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Personalisation is a great way to improve a user’s visit to your site. Recently I have been really interested in the different ways of approaching this – the traditional and what I am calling ‘Soft Personalisation’ methods.
For commercial applications of web personalisation the site needs to know who you are. This happens at several levels:
Most information – You have an account or profile with the site. They can then leverage this data to show you relevant information, based on your personal details, history on the site, or previous purchases.
Amazon pretty much pioneered this with recommendations and bundles, which they introduced in 1997.I have lost count of the number of times someone has said during a project/brief ‘just do what they do on Amazon – things you might like to buy’. Not only do they use this information to tell you things you might like, but also use the information to tell other people with similar interests/purchase histories.
How you got there – How did you enter the site – PPC, natural search, a campaign? Custom landing pages for each channel, keyword or search term are easy ways to serve up highly relevant content.
Learning about you – Browsing history and prior behaviour. This works especially well on ecommerce sites as the site learns about you as you move around and view products.
Soft personalisation – working with what we have
What happens when you get a new user to your site and want to give them a personalised experience right away? They do not have an account and have not been to any other pages on your site. What are the options?
Just by entering your site each user actually tells you a lot about themselves. I am talking about the stuff that any web analytics package captures. Using this information for personalisation can be a potential gold-mine for adding features to your site as well as nice little touches which make things easier for the user.
A few examples:
1. The users’ location
Burton do this really well; they work out roughly where you are and use this to pull weather information relevant to you. They can then use this to show you useful information, but also to highlight suitable products for you at that exact moment.
Analog again find your approximate location and use it to add a nice personal touch to their site – they tell you how far you are away from each of their members.
2. Their operating system
This Skype example is really simple. When you visit the download page it shows you the version you need for your computer. Most users’ probably won’t even notice this, and they do not have to. They have been saved a click or the task of searching for the version they need. Seamless and super helpful.
3. Current time
The NOFRKS site changes styling to reflect the time of day the site is viewed. This example is really only adding a simple visual change. It’s not helpful like the Skype example or highly personalised like analog, but it is a nice subtle touch, and sometimes that is all you need.
Doing even more
I hope that the examples above show that personalisation doesn’t have to be intrusive; it can be helpful, clever and subtle.
This is really only a bit of what can be done. Plunder your analytics account and see what user information you are collecting. Much of that data can be used in some way or another. | <urn:uuid:222c3b57-5200-48a5-82a9-c63b28f6785e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oldguard.co.uk/articles/soft-personalisation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941503 | 710 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Changes in office life over the last 20 years have been profound, with home working, hot-desking, mobile devices and video conferencing all having a major impact on how we spend our waking hours.
Another change that could start to seep into offices in the future is the use of natural user interface (NUI) systems, which would see workers waving their arms around wildly to open documents, edit spreadsheets and browse the web - like a corporate Minority Report.
Such ideas may sound far-fetched but Inon Beracha, chief executive of Israeli firm PrimeSense, which developed the technology used by Microsoft in its record-breaking Kinect device, is confident such developments are only a matter of time.
"Natural interaction is relevant for office users. It offers corporate users augmentation of their work space, and can be a bridge between the real world and the digital world," he explained to V3 when we met in Israel.
"Applications like background replacement (known in TV as the ‘weatherman application') can offer richer video conferencing functionality were you can virtually appear on your colleague's desktop as if you were at the same room."
Given Microsoft's willingness to work with PrimeSense in the past it doesn't seem beyond the realms of possibility that it would start to try and include the technology in Windows systems in the future, especially given the huge success of the Kinect.
Based in Tel Aviv, PrimeSense employs some 130 workers, most of which are engineers working to help improve and refine the gesture-based technology it provides, having been set-up in 2005 by five founders.
"They saw a growing gap between the improvements in consumers devices, which improve every two years, while users do not change this quickly, so for years devices had to come with lengthy manuals to teach users how to work them", explains Beracha.
"It was as if device manufacturers were blaming users for being unable to operate their device, and that's wrong, it should be easy and intuitive."
Do you agree
Latest stories from Operating Systems | <urn:uuid:bf80b35c-10d8-4404-8aad-da739afe1d31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/interview/2207045/kinect-technology-firm-primesense-envisions-gesturecontrolled-office-of-the-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960107 | 417 | 1.953125 | 2 |
A few years ago, we were happy to learn that Barbie’s 125th career (since her inception in 1959) was computer engineer. Not surprisingly, that career was decided entirely by online vote. Computer engineer Barbie came complete with pink glasses, laptop (displaying binary), and cellphone (and blue Bluetooth). Looks like those years of being a computer engineer have gotten her into soft circuits — this year an available accessory is the Digital Dress:
Always wearing the latest fashions from the red carpet to the runway, Barbie Digital Dress doll makes a customizable digital fashion statement combining fashion, sound-activation and on-trend technology. Using the latest LED and touch-screen technology, girls can create and select their own animated digital designs which appear on Barbie doll’s dress. There are three modes of play—choose from ready-to-go graphics like hearts and fireworks, draw custom designs, and watch designs respond to sound and music. Barbie doll’s black dress uses a 4.5 square inch resistive touch panel and 114 tri-color LEDs. The runway has never shined brighter!
And looks like she finally took a cue from Leah Buechley’s LED Tank Top project that ran in the first issue of CRAFT, in 2006. | <urn:uuid:cda6a23d-38da-42ee-a570-60cf39e7a4a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.makezine.com/2013/02/14/barbies-blinky-dress/?parent=Home | 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 | 0.949758 | 260 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Here Jimmy Carter provides a useful and succinct survey of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, with a a review of efforts that have been made to achieve peace, and a list of practical proposals for future realization.
His book, appeared just as the Gaza assault, "Cast Lead" was concluding. At the time the title of this book appeared to be unrealistic, given that the outbreak of violence made peace seem ever more remote.
The title "We Can Have Peace.." in this context is an expression of defiance; it defies the ill will of those who would obviate the prospects for peace. Carter is convinced that an informed and determined American leadership can make a positive difference, even as the horizon seems unremittingly bleak. Thus the book is, both a guide for the perplexed, and a briefing for the new President.
His advice conforms closely to those who have anonymously toiled for the cause of peace. Carter endorsed and encouraged the Geneva Accords, the agreement that was the outcome of a tough negotiating process between seasoned Israeli and Palestinian representatives, which aimed to create an agreement that respected the security requirements of all concerned. No American leader has demonstrated such commitment to this vital cause.
Jimmy Carter is not a professional reader, but this reading was clear. I appreciated that it was his voice speaking. It gave the sense of being directly addressed by an eminent personage who is both earnest and brilliant, who has been fastidious in taking detailed notes of pertinent information that he is determined to share with you.
I would recommend this book to those least likely to think it is for them, but have an avid interest in the middle east and are seriously concerned about peace and the practical measures that have to be taken for its achievement.
Master of the Mountain is more than a study of Jefferson and his treatment of his slaves. Jefferson defined the aspirations of liberty and human equality of the American revolution. But his ability to give expression to those worthy aspirations contrasted sharply with exploitative and oppressive practices that he quietly encouraged and in some ways made unavoidable by his reluctance to regard the enslaved as anything but property, (with few exceptions). Part of this story is the running, building up and financing of Monticello. Another part is his relationship with Sally Hemings. Still another part of this story, is how historians have colluded to burnish Jefferson's image, by sanitizing accounts of his relations to his slaves, and his policies. How the relationship between Hemings and Jefferson became practically irrefutable is explained (I was not previously aware of the controversy). The treatment of this relationship by biographers since Jefferson is related, but especially the story of the breakthrough in the 1990s, is told, and is fascinating in itself. The narration was excellent. I couldn't put it down.
An enlightening biography, it started well, and became increasingly better. It is a book that one might call a "tour de force," as it is not only a fascinating biography of a fascinating life of Thomas Paine, but it is also highly informative about his times, serving as a valuable guide to the European enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions and the controversies of the day, and also the evolution of democracy in England. There are times when in listening to a historical biography that one feels one is getting distracted by personal minutiae which would be better not to know. But that wasn't the case in this book because the relevant history of the period was so adroitly integrated into the personal narrative of Thomas Paine. It is certainly a book worth listening to again. The narration was superb.
Very moving account and biographical portrait of Frederick Douglass and his relationship with Abraham Lincoln. The focus on the winding path of the civil war toward emancipation, and the hardships and difficulties of the emancipated slaves, coupled with the drama of the prospective soldiers caught between bloody war and a hostile society, made this a gripping book to listen to. The narration made it easy to concentrate on the text. This book has much to recommend it.
I learned much more from this title than I expected. I am interested in understanding the dynamics of anti-slavery politics that took place prior to the civil war, but I have found the topic daunting. I had read about John Brown before, with interpretations of his efforts being mostly negative, which do not explain well why he would be the subject of an anthem, or his historical stature. This biography puts John Brown in the context of his times making understandable the shortcomings and contrasts of other abolitionists, the urgency created by the fugitive slave law and the growing influence of the pro slavery politicians and jurists. This portrait explains well the reasons for the high regard he has been held, and his historic stature. The story of John Brown is one of a fascinating struggle with adversity, faith and the struggle of morality in politics when received opinion is resolutely opposed. The voice of Michael Prichard, with its special grit, provides a powerful and engaging performance.
Michael Hiltzik has produced an excellent New Deal History. He brings to life New Deal personages, such as General Hugh Johnson, Harod Ickes, Adolph Berle, Benjamin Cohen and Terence Corcoran, Ferdinand Pecora; the agencies and events and professional relationships & politics they were involved in and the social climate that made their decisions, for good or ill, so urgent. The book is convincing in explaining the limits of the New Deal, and pointing out, where, with hindsight, it could have done better. The chapter on race in the New Deal years,"The Most Forgotten Man", was especially sharp and insightful. The concluding chapter is an excellent review of the politics of the New Deal, and reminds the reader why the history of the new deal is especially relevant to understanding the process of political change today. The book is beautifully written, and the gravel tinged voice of the spoken narration was perfect.
This was quite an extraordinary history book. It has been a few weeks now since I've listened to it, but it left a good impression. I remember thinking that the United States has an impressive pantheon of historians. Scholars who not only write disciplined prose, but present judicious, comprehensive and thoughtful accounts of the American past. Though I did not approach this book with grand expectations, at its conclusion I looked back at it as a grand listening experience.
The reader's authoritative voice moved the narrative along at a good pace
Generally, the available variety of good books to listen to is stunning and overwhelming.
Though one cannot expect an answer, the question suggests itself, because the contrast between the scholarly realm and the realm of politics on television is so vast. Given the existence of such a vast quantity of quality writing in so many humanistic fields, why is it that in the American political arena the variety of voices are so meager, and the discourse so base, and so awful?
This book is a lucid and clear disquisition on what goes for "free market" thinking. It examines 23 commonly expressed platitudes about economics and where they fail to explain economic and financial processes. It thereby provides interesting insights to the financial failures of 2008 and the present days. The reading matches the writing, making it difficult to put down. I now want to review the arguments on paper, as they are worthy of closer study.
The Last Days of Innocence was a revelation and I am pleased I listened to it. In addition to being a window on an age, it provided pertinent background explaining why Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and the Progressivism he purported to represent, failed to realize the hopes that it inspired.
I was surprised by the power and passion of Al Gore's case against the policies of the Bush-Cheney administration. He has provided a cogent reminder of the assaults on reason, science, society and international law that that administration represented. Perhaps if the transgressions of that era had not been swept under the carpet, but subjected to proper legal investigation, there would be a sense that Change (for the better) was realizable. Instead there is the same old, same old. Nevertheless, it is important to be reminded, as it provides grounding and perspective. The Assault on Reason is an exceptionally penetrating political book. The reader did a fine job.
This collection of articles about global warming, those who have been involved in the development of the science, the discoveries of scientists tracing its terrifying trajectory, and US policy in the Bush administration is a model of concision. And it is still, unfortunately, timely. "Field Notes" concludes with hopeful examples of the possibilities of awareness and change.
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If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action. | <urn:uuid:356e9855-f3fd-4316-99fa-a789f576e83b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.audible.com/listener/AUAJ0CZ52GIJ3/We-Can-Have-Peace-in-the-Holy-Land/ref=pd_seeReview?asin=B002VA95VM | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974767 | 1,788 | 2.5 | 2 |
It is essential at any age, but particularly important for older adults, to operate a motor vehicle that “fits” them. As we age, we become more susceptible to injuries or death related to a crash event. Physical changes related to normal aging often require modifications to the way we drive. Changes in vision, flexibility, strength, range of motion and height may impact our comfort. Being able to optimize the drivers’ ability to visualize the road and to see other vehicles surrounding them is a critical factor in safety on the road. The ability to operate the vehicle itself in the safest manner possible requires that the driver and occupants be positioned within the vehicle properly.
It is very important for older adults to be positioned properly and comfortably in the vehicle in which they ride. There are a variety of pieces of adaptive equipment which can have a dramatic effect on safety and comfort. Some devices are simple and easily obtained and others require recommendation by a driver rehabilitation specialist.
If an older adult experiences difficulty reaching for or engaging the seatbelt, simple assistive devices are available to make this task easier. Items such as a seatbelt adjuster, handibar, or expanded mirrors are available either in home catalogs or at medical supply or auto parts stores. Other items that do not require a specialist to install are easy-locking seatbelts, visor extenders, steering wheel covers to improve grip, seat and back support cushions to relieve back pain or improve the ability to see over the steering wheel, keyless ignition, doors that automatically lock and open.
The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) advocates and supports excellence in providing safe, reliable vehicles and modifications to enhance accessibility for people with special needs.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) addresses automotive safety issues for persons with disabilities on their website.
AAA recommends that aging drivers choose a vehicle based upon their specific needs. You can view AAA's Safe Features for Mature Drivers Recommendations on their website.
You can also view a list of vehicles and their options suitable for mature drivers on the AAA Vehicle List.
NHTSA plans to change the rating system for new cars to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and to better accommodate older drivers. We will post more information as it becomes available, in the meantime, you can learn more in this on-line article from Bloomberg News.
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the University of Florida National Older Driver Research and Training Center are helping older adults keep their safe driving ability for as long as possible. They have compiled a list of 30 safety features that should be on cars for older drivers. Among them are:
- Active head restraints that move forward to cushion the head if the car is hit from behind
- Adjustable pedals so petite people can safely reach them without being too close to airbags
- Power-operated seats
- Large knobs and buttons
- Four doors make entry and exit easier and the doors are usually not as heavy as a two-door vehicle
- Keyless entry
- Tilt steering allows the driver to find a safe distance from the front airbag
The Today Show has a video that demonstrates some of these safety features and you can view it on their website.
Family Car Guide has information on "Car Buying Tips for Savvy Older Drivers".
AARP has put together some driver safety features to consider when buying a car which can be on their website.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses---fatalities, injuries, and property damage---from crashes on the nation’s highways. It is wholly supported by auto insurance companies. You can find more information on the safety rating for particular vehicles and models on their website. They also produce “Status Reports” on select topics including top safety picks, motorcycles, bumpers, convertibles, and older drivers.
You can read an article on identifying vehicle features that improve safety and comfort of aging drivers and lifelong safe mobility research.
The Sun-Sentinel has also written an article, "What's a Good Car for Senior Drivers?" that could be helpful.
A community-based safety program called CarFit has been developed by AARP, AAA and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Their goals are to: help aging drivers improve the “fit” of their vehicle for their safety and comfort, promote conversations among older adults and families about driving safety, and link adults with relevant local resources that can help them drive safer longer.
CarFit “checkups” include 12 items reviewed by trained volunteers. Items such as:
- Clear line of sight over the steering wheel
- Adequate distance from the front airbag
- Proper positioning of seat, usage of foot pedals and all mirrors
- Proper safety belt use and fit
AARP has detailed information on CarFit on their Driver Safety Program website where you can view the exam checklist and even videos walking you through a CarFit exam.
The Informed Eldercare has produced a helpful CarFit podcast.
Check out the Sun-Sentinel's "Seniors find one size does not fit all when it comes to safer cars" article and video.
National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST) has released an information brief on CarFit, an educational program designed to help older drivers improve how well their personal vehicles fit them and provide them with the opportunity to discuss driver safety and mobility. Download the brief from the NCST library.
Through a safety grant funded by the FDOT, CarFit has been adopted in Florida and training events for event coordinators and technicians and consumer events for older adults are being held all across the state.
Since the start of the safety grant in 2008 until September 2009, there have been 41 events across the state with 893 participants, 248 event coordinators and 151 technician volunteers were trained and 242 partner organizations have supported the CarFit events. You can find more information about the program or view upcoming events in your area on the CarFit website.
The Senior Resource Alliance and Carlin Rogers Consulting have prepared a report for the FDOT on "CarFit: Lessons Learned from Florida's Aging Road User Participants". Florida has been proactive in bringing this injury prevention program to communities and organizations throughout the State. This report reviews data from the national CarFit database and examines trends and lessons learned from the over 1400 participants in Florida CarFit events.
The primary responsibility of a driver is to operate a motor vehicle safely. The task of driving requires full attention and focus. Cell phone use can distract drivers from this task. The safest action is to refrain from using a cell phone while driving. Research has shown that use of a hands-free device (headset, speakerphone or other device) does not eliminate the distraction of the conversation. If a driver must make or take a call, the best strategy is to pull onto the shoulder of the road safely. Other distractions in the vehicle should be minimized as well. It is recommended that you carry an additional power source for a cellular phone in your vehicle, for use in case of emergency. Learn more about driver distractions on NHTSA's Driver Distractions website
Driver rehabilitation specialists, many of whom are also occupational therapists, have specialized training in identification of a driver’s strengths and the physical, visual and cognitive challenges presented by the task of operating a motor vehicle. They can evaluate an individual’s ability to safely operate a vehicle and make recommendations about ways to limit risks. Many of them are located in a healthcare setting in your community. More information on driver rehabilitation specialists can be found on the AOTA Driver Rehabilitation Specialists website.
There are vehicle modification items which require an assessment by an occupational therapist/driver rehabilitation specialist. This is to ensure proper installation and training on safe use. Examples of this include pedal extenders, panoramic mirrors, hand controls, seat lifts, steering devices, etc. AOTA maintains a nationwide database of driving programs and specialists.
The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists was established in 1977 to support professionals working in the field of driver education/driver training and transportation equipment modifications for persons with disabilities through education and information dissemination.
NPR has posted an article, "On the Road Again: Specialists Helping Aging Drivers" that you can either view or listen to the audio.
The rules for operating vehicles such as golf carts, scooters, etc. vary from state to state and among municipalities. All local and state traffic laws must be obeyed. No insurance is required unless mandated by local authorities. Similar regulations (Section are in place for low speed vehicles (LSV) such as vehicles must have adequate and functioning equipment. This includes adequate brakes; reliable steering; safe tires; rear view mirror; red reflectors (front and rear). Local governments may require inspection of LSV's. Section 316.2122, Florida Statutes, governs the operation of Low Speed Vehicles on certain roadways.
In Florida, golf carts can only be operated on local or county roads designated for such use. The posted speed limit must be 30 MPH or less. They cannot be used on sidewalks or state roads. A user can only cross a state road at a crossing designated for golf carts. Golf carts can only be used between sunrise and sunset. Section 316.212, Florida Statutes, governs the operation of golf carts on certain roadways.
FDOT has developed an educational tip sheet for Safely Operating Golf Carts on Designated Roadways.
Motorized wheelchairs or personal assistive mobility devices, as defined in Section 316.003(83), F.S. are governed by pedestrian laws. Section 316.2068, Florida Statutes, is the statute regulating their use.
When in a crosswalk, pedestrians and any individual using an adaptive device always have the right of way.
Special safety considerations when operating a motor home includes both in vehicle and on the road considerations. Examples include propane usage and storage, vehicle and content weight, tires, towing, electrical system, fire prevention and motor fuel options. You can find more information through these links:
Contact your local motor home dealer or the RVSafety.org website to see if training is available.
Proper and consistent use of safety belts is the most effective strategy to protect an occupant from crash related injuries. For an adult, the safety belt should be worn low and tight across the hips and not across the stomach. The shoulder belt should come over the collar bone, away from the neck and cross over the breastbone. It should fit snugly. It should never be worn behind the back because that does not effectively protect the wearer in the event of a crash.
In Florida, per Section 316.614(5), F.S. front seat passengers 18 years of age and older are required to use safety belts.
Driver and passenger airbags protect front seat occupants in the event of a front end collision. Side or “curtain” airbags offer protection in side impact collisions. A driver should position the seat at least 10 inches away from the steering wheel in order to maintain a safe distance from the airbag and to avoid injury if it deploys. The article “About Your Airbags” is available along with specific information on minimizing risk and injury for older drivers and passengers with airbags.
Head restraints help prevent your head from being snapped in a rear-end collision. It is important that the head restraint protects the middle of your head and not serve as a “resting” spot.
Anti-lock brakes help improve steering control during sudden stops.
It is important for the driver to always have a good view of the front, side, and rear of the vehicle. Vehicles equipped with side view mirrors on both sides of the car assist the driver to make safer lane changes. Outside mirrors should help eliminate “blind spots”.
Car and Driver has written an article and illustration on "How to Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots" that can be helpful.
Navigation and communication systems, like OnStar or other global positioning systems add a level of safety and security to an automobile.
Clear thinking and prior consideration is critical if you are in the situation of being in a vehicle that leaves the highway and ends up in water. Wearing your seatbelt is, as always, a protective factor, to prevent injury during the crash event. You can access a video and text that suggests several actions that you can take to escape safely on the: Florida Highway Patrol - Worst Nightmare website.
It is critically important to have every occupant in a vehicle use a restraint. The proper child safety seat depends on the child’s age and height. Only children over age 8 may use the vehicle’s seat belt, as the vehicle equipment is designed to protect adults.
Florida law (Section 316.613, F.S.) requires all children age 5 or younger to use an approved child restraint device while riding in a motor vehicle. For safety reasons, all children 12 and under should ride in the back seat of a vehicle. You can learn more safety information about traveling with children on the following links:
Infants from 0-1 year should be placed in a rear facing seat and be positioned in the back seat. The duration is dependent upon manufacturer recommendations for a particular seat. At a minimum, children should be in a rear facing seat until age 1 and 20 lbs. Forward facing safety seats are recommended until the child reaches the upper weight or height limit (usually age 4 and 40 pounds) and the child should always be in the rear seat.
Booster seats are appropriate until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, usually at age 8 or when a child reaches 4”9” tall.
Proper installation of a child safety seat is critically important. To locate a Florida Occupant Protection Specialist who can help you install a child’s seat properly or to obtain a low cost safety seat information on the Child Passenger Safety and Occupant Protection website. | <urn:uuid:50a92925-e2bc-4941-85eb-d76d2dd5c05d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.safeandmobileseniors.org/Vehicle.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942305 | 2,869 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Special to The NewsTOPEKA - One million K-12 students cast a ballot in the 2012 Presidential Election hosted by Kids Voting USA, a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that prepares young Americans to be educated, engaged citizens. The organization continues to tally ballots and will have final results later in week.
A preliminary tally indicates Barack Obama would continue serving as the President of the United States if students could vote. The unofficial results show Obama received 66 percent of the votes cast while Mitt Romney received 30 percent. For more initial results, please visit www.kidsvotingusa.org. Students from 22 states used the Kids Voting ballot, which mirrors an adult ballot containing the same candidates and issues. These students voted at regular polling places, usually accompanied by a parent or adult, or through on-line voting at their school.
"We couldn't be more pleased. Hosting an election for students is our culminating event, and it is great to see this many students were exposed to the voting process," said Rachel Willis, the Kids Voting USA Executive Director.
Students have been learning about the importance of voting through the K-12th grade social studies curriculum, Civics Alive!, in their classrooms. The curriculum is correlated to the National Standards for Social Studies and the Common Core Standards. Additionally, the Kids Voting affiliate network offers other civic engagement and community related events for students such as issue and candidate forums, youth summits, youth civic classes or trainings and essay, poster and editorial cartoon contests. | <urn:uuid:52c0d9e1-a9e1-44fe-99b9-03684fac76cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hutchnews.com/Print/Kids-voting-totals | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958356 | 306 | 2.890625 | 3 |
When I first arrived at the White House in September 1996, I had no idea that one of the issues on which I would spend the most time during my period as a Member of President Clinton?s Council of Economic Advisers was global climate change. But Under Secretary of State Tim Wirth had the month before announced a major change in policy: that the United States would in multilateral negotiations now support "legally binding" quantitative targets for the emission of greenhouse gases. This left 15 months for the US Administration to decide what kind of specifics it wanted, at the Third Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled for November 1997 in Kyoto. Because other countries take their cue from the superpower (whether it is to support or oppose US positions), this countdown engendered a certain amount of suspense: What specifically would the U.S. propose at the Kyoto Conference, most notably regarding how the numerical targets should be determined? Outsiders demanded to know –with particular tenacity in the case of the U.S. Congress, who feared the worst. I was a member of a large inter–agency group that worked intensively on what was to become the Kyoto Protocol.
I never thought that the agreement had a large chance of being ratified by the U.S. Senate, or of coming into force in a serious way. There were too many unbridgeable political chasms, as I will explain. Furthermore I understand the reasons why almost all economists, at least in the United States, disapprove of the Kyoto Protocol. Nevertheless, I am prepared to defend the Clinton version of the treaty, and I believe it was a step in the right direction.
I will begin by noting that the weight of scientific opinion seems indeed to have concluded that the Earth is getting warmer, that increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are the major cause, and that anthropogenic emissions are in turn responsible. I am not a scientist. But the latest IPCC report concludes "The globally averaged surface temperature is projected to increase by 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius" over the period 1990 to 2100, and "global mean sea level is projected to rise by 0.09 to 0.88 metres." The evidence has become clearer over the last ten or twenty years. President George Bush, the Second, made a big mistake when he initially allied himself with the minority of disbelievers. It was a political mistake if nothing else. Even granting that the incoming administration in 2001 did not want to pursue Kyoto, it was foolish and unnecessary for the White House to dismiss the climate change problem.
This paper will take as given that the problem of global climate change is genuine, and is sufficiently important to be worth addressing by steps that are more than cosmetic. Because the externality is purely global – a ton of carbon emitted into the air, no matter where in the world, has the same global warming potential – the approach must be multilateral. Individual countries will not get far on their own, due to the free rider problem. Specifically, multilateral negotiations have since the Rio Summit of 1992 proceeded under the UNFCCC.
The paper will summarize major decisions that the Clinton Administration had to make, and why it made them as it did. What were the quantitative limits on emissions to be? How would greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide be treated? Would trading across time or across countries be permitted? And so on. In my time in the government, I was surprised to discover that policy makers often must make such technical–sounding decisions with relatively little help from the body of technical knowledge and opinion outside the government. It is not just that academic research is too abstract to be of much direct help with the minutia of specific policy decisions. The pronouncements of think tanks and op–ed writers also ignore practical complexities, because they seek to make big points for general audiences. We were largely on our own. | <urn:uuid:944786f2-1964-4949-9d0e-70f89c86dd43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/node/699 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96967 | 790 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Bono, Chris Tucker Address UC Audience
Date: Dec. 6, 2002
On Crises Threatening Africa
By: Carey Hoffman
Phone: (513) 556-1825
Photos by Lisa Ventre
Archive: General News
Two simple words of worldwide recognition generated lively discussion Friday afternoon at the UC College of Law, when a standing-room-only crowd filled a lecture hall for a stop on the DATA organization's Heart of America tour.
Bono, the lead singer of U2 and driving force behind DATA, was there. So was actor Chris Tucker. Adding poignancy to their message was Agnes Nyamayarwo, a nurse from Uganda who lost her husband and 6-year-old son to AIDS. She herself is now battling the disease while benefiting from the anti-retroviral drugs that so many Africans can't get.
They brought a powerful message: America can, and must, do something to help Africa avert disaster.
While celebrities often speak out about what Bono called the "cause de jour," he asserted that that is not what this tour was about.
"Two-and-a-half million Africans will die next year, because they can't get access to drugs to fight AIDS. That's not a cause - that's an emergency. In fact, it's even a crisis in our culture, and it's not being described as such. It actually speaks quite eloquently about us. How is it we can live in a moment where two-and-a-half million people can die, and it not be described as an emergency?"
The presence of Nyamayarwo and Tucker added depth to Bono's plea. Tucker said he joined Bono's barnstorming bus tour across the Midwest this week because of the impact four visits to Africa within the last year have made upon him. "It just shook me,'' he said. "Being an African American and seeing Africans (under those conditions), it shook me. It made me think of my little nieces and nephews."
Friday's event was hosted by the College of Law's new Urban Justice Institute. Center directors Jack Chin and John Cranley also addressed a crowd of more than 80 students and faculty primarily from the law school and the UC College of Medicine's infectious disease program.
Christine Smith, a second-year UC law student, was struck by the number of ways the discussion looked at approaching Africa's problems, including both international debt relief and the AIDS crisis. "It is great that people as high profile as this are willing to stand up and say, 'We will not fail.' "
Bono has been up front throughout the tour that he hopes to use his celebrity as currency in promoting social issues of importance. He consistently showed charm and wit in making his points to the UC audience.
"It is great to be on campus. (But) I don't have any letters after my name. In fact, I don't even have any names after my name," he joked. | <urn:uuid:7e35b3b6-4a64-47e9-99a1-c8d9c4efd1b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uc.edu/news/bono.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975796 | 621 | 1.546875 | 2 |
There are several places around the world that locals believe are a door to hell. Endless catacombs beneath the city of Paris, France for example or Dimmuborgir lava formations in Iceland. When it comes to sheer jaw-dropping effect, however, The Door to Hell by Darvaza in Turkmenistan takes the cake. I would also classify Darvaza as one of the places that should be on the must-visit list of every serious explorer who likes to visit Earth’s most breath-taking sites. Darvaza is a gas crater the burning gates of which have been flaming for upwards of 37 years.
Darvaza Burning Gas Crater
Turkmenistan is very rich in natural resources. Currently a sovereign country, Turkmenistan was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. It was during rule of Soviet Russia, back in 1971 when geologists were conducting gas drilling in Kara-Kum desert and discovered an underground chamber close to the village of Darvaza (known in Turkmen as Derweze, but sometimes also referred to as Darvaz). The discovery of the chamber was accidental and resulted in drilling rig collapsing, leaving giant gas crater filled with poisonous gases exposed to the world outside. The concentration of gases within the crater was high so nobody dared to go down there. It was then when someone came with an idea to light the gas in the crater on fire so as to burn it before the poisonous fumes engulf the nearby town of Darvaza.
The geologists thought the idea of burning the gas was smart and went ahead with lighting the crater on fire. As it turns out, the supply of quality natural gas below the crater is near infinite as the crater’s been burning since. At the time of this post, on June of 2009 the gas crater in Darvaza is still burning and has been since 1971 without interruption. No one can even imagine how much quality natural gas was burnt throughout the 38 years of the crater being on fire. No one can estimate how much more gas there still is. When they first lit the gas crater on fire, they thought the fire would go out after a few days. It’s been more than a few day, it’s been more than a few weeks or months. It’s been decades and the gas crater is burning just as it did the day it was first lit. Putting all economical loses from wasted natural gas aside, imagine the ecological impact this burning gas has cause during decades of non stop burning!
The Door to Hell
The locals from Darvaza have given the burning crater a name that suits it well – The Door to Hell. And everyone who visits Darvaza agrees with the name and finds it appropriate. When you look inside the burning gas crater, you do feel like this is what the door to hell would look like. No one dared to enter the chamber when it was first discovered and no one has dared there since. After all, everyone knows what kind of path a door o hell takes you. And it’s not the path anyone would voluntarily want to embark on. Seeing the door to hell with your own eyes, however is an experience like no other. You will have long stayed in awe after experiencing the viciousness of the fire within the gorge of the burning crater. The Door to Hell would be an amazing vacation experience for the adventurous wonderers. This is a vacation idea that your mainstream tour operators don’t know about. And that’s the beauty of it.
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|Liveleak on Facebook| | <urn:uuid:b2b233dc-47d2-47c4-85a4-ccdc613cd09e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=93d_1264094648 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957414 | 810 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Well, Graham Norton’s great-great-great grandfather and my g-g-g grandfather, to be strictly accurate. They would have known each other. They probably wanted to kill each other. (Luckily, I quite like him and he doesn’t know I exist, so that’s all right!)
How did I find this out?
Four years ago, long before this blog was thought of, I was gripped by BBC TV’s series Who Do You Think You Are?
I was fascinated by the unravelling of family myths and mysteries (we’ve got a few of our own) and envious of the fantastic resources that the Beeb could pull together.
Then, on November 2, 2007, I leapt out of my seat punching the air and shouting: “Carnew! The ball alley!”
Graham Norton was retracing his Irish roots and, to my amazement, his ancestor was in that southernmost Co Wicklow town at the same time as mine, in May 1798, when the terrible Carnew massacre was carried out.
On the other side.
While Nicholas Delaney was working in Robert Blaney’s bog – at the moment Richard Twamley and George Heppenstall were being killed – Graham’s ancestor, Thomas Walker, was among the yeomen in the town.
Indeed one of his relations, John Walker, was shot and piked by the rebels. Just as Twamley and Heppenstall were, according to ‘Croppy Biddy’ Dolan.
And there was Graham in the ball alley in Carnew Castle, where the infamous massacre took place. The same ball alley my mother and I were shown by the castle’s owner, who pointed out to us the bullet holes in the wall which still bear witness to the day when unarmed local United Irish prisoners were gunned down in cold blood by the yeos.
It was a strange moment.
I’ll write more about the Carnew Massacre soon. It’s not just a tragic story in its own right, but probably one of the incidents that spurred the people of Co Wexford, next door, to rise in arms and play their colossal part in 1798.
Since writing this I’ve found a clip of Graham in the Ball Alley – it’s just as good second time around. | <urn:uuid:66edfdd8-a2f5-4254-ba90-57f244b8f3a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rebelhand.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/me-graham-norton-and-an-infamous-massacre/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=5d5a17dad5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981319 | 500 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A rare night.
Hoarsening roars rise. An entire nation – in microcosm – sways in joyous unison. Its standard, held aloft, bathes itself in the mid-November sky. The cold is a familiar touch and, as such, is felt less keenly. Palms meet with soft violence to offer a syncopated, but sincere, welcome to the newly-elected President of Ireland. The poet, at home amongst the beat, spreads a smile and half-dances across the electric dirt. The Aviva Stadium, greener than the mother turf, is shooting sparks.
The legendary chess champion Bobby Fischer played the so-called ‘Game of the Century’ against Donald Byrne on October 17th, 1956, in New York City. Byrne, a former U.S. Open champion, was at this time ranked as one of the top ten players in the United States.
