he also bought land in Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, and elsewhere.
A quiet, reserved man who kept his affairs to himself, McMicken confided in no one the extent of his business holdings. He remained single and lived in Cincinnati part of the year, sharing his home with his nephew Andrew, and his family. Winters he spent in New Orleans and the summers at eastern resorts. He had numerous philanthropic interests that he quietly supported. In March 1858, about 10 days after he returned to Cincinnati from New Orleans, he became ill with a violent chill which developed into pneumonia and led to his death at 75. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery; the funeral notice in the newspaper indicated his estate was valued at more than $1 million back in 1858.
McMicken's will, carefully prepared in 39 sections, disclosed the central focus of his life: his strong desire to ensure that young people have the opportunity to benefit from a quality college education. He left the bulk of his estate to the city of Cincinnati, in trust forever, to establish an educational institution.
Historians speculate that the desire to found a college was McMicken's lifelong dream and one close friend recalled where McMicken indicated that he had worked since early manhood for its accomplishment. McMicken may have been inspired by the activity to create a college in the pioneer city of Cincinnati about the time he first arrived on horseback in 1803. These early attempts failed, McMicken moved to New Orleans, but the dream may have been formed at this time.
Two weeks after McMicken's will was probated, the City began the necessary steps to accept the bequest. A variety of circumstances delayed further activities: the will was contested, some of the property was dilapidated and needed repair to ensure regular income, and the outbreak of the Civil War brought on inflation and increased the cost of living. The event which had the greatest impact on the founding of the university was the contesting of the will in both New Orleans and Cincinnati by nieces and nephews of McMicken, who had received bequests in small sums.
The Supreme Court of Louisiana ruled against the City of Cincinnati, stating that both the real estate and personal property of McMicken held in New Orleans could not pass to a foreign corporation. The loss of anticipated revenue from the Louisiana property reduced the size of the trust and, therefore, the annual revenue available to support the university.
The United States Supreme Court, in 1861, ruled in favor of the City of Cincinnati in the second challenge to the terms of the will, which ensured that a college would be established. In December of 1859, the Common Council had passed a city ordinance which provided for the establishment of a university for the free education, in separate colleges, of the young men and women of Cincinnati. The McMicken University was the chosen name of the school, to be located on the site of the McMicken homestead. Now that the legal battles were over, the planning for the university continued.
Click HERE to view The Last Will & Testament of Charles McMicken | <urn:uuid:78cf4878-cb62-4ceb-a7ce-92c611e9761a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mcmicking.org/charles-mcmicken/4564598639 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988113 | 994 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Business Lessons Learned from Dr. Seuss
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
(Oh, the Places You’ll Go!)Dr. Seuss
Whether you are starting your own business or you are working your way up the corporate ladder, it is important to remain focused on your goals. During our careers we are all sure to encounter many people that will enrich your experience in various ways. At times we are faced with difficulty and those acquaintances can challenge our goals and beliefs. Other times we meet extraordinary people who inspire us to better ourselves and remind us why we pursue each of our paths. Regardless of those you find yourself working amongst currently, Dr. Seuss reminds us here of an essential point. We must remain true to who we are and allow each new experience to enrich our lives and create a better future each day. Everyone you meet has a lesson to be shared and sometimes the real trick is discovering what it means for you.
“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.”
(Oh, the Places You’ll Go!) Dr. Seuss
Balance may be one of the hardest areas of life to conquer, and personally speaking, I’m not sure one ever truly can. Learning where to step as you move along in life can prove to be considerably more challenging than we all expected. Whether we are juggling professional requirements, social obligations, and personal interests, we are constantly looking to achieve a level of balance that can adequately please all of these areas. It’s possible that this ‘great balancing act’ brings out the best within all of us. The pressure to accomplish each of these commitments in our lives forces us to remain focused, sharp, and determined. Maybe the true lesson here is that we should not be afraid of the pressure of commitment, but instead embrace them as opportunities to better ourselves.
