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4 definitions by TabGuy
1. (noun) The gold relic (or power) left by the 3 goddesses in the epic video games series The Legend of Zelda by Shigeru Miyamoto consisting of the powers of Strength (or Power), Courage, and Wisdom.
2. (verb) To arrange three triangles to make a bigger triangle (triforcing).
3. (verb) To succeed at being completely epic.
1. (Sages) By some practicle joke of the gods, Gannondorf had stolen and still possesses the Triforce of Power.
(Link) Wait, so I was born with this power inside my hand but Ganon somehow managed to steal a Triforce? What Did he chop someone's hand off and surgically implant it?
(Midna) That WOULD explain why he's green...
2. (newfag) ▲
(God) THOU CANST HAST FAIL!
3. Chuck Norris IS the Triforce of power, BIZATCH!
by TabGuy Aug 2, 2010 add a video
Sometimes called by it's Latin name, 'Terra', The Earth is a super computer designed by Deep Thought, another super computer, and payed for by two pandiminsional beings Loonquawl and Phouchg. This computer was so advanced that others began calling it a 'planet', and soon life itself sprang from it's main matrices. The 'humans', 'Earthlings', etc. that were brought forth were socially adaptible, and had the amazing ability to learn from other's mistakes (and strangely enough, an apparent disinclination to do so). The 'planet' itself was mostly harmless, untill it was demolished to make way for an intergalactic bipass by Vogons (a nastly lot, them), leading to the production of Earth Mk. II, which is where we live today.
Imagine there's no such thing as a cheeseburger.
Now, imagine there's no more McDonald's.
Now, the USD is gone.
Now imagine there's no New York Times.
Good. Now, there's no New York.
Now, there's no East Coast. No West Coast.
Now, and this is the big one, imagine there's no Chuck Norris.
If you could (somehow) follow that last instruction, then the Earth being gone's easy to grasp, no?
by TabGuy Jan 2, 2011 add a video
1. A flat sheet of microfilm in a form suitable for filing, usually measuring around 4 by 6 in. and containing microreproductions, as of printed or graphic matter, in a grid pattern.
2. Where Mr. T can/will punch you.
1. "Here's a dossier with his current likeness done in microfiche, sir." "Thank you Private, you are dismissed.
2. "I only pity the foo till I have ta punch em in his microfiche, sucka."
by TabGuy Feb 24, 2010 add a video
The act of, or the process in which a woman (teens, mostly) places her cell phone in between her legs right after she texts someone (i.e., the hottest guy in the class), even though he's already in earshot of her, just for the vibrate function's pleasure inducing feeling. This is commonly practiced, but soley admitted, for fear of being called a "cell slut", "an Iwhore", or "a full bar-er". Next time your in class, just watch. It happens fast, but continues for the whole period.
Text from Person 1 (Female): What's up!?!? ^^
Text from Person 2 (Male): Um, sitting in class. Right next to you.
Text from Person 1: OMG ur SOOO funny!!
Text from Person 2: Why aren't you just talking to me?
Text from Person 1: I kno, right?
Person 2, spoken: I'm never texting you back you cell slut. You're just using me using me for texturbation!
by TabGuy Sep 15, 2010 add a video | <urn:uuid:32951a17-f4a0-4c0a-b966-b9e2c2c7d572> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.urbandictionary.com/author.php?author=TabGuy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937067 | 875 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Instead of reviewing Joel Kovel’s important book, “The Enemy of Nature” (Zed Press, 2003), I’m going to just include his description of ‘human nature’ from pages 100-102. He is a friend of Maria Mies, and shares much of her eco-feminist socialism, in case people need a reference point.
Here is the excerpt:
Teasing apart some of the threads of human nature, we find the following:
An ensemble of somatic elements, rapidly evolving owing to the marked selection advantage conferred by human nature: a relatively huge brain, elaborate voice box, opposable thumb, upright posture, and the like, providing the material substratum of specifically human ways of being.
Of special importance was the emergence of language as the specific human mode of communicating and representing the world. This involved ‘hard wiring’ of the evolving brain, coordination with the evolving speech apparatus, and, decisively, integration with evolving forms of sociality, the result being that the powers of individuals could be combined.
Human sociality implies society, as a kind of super-body, with a culture, transmissible through generations as a shared system of meanings. Society and its culture become the locus of that parallel, imagined universe that comprises the human order in its varying relationships to nature.
The boundary of the super-body with pre-existing nature is made by means of technology. Tools are extensions of the body into material nature, and of nature into the body. Technology is always socially determined and the bearer of meanings constructed through language. It is not a collection of tools but a fabric of social relations, certain threads of which are nature transformed into tools.
Human being entails a new order of subjectivity. All beings, we have observed, possess a potential interiority implied by their difference from other beings — the fact that they are some-thing and not others. Human nature appears as that development within which this interiority acquires internal structure through the particular forms taken by our consciousness under the influence of language. All creatures are present to each other. Language involves re-presentation: a sphere of interiority arises what is presented is presented back — re-presented — owing to its signification with language. Hence the real is, so to speak, doubled. The re-presenting is formative of the imaginative space of subjectivity. The imagined world is just a much a part of human ecology as are chemical messengers for dog ecology or moth ecology.
As this space of interior representation attains identity, it becomes a self. Its form is given by a degree of consciousness of itself, clothed by language with the words ‘I’ (as the subject phrase) and ‘me’ (as the object phrase). The radically augmented poweer of the human species is generated here, in the space where the world is created within the self, which then defines a social collectivity that acts upon the world.
An ensemble of relations is involved here — not just intelligence, and the practical skills, but desire as well, which conditions and drives the practical intelligence. This arises from the radical formelessness of human instinctual structures, which are reshaped according to culture. Correlated with his are processes of separations and individuation that occur out of the matrix of childhood, something no other species remotely undergoes.
The sociality of humans is unique — though neither more nor less so than that of bees, coyotes, baboons, dolphins, and so on. It cannot be reduced to that of any other soical animal, nomatter how many amusing parallels can be found. Tis is because of the centrality of the self in huma n existence, and also because this self is always and necessarily a social product, fomred through language and mutual recognition between the developing person and others. This foundation gives the human self a permanently dialectical quality — that is, it is formed in and lives through a set of contradictions that arise as the self is formed in mutual recognition of others, and later, in contradiction between individual interest and social bond. The mark of the other is always upon the self, and so are its vulnerability to loss and fear of solitude, facts that are to loom large in our relation to nature.
The uniqueness of human being andits relation to desire, and the dialectics of slef and recognition, means also that sexuality and gender play a uniquely powerful role in huyman existence compared with allother creatures. The signficance of this for the ecological crisis will be examined in the next chapter… | <urn:uuid:693e72c4-899e-4183-ba42-593f11e306ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2005/02/16/enemy-of-nature/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955598 | 942 | 1.90625 | 2 |
By Monica Alonzo
By Ray Stern
By New Times Staff
By Stephen Lemons
By Chris Parker
By Monica Alonzo
By Stephen Lemons
By Robrt L. Pela
Theresa Mac Nevins
"Bordering on Exploitation" was a great article! I loved it. Couldn't put it down. It's the first time I have read an article on the Mexican economy and situation that made me understand what was going on. Kind of makes me want to start a plant in Mexico--don't know if that is good or bad. Keep it up!
R. James Gibson
New Times is to be congratulated for its in-depth series of articles on the maquiladora industries. This should remind readers inured to the McNugget version of reporting just what a good independent voice can provide: compelling, insightful, socially responsible journalism on a subject of major importance. New Times delivered a brave yet balanced treatment of this difficult subject. I would, however, like to offer a few comments.
In his article "Arizona Firms Move South," John Dougherty, using Karsten Manufacturing as a symbol for the decisions facing American industry, wrote: "Like many American companies whose competitors use low-cost, foreign labor, Karsten was faced with a difficult choice: shift jobs out of the country or lose significant sales, possibly endangering the company."
This seems to imply that unless these companies can drastically lower their prices, they will be outmaneuvered by the competition. Yet we seldom see such price reductions. American and foreign companies are both familiar with the price structure of the American market and neither wants to sell products for any less than it has to in order to maximize profits. In my opinion, the difficult decision many companies face has more to do with keeping shareholders happy and profits high than with staying in business. Executives unwilling to cut labor costs--and thereby increase profit margins and stock values--are likely to incur the wrath of greedy shareholders seeking to maximize the return on their investments. Of course, this is singularly unsympathetic to the average worker, so it's much easier to tell people that your company survival is at stake.
With respect to the number of U.S. jobs lost as a result of NAFTA, both the U.S. Labor Department figure of 200,000 and the union figure of 500,000 are likely to seriously understate the problem. The reason is that both of these figures deal with the movement of existing jobs from here to Mexico. Neither one attempts to include losses from what is likely an even larger source: new jobs that are never offered here, either because new plants that would have been built here are instead built there, or because plant expansions that would have been built here are instead implemented there. Remember that even during the economic expansion of the last six years, our manufacturing base (providing some of the best-paying jobs) has been shrinking as a share of our gross domestic product. Nor is Mexico the only foreign market receiving U.S. manufacturing jobs.
I agree, however, that single-minded nationalism is not the solution, and can play into racist hands. I also agree with the writers' conclusion that industrialization is the key to Mexican economic development. The real question is, industrialization for whose benefit and on whose terms?
I am disturbed that American companies are taking advantage of Mexicans. The maquiladora program does not seem to be any better than the Bracero program which allowed undocumented Mexican people to cross the border when it was convenient for us so they could pick our fruit. During this period they lived in substandard housing, worked in deplorable conditions and received pittance wages. With the maquiladora program, the problems are just on a larger scale--while U.S. corporations benefit. It makes me sick that this is tolerated by our government and the Mexican government. I hope your articles, which were very descriptive and concise, are a wake-up call to those in power who are in a position to change things.
You presented a good and a shocking view of what is generally unknown and invisible to most North Americans. I'm shocked to read about the wicked conditions these people live in, and yet, at the same time, relieved to hear and understand that for them, this is actually a "moving up a peg or two," so to speak, an improvement to their former condition or lifestyle in southern Mexico. Your story makes me a little ill-at-ease, and somewhat frustrated that there seems to be no end in sight to these terrible conditions.
I just spent lunch hour reading and being bowled over by your articles. They are award-winners and deserve as wide an audience as possible. I would only add that despite the opening of capital and commodity markets, NAFTA did not provide for an opening of labor markets, too. NAFTA left the U.S. and Mexico free to pursue their own immigration policies, and the U.S. is increasingly militarizing the border and barring immigrants from receiving public benefits. The U.S. form of capitalism--the lowest wages possible, big gap between rich and poor, a large amount of social dysfunction, etc.--has been copied by PRI in Mexico and is the basis of globalization, as the more egalitarian European/Japanese form of capitalism is being pushed aside. U.S. elites want to have their cake and eat it, too--an American free-trade zone but with no movement of labor, which is vigorously suppressed, though migration is encouraged by exactly the kind of development that NAFTA supposedly was intended to promote.
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(Editor’s note: EarthFix Field Notes are reporters’ personal impressions and experiences from their coverage of the Pacific Northwest. In this entry, Reporter Ashley Ahearn describes her trip with scientists who are using suction tags to gain access to the secret underwater lives of Puget Sound’s endangered orcas.)
FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. — We catch up with the orcas a few minutes after we leave the dock. They’re near Rosario Strait in the San Juan Islands.
Their sharp dorsal fins pierce the smooth golden-blue-autumn water around us. Representatives from all the pods: K30 off in the distance. L23 closer in. There rises L84, an imposing 20-year-old male.
His rounded black head pierces the surface, then his body - a giant barrel of muscle and blubber - rolls into sight above the waves. Then he dives.
He surfaces closer to the boat — a Zodiac loaded down with a team of five scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — and exhales a loud misty breath. I gasp, too.
The animal instinct somewhere deep in my brain is terrified for a moment, before I remind myself that 1) I am in a boat and 2) This whale not only prefers salmon to any other fish (or human) but he can specifically pick out chinook salmon, and regularly picks them out of fishy lineups when hunting. I am safe. I am clutching my microphone, desperate to capture this moment.
Jeff Hogan is on the bow holding a long pole, a sort of modern-day harpoon. But instead of anything sharp or pointy at the tip there is a flat yellow device about the size of your hand. One side is lined with octopus-looking suction cups. On the other, a tiny antennae.
It’s called a D-tag and Jeff Hogan has to get it to stick on to L84’s back the next time he surfaces.
Once it’s attached, the D-tag will track the movement of the whale through the water. The goal is to learn more about how all the boats traveling through Puget Sound might be affecting orca behavior.
Suddenly L84 surfaces again, feet from the bow, where Hogan stands ready with the long pole.
“Ok, here we come up right here,” he exclaims.
In the blink of an eye the man stretches over the bow, like a pitcher on the mound, and extends the pole to place the tag on L84’s back, just before the whale dives again.
“Tag is on!” the crew exalts. The device has suctioned on to L84’s blubber, without a scrape. The whale seems unfazed and goes back to foraging.
(Video: Finding and D-Tagging Orcas)
Studying whales requires a lot of patience because you can spend hours waiting for a five second glimpse of these creatures. Scientists don’t know much about what goes on underwater.
But that’s exactly why the D-Tag research is so exciting. It allows scientists to “spy” on orcas deep beneath the waves.
As L84 dives the D-tag is collecting data about his depth, the direction he’s moving – even the angle of his body.
But perhaps most excitingly, it’s collecting audio, recorded on a tiny hydrophone inside the tag.
All of this information is helping whale experts figure out not only what these whales are doing when they’re underwater, but how their surrounding environment might be affecting them. Are the whales foraging less? Are they socializing less? Resting for shorter periods?
From the bow, Deborah Giles, an expert on orca behavior and vessel traffic, keeps a lookout for the tagged whale. She’s holding a device that looks like the tool engineers use to survey plots of land for construction projects. It’s called a laser range finder and it will synch up with L84’s tag the next time he comes up, logging his location. Giles aims it at the bubbles on the surface that signal L84’s imminent arrival.
“Basically what I’m recording is where the whale is on the planet,” Giles explains, “and that allows me to get distances from whales to boats.”
When the scientists get back to shore they’ll create a simulation of the dive – almost like a video game of L84 as he moves.
But here’s the cool part: The scientists will eventually correlate L84’s movements with the coordinates and sizes of the surrounding boats – and there are quite a few boats at this point.
(Video: Check out another tagging session on orca K33.)
It’s about 11 o’clock. And that means the pleasure cruisers and whale watch tours are out. The team takes note of a passing naval cruiser and an oil tanker and adds it to the log.
Heading underwater here for a sec: picture the sonic “view” from L84’s perspective. You’re diving and surfacing, diving and surfacing. You find a sparkling chinook salmon darting through the water and give chase. The fish moves into the deep, dark waters of Puget Sound and you use your echolocator to track him, but the low rumble of motor engines are echoing in your head as well.
Orcas “see” underwater by emitting a series of clicks that bounce back off of their prey. They can tell the difference between a chinook salmon and a coho or a chum. (Yes, they’re that good.)
But if orcas use sound to “see,” the droning background noise of a ship’s engine would be kind of like putting on sunglasses and then trying to go chase your dog in the woods at night.
Hundreds of tankers, whale-watching boats, pleasure cruisers and military vessels travel through orca habitat. One proposal to build a coal export terminal on the coast near Bellingham could add up to 500 more large ships a year. Scientists believe the orcas hear this traffic, and it could be a problem for them.