Fischer, meanwhile, was just 13-years-of-age and had been building a reputation as a prodigy in the city’s chess community. He devoted almost every waking hour to studying the game; consuming incredibly complex tomes on chess theory, as well as Russian magazines which examined the strategies employed by players from the game’s undoubted superpower.
In his match with Byrne, the youngster displayed a ruthless genius which would go on to make him the world’s finest player. After 16 moves, Fischer’s queen lies under attack. As the most powerful piece on the board, its loss would all but guarantee defeat. Yet, after minutes of deep thought, Fischer elects to move his knight – thus surrendering his queen to his opponent.
Pouncing on the teenager’s mistake, Byrne duly captures. From his very next move however, Fischer begins an all-out assault on his opponent’s king, as Byrne is forced to escape check after check and cannot regain his lost momentum. His queen sits stranded on the other side of the board as the black pieces close in and begin to smother.
It is an irresistible harmony of movement. Stubbornly defiant, Byrne continues to flee until he is finally mated by Fischer’s 41st move – Rc2#. His pieces are scattered, and unable to help their beleaguered monarch.
It is said that Byrne stayed seated, numbly staring at the 64 black and white squares upon which he had been so majestically bested for a short while after the game’s conclusion. The simple contrast of colours can produce a hypnotic effect. Black, white, black, white, black white…
Schweinsteiger plays a backwards pass to Reus, who finds himself wide on the left; deep inside his own half. From here, the Germans move with precise fury through the scattered Irish midfield from left – to centre – to right – to centre, before the ball is returned to the move’s original flank for Reus to add the finishing touch. The Irish players look lost. Their attack became their opponent’s so quickly that they are yet to understand quite how. Stretched across the field, they appear limp, vulnerable and divided. The crowd soon mimic them. They leave behind a vacuum. Soundless and devoid of energy; a ghost above Dublin City.
Final whistle. The Fields of Athenry has never sounded so much like hope. The Estonian players drift away unnoticed amidst the ecstatic crescendo. Irish players punt footballs into the Green Sea and people hug and dance and sing. Finally. ‘So this is how it feels?’ There are smiles, and a few tears, as the players are saluted like astronauts heading into space. New horizons.
We’re going to Poland/Ukraine.
No answers can be found, no other strategies can be called upon. Giovanni Trapattoni sits and stares. Black, white, black, white, black, white. Hypnotic. Powerless to stop the onslaught, stubborn resistance is all that’s left. When that inevitably fails; defeat.
There have never been any sophisticated tactics, but there has been organisation and luck. Now, the game has changed. The game has been changed. The prodigies are here, and they’ve seen the board with fresh eyes. Luck has deserted the old master; it may not be the last to do so.
Dean covers Waterford United and, due to a challenge from Gareth, writes in an increasingly Gonzo style. Having found himself with a considerable surplus of a culinary herb, Dean founded sister 'site extrathyme.ie some years ago. He can be annoyed @DeanGHayes. | <urn:uuid:f4d894bf-2168-408f-82e3-e5cc8e222123> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/9106/the-game-of-last-century/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970805 | 968 | 1.578125 | 2 |
General: Rare instances of cardiac arrhythmias and hypotension have been reported following the rapid administration of Tagamet (cimetidine hydrochloride) Injection by intravenous bolus.
Symptomatic response to Tagamet therapy does not preclude the presence of a gastric malignancy. There have been rare reports of transient healing of gastric ulcers despite subsequently documented malignancy.
Reversible confusional states (see Adverse Reactions) have been observed on occasion, predominantly, but not exclusively, in severely ill patients. Advancing age (50 or more years) and preexisting liver and/or renal disease appear to be contributing factors. In some patients these confusional states have been mild and have not required discontinuation of Tagamet therapy. In cases where discontinuation was judged necessary, the condition usually cleared within 3 to 4 days of drug withdrawal.
Drug Interactions: Tagamet, apparently through an effect on certain microsomal enzyme systems, has been reported to reduce the hepatic metabolism of warfarin-type anticoagulants, phenytoin, propranolol, nifedipine, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, certain tricyclic antidepressants, lidocaine, theophylline and metronidazole, thereby delaying elimination and increasing blood levels of these drugs.
Clinically significant effects have been reported with the warfarin anticoagulants; therefore, close monitoring of prothrombin time is recommended, and adjustment of the anticoagulant dose may be necessary when Tagamet is administered concomitantly. Interaction with phenytoin, lidocaine and theophylline has also been reported to produce adverse clinical effects.
However, a crossover study in healthy subjects receiving either Tagamet 300 mg q.i.d. or 800 mg h.s. concomitantly with a 300 mg b.i.d. dosage of theophylline (Theo-Dur®, Key Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) demonstrated less alteration in steady-state theophylline peak serum levels with the 800 mg h.s. regimen, particularly in subjects aged 54 years and older. Data beyond 10 days are not available. (Note: All patients receiving theophylline should be monitored appropriately, regardless of concomitant drug therapy.)
Dosage of the drugs mentioned above and other similarly metabolized drugs, particularly those of low therapeutic ratio or in patients with renal and/or hepatic impairment, may require adjustment when starting or stopping concomitantly administered Tagamet to maintain optimum therapeutic blood levels.
Alteration of pH may affect absorption of certain drugs (e.g., ketoconazole). If these products are needed, they should be given at least 2 hours before cimetidine administration.
Additional clinical experience may reveal other drugs affected by the concomitant administration of Tagamet.
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility: In a 24-month toxicity study conducted in rats, at dose levels of 150, 378 and 950 mg/kg/day (approximately 8 to 48 times the recommended human dose), there was a small increase in the incidence of benign Leydig cell tumors in each dose group; when the combined drug-treated groups and control groups were compared, this increase reached statistical significance. In a subsequent 24-month study, there were no differences between the rats receiving 150 mg/kg/day and the untreated controls. However, a statistically significant increase in benign Leydig cell tumor incidence was seen in the rats that received 378 and 950 mg/kg/day. These tumors were common in control groups as well as treated groups and the difference became apparent only in aged rats.
Tagamet (cimetidine) has demonstrated a weak antiandrogenic effect. In animal studies this was manifested as reduced prostate and seminal vesicle weights. However, there was no impairment of mating performance or fertility, nor any harm to the fetus in these animals at doses 8 to 48 times the full therapeutic dose of Tagamet, as compared with controls. The cases of gynecomastia seen in patients treated for 1 month or longer may be related to this effect.
In human studies, Tagamet has been shown to have no effect on spermatogenesis, sperm count, motility, morphology or in vitro fertilizing capacity.
Pregnancy: Teratogenic Effects. Pregnancy Category B: Reproduction studies have been performed in rats, rabbits and mice at doses up to 40 times the normal human dose and have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to Tagamet. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Because animal reproductive studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.
Nursing Mothers: Cimetidine is secreted in human milk and, as a general rule, nursing should not be undertaken while a patient is on a drug.
Pediatric Use: Clinical experience in children is limited. Therefore, Tagamet therapy cannot be recommended for children under 16, unless, in the judgment of the physician, anticipated benefits outweigh the potential risks. In very limited experience, doses of 20 to 40 mg/kg per day have been used.
Immunocompromised Patients: In immunocompromised patients, decreased gastric acidity, including that produced by acid-suppressing agents such as cimetidine, may increase the possibility of a hyperinfection of strongyloidiasis. | <urn:uuid:f5f21b9b-5b66-41a2-9b46-4baa8d457f57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.druglib.com/druginfo/tagamet/warnings_precautions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933398 | 1,158 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Concerned Sharad Pawar asks states to tackle drought-like situation
Pune, July 29 (ANI): Expressing his concern over the delayed monsoon and dearth of rainfall at several places across India, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday asked the state governments to take effective steps to tackle possible drought-like situation.
He said this while addressing a function to mark the release of a book here.
"Our country has received 36-42 percent less rainfall this year. You might have seen that Punjab, which is 'Granary of India', has received 78 percent rainfall. Although, the situation is grim, there was minimal effect on its agriculture because of sufficient underground water for irrigation. We have to provide only power supply to them along with subsidies on fertilisers," Pawar said.
He added that huge quantities of food grains were lying waste in many parts of the country while the concerned departments have taken no remedial measures and stringent actions.
"Earlier, inadequate water supply was not a big question but the main questions were the availability of wheat and food grains. Nobody is concerned about the storage of food grains (that are lying waste in silos and godowns). But for the time being, we can leave the issues related to availability of food grains, and we should start giving serious thoughts on more important issues like food and fodder and rainfall," Pawar added.
Further Pawar noted that six major states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana have caused major anxiety.
"I would discuss the matter with the cabinet ministers of Maharashtra on August 01, with Chief Minister of Karnataka on August 02 and Chief Ministers of Gujarat and Rajasthan states on August 03. Then with the views of these ministers, I would consult chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana and other centrally ruled states and after that we shall arrive at a conclusion that how these problematic issues could be solved," Pawar said. (ANI)
Read More: Sharad Power | Kings XI Punjab | Rajasthan Royals | Maharashtra | Karnataka | Punjab Khor | Fatehgarh Haryana | Punjab Raodways Bus Stand | Agriculture College | Agriculture Institute | Punjab Nagar | Gujarat University | Assam Agriculture University | B.supply | Central Agriculture University | Pawar | Ranchi Agriculture College | Raigarh,Maharashtra | Sharad Pawar | Pune Warriors
SHIKARA TREK BEGINS IN J&K AFTER 30 YEARS (NNIS Exclusive)
May 25, 2013 at 11:05 PM
CONG LEADER KILLED, PARTY CHIEF ABDUCTED IN NAXAL ATTACK IN CG
May 25, 2013 at 10:29 PM
SWAMY TO NNIS : CALL FOR BCCI CHIEF'S RESIGNATION IS ORCHESTRATED
May 25, 2013 at 9:46 PM | <urn:uuid:174b49ac-c1e6-4045-ad4e-9122136c09f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2012/07/29/306-Concerned-Sharad-Pawar-asks-states-to-tackle-drought-like-situation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948476 | 599 | 1.671875 | 2 |
We recommend alpacas hould be castrated unless they are in a well managed breeding program and can be handled by and experienced handler. This is because testosterone can lead to the development of undesirable behaviors and present many safety issues to both the owners and people working with them.
Best time is 6-12months of age, ie as soon as the testicles are in the scrotum. Over 18months the surgery may still have an effect on changing the behavioral characteristics but not always. Over 2 years of age the surgery is a lot more difficult and painful for the alpaca. Traditionally they were castrated later as their was belief that early castration affected the growth plate closure; this is not the case in alpacas but is in Llamas.
The castration of the alpaca requires surgery under general or local anesthetic by a qualified veterinarian. Elastrator rings should never be applied to an alpaca.
Restraint of the alpaca.
If adequate restraint is possible, ie alpaca shearing table, then the surgery can be performed safely with local anesthesia. If adequate restraint is not possible they will require at least sedation and restraining with ropes or a full general anaesthtetic.
Post op care
The wounds are stitched closed so flies should not be able to penetrate. However, it is wise to keep the wounds clean, free from blood, and use a suitable fly repellant such as Cetrigen or chlromide
All care is given to ensure there will not be major bleeding. However seepage of a small amount of blood from the wound is considered normal. If the amount of blood loss exceeds a few tablespoons, then please seek advise.
The local anesthetic used will wear off in approx 2-4 hours, and then some soreness may set in, particulary in the larger alpacas. Don’t be surprised if your alpaca moves around a bit gingerly for a day or two. If a general anesthetic is used the alpaca may be lethargic for 24 hours post operation and should only be fed small feeds for the first 24hr. Temperature extremes should be avoided as the alpaca will not be able to regulate its own temperature for about 24hr.
The stitches used are dissolving ones, so you do not need to remove them. However, they can be a bit stubborn, and may even remain in the skin for some weeks. Don’t be alarmed, you can gently tug on them, or snip them out to remove them if you want to, however they will eventually disappear on their own.
As the castration has been performed under non sterile conditions, we give your alpaca an antibiotic injection in the thigh muscle. This is to protect against any infection that could track into the wound. This injection can cause some local muscle soreness, and the alpaca may even limp for a day or so.
It is recommended that you confine your alpaca to a small yard for 2-3 days after the surgery. This is so that he can be monitored, and also means he doesn’t have to walk as far for feed and water, as he may be a bit reluctant to do so. Make sure if he is housed with other alpacas, that there is no chance of fighting or rough housing, as this may disrupt the surgical wounds.
Illness or Concerns
If you are concerned that your alpaca is doing anything odd, (eg not eating well, reluctant to walk, appears weak) please seek advice immediately. Problems after castration are rare, but need to be dealt with if they occur. I also recommend that your alpaca be up to date with Tetanus vaccination cover at the time of castration.
Note: it can take 3-6 weeks for testosterone levels to subside.
If sedation or general anesthetic is required there is extra charge of per alpaca. If the surgery takes longer due to poor set up or organization extra charges may apply. Please speak to one of our staff regarding your set up. | <urn:uuid:cb010c4b-63a0-4796-bfea-06b54feb4065> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cvvs.com.au/LargeAnimals/ProductionAnimalServices/AlpacaCastration/tabid/2183/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955581 | 849 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Happy Spring! I'm Esther from whollyKao, and I'm excited to be guest posting on Pamplemousse! Today's I'm going to show you how to make your own pressed flower frames. It's a great way to preserve flowers from bouquets, or the pretties from your back yard.
For this project, you're going to need:
-picture frames (the size is up to you)
-dried flowers (I used flowers from the back yard and pressed them inside heavy books for a couple weeks)
-gel medium (or Mod Podge/glue)
-a small paintbrush
-Thick card stock (**A great alternative to using plain card stock is to paint the page with watercolors first. Then you'd have a lovely and subtly color to complement your flowers.)
Cut your card stock to the same size as the glass in your picture frames.
I got these rustic-looking frames at the Canton Market over here in Texas. But I'm sure you can find some great ones in thrift stores or yard sales.
Assemble your flowers before gluing.
It's a good idea to plan out what you want to do before you first. I played around with different flower arrangements, laying them on top of my cut card stock until I was happy with a setup. I took a picture on my phone to use as reference for later.
Glue! Use your small paint brush to put the adhesive on the back side of the flowers. It's best to put the flowers on top of a paper towel so that the glue doesn't get everywhere.
I used an acrylic gel medium, because that's what I had at home. You can also use Mod Podge, Tacky Glue or even Elmer's. The paint brush gives you great control, especially if you're working with small flowers.
It's time to adhere your flowers to your card stock! Do this layer by layer and make sure to press down on all areas of the flower after you've laid it on the card stock. This is when that pic you took in Step two comes in handy.
Let the glue dry, then place the card stock into its frame. You're done! Now go hang up your frames and enjoy! | <urn:uuid:5a78f0bf-7e8f-4772-bc0a-cf759a2541f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pamplemousse1983.com/2012/04/teeny-tutorial-diy-pressed-flower.html?showComment=1334753178480 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960707 | 468 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Cambodian Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith has said that the government could "terminate" the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) if its international judges charge retired King Norodom Sihanouk for any Democratic Kampuchea (DK) era entanglements, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported Monday.
The ECCC operates under Cambodian law, which guarantees Norodom Sihanouk immunity, Khieu Kanharith said Sunday, adding that any attempt to violate that immunity would be "illegal" and thus justify disbandment.
"The government is able to terminate the ECCC," he was quoted as saying.
The tribunal has made no public move to investigate Norodom Sihanouk or to call him as a witness, the newspaper said.
Questions about Norodom Sihanouk's possible role in the ECCC were brought up on Aug. 20 by a statement from the little-known NGO Cambodian Action Committee for Justice and Equality, which called for stripping the retired King's immunity so he could be charged by the ECCC, it said.
The Cambodian government and Prime Minister Hun Sen last week came to Norodom Sihanouk's defense, citing his constitutional immunity.
Sihanouk, 85, stepped down as king in 2004 and his son Norodom Sihamoni succeeded him. | <urn:uuid:4e7f0f9d-a72c-4249-9224-42b57e851bce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6253567.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965575 | 286 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Worcester v. Georgia
|Worcester v. Georgia|
Supreme Court of the United States
|Argued February 20, 1832
Decided March 3, 1832
|Full case name||Samuel A. Worcester v. Georgia|
|Citations||31 U.S. 515 (more)
8 L. Ed. 483
|Prior history||Plaintiff convicted in Gwinnett County, Georgia by the Georgia Superior Court (September 15, 1831)|
|Worcester's conviction is void, because states have no criminal jurisdiction in Indian Country.|
|Majority||Marshall, joined by Johnson, Duvall, Story, Thompson|
|U.S. Const. art. I|
Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court vacated the conviction of Samuel Worcester and held that the Georgia criminal statute that prohibited non-Indians from being present on Indian lands without a license from the state was unconstitutional.
The opinion is most famous for its dicta, which lay out the relationship between tribes and the state and federal governments, building the foundations of the doctrine of tribal sovereignty in the United States.
Georgia passed laws restricting authority of the Cherokees over their lands. Among these was a law requiring all whites living in Cherokee Indian Territory, including missionaries and persons married to Cherokee, to obtain a state license to live there. After seven missionaries refused to obtain licenses, they were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to four years of hard labor. They refused to obey the military when they were asked to leave the state. They appealed their case to the United States Supreme Court, arguing that the law under which they had been convicted was unconstitutional because states have no authority to pass laws concerning sovereign Indian Nations.
The missionaries Samuel Worcester and Elizur Butler were arrested by Georgia because of their opposition to Cherokee removal. Even if they had applied for state licenses, they still would have been denied. The Georgia state courts had previously deferred to Worcester because of his federal appointment as postmaster to New Echota, the Cherokee capital. However, George Rockingham Gilmer, the governor of Georgia, persuaded the federal government to withdraw Worcester's appointment as postmaster in order to make him subject to arrest.
Chief Justice John Marshall laid out in this opinion the relationship between the Indian Nations and the United States is that of nations. He argued that the United States, in the character of the federal government, inherited the rights of Great Britain as they were held by that nation. Those rights, he stated, are the sole right of dealing with the Indian nations in North America, to the exclusion of any other European power, and not the rights of possession to their land or political dominion over their laws. He acknowledged that the exercise of conquest and purchase can give political dominion, but those are in the hands of the federal government and not the states.
The court ruled that the Cherokee Nation was a "distinct community" with self-government "in which the laws of Georgia can have no force." It established the doctrine that the national government of the United States, and not individual states, had authority in American Indian affairs.
Jackson's response
In a popular quotation, President Andrew Jackson is supposed to have said: "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!". This derives from Jackson's consideration on the case in a letter to John Coffee, "...the decision of the Supreme Court has fell still born, and they find that they cannot coerce Georgia to yield to its mandate," (that is, the Court's opinion because it had no power to enforce its edict).
The ruling in Worcester ordered that Worcester be freed; Georgia complied after several months. In 1833, the newly elected governor, Wilson Lumpkin, offered to pardon Worcester and Butler if they ceased their activities among the Cherokee. The two complied and were freed (under the authority of a January 14, 1833 general proclamation, not a formal pardon); they never returned to Cherokee lands.
The federal government and the Cherokee were not party to the suit. Worcester imposed no obligations on Jackson; there was nothing for him to enforce. The Court did not ask federal marshals to carry out the decision, as had become standard. Worcester may be seen as a prudential decision, for avoiding the possibility of political conflict between the Court and the Executive, while still delivering what appeared to be a pro-Indian decision.
As a tribal sovereignty precedent
Marshall's language in Worcester may have been motivated by his regret that his earlier opinions in Fletcher and Johnson had been used as a justification for Georgia's actions. Justice Story considered it similarly, writing in a letter to his wife dated March 4, 1832: "Thanks be to God, the Court can wash their hands clean of the iniquity of oppressing the Indians and disregarding their rights." Because Jackson proceeded with Cherokee removal, Worcester did little more for indigenous rights than Johnson v. M'Intosh or Cherokee Nation v. Georgia.
Worcester is cited in several later opinions on the subject of tribal sovereignty in the United States.
- Boller, Paul F.; John H. George (1989). They Never Said It: A Book of False Quotes, Misquotes, & False Attributions. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-19-506469-8.
- Chused, 1999.
- Banner, 2005, pp. 218—24.
- Norgren, 2004, pp. 122—30.
- Berutti, 1992, pp. 305—06.
- Lytle, 1980, p. 69.
- Warren, 1926, l.757.
- Robertson, 2005, p. 117—44.
- Banner, 2005, pp. 220–27.
- Stuart Banner, How the Indians Lost Their Land: Law and Power on the Frontier (2005).
- Berutti, Ronald A. (1992). "The Cherokee Cases: The Fight to Save the Supreme Court and the Cherokee Indians". American Indian Law Review 17 (1): 291–308. doi:10.2307/20068726.
- Burke, Joseph C. (1969). "The Cherokee Cases: A Study in Law, Politics, and Morality". Stanford Law Review (Stanford Law Review, Vol. 21, No. 3) 21 (3): 500–531. doi:10.2307/1227621. JSTOR 1227621.
- Chused, Richard (1999). Cases, Materials, and Problems in Property (2nd ed.). New York: M. Bender. ISBN 0-8205-4135-4.
- Lytle, Cliford M. (1980). "The Supreme Court, Tribal Sovereignty, and Continuing Problems of State Encroachment into Indian Country". American Indian Law Review 8 (1): 65–77. doi:10.2307/20068139.
- Jill Norgren, The Cherokee Cases: Two Landmark Federal Decisions in the Fight for Sovereignty (2004).
- Prucha, Francis Paul (1984). The Great Father: The United States Government and the American Indians I. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-3668-9.
- Lindsay G. Robertson, Conquest by Law: How the Discovery of America Dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of Their Lands (2005).
- Smith, Jean Edward (1996). John Marshall: Definer Of A Nation. New York: Henry Holt & Company. ISBN 0-8050-1389-X.
- Charles Warren. The Supreme Court in United States History, (2d. ed., 1926). 2 vols.
|Wikisource has original text related to this article:| | <urn:uuid:c017d03e-635e-4b4e-8075-b4393927d3a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester_v._Georgia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927121 | 1,630 | 2.84375 | 3 |
CDC Releases Latest Data on Emergency Department Visits
For Release: March 18, 2004
Contact: NCHS/CDC Public Affairs, (301) 458-4800
National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2002 Emergency Department Summary. Advance Data Number 340. 35 pp. (PHS) 2004-1250 [PDF - 1.7 MB]
A new CDC report documents a continuing increase in the number of Americans seeking medical care in hospital emergency departments, even as other data show the actual number of emergency departments on the decline.
In 2002, Americans made 110.2 million visits to hospital emergency rooms, a 23 percent increase over the 90 million visits made in 1992. During the same period of time hospital emergency departments have decreased about 15 percent.
The findings were reported in the CDC’s latest annual summary of hospital emergency department visits, prepared by CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
The most common reasons given for an emergency department visit were abdominal pain (6.5 percent), chest pain (5.1 percent), and fever (4.8 percent). The most frequently reported primary diagnoses were contusions (4.3 percent), acute upper respiratory infections (4.0 percent), open wounds except to the head (3.8 percent), and abdominal pain (3.7 percent).
Injury, poisoning, and adverse effects of medical treatment accounted for 35.5 percent of emergency department visits. Falls, being struck by or striking against, and motor vehicle traffic incidents were the leading causes of injuries accounting for about 40 percent of these visits. Visits for head injuries among children under 18 continue to decline, falling 75 percent since 1992.
Medications were provided at three-quarters of all visits, with an average of 2.3 drugs being prescribed in those cases where drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) were used. Pain relief medication accounted for more than one-third of all drug use. These were followed by fever reducing medication and antihistamines. From 1996 through 2002 the use of penicillin-related drugs has decreased by 20 percent while the use of more expensive and broader range quinolones (generic names such as ciprofloxacin and enoxacin) has increased by 171 percent, though penicillins continued to be nearly twice as frequently prescribed as quinlones.
Persons aged 75 and older continue to have the highest rate of emergency department visits (61.1 per 100 persons), while the next highest rate was for persons aged 15-24. Two percent of all visits were made by nursing home residents.
Other findings from the survey show that:
- About 60 percent of emergency departments were located in metropolitan areas, but they represented 81 percent of encounters.
- Forty-one percent of all emergency department visits occurred in the South – even though only 36 percent of the population lives in this region.
- Private insurance remains the dominant source of payment (39 percent), followed by Medicaid (20 percent), and Medicare (15 percent).
- Thirty-four percent of all emergency department visits required treatment within fifteen minutes, only ten percent were classified as non-urgent.
“National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2002 Emergency Department Summary” can be viewed at CDC/NCHS web site. The Web site also contains additional information about the survey based on records from a representative sample of the nation’s emergency departments. | <urn:uuid:39a76498-39fa-4db0-9e85-2a8f3d23cbd8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/04facts/emergencydept.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957446 | 705 | 2.515625 | 3 |
1.The title When We Argued All Night tells us right from the start that this book is about people who don't always get along. What is the relationship between argument and love in this novel? Is Harold and Artie's friendship stronger or less strong because they argue? Artie is particularly disagreeable. Can you love him anyway?
2.Talking about Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady, Harold and Myra disagree about the final scene, in which Isabel Archer goes back to her evil husband even though she could get away. Harold says James means her to be heroic, or else there's no reason for it to be the end of the book: the final act is her achievement, what she accomplishes. Myra says "What does anyone accomplish?" and that question titles the first six chapters of the book. What is accomplishment in this novel? For Artie? For Harold? For Brenda?
3. The first chapter is entitled "The Whistler." What does music mean to Artie? Photography?
4. World events affect the lives of these characters at least as much as their personal histories. How do events and attitudes in the society around them influence Harold's membership in the Communist Party and his disillusionment with it? Harold and Artie's teaching careers? Brenda's willingness to consider that she might be gay?
5. Toward the end of the book, Brenda's son David becomes a writer, choosing to write nonfiction because he wants to recount the real events in his life, even though they are not dramatic. He goes to graduate school to learn how to convey his strong feelings without inventing exciting events. Must fiction exaggerate life to make the reader care? What makes writing—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—affect a reader if it is about people to whom nothing much happens? Do quiet events in fiction speak to you as much as exciting ones?
6. Late in his life Harold tells David that he regrets nothing, because each part of his life, even the parts he has been ashamed of, has led to something he cherishes. Is that a convincing argument? Harold is always aware of the wish to be a good person—but is he a good person? What about Artie, who rarely thinks in those terms?
7. What is the meaning of the cabin in the Adirondacks for the characters in this novel?
8. Nelson is a significant figure in this novel, especially for Harold and Brenda. What do you think of Brenda's decision to drive Nelson to the bridge, and her subsequent actions there? Is Harold a good father to Nelson—or is that an unfair question?
9. Harold and Artie both lose their jobs as a result of McCarthyism, but the effect of this difficult event on each of their lives is quite different. Is this just chance? How is it consistent with their earlier lives?
10. Neither Harold nor Artie is an observant Jew, but being Jewish matters to both of them. How does Jewishness play out in their lives? What makes them feel Jewish? As the children of immigrants, how are they like or unlike Jews who are several generations removed from the old country? What do they have in common with the children of immigrants from other ethnic groups? | <urn:uuid:95ab0bf9-8df2-45dc-b26e-e88b88ffbeaa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harpercollins.com/author/authorExtra.aspx?isbn13=9780062120373&displayType=readingGuide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979864 | 669 | 2.609375 | 3 |
The robots at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show fell largely into two categories: floor cleaners and toys. But there was an exception.
That was a robot taken cleaning to new heights – literally. It is the Winbot 7 Series from Ecovacs, and this robot does do windows.
The Winbot works much like any of the floor cleaning robots, only it works on vertical surfaces. Stick it outside on your window glass and it figures out the size of your window, then travels in a zigzag pattern to clean the surface.
The Winbot has to be plugged into an electrical outlet that feeds a powerful vacuum motor that keeps it stuck to the glass as it creeps around. There is a safety tether to keep the Winbot from bombing pedestrians below if it were to lose power. If the Winbot encounters a problem it sounds an alarm.
The Winbot has a damp cleaning pad on its leading edge that is followed by a squeegee and a drying pad in back. The reusable pads could require machine washing after a single large dirty window, but more typically the company said they needed a wash every few months.
The price of replacement parts and cleaning solution have not been yet determined. The Winbot becomes available in April at a list price of $300 for the 710 model that cleans framed windows, and $400 for the 730 model that cleans framed and frameless windows.
They will be available through the Ecovacs Web site.
This post has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 8, 2013
A report in the Gadgetwise column on the Personal Tech pages on Thursday about a window-cleaning robot gave incorrect prices from the company for two models of the robot. The model known as the Winbot 710 will cost $300, not $200, when it becomes available in April, and the Winbot 730 will cost $400, not $300. | <urn:uuid:d44d2652-0fc2-4b42-91d6-9c2565518dc5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/this-robot-does-do-windows/?emc=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957525 | 391 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Saboteurs halve Iraqi oil exports
Guerillas set a southern oil pipeline ablaze yesterday, halving Iraq's vital crude exports, in the first major sabotage attack since an Iraqi interim government took over from the US-led occupation.
An oil official said one of two pipelines feeding Iraq's Gulf terminals was on fire in the Faw Peninsula and a shipping agent said this had cut exports to 960,000 barrels per day.
Oil exports, Iraq's main economic artery, had recovered to about two million bpd after being choked off completely by last month's attacks on both southern pipelines.
US-led troops and Iraqi forces have been on alert for any attacks aimed at disrupting the formal transfer of sovereignty, which occurred on Monday, and Saddam Hussein's court appearance on Thursday which recalled decades of killings and torture.
Guerillas killed seven Iraqis yesterday in an attack on a National Guard checkpoint south of Baghdad, the US army said. Insurgents have repeatedly targeted Iraqi security forces.
Yet by postwar Iraq's violent standards, it has been a quiet week, with nothing like the wave of bombings and attacks that killed about 100 people, many of them policemen, on June 24.
Hundreds of Saddam supporters demonstrated yesterday in the town of al-Dawr, north of Baghdad, where US troops caught the former dictator in December. Witnesses said Iraqi police and national guards joined the crowd waving portraits of Saddam.
The US military said it had thwarted potential attacks in Baghdad with raids that uncovered a car bomb "factory" and caches of arms and explosives. Fifty-one people were arrested.
Soldiers found four vehicles, apparently being modified for use in bomb attacks, at one site, while searches elsewhere netted rocket-propelled grenade launchers, explosives and bombs.
"Denying the enemy of the Iraqi people the weapons he uses to kill Iraqi civilians is always a remarkable success," said Lieutenant Colonel James Hutton, the 1st Cavalry Division's spokesman. He did not say when the two-day operation took place.
The military also said a US Marine had died of wounds sustained during operations in western Iraq on Friday, the same day another Marine was killed in the region.
At least 636 US troops have been killed in combat since the start of last year's invasion to topple Saddam.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari declined an offer by Jordan to send troops to Iraq, where a US-led multinational force of about 160,000 has remained to fight insurgents.
"We welcome the support of Arab and Islamic countries... but there are many ways for these countries to stand with the Iraqi people and offer a helping hand," Zebari told a news conference.
"There are sensitivities over the participation of neighbouring countries in peacekeeping forces, but these countries can back United Nations activities."
King Abdullah said on Thursday Jordan could become the first Arab country to send troops to Iraq if Baghdad requested it.
Iraqi leaders have said troops from neighbouring nations are not welcome, fearing they will pursue their own interests.
In response to a US request, Turkey said last year it was ready to send troops to Iraq, but withdrew the offer when Iraq's now-dissolved Governing Council opposed the move.
Zebari welcomed an offer by Yemen to send peacekeepers, provided they were under United Nations or Arab League command.
"With regard to Yemen's proposal, we are in principle for the participation of Arab peacekeeping troops from beyond the immediate neighbours," he said. | <urn:uuid:193db32f-9ac8-4ed4-96ad-7f49d6fe30c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20040704/local/saboteurs-halve-iraqi-oil-exports.118549 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971304 | 714 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Poll: Americans confused by budget
Americans have no idea where the federal government spends its money, a new poll suggests.
Among likely voters surveyed late last month by the Tarrance Group, “[t]here are widespread misperceptions about the state of the federal budget,” the Republican pollsters concluded. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said they believe the federal government spends more on defense and foreign aid than it does on Medicare and Social Security. In fiscal 2010, spending for those two social programs totaled more than $1.1 trillion, while the Pentagon’s budget was about $660 billion and the State Department’s total spending was just under $52 billion.Continue Reading
A majority of those surveyed by Tarrance also have “incorrect” views on how to cut the federal deficit, with 60 percent saying the federal budget’s problems can be ameliorated by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. The Government Accountability Office on Tuesday released a report detailing several billion dollars’ worth of “duplication” in government spending that could be cut. But even if the totals reach the tens of billions of dollars, they would still be a drop in the bucket of President Barack Obama’s proposed $3.73 trillion in spending for fiscal 2012.
Forty-four percent said they consider Medicare and Social Security costs a major source of federal budget difficulties, a position with which nearly all policymakers and politicians would agree. But, 49 percent of those surveyed said the two programs do not pose major problems for the federal budget.
Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said they have paid “a lot” of attention to the national budget debate and only 21 percent said they consider the $60 billion in cuts proposed by House Republicans for the remainder of fiscal 2011 to be too large. Meanwhile, 36 percent said the cuts are too small, and 31 percent said they are just right.
Especially among Republican voters, a member of Congress’s support for cuts is viewed as a plus, with 67 percent saying they would reelect a member who votes for the GOP cuts. Fifty-four percent of independents said the same. Overall, 52 percent of those surveyed said they would be more likely to support a member who backs the cuts, while 28 percent said they would be less likely to vote for that candidate.
Tarrance surveyed 801 people considered likely voters Feb. 22-24. The error margin is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Get reporter alerts | <urn:uuid:b118ca5c-bf3d-43c8-a079-e70b23de60d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/50486.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965757 | 519 | 2.015625 | 2 |
BEIRUT: International mediator on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, reiterated his warning that Syria’s civil war risks spilling across borders and appealed again for a temporary truce to help calm 19-months of conflict.
The U.N.-Arab League envoy has proposed that both President Bashar Assad’s forces and rebel fighters seeking his overthrow hold fire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha that starts next week.
Brahimi said Assad’s regime must take the lead in implementing a cease-fire, saying rebel representatives have assured him they will observe the truce if the government takes the first step.
“The Syrian people are burying hundreds of people each day, so if they bury fewer people during the days of the holiday, this could be the start of Syria’s return from the dangerous situation that it ... is continuing to slip toward,” he told reporters Wednesday in Beirut after talks with Lebanese leaders.