‘‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
(I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!) Dr. Seuss
This may be the most simple, yet most important of all lessons that a business professional could learn from the great Dr. Seuss. Life is in constant evolution and even more so within the marketplace. In today’s ever-changing landscape, it is never a bad idea to take a step in a different direction and learn something new and different, outside your typical daily routine. Spring is right around the corner, and as plants start to sprout, we encourage you to follow their lead and expand your repertoire.
What are your favorite lessons learned from Dr. Seuss? | <urn:uuid:eb9e75ec-46c8-4242-9a13-b83445234067> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rushimprint.com/blog/2011/03/business-lessons-learned-from-dr-seuss/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948873 | 617 | 2.09375 | 2 |
You dream of Jesus, Krishna, Zarathustra, Mohammed – why? There must be some hunger in you which you feel is fulfilled by Jesus. That’s what the Christian has been told: that Christ has arrived, and you have not yet arrived. Somehow you have to arrive. But you can never be another Christ; existence never repeats itself. History repeats itself because history belongs to idiotic humanity, hence it goes on moving in a circle, doing the same stupidities again and again and again. It never learns.
But existence never repeats itself It always produces only unique pieces, one of a kind, and that is enough. What is the point of repeating it? It is not an assembly line in a car factory where every minute a car comes out similar to another car and they go on coming off the assembly line, exactly the same.
Nature does not manufacture people, things, birds, flowers…. There is no assembly line, there is no model; it goes on exploring new dimensions. So it is certain that you are feeling starved: Christ is your food, somebody else’s food is Krishna. These are simply different kinds of disease.
A Hindu has become accustomed to a certain dish. Of course, when he is hungry he cannot dream of a dish which he knows nothing about. You can dream only about something you know. Can you dream of something that you don’t know? It is impossible, because a dream is only a repetition.
A dream is not creative; yes a dream can be compositive but never creative. See the difference between these two words: compositive and creative. It can compose something. For example it can take the head of Jesus and the body of Krishna and compose something which is both Krishna and Christ….
That’s what people like Mahatma Gandhi have been doing their whole life: composing – taking something from the Koran, something from the Bible, something from the Gita, something from Mahavira, something from Buddha and trying to make something that in India is called khicharee. In English, the closest term is “hodgepodge,” but it is nothing to be compared with “khichri.”
With the legs of one man, the hands of another man, the hairs of somebody else, the eyes from somewhere else, you can make khichri. You can make a composite man having everything – eyes, nose, ears, head, legs, everything – but it will still be dead. By composing, you cannot create life, you cannot create consciousness. A dream can be a composite. You can see a horse flying – no horse flies, but there are things that fly: flying saucers, flying planes and flying birds, and it is not very difficult to compose a horse which flies.
What dream is to man, mythology is to society.
The Mohammedans say that Mohammed never died; but then the problem arises, where has he gone? It is time, now that he has millions of followers – six hundred million followers – it is time he came out. Where is he hiding and what is he doing? No, Mohammedans have a myth. A myth is a dream dreamed by the whole race, a collective dream – but it is composite. | <urn:uuid:359d4542-4717-4c8b-9567-6d82b530216f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.osho.com/library/online-library-assembly-christ-dream-c3c49ae8-221.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96046 | 673 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Effects of Urbanization on Instream Habitat and Fish Assemblages in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Area, Tennessee-Georgia
Faculty Chair: Dr. Mark Schorr
Twenty-one stream sites in the Ridge and Valley ecoregion of Tennessee and Georgia were studied in 2008 to evaluate the effects of watershed urbanization on instream environmental parameters and fish assemblages. I also investigated changes in urbanization and stream conditions at 10 sites over a 10-year period (1998-2008). Electrofishing yielded 12,329 fish, composed of 38 species from eight families. Urbanization in the study watersheds was measured (using ArcGIS 9.3; released June, 2008) by calculating the building density and percent urban land use. Correlation analysis revealed that more urbanized watersheds were characterized by increased proportions of fine sediments and pool areas, coupled with reduced variation in channel complexity. Urbanized watersheds exhibited declines in biotic integrity, species diversity, richness and evenness. Watershed urbanization was also correlated with declines of the proportions of cyprinids and percids, as well as an increase in centrarchid proportions. Findings from this study suggest that urban development has induced adverse transformations in both habitat quality and biotic health in Chattanooga area streams. Percent urban land use was found to be a stronger correlate of stream conditions than building density. Results from the 10-year comparison suggest that urban development induces stream habitat degradation at both low and moderate levels of urbanization, although the type and magnitude of degradation may be related to growth rates and specific stages of urban development. Intensive degradation of fish communities likely occurs in watersheds during periods of accelerated urbanization. | <urn:uuid:81f1345b-4c31-40d7-8551-fd73942841d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utc.edu/Academic/EnvironmentalScienceGraduateProgram/4-Smith-Josh.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952513 | 341 | 2.59375 | 3 |
MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) - An eyesore on the lakeshore may finally be coming down in 2013.