“It’s a valid assumption to say that when you add more boats you’re going to add more noise to the ocean,” says Marla Holt, an expert on marine mammals and acoustics at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle,
“But at what level would they just not be able to compensate - where it’s just so loud, no matter how loud they “shout” that it’s not going to matter?” she asks. “Those are the types of things that are really concerning.”
For now, scientists don’t know exactly how disruptive this underwater noise is for the orcas, but being able to correlate whale movement with vessel size and proximity will provide key information that could influence future protection and recovery strategies for these endangered whales.
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Join our Public Insight Network! | <urn:uuid:bc3ca4b4-94ae-4116-b3d5-fe2ade25b75d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://earthfix.nwpr.org/flora-and-fauna/article/unlocking-the-secrets-and-sounds-of-orcas-underwat/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921831 | 1,526 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Seeking answers to addiction
A Christian Science perspective on daily life
The number of afflicted is staggering. An estimated 20 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs. Millions more are addicted to overeating, sex, and gambling. The price – when you total in lost wages, the costs to public healthcare and the criminal justice system – is an even more staggering $524 billion for a single year.Skip to next paragraph
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Last month MIT hosted a small, invitation-only conference for professionals addressing addiction-related issues. The focus was on drugs now in development that, some experts hope, will be the solution for people addicted to other drugs. Not all experts feel that's the best direction to take. Both perspectives found room in Sunday's The New York Times Magazine.
To its credit, the magazine gives more than a token nod toward treatments that must seem downright quaint to the neuroscientists and clinicians at the conference who are in pursuit of an anti-addiction pill.
The fact is, it's not time to write off treatments that incorporate reliance on a higher power, or that are drug-free. For instance, the president of the Betty Ford Center, John Schwarzlose, says, "Nothing even comes close [to 12-step treatment]. And until something does, we like to try to keep most of our patients as drug-free as possible."
Beyond the scope of the conference are the spiritual resources so powerfully illustrated in the healing ministry of Christ Jesus. There, the themes of freedom, escape from bondage, and deliverance from a host of shackles through the power of the Almighty, are on display as neither quaint nor mythical but practical and repeatable.
The bondage of addiction is no match to the liberating power of Christ.
From Bible days right down to the present day, Christ – which can be thought of as the spirit of freedom that comes from God and was so interwoven with Jesus' healing ministry – liberates. Christ comes to those starving for help, reaching into the human heart with a message of the individual's dignity and worth. And Christ stirs that heart to respond, to awaken, to protest against bondage, and to more actively embrace one's true status as the loved child of a loving and liberating God. Jesus counseled his followers, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32).
It's a powerful and promising equation. Truth known equals freedom gained. To me this passage refers to the same truth Jesus taught and proved. He had perfect insight into the Father's true nature as all-loving and light and entirely spiritual. He proved again and again man's true status as God's flawless offspring. He healed in a manner that underscoredthe truth: None of are here to be enslaved. All of us, in truth, are God-like and free.
The key is to continue in his word. To know deeply the truth he taught. Then, escape from bondage, especially the bondage of addiction, becomes more possible. Ongoing enslavement is less inevitable. Freedom happens.
Mary Baker Eddy not only founded this newspaper; she uncovered the Science, the reliable basis, of Jesus' method of healing. In the 19th and early 20th centuries she practiced this method and cured many alcoholics through spiritual means alone.
She recorded her discovery in a book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." It says: "Truth brings the elements of liberty. On its banner is the Soul-inspired motto, 'Slavery is abolished.' The power of God brings deliverance to the captive. No power can withstand divine Love.... What is it that binds man with iron shackles to sin, sickness and death? Whatever enslaves man is opposed to the divine government. Truth makes man free" (pp. 224-225).
For those who struggle with drug or alcohol or some other addiction, and for those who care about them, here is an answer well worth seeking. | <urn:uuid:fb078876-a652-4202-a6cd-92ec4ce7750f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0626/p18s01-hfcs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945328 | 834 | 1.914063 | 2 |
“I was with the 90th Bomber Group,” said Herman Shanker last year when speaking before a group of sixth graders at V.F.W. Post 226. “We flew B-24s, which are heavy bombers, in the Pacific. I flew 27 missions. Coming back on a run, one of the crew reported one of the pins breaking, and once they break, the plane goes any which way. You can’t control it. We had to jump quick.”
They jumped out over New Guinea and landed in a field where they confronted by Japanese soldiers coming out of the jungle.
Shanker recalled the shootout that transpired and, finally, how he and his crew managed their escape.
“We got out of there fast and headed for our base,” he said.
On foot in the jungle, the half-hour trip by air turned into a hard three-day trek fighting through heavy overgrowth. Every time they came to a stream, they had to shoot the alligators to get through. Once back, they headed for the war room, reported their experiences, and then went to the mess hall.
“Boy, did we eat. We ate and ate, and then went to our tents and went to sleep,” he said.
Drafted on 19th birthday
Born in 1914, Shanker was a watch- and instrument-maker at Bendix before being drafted on his 19th birthday, June 18, 1943. He served in World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946 in the Pacific Theater of operation. He was a member of the “Jolly Rogers” flying in and repairing B-24 Liberator bombers. He piloted a B24 Bomber and was a member of the 90th Bomb Group, 319th Squadron.
Shanker was shot down a second time, in even more hectic circumstances, landing in water with sharks that attacked and killed half of his crew.
“We floated around for three hours in the water,” he said, an incident he did not like to recall often, but thought he might not survive.
But he did survive, passing away on Nov. 6 this year at the ripe old age of 98. Except for the war years, he lived his entire life in Bayonne.
“I like helping people.” – Herman Shanker
Shanker served in New Guinea, the Philippines, at Okinawa, and finally Ie Shima, where the surrendering Japanese Imperial forces were flown for the formal surrender ceremony in August, 1945. He said that he was the last man to leave Ie Shima. He was held over until the last plane took off in case repairs were needed.
Upon his discharge at the rank of staff sergeant, he returned to watch-making. But in 1950, he took up employment as a sewing machine mechanic for Maidenform in Bayonne. He retired from the company in 1979. Thereafter, he and his wife Esther often traveled around the country, especially up to Rochester, N.Y.
In the early 1990s, he assisted his son Steve, who worked on flight line duty at the Wings of Eagles war plane air show, helping to direct taxiing aircraft.
In 1999, Shanker, then 94 years old, was honored by the Bayonne Marine Corps League with the Lance/Corporal Stanley J. Kopcinski Memorial Award. Shanker had also been the commander of Jewish War Veterans Post 18 of Bayonne since 1998. He served as junior vice commander of V.F.W. Post 226 of Bayonne and as chaplain of the Bayonne Memorial Day Parade Committee, which plans the annual Memorial Day Parade as well as the Flag Day ceremonies and other special events.
Shanker loved collecting at ShopRite on Avenue C for many causes and was as much a fixture there as the store manager, setting up his chair near the exit door where he greeted many of his friends in the community.
“I like helping people,” he told the Bayonne Community News at one such collection not long go.
Shanker was also an avid gardener who always shared his produce and pickles with neighbors and friends and continued to fix mechanical watches until a few years ago. He could play the piano and organ by ear and often did so at many WWII reunions. | <urn:uuid:c7a6cb9d-9f34-4cc5-908b-c03ad9012f64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_ent/20831344/matchbin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986474 | 907 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Transition Stratford Garden Share
About this project
- Date started:
- October 2009
- Number of people involved:
- Number of people benefitting:
- Goals or benefits:
- Related Transition stage:
The aim of the project is to increase the availability of land for food growing by bringing unused gardens back into production.
The chronic local shortage of allotments and the example of other Transition initiatives (thank you, Totnes, Brighton & Hove and Cambridge!)
Outcomes so far:
Since the launch in February 2010, two matching processes have been completed to the point at which agreements have been signed and others are in the pipeline.
Two very positive, but not wholly expected, outcomes have been (1) the willingness of volunteers outside the core group to pick up the scheme and run with it (thank you Michael, Joy, Anna and Susie!) and (2) the general increase in neighbourliness and community spirit generated by the project before a single carrot has been grown
Obstacles, and how we overcame them:
Insurance: we cracked this one (we hope) by asking growers who are not already members to sign up, thus bringing them under our insurance cover
It seemed to take a long time to develop the matching process, draft all the questionnaires and agreements etc and we were afraid that the whole thing might be too bureaucratic. However, the lengthy preparation has paid off in that we have been able to anticipate a lot of the questions potential sharers are concerned about and can provide them with assurance that the scheme is well planned and organised.
Sources of materials:
We freely plundered the websites of Transitions Totnes, Brighton & Hove and Cambridge in developing our scheme (and will very happily share our processes and experiences with anyone who wants to develop something similar)
Transition Stratford's Garden Share scheme works by introducing garden owners with unused or unmanageable plots with people who would love to grow their own food but don't have access to a garden or allotment. The matching process is managed by a team of volunteers, who interview owners and would-be growers separately to identify their needs and requirements and iron out questions of access and privacy before introducing potential sharers to each other. Once a match is achieved, the parties are asked to sign a simple agreement which sets out how the sharing arrangement will work. The Garden Share team is available to help sort out any problems once a sharing arrangement is up and running, and help is also available for novice growers from more experienced vegetable gardeners. | <urn:uuid:3cff9ed1-06e8-46a7-87a4-f0d073b30464> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.transitionnetwork.org/projects/transition-stratford-garden-share | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955466 | 518 | 1.804688 | 2 |
This Time every year for the last few years, Toys R Us donates funds to the local Toys for Tots campaign.These funds are then used to purchase toys that are later distributed to local families in need.
This year nearly $10,000 in toys were purchased to assist in the efforts to ensuring every child has a toy this Christmas.
The Marines of Bravo Company were happy to help local Girl Scouts pick toys that would best suit the children of four different age groups.
Michelle Bowman of the Frederick Police Department and Sgt Wolbert of Bravo Company headed up the efforts to coordinate the event and ensured its success.
Each Girl Scout was given a gift certificate of $250 to spend on a specific age group and gender.
The Scouts, with the help of a Marine, then shopped for the best gifts they could find for those who may be in need this year.
The main effort was to buy toys for age groups that receive the fewest donations. More often then not, when toys are donated, they are for ages 3-8 and for boys more often then girls.
Doing a toy buy allows the Marines to supplement the age groups that do not get as many donations throughout the season. | <urn:uuid:9e98c609-ca67-43bc-a1cb-4a9da816ca02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thecsquare.blogspot.com/2009/11/b4lar-does-toys-for-tots-b4-leaving.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97721 | 246 | 1.695313 | 2 |
27 May 2010 17:11 [Source: ICIS news]
By Joe Kamalick
WASHINGTON (ICIS news)--US business launched a plan this week to measure future risks to the nation’s energy security - a novel proposal to see if energy policies will work before Congress pulls the trigger on a legislative gun inadvertently aimed at the US industrial foot.
The US Chamber of Commerce announced its “Index of US Energy Security Risk”, noting that while every president and Congress since the 1973 Arab oil embargo has sought to increase ?xml:namespace>
Karen Harbert, president of the chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, said that US policymakers have lacked a tool “to regularly measure our nation’s progress toward energy security and thus assess the impact of policy decisions”.
Quoting the late management guru Peter Drucker, Harbert said that “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it”.
“We haven’t had a tool, something to show us where we’ve been in energy security, where we are now and where we’re headed and what policy decisions are needed, based on past experiences, to get us there,” she said.
The chamber’s energy risk index, she said, will enable policymakers and energy issue stakeholders to better evaluate the likely impact of pending energy legislation or administrative initiatives and, in the out years, to measure the real effect of those policies.
The institute said that an analysis of 37 different government and private sector data sets indicates that the
The 37 metrics that make up the index include such measures as the security of world oil, gas and coal reserves, the dependability and costs of US energy imports, energy spending as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP), national energy consumption, commercial and industrial energy efficiency, electricity production and transmission capacity, transportation fuel use and efficiencies, private and government research and development (R&D) spending and energy-related emissions, among others.
With 1980 chosen as the base rating of 100 - when US energy security risk was at its highest due to the Arab oil embargo of 1973, the Iranian revolution of 1978, Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the onset of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980 - the index measures those metrics from 1970 to the present and projects them forward to 2030.
The index puts the current risk to
But Harbert said
She cited rising energy costs as a major risk factor, with the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projecting significant increases in retail electricity prices and dramatic oil price gains through 2030.
In addition, she said, the nation’s limited electric transmission capacity raises the risk factor because the
Finally, greater energy demands and oil purchases by the fast-developing economies of
Harbert said the index can and will be used to calculate the energy security impact of proposed legislation, such as the Kerry-Lieberman climate change bill, and regulatory initiatives, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plans to regulate nationwide emissions of greenhouse gases.
However, she said, for such complex legislative and regulatory initiatives, the index will need data input from the analysis of those measures by the Energy Information Administration and others.
The index and its matrix also might be used to measure the possible impact of pending legislation that would give the EPA licensing authority for use of hydraulic fracturing that is crucial for development of vast US reserves of shale gas.
That prospect, for example, poses direct risks to the
“The last thing we need is for EPA to act as some kind of licensing agent for energy needs and production,” said Jim Cooper, vice president for petrochemicals at the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA).
Having a better and quantifiable measure of how such a policy might impact the development - or impediment - of shale gas could be crucial, he said.
Cooper noted that US federal policies already in place and many of those contemplated on Capitol Hill affect natural gas pricing, in part by inducing fuel switching from coal to natgas among electric utilities that are under pressure to reduce their emissions and carbon footprint.
Lawrence Sloan, president of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), cautioned that with ill-considered energy policies “The US will further reduce its global competitiveness vis-à-vis foreign chemical manufacturers who have access to cheaper supplies, particularly in the
Missteps in policymaking, he said, will lead to “continued escalation of energy prices and will continue to squeeze profit margins of both the petrochemical industry and downstream commodity and batch chemical producers”.
That may well be the ultimate and rock-hard measure of energy policy decisions - whether the
The trouble with that end-game measure is that if a negative outcome is determined, by that time there won’t be a way to reverse it.
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|ICIS Global Petrochemical Index (IPEX). Download the free tabular data and a chart of the historical index| | <urn:uuid:119fd549-c2bc-4135-a4f0-eba02e780138> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.icis.com/Articles/2010/05/27/9362764/insight-measuring-energy-policy-before-pulling-the-trigger.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925746 | 1,153 | 1.71875 | 2 |
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Buy an Ad
By Barbara Coven-Ellis
It's funny. Michiganders' dedication to the idea of "buy locally" is evidenced everyday on our freeways. I've spent time in just about every state in the union and no where, by my recollection, is the percentage of American-made cars so high as on the streets and freeways of Michigan.
And now, one of the many branches of the environmental movement encourages you to "buy locally" (food and goods produced nearby) so as to reduce one's carbon footprint.
When you think about it, it makes sense; because when you "buy locally" you are supporting your friends and neighbors and their businesses, and they, in turn, funnel their monies right back into your community.
But how often do we apply that mindset to the arts? If you're a reader here, chances are that you already support local theater with your attendance - which is wonderful! But did you know that very few actors can actually survive on the seven-to-12 week contracts offered by most area theaters even if they are fortunate enough to be employed theatrically on a regular business?