Syrian authorities, who blame rebels for the failure of an April cease-fire plan, guardedly welcomed Brahimi’s proposal but said any initiative must be respected by both sides.
And in rare agreement, Turkey, one of Assad’s harshest critics, and Iran, one of his strongest allies, both said they backed the plan.
At least 30,000 people have been killed in the uprising, which began with peaceful demonstrations and now pits mainly Sunni Muslim rebels against an Alawite president.
There are fears of broader Middle East sectarian conflict between Sunni powers sympathetic to the rebels and Shiites who back Assad.
“This crisis cannot remain within Syrian borders indefinitely. Either it will be addressed or it will increase ... and be all-consuming,” Brahimi said.
The British-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 90 people had been killed in Syria by late afternoon Wednesday, after 150 people died the day before.
The death toll has topped 1,000 a week for at least two months as divided world powers have condemned the bloodshed in what has largely become a stalemate, but failed to agree on a political solution.
Sunday, Brahimi appealed to leaders in Iran to support a proposal for a cease-fire to mark Eid al-Adha, expected to begin at dusk on Oct. 25.
“For us, there isn’t any sacrifice too great if the blood stops flowing in Syria even for a day, an hour,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference in Ankara, saying he had discussed the plan with his Iranian counterpart.
“The Arab League, Turkey and Iran have declared their support for this proposal,” he said, adding he expected those who backed the plan to make a statement Friday.
Iran’s state news agency quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying Iran backed the temporary cease-fire plan and believed free elections were the right way forward.
Syrian officials have questioned whether the disparate rebels, who agreed on a joint leadership Tuesday to encourage states to provide them more powerful weapons, could commit to or honor any ceasefire deal.
But Brahimi said opposition figures had told him any cease-fire by Assad would be reciprocated immediately.
“We heard from everyone we met in the opposition, and everyone [else] we met that, if the government stops using violence, ‘We will respond to this directly,’” he said.
On the battlefront Wednesday, rebels shot down a helicopter gunship as the army fought to recapture the strategic northwestern town of Maaret al-Numan, according to the Observatory.
Amateur video posted on YouTube showed a helicopter spiraling downwards and then exploding, as onlookers cried: “Allahu akbar,” Arabic for God is greatest.
Warplanes targeted a rebel blockade of a highway in Idlib province which has halted regime efforts to reinforce Aleppo, a theatre of intense fighting for three months.
The early morning air raids targeted Maaret al-Numan and nearby villages, which fell to the rebels a week ago as they pushed to create a buffer zone abutting Turkey, the Observatory said.
Amateur footage of rebels using shoulder-mounted surface-to-air missiles have emerged in the past few days, and France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that heavy weapons acquired by the insurgents have forced Assad’s air force to bomb rebel-held areas from high altitude.
“There are now weapons that are forcing the planes to fly extremely high, and so the strikes are less accurate,” Fabius said before meeting in Paris with civilian members of rebel councils that run areas outside the regime’s control. France began channeling money and humanitarian aid to rebel-held parts of Syria in August to support self-rule and try to create an alternative to the Damascus government.
However, the French plan falls well short of the foreign-protected safe havens the opposition says it needs.
Russia, which sold Syria arms worth $1 billion last year, and China have vetoed three resolutions favored by Western powers condemning Syrian authorities and opening the way to U.N. sanctions on Damascus.
Fabius said Moscow’s stance would only cement chaos in Syria, adding that he had told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that “If you continue to oppose a change of regime, then the extremists risk taking control.”
Moscow denies trying to prop up Assad, who allows Russia to maintain a naval supply facility in Tartus that is its only naval base outside the former Soviet Union.
But Russia says Syria’s crisis must be resolved without foreign interference, particularly military intervention.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Wednesday defended its arms trade, insisting only the United Nations could dictate restrictions on arms sales.
Without mentioning Syria directly, Putin defended Russia’s right to trade weapons with whomever it wanted.
“We operate on the premise that the only basis for limiting weapons supplies to any country is U.N. Security Council sanctions,” Putin said as he opened a government meeting on military-technical cooperation.
This week Turkey accused Russia of delivering “war equipment” to the Syrian government on board a Syrian plane, after the Turkish authorities forced the plane to land last week and seized the suspect cargo.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the cargo contained radar equipment and was being delivered legally, demanding that it be returned to its rightful owners.
Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said Damascus hoped Brahimi’s talks, including with countries that back the rebels, could herald “something which leads to the success of a constructive initiative.” | <urn:uuid:4ce9a3d8-c789-44e5-8790-0f6f266b075a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Oct-18/191815-brahimi-raises-specter-of-spillover.ashx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958323 | 1,363 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Surgeries are an expensive affair and can burn a hole in your pocket. But these surgeries are also life savers. How? Cancer patients can cheat death, your life span can be increased, and health improved. But what about the crippling costs associated with surgery? That's where a good health insurance plan comes in; more specifically, a good health insurance plan that has surgical cash benefits. To get an in-depth analysis on surgical cash benefits, we asked our experts a few questions.
We jump to the basic question, what does surgical cash benefits mean? Yateesh Srivastava, Chief Marketing Officer AEGON Religare explains, “Surgical cash benefit is a benefit that is paid out if the insured has a surgery. In a surgical cash plan a fixed amount, depending on the type of surgery, is paid out. This is not dependent on actual expenditure incurred. The payouts vary depending on the severity of the surgery.”
Deepak Yohannan with MyInsuranceClub goes further, “The surgical cash benefit is paid irrespective of the actual surgical expense incurred and is paid on providing proof of surgery being performed. In case the policy-holder undergoes more than one Covered Surgery during the same hospital admission, the amount payable will be the fixed benefit amount associated with each Covered Surgery subject to the annual and lifetime limits.”
The inevitable truth is that, we may never know when we need a surgery; therefore, it is economical to save up for a policy. Yateesh Srivastava helps you out, “Surgical cash benefit plans come with different sum assured levels. One should look at the cost of a critical surgery in hospital and take a sum assured in proportion. One must ensure that the sum assured will cover the cost of surgery in the hospital one is comfortable going to. Surgical cash plans can have sum assured as low as Rs.1,00,000 ranging up to as much as Rs.10,00,000 and sometimes even more.”
The most common surgeries covered under Surgical Cash Benefit policy are:
- Heart transplantation
- Repair of injury to Kidney
- Joint replacement
- Repair of small artery
But there are a few pointers you need to keep in mind while selecting this policy. The exclusions to this benefit are:
- Any treatment not performed by a Physician/Surgeon.
- Any treatment including Surgery that is performed un-conventionally under experimental conditions and purely experimental in nature.
- Circumcision, cosmetic or aesthetic treatments of any description, change of life surgery or treatment, treatment (including surgery) for obesity, plastic surgery (unless necessary for the treatment of Illness or accidental Bodily Injury)
- Surgery for donation of an organ.
- Surgery for correction of birth defects or congenital anomalies.
- Any diagnosis or treatment or surgery arising from or traceable to pregnancy (whether uterine or extra uterine).
But don’t confuse this plan with your regular mediclaim policy. Deepak Yohannan simplifies it for you, “There is no separate policy for surgical cash benefit. This is either an inbuilt benefit or an add-on cover (at extra cost) in the health insurance plans offered by life insurance companies.” So check your policy thoroughly.
Further, he says: “Almost all medical insurance plans (offered by general insurance companies) cover the cost of surgeries. The payment is done either in a cashless mode directly to the hospital or in a reimbursement mode to the policy-holder. However, only a limited health plans offer the surgical cash benefit. This too is a feature by life insurance companies who have recently launched their health plans.”
Complete Health plan for you and your family by Aegon Religare
*Image courtesy: © Thinkstock photos/ Getty Images
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Women generally know how to make their men happy, but do you know there are erogenous zones... | <urn:uuid:ce0a1c95-ad55-44d9-b2a6-f34696024464> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://healthmeup.com/news-buzz/importance-of-surgical-cash-benefits/15488 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944059 | 892 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Yesterday I witnessed an award-winning political stunt attacking the EPA in defense of Big Coal. Representatives Griffith (VA), Roe (TN), and Whitfield (KY) led a field hearing in Abingdon, VA part of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power series meant to investigate the EPA’s new greenhouse gas emission standards. The congressmen stated that Abingdon was chosen for the hearing since coalfields residents are the ones who will ultimately suffer from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas New Source Performance Standards (NSPS).
It seems our representatives had forgotten about the thousands of Americans who suffer from asthma attacks triggered by smog worsened from coal plant emissions. Or perhaps they haven’t read the news about record high temperatures leading to larger wildfires and more extreme droughts in the US. For years we have known climate change is real and now taking effect. That’s why 72% of polled Americans support carbon limits (ALA). That’s why the Supreme Court upheld the EPA’s right to regulate carbon under the Clean Air Act in 2007 and requested a progressive plan be set forth. And that’s what the EPA is doing.
Morgan Griffith said he was happy to see “that the people of Southwest Virginia have this opportunity to add their voices to the conversation about the Obama Administration’s energy policies,” but, I’m sure he wasn’t pleased to see over 50 citizens holding signs in support of EPA’s carbon limits. We sent a clear message that Appalachia would benefit much more from hearings focused on renewable energy jobs, overall regional economic diversification, and leadership to reduce carbon pollution linked to climate change and smog. I guess that’s too progressive for Mr. Griffith and the coal companies that fund him. | <urn:uuid:6600ae33-1e7d-4f8a-9417-fde4428369d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://appvoices.org/frontporchblog/?show=-T&tag=china | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949103 | 370 | 1.882813 | 2 |
(Telephone and Voice Mail) POLICY
Telecommunications - Telephone and Voice Mail Appropriate Use Policy
The purpose of this policy is to promote the appropriate and productive use of Bank Street College's Telecommunications Systems in an efficient, ethical and lawful manner, consistent with other College policies. Most of these guidelines follow the general rules of common sense and common courtesy. This policy provides an overview of uses of the College's Telecommunications Systems without exhaustively enumerating all such uses and misuses.
Permissible Uses of Voice Mail
Bank Street College provides telephones and voice mail messaging to its faculty, students and staff for educational, research, and internal business purposes. Members of the Bank Street College community should limit their use of the systems to these purposes. The rules governing the use of telephones and voice mail at Bank Street College are consistent with the College's other policies regarding computing facilities and disclosure of information. In particular, this includes the College’s policies on acceptable use, ethical conduct, and the handling of confidential or sensitive information. The use of these systems for personal purposes should be limited so that it doesn’t interfere with College business; faculty and staff are responsible for reimbursing the College for the cost of that use.
Respect the Privacy of Others
- Do not use the College's Telecommunications Systems to defame, harass, intimidate or threaten any other person(s), or to send unnecessarily repetitive messages (for example, chain mail).
- Do not publish post, transmit, or otherwise make available content that is copyrighted, obscene, or legally objectionable.
- You are responsible for the toll calls billed to your phone. Do not give your Long Distance Code to anyone or allow them to use the College’s phone system for personal business.
- Do not give your password to anyone or allow anyone else to access your mailbox.
- Do not use anyone else's password or voice mail account. Remember, you are responsible for whatever occurs relating to your account.
- Do not forge or otherwise misrepresent your personal identity. This policy does not prohibit users from engaging in anonymous communications, providing that such communications do not otherwise violate one of the above stated policies.
Enforcement of This Policy
Violations of this policy will be adjudicated, as appropriate by the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with appropriate College administrators. Sanctions as a result of violations of these regulations may result in any or all of the following:
- Suspension or loss of the College's telephone and voice mail privileges;
- Disciplinary action;
- Monetary reimbursement to the College or others;
- Prosecution under applicable laws.
In the event of a possible violation of these policies, telephone and voice mail privileges may be suspended at the discretion of the College while the matter is being resolved.
Confidentiality of Voice Mail
Although every effort is made to safeguard the voice mail system, Bank Street College cannot guarantee the confidentiality or privacy of voice mail messages and makes no promises regarding their security. Decisions as to what information to include in such messages should be made with this in mind. The College reserves the right to conduct routine maintenance, track problems, and maintain the integrity of its systems. As is the case with all data kept on the College's Voice Mail System, the content of voice mail messages may be revealed by such activities.
Bank Street College does not monitor the contents of voice mail messages as a routine matter. However, such monitoring may be conducted when required to protect the integrity of the system or to comply with legal obligations. Any unread (un-played) messages more than three (3) months old are subject to deletion from the system. Individuals planning a sabbatical or having other special needs may make arrangements for extended message storage. Telecommunications System users who fail to manage the messages in their mail boxes in an appropriate manner may have those privileges suspended.
Bank Street College reserves the right to inspect the contents of voice mail messages in the course of an investigation triggered by indications of impropriety or as necessary to locate substantive information that is not more readily available by some other less intrusive means. Bank Street College will comply with all legal requirements for access to such information. | <urn:uuid:bf18fe1d-c91e-45a0-948d-57f60ce2f26c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bankstreet.edu/information-technology/help-desk-and-infrastructure-communication-technology/telecommunications/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911206 | 847 | 1.59375 | 2 |
A bunion forms when the bursa (a sac of fluid at friction points between the tendons and bone in some areas and between bone and the skin in others) becomes inflamed along the edge of the joint at the base of the big toe.
An acute bunion can progress into the second type of bunion, the hallux valgus, a chronic but often painless deformity involving permanent rigidity of the bones.
Bunions can form in any part of the foot but occur most often at the big toe joint, where the first metatarsal bone abuts the proximal phalanx of the big toe.
Women are more likely than men to get bunions because of the misshapen footwear and elevated heels they wear.
Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa, which is a sac containing tissue fluid about the consistency of an egg white. The bursa at the big toe joint acts as a lubricant between the skin and the bones. Continual irritation of the skin by an ill-fitting shoe causes the sac to become inflamed and inflated with more fluid. When that occurs, the condition is an acute and painful bursitis.
During the early stages of bursitis, the fluid tries to force itself to the surface of the skin so that it can be discharged. There is minimal but continuous irritation at the joint.
If you ignore the irritation, hardening of the skin takes place. The forward displacement that occurs when your foot is fitted into high-heeled shoes, or even into stockings that are too snug, adds to the pressure upon the joint. The bursal fluid begins to solidify into a mass that resembles gelatin. The result will be a bunion, which then enters a subacute phase.
If allowed to progress, the condition can become worse. It does so because of the problem of obtaining a properly fitted shoe. The ball of the foot, with its bulbous outcropping of bunion, is considerably wider than the heel. The shoe with a snug heel that prevents slippage at its back might not fit the normal width of the ball of the foot at the front of the shoe. With the added growth of bunion, the width of the foot can no longer be considered normal. Thus, the proper fit at the ball of the foot leads to an angulation of the big toe. This deformity is a hallux valgus.
Hallux valgus is a serious condition. It strains the foot and produces an abnormal prominence of the joints; it also widens the front of the foot and causes a loss of balance. And any deformation of the big toe interferes with standing and walking. Also, malposition of the big toe bone and loss of power in the foot muscles can lead to arthritis early in life.
Long periods of pressure from a tight-fitting shoe can cause the inflammation and the pain. This often happens when the big toe is forced into a position where it presses inward and overlaps the second toe. The base of the big toe then is pushed beyond normal alignment of the foot, resulting in the prominence typical of a bunion.
If abnormal pronation is identified and corrected early, the formation of a bunion can be prevented. However, if the bunion has already developed and cannot be tolerated by the patient, surgery is necessary.
Amputation of the big toe ceased to be a treatment for bunions many generations ago, but only in the past few years have surgical procedures been developed to incorporate the realignment of the bone with the correction of the abnormal motion that led to deformity.
Surgical techniques can now not only move the wayward bones into proper alignment but also slide the first metatarsal downwards so that its head is pushed into a normal position. In its proper position, the metatarsal bone can help prevent the over-pronation that caused the formation of the bunion. Combined with proper orthotic devices, this type of surgery has provided excellent results. | <urn:uuid:13b9b068-9c81-4ce8-a8e8-36fdd8f23f82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthcentral.com/encyclopedia/408/467.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937456 | 825 | 3.4375 | 3 |
All classical signs of infective endocarditis (IE) such as fever, a new cardiac murmur, and splenomegaly are rarely found all together. IE should be considered in every patient with unexplained fever. In this report, two patients diagnosed initially as urosepsis and neuro-Behçets disease due to embolic complications of infective endocarditis (IE) were presented. A 67-year-old male was admitted to the emergency room with fever, dysuria and flank pain. Both urinary and sequential blood cultures revealed methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). A 11x6 mm sized mitral valve vegetation was detected on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Findings of renal ultrasound were compatible with bilateral pyelonephritis. Mitral valve repair surgery was planned after subsequent TTE controls revealing enlargement of the vegetation. A 45-year-old male with Behçets disease was hospitalized in the Department of Neurology because of a speech disorder and weakness on left side of the body for two days, and his blood cultures yielded viridans streptococci. Mobile vegetation on the ventricular surface of the aortic valve and severe aortic regurgitation were detected on TEE. After antibiotic therapy, an aortic valve replacement was performed. Both patients showed an uneventful postoperative course.
Klimik Dergisi 2011; 24(3): 179-83.
Key Words: Endocarditis, embolism.
Article in Turkish
(Use the link for full-text in Turkish) | <urn:uuid:bf515dbb-bad9-41c2-bcec-90f4fa9dd70e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.klimikdergisi.org/eng/yazilar.asp?yaziid=2355&sayiid= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92832 | 335 | 2.078125 | 2 |
This unidentified Gymnodoris species might at first be mistaken for an orange form of G. citrina, but it differs from that species in having its gills set completely in a circle and in the lack of pustules around the anterior margin. Internally, its innermost radular tooth is much smaller than that of G. citrina, and is smaller than succeeding teeth out to at least the middle of the half row. This species also resembles Gymnodoris inornata in its orange coloration, the complete circle of gills and its radular structure; G. inornata, however, is apparently solid orange with no darker spotting. About 10 specimens have been observed, one from Utirik Atoll, one from Kwajalein, and the rest from Enewetak. Sizes ranged from 8 to 17mm, and all but one were found on lagoon pinnacle reefs under dead coral or exposed on dead coral at night, at depths of 9 to 12 meters. The lone exception was found at 2 meters depth exposed at night in a reef quarry at Enewetak. The first three shots show the Kwajalein specimen.
The rest of the photos show specimens from Enewetak.
We think the 8mm long animal below is probably a juvenile of this species. The animal was reproductively immature, but the gills look quite similar and the radula, although a bit smaller, had the same shape and proportions.
Created 1 January 2007
Updated 20 December 2008
Return to gymnodorid thumbnails | <urn:uuid:093ab9fd-c0bf-4199-9002-6c0bbd8a26dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.underwaterkwaj.com/nudi/gymnodorids/e098.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950203 | 319 | 2.875 | 3 |
“The Pell City Police Department is working with the community to reduce holiday accidents and crime within the community,” Pell City Police chief Greg Turley said.
Turley said nationwide travel service AAA expects an 11.4 percent increase in automobile travel compared to 2009, with approximately 42.2 million travelers taking a trip at least 50 miles away from home.
“This translates into a greater potential for vehicle accidents and homes being left unoccupied,” he said.
Turley said the shopping season also allows for a greater potential for identity theft, vehicle break-ins and theft itself.
“With 84 percent seatbelt use nationwide, this is a proven means to save lives,” he said. “Pell City officers will be looking for seatbelt usage as they patrol for impaired and dangerous drivers over the holiday season.”
Turley said that one of the most important things parents can do is ensure that all children are appropriately restrained during their holiday trips.
“Because of longer drive times associated with holiday travel, parents are tempted to hold infants and allow the younger children to stand and play in the vehicle,” he said. “That can be a deadly choice.”
Turley said the state’s child-restraint law mandates seatbelt use for children between the ages of 6-14, regardless of seating position. The state requires a rear-facing infant seat for children from birth until one years old and less than 20 pounds. Parents must secure children between ages 1-4 or 20-40 pounds in a forward-facing car seat, while children through age five need to ride in a booster seat.
Turley said the police department will use checkpoints on secondary roads to look for sobriety, equipment (tags, lights, etc.) and proper seatbelt and car seat usage.
“We will hold those checkpoints the week of Thanksgiving,” he said.
Contact Elsie Hodnett at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:cdde519b-93b4-4fd7-8701-9cb6eeb1fdb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thestclairtimes.com/view/full_story/10408717/article-Police-step-up-patrols-as-holiday-season-begins | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9486 | 414 | 1.796875 | 2 |
NEW YORK — A final steel beam was lifted today atop a new World Trade Center skyscraper — the first expected to open at the site next year since the twin towers were decimated on Sept. 11, 2001.
With BeBe Winans singing “God Bless America,” workers raised their hardhats in tribute as the mammoth beam rose slowly into the Manhattan sky, swaying from a steel rope hoisted by a crane.
A U.S. flag attached to the bottom of the beam fluttered above several hundred spectators at the topping-off ceremony.
“Ten years later, it’s pretty remarkable,” said a teary-eyed Sally Rexach, a nurse who aids workers constructing 4 World Trade Center.
She was at ground zero just after the attack, supporting workers who combed through the smoking debris in search of remains.
“This is a very proud moment; it’s full circle,” she said, glancing across the 16-acre site where the uncompleted One World Trade Center in the northwest corner is already New York’s tallest structure.
In the southeast corner facing the 9-11 memorial, the 72-story tower that was topped off Monday is to open for business in the fall of 2013 — the first occupied high-rise at the new trade center site since the Sept. 11 attacks. | <urn:uuid:1f030312-1058-427b-adb8-09d47d8e22e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.butlereagle.com/article/20120625/NEWS12/706259841 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95514 | 282 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Anyway, the last two pieces of clothing I made was a skirt and shirt, from fabric I had gotten the previous summer. I was really proud of myself for cranking out the two pieces of clothing in little time, and I realized something significant - it doesn't have to look couture-perfect. No one is inspecting my shirt to see if the seams are all that. Was thinking about this in the context of how women had to get by with a needle and thread to make clothes for themselves and their families. From volunteering at the Morningside Living History Farm I have a teeny-tiny inkling of how freakin' hard pioneer women must have had to work to keep everything going, and thinking about how little time they must have had for things like sewing for pleasure. So, like me, they probably decided that it didn't have to be perfect, it just had to stay together so it didn't fall apart while plowing a field or chopping wood or whatever.
Need to continue thinking like this about things like sewing clothing - it's so beneficial to make your own clothes because you're not buying from companies that have their clothing made in third world hellholes, and it's just a really cool way to be independent (somewhat) of the grid. Now, if I can justify getting a treadle sewing machine, as pictured above, I will totes have moved off-grid. | <urn:uuid:ad5350c1-db87-46fa-a900-7af9df82c3a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theaccidentalenvironmentalist.blogspot.com/2012/04/thought-about-sewing-it-doesnt-have-to.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987644 | 285 | 1.632813 | 2 |
November 12, 2007
The following story was written by Cheryl, from Arthur, Ontario. Cheryl is enrolled in literacy classes at the Wellington County Learning Centre in Arthur.
I work at All Day Snack Bar and Variety Store. It's a neighbourhood store. Most of the people who come in are regulars. I work part-time - about 10 hours a week. I cook food for the customers and I also have to run the till for the variety store. It can be crazy sometimes! People wanting their food and people wanting to buy lottery tickets and the phone ringing!
I think of it like a balancing act. I don't want to burn anyone's food or not cook it enough, but I need to go to the till so someone can pay for their milk or whatever they want. If the phone rings I have to take a message. I have to make quick decisions about what to do first - what is most important. I am a quick thinker.
I'm always polite and courteous. I tell people
"I'll be with you in a minute" if I can't get to the till right away. If someone is walking up and down the aisles I ask
"Can I help you?" I know where everything is so I can help that person find whatever it is he or she wants.
If a regular is looking for something that we don't have, I write it down on a list for the owner and I'll say something like
"check back on Friday, we should have it in by then." We like to order things for our regulars so they keep coming back. It make sense.
Cooking food isn't something I like. We do things like bacon and eggs, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches. We don't deep fry anything because we'd need different insurance to do that. If someone wants the egg to be "over-easy" I don't want to mess it up. I'll say something like
"Well, I'll do my best."
I like being helpful and it makes me feel good to help someone find something in the store. I also like being in charge of the store when the owner isn't in. I feel like I'm doing a good job and that makes me feel good about myself.
Most of the people are regular customers. You get to hear about their kids or their pets. You learn what is going on in their lives and it makes me feel like I'm part of the community. If someone misses a day, you wonder why and then the next time they come in you're happy to see that person.
It's a good job. It suits me. I now have really good customer service skills and I know from how people act with me that I'm doing a good job. | <urn:uuid:fb664cdc-73de-4396-8c0c-29929dc8599f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nald.ca/sotw/750 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981049 | 568 | 1.820313 | 2 |
* Editor's note: A bossy badger learns that compromise and cooperation are important tools when it comes to building lasting friendships.
It was a beautiful autumn day. Fox warmed herself in the last rays of the sun. The hares scampered here and there. Wild Boar munched on acorns and chestnuts, and Deer nibbled on the last juicy grass in the glen. Only Hedgehog snuffled restlessly through the leaves.
"It will be winter soon," she said. "How do you propose we keep ourselves warm when the snow flies?"
"We could build ourselves a house," suggested Fox. "Then we could sit around the fire and play cards."
"I could curl up in a warm corner and sleep all winter," said Hedgehog. "What a wonderful idea. We should start first thing in the morning, yes indeed, we should start first thing. There's no time to lose."
The next day the animals met in the glade and cheerfully set to work.
The hares gathered stones from the field. Hedgehog helped Wild Boar to bring wood from the forest. Deer laid the stone to form a wall, and Fox mixed the concrete.
They worked hard, but they enjoyed it.
Then Badger showed up. "I see you are building a house," he said. "I can build excellent houses. May I help?"
"Yes, of course," the others replied.
The next morning when the other animals showed up at the site, Badger was already hard at work. "Don't just stand there, lazybones," he cried. "Get to work!"
So Deer and the hares ran off to find wood. But when they brought a pile to Badger, he wasn't happy: One log was too short, another too long, another too thin.
The next day was no different.
"Good morning," the animals said to Badger.
"Sleepyheads!" he snapped. "Hurry up, would you, and bring me more wood!"
The hares headed slowly into the woods.
Deer and Wild Boar built a window frame. But Badger just shook his head. "It's not square," he complained, "and it's much too big."
So the two of them took their window frame and went over to the clearing in the woods.
"Nothing is good enough for Badger," grumbled Hedgehog. "No, nothing suits him at all."
Completely discouraged, the animals sat and watched Badger building the house all by himself.
"Friends," said Fox, "soon it will snow. We should at least throw a roof over our little spot here."
All the animals looked at Fox. Now that was a good idea!
Full of enthusiasm, they set to work, laughing and singing all the while.
After a week, a small cottage stood in the little clearing. It was a bit crooked, and a few nails were bent. But that didn't bother anyone.
They sat happily around the warm fire, played cards, told stories and ate roasted chestnuts.
Badger had finished his house too. It stood right across the way from the little cottage and looked really splendid. Every beam was level, every nail straight. In the evening, Badger sat at the window, listening to the sounds of happy laughter from the other animals.
Suddenly Badger felt lonely in his beautiful house. When the first flakes of snow fell from the sky, he had an idea. Busily he began to work.
A few days later, Badger knocked on the door of the little cottage. "Dear friends," he said nervously. "I have brought you a present."
"Look at that!" cried the littlest hare.
"It's a sled," explained Badger. "And there is a seat for each of you."
"What's all the uproar?" snorted Hedgehog. "For goodness' sake, Badger did that? What a nice surprise!" She snorted again, then went back to sleep until spring.
The other animals spent the winter sledding down snowy hills by day and sitting happily together by the fire in the evenings. And Badger, who kept the sled in tip-top shape, soon abandoned his own little house and moved into the crooked little cottage with his friends.
From A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME by Anne Liersch. Illustrated by Christa Unzner. Copyright c 1999 by Nord-Sud Verlag AG, Gossau Zurich, Switzerland. All rights reserved. Used with permission of North-South Books Inc., New York.
Name all the animals that helped build the winter house in "A House is not a Home."
Send us your answer by fax to 410-783-2519, by e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org or by mail to Weekly Question, The Sun, Features Department, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21278. | <urn:uuid:2006ad34-0236-4440-89b3-435a314ebd4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2000-04-12/news/0004120403_1_badger-boar-hedgehog | 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 | 0.976208 | 1,036 | 2.78125 | 3 |
When pain in your hands, wrists, elbows and other areas of your upper extremities makes normal activity difficult, Orthopedic Services at Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Glendale, CA, can help.
The complex design of bones, joint, muscles and nerves of the upper extremity (hands, wrist, elbow and shoulder) give us a wide range of movement, strength and coordination allowing us to perform small, delicate tasks as well as strong, forceful labor. Injuries and pain in the upper extremity can not only stop you from working or participating in leisure activities, but can also make the basic things we do each day like dressing, bathing, preparing a meal or driving difficult if not impossible. GAMC has upper extremity specialists that provide both surgical and non-surgical options to treat hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder conditions and injuries including:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Trigger fingers
- Arthritis and other, more complex problems.
Patients benefit from the collaboration between orthopedic surgeons, hand surgeons, vascular surgeons and plastic surgeons as well as occupational physical therapists who specialize in treating the upper extremity.
To learn more or to get a referral to a GAMC orthopedic specialist, call (818) 409-8100. | <urn:uuid:c8edd630-e10f-4f7d-a800-15fccc5790ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glendaleadventist.com/body.cfm?id=131&iirf_redirect=1 | 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 | 0.923697 | 259 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Have you been to a gathering lately where you didn't dare mention who you were voting for? Have you scrubbed your Facebook page of any political mention because the deluge was just too much?
Advice columnist Amy Dickinson joined The Daily Circuit Friday to discuss ways to hold civil, yet spirited, conversation.
"I just love political discourse, but I think the inability to engage in it in a polite and productive manner makes our nation more polarized than less," said Kate, a caller from Plymouth.
As you're spending time with friends and family members, political differences can become exacerbated and cause conflicts. How do you handle those differences when discussion gets heated?
If you're uncomfortable, bring up a related topic you can all agree on. For Dickinson, her go-to topic is the media. "This is my way of sort of going there, but not going there," she said. "This is my way of sort of engaging, but not being partisan and not talking about something that makes me uncomfortable."
Remember that everyone has the right to support the candidate of their choice. "If somebody puts up a yard sign, they're basically inviting a conversation," Dickinson said. But it's important to go into that conversation remembering the person might not be supporting a candidate based on a candidate's view you are strongly against. Craft your beliefs before you engage.
The workplace is not an appropriate place for political conversations. "I think it's completely fine to say, 'Hey guys, I don't even know you. Can't we talk about something more neutral?'" Dickinson said. "We're all excited; everyone's talking about this everywhere you go. But there are topics that are completely inappropriate for the workplace partly because you're there to work. You're distracted, people get excited, enflamed. You're not doing your job."
Be a good listener. "Most people are reasonable when they bring up a point, whether they are Republican or Democrat," said John, a caller from Stillwater. "I tend to listen and agree and then bring up the other point and say, 'Here's the other side of that issue.'"
Be careful when you respond to political emails from friends and family. On the blog, Allison said she receives a lot of emails from her father that go against her political views:
Rather than be reactive, I think about what questions it raises in my mind and then pose these questions in response: What is the source of this information? Where is this allegation documented? Has it been fact checked? Which 'side' of the argument is served by broadcasting this e-mail and does that cast doubt on its veracity? I get to state my position without being oppositional. I rarely get any feedback. But my fantasy is that at least one person is thinking, "Oh, that's a good point. Maybe this e-mail isn't true.
Avoid attacks. From Joe on the blog:
Avoid attacks on the person themself (ad hominem - i.e. "you're stupid") or attacks at what they say in itself (ad argumentum ipsum - i.e. "that's just stupid"). Instread, draw out & engage the points raised - the premises - not the conclusion. People can appreciate disagreements much more on specific points as opposed to general policy packages. Try to get down to the specifics, and challenge the others to parse out their generalities.
Do you have a story about talking politics with family, colleagues? Comment on the blog.
MPR News' Kerri Miller contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:afe53e56-2f86-413e-85ec-974e9fb66015> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/09/28/daily-circuit-civil-political-conversations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973357 | 729 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Perhaps we knew this day would come, but certainly not this soon. However, Adobe today released some statistics that claim that the day has come — “Our latest Adobe Digital Index has revealed that global websites are now receiving more traffic from tablets than smartphones, with 8% and 7% of monthly page views respectably”.
In conducting the study, Adobe analyzed more than 100 billion visits to 1000+ websites world-wide to generate the data that was used to compile this report. Not only did the company find that tablets have surpassed smartphones, but that the country leading the way was the U.K. Adobe claims it “found that the UK is leading this trend, with internet users most likely to surf via tablet”.
For the record, the U.K. came is with 12.2 percent and was followed by Japan at 9.2 percent. The land of the rising sun was just ahead of the U.S. with 9.1 percent of the tablet traffic.
Adobe’s study also found that tablet traffic across nations doubled in 2012 — “tablet traffic growth has been consistent through 2012. All countries saw their share of traffic from tablets double over the course of last year and that trend is expected to continue through 2013″.
It is becoming increasingly harder to distinguish between tablets and smartphones, as the market seems to be headed towards the “phablet”. Perhaps devices like the Galazy Note 2, with its 5.5-inch screen are more the future than anything else. | <urn:uuid:c0af0e26-a2ed-421e-bfc5-a206ef1ef79c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geeknewscentral.com/tag/market-share/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973662 | 314 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Youth culture, through revolt, unabashedly asks us to question and confront our historical and cultural traditions. In post-war Japan, the explosion of the taiyozoku or sun tribe—a term for the youth sub-culture that emerged in the 1950s—was seen by the older, conservative generations as crude and violent. Flooded with new imagery from the West, there was a break in the connection to the past and thus a rejection of traditional values. Affected by the nouvelle vague Western youth and media, the taiyozoku were pictured as promiscuous and nihilistic, throwing their cares to the wind.
Arriving in Tokyo in 1961, Daido Moriyama began photographing the seedy streets of Shinjuku, a ward ravaged during the war. Although the Shinjuku of today is best known as the economic and commercial center of Tokyo, it still retains a revolutionary spirit that started in its post-war bars and red-light district. Moriyama’s high-contrast, gritty depictions capture the energy native to the neighborhood, creating a visual history of Tokyo’s youth throughout one of its most combustible phases in history. It is this power that shapes Moriyama’s work, creating an unfolding visual testament to the cultural landscape of post-war Japan.