The abandoned Mirro plant takes up almost a million square feet of prime real estate in Manitowoc.
It has been closed for a decade.
"The Mirro property doesn't really give a good feel to the community of Manitowoc. It is one of our eyesores in the middle of town" says Jamie Zastrow, Ex. Director of Mainly Manitowoc.
A day does not go by that Manitowoc's Mayor does not hear a question about the Mirro building.
"Someone asks what is happening with it, what's going on" says Mayor Justin Nickels. "We hear it from visitors".
With broken windows and holes in the floor Manitowoc has worked with the owner to keep people out of the dilapidated property.
"We have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep the building safe" says Eric Spirtas, who bought the abandoned building in 2006.
He says just tearing it down is not good enough.
"We want to have something that will bring some economic progress to the area other than just a flat lot" he explains.
Spirtas does still pay property taxes, but Local 5 has learned that number is based off the purchase price of just $200.
"I am not balancing my budget on the back of this tax" says Mayor Nickels.
Demolition could cost upwards of $6 million.
Spirtas is trying to offset that by selling valuable materials from the building including 12,000 tons of steel and 10,000 tons of wood.
"It is great for renovations, great for reuse, reconstruction, for floors, furniture" explains Spirtas.
His goal is to have demolition done by the end of the year.
The community is ready.
"There is a lot of emotions attached to that building as well. Many people worked for Mirro. It is just a reminder of something that didn't end well" says Zastrow.
The mayor remains skeptical saying "I have heard that song and dance before. It is encouraging that it is at least still on their radar. I would like to see something concrete. Won't believe it until I see the wrecking ball there. | <urn:uuid:eca83969-e9af-4ace-92af-ad6e793f2cb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wearegreenbay.com/1fulltext-news/?nxd_id=172512 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976963 | 485 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The Great Debate UK
- Dany Cotton lives in Orpington, Kent. During her 22 years with London Fire Brigade she has risen through the ranks to become a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, and is the highest ranking operational women in the UK fire and rescue service. She was also the first woman firefighter in the UK to be awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal. www.london-fire.gov.uk The opinions expressed are her own. Reuters will host a “follow-the-sun” live blog on Monday, March 8, 2010, International Women’s Day. Please tune in.–
As a woman in the fire service, I sometimes feel that part of my role is about myth busting. I’ve recently been helping the organisers of a national campaign aiming to promote firefighting careers to school aged girls, and this involved some live radio interviews.
This was nerve wracking at first but I soon got into my stride when the presenters started asking questions I’ve heard many times before. ” Surely women can’t do certain aspects of the job?” was mentioned, as was “You must have to undergo a different training process from the men?” and “aren’t women too short?” Then my favourite “how can a woman carry a man down a ladder from a burning building?”
For the record, women do the same job as men and take the same training and assessment process. You must have a good level of fitness, but if you can pass the physical tests your height is unimportant.
- During Dany Cotton’s 20 years with the London Fire Brigade she has risen through the ranks to become a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, and is the highest ranking operational woman firefighter in the UK. She was also the first woman firefighter in Britain to be awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal. The opinions expressed are her own. -
International Women’s Day on March 8, is significant for me as it’s a reminder how far women have come in all industries, but particularly my own. | <urn:uuid:ad9e8b19-da02-4e10-a3ad-46a7c9566c8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-uk/tag/dany-cotton/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96719 | 436 | 1.726563 | 2 |