Why? Because most of the contracts pay a salary that is roughly equivalent to minimum wage - yet they require time commitments of 30-45 hours a week!
Now, there is no "blame" here. The local professional theaters pay their actors as well as they can, and many of the contracts are negotiated through Actors Equity Association, the union for professional stage actors. It's not that anyone is out to get anyone else, it's just that all those lovely things like costumes, lighting, sets, the people who design all those things, the administrators, the ticket sellers and even the mortgage holders all have to get their respective piece of the pie.
So the slices tend to be pretty darn slim.
So how do actors survive?
In this market, we have been extremely fortunate to have a wonderful ally - the auto industry. Actors here are used regularly at auto shows as "product specialists" and as narrators (those folks standing up on a platform, in gorgeous clothing, telling you all about the new models) here and throughout the country. And the constant overhaul of car lines and models means that there has always been a pressing need for actors to appear in "industrial films" - films that are used to train the people who eventually sell and service the products.
As a matter of fact, for quite a while the greater Detroit area was the top maker of "industrial (training) films" in the United States. We produced more training films here than in Hollywood!
Additionally, auto manufacturers drew upon the acting talent and driving skills of Michiganders to produce their commercials. It used to be a fun challenge to watch Big 3 car commercials and try to guess in which community they were shot. "Was that Somerset Mall's parking lot?" "Ooo that looks like that new equine community in Milford!" "I recognize that overpass at I-75 and I-94!" "Hah! They're using the RenCen for a drive-by shot again!"
Michigan actors regularly appeared in commercials on television screens across the country. This was a good place to be for someone involved in acting and production. The housing was affordable, the cost of living within reason and the state offered them a safe environment in which to live and raise their families.
But as our state's economy weakened and the Big 3 pulled their respective belts ever tighter, the production of industrial films dropped precipitously. And commercials? Well, all you have to do is watch a few and you'll notice that most are of the exteriors of cars. They don't feature film clips of families traveling from inside the car or van. They rarely even show a mom unloading groceries in the family driveway, or loading up the kids (filthy, of course) after their sporting activities. And interestingly enough, when they DO feature these things, it is very obvious to those of us who live in the Midwest that the film was shot in the much milder climes of Southern California.
The result? Area acting and production professionals are having a harder and harder time making a living here, and so many of our best and brightest are often forced to leave the area or the industry for which they are trained.
But to me, the big question is: WHY are companies doing this?
It must be just as expensive, if not more so, to do these commercial shoots in other areas, especially considering that you have to fly the advertising people from the corporate headquarters to the sites of the shoots to oversee the production. Whenever you do commercial shoots there are several people there who represent the actual company for which the commercial is being produced.
And the Big 3 aren't the only ones.
There are three major pizza chains that were founded in this area. Of the three, only Hungry Howie's still produces its commercials locally. The Michigan Lottery continues to produce commercials here, as do the three Detroit Casinos, using local talent and production companies. OnStar uses voice talent that is all based right here in the area. Fifth Third Bank does its commercials in Michigan (although they are usually non-union), and Comerica has been doing a lovely set of "industrials" that are styled after popular television shows and films, which utilize area acting and production talent. And while Bissell continues to shoot its commercials locally, they regularly choose to use Chicago or New York talent, even when local directors insist that the talent available locally is just as good AND doesn't cost the extra dollars incurred by paying the traveling costs of an out of area actor, as well as their housing and per diem costs during the days of the shoot.
So what's my point in all this?
I guess what I'm trying to show is that we HAVE the local resources to help support acting and production professionals in this area. There are many multinational businesses that are headquartered here, as well as numerous others that are multi-state. Just as we need to support local businesses, and therefore our own communities, we also need to encourage those same businesses to use the multitude of talent available right here in Michigan. We have ad agencies here that are known all over the world - Campbell-Ewald, Carmichael Lynch, BBDO and others.
Michigan businesses need to look to local advertisers, and local advertisers need to remember and employ local talent.
So, just as YOU help local acting and production professionals every time you gather in a theater for a performance, you can also help them, and the area economy in general, by encouraging businesses to look to Michigan talent and Michigan vistas when producing their advertisements (be they print or film).
Remind them that dollars spent within Michigan go back into the communities of the people who work for them. That money spent out-of-state on projects that could more cheaply be shot here, is money that goes to support another economy, not our hungry one here. Encourage them to "think locally" when considering creative projects.
And watch as the dollars trickle down into our local economies and help us all.
Click here to comment on this story | <urn:uuid:82670d28-b280-4e06-800c-f6fd9a69da11> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.encoremichigan.com/article.html?article=109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973259 | 1,483 | 1.507813 | 2 |
As the executive director of Men Can Stop Rape, Stephen Glaude is leading men to stand up for women. Gayle talks with Stephen about his work at V to the Tenth, an event marking the 10-year anniversary of V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women.
Stephen says his goal is to mobilize young men to find and use their strength to create a culture free from violence against women. "I think that if many men knew [by sexually assaulting a woman] they were changing a life forever, … I think many men would make better choices," Stephen says. "But, they need men reaching to them and saying these things to them because I don't think a woman can give that message in the same way a man can."
Stephen says he wants to do more than just prevent future rapes—he especially wants to reach out to boys in middle and high schools and teach them how to respect and stand up for women in general. "When you stand by and watch someone else demean or dehumanize a woman—even though you may not be doing it—you are every bit part of the problem," he says. "In fact, you are the worst part of the problem because you are the silent condoner." | <urn:uuid:77717924-8150-4bd2-835a-0a1e00d6912b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oprah.com/oprahradio/Men-Can-Stop-Rape/print/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982927 | 253 | 1.992188 | 2 |
firmly in place has been confirmed through an abundance of historical evidence.
Possible Contraction in Real Estate Transactions
The recent participatory government is putting spurs to stable housing prices, thus its real estate policy is called a war against real estate prices. However, it is worrisome that recognition of both the government and the general public on real estate prices is highly relying on a small amount of transaction data or asked prices-centered current price information.
Any real estate transaction prices not based on the transaction volume are nothing but simple current prices or asked prices. In particular, evaluating the whole market by only a small part of the whole transaction data is highly risky. The weekly price analyses the government has referred to for years for its housing policies only call for symptomatic treatment, which ultimately mislead the long-term perspective.
Things get worse when it comes to apartment transactions in Gangnam area, one of the key concerns of the government. According to Doctor Apart's land transaction analysis based on government statistics, the apartment transactions in Gangnam area (Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa and Gangdong district) were cut in half from 64,354 in 2003 to 43,530 in 2004 and to 35,109 in 2005. This is believed to result from designation of housing speculation areas, introduction of housing transaction report system, and development profit redemption in case of housing re-development. In Gangnam district, especially, the transactions dropped by as high as 42.2% to 4,525 in 2005 from the previous year, which accounts for only 4.5% of all apartments in the district of 100,000 houses. This means the transactions are less than 100 on a weekly basis, and less than 10 per complex. This figure will be even less in major complexes that the general public and government are interested in. In fact, the reported transactions in Gangnam district (Over 18 pyeong in apartment unit size) rapidly dropped to 876 in March and 478 in April while the apartment prices increased by 3.7%. Instead of higher prices bringing less purchases and resultant lower prices, the current trend is that lower transactions bring up the prices.
The method to survey housing prices is problematic too. Private housing research institutes tend to produce asked prices-oriented price index referring to market prices, during which they highly depend on real estate brokers' price expectation. Since even housing price surveys by Kookmin Bank, the most reliable institute by both the government and citizens, are largely based on brokers' expectation when there is no applicable transaction prices, it is doubtful if objective price index for short period with a few transactions (monthly or weekly) can be produced. More recently, some apartment complexes engage in "mark-up asking prices of apartments" campaign, and brokers are highly pressed for higher prices, indicating the necessity for objective housing price data.
Given above, the government's housing policies should be established not by short-term but by long-term indicators considering full transaction data. Moreover, since the government rules that real estate's real transaction price should be reported commencing 2006, it is desirable to catch up with changes in the housing market, focusing on the reported market prices and transaction volume, to properly execute the policies. In fact, one of the easiest ways to win the war against the housing prices is prohibiting all transactions or limiting newly-built apartments. The government's policies so far seem to follow the direction while bringing up not only property taxes but also capital gain taxes, with transactions highly contracted. The increase in unoccupied new apartments in the metropolitan area, however, indicates how it is critical for the stable housing market to facilitate chain migration of households. In this respect, stable housing prices should be supported by active transactions, and to this end, more resolute and comprehensive policies should be introduced and implemented.
Cho Joo-hyun (Dean of Graduate School of Real Estate Studies, Konkuk University) | <urn:uuid:877c4e89-0473-4a84-a9ef-84cee046a1dd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eng.cfe.org/mboard/bbsDetail.asp?cid=mn200743094547&pn=3&idx=761 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954007 | 794 | 1.976563 | 2 |
As a pastor or a worker in the church, we often have some kind of relationship with those who come to us for help in a time of crisis. Usually the person who approaches us at the church or when they meet us in another setting is already a member of our congregation and we have at least met. On other occasions, though, the individual who is seeking help may be someone we’ve never met before. They may show up at the church or approach us out in the community because they expect that the church or a member of a church staff might be able to provide them with the help they need.
Whether the counselor knows the person who comes for help quite well or this is the first time that they have met , the first task when someone in a crisis situation comes for help is to achieve contact with this person.
Establishing a relationship of trust and demonstrating empathy are essential in many counseling situations and this is certainly true for crisis intervention. Since a person in crisis is normally less defensive, establishing a relationship of trust and empathy can happen rather quickly. In his book, Crisis Counseling, Howard Stone notes that two basic skills are needed to build this kind of relationship: offering attending behaviors and listening.
Stone describes attending behaviors as the “physical, nonverbal acts that communicate interest and concern and help produce a relaxed and comfortable environment for people.” These behaviors communicate care and concern for the person in crisis. One of the basic ways we demonstrate care for another is by attending to their physical needs. Providing food or drink for others is symbolic as well as meeting real needs for others. When someone drops off a meal or a plate of cookies for a bereaved family they attend to more than physical needs. Offering a cup of coffee or a glass of water and providing a comfortable place to sit in a relaxed setting are important ways to demonstrate concern for others.
Body language can also communicate concern. We face the person we are talking to, we lean toward them slightly as they talk, we look them in the eye. Touch can be another effective way to show care for another person when we place a hand upon the arm, put an arm around someone who is deeply distressed or even offer something as simple as a handshake.
The room where the conversation takes place can communicate calm, confidence and openness. It is best if both the caregiver and the person in crisis can sit in comfortable chairs that are similar in height, facing each other. A closed door to shut out distractions and interruptions, a room that features comfortable temperature and lighting, a space that offers a opportunity for confidential communication and an area that is reasonably orderly all help to create an environment of care and concern. Recognizing the importance of setting means that we will seek the best place we can find to carry on a conversation with someone in crisis. It also influences how we arrange our office space. Whenever I have moved into a new office, I think about how I want the furniture arranged. for instance, I look for a way that I’ll be able to sit facing the individual who comes into talk without a desk or some other barrier between us.
The second skill that Stone finds to be essential for establishing a relationship of trust is the act of listening. When we give another person our undivided attention, we are demonstrating care and concern. In order to give such attention to a person in crisis, it is necessary to remove both the outer and inner distractions that can hinder us from careful listening.
As we listen, it is necessary to discover two things: the presenting problem and the precipitating event. The presenting problem is what the individual names as the reason for seeking help in the first place. We can get at the problem by simply asking something like: “Why did you want to talk?” Sometimes, such points of entry are not needed because the person simply starts to pour out their problems.
It can often be the case that the individual can identify the symptoms that something is wrong, but they haven’t made a connection to the event that has precipitated the crisis. A good line is inquiry is to ask whether something significant has happened in the last couple of weeks. If a precipitating event can be identified, the pastor or counselor can be reasonably certain that this is a situational crisis that should respond to the approach being described. If on the other hand, if the distress that the person is experiencing is the result of recurring, persistent, long-standing causes, other kinds of resources will be needed to deal with the person’s circumstances.
Frequently, the source of stress lies in a relationship that is falling apart or failing to meet the needs of the person in crisis. Questions regarding significant relationships in the person’s life can help identify this stress.
The initial contact with an individual is an opportunity for them to experience some emotional catharsis. A pastor or other church worker can help the individual recognize and express strong negative emotions, including: anger, hostility, guilt, anxiety and grief. These emotion can distort the individual’s perception of himself or herself.
Before the first contact is finish, it is very important to build a sense of hope. This can be communicated both verbally and nonverbally. It is important to move as quickly as possible when dealing with a crisis situation. It is in the first days and weeks that change is most easily achieved. We want the person in crisis to feel that resources can be brought to bear to help deal with the crisis situation.
Even though the conversation might end at this point, it doesn’t need to. If there is time, the elements that we will look at in the next posts, namely boiling down the problem and coping with it, can be pursued. What we are describing is a process that unfolds in its own way, not a series of steps. Sometimes it will require several sessions to move through the process, but on occasion most of it can be handle at one time with just a follow up to make sure that the methods of coping with the problem are working out for the person.
The key in the first session is establishing rapport so that an atmosphere of empathy and trust develops. By the end of the session we want the person to leave with a word of hope from us that they will be able to deal with the situation effectively. If we can to that, we have begun the process of dealing with a situational crisis. | <urn:uuid:6ea1aa29-1a93-4947-93b4-f32f09e21fa2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://awakeatsunrise.com/?p=1228 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960257 | 1,303 | 2.421875 | 2 |
It’s Time for the Smart Water Grid
It’s been a great year for the Smart Grid. Entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, analysts, journalists, and regulators can’t stop talking about it. Experts are competing to project greater market potential. Zpryme puts the Smart Appliance market alone at $15.2bn by 2015, Lux Research talks about $15.8bn, Cisco estimates the overall opportunity at $100bn and Pike research uses a whopping $200bn figure.
Giants like Cisco and IBM have set aside billions to fund Smart Grid activities. The US government has kept up, allocating hefty tax credits and incentives for Smart Grid development, with $3.4bn from the stimulus bill granted to 100 smart-grid initiatives last October. VCs are investing heavily, as these three lists show. But while we anticipate the first Smart Grid IPO (market-permitting) from Silver Spring Networks, we’ve got to wonder out loud: Why isn’t water being served at this party?
Urban water distribution systems are not exactly ‘grids’. A lot of energy (and money) is invested in water production, treatment, distribution and reuse, but current water systems don’t comprehensively measure usage in real-time. Without measurement, there is no data to base grid management upon. The electric Smart Grid leverages the proliferation of measurement points collecting large amounts of (largely untapped) data, but this is not the case in water networks.
Nevertheless, even sparse data can take a utility a long way, without consumer-side measurement. Analysis is the real enabler of the Smart Grid, and if you are able to collect the data, clean it and then crunch it in a meaningful way, you can manage your network more effectively, the way it’s done in IT or Telecom networks. The result may be higher efficiency in water use, optimized energy expenditure and obviously consumer-side savings.
What exactly does a Smart Water Grid do? Take a look at the definition of the Smart Grid, and now consider the following moderate adaptation to the water space:
A Smart Water Grid delivers water from suppliers to consumers using two-way digital technology to control consumption at consumers’ homes to save water, reduce cost and increase reliability and transparency. It overlays the water distribution system with an information and net metering system.