A new exhibition pays tribute to Moriyama’s four decade relationship with Shinjuku, which serves as a photographic act of memory and desire. In Fracture: Daido Moriyama, opening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on April 7, these notions are explored through a selection of prints and books, as well as recent color work. Moriyama began his career in Tokyo assisting the photographer Eikoh Hosoe. Hosoe was a member of the influential artist collective VIVO, which served to capture the significant cultural and structural changes within Japanese society. In line with this method of working, Moriyama began to roam the streets of Shinjuku and, since the early 1960s, has been witness to the ever-changing and expanding post-WWII landscape—a fractured, strange world that oscillates between time and space, reality and fiction.
Fracture: Daido Moriyama is on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from April 7 through July 31. | <urn:uuid:a8f3489d-7860-40c5-b1e0-fd67c2af9cb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lightbox.time.com/2012/04/06/daido-moriyama/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97135 | 484 | 2.171875 | 2 |
His Fabian strategy of wearing down the English while avoiding major battles allowed the French to recapture most of what they had lost earlier in the war.
He initially served Charles of Blois in the Breton War of Succession (1341-1364). Charles was supported by the French crown, while his rival, Jean de Montfort, was allied with England. Du Guesclin was knighted in 1354 while serving Arnoul d'Audrehem, after countering a raid by Hugh Calveley on the castle of Montmuran. In 1356-1357, Du Guesclin defended Rennes against an English siege by Henry of Grosmont, using the guerrila tactics that were to become his trademark. Though the siege was ended by payment of 100,000 crowns, the brave resistance helped restore French pride after Poitiers, and du Guesclin came to the attention of the Dauphin Charles.
When he became King in 1364, Charles sent Du Guesclin to deal with Charles II of Navarre, who hoped to claim the Duchy of Burgundy, which Charles hoped to give to his brother, Philip. On 16 May, he met Navarrese forces under the command of Jean de Grailly, Captal de Buch at Cocherel and proved his ability in pitched battle by routing the enemy. The victory forced Charles II into a new peace with the French king, and secured Burgundy for Philip.
On September 29, 1364, at the Battle of Auray, du Guesclin and Charles of Blois were heavily defeated by John V, Duke of Brittany and the English forces under Sir John Chandos. Charles was killed in action, ending the Blois pretensions in Brittany. Du Guesclin was captured and ransomed by Charles V for 100,000 francs.
In 1366, the King placed him at the head of the "free companies," the marauding soldiers who pillaged France after the Treaty of Brétigny, and sent him to Spain to aid Henry of Trastamara against Pedro the Cruel. Though successful in the campaign of 1366, Henry's army was defeated 1367 by Pedro's forces, now commanded by Edward, the Black Prince, at Nájera. Du Guesclin was again captured, and again ransomed by Charles V, who considered him invaluable. In 1369, Henry of Trastamara won the battle of Montiel, gaining him the throne of Castile.
War with England was renewed in 1369, and Du Guesclin reconquered Poitou and Saintonge and pursued the English into Brittany from 1370 to 1374. He disapproved of the confiscation of Brittany by Charles V in 1378, and his campaign to make the duchy submit to the king was halfhearted.
An able tactician and a loyal and disciplined warrior, Du Guesclin had reconquered much of France from the English when he died of dysentery at Chateauneuf-de-Randon while on a military expedition in Languedoc. He was buried at Saint-Denis in the tomb of the kings of France. His heart is kept at the basilica of Saint-Sauveur at Dinan.
The family of du Guesclin remained in France until the French Revolution of 1789 where a number of them were guillotined and the remainder fled for their lives to England and possibly the Netherlands. Here they remained.
Because of du Guesclin's allegiance to France, 20th century Breton nationalists considered him to be a "traitor" to Brittany. During World War Two, the pro-Nazi Breton Social-National Workers' Movement destroyed a statue of him in Rennes.
Du Guesclin was one of the main characters in a trilogy of children's books ("Geef me de ruimte", 1976; "Triomf van de verschroeide aarde", 1977 and "Het rad van fortuin", 1978) by the Dutch author Thea Beckman.
Bertrand du Guesclin is also a playable character in the Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings and is portrayed as a knight on horseback.
Portrait d'une carrière extraordinaire: Bertrand Du Guesclin, chef de guerre modèle, dans la "Chronique anonyme dite des Cordeliers" (c.1432)
Jan 01, 2007; La chanson de Bertrand du guesclin de Jehan Cuvelier, composée dans les années 1380-85 et toute à la gloire du connétable...
Travel Etc: Beware the Helmsman with a Hangover; Grand Tours ; Great Writers and Their Literary Adventures. This Week, Victor Hugo Charts an Uncertain Course to the Island of Guernsey
Feb 24, 2002; Victor Marie Hugo was born in the French town of Besancon 200 years ago, on 26 February 1802. He was something of a literary... | <urn:uuid:7b4d1f88-2862-4f43-a920-04db8ffaf9cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reference.com/browse/guesclin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943355 | 1,068 | 2.96875 | 3 |
The serving temperature of wine is crucial. Wines should be enjoyed at temperatures that show them at their best. Different wines need different serving temperatures, depending on the grape variety and place of origin. The ideal serving temperature for reds is between 12°-17°C (54°-63°F). Nothing ruins a red wine more quickly than too high a temperature.
Breede River Valley, South Africa.
Here are my personal preferences for red wine, although in practice I don’t always get the temperatures exactly right. Serve full-bodied, rich reds at 16°-17°C; medium lighter-bodied reds at 13°-15°C and very light reds at 12°C. Rosé wines are usually at their best around 8°C. If in doubt, serve too cool rather than too warm.
White wines of course, need lower temperatures to bring out their natural qualities. Serve full-bodied whites at 11°C; light whites at 9°-10°C and sweet wines or sparklers at 6°-8°C. Home fridges usually run just above freezing point at 1°- 4°C, so you’ll need to remove the wine some time before you need it. If you really want to get the serving temperature right, buy a thermometer. Wine thermometers are difficult to find, but the Taylor digital cooking thermometers (from Villa Supermarket) work very well.
By the way, if you are more comfortable using Fahrenheit, you can convert the Celsius values if you multiply the figure by 1.8 and add 32. Incidentally, not being much good at arithmetic, I usually multiply by 2, take a bit away and then add 32. It’s not very scientific but usually near enough.
Chenin Blanc 2010 (white), South Africa. (Tesco-Lotus Bt. 289)
Both the wines this week are vegetarian, meaning than no animal products have been used in their manufacture. Although Chenin Blanc’s viticultural home is the Loire Valley, it’s the most planted grape variety in South Africa (where it is called “Steen”) and has been grown there since the 17th century. It often makes delightful, uncomplicated, easy-drinking wine.
This is a typical light gold with sweet, delicate and crisp floral aromas. If you sniff long enough you might pick up raisins or perhaps a hint of honey. There’s a very soft mouth-feel with low acidity and although the citrusy finish is rather short, it makes a very pleasant drink. It’s dry and light-bodied with just the tiniest hint of sweetness. At just 12% alcohol content, I’d be perfectly happy to drink this wine on its own. For a party it would be excellent, especially at this amazing low price. The label suggests that you could drink it with chicken, fish or pork but the important thing is to serve it very cold at around 9°C.
Western Cape Red Wine (red) South Africa (Tesco-Lotus, Bt. 425)
This is a pleasing ruby red colour and it has a very lively aroma of red berry fruit with a touch of herbs and background woodiness. The label doesn’t mention the grapes used, but the colour and the aroma seem to indicate that Cabernet Sauvignon is not very far away. There might even be some Pinotage there too for the taste has a kind of “edge” that this South African grape often imparts to wine. One thing is certain though, because the label gives neither precise origin nor vintage year, it is clearly a blend of wines from different years and different places.
It’s quite a pleasing, medium-bodied easy drinker; a very soft fruity mouth-feel with equally soft and supple tannins. At 12.5% alcohol content, the wine’s lively and slightly assertive quality probably calls for food such as red meats, barbeques or pasta in a rich sauce. You can drink the wine at around 13°-15°C and you’ll still get the brilliant African sunshine in every glass. | <urn:uuid:be8f8fe4-07a7-47ef-8485-ee2ce7997a4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pattayamail.com/grapevine/some-like-it-cold-12993 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95449 | 879 | 1.898438 | 2 |
I’ve been writing for a while about industrial agriculture’s fertilizer problem — about how mass-scale food (and biofuel) production relies on finite, geopolitically problematic, and environmentally destructive resources to maintain soil fertility. (See posts here, here, and here.)
Well, that story is heating up down in Brazil, an increasingly important hub in the global industrial food system. Brazil ranks as the world’s second-largest soy producer (soon to overtake the U.S. for the top spot), third-largest corn producer, and leader in coffee, orange juice, and sugar.
According to a must-read Reuters story, Brazil policymakers and farming magnates are getting nervous about fertilizer:
Brazil imports 80 percent of its potassium and 60 percent of its phosphorus. It is also a major importer of nitrogen. Prices for all of these have skyrocketed with increased world demand for agricultural crops.
And they’re considering doing something that has often historically sent U.S. policymakers reaching for their revolvers:
Brazil may nationalize privately held mineral deposits used to make fertilizer to bring down farm production costs, Agriculture Minister Reinhold Stephanes said.
And that could infuriate some very powerful U.S. interests:
The government and the productive sector have expressed frustration over the concentration of Brazil’s fertilizer sector in a handful of companies, which include large multinational grains traders such as Bunge Ltd and Cargill.
Industrial ag looks increasingly set to become a flashpoint of what’s known in polite company as “geopolitical tension,” i.e., the naked competition among nations for control over key resources. But here’s the bit that really caught my eye:
Part of the supply problem in Brazil’s fertilizer sector stems from the risks investors face. Increased output of potassium, for example, depends on the exploration of deep underground deposits in the Amazon, where environmental red tape deters development.
Wow … “environmental red tape.” You know, that whole impulse to protect the Amazon rainforest, the globe’s greatest natural carbon sink — at a time of rapid, human-created climate change. Some of that red tape also involves defending the rights of indigenous people who have lived sustainably in the rainforest for centuries.
Brings to mind the recent pronouncements of Blairo Maggi, the powerful Brazilian politician who’s also its biggest soy grower and business partner of Cargill, Bunge, etc. I found it a bit chilling when he declared:
With the worsening of the global food crisis, the time is coming when it will be inevitable to discuss whether we preserve the environment or produce more food. There is no way to produce more food without occupying more land and taking down more trees.
It also brings to mind the recent resignation of Marina Silva as Brazil’s environment minister. Silva has been a long-time hero in the movement for environmentally and socially just rainforest management. She quit in frustration, citing increasingly limp support within the federal government for protecting the rainforest from agricultural interests. | <urn:uuid:a0e1badd-cdaf-4921-85f7-307a98ba139e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://grist.org/article/fertile-for-problems/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9318 | 641 | 2.234375 | 2 |
by Andreas Knudsen
Reprinted from Indigenous Affairs, January/February/March 1996. Published by the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs.
Native communities, primarily in the western US, have been chronically exposed to low doses of radiation for over forty years. This exposure derives from the many nuclear activities on indigenous lands such as uranium mining and milling, uranium conversion and enrichment, and testing of nuclear weapons. More than one half of all US uranium deposits lie under reservation land. In the past, the Secretary of the Interior was authorized to lease tribal mineral resources for national defense purposes. In return for mining rights, the large energy consortiums have historically paid royalty fees and employed Indians in substandard working conditions.
Although native communities bear a disproportionate burden of risk from those activities compared to the general public, they are in many ways the least equipped communities to respond appropriately. Information on exposures and their health effects is often inadequate, incomplete, inaccessible and incomprehensible. The environmental consequences of uranium mining, atomic bomb testing and production, and radioactive waste disposal on or near reservation lands have often been disastrous. Estimates conclude that over 22,000,000 tons of mine tailings or waste by-products have been left at 24 locations in nine western states since the 1950s and that 220 acres of tailings have contaminated the Four Corners region alone. This article looks at the cases of two nations–the Western Shoshone and the Pauite-Shoshone of Ft. McDermitt.
The Western Shoshone Nation
Because of the long-term use of the Nevada Test Site (NTS), which is located on traditional Shoshone land, the Western Shoshone nation has become known as the most bombed nation on earth. The 928 American and 19 British nuclear explosions in Newe Sogobia have been classified by the Western Shoshone National Council (WSNC) as bombs rather than “tests.” The purpose of a bomb is to destroy while the idea of a test is to introduce something new. About 1,350 square miles of their total territory of about 43,000 square miles has been destroyed by hundreds of craters and tunnels, which are uncontrolled underground nuclear waste dumps, by nuclear bombs since 1951 when the bombing began. But no treaty, agreement, vote or sale exists that give the US permission to explode nuclear bombs on or under the Western Shoshone Nation. The Treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863, signed by representatives of the US and the Western Shoshone and ratified by the US Senate in 1866 and confirmed by President Grant in 1869, recognized Shoshone territorial sovereignty. The treaty did not transfer ownership rights and is till in effect. But through a variety of ethically and legally dubious methods, land was taken from the reservation. US authorities in the form of the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Park Service, Fish and Wildlife, Atomic Energy Commission, Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, etc., control now approximately 90 per cent of the Shoshone land.
Environmental monitoring reports for the NTS from the 1950s until 1991 document substantial low level releases of radioactive iodine, strontium, cesium, plutonium and noble gases that have contaminated lands in Nevada and Utah. The Western Shoshone reservations, Duckwater and Ely are within a fifty-mile radius of the NTS and were more heavily contaminated. Residents reported unusual animal deaths, hair loss and gardens turning black. The health of the population still remains at high risk from cancers and birth defects. Despite these facts, the US government has now designated an area of the Western Shoshone Nation, known as Yucca Mountain, to become the final repository for the high level nuclear waste from the US nuclear industry. The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that its scientific investigation of the site will be concluded by 2001, at a cost of $6.3 billion (year-of-expenditure dollars) and a repository could be opened by 2010. The DOE is no longer looking for another site. Although the tribe is very concerned about observed health and environmental effects, there are no official health studies under way, no offers to remedy environmental pollution, no programs for early detection of disease or disease surveillance in place.
In order to collect data on the effects of nuclear fallout from the NTS, WSNC started its own project in 1994. The main goal of the Western Shoshone Health Project is to provide data on the state of the land, soil, water, plants as well as the health of the people. This project is part of the Native American Health Network. Various organizations such as the Childhood Cancer Research Institute (CCRI) and Native Americans for a Clean Environment (NACE) work together in that network. They targeted the Western Shoshone and Paiute communities in the Great Basin among their highest priorities.
The overarching goal of the project is to begin proactive steps to correct the imbalance of risk by fostering a better understanding of radiation health issues among members of Native American communities to meet growing concerns about past and ongoing exposures. The communities will be empowered to obtain appropriate health protection and community controls for the future. A part of the project is the Training of Trainers program. This is a comprehensive, integrated program of training and technical assistance for the purpose of empowering native people to protect their communities and nations by arming them with an understanding of critical social and technical radiation issues directly affecting their health and environment. The program will create a unique partnership between researchers, health care providers and native communities by promoting a combination of indigenous thinking coupled with technical skills. The community trainers will take technical information, processes and techniques and translate them into a cost effective approach for the communities by developing education modules. The modules will be utilized by the community trainers for educating community members on the issues. Beyond this, the general research goal will be to use existing data resources to compile important information on off-site exposures for the communities, including those exposures to and from specific environmental or food chain pathways. Health scientists from the Center for Technology, Environment and Development (CENTED) at Clark University, Worcester, MA, are maintaining a dialogue with the community as their research is carried out so that they may benefit from local knowledge and experiences. For example, the Western Shoshones have indicated that mule deer, sheep, rabbits and pine nuts are main sources of subsistence for their people. As such, research on the up-take of radionuclides to these animals and roots are of much interest to them. They also mentioned several nuclear tests that they were particularly concerned about. Such community input will guide the scientists’ research, help to prioritize data collection and lead them to investigate other related issues of concern.
The Issue of the Ft. McDermitt Pauite-Shoshone—Background
The Quinn River Band of the northern Pauite originally inhabited the lands of the current Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation. As a result of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934, the members of the tribe adopted a Constitution and Federal Corporate Charter, and became the federally recognized Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone Tribe. As for many other tribes, the adopting of an IRA Constitution and Corporate Charter was to terminate the Tribe’s traditional form of government and dispute resolution. It also established a republican form of government and court system. The IRA also imposed tribal laws codified in the Tribe’s constitution and federal Corporate Charter which tribal and federal officials neither take into consideration in their deliberations nor abide by. Furthermore, the IRA allowed the federal government more authority in intra- and intertribal affairs.
The tribe originally comprised a much larger land base, but a large part was taken away by dubious methods. Eventually, a Land Claims Commission was established to dictate monetary settlements, which many tribal members accepted. However, as many as two or three dozen of the more traditional families would not accept any monetary compensation, believing that by doing so they would be relinquishing their inherent rights as indigenous peoples. But because they did not accept the money, they did not become enrolled tribal members. At the reservation there are now approximately 400 enrolled members and about 300 unenrolled.
The MRS Localization Process
Because of the desperate economic situation at Ft. McDermitt reservation, the Tribal Council was willing to participate. Participation in that process means access to $100,000 in the first phase and $200,000 in the Phase II-A for feasibility studies and education.
Research for a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) for nuclear fuel has a very high priority for the DOE. The 23,681 MT (metric tons) of nuclear fuel in 1992 and its growth is a pressing problem. The Nuclear Waste Negotiator (NWN), a federal agency working closely with the DOE, but accountable only to the President and Congress, has to find one or even more sites where the radioactive material can be deposited for the next 30 or 40 years before final storage, possibly at Yucca Mountain Repository.
NWN’s first attempt to establish an MRS in Tennessee failed because of the opposition of the State, the Governor and inhabitants. That is why NWN is now looking for sovereign volunteers. In May of 1991, the NWN sent a letter of introduction to all state and territorial governors, Tribal and Business Council governors, Tribal and Business Council chairpersons, and presidents of Pueblos and Native American Nations (both federally recognized and unrecognized). In June, feasibility assessment grants from the NWN Fund were authorized through the DOE. The size of the grants are determined by tribal conditions. Phase II-A offers an additional $200,000 for continued education and feasibility studies. All nine of the Phase II-A applications were held by Native American Nations, therefore, if a MRS is to be sited, it will be on an Indian reservation. Phase II-B offers up to $2.8 million to continue feasibility studies and education outreach, to enter into formal negotiations, identify potential sites and commence an environmental assessment. One has to remember that a volunteer participant can drop out of the MRS process at any time and without any explanation. At the time of writing, the Mescalero Apache and the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma have voted down the plans of their Tribe Councils. But with the carrot or the stick tactics, the Apache’s Tribe Council persuaded the tribe to a new and, for the Council successful vote. In this way, the pressure on the Ft. McDermitt Pauite-Shoshone will increase too. The tribal supporters of MRS expect $60,000-$70,000 per capita payments per year. But in spite of their poverty, most tribal members are unwilling to trade their land for money under the MRS arrangement. Tribal member Dennis Smartt said: “If I sell my land, I break my connection with my heritage and I can never get that back.” Many tribal members have complained about a lack of credible information concerning the MRS project, including outright fabrications put forth by DOE promoters. The result of a mail-in-survey which was organized by Citizen Alert shows that 77 per cent of tribal members are opposed to the project. Tribal members ousted four pro-MRS incumbents in the November 1993 election but the Tribal Council is still in favour of the MRS.
Grace Thorpe, who is the Sac and Fox Tribal Health Commissioner and daughter of the legendary athlete Jim Thorpe, stated to the National Congress of American Indians, “The nuclear waste issue is causing mental and possibly genocidal decisions regarding the future of our people. It is wrong to say that it is natural that we, as Native Americans, should accept radioactive waste on our lands, as the US Department of Energy has said. It is a perversion of our beliefs and an insult to our intelligence to say that we are natural stewards of these wastes.”
For further information, please contact:
Western Shoshone National Council (WSNC)
P.O. Box 210
Indian Springs, NV 89018-0210
Western Shoshone Health Project
Citizen Alert Native American Program (CANAP)
Attn. Virginia Sanchez
P.O. Box 5339
Reno, NV 89513
The author thanks Ms. Renate Domnick for her support with this article. Sources: Monitored Retrieval Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Indian Country: Liability, Sovereignty and Socioeconomics by Jon D. Erichson, Duane Chapman and Ronald F. Johnny (Working Papers on Agricultural Economics, August 1992).
Andreas Knudsen is a member of the IWGIA Danish National Group.
“The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) is an independent, international organization which supports indigenous peoples in their struggle against oppression.” IWGIA publishes Indigenous Affairs four times a year. Subscriptions in 1996 are US $30 for individuals and US $50 for institutions. Contact: International Secretariat, IWGIA, Fiolstraede 10, DK-1171, Copenhagen K, Denmark. E-mail IWGIA@login.dkuug.dk. | <urn:uuid:79dbb16d-5607-4ac4-81ae-475d55f91742> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.republicoflakotah.com/tag/pauite-shoshone/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951826 | 2,692 | 3.203125 | 3 |
VIC FIRTH PRESENTS:
WE WANT THE FUNK!
A Journey Through
Watch Zoro’s video lesson on this great groove!
Check out Zoro’s latest book, “The Big Gig: Big Picture Thinking for Success”
The Big Gig is much more than just an intriguing and comprehensive insider’s guide to breaking into the music industry as an independent musician. Compelling and thought-provoking, it is an excellent resource for leadership training, networking techniques, and personal development. The Big Gig is the first book that describes the inner workings of the highly competitive music industry as seen through the eyes of a world-renowned and highly successful musician. The Big Gig provides a template for success by covering the vocational, personal, and spiritual aspects of a musician’s life. The Big Gig is much more than educational. It is inspirational, motivational, and life-changing!
Here’s Ray Charles performing “What’d I Say”:
Here’s Ray Charles Live at the Olympia in 2000 performing the same song:
And Elvis covering “What’d I Say” in his movie “Viva Las Vegas”:
About the history of the song:
According to Charles’ autobiography, “What’d I Say” was accidental when he improvised it to fill time at the end of a concert in December 1958. He asserts that he never tested songs on audiences before recording them, but “What’d I Say” is an exception. Charles himself does not recall where the concert took place, but Mike Evans in Ray Charles: The Birth of Soul places the show in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Shows were played at “meal dances” which typically ran four hours with a half hour break, and would end around 1 or 2 in the morning. Charles and his orchestra had exhausted their set list after midnight, but had 12 minutes left to fill. He told the Raelettes, “Listen, I’m going to fool around and y’all just follow me”.
Starting on the electric piano, Charles played what felt right: a series of riffs, switching then to a regular piano for four choruses backed up by a unique Latinconga tumbao rhythm on drums. The song changed when Charles began singing simple, improvised unconnected verses (“Hey Mama don’t you treat me wrong / Come and love your daddy all night long / All right now / Hey hey / All right”). Charles used gospel elements in a twelve-bar blues structure. Some of the first lines (“See the gal with the red dress on / She can do the Birdland all night long”) are influenced by a boogie-woogie style that Ahmet Ertegun attributes toClarence “Pinetop” Smith who used to call out to dancers on the dance floor instructing what to do through his lyrics. In the middle of the song, however, Charles indicated that the Raelettes should repeat what he was doing, and the song transformed into a call and response between Charles, the Raelettes, and the horn section in the orchestra as they called out to each other in ecstatic shouts and moans and blasts from the horns.
The audience reacted immediately; Charles could feel the room shaking and bouncing as the crowd was dancing. Many audience members approached Charles at the end of the show to ask where they could purchase the record. Charles and the orchestra performed it again several nights in a row with the same reaction at each show. He called Jerry Wexler to say he had something new to record, later writing, “I don’t believe in giving myself advance notices, but I figured this song merited it”.
The Atlantic Records studio had just purchased an 8-track recorder, and recording engineerTom Dowd was familiarizing himself with how it worked. In February 1959 Charles and his orchestra finally recorded “What’d I Say” at Atlantic’s small studio. Dowd recalled that it did not seem special at the time of recording. It was second of two songs during the session and Charles, the producers, and the band were more impressed with the first one at the session, “Tell the Truth”: “We made it like we made all the others. Ray, the gals, and the band live in the small studio, no overdubs. Three or four takes, and it was done. Next!” In retrospect, Ahmet Ertegun’s brother Nesuhi credits the extraordinary sound of the song to the restricted size of the studio and the technologically advanced recording equipment used; the sound quality is clear enough to hear Charles slapping his leg in time with the song when the music stops during the calls and responses. The song was recorded in only a few takes because Charles and the orchestra had perfected it while touring.
Dowd, however, had two problems during the recording. “What’d I Say” lasted over seven and a half minutes when the normal length of radio-played songs was around two and a half minutes. Furthermore, although the lyrics were not obscene, the sounds Charles and the Raelettes made in their calls and responses during the song worried Dowd and the producers. A previous recording called “Money Honey” by Clyde McPhatter had been banned in Georgia and Ahmet Ertegun and Wexler released McPhatter’s song despite the ban, risking arrest. Ray Charles was aware of the controversy in “What’d I Say”: “I’m not one to interpret my own songs, but if you can’t figure out ‘What I Say’, then something’s wrong. Either that, or you’re not accustomed to the sweet sounds of love.”
Dowd solved the recording issues by mixing three versions of the song. Some call-outs of “Shake that thing!” were removed, and the song was split into two three-and-a-half minute sides of a single record, titling the song “What’d I Say Part I” and “What’d I Say Part II”. The recorded version divides the parts with a false ending where the orchestra stops and the Raelettes and orchestra members beg Charles to continue, then goes on to a frenzied finale. Dowd later stated after hearing the final recording that not releasing the record was never an option: “we knew it was going to be a hit record, no question.” It was held for the summer and released in June 1959.
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GET YOUR GROOVE ON WITH ZORO’S VIC FIRTH SIGNATURE STICK!
An enlarged HD4 with a barrel tip for great tone while grooving on the cymbals and hi-hat.
L = 16 3/8" | Dia. = .555 [enlarge photo]
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He has been described as tenacious, dedicated, and passionate – qualities that stand out to anyone who crosses his path. Not your stereotypical rock star, Zoro is a positive role model whose example of hard work and clean living has served as an inspiration to generations.
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About “The Commandments of R&B Drumming” Series:
Available from Alfred Music Publishing, “The Commandments of R&B Drumming” series is a historical and in-depth study of R&B drumming, from the early years of rhythm and blues of the 1940s to soul to funk to hip-hop. Here are the products in this highly acclaimed series:
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|The original book in the series, The Commandments of R&B Drumming” is an in-depth, historical study of early soul, funk and rock ‘n roll – from the late 1950s through the beginnings of hip-hop in the 1990s. With 160 pages, Zoro covers every imaginable angle, nook and cranny of R&B drumming. Voted the #1 educational drum book in the world by Modern Drummer Magazine’s reader’s poll.||
|Featuring 14 of the funkiest tunes in significant sub-genres like gospel, blues, soul, funk, go-go, new jack swing, and hip-hop, “The Commandments of R&B Play-Along” package chronologically documents the evolution of R&B drumming from the 1950s through the late 90s. The CD includes original songs by R&B legends such as James Brown, The Meters, Aretha Franklin, and Janet Jackson.|
|In the award winning “Commandments of R&B Drumming” DVD, Zoro brings his intense passion for funky music to life with a very in depth and entertaining look at the history of Rhythm & Blues music and drummers. His unique presentation delves into the evolution of R&B drumming by demonstrating grooves that span a 100-year timeline, from gospel and New Orleans, to funk and hip hop. A must have for drummers who are serious about groove!!|| | <urn:uuid:80e06cde-2b46-4ffe-8778-3520dcdf4ea6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vicfirth.com/exchange/2012/06/15/we-want-the-funk-1959-whatd-i-say/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955917 | 2,320 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Working poor rate 7.2 percent in 2010
April 05, 2012
In 2010, there were 10.5 million individuals classified as "working poor" (persons who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force—that is, working or looking for work—but whose incomes still fell below the official poverty level); the number of working poor was little changed from 2009.
The working-poor rate—the ratio of the working poor to all individuals in the labor force for at least 27 weeks—was 7.2 percent, also little different from the previous year's figure (7.0 percent).
Among those who were in the labor force for 27 weeks or more in 2010, about the same number of men (5.3 million) and women (5.2 million) were classified as working poor. The working-poor rate, however, continued to be higher for women (7.6 percent) than for men (6.7 percent) in 2010.
There were 4.8 million workers who lived below the poverty threshold and usually worked full time in 2010. Full-time workers were less likely to be among the working poor than were part-time workers. Among persons in the labor force for 27 weeks or more, 4.2 percent of those usually employed full time were classified as working poor, compared with 15.1 percent of part-time workers.
The likelihood of being classified as working poor greatly diminishes as workers attain higher levels of education. Only about 1.0 million college graduates were classified as working poor in 2010, compared with 2.9 million workers with less than a high school diploma and 3.9 million workers who were high school graduates with no college. Among college graduates, 2.1 percent of those who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks were classified as working poor, compared with 21.4 percent of those with less than a high school diploma and 9.2 percent of those workers who were high school graduates with no college.
These data are from the Current Population Survey. To learn more, see "A Profile of the Working Poor, 2010" (PDF), BLS Report 1035, March 2012. These data were collected in the 2011 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Editor's Desk, Working poor rate 7.2 percent in 2010 on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2012/ted_20120405.htm (visited May 21, 2013).
Spotlight on Statistics: Productivity
This edition of Spotlight on Statistics examines labor productivity trends from 2000 through 2010 for selected industries and sectors within the nonfarm business sector of the U.S. economy. Read more » | <urn:uuid:98180efa-e026-4d28-9a79-254ac3467d63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2012/ted_20120405.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980364 | 568 | 2.5 | 2 |
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Several years ago, a friend's mother was killed in a head-on collision. I remember my heart aching for her. I wanted to help, but felt totally lost. What do you do or say when someone dies?
Unfortunately, many of us never consider this until we are blindsided. While etiquette in a time of loss is an uncomfortable subject, knowing the appropriate thing to do or say before faced with the death of a friend or family member can help alleviate some of the feelings of helplessness.
What do you do?
According to Mary Mitchell, author and founder of The Mitchell Organization, there is really only one thing you can do wrong, and that is to do nothing. It is not so much what you "say" but what you "do," Mitchell says.
The personal justification of saying (or thinking), "I was at a loss of what to do or say, so I didn't do anything," is no excuse. Most of the time the grieving don't remember exactly what is said, but they do remember those who made the effort and are likely grateful for any gesture. The overall guideline is to communicate in some way sympathy and support. If you don't, Mitchell adds, then it will not be easy for the grieving to overlook the fact that you ignored their personal tragedy and life-changing event.
What do you say?
Most etiquette experts believe that a handwritten note of condolence is preferred to a store-bought card. However, if you do send a card, include a personal message inside.
It is not necessary to write a note if you personally extend your sympathy during visitation. You should, however, send a note if you just signed the registry during the visitation and left without speaking with the bereaved.
If you know the bereaved well, then call them as soon as you find out the unfortunate news. Find out if you can offer any assistance -- such as child care, making phone calls, running any errands. But be prepared to be a good listener if they want to talk about their loss and to express their grief. Some etiquette experts advise against calling if you do not know the family well. It could be a bit intrusive to them. The bereaved then has the chore of participating in polite conversation (no doubt, the same conversation that they have probably had several times that day).
In her book "How to Say It: Choice Words, Phrases, Sentences and Paragraphs for Every Situation," Rosalie Maggio says the most common mistakes well-intentioned people make when expressing sympathy are glossing over what has happened; excessively dramatic language such as, "This is the worst tragedy I have ever heard"; or offering inappropriate advice such as:
"He (or she) is better off."
"Be happy for what you had."
"You can have another child."
"It is a blessing in disguise."
"He (or she) is out of his (or her) misery."
"This is nature's way."
"It was God's will."
"Death is a blessing."
"You can always remarry."
"At least you have another child."
"It happened for the best."
"Something good will come of this."
"Move into an apartment." | <urn:uuid:bbc3c7e0-944b-449d-8fa0-1b62460bfded> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvgazette.com/Life/201008060839 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966758 | 684 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Foley, MN has privatized its police.
Yesterday, wearing uniforms and carrying sidearms, security guards began doing 24-hour patrols every day of the week on the shady streets of Foley, a community of 2,600 surrounded by farmland, northeast of St. Cloud.
The cost-saving move has triggered worry among some that town leaders may have gone too far, taking some life-or-death responsibilities out of the hands of those with the legal authority to enforce the law.
“It’s a social experiment and it’s polarizing,” said Steve Olson, a Foley Town Council member who called the deal “the best we could do with the resources we’ve got.”
“Each side is struggling to accept it, and I believe they will have to, eventually,” he said.
While many cities and towns pay for private guard details to supplement the work of badge-carrying deputies and police, often within discrete institutions like schools and hospitals, Foley is the first town in Minnesota and one of a few nationally to try relying solely on private guards for street patrols.
“I’m not aware of another place where they have gone to the extent of Foley, Minnesota,” said Jeff Flint, executive director of the National Association of Security Companies. His organization is watching the deal to see how it might influence other towns struggling with shrinking law enforcement budgets, he said.
County sheriffs are still on hand to work with the security guards when someone has to be hauled to jail or backup is needed. If they can reach a good working relationship, there is no reason this experiment cannot work for a town this size, or even in some larger scale settings. | <urn:uuid:b2e020b1-9df4-4da7-bf0a-8414aa556c8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reason.org/blog/show/small-mn-town-privatizes-its-police | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966818 | 357 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Murphy Hall on the Academic Oval holds significant historic and strategic roles in the evolution of the modern-day University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
The women’s dormitory is named for John Henry Murphy Sr., founding publisher of the Baltimore-based Afro-American newspaper. A former slave and Civil War veteran who died in 1922, Murphy was a respected civic leader who crusaded for equal treatment of blacks in receiving a public education.
Murphy Hall’s construction came about after a fatal May 1941 fire, which destroyed a classroom building where workers were receiving instruction in mattress-making as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal economic recovery program.
Maryland lawmakers, so the story goes, thought the old wood-frame Mechanical Arts Building had been a residence hall and appropriated $100,000 to replace the lost structure.
Construction of a new brick dorm during World War II represented a triumph of sorts for Harry C. “Curley” Byrd, president of the University of Maryland (1936-1954). Byrd lobbied legislators to provide money for the university’s branch campus to maintain segregation of the state's land-grant schools in College Park and Princess Anne.
The Crisfield, Md. native spoke at the dedication of the Colonial Revival-inspired edifice in the late spring of 1943, where Byrd commended the late journalist as a role model and for his life's achievements.