A Smart Water Grid includes an intelligent monitoring system that keeps track of all water flowing in the system. It also incorporates the use of monitored water mains for less water loss, as well as the capability of integrating renewable water. When water is least expensive the user can allow to the Smart Water Grid to turn on selected water-consuming appliances such as sprinklers or water boilers that can run at arbitrary hours.
While parts of this vision are still a few good years away, the data revolution in the water space has already begun. In fact, analyzing available flow and pressure data to determine anomalies in real-time or scheduling pumps and valves according to energy consumption peaks and lows is already part of the Smart Water definition today. There’s no shortage of data in distribution networks, even if we’ve yet to see universal adoption of Automated Meter Reading and online transmitting meters. At TaKaDu, for example, we have been working with water utilities to introduce network intelligence into their distribution systems by applying advanced algorithms to pre-existing data — which is a huge leap en route to gaining full control over the system. Other companies, like i2o, AUG signals and more, are deploying smart sensors into the network. These are all building blocks of the Smart Water Grid.
Industry giants such as Siemens, IBM and Oracle have also been talking about a smarter way to manage water networks, and have even used the explicit ‘grid’ terminology in their recent announcements about plunging into Smart Water. But the billions being poured into the smart electrical grid market through government initiatives, venture capital investments and corporate allocations have missed, at least thus far, the Smart Water Grid. Yes, VCs are investing in water technologies, but the lion’s share is going into capital-intensive processes for desalination, treatment, reuse etc. To catalyze a new wave of investment, many VCs would like to find more “capital efficient” ventures (one of the buzzwords du jour in that community).
However, we’re seeing signs of a change. Experts and analysts are talking about the intersection of Water and IT. Some VCs, our own investors included, have singled out Smart Water as an area of focus. Innovative water utilities are also starting to talk about the Smart Water network, and water technology companies are developing solutions to meet their needs.
Sure, it will be a while before each tap and sprinkler is smart and connected. To make the water complex a true ‘grid’ would require massive deployment of remotely accessible and always-on consumer metering, which will take quite a few years. The Smart Water revolution is starting with smarter distribution, improved water infrastructure monitoring, and intelligent asset management. But just like water, innovation and capital are flowing along the distribution network, and will eventually make their way to a faucet near you.
Originally published June 2nd, 2010 in the BlueTech Blog | <urn:uuid:31f3578b-365f-4179-9898-f51cde24fcaa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://takadu.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/its-time-for-the-smart-water-grid/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936529 | 1,093 | 1.945313 | 2 |
A Multiple Regression Model for Predicting Loudspeaker Preference Using Objective Measurements: Part I - Listening Test Results
Part I of this paper presents the objective measurements and listening test results on 13 loudspeakers rated according to preference, spectral balance and distortion. In part II the data provides the framework for the development and verification of a multiple regression model that predicts listeners? preferences based on objective measurements. We review relevant predictive models and test one model currently used by Consumers Union (CU), a consumer product testing organization in the United States. There is no correlation between listeners? loudspeaker preference ratings and CU?s predicted accuracy scores (r = 0.05; p = .81). As the CU model is based largely on the loudspeaker?s 1/3-octave sound power response we conclude that measured sound power, alone, cannot accurately predict its perceived sound quality.
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This paper costs $20 for non-members, $5 for AES members and is free for E-Library subscribers. | <urn:uuid:1be41706-0c83-424d-8fd8-4722b199120f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=12794 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922818 | 255 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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Land of Olives
Antonio Ferres was born in Madrid in 1924. The son of a landless Andalusian peasant imprisoned by the Nationalists after the war, he had a variety of jobs before becoming a writer. One of these, as commercial traveller, took him through the remote areas of Andalusia—one of the potentially richest and presently poorest parts of Spain, whose villages are rapidly becoming depopulated as landless peasants emigrate en masse for France and Germany. The mixture of rage and resignation with which the Andalusian peasant lives a life at the mercy of a few landlords cultivating a single crop—olives—which give work for only a few months a year, is the subject of his latest book, Tierra de Olivos. Like many of the young generation of Spanish writers, among them Juan Goytisolo and Armando Lopez Salinas with whom his name has been linked, Ferres has turned to reportage to give an account of contemporary Spanish reality. Through his job, Ferres was able to come into closer contact with Andalusian life than most outsiders; the commercial traveller, particularly if he is thought to be selling smuggled British goods from Gibraltar, is often the natural supplier of lingerie and other small luxuries among village women who are not only diffident of shops in the towns but rarely get to them anyway. The author’s detached, dispassionate tone serves to heighten the book’s intensity; it may also have helped the book past the Spanish censor. Tierra de Olivos, of which the following is an extract, is only his second book to be published in Spain. The first, La Piqueta, a novel, appeared in 1959. A second novel, Los Vencidos, has been published only in Italy, while two later novels remain unpublished.
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Parker University Selects Blackboard Learn to Replace Current LMS
Oct 30, 2012
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Parker University has selected Blackboard Learn™ to replace its current learning management system (LMS) following a three-month evaluation of four commercial and open source platforms, Blackboard Inc. announced today. The selection was driven by the university's need to have an LMS that could support its ongoing growth in programs and students.
In the evaluation, a committee composed of faculty and administrators rated Blackboard Learn among the highest options for teaching and learning, with the latest version's end-user functionality and the availability of training resources being two of the determining factors.
"Transitioning our LMS to Blackboard Learn was a strategic decision," said Dr. Gery Hochanadel, provost at Parker University. "We realized it was the best fit for us and that it could meet the changing needs of our institution. We needed an LMS with the depth of functionality to support our university's rapid growth."
Recognizing the soaring job outlook in healthcare, the long-time chiropractic college recently expanded its academic offerings to complement the chiropractic degree. Parker added an associate's degree in radiologic technology, a bachelor's degree in health information management and an MBA in healthcare management. Along with adding new programs, Parker University is expanding online course offerings as a means to increase enrollment without straining physical space resources.
Blackboard's ability to host the LMS was cited as another important factor in the evaluation process—Parker University will move to the Blackboard Managed HostingSM service in order to free up resources and ensure around the clock monitoring of system uptime. With the burden of hosting an LMS shifted to Blackboard, university staff can focus solely on creating excellent courses on the Blackboard Learn platform.
Parker University will start new online programs on the Blackboard Learn platform in January and will move existing traditional and blended courses to the platform next summer. The LMS will also be used to provide supplemental material for continuing education courses.
For more information about Blackboard Learn, please visit http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Overview.aspx.
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. is a global leader in enterprise technology and innovative solutions that improve the experience of millions of students and learners around the world every day. Blackboard's solutions allow thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations to extend teaching and learning online, facilitate campus commerce and security, and communicate more effectively with their communities. Founded in 1997, Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release. Actual results may differ materially as a result of various important factors. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.
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The Bird Flu Bloggers
Everyone’s talking about bird flu, and some excellent blogs have emerged specifically to cover the topic. Here’s a rundown of the best of them.
Essentially, they break down into two broad types. Firstly, there are those run by specialists, such as doctors or public health officials. These tend to be heavy on commentary, and are often excellent places to learn the implications of what’s happening.
The other kind, like my own website, tend to be run by writers or other keen bloggers, and usually have a focus on presenting the news as it happens (and there’s lots of it) with brief commentary on what it means.
Among the specialists, my favorite is Effect Measure, written by “senior public health scientists and practitioners. Their names would be immediately recognizable to many in the public health community. They prefer to keep their online and public lives separate to allow maximum freedom of expression.”
Yes, they do enjoy freedom of expression. This is a punchy blog (note that it covers more than bird flu, but recent posts have been mainly on this topic), with lengthy (by blog standards) and highly opinionated commentary on bird flu trends. A brief example:
China says it will shut its borders to keep human bird flu in, while most other countries are making plans to keep bird flu out. Nice ideas. Neither will likely work.
Leland Teng is a Seattle doctor. He has started his excellent website, Pharmaviews.com, as a public service, to alert the public to bird flu trends. The blog – breaking news and highly pertinent comment - is just one part of it. For example, there is also a Quackery page, with “Bird Flu Products of No Use: (don't buy these!).”
Another interesting specialist blog is Biopeer, which describes itself as “a bold new experiment to create the world’s largest independent life sciences community of discovery.”
Among the non-specialists, my favorite is H5N1, written by writer and teacher Crawford Kilian (who runs nine other blogs). He’s a linker and a thinker. He presents the latest news, and has the knowledge to put it into perspective. He also provides commentary, sometimes amusing.
Avian Flu – What We Need to Know also does a good job of keeping readers up-to-date with bird flu developments.
A “complete” list (as complete as I can make it) of bird flu blogs is here.
October 27th, 2005 | <urn:uuid:8c3affda-768a-419e-9c40-dbb3d671c486> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.martinrothonline.com/birdfluupdate/Articles/bloggers.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963467 | 538 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Visibility determines when other threads will see changes made by the current thread, and whether they will see them at all. A lot of people endeavour to do something special in order to ensure visibility (like placing memory fences). However, in practice it's the most boring property, because on cache-coherent architectures (read - on all modern commodity architectures - IA-32, Intel 64, IA-64, SPARC, POWER) visibility is ensured automatically. Namely, each write is automatically propagated to all other processors/cores in a best-effort manner. There are no ways to prevent nor to speed it up. Period.
On non cache-coherent architectures changes are indeed not propagated automatically, and you need to do something special. However, such architectures are rare and unique (I saw no such archs), so I think there is no sense in discussing them in general.
However, there is an interesting deviation - on x86 architecture non-temporal stores (made with instructions like MOVNTDQ) and stores made to WC (Write-Combining) region of memory are effectively non cache-coherent. That is, they will be propagated to other processors/cores only before execution of SFENCE instruction, MFENCE instruction, LOCKed instruction or other serializing actions.
Move on to Ordering | <urn:uuid:20e469dc-a988-4288-84e6-3f2d9198b6fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.1024cores.net/home/lock-free-algorithms/so-what-is-a-memory-model-and-how-to-cook-it/visibility | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915988 | 275 | 2.40625 | 2 |
The Maori Party's peaceful relationship with the government has been restored, with neither side gaining any clear concession or advantage.
One thing was obvious after the talks between the party's co-leaders and Prime Minister John Key on Wednesday night - they both wanted to defuse the water rights issue and remove uncertainty over the future of their support agreement.
Those aims were achieved in ways which don't seem to have changed anything in any substantial way.
Key's comment that the government doesn't have to take any notice of Waitangi Tribunal reports, which Sharples and Turia had described as an insult to all Maori, has now been accepted by them as "merely a reiteration of current law".
That's what Key always said it was, and the only change on that issue has been an agreement to discuss the tribunal report when it is released.
If, as expected, the tribunal rules in the Maori Council's favour and says the partial privatisation of four state-owned energy companies should be put on hold, the discussion will take place and then the government will ignore the report.
Key didn't have to give away anything to clear that up.
The next issue is the one the Maori Party says was really important, although it wasn't known to the media until after the meeting and caused some initial confusion.
Key has agreed not to extinguish Maori water rights through legislation.
The Maori Party says its real concern was to gain assurance there won't be another version of the previous government's Foreshore and Seabed Act, which removed any possibility of Maori holding freehold title to beaches.
Key was on safe ground when he gave that assurance.
Maori water rights haven't been resolved - the very point of the Maori Council's application to the tribunal which asks that asset sales be delayed until they are.
The Maori Party put up a hypothetical situation which this government almost certainly won't have to deal with.
It will take years, probably decades, to work through claims. The possibility of a court ruling giving Maori water rights which the government can't countenance are remote.
The government's way of dealing with claims doesn't involve seeking any sort of pan-Maori agreement on water rights, which would probably be impossible to achieve given the vested interests of numerous claimants.
It is dealing with the Iwi Leaders Group and discussing water rights on a case-by-case basis.
This is working, an example being Tainui's role in co-management of the Waikato River which was agreed with hardly a ripple of public discontent.
It is the way the government sees the future, and the Maori Party agrees with it.
That was confirmed in the joint statement issued after the meeting: "The Maori Party and the government continue to support a process of negotiation between hapu and iwi and the government on their rights and interests in water."
The joint statement also noted: "This debate is not about ownership."
That was almost certainly at Key's insistence. His position has always been that no one owns water and Maori never will. The Maori Party has conceded it isn't going to push that particular issue.
Sharples and Turia are claiming victory over the government, hoping to silence their critics who called on them to pull out of their support agreement.Key is carefully avoiding saying anything that might spoil their chances of getting away with it.
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Oh no! Miley was looking VERY scrawny after leaving pilates on April 30. One expert estimates she’s now down to 110 lbs.
Miley Cyrus has been hitting the pilates studio for months now — and at first she was looking very fit and toned! But now the 19-year-old is starting to look extremely unhealthy, and one expert tells us she’s probably lost 25 pounds and is only consuming 1,000 calories a day.
From her popping collarbone, to frail arms and very tiny waist, Miley’s weight loss is very alarming.
“Miley has probably drastically cut her caloric intake and increased her fat-burning exercises. I suspect that she’s dropped at least 6 more inches. She is probably depriving her body of important healthy fats and carbs. I’d be surprised if Miley was consuming even 1000 calories a day! Miley is definitely on the verge of becoming scary-skinny,” says Alicia Hunter, weight expert and author of The Accidental Diet: From Fugly to Fox.
Alicia estimates Miley has gone from 135 to 110 pounds from February — when the photo to the left was taken — to April 30.
Miley has also been strangely obsessed with food lately. She’s taken it to Twitter multiple times to tweet about everything she’s eating from churros to the world. One doctor says this recent behavior is a predisposing sign of an eating disorder.
“She is at risk for something. At this point I dont think we can say it’s a bona-fide eating disorder… but I think we’re seeing something develop here,” says Dr. Jeff Gardere, an adjunct assistant clinical professor to the College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Other predisposing factors include: An obsession or preoccupation with weight, a skewed self-perception as to how the person appears to others, and issues (past or present) with self-mutilation.
We sure hope Miley isn’t on the brink of something a serious eating disorder.
Don’t you agree, HollywoodLifers? Do you think Miley looks too skinny? Vote and weigh in below.
More Miley Cyrus
- Miley Cyrus Bashes Eating Disorder Rumors On Twitter
- Miley Cyrus: Experts Fear She Has An Eating Disorder After Strange Tweets
- Liam Hemsworth & Miley Cyrus’ Huge Fight Over Her Dirty Dancing | <urn:uuid:58d4deba-f3a4-4f12-b100-fd208a8849e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hollywoodlife.com/2012/05/01/miley-cyrus-weight-loss-pic/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95184 | 520 | 1.515625 | 2 |
We discuss climate models a lot, and from the comments here and in other forums it’s clear that there remains a great deal of confusion about what climate models do and how their results should be interpreted. This post is designed to be a FAQ for climate model questions – of which a few are already given. If you have comments or other questions, ask them as concisely as possible in the comment section and if they are of enough interest, we’ll add them to the post so that we can have a resource for future discussions. (We would ask that you please focus on real questions that have real answers and, as always, avoid rhetorical excesses).
Part II is here.
- GCM – General Circulation Model (sometimes Global Climate Model) which includes the physics of the atmosphere and often the ocean, sea ice and land surface as well.
- Simulation – a single experiment with a GCM
- Initial Condition Ensemble – a set of simulations using a single GCM but with slight perturbations in the initial conditions. This is an attempt to average over chaotic behaviour in the weather.
- Multi-model Ensemble – a set of simulations from multiple models. Surprisingly, an average over these simulations gives a better match to climatological observations than any single model.
- Model weather – the path that any individual simulation will take has very different individual storms and wave patterns than any other simulation. The model weather is the part of the solution (usually high frequency and small scale) that is uncorrelated with another simulation in the same ensemble.
- Model climate – the part of the simulation that is robust and is the same in different ensemble members (usually these are long-term averages, statistics, and relationships between variables).
- Forcings – anything that is imposed from the outside that causes a model’s climate to change.
- Feedbacks – changes in the model that occur in response to the initial forcing that end up adding to (for positive feedbacks) or damping (negative feedbacks) the initial response. Classic examples are the amplifying ice-albedo feedback, or the damping long-wave radiative feedback.
- What is the difference between a physics-based model and a statistical model?
Models in statistics or in many colloquial uses of the term often imply a simple relationship that is fitted to some observations. A linear regression line through a change of temperature with time, or a sinusoidal fit to the seasonal cycle for instance. More complicated fits are also possible (neural nets for instance). These statistical models are very efficient at encapsulating existing information concisely and as long as things don’t change much, they can provide reasonable predictions of future behaviour. However, they aren’t much good for predictions if you know the underlying system is changing in ways that might possibly affect how your original variables will interact.
Physics-based models on the other hand, try to capture the real physical cause of any relationship, which hopefully are understood at a deeper level. Since those fundamentals are not likely to change in the future, the anticipation of a successful prediction is higher. A classic example is Newton’s Law of motion, F=ma, which can be used in multiple contexts to give highly accurate results completely independently of the data Newton himself had on hand.
Climate models are fundamentally physics-based, but some of the small scale physics is only known empirically (for instance, the increase of evaporation as the wind increases). Thus statistical fits to the observed data are included in the climate model formulation, but these are only used for process-level parameterisations, not for trends in time.
- Are climate models just a fit to the trend in the global temperature data?
No. Much of the confusion concerning this point comes from a misunderstanding stemming from the point above. Model development actually does not use the trend data in tuning (see below). Instead, modellers work to improve the climatology of the model (the fit to the average conditions), and it’s intrinsic variability (such as the frequency and amplitude of tropical variability). The resulting model is pretty much used ‘as is’ in hindcast experiments for the 20th Century.
- Why are there ‘wiggles’ in the output?
GCMs perform calculations with timesteps of about 20 to 30 minutes so that they can capture the daily cycle and the progression of weather systems. As with weather forecasting models, the weather in a climate model is chaotic. Starting from a very similar (but not identical) state, a different simulation will ensue – with different weather, different storms, different wind patterns – i.e different wiggles. In control simulations, there are wiggles at almost all timescales – daily, monthly, yearly, decadally and longer – and modellers need to test very carefully how much of any change that happens because of a change in forcing is really associated with that forcing and how much might simply be due to the internal wiggles.
- What is robust in a climate projection and how can I tell?
Since every wiggle is not necessarily significant, modellers need to assess how robust particular model results are. They do this by seeing whether the same result is seen in other simulations, with other models, whether it makes physical sense and whether there is some evidence of similar things in the observational or paleo record. If that result is seen in multiple models and multiple simulations, it is likely to be a robust consequence of the underlying assumptions, or in other words, it probably isn’t due to any of the relatively arbitrary choices that mark the differences between different models. If the magnitude of the effect makes theoretical sense independent of these kinds of model, then that adds to it’s credibility, and if in fact this effect matches what is seen in observations, then that adds more. Robust results are therefore those that quantitatively match in all three domains. Examples are the warming of planet as a function of increasing greenhouse gases, or the change in water vapour with temperature. All models show basically the same behaviour that is in line with basic theory and observations. Examples of non-robust results are the changes in El Niño as a result of climate forcings, or the impact on hurricanes. In both of these cases, models produce very disparate results, the theory is not yet fully developed and observations are ambiguous.
- How have models changed over the years?
Initially (ca. 1975), GCMs were based purely on atmospheric processes – the winds, radiation, and with simplified clouds. By the mid-1980s, there were simple treatments of the upper ocean and sea ice, and clouds parameterisations started to get slightly more sophisticated. In the 1990s, fully coupled ocean-atmosphere models started to become available. This is when the first Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) was started. This has subsequently seen two further iterations, the latest (CMIP3) being the database used in support of much of the model work in the IPCC AR4. Over that time, model simulations have become demonstrably more realistic (Reichler and Kim, 2008) as resolution has increased and parameterisations have become more sophisticated. Nowadays, models also include dynamic sea ice, aerosols and atmospheric chemistry modules. Issues like excessive ‘climate drift’ (the tendency for a coupled model to move away from the a state resembling the actual climate) which were problematic in the early days are now much minimised.
- What is tuning?
We are still a long way from being able to simulate the climate with a true first principles calculation. While many basic aspects of physics can be included (conservation of mass, energy etc.), many need to be approximated for reasons of efficiency or resolutions (i.e. the equations of motion need estimates of sub-gridscale turbulent effects, radiative transfer codes approximate the line-by-line calculations using band averaging), and still others are only known empirically (the formula for how fast clouds turn to rain for instance). With these approximations and empirical formulae, there is often a tunable parameter or two that can be varied in order to improve the match to whatever observations exist. Adjusting these values is described as tuning and falls into two categories. First, there is the tuning in a single formula in order for that formula to best match the observed values of that specific relationship. This happens most frequently when new parameterisations are being developed.
Secondly, there are tuning parameters that control aspects of the emergent system. Gravity wave drag parameters are not very constrained by data, and so are often tuned to improve the climatology of stratospheric zonal winds. The threshold relative humidity for making clouds is tuned often to get the most realistic cloud cover and global albedo. Surprisingly, there are very few of these (maybe a half dozen) that are used in adjusting the models to match the data. It is important to note that these exercises are done with the mean climate (including the seasonal cycle and some internal variability) – and once set they are kept fixed for any perturbation experiment.
- How are models evaluated?
The amount of data that is available for model evaluation is vast, but falls into a few clear categories. First, there is the climatological average (maybe for each month or season) of key observed fields like temperature, rainfall, winds and clouds. This is the zeroth order comparison to see whether the model is getting the basics reasonably correct. Next comes the variability in these basic fields – does the model have a realistic North Atlantic Oscillation, or ENSO, or MJO. These are harder to match (and indeed many models do not yet have realistic El Niños). More subtle are comparisons of relationships in the model and in the real world. This is useful for short data records (such as those retrieves by satellite) where there is a lot of weather noise one wouldn’t expect the model to capture. In those cases, looking at the relationship between temperatures and humidity, or cloudiness and aerosols can give insight into whether the model processes are realistic or not.
Then there are the tests of climate changes themselves: how does a model respond to the addition of aerosols in the stratosphere such as was seen in the Mt Pinatubo ‘natural experiment’? How does it respond over the whole of the 20th Century, or at the Maunder Minimum, or the mid-Holocene or the Last Glacial Maximum? In each case, there is usually sufficient data available to evaluate how well the model is doing.
- Are the models complete? That is, do they contain all the processes we know about?
No. While models contain a lot of physics, they don’t contain many small-scale processes that more specialised groups (of atmospheric chemists, or coastal oceanographers for instance) might worry about a lot. Mostly this is a question of scale (model grid boxes are too large for the details to be resolved), but sometimes it’s a matter of being uncertain how to include it (for instance, the impact of ocean eddies on tracers).
Additionally, many important bio-physical-chemical cycles (for the carbon fluxes, aerosols, ozone) are only just starting to be incorporated. Ice sheet and vegetation components are very much still under development.
- Do models have global warming built in?
No. If left to run on their own, the models will oscillate around a long-term mean that is the same regardless of what the initial conditions were. Given different drivers, volcanoes or CO2 say, they will warm or cool as a function of the basic physics of aerosols or the greenhouse effect.
- How do I write a paper that proves that models are wrong?
Much more simply than you might think since, of course, all models are indeed wrong (though some are useful – George Box). Showing a mismatch between the real world and the observational data is made much easier if you recall the signal-to-noise issue we mentioned above. As you go to smaller spatial and shorter temporal scales the amount of internal variability increases markedly and so the number of diagnostics which will be different to the expected values from the models will increase (in both directions of course). So pick a variable, restrict your analysis to a small part of the planet, and calculate some statistic over a short period of time and you’re done. If the models match through some fluke, make the space smaller, and use a shorter time period and eventually they won’t. Even if models get much better than they are now, this will always work – call it the RealClimate theory of persistence. Now, appropriate statistics can be used to see whether these mismatches are significant and not just the result of chance or cherry-picking, but a surprising number of papers don’t bother to check such things correctly. Getting people outside the, shall we say, more ‘excitable’ parts of the blogosphere to pay any attention is, unfortunately, a lot harder.
- Can GCMs predict the temperature and precipitation for my home?
No. There are often large variation in the temperature and precipitation statistics over short distances because the local climatic characteristics are affected by the local geography. The GCMs are designed to describe the most important large-scale features of the climate, such as the energy flow, the circulation, and the temperature in a grid-box volume (through physical laws of thermodynamics, the dynamics, and the ideal gas laws). A typical grid-box may have a horizontal area of ~100×100 km2, but the size has tended to reduce over the years as computers have increased in speed. The shape of the landscape (the details of mountains, coastline etc.) used in the models reflect the spatial resolution, hence the model will not have sufficient detail to describe local climate variation associated with local geographical features (e.g. mountains, valleys, lakes, etc.). However, it is possible to use a GCM to derive some information about the local climate through downscaling, as it is affected by both the local geography (a more or less given constant) as well as the large-scale atmospheric conditions. The results derived through downscaling can then be compared with local climate variables, and can be used for further (and more severe) assessments of the combination model-downscaling technique. This is however still an experimental technique.
- Can I use a climate model myself?
Yes! There is a project called EdGCM which has a nice interface and works with Windows and lets you try out a large number of tests. ClimatePrediction.Net has a climate model that runs as a screensaver in a coordinated set of simulations. GISS ModelE is available as a download for Unix-based machines and can be run on a normal desktop. NCAR CCSM is the US community model and is well-documented and freely available. | <urn:uuid:112a4805-f486-4d8b-8867-bcc08355abd5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2008/11/faq-on-climate-models | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94495 | 3,089 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Slide Rail Rules
In the excavation roost, advantageous slide-rail shoring systems provide safety while cutting labor and material costs in a variety of applications
Often touted as the most flexible shoring system available, the slide-rail system is a vertical sheeting and trench support system that allows an excavation to be safely and economically shored from ground level to subgrade without any soil movement. Arguably, the slide-rail system has become the preferred shoring method for contractors for long runs of larger-diameter pipelines by proving to cut time and labor costs versus conventional wood or steel sheeting methods. Slide-rail system end users will agree that its flexibility of design allows unlimited adaptations—and, according to manufacturers, virtually any configuration is possible using combinations of single, double, or triple slide rails, corner rails, side panels, and in-line sheeting templates.
“Installation of a slide-rail system requires a smaller crew, with components put in place and removed by an excavator,” says David Crandall, vice president of Icon, a full-service trench shoring and pilot tube guided boring company. “Modular beam-and-plate design provides flexibility and optimum use on a variety of jobs. There is no need for interior walers or beams, thus allowing for more working room and ease while digging. Slide-rail systems also allow multiple operations to be performed simultaneously to expedite work. We find slide-rail systems can lower shoring costs from 30% to 60% when compared to conventional systems.”
Dennis Parker, products manager for Griswold Machine & Engineering Inc. (GME), says that the contractor base is not as educated about slide-rail systems as it needs to be. “The systems are very detailed, and require manufacturer support in the equation to assist in specification for the given application. Depending upon the depth, site-specific engineering may also be recommended,” he says.
Gary Hicks, regional sales manager for Speed Shore, says that slide-rail systems require precision and skill during installation. “If one is new to the system, it’s good to have dealer or manufacturer field-technicians onsite for installation. Contractors should also have at least two pieces of equipment onsite to put slide-rails systems together. It can be two excavators or an excavator and a forklift, or an excavator and a rubber-tire backhoe to get the job started.
After the initial stage of installation, one machine can do the job,” he says.
Triple Slide-Rail System for Maximum Depth
When working on one of the world’s largest UV water treatment plants, SEW Construction used a triple slide-rail system. The project involved installing approximately 10,000 linear feet of encased pipe that ranges in outside diameters from 48 to 144 inches. A section of the massive pipeline required 9-foot-diameter, 20-foot-long prestressed concrete cylinder pipes (PCCP) to be installed in a very confined and deep section of the project. SEW contacted Icon of East Brunswick, NJ, to design and provide a triple slide-rail system that would be able to handle a maximum depth of 25-feet below ground level and over 30-feet in width.
“Because the contractor would install 20-foot sections of concrete pipe, we had to design the system accordingly, by using 20.5-foot-long lining plates for the required horizontal clearance and strong triple rail with large bracing for the 15-foot cantilever required under the bottom brace of the system. This would offer the pipe crew the proper clearance,” says Crandall.
The 20-foot-long sections of concrete pipe were set into the trench by a 275-ton crane. The weight from this crane added load and deflection to the sidewalls of the slide-rail system. Icon’s slide-rail system was able to handle this high ground pressure from the crane, says Crandall, due to the design of the 5-inch-thick wall panels manufactured from high-grade 50 steel.
The New York Shoring Consultant for Icon reports that the section of the slide-rail system itself was a six-bay, triple slide-rail trench that was 130-feet long, 32-feet wide, and 20-feet deep, designed in combination with benching and sloping to handle the overburden that would be encountered in certain areas. The contractor was also supplied with extra rail pairs for handling curves and turns in the pipe run.
“Dig and Push” System Fits in Tight Spots
Efficiency Production’s Universal Slide Rail is a component shoring system comprising steel panels (similar to trench shield sidewalls) and vertical steel posts. According to the company, the versatile system can be used in a variety of configurations, such as small four-sided pits; large unobstructed working pits as big as 50 feet by 50 feet with Efficiency’s ClearSpan System; or in a linear multibay configuration to install lengths of pipe over 40 feet.
When McCormick Sand Inc. of Muskegon, MI, took on the excavation of an elevator shaft for a local community college, the contractor encountered a challenge because the elevator shaft had to be built in the corner of two exterior walls accessing three underground floors. A 28-foot-deep excavation was required to pour in place the new concrete shaft.
Whatever shoring McCormick chose, it needed to be installed directly along the two perpendicular exterior walls where the elevator shaft was to be built. This severely limited the choice of shoring or shielding that was feasible. Ultimately the contractor consulted with Efficiency Production on the use of a slide-rail system.
|Photo: Efficiency Production
EfficiencyProduction’s new Barrier Posts and Guard Rail ensure added protection for longer-term excavations shored with its Universal Slide Rail.
|Photo: Efficiency Production
Efficiency’s Ground Quick-Relase Shackle eliminates
the dangerous task of manually removing shackles from the tops of the slide-rail posts.
Slide rail is installed simultaneously as the trench or pit is excavated by sliding the panels into integrated rails on the posts—an outside slotted rail first, then an open-face rail on the inside—then pushing the panels and posts incrementally down to grade as the pit is dug; a process commonly referred to as a “dig and push” system. Efficiency Production says it is the only slide-rail system manufacturer to offer an open-face rail design on slide-rail posts.