Murphy Hall is an important building at UMES because it contributed to defining the Oval as the heart of the original (1886) campus and led to a 23.8-acre area receiving designation on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2005.
In 2011, Murphy Hall (and an annex added in the early 1960s) is the lone dormitory facing the grassy, tree-lined quadrangle. | <urn:uuid:980cc5a3-df06-4936-9467-79a281e13597> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.umes.edu/125/Content.aspx?id=36476 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954413 | 375 | 2.796875 | 3 |
CSExtra – Friday, January 25, 2013
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Friday’s CSExtra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from around the world. Remembering Apollo 1. NASA joins a European dark energy missions. A robot refueling demonstration outside the International Space Station, slowed by a software issue, resumes this week. NASA engineers agree on a strategy to patch cracks on Orion test module. Former NASA astronaut Bonnie Dunbar takes STEM post at the University of Houston. Scientists find beetles navigating by the light of the Milky Way. Comet ISON stirs expectations.
1. From Discovery.com: Sunday will mark the anniversary of the first U. S. space tragedy. The Jan. 27, 1967 Apollo 1 launch pad fire claimed the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee.
2. From The Pasadena Star-News, of California: NASA will participate the European Space Agency’s Euclid mission for the study of dark energy and dark matter, two forces that shape the universe. NASA will contribute infrared detectors to the mission scheduled for launching in 2020.
3. From Space.com: Aboard the International Space Station, an external robot resumes a satellite refueling demonstration that was interrupted last week by software issues. The experiment is sponsored jointly by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency. The outcome could lead to a robotic refueling capability for aging satellites.
4. From Spaceflightnow.com: At the Kennedy Space Center, engineers will install structural doublers on the aft bulkhead of the Orion crew capsule designated for an unpiloted test flight in 2014. The doublers will repair cracks that surfaced in early November during a pressure test. More tests are planned within weeks.
5. From The Houston Chronicle: Bonnie Dunbar, the former NASA astronaut, departs Seattle, Wash., for the University of Houston, where she will lead a new science, technology, engineering and math center and teach in the college of engineering.
6. From The Los Angeles Times: Beetles look to the Milky Way for guidance in moving their food source. A new study finds the first evidence of animals navigating by star light.
7. From Space.com: Comet ISON, could be the “comet of the century” as it approaches the sun in late November, glowing so brightly it will be visible in daylight, according to some experts. Others will wait and see.
Brought to you by the Coalition for Space Exploration, CSExtra is a daily compilation of space industry news selected from hundreds of online media resources. The Coalition is not the author or reporter of any of the stories appearing in CSExtra and does not control and is not responsible for the content of any of these stories. The content available through CSExtra contains links to other websites and domains which are wholly independent of the Coalition, and the Coalition makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or authenticity of the information contained in any such site or domain and does not pre-screen or approve any content. The Coalition does not endorse or receive any type of compensation from the included media outlets and is not responsible or liable in any way for any content of CSExtra or for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of any content appearing in CSExtra. For information on the Coalition, visit www.spacecoalition.com or contact us via e-mail at Info@spacecoalition.com. | <urn:uuid:1fa947cf-6768-4f48-8040-0632c0e411d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spacefoundation.org/media/global-space-news/csextra-%e2%80%93-friday-january-25-2013 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911746 | 750 | 2.03125 | 2 |
DNA methylation and other epigenetic studies of autism brain
Baylor College of Medicine
Autism may be caused by an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. This interaction may take place at the level of gene expression, which is the process by which genes are turned on and made into proteins. While much research into the genetic basis of autism has focused on finding mutations within genes, researchers also appreciate that even normal genes can play a role in causing autism if they are inappropriately turned on or off. Gene expression is tightly controlled within a cell, and disruption of this process can lead to pathological conditions. Thus, it is crucial to understand the “epigenetic” mechanisms controlling gene expression and how they may be influenced by environmental factors. This study is looking for abnormal gene expression patterns in the brains of individuals with autism. One way that genes are turned off is through DNA methylation: an enzyme places a methyl group onto certain sequences of DNA, thus flagging those genes for silencing. Thus, by examining the methylation status of genes, one can tell whether the gene is turned off or not. Dr. Beaudet's fellow will examine the methylation patterns of genes taken from post-mortem brain tissue of autistic individuals, and compare them to tissue from controls. The primary tool for analysis will be DNA microarrays (“gene chips”), which allow a genome-wide scan. What this means for people with autism: Finding genes that are abnormally expressed in autism will advance understanding of the genetic basis of autism, and may indicate a role for gene-environment interactions in the cause of autism. | <urn:uuid:f1cb9505-151e-4d72-a395-727d97234dd7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.autismspeaks.org/genetics/grants/dna-methylation-and-other-epigenetic-studies-autism-brain | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949783 | 327 | 3.453125 | 3 |
I clutch at my stuff, even my money, as if it were mine. I live as if I cannot imagine losing it and yet fearful that I will.
For many years I have wrestled with God’s promises about money, wishing to be more faithful but living as if I must take care of myself. I realized these things reading the book “Enough” by Will Davis Jr. over the fourth of July week. And that I have an easy life, even what some would call a life of abundance not because I am overly spiritual, devoted or even worthy of this wealth, rather that I was born into a white, middle class family, in the United States of America. (I wrote about that in A 4th of July Ode to Power & Privilege.)
This begs the question of what I do with all that I have? And pushing that self-knowledge further, how do I trust God to provide if I think that all that I have has been acquired by my privilege and is preserved by my hoarding? And most importantly, can I continue to live in this way?
I suppose a part of accepting the idea of ENOUGH is acknowledging that I am a spiritual hoarder. It’s an attitude, a heart issue, and a matter of trusting God (or not.)
The American Dream is the antitheses of ENOUGH.
The idea of having enough is unsatisfactory, perceived as weak and yet that is the challenge of this simple little book. It asks, as followers of Christ how do we live counter to the American dream of providing “the very best of everything” for our children — home, education, trips, clothes, electronics, all this is striving after something empty. And if we do continue to live in this way aren’t we living just like everyone else? What is distinctive about being a follower of Christ, what should be, when it comes to our possessions and money?
Jesus promises that if we live to bless others we will find joy and hope. Davis suggests that our money isn’t ours, we’re entrusted to manage it, and if we look at our abundance as enough then we can be generous with our excess. Jesus taught, as does all of scripture, that we are to help the poor, widows and orphans. Why do my eyes glaze over when I read these words found hundreds of times in scripture? I live like I believe that I don’t have enough to be more generous than I already am.
It seems to me, no matter how much money we make, we never have enough by the end of the month. The more we make the more we spend. The more we spend the less we have. We’re caught in this trap of the deceitfulness of wealth, the idea that we always need more and the lie that we’d give more away if we only made more! Although we pay our debts and other obligations, we save for retirement, we provide for our children, we give to the church and to missions, at the end of the month I am always left worrying about the next month’s debts, obligations, and needs, … it is an endless cycle of stress and lack of trusting God.
I wonder why Jesus prayed “give us this day our daily bread?” And why the Israelites only received Manna for the day with no left overs, no saving, no hoarding, why? And John said in 1 John 2:15-17 that “you cannot love the world and God at the same time.”
This book, Enough, poked holes in any fragile peace I have made with our money. It shone the light of Jesus’ words through all my fragile lies, saying what you have is actually enough. And if you trust God for today, you will find you have excess.
Your excess is a possible solution to someone else problem.
My more than enough just might be someone else’s enough?!
And living with more than enough, makes me believe that somehow that I acquired it, that I’m entitled to it, gives me a false sense of security in it, it distracts me, makes me hungry for more (Ecclesiastes 5:10), and makes me unappreciative of what I already have. Somehow I did something to get all this.
Davis challenges us to see that if we see that we have enough, even more than enough, then we can ask how we can bless others. This requires acknowledgment first, then slowing down, listening to God, asking what to do with all this abundance, praying for courage and wisdom and trusting that God is good. God will always give us enough.
Jesus talked about the perils of wealth, not that it is wicked to be wealthy but that it is dangerous and difficult to sustain our faith and devotion. Davis argues that we develop a false sense of security and entitlement, a stinginess, even a busyness with maintaining our stuff, which is alluring but dangerous.
As I read the words of scripture with new eyes, asking “what is enough?” I realized that not only do I have more than enough, but I am a hoarder in my heart of hearts.
This hit home the other day in a simple way. I saw our neighbor’s daughter out on my trampoline, on the 107 degree day, with a friend. They had dragged a sprinkler over and were enjoying jumping in the cool air and water and I was angry. I wanted her off my trampoline! As I examined my silly response, with this new lens of enough, I realized with a start that I was hoarding. I cannot express exactly why it bothered me so much, because we’ve told her she’s welcome to use it. I had this visceral MINE response and I realized in that moment that this is how I look at all my stuff. Protect at all costs as if it belongs to me.
- A person that knows she has more than enough of everything would have been delighted that her trampoline was being enjoyed and her lawn watered at the same time.
- A person that knows she has enough doesn’t need to buy things for entertainment or security or out of boredom.
- A person that knows she has enough gives ten percent to the church at the beginning of the month and trusts, then lives carefully, even frugally knowing that all she has isn’t hers at all.
- She looks for ways to be generous with her things, time and energy.
- A person that knows she has more than enough trusts that is she has enough for today, to eat and wear, and that God will give for tomorrow.
This he has promised. This is the life of one who has enough, even more than enough, and knows it!
I challenge you to read this book with open hands and heart. Be ready for many simple, practical ideas and scriptural proofs that all of us have more than enough. The question is how will we respond? Do we trust God to give us enough? Do we hoard our things and our money as if we have to take care of ourselves? Or can we accept that we have MORE THAN ENOUGH for the very reason that we might be someone else’s ENOUGH?
This little book is a fast read but if you take it in, if you scour scripture for the truth it contains, you will find that your heart is struck with its conviction. I pray it is so.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?’ or `What shall we drink?’ or `What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
A part of the Patheos Book Club on the book “ENOUGH: Finding More By Living with Less” by Will Davis Jr.
It doesn’t end there. Enough, Continued. | <urn:uuid:a40acebf-87bb-4b88-8e49-109350dfef70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://logicandimagination.com/2012/07/10/i-am-a-hoarder-a-confession/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973762 | 1,888 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The symptoms of
usually affect your stomach and
intestines (gastrointestinal tract).
- The first symptom is usually
- Other symptoms include feeling sick to your stomach
(nausea), vomiting, and abdominal (belly) cramps.
The time it takes for symptoms to appear, how severe the
symptoms are, and how long the symptoms last depend on the infecting organism,
your age, and your overall health.
The very young and the very
old may be most affected by food poisoning. Their symptoms may last longer, and
even the types of food poisoning that are typically mild can be
life-threatening. This may also be true for pregnant women and people with
, such as those who have
long-lasting (chronic) illnesses.
Not all food poisoning results
in diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Some types of food
poisoning have different or more severe symptoms. These can include weakness,
numbness, confusion, or tingling of the face, hands, and feet.
Follow the links below for more information, including specific symptoms for each organism:
Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting,
can also be caused by organisms that are not necessarily spread through food.
These organisms are mainly spread through water or personal contact.
Conditions caused by these organisms include infection
with the parasite Giardia lamblia. | <urn:uuid:bf4fbe50-acbf-4ae5-878f-7e57b18e6413> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthyadvice.com/food-poisoning-gastroenteritis/food-poisoning-and-safe-food-handling-symptoms | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925572 | 299 | 3.453125 | 3 |
From the divisive presidential election of 2000 to today's debate over health care reform, NewsHour correspondent Gwen Ifill and political analysts look back at the political highs and lows of the past decade.
For Amy Walter, editor in chief of The Hotline, the decade represented a breakdown in Americans' views about institutions like the government, the economy and their own security.
The decade also saw a marked shift in the way that people around the world communicate with each other. Through social media networks and other new technologies, record amounts of people around the world were able to engage with each other and in the political process.
In this 11 minute video, Amy Walter is joined by Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, and presidential historian Michael Beschloss to debate the lasting impact of the last decade in politics.
"I think, fundamentally, what we are seeing politically, too, is sort of the rise of the individual, that institutions now are no longer as trusted, including politicians." - Amy Walter, Hotline
"In 2001, there was a feeling after that, that our government failed to keep us safe, obviously, on that day in September. But, even more than that, 2008, September, our government didn't keep us Americans safe economically. Congress was asleep at the switch, regulatory agencies, certainly the executive branch. And that was such a huge malfunction, that I think there are going to be consequences from that for a long time." Michael Beschsloss, historian
"Nobody would have thought 10 years ago you could make your own video, post it up on the computer, and have an influence on people you have never, ever met, and Facebook and all of those things. I think that -- whether the number of people remain engaged, in terms of the total, isn't, I think, as interesting -- as important, fundamentally, as just the way that individual people feel like they can make a difference in the way they engage." - Amy Walter, Hotline
1. How old were you in the year 2000? How has the world changed since then?
2. Name some events that defined the past decade.
1. What are the main themes or ideas that you can pull out of this discussion?
2. What do you think was the most important event of the decade? Which political or cultural shift do you think impacted your own life the most?
3. Do you disagree with any of the ideas that these political analysts discussed? If so, why? What might you add to their discussion?
4. Think about what you know about the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. Can you think of specific characteristics that help you separate one decade from the others?
5. Why do historians often group years together in decades? What are the pros and cons of looking at history in increments of 10 years? | <urn:uuid:756ccef6-603f-4c45-8a92-bf5dea3af578> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/video/blog/2010/01/the_decade_in_politics.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972424 | 594 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Barriers to the use of maternity waiting homes in indigenous regions of Guatemala: A study of users' and community members' perceptions (HTML)
Ruiz,Marta Julia; van Dijk,Marieke G.; Berdichevsky,Karla; Munguia,Alejandra; Burks,Courtney; Garcia,Sandra G.
Culture, Health and Sexuality 15(2): 205-218
Publication date: 2013
Maternal mortality among indigenous women in Guatemala is high. To reduce deaths during transport from far-away rural communities to the hospital, maternity waiting homes (MWH) were established near to hospitals where women with high-risk pregnancies await their delivery before being transferred for labour to the hospital. However, the homes are under-utilised. We conducted a qualitative study with 48 stakeholders (MWH users, family members, community leaders, MWH staff, Mayan midwives and health centre and hospital medical staff) in Huehuetenango and Cuilco to identify barriers before, during and after the women's stay in the homes. The women most in need -- indigenous women from remote areas -- seemed to have least access to the MWHs. Service users' lack of knowledge about the existence of the homes, limited provision of culturally appropriate care and a lack of sustainable funding were the most important problems identified. While the strategy of MWHs has the potential to contribute to the prevention of maternal (as well as newborn) deaths in rural Guatemala, they can only function effectively if they are planned and implemented with community involvement and support, through a participatory approach. | <urn:uuid:cf554776-8713-46d2-9b90-b23022dc3e4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.popcouncil.org/publications/abstract.asp?RefID=8534 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94544 | 330 | 2.03125 | 2 |
I Went to School for This?
For those who make the investment, college graduation is supposed to signify the transition from training for life to living it. But for many young adults in the class of 2012, this year’s ceremony will be more like an anticlimax. According to a new analysis of government data by the Associated Press, more than half of young college grads are either not working or working in jobs that don’t offer them enough hours, enough pay, or the promise of a future career.
The AP reports:
Young adults with bachelor's degrees are increasingly scraping by in lower-wage jobs -- waiter or waitress, bartender, retail clerk or receptionist, for example -- and that's confounding their hopes a degree would pay off despite higher tuition and mounting student loans.
The report reveals a harsh reality for students, their parents, and an economy that needs trained workers in high-skill jobs. Today, young people facing job and income insecurity put off decisions that were once the hallmarks of maturity, such as buying a home, starting a family, or moving out of mom and dad’s place. A higher portion of young adults are living with their parents than at any time in the last three decades, which has changed social expectations about the meaning of adulthood and led to this generation of college grads being labeled as “boomerangs” who return to the nest. In a poll conducted during the fall of 2011, think tank Dēmos found that 43 percent of all 18- to 24-year-olds delayed moving out of their parents’ home, and 47 percent of 25 to 34-year olds delayed purchasing a home because of the economy (editor’s note: Dēmos is the Prospect’s publishing partner). Since young people traditionally make up a significant portion of the real-estate market, these trends are not just an impediment to perceived adulthood, but a drag on markets as well.
Education has long been acknowledged as a key to upward mobility. Last fall, I co-authored a study of the economic prospects for this generation of young adults called the State of Young America. We showed that over the past 30 years, the only young workers to see any earnings gains were those with a college education. Still, while the overall unemployment rate for those with a bachelor’s degree—4.2 percent—is far lower than the national average, these workers are taking jobs that do not provide the same security, benefits, and opportunities for growth that their parents’ generation enjoyed.
This group is also saddled with student-loan debt at levels unknown to college graduates in decades before. The most recent numbers from The College Board show that more than half of public university graduates take on debt, with an average debt burden of $22,000. Among the 54 percent of graduates who cannot find adequate work after graduation, student-loan payments eat a big chunk of their monthly budgets, further restricting their financial freedom and sending increasing numbers of graduates into default.
With a pace of recovery that puts the U.S. at full employment sometime around the year 2020, we’re looking at an entire generation left behind. And it’s not just a temporary blip. Studies of previous downturns show that college students with the unhappy fate of graduating during a recession experience lower earnings and delayed career development throughout the duration of their working lives. Beginning a career in an economy with lower starting salaries is part of the problem. Another part may be changes in the structure of the labor market as the economic contraction puts the squeeze on underperforming sectors. According the Associated Press article:
Any job gains are going mostly to workers at the top and bottom of the wage scale, at the expense of middle-income jobs commonly held by bachelor's degree holders. By some studies, up to 95 percent of positions lost during the economic recovery occurred in middle-income occupations such as bank tellers, the type of job not expected to return in a more high-tech age.
In other words, as the range of middle-income jobs narrows, workers who didn’t make it into the ranks of top earners sink to the bottom.
Today’s college graduates invested in education as a means to attain economic stability, and it is still the best bet we have for achieving a middle-class life. But the report from the Associated Press demonstrates that now and in the coming years, the opportunity to get a college degree is not enough to put young people on the path to prosperity. Part of the solution, as even our presidential candidates agree, is to alleviate the debt burden on young people as they start their careers. But a broader approach for planning for the future middle class is needed, one that addresses the problems of polarizing labor markets, the increasing cost of higher education, and the insecurity and wage stagnation among workers at the bottom. Until then, the generation that embodies our material future will be busy waiting tables.
You need to be logged in to comment.
(If there's one thing we know about comment trolls, it's that they're lazy) | <urn:uuid:b6360c0a-d2b7-47da-a5f6-cdcc666dbbcf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://prospect.org/comment/13307 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966857 | 1,044 | 2.140625 | 2 |
JupiterResearch has found that 63% of large companies plan to utilize RSS feeds by the end of 2006. That is a big increase from the current figure of 29%. In addition, 48% of current RSS publishers are spending $250,000 or more to deploy and manage syndicated content.
Meanwhile, Internet users have yet to adopt the syndicated service. There are no definitive measurement standards, but there is no evidence that RSS feeds are being used, or that use will increase anytime soon. Industry experts have yet to decide whether RSS will make any measurable impact in the near future. The allure for publishers is the perception that RSS users are heavy consumers of online media. But, at this point, it's all speculation. It appears that these large companies are attempting to jump ahead of the curve and, arguably, taking a gamble. | <urn:uuid:db23073f-07cd-46e6-80cb-661fbd535c6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2006/05/18/907.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958033 | 169 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Balmy May will soon be here. And on the very first of the month, Elizabeth will lead a discussion about an American classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Mark Twain's famous novel was first published in England in 1894, but still generates controversy to this day. Earlier this year, a scholar published an edited version that cleaned up some of the words, many of them based on race. The reaction was immediate and, on the whole, negative. Many people prefer the book the way Twain conceived and wrote it.
What have other writers said about Huck Finn? In 1935, F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "Huckleberry Finn took the first journey back. He was the first to look back at the republic from the perspective of the west. His eyes were the first eyes that ever looked at us objectively that were not eyes from overseas. There were mountains at the frontier but he wanted more than mountains to look at with his restive eyes--he wanted to find out about men and how they lived together."
"All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called 'Huckleberry Finn'... All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since."
-- Ernest Hemingway, "The Green Hills of Africa" (1934)
"It is Huck who gives the book style. The River gives the book its form. But for the River, the book might be only a sequence of adventures with a happy ending. A river, a very big and powerful river, is the only natural force that can wholly determine the course of human peregrination.... Thus the River makes the book a great book." --T.S. Eliot
For more information on this and other programs, please see below.
Books Plus meets the first Sunday of each month.
All are welcome. Join the discussion or simply come to listen.
No registration necessary. Drop in. 2 p.m., First Sundays Room 2B
June 5 – Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Discussion Leader: Jane Layman
July 10 - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Discussion Leader: Wendy Rubin
**Please note the later date in July due to the holiday weekend**
August 7 – The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Discussion Leader: Elizabeth Gray | <urn:uuid:890a0f39-e4aa-4e7b-953b-b315bf3b0915> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mcpl.info/print/blogs/love-reading/books-plus-discussion-may-2011?page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965993 | 483 | 2.765625 | 3 |
You are hereweb
EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing allows readers to see into the future with an “electronic brain”… but are we the first to find this technology?
The BBC recently reported that Britain has developed an “electronic brain” — a web technology that not only revolutionizes the way individuals surf the net, but the way knowledge is gathered.
PR Newswire announced today that Finding Dulcinea has launched a Spanish-language version of its Web Guides which includes:
"How to Search the Web," "Health," "U.S. Politics," "Immigration," "Cinco de Mayo" and "Survival Guide toNew York City." FindingDulcinea (Librarian of the Internet) plans to add more Spanish-language Web Guides in the future, based on user feedback. | <urn:uuid:9620216d-237a-4f0c-a9b6-d0ef5d8dcc80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://liswire.com/taxonomy/term/66 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942368 | 174 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Take this scenario: Bob and Joe are both applying for the same job. They each interview well, but Bob has 15 years’ experience and no college degree, and Joe is fresh out of college with no experience.
Who gets the job? The answer is “It depends.” Here are some factors to consider when it comes to the duel between education and experience.
There are some careers where experience trumps education, and vice versa. In sales for instance, having a track record of dollars brought into the company will far outweigh any degree. Likewise, in a high-tech field, a recent college degree that consists of studying the latest developments might give you a leg-up over the guy with the experience in your field. Vocational fields like construction will value experience over education for obvious reasons. Your chosen career field will dictate how education and experience stack up against each other.
Not all experience or education is created equal. A degree from a top school in your field will open doors simply for its reputation; a degree from a college with a lesser reputation won’t help you nearly as much. Did you earn your degree while working full time? That gives you a reputation of being a dedicated hard worker willing to make sacrifices–a reputation that will help you when you sit down to interview for a job.
When it comes to experience, reputation is just as important: simply clocking 40 hours a week for 15 years isn’t going to win you any points. How did you add to the company’s bottom line? Did you innovate, win awards, bring in new business, promote? Reputation matters when it comes to both education and experience.
Let’s say Bob with the 15 years of experience is applying for a job within his company–an internal promotion he’s convinced he’s qualified for. The sad news for Bob is that the job may still go to Joe, fresh out of college with zero experience. Some companies may allow you to substitute experience for a college education, but others have a tougher policy, requiring a college degree–no substitutions. Bob may be the best candidate, but unless he goes to college, he’ll be stuck where he is. Also note that certain industries, like education and health care, require education to qualify for necessary certification.
Money, money, money
The Department of Labor reports that over the last few decades, employees with a college degree earn roughly 77 percent more than those with only a high school diploma, making a strong case for a college education. It also reports a lower unemployment rate for those with a college degree: 4.4 percent for workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher, versus 10.8 percent for those with only a high school diploma.
Does this mean you should sign up at the nearest college? Not so fast–college debt is on the rise, with many college graduates struggling to pay their ballooning student loans. The cost of a four-year degree at a private college runs over $25,000, with public college setting you back about $6,500, plus opportunity costs. Consider your career field, the college’s reputation, and your finances carefully before committing.
So what to do if you lack education or experience? For college grads, interning offers a great opportunity to get that experience and show you’re willing to invest in your career. Likewise, volunteering can give you a resume boost; look for positions that will give you the experience you need, even if it’s not in your field.
If your resume lacks in education credits but you can’t commit to a four-year degree, look at taking classes in your field to show that you’re investing in your career and thinking ahead; technology skills are always in demand, and many (public) colleges offer online classes and certificates.
The bottom line
When it comes to experience versus education, there’s no clear winner. If you’re on the hunt for a job, find ways to strengthen the part you’re missing, and you’ll be sure to beat both Bob and Joe.
Originally posted, here. | <urn:uuid:3b11bf4f-ea56-4a09-b482-8e434ada2bd7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.socialtikmag.com/experience-or-education-which-one-lands-you-the-job/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952606 | 857 | 2 | 2 |
AUBURN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - A water main break on Court Street in Auburn has been fixed.
John Storer from the Auburn Water District says a water main break on Court Street in Auburn left 30 homes without water.
He says a private contractor was working on a natural gas line when the excavator bucket hit and broke the water main.
The Water District will provide bottled water to the affected homes. Storer says after the main is fixed, those homes will have to boil water for at least twenty-four hours until the Water District can test the water and make sure it's safe to drink.
Water was restored to those homes by 10:30 Monday night. | <urn:uuid:1a4fe882-80ca-48be-919f-bf2520583c35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/218095/314/Auburns-Court-Street-back-open-after-water-main-break | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957656 | 141 | 1.523438 | 2 |
How It Works by Dr. Dyno, American Iron Magazine, June 2006
Dyno Dos And Don’ts, II
The jetting dilemma and air-to-fuel ratios
SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRST VERSION OF DYNO Dos And Don’ts was published in the April 2003 issue, I upgraded my dyno with Dynojet’s air-to-fuel ratio module. Although I did it primarily for tuning fuel-injected bikes, I saw the immediate benefits on carbureted models — starting with the first bike I tested. But before I go any further, some discussion of proper air/fuel ratios is in order.
I recently read an article, which touted the optimum 14.7:1 air/fuel ratio. Due to their tuning efforts, this was achieved at full throttle across the engine’s entire rpm band. The air/fuel curve, along with the horsepower and torque graphs, were printed in the article to prove it. However, this is not the best ratio for optimum power. Now, a common response, one that I hear almost every day, is “But everybody knows that 14.7:1 is the perfect stoicah-something ratio, isn’t it?” Yes, the perfect stoichiometric efficiency in a gasoline engine is when the air and fuel ratio is at 14.7:1, with 14.7 parts air to one part fuel. This is when the products of gasoline and air combustion — hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides — are all at their combined lowest levels.
Kind of sounds emissions-related, doesn’t it? It’s the ratio only a catalytic converter could love, a save-the-planet number. Since the early 1980s, our cars and trucks have had exhaust oxygen sensors as part of a closed-loop EFI system to continually zero in on a 14.7:1 air/fuel ratio for the most complete fuel combustion possible. The upside of this, which is becoming more important every year, is better fuel economy. That makes 14.7 a save-the-doc-some-bread number and it works for me. When all bikes go the way of California emissions levels, we’ll all have oxygen sensors on our pipes.
It’s important to note that 14.7 applies
only to part-throttle and cruise conditions.
That is, after all, where our cars,
trucks, and bikes spend most of their
time, and, therefore, potentially produce
most of their emissions. Until an engine is
fully warmed up, a richer mixture is
required. During this phase, the oxygen
sensors, if any are present, are ignored,
and the engine is fed a richer mixture.
How rich is determined by the
enrichener circuit in a carburetor
or the warm-up program in the
fuel injection computer running
in open-loop mode. However, we
can forget about 14.7 when we’re
looking for maximum power at
full throttle on a race bike. It takes
a considerably richer ratio to
smooth out those horsepower and
torque curves and push them
upwards on the dyno graph.
While there is no specific magic
number here, most engines produce
maximum power at ratios in
the 12.5 to 13.5:1 range. When tuning
Harleys, we’re typically targeting
13.0 to 13.2 throughout the
rpm band at full throttle. Guys
that tune an engine to 14.7:1 don’t
do anyone any favors in the power
department. While 14.5 to 15.0 is a
good ratio at partial throttle, they probably lean out the engine to a sluggish 16.0 or worse under cruise conditions, which may put the motor on the edge of lean misfire, detonation, and, eventually, expensive engine damage.
ONLY A TUNING AID
While seeking these specific ratios, we need to keep in mind that air/fuel ratios are only a tuning aid. Maximum horsepower and torque, especially in the riding range, are the goals. As if on cue, just the other day a guy e-mailed me a graph of a carbureted 95" Twin Cam with a perfect, straight-as-an-arrow 13.2:1 air/fuel ratio curve. That’s very difficult to achieve with a carburetor, and I must say I was impressed — that is, until I looked at the horsepower and torque curves. The bike was making no better power than a stock cam-equipped bike, even though it was running one of the best cams available. I suspect the bike had too much exhaust backpressure. But at least the operator printed the air/fuel curve. I’m finding some dyno operators using the only-a-tuning-aid reasoning as an excuse to avoid ever printing or showing the customer an air/fuel curve. I’ve even heard of one who doesn’t even use his air/fuel sniffer on carbureted bikes.
Here’s the problem: Very few customers know what horsepower or torque their bikes should be making, let alone what the curves should look like. The curves are at least a little, and usually a lot, different for every bike. The air/fuel line, on the other hand, should be nearly identical from bike to bike. With a straight red-dashed air/fuel target line displayed across the screen, everyone becomes an instant dyno-tuning expert. Heck, even my 4-year-old granddaughter could look at an air fuel line on the screen and say, “Hey, Grampa Dyno, how come that (air/fuel) line has those huge wiggles in it? And why is it so way far off from that red (target air/fuel) line with all the holes in it?”
Oftentimes, it’s a simple matter of time and money. If the dyno operator knows the air/fuel curves will likely raise questions he can’t answer or issues he doesn’t want to take the time to explain, he’ll try to avoid letting the customer see them. As we’ll see later, this is particularly true on carbureted bikes without enough backpressure. The easiest way to avoid the whole issue is to not even measure the air/fuel ratio. Just assert your years of oldschool tuning experience done before air/fuel testing became available — a slick way to sidestep the issue that better tuning equipment should result in better tuning. The same operator will likely play a different tune (literally) on a fuel-injected bike where an ugly air/fuel curve rings the cash register as he sells that customer a severalhundred- dollar EFI tuning device, and then hits him for a few hundred bucks more for installation and tuning.
MAIDEN A/F RATIO TESTING
Okay, now back to the first race bike I tested using my new air/fuel module. On the promise of a free dyno test and tune, Stuart, the owner of a carbureted 2003 Night Train, brought the bike over from just down the street. (Since I’m on the edge of a neighborhood, I run very few bikes at my house. I asked Stu how loud it sounds at his house when I do run one. He said he can barely hear it inside his house but outside it does sound much better — a true gearhead.) The bike is stock except for a high-flow air cleaner and popular-brand 2-1/4" pipes with baffles. After two warm-up runs, we got the blue torque, horsepower, and air/fuel lines reading from top to bottom. (Ignore the curves below 2000 rpm where I rolled the throttle on at two different rpm.) Since I always look at the midrange torque first, my eye was immediately drawn to the slight torque dip at 3000 rpm (70 mph in fifth gear). In a pattern that I would see repeat itself over and over, the air/fuel curve also dipped rich in the same area.
Stu’s analysis was that we’d need to lower the slide needle to lean the midrange and go up on the main jet to richen up the high end. This is a fallacy that’s based upon the standard approach that the idle circuit controls idle and offidle mixture, the slide needle position (or intermediate jet) sets the midrange mixture, and the main jet takes over at full throttle. There’s nothing wrong with that theory, but it applies to throttle opening percentages, not rpm bands at full throttle. There’s a big difference.
Since, in this typical dyno test, I’m already at full throttle by 2000 rpm, the main jet controls the whole band from there up. Changing the main jet will move the entire air/fuel line up or down, but which way do we need to go? A leaner main jet will help at 3000 rpm, but it will also push the already marginally lean 4500 and higher top end mixture even leaner. Conversely, richer main jetting will help at top end, but knock down the midrange torque and push more unburned fuel out the pipes. It’s the jetting dilemma, and the reason many dyno operators don’t want you, the customer, to see the air/fuel graph. They can’t jet around it; it’s all a compromise. And this is a mild example with only two points of air/fuel variation. Once you get away from the stock cams, it only gets worse. I’m talking four or more points of mixture variation!
SOLVING THE JETTING DILEMMA
I always test and display air/fuel ratio as part of my baseline set of tests. To be fair to other dyno operators, I believe that with everything else being okay, an air/fuel ratio curve bounded by the 12:1 and 14:1 gridlines is acceptable on a carbureted Harley. That’s my personal no-tuning- needed criteria. The trouble is, our bike also has the beginnings of the infamous torque dip I’ve been seeing for years. So why not fix it the way I always have, by pulling out another set of magic TorqueTuners and adding some backpressure? Stu didn’t mind his race bike being a few db louder, so I pulled the baffles before installing the TorqueTuners. With the attack angle properly adjusted, the rich dip in air/fuel curve is history, with the line being nearly ideal from 2500 to 4200 rpm (55-100 mph).
And look what happened to the torque: A nice increase across the same band with a 5-ft-lb. (7 percent) gain at 3000 rpm. A little more free (really free for Stu) power with a little less fuel. That’s solving the jetting dilemma without touching the jetting. For years, every time I’d fixed a torque dip, I was also improving the air/fuel ratio without knowing it! Now the benefit in both areas can be measured.
I could fill page after page with similar graphs, some about the same as Stu’s and some so rich in the midrange that the air/fuel line goes down to 10:1 rich and just lies there until coming up a little just before the rev limiter! Most of them are all solved the same way, by exhaust tuning and then jetting if needed. Much of the same will also apply when we delve into fuel injection tuning in a future article. Let’s wrap up this carbureted section with a different (and drastic) slant on the same theme.
SOME BIKES YOU REMEMBERIf you’ve been following me so far, you should have seen a trend. A too-open exhaust system causes a dip in both the midrange torque and the air/fuel curve. The hotter the cams, the worse the torque dip gets and the richer the air/fuel mixture goes. So what would happen if an openexhaust, big-cam bike was main-jetted lean enough so that it actually ran close to a 13:1 ratio in that normally rich midrange area? Such was the case with Bill’s bike, another 2003 Night Train racer.