“I knew that our slide rail was going to work, because it is designed and engineered to be installed in the tightest of spots, and in all types of soil conditions,” says Efficiency’s slide-rail manager, Greg Ross. “For this project, we came up with a modified four-sided configuration that was open on one side against the wall, and we used linear posts and a parallel beam spreader assembly instead of panels against that wall.”
Ross was onsite for the initial installation. He says that the slide-rail system for this project is also unique in that it is designed to be partially removed as soon as it was to grade. When the entire system was completely installed to 28 feet, the corner posts were tied back with chains so that the panels and parallel beam assembly along the building’s perpendicular exterior walls; and the linear post in the buildings apex could be pulled up 16 feet to make room for the elevator shaft to be cast-in-place in stages. After setting an 18-inch-thick foundation slab, the concrete contractor poured 16-feet of the elevator shaft at which point the slide-rail system was backfilled and removed up to that point so the remainder of the shaft could be completed. The entire 14-foot-square, 12-inch-thick concrete shaft is 40-feet tall.
Although the slide rail went in the ground very smoothly, McCormick reported that it took them a long time to get the two sides of the system against the buildings foundation high enough to cast the first portion of the elevator shaft. Efficiency Production returned to the site to show the crew a better way to attach the chains to the post so that they could pull it up easier.
McCormick used a Caterpillar 345 to install the slide-rail system; then a John Deere 892 excavator to pull up the system’s components to make room for the elevator shaft and then eventually to remove the system entirely.
Open-Track Slide-Rail System
GME provides a full line of steel and aluminum trench shields and shoring that helps protect workers, improve productivity, and keep the contractor in compliance with OSHA regulations.
According to GME, its slide-rail system offers an open-track system that is more functional than other slide-rail systems. It allows for panels to be pivoted into place, more like a door, and then clamped into the linear rails before sliding into place. This is different from systems that thread panels into closed rails from overhead. The system’s self-adjusting rollers in a box frame strut ensure that the struts remain level as the excavation from within the trench is made and the slide rail is pushed to grade. GME maintains that this slide-rail system is one-half of the cost when compared with the use of tight-sheeting systems, and that fewer workers are required for its installation.
The GME slide rail system offers a highly functional open-track system that allows panels to be pivoted into place.
Rent Versus Buy
Lance Palmer recently blogged his thoughts on the rental versus purchase of slide-rail systems and other shoring equipment. Palmer is the regional sales and marketing manager for United Rentals Trench Safety division. He stresses that industry education—not just the equipment itself—is redefining trench safety. Palmer says that education is a top priority at United Rentals Trench Safety as the company trains 20,000 contractors annually in the OSHA Excavation Standard, and is greatly expanding on that number now and into the future by offering standardized monthly training classes at all its trench safety locations in North America.
Palmer writes that today, when a project requires trench shoring, the first thoughts are more likely to be: “How expert are my project partners about trench safety? Am I in compliance? What are my equipment options?” This approach, he says, is more productive, safer, and ultimately more competitive. He adds that achieving a balance between cost-effective equipment solutions and compliance with OSHA requirements has implications on the rent-versus-buy decision. In other words, productivity is affected not only by access to technologies such as slide-rail systems, but also by access to the services of Competent Person and Confined Space Training—and contractors can turn to a qualified rental supplier such as United Rentals for applications knowledge and training classes.
United Rentals recently provided a slide-rail protective system and onsite expertise to protect an Arizona-based construction crew when installing two 20,000-gallon and two 12,000-gallon underground storage tanks. United Rentals trench safety specialists worked closely with the project team to ensure regulatory compliance and seamless system installation and removal.
In collaboration with the contractor, United Rentals specified a slide-rail system for a pit that measured 42 feet in length, 52 feet in width, and 16 feet in depth. Contingency plans were put in place for the possibility of encountering groundwater during the excavation.
United Rentals slide-rail experts configured a 24-panel system that used eight panels each of three sizes: 8 feet by 20 feet; 8 feet by 12 feet; and 8 feet by 11 feet. The structure was supported by eight units of 17-foot linear post, four double bogey cars, four struts, four 20-foot corners, and two 45-foot tiebacks.
The entire installation phase took just five days—two days to install the slide-rail system, one day of preparation, one day to install the tanks, and one day to remove the system—with no groundwater being encountered during the process.
Recently Hitting the Shoring Horizon
Icon Tunnel Systems now offers its newly designed Transformer Slide Rail System to trenchless contractors as an alternative shoring solution to sheet and shore tunnel access shafts for auger boring, micro tunneling, pipe jacking and pipe ramming projects.
“We’ve designed this new rail system for the changing and always challenging trenchless industry,” says Crandall. “Every trenchless road, highway, railway, or environmental crossing project requires a safe trench shoring pit to work in, but each job varies and may require different dimensions. This is why we have designed our Transformer Slide Rail System to be a modular sheeting system that can change along with the requirements for the project. The Transformer Rail is the newest addition to our slide-rail shoring systems and is 30% to 40% stronger, which allows for larger clearances and increased working room for auger boring machines and large pipe diameters. The new design also decreases the amount of repairs and maintenance needed by approximately 50% when compared with previous designs.”
Icon’s Transformer Slide Rail is designed to be used in some of the most extreme soil conditions, up to a maximum depth of 36 feet in C60 soil. The rail is equipped to handle slide-rail panels in lengths ranging from 9.84 feet to 20.5 feet and with heights of 4 feet and 8 feet. Transformer Slide Rail lengths are available in 14 feet, 18 feet, and 26 feet. The 26-foot rail will be offered in both double and triple rail configurations for shoring deep shafts and trenches.
“We designed the Transformer Rail to also handle three different types of bracing with one great rail, including fixed rail, roller rail, and angled raker bracing. This is made possible by simply changing the hardware fittings, not the rail,” says Crandall.
Efficiency Production has unveiled two new innovations for its Universal Slide Rail Shoring System: the new Ground Quick-Release Shackle, which eliminates the dangerous and cumbersome task of manually removing shackles from the top of slide-rail posts with a ladder after they are installed, and new adjustable barrier posts and guard rails that provide fall protection for open excavations shored with slide rail.
In the process of installing the slide-rail system, the shackle connecting the top of the post to the chains or cables must be manually removed. This is normally done by climbing on a ladder to reach the top of the post. The new Ground Quick-Release Shackle has a spring-loaded pin that, when pulled by a connecting rope, retracts and frees the shackle from the post.
Efficiency’s new Barrier Posts and Guard Rail are made primarily for excavations shored with its Universal Slide Rail, but the posts are adjustable and can be used on trench shield sidewalls ranging from 3- to 8-inches in size. The posts have a telescoping guardrail that is a one-size-fits-all solution for all lengths of slide-rail panels and trench shields. Slide-rail-shored excavations typically remain open for extended periods of time and the new Barrier Posts are an easy, OSHA compliant fall protection device.
Author's Bio: Construction writer Carol Wasson is a frequent contributor to Forester publications. | <urn:uuid:fef92b74-5593-4447-b998-30adbc8ad7a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gradingandexcavation.com/GX/Articles/15514.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941676 | 3,208 | 2.140625 | 2 |
If a set of facts are enough to justify a jury in a criminal case (with proof required "beyond a reasonable doubt") to convict someone for culpable manslaughter, then those same set of facts are enough to justify a jury in a civil case (with a lesser burden of proof) to consider the issue of gross negligence. Gross negligence requires less proof than culpable negligence and reckless driving. Turner. 735 So.2d 226 (Miss. 1999).
Section 97-3-47 of Miss. Code of 1972 states as follows:
"Every other killing of a human being, by the act, procurement, or culpable negligence of another, and without authority of law, not provided for in this title, shall be manslaughter."
Culpable negligence means negligence of a higher degree than gross negligence in a civil case. If a defendant is guilty of culpable negligence in a criminal case, then that defendant will also be guilty of gross negligence in the civil courts. Culpable negligence is "the conscious or reckless disregard of the probabilities of fatal consequences to others as a result of the willful creation of an unreasonable risk." Evans v. State, 562 So.2d 91 (Miss. 1990). Culpable negligence is also defined as "negligence of a degree that is so gross as to be tantamount to a wanton disregard, or utter indifference to, the safety of human life." Clayton v. State. 652 So.2d 720 (Miss. 1995).
Moore v. State. 117 So.2d469 (Miss. 1960) (defendant's conviction for culpable negligence was affirmed for going 55 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone). In Moore, the victim was crossing the street. The court held that the defendant could have seen the deceased and should have seen the deceased in time to apply his brakes; that he skidded 140 feet, hit a telephone pole and lost control of his vehicle; that the physical facts and the greater weight of the evidence contradicted the defendant's testimony. The Supreme Court defined "culpable negligence" as follows: "Negligence of a higher degree than that which in civil cases is held to be gross negligence." In other words, in order to sustain the jury deciding the issue of punitive damages as a result of gross negligence in a civil case, all one needs to do is prove more than simple negligence but less than culpable negligence.
Shows v. State, 168 So. 862 (Miss. 1936) (defendant convicted of culpable negligence for sideswiping another truck who was going over the speed limit and crossed over the center line -reversed because of improper jury instruction). The defendant was driving a big truck and after the impact he concluded that no damage had been done and proceeded on to his destination in Hattiesburg where he was arrested.
Goldman v. State, 406 So.2d 816 (Miss. 1981) (conviction for culpable negligence affirmed for defendant who was going 60 miles per hour, crossed over the double yellow line in a no passing zone, and hit somebody head-on coming from the opposite direction).
Section 63-3-1201 of Miss. Code of 1972 states as follows:
"Any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a willful or a wanton disregard for the safety or persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Reckless driving shall be considered a greater offense than careless driving."
In the case of Turner v. City of Ruleville. 735 So.2d 226 (Miss. 1999), the
Mississippi Supreme Court reversed the dismissal of a complaint against the city for the actions of its police officer in allowing a drunk driver to continue driving after being stopped after the officer noticed that the defendant was driving in an erratic fashion and failed to have his headlights on. In reversing the case and allowing the jury to decide whether or not the city was liable for punitive damages, the Supreme Court held as follows citing Barnes v. State. 162 So.2d 865, 866 (Miss.
1964):The court held that for the purpose of the reckless driving statute, 'reckless means 'the commission of conscious acts or omissions which a driver knows or should know create an unreasonable risk of injury or damage...'." The Court also stated: "For conduct to be 'reckless' it must be such as to evince disregard of, or indifference to, consequences, or the circumstances involving danger to life or safety to others, although no harm was intended'." The Court defined "reckless disregard of rights of others" as follows: "...as used in automobile law, means the voluntary doing by motorists of an improper or wrongful act, or with knowledge of existing conditions, a voluntary refraining from doing a proper or prudent act when such act or failure to act evinces an entire abandonment of any care, and heedless indifference to results which may follow and the reckless taking of a chance of an accident happening without intent that any occur." Id. at 229.
The Mississippi Supreme Court held as follows, citing Dame v. Estes, 101 So.2d 644,645 (Miss. 1958), which defined gross negligence as: "Gross negligence is that course of conduct which disclosed a reckless indifference to consequences without the exertion of any substantial effort to avoid them."
The defendants argued that intent was required in order to make the city liable. The Court held: "While we agree that reckless disregard would encompass gross negligence, we hold that reckless disregard is a higher standard than gross negligence." Id. at 229-30. In refusing to require that the plaintiff prove that the defendant intended to do harm, the Supreme Court quoted Evans v. Trader. 614 So.2d 955, 958 (Miss. 1993), which held that in order to defeat an immunity defense under the common law, the plaintiff would not have to show that the officer entertained a specific intent. It would suffice to show that the officer acted with wanton and reckless disregard for the plaintiffs safety.
The Mississippi Supreme Court has held that "punitive damages are ordinarily recoverable where the negligence is so gross as to indicate reckless or wanton disregard for the safety of others." City of Jackson v. Perry,764 So 2d 373 (MS 2000) (57 mph in 35 mph zone knocking vehicle 75 feet; punitive damages affirmed), Also see Maye v. Pearl River County. 758 So.2d 391, 395 (MS 1999) (backing sheriffs car out of parking space up an incline; punitive damages affirmed).
Punitive damages may be recovered, not only for willful and intentional wrong, but for such gross and reckless negligence as is equivalent to such wrong, since an act done in the spirit of wantonness and recklessness is often times just as harmful as if prompted by malice. Bush v. Watkins. 80 So.2d 19 (Miss. 1955). The definition of gross negligence is found in Teche Lines. Inc. v. Pope, 166 So. 539 (Miss. 1936), which held that there is no precise definition of gross negligence, but it might be defined as that course of conduct which, under the particular circumstances, disclosed a reckless indifference to consequences without the exertion of any substantial effort to avoid them. Also see Reid v. Halpin, 178 So. 88 (Miss. 1938); Planters Wholesale Grocery v. Kincaid. 50 So.2d 578 (Miss. 195n: Belk v. Rosemond. 57 So.2d461 (Miss. 1952); and Dame v. Estes, 101 So.2d644 (Miss. 1958).
Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, the master is liable for the acts of his servants which are done in the course of their employment and in the furtherance of the master's business; punitive damages may be awarded against a master for the negligent acts of his servant. Sandifer Oil Co. v. Dew, 71 So.2d 752 (Miss. 1954). Employer held liable for willful and wanton acts resulting in injury to boy whom driver of truck had invited to ride thereon. Trico Coffee Co. v. Clemens. 151 So. 175 (Miss. 1933).
The most important case on the issue is U.S. Industries. Inc. v. McClure Furniture Co.. 371 So.2d 391 (Miss. 1979). In U.S. Industries, the Mississippi Supreme Court held as follows: "We have to keep in mind that the basic theory is whether or not there was sufficient evidence for the jury to award punitive damages even though the evidence might be conflicting. It is not the court's prerogative to make the award. It is only for the court to decide whether or not the party requesting a punitive damage instruction has presented sufficient evidence for the jury's consideration. Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R.R. Co. v. Hardie. 55 So.42 (Miss. 1911); Snowden v. Osborne. 269 So.2d 858 (Miss. 1972)." Id. at 393.
In affirming the award of punitive damages, the Mississippi Supreme Court held as follows:"The evidence was uncontradicted that Mississippi Highway 550 is a well-traveled road, that the tractor-trailer completely blocked both lanes of traffic and that this occurred prior to sunrise which was at 6:50 on the morning of the accident, and that visibility was at best limited. Prudence would have required Jones to have moved his rig on to the shoulder of the road either to await full daylight or to place the necessary flares, or to have continued in his own lane until he found an appropriate intersection for completing the maneuver. Instead, Jones risked the possibility of collision against the possibility of completing the dangerous turn within the few moments when the road appeared to be clear of traffic. He exercised bad judgment under the circumstances." (emphasis added)Id. at 393-94.
The U.S. Industries court also cited the Fifth Circuit Mississippi case of Anderson v. Eagle Motor Lines, Inc., 423 F.2d 81 (5th Cir. 1970) for allowing the punitive damage instruction to go to the jury. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the award of punitive damages and held that the blocking of the highway was gross negligence entitling the plaintiff to a punitive damage instruction.
Also see Commodore Corp. v. Bailey. 393 So.2d 467 (Miss. 1981), whereby the Mississippi Supreme Court in affirming the punitive damage instruction held as follows:
"If the evidence presented by the party requesting a punitive damage instruction is such that the jury could find that the wrongful acts complained of resulted from such gross disregard of the rights of the complaining party as amounts to wilfulness on the part of the wrongdoer, or that the opposite party was guilty of such negligence as to amount to a reckless disregard of the complaining party's rights, then the court is fully authorized to submit the issue of punitive damages for the jury's deliberation. Fowler Butane Gas Co. v. Varner, 141 So.2d 226 (Miss. 1962)."Id. at 471.