This one had a 95" kit with mufflers that I knew were too open, and a cam “a little bigger than the builder normally puts in,” according to Bill. A high-flow air cleaner and a “reworked” stock carb rounded out this surprise package. Another clue was Bill’s warning that I’d have a hard time restarting it if it stalled after idling too long. He also said it had a 6200-rpm rev limiter. I stopped the baseline test with the second run (blue lines) because I couldn’t get it over 4500 rpm before it literally starved itself for fuel. The super-lean section at roll-on explained the hard restart issue.
I shut it off and gave Bill the good news and the bad news. I could fix it and he’d have a new bike when I was done, but he’d spend a fistful of cash to do it since it was the worst-running Twin Cam I’d seen in several years. He knew it had some issues but didn’t think it was that bad. The bike was only ridable because, as the air/fuel ratio graph reveals, where I typically see richness, someone had jetted it lean enough to be nearly spot-on between 60 and 80 mph in fifth. The resulting torque curve must have felt okay: 90 ft-lbs. and no dip. And the horsepower also hit a near-stock 70 before the fuel went away. The bike probably ran acceptably, but had he tried to keep it at a steady high rpm for any length of time, he’d have damaged the engine.
After getting the go-ahead, I told him we had a long way to go and that things would get worse before they got better. It was one of those you-may-not-want-to-watch jobs. I drilled holes in the pipes and installed the TorqueTuners. I also had the carb off the bike to bring it back to stock using the stock needle and emulsion tube. I had to jet it three (or was it four?) times. An hour and a half later, we had (green lines) a perfect torque curve that kissed 100 ft-lbs. of torque and a horsepower graph that pulled right to 6200 rpm with a peak at a solid 87 horsepower. Note that the air/fuel curve stayed exactly the same from 60 to 80 mph, but the torque now rises from 90 to 100 ftlbs. in the same area. Tuning this beauty would have been nearly impossible without the air/fuel module to sort things out each step of the way. Like so many other owners, Bill finally had the power the builder promised him. After all, the right parts only work right if they’re tuned right. AIM | <urn:uuid:e672a4c0-b838-4b7e-b0ad-1b723cc9d8dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drdyno.com/AIM_2006-06.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955147 | 3,195 | 1.890625 | 2 |
To succeed in life we need to find out what our talents are and develop them with determination and discipline.A good way to begin to instill this in children is by participating in sports and sports competitions.
When a child participates in a sports team that competes he or she learns to strive to be better and better.He also learns to better organize his time to be able to fulfill all of his obligations.Incredibly the more things they have to do the more efficient they become with time management.
They learn that things worthwhile require effort and sacrifice; that they have to choose what they want to do because they can’t do everything at once.
They learn to work together, to win and to lose.They do physical exercise, which helps them with their physical and mental health.Knowing they are good at something helps with their self-esteem.
Be careful to choose in which competitions to enroll them and especially who their coaches will be, they should competent in the discipline they teach but also have to be serious and responsible. | <urn:uuid:bf21a432-d1a9-43c5-ab06-e750f8a38493> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://paseoandaluz.com/tag/conservation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982408 | 210 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Loyalty And Loss: Alabama's Unionists In The Civil War And Reconstruction
Though slavery was widespread and antislavery sentiment rare in Alabama, there emerged a small loyalist population, mostly in the northern counties, that persisted in the face of overwhelming odds against their cause.
Life in Southern Alabama
This reminiscence of daily life on a Southern plantation during the Civil War was originally published in 1888. This book is filled with vivid details of everything from methods of making dyes and preparing foods to race relations and the effects of the war. The book is an unusual and beautifully written primary source of Southern life inside the blockade imposed by the Union
May 4, 1863 Day's Gap / Sand Mountain
January 26, 1864 Athens
August 2-23, 1864 Mobile Bay / Fort Morgan Fort Gaines
October 26-29, 1864 Decatur
March 27-April 8, 1865 Spanish Fort
April 2-9, 1865 Fort Blakely
April 2, 1865 Selma
Voices from Company D: Diaries by the Greensboro Guards, Fifth Alabama Infantry Regiment, Army of Northern Virginia
writings from the diaries of eight members of the Greensboro Guards, Fifth Alabama Infantry Regiment. Woven into a single chronological narrative, these writings provide a unique perspective not only on many of the war's battles and campaigns but also on aspects of life and culture in the nineteenth-century South
20 piece Civil War Artillery Playset
Civil War Artillery Set: 20 piece set includes 12 Artillery Crew Figures in Blue and Gray that stand up to 58mm tall, 4 Parrott Rifle Gun Cannon about 4 inches long, and 4 Cannonball stacks
Civil War State Battle Maps
American Civil War Exhibits
American Civil War Timeline
Civil War Summary
Civil War Cooking
Civil War Submarines
History of the Confederate Flag
Civil War Curiosities: Strange Stories, Oddities, Events, and Coincidences
This work was fascinating to read and was neither over dramatic or under written. The stories were lively and interesting and the additon of old photos and draqwings helped fill out the book.
The Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864
Fought in a tangled forest fringing the south bank of the Rapidan River, the Battle of the Wilderness marked the initial engagement in the climactic months of the Civil War in Virginia, and the first encounter between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
The Civil War Day By Day
An Almanac, 1861-1865
The most exhaustively detailed and fascinating book on the American Civil War of its kind. Not only does it provide a day-by-day look at the major events of the war, but lists so many of the small skirmishes and actions as well. Accurate and enjoyable
Civil War Medicine
The staggering challenge of treating wounds and disease on both sides of the conflict. Written for general readers and scholars alike, this first-of-its kind encyclopedia will help all Civil War enthusiasts to better understand this amazing medical saga. Clearly organized, authoritative, and readable
Southerners at War: The 38th
Alabama Infantry Volunteers
This is a well written, well researched book on the men of the 38th Alabama Infantry.
The Civil War Catalog
More than 200 illustrations and restored photographs, all the weapons, uniforms, and implements of battle. Packed with color photos of insignia, medals, kits, paper ephemera, rare uniforms, and personal equipment for all enlisted ranks.
Standard Catalog of
Civil War Firearms
Over 700 photographs and a rarity scale for each gun, this comprehensive guide to the thousands of weapons used by Billy Yank and Johnny Reb will be indispensable for historians and collectors.
The Confederacy's Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville
John Bell Hood rallied his demoralized troops and marched them off the Tennessee, desperately hoping to draw Sherman after him and forestall the Confederacy's defeat
Kentucky Cavaliers in Dixie
Reminiscences of a Confederate Cavalryman
Mosgrove was born in Kentucky, in 1844, and enlisted in the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry Regiment on September 10, 1862. His eyewitness account illuminates the western theater of the Civil War in Kentucky, east Tennessee, and southwest Virginia
John Brown and the Soul of America
The life of the first citizen committed to absolute racial equality. His friendships in defiance of the culture around him, He turned his twenty children into a dedicated militia. He collaborated with black leaders such as Frederick Douglass, Martin Delany, and Harriet Tubman to overthrow slavery.
The Camden Expedition of 1864 and the Opportunity Lost by the Confederacy to Change the Civil War
The Confederacy had a great opportunity to turn the Civil War in its favor in 1864, but squandered this chance when it failed to finish off a Union army cornered in Louisiana because of concerns about another Union army coming south from Arkansas. The Confederates were so confused that they could not agree on a course of action to contend with both threats, thus the Union offensive advancing from Arkansas saved the one in Louisiana and became known to history as the Camden Expedition.
A Stranger And a Sojourner: Peter Caulder, Free Black Frontiersman in Antebellum Arkansas
An illiterate free black man, defied all generalizations about race as he served with distinction as a marksman in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, repeatedly crossed the color line, and became an Arkansas yeoman farmer, thriving and respected by white neighbors until he fell victim of new discriminatory legislation on the eve of the Civil War
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.
Buy this Flag
Alabama State Flag, Nylon (3 ft. x 5 ft.)
In 1895, 76 years after being admitted to the Union, the Alabama Legislature authorized the "crimson cross of St. Andrew on a field of white" in the "Acts of Alabama." Reminiscent of the Confederate battle flag, it was designated that the crimson bars must be six inches broad and were to extend diagonally across the flag. Because act 383 did not specify a particular format, the flag is depicted sometimes as a square and at other times as a rectangle.
State Military Crest
No state flag existed from 1819-1861. On January 11, 1861, the Secession Convention passed a resolution designating a flag designed by a group of Montgomery women as their official flag. This flag has often been referred to as the Republic of Alabama Flag. One side of the flag displayed the Goddess of Liberty holding in her right hand an unsheathed sword; in the left a small flag with one star. In an arch above this figure were the words "Independent Now and Forever." On the other side of the flag was a cotton plant with a coiled rattlesnake. Beneath the cotton plant are the Latin words: "Noli Me Tangere," (Touch Me Not). This flag was flown until February 10, 1861, when it was removed to the Governor's Office after it was damaged by severe weather. It was never flown again
Alabama Department of Archives and History
The bill to legalize a state coat of arms was introduced in the Alabama Legislature of 1939 by James Simpson, Jefferson County, and was passed without a dissenting vote by both houses. The coat of arms consists of a shield on which appears the emblems of the five governments that have held sovereignty over Alabama. The flags of Spain, France, Great Britian, the Confederacy are bound by the
flag and shield of the United States. This shield is supported on either side by bald eagles, symbolic of courage. The crest is a model of the ship, the Baldine , that Iberville and Bienville sailed from France to settle a colony near present day Mobile (1699).
"We Dare Maintain Our Rights" or "We Dare Defend Our Rights."
Bonnie Blue Flag
The Confederate government did not adopt this flag but the people did and the lone star flags were adopted in some form in five of the southern States that adopted new flags in 1861.
Southern Cross Flag
Used as a navy jack at sea from 1863 onward. This flag has become the generally recognized symbol of the South.
Second Confederate Flag
On May 1st,1863, a second design was adopted, placing the Battle Flag (also known as the "Southern Cross") as the canton on a white field. This flag was easily mistaken for a white flag of surrender especially when the air was calm and the flag hung limply.
More on Confederate Flags
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The largest McDonald's in the world, inside London's Olympic Park, gives new meaning to the word "super-sized," with seating for 1,500 and predictions that it could serve 50,000 Big Macs before the Games end Aug. 12.
One of the 500 employees working there was Elk Grove resident Karim Parra. A supervisor at six area McDonald's outlets, Parra is one of four U.S. employees whose passion for the brand and service won a busman's holiday, officials said.
Parra returned to California on Wednesday, but during a telephone interview Tuesday, he talked of using London's Underground to visit Big Ben and other sites with his wife, Olga Gonzales.
He also got unexpected memories under the Golden Arches. On his first day of work, for instance, he was at the McDonald's restaurant catering to Olympians and spotted Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (reportedly a fan of Chicken McNuggets) strolling through the door.
"All the managers are calm, collected, but the athletes all get out of their chairs and just rush him," Parra said. "They didn't let him order. Everybody wanted to take a picture with him."
A meal-less Bolt had to, well, bolt.
McDonald's built four temporary restaurants in Olympic Park, sparking criticism from those who cite the rise of fast food as a culprit in the obesity epidemic.
"The motto of the Olympic Games is 'faster, higher, stronger,' " said Roshan Muhammed Salih, reporting for Iran's Press TV. "But judging by the amount of fast-food outlets in London's Olympic Park, sports fans are in danger of becoming 'fatter, fatter, fatter.' "
Power to the farmer
Well past the stone fruit, figs and summer squash, somewhere near the heirloom tomatoes, farmer Thad Barsotti begins to sound like the hippie that for the last 30 years he says he's been coming to grips with being.
Mind you, he's 32, a tender age for someone who owns an organic farm in the Capay Valley with 450 acres under management. He has the legacy, though, of his father, Martin Barnes, who helped to found the Davis Farmers Market, and his mother, Kathleen Barsotti, who, after a divorce, took on running Capay Organic alone until she died in 2000.
That legacy and a passion for organic practices drive him and brothers Freeman Barsotti and Noah Barnes, who now run Capay Organic, to advocate alternative distribution that puts farmers directly in contact with grocers and consumers.
Capay Organic sells produce at farmers markets and in grocery stores. Its Farm Fresh To You unit delivers produce directly to homes or offices.
"What ends up happening is if I'm a middleman, I'm going to create a label, Thad's Produce or Thad's Farm, even though I'm not a farmer," Barsotti explained.
Although consumers think organic produce came from "Thad's Farm," he said, it's supplied by a number of farmers and rewards most those who spend the least to get produce to market. This could undermine organic farming practices, he explained.
"The challenge is that the marketer doesn't have the control over really being able to genuinely represent the product, and that's what you get with large distribution models," Barsotti said.
He's scheduled to discuss organic farming at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 11 at one of the farm's regular public events. And, don't be fooled by Barsotti's buttoned-down shirt and neatly cropped hair. This hippie was born on the farm.
One outrageous list
Editors at The Daily Meal website celebrated National French Fry Week in July with a list of America's Most Outrageous French Fries, and the urban fries at Sacramento's Jack's Urban Eats made the cut.
A customer informed Trevor Sanders, a partner in Jack's Roseville restaurants, that the fries had been selected.
Why does Sanders think Jack's made the list?
"You have something crunchy and crispy with that blue cheese and chili oil," he said, " By the time you put it all together, I mean, it's just delicious." | <urn:uuid:a2317201-22c0-4cdf-8685-07d774b019fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/02/4684181/cathie-anderson-olympics-gold.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967562 | 879 | 1.507813 | 2 |
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Chapters 9-11 Blog B
What student created questions did your group agreed upon and justify? (4-5 sentences)
Our group agreed on most of the discussion that the question, What do you think Annie meant by “I don’t think anyone has to be mean to be feared” gave to us? We agreed that the point she was trying to get across to us was stereotyping and some kids, like Annie, get respect because she is feared at school. We also agreed that Annie and Jodee became friends because she understood what it was like to be made fun of and left out of the “cool crowd”.
What student created questions did your group disagreed upon and justify? (4-5 sentences)
The group I was with disagreed that Jodee’s parents were doing too much to help her get through the bullying. One of my partners said that they were doing too much in a bad way. I thought that Jodee’s parent were doing very well trying to make her happy but at times it was a little too much and it made me begin to think she was a little spoiled. My group also disagreed on the way Jodee acted. A member or two thought that Jodee acted childish around her parents because she always called them “mommy” and “daddy”. I spoke my opinion and said that maybe at times she acted that way but she may have grown up with calling them that name.
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Our theme for this week was Poverty. The main objective of the week was for us to have more empathy and compassion for poor people in England and around the world.
To acheive this objective we had to spend the week in a fi
eld. We were occasionally visited by the leaders who set us challenges.
Our first challenge was to build two shelters, one for the guys and one for the girls using the a saw, a tarpoline and rope we were given.
Another big challenge we were given was to make a fire and keep it going every day through the day and night. One reason for this was to simulate what it would be like to have to protect your family in a dangerous situation.
On the last day we were sent into town for our final challenges. We had to ask members of the public for different things so that we would experience peoples reactions when we hadn’t washed for a week.
Our challenges continued throughout the week and each one was given to try and simulate what it’s like to live in poverty. We also had limited food and water supplies throughout the week and had to rely on the leaders to occasionally bring us food and water.
The week has reminded me of all the things I take for granted. The hardest thing for me was the limted food. It’s usually so easy for me to go into a cupboard, fridge or shop and get food whenever I feel like it.
Another hard thing was keeping the fire going during the night. As a result we were tired during the day but we still had jobs to to do including cutting wood to keep the fire going.
In town we started to realise a little bit of the rejection homeless people often feel.
This week obviously hasn’t been a walk in the proverbial park but many good things have come from the experience. Every morning and evening we sang worship songs for God and prayed for people in poverty. We also had an amazing answer to prayer whilst we were in town where we were given an abundance of free food! The week has brought us all closer to each other too. I hope that this week will always remind us to help people in poverty. So in a strange way I can say that it’s been a good week and we have enjoyed it. | <urn:uuid:9dca944d-2c19-4b4e-b89f-9128094897d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.whatissweat.co.uk/poverty-week-2012/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992028 | 469 | 2.21875 | 2 |
The War on Women is alive and well in the UK as well as the US.
Jane Kassim, a teaching assistant from Rotherham, England, whose twin babies were carried by her cousin, has been told she is not entitled to maternity pay because her children were born through surrogacy.
Kassim learned at age 15 that she would never be able to become pregnant because she was born without a womb. Her cousin Amy Bellamy volunteered to help last year after finding out that Kassim, now 30, and her husband Adis wanted to become parents. Bellamy agreed to be their surrogate, The Telegraph reports.
Bellamy gave birth to Kassim’s girls, Isla Jane and Ivy May, through caesarean section last month. And that’s when Kassim learned that she was not entitled to maternity or statutory pay like normal mothers and even those who adopt.
According to the Telegraph, Kassim has only been offered 13 weeks of unpaid leave -– most mothers in the U.K. are entitled to 52 weeks (one whole year). “Under current law people like me don’t have the maternity rights that mothers who give birth themselves or women who adopt are entitled to,” she told the paper.
Why Kassim Isn’t Entitled To The Same Rights As Other New Mothers
The twins were conceived through IVF treatment using Kassim’s fertilized eggs, but her Member of Parliament John Healey has stepped in to close the ‘legal loophole’ which does not allow her maternity rights.
Healey has taken on Kassim’s case and is trying to find a “legal loophole” for all mothers who use surrogates. Healey introduced a new bill under the “Ten Minute Rule” (a process used that enables members to introduce legislation in Parliament). The bill would make leave, pay and allowance arrangements for parents of children born to surrogate mothers equal to those available to parents whose children are born to them.
Kassim said she was ‘stunned’ when she learned she did not have the same maternity rights as normal mothers. “When I enquired I was told I wasn’t entitled to any kind of maternity leave or pay apart from 13 weeks parental leave which would be unpaid,” she told The Daily Mail.
All New Mothers Should Be Entitled To Maternity Leave
Surrogate births may be still relatively uncommon in Britain, but the number is growing rapidly as society changes and science advances. I can attest to this personally as the proud great-aunt of two beautiful girls, both born through surrogacy. To deny these mothers their maternity leave, something which Britain is justly proud of, is wrong.
Jane Kassim is entitled to the same rights as any other new mother. The law needs to change so that mothers like her who have their children born through surrogates have the same rights as any other mothers who give birth themselves or indeed who adopt children.
Photo Credit: istock
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
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Do you like Tetris? I know I do. It's a simple game, but still fun. It's really one of those mini-games that devs keep trying to fit into this or that game, but somehow it manages to stand on its own. Truly inspiring.
In total contrast there is crafting in WoW. It is truly impressive for the sheer boredom and tedium which it creates. I might think death mechanics are dull, but at least death looks kinda cool and the spirit ghost was the avatar for a CM a while ago, named Nethaera; she was awesome. Crafting is far less interesting than death or nice CMs.
There's no skill to crafting. There is some skill in getting materials: knowledge of sources or markets, perhaps getting them from someplace difficult such as raids. There is some skill is selling: knowing markets, knowing addons, knowing what is useful. But the crafting itself is merely a click of a button. Thankfully it may only be a click of a button; it would be far worse if making three dozen copper bracers involved having to stay around for the tedium, as our characters do.
Tetris is my solution.
This will sound more complex than it would be in practice. Material cost would be re-expressed as lines to complete and the expected ratio of materials needed. So the copper bracers might have a 4 copper to 1 rough stone ratio and a cost of 5 lines. What that means is you'll need to complete 5 lines to finish the product. The material cost will be based on the number of blocks used, converted by the ratio to give the total number of copper and stone used. If you're good at the game, you'll create very compact arrangements which use a minimal amount of material to create the lines, but if you're not doing well, then you'll have all sorts of stuff sticking up: wasted materials. There could be savings after the fact for things like 2, 3, or 4 lines completing at once, so a skilled crafter can not only avoid waste, but actually recover some materials.
In other words, play Tetris, the normal incentives for good play are still there in some form.
Speed can be varied in two ways. Most obviously, the blocks can come faster. This makes it more difficult, but will save time, possibly a significant amount if you're attempting a long craft. The other variable is number of items to craft at once, so rather than doing a 10 line craft 5 times, you can instead do a 50 line craft. This could save time from less interruption, but also materials. A player who can keep going will get into a better flow and the leftovers sticking up will be a smaller proportion of the cost. For example, a series of 5 crafts of 10 lines would have 100 blocks (the bottom is 10 wide), and perhaps 4 blocks randomly sticking out the top, for 4% waste per run. However if that was instead a 100 line block and it retained the 4 extra, which is plausible, then the waste would be only 0.4%, a significant savings over many crafts.
The number of lines needed would need a lot of adjustment to be similar to current material costs and overall to ensure that a single craft doesn't become excessively long. Perhaps initial crafts would start at only one line, with the assumption that they would be done as multiple crafts, since I don't imagine we'll ever move away from making a few dozen copper bracers, but the process of making them could be a bit more fun and potentially rewarding.
Posted by Klepsacovic at 7:00 AM | Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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Teaching consultants are available to individual faculty members, instructional staff, and TAs who wish to discuss teaching concerns and effectiveness as they relate to a particular class. Language consultants can also provide assistance in spoken English (U.S.) and resources on cross-cultural considerations in teaching. Individual and classroom consultations are strictly confidential, non-evaluative, and free of charge.
Student Feedback through Consensus (SFC) is a technique that uses guided discussion and consensus to generate clear, prioritized, and confidential student feedback on classroom instruction or curriculum. When you request an SFC, a consultant from the Center for Teaching and Learning guides your students through a consensus-generating process.
Request an SFC by completing this form | <urn:uuid:76091f3b-6d3b-42ad-9c6e-b36a9f4c50e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/consultations/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9204 | 153 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Japanese craft books, you gotta love ‘em. The bright, clear photos presented in an easy to understand step by step format and abundant diagrams. Never mind if you can’t read Japanese, the visuals alone will get you through the process. Also known as “mooks,” a hybrid of magazine and book, these tend to be smallish paperbacks printed on high quality paper with glossy covers. I covet them.
Buyers often ask which books I suggest for beginners. Sashiko is a fairly simple art form, yet there are many traditional patterns that range from super easy to mind bogglingly difficult. It all breaks down to basic geometry but if math makes your brain hurt, take comfort in the thought that a lot of the time it’s just a matter of counting and eyeballing your measurements. Actual historical pieces of sashiko typically aren’t all that perfect. Yours don’t need to be, either.
The following books are in very limited supply and increasingly hard to get as they are out of print. Those published by Ondori often feature Olympus sashiko supplies in their projects, which are the supplies I carry in my shop.
Quick, cheap and easy: This one I refer to as the “Little Blue Book“. That’s not the actual title, but it’s easier to remember when I’m looking for it on the shelf. Plenty of color photos, good small projects, pocket size so it’s easy to carry in a purse or project bag. Includes directions for a coin purse, apron, book cover, placemat & napkins, etc. and shows how to stitch. A nice pocket primer. Published by Ondori.
One project, many ways: Sashiko no Hana Fukin has 72 pages of color photos, line drawings and lovely small projects. A fukin is a small hand or wash cloth. These are similar to the preprinted sashiko kits I carry in my shop and are quite simple to make. Photos of finished projects and line drawings of patterns to copy make this a nice resource for projects you can use in your kitchen. Good for beginners. Published by Ondori.
Small book, big variety: Kawaii Hana Sashiko features a broad range of projects and ideas such as bags large and small, t-shirt decoration, book covers, and oven mitts. Kawaii means “cute”! Includes examples of advanced work and even kimono. Good for inspiration if you are beyond beginner. Published by Tatsumi.
My go-to project book: Sashiko no Hon covers the basics including fukin, pot holders, simple tote bags and small purses. Clear black and white line drawing diagrams in the back, full color basic instructions on how to start towards the front. Good for those who already know how to sew. Published by Ondori.
Next up, sashiko books in English! | <urn:uuid:fd435d3a-c319-4dc4-94d5-0408225f4055> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theardentthread.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/book-reviews-japanese-sashiko-craft-books/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942184 | 625 | 1.9375 | 2 |
7-Year-Old Zora Ball Is the World’s Youngest Game Programmer
The youngest person to create a full version of a mobile application video game. A first grader at Philadelphia’s Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School, she’s already more accomplished than everyone you know.
Ball built the app in the Bootstrap programming language, and unveiled her game at FATE’s “Bootstrap Expo” at the University of Pennsylvania.
Apparently some grumpy olds were suspicious that her older brother was really the mastermind behind the program, but Zora showed them. When asked to reconfigure the app on the spot, Ball showed naysayers what was up when she executed the request perfectly.
“We expect great things from Zora, as her older brother, Trace Ball, is a past STEM Scholar of the Year,” said Harambee Science Teacher Tariq Al-Nasir. No pressure, baby geniuses, but there’s an entire world for you to save. Please hurry.
What am I doing with my life
Mozart was like that, too. | <urn:uuid:86432f3e-d6e4-4f99-9894-97bc252b9085> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stanyann.tumblr.com/post/45188022296/precociousmotions-teachingliteracy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957164 | 238 | 2.125 | 2 |
(note from Bob Atchison: The Arsenal remains, but also in quite a different state, from what it was originally. The building has gone through many transformations and remains in a ruined state today. Preston Dyar has taken all of the color pictures above.)
The Zoo was not yet surrounded with a stone wall when there used to stand on a little hill a stone cellar surmounted by a wooden gallery. About the year 1748 the building of "Mon Bijou", designed by the architect Rastrelli, was begun on the spot of the cellar and gallery. It was of brick, two stories high, with a cupola over its center, and four side wings. The central hall had 16 columns. Over the porch and along the cornice, the pavilion was decorated with vases and statues of alabaster while the roof and cupola were surrounded by a wooden balustrade with gilt carving. Round "Mon Bijou", was a stone-lined canal with a stone balustrade. The interior of the pavilion was richly gilded, the floors were of inlaid parquet, and the walls were covered with painting by the architect Grot. On the other side of the canal were two stone houses for servants. All this magnificence has vanished. In 1800 the architect Nilov asked about 43,000 rubles for repairing "Mon Bijou", and 20,000 for the roads in the Zoo. But in 1801, when the Emperor Alexander I came to the throne, orders were given for all work in the Zoo to be stopped.
During the Emperor Paul's reign the pictures of "Mon Bijou" were sent to Gatchina.
Under the Emperor Alexander I, the architect Menelas entirely changed the external appearance of "Mon Bijou" by rebuilding it in the Anglo-Gothic style, thus making it a very close copy of a pavilion at Shrubshill in England, an engraving of which hangs in the Admiralty.
Rastrelli's creation is no longer recognizable, the character of the park, which surrounds it, is entirely changed, while even the name "Mon Bijou" has, given place to that of the "Arsenal". Instead of the well-clipped avenues that stretched from the stone-lined canal with four-bridges, an English Park has grown up; the canal has been filled with earth and the bridges have been destroyed. Until quite recently, the Arsenal contained a rich collection of armor which was the pride of the Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich. This collection consisted of more than 5,000 articles and was arranged in both stories of the building as well as on the staircase. At the present time the collection is in the Imperial Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich began to collect arms in 1811, being quite a youth. The Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich left his collection to his August Brother, and the Emperor Alexander II completed the collection. Here, besides the armor were a number of precious Eastern saddles; some articles which were & personal property of Napoleon I; a walking-stick with which the Empress Catherine the Great used to walk about the Tsarskoe Selo Parks; some trophies of the Hungarian war (transferred to the Hermitage in St. Petersburg in 1894) some trophies, taken during the Polish Insurrection (given to the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg in 1907) and small collections of prehistoric and ethnographic objects (transferred in 1907 to the Museum of the Emperor Alexander III). On the 23rd of May 1842, a, knightly procession, in which 15 gentlemen and 15 ladies took part, left the Arsenal and rode toward the Alexander Palace. The gentlemen were in armor taken from the Arsenal and the ladies in dresses of the 16th century. The Emperor Nicholas Pavlovich and the Tsarevich Alexander Nicholaevich were clad in armor of the time of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian's era and the younger Grand Dukes were dressed as pages of the same epoch. The procession was headed by heralds with music - it rode round the park and came to the open space before the Alexander Palace, which had not yet been planted with lilac trees. Here was performed a, so-called carousel, consisting of quadrilles and other complicated movements on horse-back. A few years later at the wish of the Emperor, Horace Vernet embodied this "Knightly Festival" in a painting which is now at Gatchina. Before the collection of armor was transferred to the Imperial Hermitage at St. Petersburg, 20 veterans of the Guards were kept at the Arsenal. Some of them had taken part in the war of 1812, and were still living in 1860. The veterans took care of the Arsenal, and stood on duty in the Emperor's rooms in the Great Palace. At the present time, models of soldiers of all the cavalry regiments are kept at the arsenal. They are made of papier-mache, and represent officers and soldiers on horseback. All the details of their outfits are carried out with the greatest exactitude. Besides these models there are in both stories collections of glass and porcelain from the Imperial Factory. These collections are not listed and cannot be seen by the public. The hall of the Arsenal is strictly decorated in the Anglo-Gothic style.
In a group of trees, not far from the Arsenal, is the Birch Guard House, a small wooden home for asingle park ranger. On one side of the road near the open space which surrounds the Arsenal is a small artificial grotto with a spring which supplies all the park guard houses with water, and streams into the Llama Pond. | <urn:uuid:33750f45-6f58-41c1-81a3-09ba9268b0ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/arsenal.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976664 | 1,175 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Topic: J. Peder Zane
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
A list of the top 10 comic works – books you don't want to miss.
The late great novelist David Foster Wallace's 10 favorite books.
Readers of books love lists. That's why book-review editor J. Peder Zane asked 125 writers – everyone from Norman Mailer to Jonathan Franzen to Margaret Drabble – to pick their very favorite books of all time. Out of all the books in the world, here are the 10 most selected by Zane's illustrious group. (You can see this and other book lists in Zane's book "The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books.") | <urn:uuid:d29cf8c7-7f5c-47a8-96f3-64c514538db8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/J.+Peder+Zane | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925824 | 145 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Catherine Louise Fink was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1909, the second of the four children of Leo George Fink, an Austrian-born pawnbroker and jeweler, and his wife, the former Hattie A. Tetrick. Her siblings were Blanche, Marian, and Leo.
Thompson began her career in the 1930s as a singer and choral director for radio. Her first big break was as a regular singer on The Bing Crosby-Woodbury Show (CBS, 1933–34). This led to a regular spot on The Fred Waring-Ford Dealers Show (NBC, 1934–35) and then, with conductor Lennie Hayton, she co-founded The Lucky Strike Hit Parade (CBS, 1935) where she met (and later married) trombonist Jack Jenney.
In 1943, Thompson signed an exclusive contract with MGM to become the studio’s top vocal arranger, vocal coach, and choral director. She served as main vocal arranger for many of producer Arthur Freed’s MGM musicals and as vocal coach to such stars as Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, and June Allyson.
Thompson, who lived at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, became most notable as the author of the Eloise series of children’s books, which were partly inspired by the antics of her goddaughter Liza Minnelli, daughter of Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli, but when asked if this was true responded, “I am Eloise”. The four books in the series, illustrated by Hilary Knight, are Eloise (Simon & Schuster, 1955), Eloise in Paris (Simon & Schuster, 1957), Eloise at Christmastime (Random House, 1958) and Eloise in Moscow (Simon & Schuster, 1959). They follow the adventures of the precocious six-year-old girl who lives at The Plaza. All were bestsellers upon release and have been adapted into television projects. She also composed and performed a Top 40 hit song, “Eloise” (Cadence Records, 1956). A fifth book, Eloise Takes a Bawth was posthumously published by Simon & Schuster in 2002, culled from Thompson’s original manuscripts once slated for 1964 publication by Harper & Row. However, at the time, Thompson was burned out on Eloise; she blocked publication and took all but the first book out of print, drastically reducing the income of her collaborator.
She returned to live in New York in 1969. Immediately following the death of Judy Garland, Kay appeared with her goddaughter Liza Minnelli in Otto Preminger’s Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (Paramount, 1970). In 1974, Thompson directed a groundbreaking fashion show at the Palace of Versailles featuring performances by Liza Minnelli and the collections of Halston, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, and Anne Klein. | <urn:uuid:4835a8a7-eeb4-4941-b706-2ffc12d5954b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://waldina.com/2012/06/08/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968872 | 623 | 1.695313 | 2 |
New Jersey's Medicaid program spent more than $73 million on antipsychotic medications for children less than 18 years old between 2000 and 2007, according to state records, even though the drugs weren't approved by the FDA for treating kids. And a state official acknowledges the drugs may have been prescribed for conditions other than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the approved uses. As a result, a state legislator is calling for an investigation and is formulating legislation.
"There are horror stories about these meds and there's a reason they're not prescribed for kids," says New Jersey assemblyman Pat Diegnan, who adds that he plans to draft a bill to change the practice and to hold talks with the New Jersey attorney general's office, which recently formed a task force to examine interactions between pharma and docs. "The entire issue is frightening and the state should be taking a closer look at this. I'm concerned about the casual prescribing by doctors and the enormous amount of money being spent."
The disclosure comes amid growing debate over antipsychotics. At issue are fears that children are misdiagnosed; drugs are inadequately studied; some docs presribe the pills too readily, and drugmakers promote the meds improperly. As reported previously, a growing number of states are suing various drugmakers over marketing that led Medicaid programs to pay unnecessarily for the meds.
Florida, for instance, is reviewing whether antipsychotics were prescribed improperly for ADHD. "There are no studies that have shown they (atypicals) are safe, or for that matter, that they are effective for children," Ronald Brown, a Temple University pediatric psychology professor who headed an American Psychological Association committee that examined the issue, told The St. Petersburg Times last year. "The bottom line is that the use of psychiatric medications far exceeds the evidence of safety and effectiveness."
UPDATE: Brown called us directly to say this: "The issue at hand is that the health care system is completely inadequate to deal with childrens' mental health needs. There's simply insufficient coverage for kids and adolescents....We don't know the long-term outcomes. So more research needs to be done and, simultaneously, more services need to be provided."
In their defense, New Jersey Medicaid officials say payments are made for any drug that is approved by the FDA, regardless of whether off-label usage is involved. "We don't practice medicine and we don't second guess prescribers," says Kaye Morrow, assistant director for Medicaid in the Department of Health's division of medical assistance and health services. "If there's an FDA approval for a drug and there's no restriction on a drug, we pay for it."
However, she adds that usage will be examined and data is being gathered by an outside contractor, Comprehensive NeuroScience, a consulting firm that helps states manage their drug costs. The practice, however, is controversial because Lilly, which markets Zyprexa, provides funding that pays for the firm's services. Such arrangements have been criticized elsewhere, because the drugmaker will monitor ’sloppy prescribing’ by docs, but only if a state agrees to let docs prescribe Zyprexa without first seeking permission from the state. A NJ health department spokeswoman maintains the state avoids this problem because its Medicaid program doesn't have a formulary and, therefore, a mechanism isn't in place to influence docs and their prescribing habits.