See Paracelsus Healthcare Corp. v. Willard, 754 So.2d 437 (Miss. 1999), whereby the Supreme Court previously remanded two cases for consideration of punitive damages and then affirmed the jury awards of 1.5 million dollars to each plaintiff for punitive damages and held that the evidence supported the finding that the jury could find the actions to be in gross disregard for the rights of the plaintiffs.
Punitive damages are defined as damages given in enhancement of ordinary damages on account of the wanton, reckless, malicious, or oppressive character of the acts complained of. Interstate Oil Pipeline Co. v. Valentine. 110 So.2d 369 (Miss. 1959).
In Sandifer Oil Co. v. Dew. 71 So.2d 752,758 (Miss. 1954), the Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the lower court decision allowing the jury to consider punitive damages for a truck driver who left his truck pumping gasoline into a storage tank and went across the street to a restaurant and drank a cup of coffee. When someone alerted the truck driver that the gas was overflowing, the truck driver turned off the switch and stopped the motor and the pump. A few minutes later there was an explosion. In affirming the punitive damages award, the Supreme Court held that: "It was difficult to conceive of a case of more reckless and wanton disregard of the consequences of his act. His negligence was gross, it was reckless, and it was wanton to such extent as to be tantamount to wilfulness...those who handle such dangerous agencies should be made to know the standard of care which is required of them. It is regrettable that such a tragic occurrence is necessary to again bring such knowledge to those engaged in such business." Id. at 758-759. "It is interesting to note and we concur in opinion that the ($90,000) ninety thousand dollar verdict in 1954 was the highest verdict in the country for the death of a child at that time."
Dame v. Estes. 101 So.2d 644 (Miss. 1958) (question of whether plaintiff was entitled to recover punitive damages should have been submitted to the jury when the defendant failed to stop at a stop sign.) In Dame, the Supreme Court reversed the lower court's decision in refusing to allow the jury to consider punitive damages and held that the facts justified a punitive damages instruction and reversed for a new trial on damages only. The facts of the case were that the witnesses estimated the speed of the defendant to be 50 miles per hour. The defendant said she was going 30-35 miles per hour. The speed limit was 30 miles per hour. The Mississippi Supreme Court held that the defendant either ignored or failed to see the stop sign which was staring her in the face and made no effort to stop at the intersection or to even check the speed of the vehicle she was behind. It was in broad open daylight, there was nothing to obstruct her vision and she wholly failed to see the plaintiff s pickup truck until it was directly in front of her. We think under this case that the question of whether plaintiff was entitled to recover punitive damages should have been submitted to the jury. The Court cited Hadad v. Lockeby. 169 So. 691 (Miss. 1936) for the definition of punitive damages as follows: "Punitive damages may be recovered not only for a willful and intentional wrong, but for such gross and reckless neglect as is equivalent to such a wrong, since an act done in the spirit of wantonness and recklessness is oftentimes just as harmful as if prompted by malice." The Court also cited Teche Lines. Inc. v. Pope. 166 So. 539 (Miss. 1936), for the definition of gross negligence: "Gross negligence is that course of conduct which, under the particular circumstances, discloses a reckless indifference to consequences without the exertion of any substantial effort to avoid them." The Court then cited Wilson v. State. 161 So. 744 (Miss. 1930), wherein the Supreme Court affirmed a manslaughter conviction, for culpable negligence, upon facts in which the negligence is no more culpable than in the case now before us. Id at 645.
Also see, Teche Lines. Inc. v. Pope. 166 So. 539 (Miss. 1936) (bus driver who failed to attempt to stop his bus until 10 feet from railroad crossing, held grossly negligent).The facts in this case are that the bus driver was driving his bus which was 30 feet long, weighed 10 tons, and had a 39 passenger seating capacity; the bus driver was traveling 25 miles per hour and approached the railroad crossing. The bus driver failed to stop until he was about 10 feet from the crossing, resulting in a disastrous collision and serious and permanent injuries to plaintiff who was a passenger on the bus.
Hadad v. Lockeby, 169 So. 691 (Miss. 1936) (award of punitive damages is affirmed for defendant driving 35-40 miles per hour in a 20 miles per hour speed zone without sounding his horn or giving any warning of his approach; he saw some pedestrians and struck them anyway). The defendant had three eyewitnesses who testified that the defendant sounded his horn and slowed his speed. The Mississippi Supreme Court held that the defendant was driving his car at an excessive rate of speed, that he saw the plaintiff crossing the road and failed to slow his speed or sound his horn or give any warning until the accident. These facts if true constitute gross negligence on the part of the defendant. It is interesting to note the words of wisdom offered by the Hadad Supreme Court: "These machines upon the highways are extremely dangerous to others using the highways. The lives and limbs of persons should be safeguarded, and something should be done to reduce accidents to a minimum." Id. at 694.
Southland Broadcasting Co. v. Tracy, 50 So.2d 572 (Miss. 1951) (jury authorized in finding that driver's negligence was so wanton and reckless as to justify the infliction of punitive damages for speeding, failing to negotiate a turn, leaving the highway, and traveling approximately 720 feet after leaving the highway.)
Collins v. Black. 380 So.2d 241 (Miss. 1980) (Supreme Court reinstated jury verdict for punitive damages against defendant who was driving at an unreasonable rate of speed, on the wrong side of the road, and failed to stop after the collision.) The conduct of a driver of a vehicle in failing to stop after the accident when taken in connection with all the circumstances may authorize a finding of a lack of care, conscious indifference to the consequences, and aggravating circumstances authorizing the recovery of punitive damages.
So if you have a question about your 18 wheeler or other accident case which may justify punitive damages, give me a call or email me. 601-969-1977 firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:01e38dd9-7b4f-4c74-a117-17a1d03cabd1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mississippiaccidentlawyerblog.com/spinal-cord-injury/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957892 | 3,699 | 1.945313 | 2 |
The World Today
Earth has three main components: the air we breathe, the land we live on, and the water that nourishes us. All of them have been affected by pollution, but there are ways to minimize future damage.
It's in the Air
Although the complex mechanics of air quality were not understood until recently, air quality has been an issue dating back to medieval times, when coal-burning furnaces choked peoples' lungs. In recent decades, the quality of the outside air arose as a concern, but now indoor air pollution is becoming more of a problem as well.
The world's largest stationary air polluters are power plants, followed by factories, dry cleaners, and degreasing operations used to clean metal equipment and machine parts. Add to that mobile sources of air pollution such as cars, buses, planes, and trains. Some air pollutants impact local conditions, and others travel upward and then float on air currents until they settle elsewhere. Individually, people can alter their driving habits and become involved politically to maintain or improve the air quality in their town, city, or state.
The U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970, followed by amendments and complementary legislation in the following years and decades. The goal was to lower air pollution by reducing emissions of many common pollutants. Industries and corporations had to meet set standards for their own operations and products. Individual states have their own regulations aimed at curtailing pollution within their borders.
The Foundation for Clean Air Progress estimates that it would take 20 modern cars to produce the same amount of pollution as one car from the 1960s. This improvement, along with reduced air emissions from factories and power plants, is reflected by the decrease in the number of poor-air-quality days in many metropolitan areas.
Indoor air pollution is a concern in many households. From formaldehyde in furniture to dangerous chemicals in fragrances and even hazardous radon in building materials, indoor air quality can't be taken for granted anymore. Some commercial cleaners and pesticides have harmful chemicals that contribute to indoor air pollution as well.
Armed with information, people can choose to make changes in the way they live, the way they furnish their houses, and in other activities that potentially impact the air quality they breathe in every day. To help lower indoor air pollution levels, consider the products you use before you buy them and make sure your home is well ventilated.
It's easy to take soil for granted, but dirt is definitely more than a reason to run the vacuum. It sustains life both on the surface and below ground. Soil controls the flow of water over land, filters chemicals, and stores nutrients. It supports the structures that people live and work in. When the soil is neglected, the life that depends on it is damaged as well.
Soil is the outermost layer of the planet. In a way, it functions as the planet's skin, a protective layer. It's made from rocks, plants, and animals that have decayed over hundreds of years — just one inch of topsoil takes up to 500 years to form. Beneath the surface, a complex ecosystem comprised of minerals, water, air, fungi, bacteria, and plant material works together.
Earthworms are essential to soil health. Living at different depths underground, these animals digest organic matter like plant litter, leaving behind casts that become a vital part of the soil.
Contamination from human activities weighs heavily on the soil. Industrial impacts include unremediated chemical spills, pesticide contamination from agricultural practices, and runoff from livestock farms with cattle operations. Also devastating are mining activities that alter the surface and subsurface.
Not only are the ecosystems living in the soil destroyed, but drainage patterns on the surface are distorted and waste products from mines often degrade the quality of the soil and even nearby water bodies. Even old unlined landfills can leach liquids into the ground, contaminating groundwater as well as soil. Erosion also impacts the soil. When the uppermost layer of soil detaches, it takes with it nutrients and composition needed to sustain plants and structures.
Strides are being made in protecting the soil. As people become more aware of their individual impacts on the planet and more industries are held accountable, improvements in protection are becoming the norm rather than the exception. Industries that work with hazardous chemicals and other materials can take advantage of plant designs and barrier systems that are intended to prevent accidental spills from contaminating nearby soil and water. Agricultural techniques, such as leaving plant materials from previous harvests on the field, help reduce erosion and improve soil quality.
Deep in the Ocean
The world's oceans are home to some of the largest, smallest, and most diverse animal populations on the planet. They are majestic environments that hold unknown mysteries humans are only beginning to discover.
In 1943, French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau partnered with Emile Gagnan to develop the first self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, or SCUBA. This invention allowed divers all over the world to observe underwater beauty and gain an understanding of its complexities. His television show, The Underworld Sea of Jacques Cousteau, ran from 1968 through 1976 and introduced this fragile world to the masses.
Humans impact the oceans through destructive fishing practices, ocean dumping, and industrial discharge to the air and the water. Because so many countries share ocean coastlines, it's not always easy coming to a consensus on the best way to protect them, or even on defining what exactly needs protecting. One country may see harvesting sea life as a necessity while others watch on in disgust. Marine mammals may beach themselves in one area as a result of activity in another.
The sea is a complex environment, but there are stewards and backers who work endlessly to protect it. Environmental groups lobby governments and international organizations such as the United Nations for policy changes to protect the oceans.
It's in the Water
Protecting resources like drinking water is paramount for society, but it often comes only after shortages are permanent. In areas all over the United States, especially in the Southwest and now the Southeast, water wars are frequent as rising populations strain limited supplies.
Water flushed from household toilets and drained from residential washing machines can be converted to graywater with minimal treatment and reused for irrigation. Individual graywater systems are being approved for residents, with states like Arizona leading the way. Not only does graywater offset the demand for treating water to the highest potable standard, it may actually be beneficial to plants as it's likely to contain nitrogen and phosphorus.
Water sources like rivers, streams, and aquifers have been tapped for irrigation. The demand has forced water management districts and environmental protection agencies to deny new well construction permits. In certain cases, however, the impact has not been all bad. As the price for water has increased, the use of treated wastewater effluent has become more acceptable.
Where perfectly good drinking water was pumped miles away to fields of crops, pipelines are now placed so effluent, or graywater, can be used for irrigation. Not only does this alleviate an added strain on the water table, it provides an outlet for effluent rather than discharging it into estuaries and bays.
The quality of some water supplies has been negatively impacted as a result of poorly run industries, old landfills, septic tanks, pesticides and fertilizers used on crops, and other common causes. Regulators and watchdog groups alike try to monitor water quality, ensuring that no one is in harm's way. | <urn:uuid:d0cad4c0-f78a-4d5e-ab00-b4e3c494e4cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netplaces.com/green-living/the-earth-and-the-environment/the-world-today.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953578 | 1,528 | 3.78125 | 4 |
Missing piece completes Stuxnet jigsaw
Malware targets frequency converter drives from two specific vendors
Security researchers have found an important missing piece in the Stuxnet jigsaw that provides evidence that the malware was targeted at the types of control systems more commonly found in nuclear plants and other specialised operations than in mainstream factory controls.
It was already known that the highly sophisticated Stuxnet worm targets industrial plant control (SCADA) systems from Siemens, spreading using either unpatched Windows vulnerabilities or from infected USB sticks. The malware only uses infected PCs as a conduit onto connected industrial control systems. The malware is capable of reprogramming or even sabotaging targeted systems while hiding its presence using rootkit-style functionality.
New research, published late last week, has established that Stuxnet searches for frequency converter drives made by Fararo Paya of Iran and Vacon of Finland. In addition, Stuxnet is only interested in frequency converter drives that operate at very high speeds, between 807 Hz and 1210 Hz.
The malware is designed to change the output frequencies of drives, and therefore the speed of associated motors, for short intervals over periods of months. This would effectively sabotage the operation of infected devices while creating intermittent problems that are that much harder to diagnose.
Low-harmonic frequency converter drives that operate at over 600 Hz are regulated for export in the US by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as they can be used for uranium enrichment. They may have other applications but would certainly not be needed to run a conveyor belt at a factory, for example.
Symantec - which has an informative write-up piece here - describes the new research as a "critical piece of the puzzle". Eric Chien, a senior researcher at Symantec, writes. "With this discovery, we now understand the purpose of all of Stuxnet’s code".
Although we know what Stuxnet does, we still can't be sure who created it or its exact purpose, although we can make an educated guess.
Stuxnet infections first surfaced in Malaysia in June, but the appearance of the malware in Iran has long been the major point of interest in the story. Plant officials at the controversial Bushehr nuclear plant in Iran admitted the malware had infected its network in September. This had nothing to do with a recently announced two-month delay in bringing the reactor online, government ministers subsequently claimed.
One theory is that Russian contractors at the site of Bushehr power plant introduced the malware, either accidentally or (more likely) deliberately. Stuxnet used four Windows zero-day vulnerabilities to spread and must have been developed by a team with expertise in and access to industrial control systems over several weeks, at a minimum. Altogether an expensive and tricky project with no obvious financial return, factors suggest the malware was developed with either the direct involvement of support of intelligence agencies or nation-states and designed for sabotage.
The appearance of the malware has provoked talk of cyberwar in some quarters and certainly done a great deal to raise the profile of potential attacks on power grid and utility systems in the minds of politicians. This is regardless of the potential likelihood of such an attack actually being successful, which remains unclear even after the arrival of Stuxnet. ®
"spreading using either unpatched Windows vulnerabilities or from infected USB sticks"
Windows? In a nuclear power plant? Anywhere near anything important?
Are these people insane?
I can't wait
For the scam antivirus vendors to start cold calling the Iranian government.
"hullo my brother. this is Microsoft. We have detected a virus in some of your PCs......"
No Tit Required
Did you realise it's used in ATMs?