Meanwhile, though, the FDA has begun approving antipsychotics for youngsters of certain ages. Last summer, Johnson & Johnson's Risperdal was approved for schizophrenia in teenagers and bipolar disorder in children ages 10 to 17. Last fall, Bristol-Myers Squibb's Abilify was also approved for teenagers and Lilly's Zyprexa is being reviewed by the FDA for similar usage. | <urn:uuid:2481c34b-d117-4a6d-b9a8-9fea8f7099f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pharmalive.com/nj-legislator-probe-antipsychotics-kids-medicaid/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934242 | 766 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Michael's room was always a disaster area, strewn with all kinds of litter--heaps of papers, piles of crumpled clothes, and dirty socks everywhere. And that was just the top layer! The trouble was, half the room belonged to Michael's brother Norman the neatness nut. It was the battle of the bedroom--with Norman fighting to keep his spotless territory free from the invasion of Michael's mess.|
But that was before the appearance of the most amazing plants ever! Suddenly Michael's junk heap disappeared and the room was taken over by the two giant plants that gobbled up socks faster than anyone could supply them! And their appetites were growing bigger every day!
When the plant that militant slob Michael grows from his mail-order seeds develops an appetite for dirty socks, Michael and his neatnik brother, Norman, join together to persuade their parents to let them keep the ever-growing-and voracious-greenery. | <urn:uuid:3d204b3d-5809-4f1e-8d72-9bb7d486070b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scifan.com/titles/title.asp?TI_titleid=39151 | 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 | 0.972479 | 195 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Safest Places for Women to Live and Work
Each year, the G20 conference gathers countries of advanced and emerging economies to confer on international relations and trends in global finance. As evidenced by the now-routine protests and demonstrations surrounding each meeting, the global economy has far-reaching impact on the well-being of people around the world.
Before this year’s conference in Mexico, TrustLaw conducted a poll of 370 experts in gender and development to rank how good each of the 19 member countries is for women. TrustLaw, “a global hub for free legal assistance and news and information on good governance and women’s rights,” used the following criteria in their ranking:
1. Quality of health
2. Freedom from violence
3. Political participation
4. Workplace opportunities
5. Access to resources (i.e. education, property rights)
6. Freedom from trafficking and slavery
The results have been shared in a set of infographics laced with facts and stats that are alternately eye-popping and heart-breaking. Even the top-rated countries have plenty of room for progress. With the US ranking only No. 6 in the poll, the results reflect how far even a uniquely wealthy Western nation needs to come in improving the quality of women’s lives.
A few observations shared by TrustLaw:
• Australia ranks high at No. 4, yet 1 in 3 women there will experience physical violence in their lifetime. Nearly 1 in 5 (19.1 percent) have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
• India is the worst G20 country for women. Said a representative of Save The Children UK, “In India, women and girls continue to be sold as chattels, married off as young as 10, burned alive as a result of dowry-related disputes, and young girls exploited and abused as domestic slave labour.”
• China (No. 14) has extraordinary levels of gender discrimination and is darkly marked by “son preference.” According to statistics provided by the World Bank, 1.09 million girls were dead or “missing” at birth due to infanticide in 2008.
• Russia (No. 13) continues to have a widespread problem with prostitution domestically, and 57,750 women are trafficked from the country every year. In Brazil (No. 11), a quarter million children are estimated to be involved in prostitution.
• Germany (No. 2) has a female head of state, and the life expectancy there for women is 83 years.
• Saudi Arabia, at No. 18, is a wealthy kingdom but is heavily influenced by an ultra-conservative form of Islam requiring women to submit to men in nearly every aspect of their lives. Only last year were Saudi women given the right to vote. There is no law against domestic violence to women.
• The United States ranked at No. 6, with due credit for civil rights, protecting victims of domestic violence, and workplace opportunities. But debates over reproductive rights — with 92 anti-abortion provisions enacted at state level in 2011 — and lack of affordable healthcare stranding nearly 23 million uninsured left the US trailing five other nations.
• Canada provides access to healthcare and places a premium on education, which are critical components in earning our northern neighbor the poll’s No. 1 ranking.
Photo: Michael Coyne/Getty Images
What's wrong with Canada? I have often thought about moving there.
Canada is a perfect example of a balanced approach to government, business, and social well-being. The right businesses are socialized and made non-profit, so that "profit" isnt a factor in decision making. Healthcare, certain insurance, and basic utilities being the most note worthy. Laws and programs also vary from Province to Province. Just like they do, from State to State in the U.S..
Canada puts a lot of emphasis on its social safety net, and the results are obvious and telling. And it hasnt broken the bank. Canada is one of the most stable economies in the world.
Bring one of these young ladies into your house, tend for her, give her health care, shelter, food and a safe haven, then write those words again.
Understand, these are the dark ages for all the supposed light that is shed every day with our freedom to comment as such.
inspire: live a better life
Editor's note: We will now be publishing Miss Manners articles twice weekly, but you will only see one question and answer per article. You can expect to see these articles appear on Tuesdays and Thursdays going forward.
President Harry S. Truman was behind efforts to establish the first Armed Forces Day in 1950, and decades later the nation continues to set aside the third Saturday in May to recognize and thank members of the U.S. military for their patriotic service. With these five homecoming images, we salute all service members at home and abroad.
There's much to be desired about working from home: the stress-free commute, flexible hours, and improved work-life balance.
Wishing for the fountain of youth? You may not need it. We've rounded up real-women secrets, tried-and-true beauty tips, and the latest research to help you fight aging.
Experts weigh in on when to bite your tongue at the office.
Oh, the places you'll go — to get some "me" time, that is. REDBOOK readers confess all on Facebook.
How much money you make isn't nearly as important as how you use it, according to Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, authors of the new book Happy Money.
Plus, how do you ask people to not bring gifts to a shower?
Looking for a career upgrade? Follow these tips for a foot in the door.
These tanning and skin cancer myths aren't just wrong — they can do serious harm. Wise up and head into a healthier future. P.S. You'll look a lot younger too.
It's possible to rejigger your brain circuitry and feel more joy, even on Monday mornings. Here's how.
Inner peace just got easier. You don’t need quiet, incense or hours to meditate, and you can scrap the chanting. Better: Ninety-five percent of you say you’re calmer after a single 10-minute session. Whatever your excuse (see ours), get your om on and reap the rewards. | <urn:uuid:5bc7df4d-9cf3-4d81-990e-48a71e7674da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/the-daily-dose-blog-post?post=d232d375-bd72-4137-845c-2ee45a67e917&ocid=vt_msnlfe&pagebr=5 | 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 | 0.952892 | 1,336 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Improve Your Listening Skills, Become a Better Freelancer
Posted May 29, 2012 in How-To, Managing Clients
Have you ever had a communication problem with a client?
Of course you have… and you’re not the only one.
As with other relationships, miscommunication with clients can be a huge problem for freelancers. Miscommunication can keep you from getting freelancing work.
Fortunately, there are many ways for you to improve your communication skills. Good listening is one key to good communication. The best freelancers understand that how well you listen is as important as what you say.
In this post, I’ll provide some easy tips to help you improve your listening skills. At the end of the post, you’ll get a chance to provide even more communication tips. You can also share stories about how you communicate with your own clients.
What You Need to Know About Communication
When most people think about communication, they think of the spoken word. (In the case of email communications, that’s the written word…) While it’s true that the spoken word is a very important part of communication, that’s not all that there is to good communication.
There are actually two different types of communication that you need to understand:
- Verbal communication–This is what most people think of when they think of communication. Verbal communication is the actual words that are written or spoken.
- Nonverbal communication–These are the unspoken signals that people send out. Nonverbal communication can include body language, tone of voice, and facial expression.
While most freelancers focus mainly on verbal communication, you need to understand that nonverbal communication can be equally important. There are times when a client may not say everything that he or she is thinking. They may even be lying to you or they may just be leaving something out.
Nonverbal communication lets you know that you should dig deeper to find out more about what the client really means.
Even if you don’t meet a client face-to-face, you may be able to find clues about what they really mean by noticing the tone of voice that they use during their phone calls with you.
Improving your listening skills will reduce client/freelancer miscommunication and ultimately help you to become a better freelancer.
Four Easy Steps to Better Listening
Are you ready to put some of this information about communication skills into practice with your freelancing clients?
You can use the following four easy steps to become a better listener:
- Observe. Listen with your eyes as well as your ears. If you are in a face-to-face meeting, notice the client’s posture and facial expressions. Do they seem relaxed and open, or are they uptight and tense? Body language can reveal a great deal about a client. A tense client could be hiding something or they could just be anxious about the project.
- Listen. When your client speaks, give them your full attention. Don’t interrupt them and don’t be thinking about what you are going to say to them next. Take very careful notes. Also, be sure to notice their tone of voice when they are speaking. A sharp, impatient tone may indicate that the client is irritated or it could mean that they are under stress.
- Repeat. Some people just don’t express themselves very well. They aren’t deliberately trying to lie to you, but they may accidentally leave things out. Repeating your understanding of what the client said back to them helps them to get their full message across.
- Ask. Relevant questions can do a lot to reduce freelancer/client miscommunication. If you don’t understand a point the client mentioned, ask for a clarification. Don’t limit questions to just what the client said verbally. Instead, ask about nonverbal signals that you noticed as well. You could say something like, “You seem really nervous about your website. Is there anything else that I need to know?”
By following these four simple steps for better listening each time that you communicate with a client, you can eliminate many communication problems. Don’t let poor communication derail your freelancing business.
What tips for improving client communication did I miss? Add your own client communication tips in the comments.
Have you ever experienced client communication problems? Share your stories (without mentioning client names, of course) in the comments.
Image by woodleywonderworks
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- How Defining Your Ideal Project Can Improve Your Freelancing Business | <urn:uuid:a350783e-43bd-4cf6-b698-ee5e02c6fe91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freelancefolder.com/improve-your-listening-skills-become-a-better-freelancer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944353 | 1,003 | 1.6875 | 2 |
January 10th, 2013
06:00 AM ET
By Dan Merica, CNN
Washington (CNN)-– Just days after Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii was sworn in as the first Hindu member of Congress, Hindu American advocacy groups made it clear that they hope Gabbard will help represent the nation’s wider Hindu community, on top of her Hawaiian constituents.
Groups like the Hindu American Foundation and the Hare Krishna Society have lists of priorities they plan to present to Gabbard, making clear that expectations are high for the groundbreaking congresswoman.
While many of these groups priorities for Gabbard center on faith – “international religious liberty,” “religious diversity and freedom in America,” and “generating appreciation and respect for Hindu American contributions” – some focus on legislating in general, like being a “voice for moderation and ‘reaching across the aisle’ in Congress.”
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life estimates that there are 1.79 million Hindus in the United States and slightly over 1 billion worldwide, making the Hinduism the third largest faith behind Christianity and Islam.
“The human rights of Hindu minorities around the world,” said Suhag Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, when asked about her top priority for the congresswoman. “We have gotten a number of congressmen to advocate on behalf of those issues and we will hope that she will to given the fact that this is affecting people of her tradition.”
Additionally, Shukla said that she believes Gabbard will bring a different point of view on U.S. foreign policy and church and state issues. “We will seek her support on any type of legislation that is promoting religious accommodation, anything that support religious pluralism and religious respect,” she said.
Anuttama Dasa, director of communications for the Hare Krishna Society, outlined a number of priorities in an interview with CNN that he hopes to pursue with the congresswoman.
“The United States is a religiously diverse country, but bigotry, prejudice and violence against religious minorities still exists and harms innocent Hindu Americans and other minorities,” Dasa said. “We hope she will use her position to be an advocate for the protection of the rights of Hindu Americans and other minorities.”
Dasa continued: “We hope that while in office, Rep Gabbard will, a.) serve as a symbol of the positive contributions that Hindu Americans make to our country and b.) bring greater awareness of the contributions that Hindu Americans make to the cultural, religious, and economic strength of America.”
For many in the Hindu American community, Gabbard will serve not only her constituents in Hawaii, but also as a key representative for the Hindu community in America, the Hindu leaders say. Being the first Hindu in congress has both elevated Gabbard’s profile and set that anticipation for her leadership higher than other freshman members of congress.
Shukla, from the Hindu American Foundation, said she addressed these expectations with Gabbard during her campaign and after her win in November. With the number and diversity of Hindus in America, Shukla said she told Gabbard, the expectations of representing all Hindu Americans can be daunting.
CNN Belief: First Hindu elected to Congress
In an interview with CNN, Gabbard said the emphasis that Himdus put on service will influence what she bring to her work in Congress.
Standing outside the Capitol on a brisk Washington morning, Gabbard said: "Those personal experiences and the background that I bring give me great opportunity to be of service not only to the people of Hawaii," but also to the people of the country.
But at the same time, Gabbard said she was ready to get past the labels that are applied to new congressmen and women as the enter the legislative body.
“I served in the Army National Guard, been deployed a couple of times to the Middle East, and one thing that I appreciated so much about my time in the military and being deployed, is that none of these different labels matter,” Gabbard said. “We are all there, working towards the same goal, the same purpose.”
But Gabbard hasn’t run away from her Hindu faith either, a point that Shukla says is inspiring to young American Hindus. After Gabbard won her election, a victory that was heralded by Hindus, the congresswoman was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred religious text and the first member of congress to be sworn in on that work.
"It is a really exciting time, the community has kind of a sense of arrival," Shukla said about Gabbard. "When you have someone from your community that is representing at the highest levels of government, it does firm your position in American society.”
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About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke and Eric Marrapodi with daily contributions from CNN's worldwide newsgathering team and frequent posts from religion scholar and author Stephen Prothero. | <urn:uuid:b18160e3-7455-4983-b9d8-cfd5cf427323> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/10/expectations-high-for-first-hindu-member-of-congress/comment-page-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957176 | 1,108 | 2.046875 | 2 |
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Blaec Lammers, 20, allegedly admitted to police he was planning on shooting audience members at a Missouri theater.
Police have arrested a man, just 48 hours before he was allegedly planning to open fire at a theater screening of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2".
ABC News reported Blaec Lammers, 20, allegedly told police he had already purchased a ticket for tomorrow's screening of the new film at a moive theater in Bolivar, Missouri.
His arrest followed information from his mother who told police her son had purchased 400 rounds of ammunition and two assault rifles "very similar to the ones in Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting," according to probable cause statement issued by the Bolivar, Mossuri Police Department.
He was charged on Friday night with first-degree assault, making a terrorist threat and armed criminal action.
"Blaec Lammers stated that he had a lot in common with the people involved in (recent mass shootings). Blaec Lammers stated that he was quiet, kind of a loner, had recently purchased firearms and didn't tell anybody about it, and had homicidal thoughts," according to court documents obtained by CBS News.
The documents also revealed that Lammers told police he bought the weapons earlier last week with the intention of carrying out the massacre on November 18. He had planned to also open fire in a nearby Wal-Mart store because it would give him access to more ammunition, the court documents allege.
According to the Springfield News-Leader, Lammers is being held on $500,000 bond.
Police praised his mother for alerting authorities to her son, who the court was told had been "off his medication" for a mental condition.
"Thankfully we had a responsible family member or we might have had a different outcome," Bolivar Police Chief Steve Hamilton told The Associated Press.
That outcome could have been a repeat of the Aurora mass shooting on July 20, when suspected gunman James Holmes shot at movie goers seeing the new Batman movie. Twelve people died and 58 were injured. | <urn:uuid:b8328738-f52c-433e-a4e2-369323186459> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/121117/missouri-man-was-planning-theater-massacre-at-sc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985108 | 431 | 1.539063 | 2 |
asked to review an amazing curriculum centered on teaching manners to kids.
This is a great tool to help you teach your kids manners! Etiquette Factory is a 12 week course to teach your child a variety of social skills... everything from telephone manners to table etiquette. Each etiquette skill is focused over the space of one week. The etiquette skills are broken down into three phases according to your child's age. It would easily fit into any school setting- from preschool to high school (because those big kids may need to learn manners, too).
There is a fantastic movie component to this curriculum. Miss Manners, the most well behaved southern lady I have ever seen, teaches the kids by clearly defining each manner, telling stories, singing songs, and reviewing important skills. I love the DVD- it makes it SO easy to teach my daughter her manners in a way she can easily relate to and it's super easy for me!
While the DVD is fabulous, take time to read the teacher manual! There are some great additional activities, discussion questions, and treat ideas to help your kiddos understand their etiquette! This manual provides you with a detailed schedule for teaching your child her manners. There are lessons for 5 days a week. Each lesson takes approximately 15 minutes- but can easily be adjusted to take longer or shorter if needed. I would stress the importance of not rushing the program to ensure that your kiddo really understands and solidifies their knowledge of each etiquette skill.
We started the Etiquette Factory program as soon as we received it! My daughter LOVES it. We will role play each of the etiquette skills with her stuffed animals, listen to the accompanying CD in the car (another great tool to teach your kids manners), or snuggle up to daddy and watch the DVD.
We love this program (and the lovely Miss Manners) so much that we did this fun culminating activity! I printed a pic of my daughters face and turned her into Miss Manners! I then asked her to tell me different rules of etiquette and wrote her responses on the flowers on her hat.
I highly recommend this program to any parent or teacher- there is nothing like this program available and it is SO well done! | <urn:uuid:edbf128e-383a-4d70-8694-ae54f6116596> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thehometeacher.blogspot.com/2012/08/etiquette-factory-review.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957031 | 450 | 2 | 2 |
Geocaching 101 - (Houston Area)
Visit Martin Sheldon Lake State Park in Houston, Texas and discover a new sport called Geocaching. You will use a provided GPS unit to find hidden treasure and learn how to play a game that can be played almost anywhere. It's great for kids and adults, no experience or equipment necessary!
Sep 16, 2012
from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
|Where||Sheldon Lake State Park|
|Contact Name||Robert Owen|
Come out to Sheldon Lake State Park and learn the basics of a fast growing sport that is loved by kids and adults alike. Geocaching uses GPS technology to help you find items hidden throughout the park. All necessary equipment will be provided while you discover a game that can be played almost anywhere. Take the skills home with you and join in on the fun using a Smartphone Application or your own handheld GPS. Live a happier and healthier lifestyle by getting outside and venturing down the beautiful trails that our state parks have to offer.
No reservations are necessary. The event is free to the public and there is no park entrance fee.
All ages are welcome to attend; However, children under 13 must have an parent or guardian with them.
Meet at the covered patio at the pond center.
Bring water, a Smartphone/GPS if available, insect repellent and we recommend wearing closed shoes | <urn:uuid:affc4577-d08e-4b2c-9e47-ec397e204801> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/calendar/geocaching-101-houston-area | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911545 | 287 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Luke 2: 1-7
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
This is such an incredible story. There are so many facets of it that I am just amazed by.
First, the trip. I looked on Google maps to see if I drove by car from Nazareth to Bethlehem, how far it is and how long it would take me by car to get there. It said that it was 155 km (approximately 97 miles) which is about the same drive as from New York City to Philadelphia. (The New York trip is just 5 miles further). It would take me about 2 hours to drive it. But at that time, of course, there were no cars, so the trip took….okay take a guess…. remember they are ON FOOT…..
A) 6 hours
B) 24 hours
C) 33 hours
D) 48 hours
Did you guess? According to google maps (and yes, there is a function there to WALK from Nazareth to Bethlehem), it takes 33 hours to walk the trip. (And of course google maps puts up this warning on the map… Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths.) That made me chuckle out loud!! I would say there trip had more possible problems than that!
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Knowing that they needed to participate in this census, they got ready to go. But can you imagine walking in Mary’s sandals? She is 9 months pregnant, due any day, and she is about to go on a trip that will take 33 hours by foot. I know when I started my last trimester with both my pregnancies, that the doctor told me to limit my travel and stay closer to home. Not possible here. Census takers didn’t come knocking on your door or the census survey wasn’t sent to your house…you had to go to the town of your birth. I would have a 3 day trip by car to get to my home town of birth. The same with my husband. I am so glad that I don’ t have to follow in her footsteps. Maybe she did get to ride on a donkey…but can you imagine all the potty breaks, how uncomfortable she must have been with a baby pressing up on her lungs and into her ribs. Maybe having Braxton-Hicks contractions, maybe having real contractions, but still, they pressed on.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
It doesn’t say how long they were there. Did he get his taxes paid on time? Was he in the process of knocking on doors, trying to find a place to stay? Didn’t Mary’s pregnancy cause ANYONE to give up their room? Evidently not, because the passage said there was no room for them in the inn. So Joseph and Mary stayed in a stable and Mary gave birth right there where all the animals lived. No sterile hospital, no birthing center, not even able to give birth in her own home…Mary delivered her baby in a stable. Girls, remember what it was like delivering your babies if you’ve had any? It’s not a very clean process either. But she wrapped up her newborn baby and laid him in a manger.
What is a manger? It’s a feeding trough for animals. Have you ever fed pigs or watched a farmer feed his pigs? Slop goes in there. So did our Savior.
One of my favorite songs of this season sums up this whole story… this is such a strange way to save the world. But when have any of God’s ways truly made any sense? If they did, they wouldn’t mean as much or be as memorable, would they? I mean, if a baby was born to an unwed mother in the hospital, who would really talk about that? It happens all the time now a days. But a baby born in stable? Placed in a manger? His mother did not conceive him with his father? That is something to remember. These all came true. It was prophized in the Old testament. It came true.
I want to leave you at the end of this story with the video that I spoke of earlier. The song on the video is so beautiful. It really covers the spectrum of all the questions that Joseph and Mary probably had during the entire time span…from when the angel appeared to Mary to the time when her baby boy came into the world. Why? Because it is all part of God’s plan. He loves us so much, it pains Him to be separated from us. It pains Him that we don’t follow Him. So He sent His Son to save the world. All you have to do is believe in Him. Believe that you are a sinner separated from God. Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. God thought of you when He sent his Son, and the Son thought of you on the cross….won’t you trust and follow them now? God has the perfect gift for you… one size fits all…all you have to do is take it.
Enjoy the video. May all the blessings that God can send be heaped on you this Christmas season. I know I feel blessed already. | <urn:uuid:3748b589-25f8-41de-a43f-989f60d08548> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://monogabliss.com/category/christmas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986706 | 1,338 | 2.03125 | 2 |
When my husband read an early draft of this essay, he asked, "Why doesn't her partner have to support our daughter? After all, they agreed to raise children as Jews." What does it mean to raise a Jewish child?
A great way for Jewish professionals and volunteers who work with and provide programming for people in interfaith relationships to locate resources and trainings to build more welcome into their Jewish communities; connect with and learn from each other; and publicize and enhance their programs and services.
Welcome Shabbat with singing, stories, prayer, and joy! A Shabbat service
designed especially for children ages 1-8. Older children are invited to
help lead the service. An Oneg Shabbat follows the brief service. | <urn:uuid:11897670-7bfa-4960-9022-413c4da2b3ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.interfaithfamily.com/elgg/pg/event_calendar/view/99727 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964299 | 153 | 2.421875 | 2 |
SAN JOSE, Calif.-- A copy of Steve Jobs' death certificate made public Monday indicates that the Apple Inc. co-founder died of respiratory arrest resulting from pancreatic cancer that had spread to other organs.
Jobs died Wednesday Oct. 5 at age 56. Apple did not disclose his cause of death, but Jobs had been in poor health for a number of years.
He battled pancreatic cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave of absence in January his third since his health problems began and resigned in August, handing the CEO job over to his hand-picked successor, Tim Cook.
The death certificate, released by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and obtained by The Associated Press, said Jobs had a metastatic pancreas neuroendocrine tumor for the past five years. It listed his immediate cause of death as respiratory arrest.
He died at his home in Palo Alto. No autopsy was performed, and he was buried on Friday. Details of the certificate were reported earlier by Bloomberg News.
The certificate listed Jobs' occupation as a high-tech entrepreneur. Jobs started Apple Inc. in his parents' Silicon Valley garage with friend Steve Wozniak in 1976. Both men left Apple in 1985 Jobs following a clash with then-CEO John Sculley.
Jobs returned in 1997 as interim CEO after Apple, then in dire financial dire straits, bought Next, a computer company he started. That was the start of Apple's remarkable turnaround, which continues today with the popularity of products such as the iPhone, iPod and iPad.
Jobs died the day after Apple announced its latest iPhone, the 4S, which will go on sale Friday. Some fans and investors were initially disappointed that Apple didn't come out with a smartphone that is radically different from the existing iPhone 4. But Apple said first-day pre-orders of the device on Friday topped 1 million higher than the record set by the iPhone 4 when it was released last year.
Following Jobs' death, Cook emailed a statement to Apple employees saying Jobs "leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."
An Apple spokesman declined to comment beyond statements it released last week after Jobs' death. | <urn:uuid:9c01b2c6-68b6-4eaf-89f9-46e534ba76e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toledoblade.com/Technology/2011/10/10/Apple-s-Steve-Jobs-died-of-pancreatic-cancer-respiratory-arrest-according-to-death-record.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983689 | 472 | 1.835938 | 2 |
We've already written about Thermalright's HR-02 CPU cooling, one of the pretty hefty solutions claiming to pack enough punch to passively cool a Core i7. As sceptical as we are, we've had our doubts as well, but Thermalright has proven to be right on the money. In fact, semi-passive operation will help the HR-02 in cooling a Core i7 930 at 2.8GHz and even a Core i7 965 Extreme at 3.2GHz.
HR-02 has a large dissipation surface making it easy for the passive cooler to release heat. Like any other passive cooling solution, HR-02 too requires at least some basic airflow within the case. HR-02 performance will naturally be improved if you strap it with a fan, but since the HR-02 was designed to passively cool Core i7 CPUs at reference voltages and clocks, a decent airflow within the case will do the trick.
Thanks to the design, HR-02’s heatsink is moved towards the spots where case fans are usually placed. Thermalright did a pretty good job with this move as it makes the case and the accompanying fans work in its favor and improves performance in the so called semi-passive operation.
As you can see from the pictures, there are six nickel plated heatpipes (6mm in diameter) branching out both ways from the copper base. The cooler’s base isn’t dead center below the heatsink as on most CPU coolers. The heatsink is somewhat leaning towards the fan on the back panel or, if you turn the cooler by 90 degrees, towards the top fan.
The following picture shows the HR-02 turned towards the back panel fan. We strapped our HR-02 with a TR-TY1-140mm fan so as to get the push-pull effect. If you’re looking to overclock your CPU, adding one or two silent (12cm or 14cm) fans on the HR-02 will get you additional cooling without introducing unwanted noise.
You’ll notice many openings in the heatsink, which helps prevent hot air pockets, improves airflow and speeds up the dissipation process.
A careful observer will notice a big hole on the top of the heatsink and it stretches all the way to the bottom. The reason is the screw located below the heatsink and Thermalright bundled an appropriate screwdriver – a really nice touch indeed.
HR-02 measures 110 x 140 x 160 (L x W x H) and weighs in at 860 grams (without the fan and bracket system). The cooler is a giant indeed and to paint a picture of just how big it is, here’s a comparison to a single 2.5 inch SSD disk.
The bracket system with pressure adding mechanism (40~70lbs) is an interesting feature, but it didn't help us much in practice. The pressure system was made to make HR-02 cooler better fitted with different CPU surfaces. Generally speaking, you do not want to apply an excessive amount of pressure onto the processor as it might result in damaging it.
Our testing reveals that applying almost maximum pressure results in 1°C lower temperature on our Core i7 930 but tightening the screw we couldn’t shake the feeling that we’ll crush the CPU. Thermalright says that the ideal pressure would be half screw in, or just a little 1/4 in on the Core i7, whereas our advice would be to tighten it until you feel resistance.
Thermalright currently has a mounting mechanism that works only with Intel sockets 775/1156/1366, which leaves AMD out of the picture. The company did, however, announce it’s working on an AMD socket mounting mechanism.
HR-02 doesn’t come with a provided fan but Thermalright included two brackets – one for a 12cm and one for a 14cm fan, so you can mount two fans. We ended up using the 12cm fan bracket when we were mounting a second 14cm fan, but naturally this is not advisable as the fan won’t be held properly.
You’ll also find a long screwdriver, installation manual, Chill Factor3 thermal paste and anti-vibration elements with sticky tape for one fan.
Setting the HR-02 up is pretty simple, and the mounting procedure is pretty much the same for all supported Intel sockets as the backplate and the rest of the parts are universal.
The motherboard on the picture is Elitegroup’s X58B-A. Mounting the HR-02 on it was a breeze and as Thermalright says, HR-02 is compatible with most motherboards.
The following picture clearly shows that the cooler’s heatsink is nudged forwards, in order to boost efficiency by utilizing the rear panel fan.
Thermalright HR-02’s motherboards compatibility list includes many motherboards currently on the market, and you can check out the list here. We’d however advise you to take the list with a grain of salt as we managed to mount the HR-02 on an EVGA X58 FTW3 with ease, despite the fact that the motherboard was listed as incompatible.
EVGA Classified 4-Way SLI motherboard is listed as compatible but we’d rather put it as partially-compatible. The reason for this is that the chipset’s large heatsink will make you turn the HR-02 towards the top panel fan.
EVGA Classified 4-Way SLI, on the other hand, is listed as compatible. Unfortunately, in our book it should be listed as semi-compatible or something of the sort as its large chipset heatsink got in the way of HR-02, so we had to turn the latter towards the top panel fan. Naturally, in this case you’ll have to rely on the top-panel one, if you have one of course. That didn’t bother our HR-02 too much placed inside HAF X case as it was still pretty efficient.
We’ve shown you initial results scored by the HR-02, but our testbed used an older system based on EVGA’s 780i SLI motherboard (socket 775), which also isn’t fully compatible with the HR-02. We easily fixed the problem by mounting a small passive heatsink with two smaller heatsink (pictures below).
We tried the HR-02 on a few motherboards and in two different computer cases. Most of our testing was performed in Corsair Obsidian 800D case with the rest in CoolerMaster's HAF-X. Both cases were strapped with default fans at maximum RPM and our room temperature was at 22°C. We pushed all the available cores to 100% using Prime 95 (Small FFT) so bear in mind that these results are the worst case scenarios that are very unlikely to occur in practice. In our gaming tests, temperatures on both coolers were about 15°C lower.
We compared the HR-02 with Prolimatech’s Armageddon. Thermalright HR-02 hasn’t managed to beat Armageddon with high margin when we strapped both coolers with fans, but semi-passive mode worked out in HR-02’s favor. The following tests have been performed on EVGA’s X58 FTW3 motherboard in Obsidian 800D case, where Armageddon couldn’t stop our Core i7 930 from going over 100°C. We measured and recorded average temperatures from all the CPU cores.
We managed to score significantly lower temperatures on the CPU cores by strapping our coolers with Thermalright's TR-TY-140mm fan, as you can see for yourself from the table below.
We then overclocked the CPU to 3.6GHz, leaving the fans on the coolers. Overclocking resulted in temperatures over 70°C and Armageddon kept pace with the HR-02, except of course in semi-passive mode.
In our previous tests, we kept the TR-TY 140mm (900-1300RPM) fan running at maximum RPM, but we performed the test with lower RPMs as well. We lowered the aforementioned fan’s RPM from 1300 to inaudible 900RPM, but it barely affected cooling performance. It’s worth noting that TR-TY 140mm fan is capable of 28.3-74CFM airflow.
We also received SilverStone’s SST-AP12 (12cm, 1500RPM) fan with 35.36CFM but while it has proven to be effective, we’d recommend a 140mm (preferably quiet) fan for the HR-02.
We used Gelid’s GC-Extreme thermal paste in our tests, but we couldn’t resist the urge to try the Chill Factor3 paste, which comes with the HR-02. The results are pretty good, almost as good with Gelid’s.
We performed additional HR-02 cooling performance tests in CoolerMaster’s HAF-X, which has more fans than Obsidian 800D. We used EVGA’s 4-Way SLI Classified motherboard, but since the large cooler on the mobo’s chipset got in the way of our cooler, we had to turn the HR-02 towards the case’s top panel fan. We tested it in semi-passive operation on Core i7 Extreme 965, and it’s evident that the top panel fan will dictate much of the HR-02’s performance. In fact, temperatures jumped by more than 20°C when we turned it off.
We also thought it would be interesting to see how Thermalright’s HR-02 performs with older CPUs. We used Intel’s socket 775 motherboard with Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor clocked at 2.9GHz (TDP 75W) and a passively cooled Gigabyte 9800GT. The test system was in CoolerMaster’s HAF X case with 4 fans. Room temperature was at 23-24°C. In order to push our CPU and graphics to the max we used Prime 95 like in the tests before. This time however, we added a bit of graphics torture with FurMark. The in-case fans ran at max RPM but HAF X didn’t mind and didn’t even run that loud. Compared to the two-year old and much cheaper passive Hyper Z600 cooler, Thermalright HR-02 was much more efficient.
Thermalright HR-02 cooler is aimed at high-end users and enthusiasts looking for top cooling performance. If you’re looking for an inaudible cooling solution then HR-02’s semi-passive mode will definitely strike your chord. In fact, by utilizing in-case high airflow, HR-02 will have no trouble cooling the Core i7 965 Extreme. HR-02 is currently priced at about €60, here. This is €10 more than what Prolimatech’s Armageddon goes for here, but these €10 more will provide your with a seriously silent semi-passive cooling of your CPU.
However, Thermalright’s HR-02 is definitely a large cooler and you might want to check for compatibility with your motherboard prior to purchase. If it is indeed compatible, then we have no choice but to recommend it to you as it’s the only CPU cooler that allowed for semi-passive cooling of Core i7 CPUs. Furthermore, it performed like a champ in overclocking when we strapped it with a 140mm fan, which means you’re covered in pretty much any scenario. | <urn:uuid:da93202c-3bee-4464-9506-8d249744bf1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fudzilla.com/reviews/item/19951-thermalright-hr-02-dissected/19951-thermalright-hr-02-dissected?showall=1&start=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94213 | 2,428 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Going to try a different approach this time.
Type in the code, run it and then come back here for a line-by-line discussion.
So here's what the new words mean:
SeedRnd Millisecs()- if you're very observant you would have noticed that Cards All Over always produced the same "random" pattern. You should start every program that uses
Randwith this line so this doesn't happen. Imagine playing a card game where you're always dealt the two of clubs first up!
Coloris the magic word to tell the 'puter what colour "pen" to use. The three numbers are the red, green and blue values to use - they must be between 0 and 255.
ovalmeans but now may be a good time to talk about the numbers after
oval. How are we going to remember what comes after each and every magic word in BlitzBasic? Too easy! Just click on the word and press F1 and look at the bottom left of the screen - the so-called "status bar". To be even more amazed, press F1 a second time. | <urn:uuid:0516b956-9cc4-4a35-99d0-a8d99720c157> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mulawa.net/mulawa/bb_tutes/3.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935713 | 231 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Playing Catch-Up in A High-Tech World
SIM'ON GARC'IA'S computer store sits along a busy boulevard in M'erida, Venezuela, hard by the Andes Mountains. Sim'on is a large, young man who sells computers, writes programs, and shoulders a portion of his nation's future.Skip to next paragraph
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To catch up with the West, Venezuela and the rest of the world's developing nations will have to make large strides in technology. Sim'on and computers are part of the answer.
The computer gap looms. According to estimates by Dataquest Inc., the United States last year had one personal computer for every five people. Canada had one PC for every six people; Western Europe, one for every eight; Japan, one for every 14.
The rest of the globe - 86 percent of the world's population - averaged just one PC per 300 people.
Telecommunications is another challenge. Futurist Alvin Toffler notes that just nine countries have 450 million of the world's 600 million telephones.
``The lopsided distribution of computers, databases, technical publications, research expenditures, tells us more about the future potential of nations than all the gross national product figures ground out by economists,'' he wrote in a recent issue of World Monitor magazine.
So how is Venezuela doing in the technology race?
Pretty well, by third-world and Latin American standards; not so well by US standards. M'erida tells the story.
Sim'on's computer store sells clones of IBM's first- and second-generation PCs (the XT and AT). Sim'on himself uses a third-generation PC, based on the 80386 chip, and an advanced software program called Windows 3.0.
At the nearby University of the Andes, the computer science department has installed an advanced network of seven SPARC workstations by Sun Microsystems. It plans to hook its network to other computer networks in the university.
The question for Venezuela, however, is whether it's moving fast enough to keep up with the West.
Sim'on sells a basic XT clone for $500 - roughly the same price as in the US. The trouble is that $500 represents five months of pay for a Venezuelan earning minimum wage.
Software is a bigger problem. Venezuela has too few personal computer users for foreign software companies to make a major sales effort here. Software piracy is rampant. The Windows 3.0 program, which might sell here for $200 legally, goes for $10 from software pirates who make illegal copies, Sim'on says.
This illegal industry helps Venezuelans get their hands on new programs, but it also hurts the country's own fledgling software industry. Sim'on uses elaborate security measures to keep customers from illegally copying and reselling the software he develops.
The other obstacle, and perhaps the biggest, is the country's phone system. It is in such bad shape that Wladimir Rodriguez, who heads the university's computer department here, doesn't have a modem for his home computer. Modems allow computers to communicate over telephone lines. A computer without a modem is a little like an RV without an engine. Most Venezuelan computer users don't have a modem.
Professor Rodriguez expects the situation to improve as the country moves to privatize its telephone company. He is cautiously optimistic that Venezuela can close the technology gap if its economy stays on track. It won't build computers as Brazil does, but it could develop a Spanish-language software industry.
Others are not so sanguine.
Leopoldo Lopez, president of the government's higher-education Ayacucho Foundation, worries about Venezuela's knowledge base. Today, two out of five workers have five years or less of education. The next generation isn't doing much better. Two of every five students have dropped out by the ninth grade. European and other firms lure abroad a small but important group of skilled Venezuelans by offering hard-to-refuse pay and benefits.
One bright sign is Sim'on Garc'ia himself. In three or four years, he expects to assemble a team of programmers to develop new software. No, they won't come from the university. The university-trained programmers waste too much time analyzing the problem, he says. The best programmers, often self-taught, just do the work. | <urn:uuid:7b56f547-1935-4565-ad49-6c92c088f805> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/1991/0227/dlb27.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952045 | 899 | 2.21875 | 2 |
When I began my career in public relations (and I won’t say when that was), publicists and media relations specialists longed for the day when they could reach audiences with their clients’ or company’s news without first having to go through a media filter.
Eventually, their wish came true, first through social media, then through online services, such as PRWeb
, which disseminate news and information directly to a broad, if indiscriminate, audience.
(Disclosure: PRWeb is owned by Vocus, a corporate partner of the Public Relations Society of America, the organization for which I am the chair and CEO.)
PRWeb presents itself as “a quick, affordable and easy [way] to promote your business or cause, reach people looking for businesses like yours, generate coverage from bloggers, local and national media, [and] get found in search engine results!”
Think of it; no pitch calls, no opposing views from competitors included in stories and, certainly, no rejections from surly editors and reporters!
In essence, PRWeb allows public relations professionals to have their news published—verbatim—by a broad range of news sources. Depending on the level of service selected, just about anyone can use PRWeb to distribute news and information to “every major search engine, 250,000 subscribers, thousands of news sites and 30,000 journalists and bloggers.”
We can debate whether this is a good thing for the profession another time, but there’s another problem. Sometimes, people with bad intent use PRWeb to publish information that is knowingly false or misleading. It’s happened with distribution services before, perhaps most famously in 2000, when an Internet Wire employee used the service to manipulate the stock price
of technology company Emulex.
It happened again Monday, when PRWeb distributed what turned out to be a fake press release purporting to announce that Google
had acquired ICOA
, a U.S. company that builds and operates Wi-Fi hotspots in public places such as airports, for $400 million. And judging from the reaction, it has many in the news and public relations professionals wringing their hands over the unintended consequences that such technological advances sometimes bring.
RELATED: Google press release debacle redeems PR
In a statement, which TechCrunch
called an “acknowledgement of sorts
,” PRWeb admitted transmitting a press release that was fraudulent—that is, not issued or authorized by ICOA. The statement goes on to say that parent company Vocus “reviews all press releases and follows an internal process designed to maintain the integrity of the releases we send out every day,” a claim that Search Engine Land
and others seem to question
It’s quick and easy to pile on PRWeb: It failed to have adequate safeguards in place to prevent this type of event; it offered a tepid statement, in which the company attempts to absolve itself by saying such missteps occur “across all of the major wire services”; or, as TechCrunch
notes, it left a link to the release live on its site for hours after the news was debunked as being false.
Some of this is valid, of course. But let’s face it: The problem originated with the circumvention of PRWeb’s safeguards. People with malice of forethought will almost always find a way around such safeguards. For every technological “problem,” there is an equal or opposite technological way to circumvent it.
For that reason, I think some of the blame being heaped on PRWeb is misplaced.
Certainly, Google News
had a role in perpetuating the story. But according to The Atlantic
, Google News is “algorithmically generated,” which means that software programs—not news editors or reporters—decide what news is presented and how. No doubt the software is incapable of detecting false information.
In that case, what’s the excuse of the news publishers who ran this information? According to the Financial Times
, the fake Google acquisition was reported by AP and carried on the websites of papers such as the Washington Post
, Boston Globe
and Houston Chronicle
. Some of the most widely read blogs covering the technology industry also picked up the story.
Didn’t anyone at those publications find it questionable that the deal would have valued ICOA at approximately 470 times its market value of $850,000, as Reuters reports
? If that were true, as All Things D
notes, Google would have been paying a premium
amounting to more than 470 times its most recent price. Surely this should have raised a red flag for most experienced financial or technology journalists.
Finally, I fault Google and ICOA themselves.
It’s difficult to say who knew what when, but according to the Financial Times
, the claim that Google had bought ICOA appeared on PRWeb at about 10 a.m. The Financial Times
notes that ICOA did not immediately respond to questions about who had written the release, or what checks were made to verify that it had been authorized by ICOA.
It wasn’t until ICOA was reached for comment by journalists
checking the “news,” according to SFGate
, that the company’s chief financial officer denied the acquisition had occurred, which the company’s CEO later confirmed.
It’s hard to believe that companies like Google and, to a lesser degree, ICOA, don’t have hundreds of in-house and agency public relations professionals monitoring and reporting on each day’s news. I mean, doesn’t Google at least monitor Google News for Google mentions?
Important to remember, too, is the obligation of those professionals to serve the journalist community, which means helping them ferret out the facts and get their stories correct. The PRSA Code of Ethics
requires PRSA members not only to “act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the member is responsible,” but also to “investigate the truthfulness and accuracy of information released on behalf of those represented.”
Given the media’s fascination with Google, this whole thing could have been quashed by 10:15 a.m. As it was, most news sources took at least several hours to update their stories with news of the hoax. By then, the damage was done.
As All Things D
notes in its coverage, “the situation bears all the markings of an attempt to ‘pump and dump’ the shares of a thinly traded over-the-counter stock. Whoever sent the press release likely counted on it being propagated by journalists who wouldn’t bother to confirm whether it was true or not, so that traders would bid the price up. Whatever the price, the shares tripled or quadrupled in value as the false news made its way around the Web.”
In the end, it wasn’t just investors who were hurt by this hoax; several corporate reputations were hurt with it.
Call me old fashioned, but there’s something to be said for the days when you could actually trust that someone, somewhere, had read, vetted and, you know, actually fact-checked the news.
Gerard F. Corbett, APR, Fellow PRSA, is 2012 Chair and CEO of PRSA.
A version of this story first appeared on the PRSAY blog. | <urn:uuid:66d1d6fe-4e1d-477c-b256-571a5b4d7416> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/In_defense_of_PRWeb_13261.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965122 | 1,550 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Need cleanup advice for multiline string
steven at REMOVE.THIS.cybersource.com.au
Tue Aug 18 06:37:33 CEST 2009
On Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:04:58 -0700, Carl Banks wrote:
> On Aug 17, 5:40 pm, Mensanator <mensana... at aol.com> wrote:
>> On Aug 17, 4:06 pm, Carl Banks <pavlovevide... at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > On Aug 17, 10:03 am, Jean-Michel Pichavant <jeanmic... at sequans.com>
>> > wrote:
>> > > I'm no English native, but I already heard women/men referring to a
>> > > group as "guys", no matter that group gender configuration. It's
>> > > even used for group composed exclusively of women. Moreover it
>> > > looks like a *very* friendly form, so there is really nothing to
>> > > worry about it.
>> > I like how being very friendly means calling people after a guy who
>> > tried to blow up the English Parliament.
> I also like how making an amusing pointless observation gets people all
> (BTW, lest anyone is not aware, that is the origin of the word "guy",
> this was not some random association.)
Yes, apparently the slang term "guy" for "man" (and these days, "person")
was derived from Guy Fawkes:
but the name itself is much older, and comes from Old German for "wood"
or "warrior". In old French, it was "Gy", and in Italian (and presumably
Dutch) it is "Guido".
You'll also note that "guy" the noun has a number of meanings:
I don't know if there's any point to all this, but it's interesting, even
More information about the Python-list | <urn:uuid:48e7ad1d-1c82-4a58-b583-3360837fb95c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2009-August/548223.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918746 | 423 | 1.734375 | 2 |
ZooAmerica offers free admission to all guests 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. both days. Guests can visit animals at Southern Swamps, The Great Southwest, Eastern Woodlands, Big Sky Country and Northlands. Naturalists will offer up-close animal encounters throughout the
day. And zoo mascot, Ranger Scratch, will make special appearances.
Visitors also can see a new black-billed magpie exhibit in the Big Sky Country region. Black-billed magpies are members of the crow family and can be found in western North America.
The Hershey Story Museum offers free admission to its new special exhibit “Sugar, Spice, Slugs & Snails: Childhood in Early America” 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Admission to the Museum Experience, which chronicles the life and legacy of Milton Hershey, is half price. Regular admission is $10, $9 for seniors ages 62 and older and $7.50 for ages 3 to 12.
In the Childhood in Early America exhibit, can play with vintage toys and games of the 19th century, including checkers, dominoes and hopscotch. | <urn:uuid:486abfa7-d0bf-4039-9eab-fae47ff2fc20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/01/zooamerica_and_the_hershey_sto.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94145 | 250 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Monday of the 6th Week
The Gospel of Luke 10:22-24
The Lord said, "All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
Additional Readings for Today:
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The English Gospel text used is based on the Revised Standard Version from "The Holy and Sacred Gospel" by Holy Cross Press, Brookline, MA.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible is copyrighted 1946, 1952, 1971, and 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and used by permission. | <urn:uuid:5ce37d9d-6303-404f-968a-c4e019616392> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goarch.org/chapel/lectionary_view?type=G&event=933&code=197&language=en&date=10/22/2012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94884 | 228 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Journey to the beautiful Island of Delft
By Sandun W - Tue Aug 09, 9:03 pm
Abandon from mainland surrounded by shallow waters and beaches of coral chunks and sand, lays the biggest inhabitable islands of Sri Lanka, Delft as called by the Dutch also named as Ilha das Vacas by the Portuguese or Neduntivu as per locals. This is also the largest island in the Palk Strait, northern Sri Lanka estimated to be 4717 hectares, 8 km long and 6 km across.
To reach for this scenic island you have to travel 46km from Jaffna to the Karaikattuvan jetty in Punkudutiv Island where the ferry will take you to the island. There are 2 boats which offer service to Delft, one was a free service by RDA and the other one a paid service which cost 50 rupees to go to delft. When look beyond from the jetty towards the horizon you could see the Delft Island and the communication tower belong to the Sri Lanka Navy. Then the boat journey begins in turquoise blue sea, “the meeting place of seven seas” is few kilometers away from the jetty where there has to be whirlpool according to locals. And if you are lucky enough you could spot a whale or two playing in the sea around. With an hour’s journey you will reach to the huge coral rocks fringe shore of Delft, dry wild winds will ease the discomfort of hot sunlight to a certain extent. You will be escorted to the inland by either in a CTB bus, three wheeler, lorry or in a land master.
The visitors of Delft will be mesmerized by the scene of dashing wild ponies as they are not endemic to our country. The wild ponies are a legacy left behind by the Portuguese rulers where the Dutch and the British used them for transport. Delft also was used for breeding horses by the Dutch and the British continued the practice. The giant baobab tree is another attraction, as the trunk has a hollow large enough to walk into. Two men can stand abreast in the entrance. Baobab (Adansonia) is native to Madagascar, Australia and Africa. It was brought here by the Portuguese for medicinal purposes for the ponies.
I have no doubt that you are unaware about the birds and butterfly species of the Delft Island. A bird lover could easily spot over 60 species of Birds and multitude of butterfly species in the sparse water holes in the island. The Department of Wildlife Conservation has identified part of the Delft to be declared as a National Park under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance.
One has to walk through the small Government Hospitals corridor to have a look at the ruins of the Dutch Fort, this was also used as a prison which has small rooms and 2.5 inches thick walls and believed to be made of dead coral rock. Another site of interest is the ruins of a castle built by the Portuguese. Also a pigeon house with a stone cote for carrier pigeons, the only means of communication in Portuguese times. The Dovecote, about eight feet in height is made of coral stone
Ever heard of well constructed by a devil? If not you got to see the “Devil’s Well” which was the fresh water source for entire island, which believed to be dug by a devil and is so deep which doesn’t have an end and there is water available even in the dry season. Walk few miles in to the island through the green paddy fields and small water tanks to get to the giant foot print engraved in to a stone. The Christians believe that it’s the foot print of Adam. Just few meters from the foot print is the Dutch stable.
Make sure to have a look at the “growing stone” of which measurements taken periodically show a change over the years. The islanders revere it and now have made it a shrine. Unknown by many there are ruins belonging to Dagabas (Pagodas) have been found in Delft Island as well.
You definitely must be exhausted now, traveling all over the island under hot sunlight it’s never easy to a traveler used to mild weather condition. How about having a sea bath to soothe your body? Delft has one of the most beautiful and clean beaches in Sri Lanka. One could not resist staying hours in the sandy beach and the blue waters. You will find very difficult to get your kids away from this picturesque beach as they find thousands of multi colored sea shells abundant in the beach to be collected.
Let me give some important tips to be remembered when planning your trip to Delft
- Arrange accommodation before you go to Delft
- Make sure to take some mosquito coils
- Take your National Identity Card
- Be vigilant about boat time tables.
- No Phone signals inside the Island
Please also watch the following documentary on Delft Island. More Images are given below. | <urn:uuid:b35137b2-1f54-4b6b-b349-796602f0b966> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://magazine.lankahelp.com/2011/08/09/journey-to-the-beautiful-island-of-delft/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958388 | 1,029 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Low Flow - High Efficiency Toilets
Save water and help the environment.
Twenty-seven percent of household water is used by the toilet -- Think of all the money you are flushing down the drain!
Why install a high-efficiency toilet?
- It's the law. Effective October 3, 2011, the Province of British Columbia amended the BC Building Code regulation, requiring the installation of 4.8 litre or less high-efficiency toilets.
- They're reliable. New high-efficiency toilets have proven to be efficient and reliable. Read more about choosing a toilet.
- Save water. Your family can save over 30,000 litres of water a year with a 4.8 litre high-efficiency toilet. That's a significant reduction in household consumption.
High efficiency toilets are:
- Available in a wide range of styles and colours.
- Easy to install and maintain.
Effective October 3, 2011, the British Columbia Building Code regulation was amended to require the installation of high-efficiency toilets and urinals in all new residential buildings and renovation projects involving toilet replacements in British Columbia.
Under the updated regulation, new residential buildings and renovation projects, involving toilet replacements will have to include high-efficiency toilets with a 4.8-litre flush volume or less. Toilets which provide a dual flush cycle option of both 4.1-litres or less and 6-litres are compliant. Urinal installations remain unchanged, with the maximum flush volume of 1.9-litres or less. The amendment will result in residents using water more efficiently, extending the life of existing water supplies and making water available for other uses.
These new requirements will apply to buildings used for Group C, residential occupancies only. Group C occupancies include houses, apartments, hotels, motels, lodging houses and dormitories. For more information, please contact your local building inspector.
How can I tell if a toilet is low flow or high efficiency?
Low flow and high efficiency toilets look like other models, but may have a smaller tank. Toilets must be marked to indicate they have been tested for low flow water consumption. Look for toilets marked with one of the following: "LC," "4.8," "LC/4.8," "LPF" or "xLPF" where x indicates tested value in litres per flush and is equal to or less than or 4.8 litres.
Planning for Low Flow Installations
If you are planning a construction or renovation project, pick up the “High-Efficiency Toilets--For a lifetime of Savings ” brochure from Capital Regional District Environmental Partnerships or at local plumbing retailers and home improvement stores. You can also refer to the links on the side panel or get further information about this and other CRD initiatives by calling the CRD Information line at 250.474.9684.
Like any consumer product, not all toilets are created equal. The Maximum Performance Testing of Popular Toilet models (called the MaP study) is an independent toilet evaluation study available to help you make an informed choice. | <urn:uuid:271f61f2-1d0a-4f8e-beb9-e14771e85d52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://crd.bc.ca/water/conservation/household/toilets/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909306 | 636 | 2.53125 | 3 |
One in Three Companies Suffered One or More Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks in Last Twelve Months Finds Research
Motivations for Attacks Differ Dramatically Between UK and US
LONDON, UK., February 23, 2012 -- One in three organisations (31%) has suffered one or more Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in the last 12 months, according to independent research commissioned by Corero Network Security (CNS: LN), the leading provider of DDoS Defence and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) solutions. The research amongst IT directors in 300 mid-to large-sized enterprises in the UK and US also found US companies were twice as likely as those in the UK to have experienced an attack: 38% of US companies versus 18% of UK companies.
Conducted by VansonBourne, the research also revealed a much greater level of concern amongst US enterprises, reflecting the increased exposure of US companies to DDoS attack. Nearly two thirds (63%) of US IT directors said they are concerned about the threat of DDoS attack against just 29% in the UK. Retail companies in the UK are particularly worried with more than half (52%) reporting a high level of concern about DDoS attacks. This is far higher than the concern cited by financial organisations (28%), manufacturing (11%) and other commercial sectors (7%) in the UK.
US companies across all verticals showed a heightened level of awareness and concern about attacks.
Political/ideological motivation was cited as the largest source of DDoS attack among UK companies reporting attacks, with a third blaming what is known as “hacktivism”. The different vertical markets in the UK also revealed a marked variation in the motivations behind attacks. The retail sector in the UK considers financial extortion either for fraud or to extract ransom money to be the primary intention, whilst in the finance sector, political or ideological motives are the main reasons for the attacks.
In the US, however, a competitor seeking unfair business advantage was by far the leading motivation, as unscrupulous competitors were blamed for more than half (52%) of the DDoS attacks amongst the US companies that reported being victims. In contrast, only one in five victim companies in the UK said competitors were responsible.
Whilst levels of concern about the risk of DDoS attacks varied significantly between UK and US respondents, three in five (62%) IT directors claimed to have technology in place to protect their organisations against attack. However more than half (53%) of companies surveyed were still concerned about potential attacks.
“The UK was more cautious in deploying web business assets therefore they have not been as exposed as their US counterparts. As they deploy web applications they tend to do so in a more cautious protected manner and because of this may be experiencing less disruptive DDoS attacks. As the sophistication of attacks rises their numbers will become more in line with the US,” said Richard Stiennon, chief research analyst at IT-Harvest.
“DDoS is a major, growing and evolving threat to global Internet commerce,” said Andrew Miller Chief Operating Officer at Corero Network Security plc in the UK. “High-profile ideologically motivated attacks by groups such as Anonymous have raised awareness of ‘hacktivist’-based DDoS attacks, but any enterprise may fall victim to unscrupulous competitors or cyber criminals.
“IT directors who believe they are protected against DDoS attack because they have traditional perimeter security technology, such as network firewalls, in place, may be lulled into a false sense of security. These companies should consider purpose-built DDoS defence technology to block attacks and maintain continual availability lest the business suffer significant loss.”
London Stock Exchange: CNS
London, United Kingdom
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Defense
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
6 patents, including:
System and Process for Defending Against Denial of Service Attacks (DoS) on Network Nodes
Innovator of the Year
Editor's Choice Award
Five Star Best Buy
Product of the Year
NSS Lab Approval
EAL 4 certified | <urn:uuid:7e027208-da1b-4ddc-bf16-fa0587ca81e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.corero.com/en/company/news_and_events/press_releases?item_id=24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958109 | 856 | 1.640625 | 2 |
How Many Leaves Are On This Tree?
Many of my questions come from my kids. As we were cleaning up leaves, we pushed all the leaves from one tree into a corner. My daughter asked me to estimate the number of leaves in the pile (yes, she is going to be a great blogger one day). Are there a million leaves in the pile? My off the wall guess was: no, not a million. However, I really don’t know if I am totally off or not.
To get a better estimate (at least better than a wild guess), I took a small sample of leaves.
With this sample, I can count the number of leaves. I can also estimate the volume of this small pile to get the leaf volume density (leaves per cubic meter). So, how many leaves? It might not look like it, but this is 50 leaves. How big is this pile? Let me estimate that this pile of leaves is a sphere (spherical leaf pile) with a radius of 7 cm. The volume of this pile would then be:
This gives a leaf-density of (not to be confused with mass density even though I will use the same symbol):
I can already see that there are not one million leaves in the pile. At that density, I would need on the order of 50 cubic meters of leaves. Yes, this is still an estimate – there are lots of things that could be off, like the leaf density itself. However, it probably won’t be off by that much. Ok, let me finish the estimate and then we can talk about limitations.
How big is the pile? You can see in the image at the top, the shape and size of the pile of leaves. For an approximation, I will say that this pile is in the shape of a quarter of a cone. The radius of the pile is about 2 meters with a height of around 1 meter. The volume of a cone is:
Just to be clear, the h is the height of the cone. Using my values, one fourth of this cone volume would be 1.05 m3. Remember, this is just an estimate. But there are limits to this estimate. Sure, the volume isn’t EXCACTLY 1.05 cubic meters. However, I don’t see the volume of leaves being less than 0.5 or more than 3 cubic meters.
Now for the number of leaves. Let me start off with my first guesses for the leaf-density and the volume of the pile. With the leaf-density formula, I have:
Not a million leaves, just 30 thousand leaves. Ok, maybe I made a bad assumption about the leaf density. Maybe the leaves at the bottom of the pile are super smashed into an almost black hole-like density. Would it make you happier if I used a density 3 times has high as my estimate? This would give a number of leaves at just over 100 thousand. There is no way there could be a million leaves in that pile.
But how many leaves does the tree have? Just by looking at the type of leaf, it looks like almost all of the leaves came from this tree.
Perhaps just 5% of the leaves are still on the tree. Some might have fallen off and blown to a location such that they didn’t end up in the pile and some might have been collected by an 8 year old who wanted to use leaves for an art project. Overall, I would say that there could be from maybe 30 to 50 thousand leaves on that were originally on the tree. | <urn:uuid:d3c4a419-efb9-4bea-b440-b59f3696a6df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/12/how-many-leaves-are-on-this-tree/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972795 | 736 | 3.703125 | 4 |
Are you for or against the death penalty, or (if it’s conditional), in what cases? Furthermore, do you believe that societies that sanction war are hypocritical for opposing the death penalty?
Rather than giving a detailed argument in favor of my position on capital punishment, I’m just going to enumerate my reasons. Then, I’ll see if I can say something sensible on what this ought to mean for my position on war.
I’m against capital punishment because:
- You can’t undo it if you’re wrong. It’s a problem to jail someone for a crime they didn’t commit, but at least there’s a chance of correcting that mistake. If you execute the wrong person, you can’t magically restore him to life and say, “My bad.”
- In many cases, you can’t be 100% sure of the guilt of the person sentenced to death. Eyewitness testimony can be misleading, and even the best circumstantial evidence is still circumstantial. Enough people have been exonerated after ending up on death row that we’re probably executing at least some innocent people.
- Application of the death penalty has been pretty biased. All the research I’ve seen indicates that, for the same kinds of crimes, being poor and non-white in the U.S. makes you much more likely to be sentences to death than non-poor and white. This strikes me as deeply problematic.
- It doesn’t seem to work as a deterrent.
- It’s expensive. Because there are no do-overs with an execution, there tend to be mandatory appeals built into the process, which means lawyers and billable-hours.
- On the face of it, it seems hypocritical. If killing other human beings is wrong, isn’t it still wrong when the state does it? (Can the state make a case that execution is a killing in self-defense? Not one that I’ve found persuasive.)
- It coarsens us. This is the reason I feel most viscerally. If the state executes people in our name, it treats those people as no longer belonging to the human family. I think this puts us in danger of seeing some people as more fully human than others — and encourages us to treat people accordingly. However, I’m committed to the notion that even persons who do bad stuff are persons deserving of a basic level of respect. (This basic level of respect may well be compatible with life imprisonment, depending on the magnitude of the bad stuff.) If I fail to give them that respect, that’s a problem for me.
And what about war? I’m generally against that, too, largely because it seems to me that human lives are too precious to be viewed as allowable losses in a battle over land or resources or political systems. As well, I’d like to believe that we can accomplish more with moral suasion than we can with guns and bombs. However, I’ll allow as how there may be some situations where wars are a matter of self-defense for the people fighting them. I guess I just don’t think that a state needs to execute prisoners the way people might need to fight for their own survival. | <urn:uuid:c70b8dc3-9e35-43be-8d8e-a6840402111e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scienceblogs.com/ethicsandscience/2006/08/24/a-brief-list-of-reasons-im-aga/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96268 | 693 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Dr Vincenzo Costigliola,
“Not only does breakfast make a positive health difference – it’s also simply a good habit to get into. Making a morning meal part of your daily routine is an important step in taking control of your diet and your life.”
of EFAD states that:
“Making time for breakfast is a simple, but very significant step towards good health. A nutritious breakfast means a good start to the day – it’s an easy way to improve your daily diet and to make sure that you get the right nutrition at the start of every day.”
the European Association
“As a former teacher, I can spot straight away who’s awake and alert and who’s tired and distracted. And in my experience, one of the biggest factors that determines success in the classroom is so simple and so often overlooked: having breakfast every morning.’”
The European Association of Teachers is an organisation promoting understanding of EU issues amongst educators in all member states.
The Club Européen des Diététiciens de l’Enfance aims to promote the nutritional health of children and defend the profession of pediatric dietician by recognizing its importance.
CEEREAL represents the breakfast cereal and oat milling industries in their relations with the European institutions, industry and consumer associations as well as consumers.
The European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians aims to promote dietetics on a scientific and professional level and encourage a better nutrition situation for its member countries.
The European Medical Association - Created by and for doctors, EMA is essentially a service organization that aims to improve the quality of healthcare and medical working conditions in the European Community. www.emanet.org
EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
The European Food Information Council (EUFIC)
Scandinavian School of Brussels | <urn:uuid:a399d544-b0b4-4aa0-b538-8770d533259a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.breakfastisbest.eu/partners.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900198 | 392 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Camden Bucey speaks about the five solas and their abiding significance.
The Council of Chalcedon and its key contribution to orthodox theology.
Francis Turretin and his insights into the much debated topic of right reason.
Camden Bucey surveys the field of Van Til's interpretation and offers a suggested approach.
Jonathan Brack provides of a sketch of three original Westminster faculty members: Paul Woolley, Ned B. Stonehouse, and Cornelius Van Til.
Darryl G. Hart concludes his series on J. Gresham Machen with a lesson on assessing this great figure in American Presbyterianism.
Machen's views of Scripture come into conflict with liberalism.
Machen deals with Charles Erdman and Robert Speer in the fight against sentimentality.
Machen and the Independent Board on Presbyterian Foreign Missions.
An exploration of the historical link between Machen and Van Til. | <urn:uuid:73ea8c99-2ab4-4671-bd35-5487a68321da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reformedforum.org/programs/historiaecclesia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917768 | 189 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Prognosis research strategy (PROGRESS) 4: stratified medicine research.
What is stratified medicine? Stratified medicine refers to the targetting of treatments (including pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions) according to the biological or risk characteristics shared by subgroups of patients. Stratified medicine is regarded as central to the progress of healthcare according to the leaders of the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration6 among others.7 In contrast with “all comer” or “empirical” medicine, stratified medicine seeks to target therapy and make the best decisions for groups of similar patients.8 9 One approach to stratifying the use of treatments is to consider absolute risks. In the third article of our series10 we described how prognostic models are used to estimate the absolute risk of an outcome for an individual. Those people with the highest absolute risk will derive the largest absolute benefit from a treatment (that is, the greatest reduction in probability of the outcome) when the treatment effect expressed in relative terms is the same for all patients. This is illustrated in the upper panel of fig 2⇓, where the relative treatment effect on mortality risk is estimated as 0.75 for all patients but the reduction in absolute probability of death is 5% for low risk patients and 15% for high risk patients. In such situations treatments could be restricted (or “personalised”) to those who will benefit the most. Examples in common clinical practice include the decision to give lipid lowering therapy to people above a certain threshold of cardiovascular risk estimated from a prognostic model,11 the use of bisphosphonates for women over the age of 50 considered to have an increased risk of vertebral fractures, and the targeting of primary care management of back pain.12 View larger version: In this window In a new window Fig 2 Estimated treatment effect in subgroups defined according to (upper panel) risk from a prognostic model and (lower panel) a factor that predicts differential treatment response. The prevalence of positive factor and high risk is shown, arbitrarily, as 20%. The dotted vertical line shows the overall treatment effect, the centre of each box shows the effect estimate, and the horizontal lines show confidence intervals By contrast, clinicians may also stratify medicine because the relative treatment effect is inconsistent across patients (fig 2, lower panel⇑). In this situation, at least one individual patient measure is associated with changes in the treatment effect. In statistical terms there is an interaction between a patient-level variable and the effect of treatment on the outcome, and in biological terms there may be an underlying mechanism explaining the interaction. In this situation, a stratified medicine approach seeks to test patients for the presence of individual factors that are considered predictive of an improved treatment response (more benefit, less harm, or both), as in the aforementioned test for positive HER-2 status in breast cancer and the use of trastuzumab. Other examples in clinical use include imatinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia targeted to those with the BCR-ABL mutation13 and gefitinib used to treat pulmonary adenocarcinoma in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations.14 An example of identifying patients with greater risk of harms include the antiretroviral drug abacavir,15 where HLA typing helps identify patients at high risk of abacavir toxicity. Thus a key part of stratified medicine research is to identify suitable tests for predicting treatment response from specific interventions. The use of HER-2 status in breast cancer management illustrates how tests of differential treatment response are often thought of as binary factors: a biomarker is classed as positive or negative, or laboratory values are deemed low or high. Such dichotomisation facilitates clinical decision making and is used in most examples described in this paper. However, many tests have original values measured on an ordinal or a continuous scale. Similarly if prognostic models10 are considered as tests, they usually produce a continuous risk score for each individual; the same applies to gene signatures or related indices derived from high dimensional data. Statistically, there is more power and less potential for bias if such tests are evaluated on their original scale (see later) rather than being dichotomised by means of a cut point10; categorisation may then be done after analysis to aid clinical strategies. For example, Flynn et al derived a prognostic model to identify patients with back pain who would respond well to manipulation rather than to other types of treatment such as exercise.16 Some trials randomising patients to these treatments found that patients with positive scores from the model had greater relative and absolute benefits from manipulation than those with negative scores.17 18 Thus stratified medicine uses baseline information about a patient’s likely response to treatment to tailor treatment decisions. This is different from stepped19 or adaptive20 models of care in which tailoring of treatment depends on the patient’s actual response to previously offered treatment, with a sequence of interventions (which may differ in intensity, duration, cost, or complexity) being offered to those who have not responded sufficiently. Our focus here, though, is on the initial stratification of treatment based on the predicted (rather than actual) response to treatment. | <urn:uuid:4be74ab2-3649-4603-877c-56415949a8cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.citeulike.org/user/danielhind/article/12010239 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929038 | 1,071 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Find Indiana Pheasant Hunting Locations
Use game bird hunts directory to find Indiana hunting lodges. Ringneck Pheasants & Bobwhite Quail were once abundant across Indiana and the populations peaked in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. At that time there were millions acres of Indiana farmland idled in USDA land retirement programs. These idled farmlands provided Indiana pheasants and quail with ideal conditions to nest and raise their young. However, farm policy has since changed such that it is more difficult for Indian farmers to have their land accepted into USDA land retirement programs.
Currently there is only slightly more than 250,000 acres of idled farmland across the state. To help address the pheasant and quail population decline, the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife has designated priority areas to focus on pheasant and quail habitat management. The pheasant habitat development program is beginning to restore the wild populations in Indiana. In addition to the 1000's of acers of public hunting lands in Indiana, the state is also home to some top quality pheasant hunting lodges. | <urn:uuid:550a1170-1087-479f-aa49-5e1c21dd261c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gamebirdhunts.com/HuntingLocations/IndianaPheasantHunting/tabid/91/City/Otwell/Default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958425 | 228 | 2.03125 | 2 |