Grenade, the quickest way to get the money out. | <urn:uuid:da52c7a0-e8e4-4b69-b31f-adb801730a95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/15/stuxnet_jigsaw_completed/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955529 | 774 | 2.03125 | 2 |
What is the appropriate notion of truth for sentences whose meanings are understood in epistemic terms such as proof or ground for an assertion? It seems that the truth of such sentences has to be identified with the existence of proofs or grounds, and the main issue is whether this existence is to be understood in a temporal sense as meaning that we have actually found a proof or a ground, or if it could be taken in an abstract, tenseless (...) sense. Would the latter alternative amount to realism with respect to proofs or grounds in a way that would be contrary to the supposedly anti-realistic standpoint underlying the epistemic understanding of linguistic expressions? Before discussing this question, I shall consider reasons for construing linguistic meaning epistemically and relations between such reasons and reasons for taking an anti-realist point of view towards the discourse in question. (shrink)
According to a main idea of Gentzen the meanings of the logical constants are reflected by the introduction rules in his system of natural deduction. This idea is here understood as saying roughly that a closed argument ending with an introduction is valid provided that its immediate subarguments are valid and that other closed arguments are justified to the extent that they can be brought to introduction form. One main part of the paper is devoted to the exact development of (...) this notion. Another main part of the paper is concerned with a modification of this notion as it occurs in Michael Dummett’s book The Logical Basis of Metaphysics. The two notions are compared and there is a discussion of how they fare as a foundation for a theory of meaning. It is noted that Dummett’s notion has a simpler structure, but it is argued that it is less appropriate for the foundation of a theory of meaning, because the possession of a valid argument for a sentence in Dummett’s sense is not enough to be warranted to assert the sentence. (shrink)
The theme of these notes is the relation between verificationism and Quine's approach to philosophy of language. The main thesis is that a tenable theory of meaning along verificationist lines must distinguish between canonical and indirect verification and that this distinction is related to observable features of language use. It is argued that a theory of meaning along such lines is not vulnerable to Quine's arguments against verificationism, and suggested that, on the whole, a verificationism of this kind is compatible (...) with Quine's basic approach to philosophy of language. (shrink)
This volume examines the notion of an analytic proof as a natural deduction, suggesting that the proof's value may be understood as its normal form--a concept with significant implications to proof-theoretic semantics. | <urn:uuid:1745d435-09ea-4b84-b755-3c239141cef3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://philpapers.org/s/Dag%20Prawitz | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967151 | 546 | 2.296875 | 2 |
The Dangers Of Visceral Abdominal Fat
In the olden days body fat was considered to be mainly a storage mechanism for our bodies in order to have an easily accessed supply of energy in the event of food shortage or prolonged periods of activity. However we know today that there are different kinds of fat- visceral (surrounding the abdominal organs) or subcutaneous (fat that lies between the skin and the abdominal walls). The cosmetic considerations aside, several studies show that high visceral fat levels increase risk factors for insulin resistance, which sets the stage for type 2 diabetes. (Some research suggests that the deeper layers of subcutaneous fat may also be involved in the development of insulin resistance (in men but not in women).
Visceral Abdominal Fat Plays A Major Role In Developing Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease
These fat cells in the abdominal area are not merely inert storage mechanisms- in fact they are very much biologically active. In a way you should think of fat as an organ onto itself, as it is able to produce hormones and other substances that can have a profound effect on our health. One such hormone secreted by fat cells is leptin. Leptin is usually released after a meal and sends a signal to your brain for you to stop eating. Another hormone produced by visceral fat cells is the hormone adiponectin, which is thought to influence the response of our cells to insulin. Although scientists are still learning more everyday about the roles of individual hormones, it is clear that excess body fat, especially visceral abdominal fat seems to disrupt the normal balance and functioning of these hormones. Thus our body doesn’t secrete insulin the way it should (insulin resistance) and our we overeat because our leptin levels are disrupted by the increased presence of visceral fat.
Visceral Abdominal Fat Creates Chronic Inflammation & Increase Cancer Risks
Another finding that has researchers looking at the link between abdominal fat deposits and increased risk of metabolic syndrome is the role of cytokines. Visceral fat produces these immune system chemicals (namely tumor necrosis factor and interleukin y6) that can bring about an increase in insulin resistance, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic inflammation. Research also shows that there are other biochemicals coming from visceral abdominal fat that appear to have negative effects on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and the body’s blood clotting ability. The alarming news is that the dangers of increased visceral abdominal fat don’t end at heart disease and diabetes, studies have found that a waist to hip ratio higher than 0.85 was linked to a 52% increase in risk for colorectal cancer among women.
Visceral Abdominal Fat Hampers Daily Activity & Brain Function
Another study on atherosclerosis done at Wake Forest University in North Carolina found interestingly enough that even among people of normal weight, those with higher waist to hip ratios had just as much difficulty performing the daily tasks of everyday life as those that with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI). Apparently having a big belly seems to make simple tasks such as getting out of bed and performing routine household chores far more difficult! More shocking was a study presented at an annual meeting for the Society for Neuroscience which found that older people with bigger bellies had on average worse memory and less verbal fluency, and that was even when adjustments were made in the study to take diabetes into account.
How Do I Get Rid Of Visceral Fat?
So how do we combat this nefarious form of fat around our waists? Simple, exercise in conjunction with healthy eating are the most universally accepted and proven methods of reducing visceral abdominal fat. The great part is that by making healthy eating and exercising a regular part of your life not only will you reduce your risk of developing potentially fatal diseases, but you will look and feel better in the process as well!
Related Articles: High Intensity Training Reduces Visceral Abdominal Fat
Kevin Richardson is one of New York City’s most sought after personal trainers and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training. Get a copy of Kevin’s award winning free weight loss ebook here and visit his official website at www.naturallyintense.net. | <urn:uuid:58f9a398-b869-4c68-ac93-4796a77a6b30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naturallyintense.net/blog/weight-loss/the-dangers-of-visceral-abdominal-fat/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960268 | 864 | 2.828125 | 3 |
America: More Likely To Elect A Gay, Muslim, Former Drug User Than An Athiestby Doug Mataconis
That is the somewhat interesting result of a recent New York Times poll:
THE probing about his Mormon beliefs has by now become familiar to the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But when Mary Van Steenis, a teacher at a local Christian school, took the microphone at a recent “Ask Mitt Anything†forum in Pella, Iowa, to ask her question, it still felt as if some sort of unspoken boundary of social etiquette had been breached.
Mrs. Van Steenis wanted Mr. Romney to say where the Book of Mormon would figure in his decision making as president.
“Where would the Bible be?†she asked. “Would it be above the Book of the Mormon, or would it be beneath it?â€
Although the Constitution bars any religious test for office, if polls are to be believed, Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, faces a serious obstacle to winning the presidency because of his faith. Surveys show a substantial percentage of Americans would be less likely to vote for a Mormon, or for that matter a Muslim or an atheist. But how rigid is that sentiment?
Just take a look at the numbers and it seems pretty rigid.
This is why candidates appearing at churches and Presidents invoking God are part of the public religion of the United States. The voters expect it, heck in some parts of the country I’d go so far as to say they demand it. This is hardly surprising, since the United States has always been a far more openly religious country than most of the West.
And repression has often been part of the package.
The Puritans, for example, didn’t come to the New World for religious freedom so much as they came so that they’d be able to impose their own brand of religious tyranny free from interference by the Church of England. And it happened in other colonies as well, with the exception of Quaker dominated Pennsylvania. That’s why we have a First Amendment and that’s why the Constitution specifically provides that there is no religious test for holding office.
But Constitutional amendments can only go so far. Toleration for other’s beliefs is not something that can be imposed, it must be learned. And it would seem we still have a long way to go. | <urn:uuid:684afe6f-15d9-4232-b9ae-87a73146ceb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2007/07/22/america-more-likely-to-elect-a-gay-muslim-former-drug-user-than-an-athiest/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964565 | 503 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Hanne Hirsch Liebmann
Born: 1924, Karlsruhe, Germany
Describes conditions in the Gurs camp [Interview: 1990]
Gurs was a camp full of mud. It was clay. When it rained, you sank into the clay up to your knees. The first persons we lost or one woman we lost really choked to death in the mud. She went at night to the latrine. She fell. She could not extricate herself and she died. So our experiences were horrendous. It is not...I would not say Gurs was Auschwitz, but it was what they called the little Hell before the big one, meaning Auschwitz. Our food was minimal. France was short on food, it is true. Uh...the French felt called upon to steal much of the money that was allocated to feed us so instead of the little, there was even less. There were people in the camp who stole...were in a position to steal and did, of this little food. So it was really a very difficult, difficult survival.
Hanne's family owned a photographic studio. In October 1940, she and other family members were deported to the Gurs camp in southern France. In September 1941, the Children's Aid Society (OSE) rescued Hanne and she hid in a children's home in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. Her mother perished in Auschwitz. In 1943, Hanne obtained false papers and crossed into Switzerland. She married in Geneva in 1945 and had a daughter in 1946. In 1948, she arrived in the United States.
US Holocaust Memorial Museum - Collections | <urn:uuid:bb838769-580d-4cb0-92bd-525b0de8fe94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_oi.php?ModuleId=10005298&MediaId=1652 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987614 | 331 | 2.46875 | 2 |
December 10, 2009
HLS Leo Gottlieb Professor of Law Elizabeth Warren discussed the future of the foreclosure crisis in the United States and what should be done to improve the current situation on a National Public Radio program that aired December 9.
Warren appeared on NPR’s “On Point” hosted by Tom Ashbrook alongside Floyd Norris, chief financial correspondent at The New York Times, Arden Shank, executive director and president of Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida, and Yale University professor of economics John Geanakoplos.
The discussion focused on the failure of recent interventions to ease the home foreclosure market and the possibility that the future will only worsen if appropriate interventions are not instituted.
Warren also discussed this topic in a Nov. 9, 2009, Newsweek magazine interview with Tim Fernholz entitled “Reining in, and Reigning Over, Wall Street.” In this interview she discussed the future of financial regulation as well as the impact which such interventions will have on the economy as a whole. | <urn:uuid:e3e79d8d-e601-4033-9669-7211157135f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2009/12/10_warren.foreclosure.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942489 | 207 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Vietnam: A Natural History
Vietnam: A Natural History, published by Yale University Press, is the first comprehensive volume on the country's extraordinary flora and fauna and diverse natural areas. Spectacularly illustrated with maps, photographs, and 35 original watercolor illustrations, this engaging 406-page book, co-written by Eleanor J. Sterling, Director of the American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC), and CBC Biodiversity Scientists Martha M. Hurley and Le Duc Minh, offers a complete tour for scientists, naturalists, and the general reader of Vietnam's plants and animals along with an in-depth discussion of the factors shaping their evolution, distribution, and conservation.
Vietnam: A Natural History grew out of a conservation biology research and training project in Vietnam initiated in 1997 by the CBC. The goal of the project is to assist the country, a biodiversity hotspot, with the protection and sustainable management of its natural resources. Vietnam encompasses a wide variety of unique habitats, including four internationally recognized Endemic Bird Areas (critical regions for bird conservation designated by Bird-Life International). Meanwhile, the human population grows, the country's markets expand, and the international wildlife trade increasesall factors that threaten the preservation of the nation's unique biodiversity. The government has committed to developing protected areas, training conservation biologists, gathering and maintaining basic collections of plants and animals, and collaborating with foreign scientific and conservation organizations. Currently, four percent of Vietnam's total area is protected, and officials are committed to increasing that figure to six percent, which is part of what motivated the Museum to get involved in generating science to guide this growth.
As part of its commitment to providing scientific research and guidance in areas of the world harboring dense concentrations of biodiversity, the CBC has partnered with the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources in Hanoi (IEBR) and several universities in Vietnam, as well as World Wildlife Fund Greater Mekong Programme, to collaborate on research, education, and training; to assess the diversity and distributions of Vietnamese biota; and to identify conservation priorities and potential new protected areas.
One of the most significant results of this partnership so far has been a series of biotic surveys covering the past nine years in six different geographic regions of Vietnam that have been historically understudied. The multi-taxa surveys, for which the CBC trained research staff in Vietnamese institutions, have allowed these institutions to create and curate comprehensive research collections for phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses and conservation management decisions. The surveys have identified a number of species new to science and have yielded extensions of the range of particular species, and, in some cases, the first-reported discoveries of certain species in Vietnam. The results especially point to potentially high levels of hidden biodiversity among amphibians. Mammal survey results from the Huong Son Forest have helped scientists to realize the utility of small mammals in monitoring overall ecosystem health. Analyses of remotely sensed imagery (reaching back to 1950s aerial photography) indicate long-term stability of core forested sections in central Vietnam's Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue Provinces, an area of high biotic diversity and endemism. These forest cover maps are being employed in regional conservation planning and monitoring, for example, the development of the Song Bung hydroelectric dam adjacent to Song Thang Nature Reserve. Results from survey work and Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses of forest loss also contributed to the feasibility study of the proposed Nature Reserve at Ngoc Linh (Quang Nam Province).
Other results of this joint venture include the development of a laboratory at the IEBR and at the American Museum of Natural History for analysis of invertebrate specimens; a searchable, web-based collections database of the biotic survey results; and the design of conservation biology materials for use by educators at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Vietnam and other countries in the region. Over the next three years, CBC scientists will return to Vietnam to continue surveying for new amphibian and mammal species, examine the prevalence of malaria in reptile populations, analyze changes in forest cover, and develop and employ GIS maps and camera trapping as tools to allow local conservation practitioners to monitor targeted protected areas.
Book Details, Artwork
Uncommonly rich in plants, animals, and natural habitats, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shelters a significant portion of the world's biological diversity, including rare and unique organisms and an unusual mixture of tropical and temperate species. Vietnam: A Natural History reports on dozens of newly described species of amphibians, birds, and mammals as well as current efforts to conserve Vietnam's complex, fragile, and widely threatened biodiversity. The book also explores the long history of humans in the country, including the impact of the Vietnam-American War on the region's biodiversity.
Throughout the book, compelling and vivid original watercolors by wildlife biologist and artist Joyce A. Powzyk illustrate select examples of Vietnam's most important plants and animals. More than half the species depicted have rarely been seen. In order to render wildlife as accurately as possible, Dr. Powzyk extensively researched each painting by consulting original species descriptions, historical plates, museum specimens, field guides, expert opinions, and photographs where they existed.
Vietnam's biological diversity remains incompletely documented, in part because research and exploration of the region dropped off during the First Indochinese War, which began soon after World War II and lasted until 1954, and the Vietnam-American War, lasting from 1955 to 1975. In the early 1990s, scientific research on Vietnam's biological diversity resurged following the government's 1986 decision to implement the policy of Doi Moi (economic "renovation"). The natural history presented in this new book reflects the current state of knowledge.
Separate chapters of the book focus on northern, central, and southern Vietnam, regions that encompass tropics, subtropics, mountains, lowlands, wetland and river regions, delta and coastal areas, and offshore islands. The authors provide detailed descriptions of key natural areas to visit, where a traveler might explore limestone caves or glimpse some of the country's 27 known monkey and ape species and more than 850 bird species, many of which can only be found in Vietnam or in adjacent regions.
Few natural forests remain intact in Vietnam and even very isolated areas are less than a few days' walk from the nearest human settlement. Many natural areas are fragmented islands in a sea of human development. Nonetheless, Vietnam remains a fascinating placebiologically, geologically, and culturallyand has much to share with visitors seeking a stronger connection with its past and present beauty, history, and diversity.
A majority of the authors' royalties earned from sales of this book will be contributed to an educational fund supporting Southeast Asians working in biodiversity conservation.
The book is available in the Museum Shop at the American Museum of Natural History in hardcover for $40.00.
Media Inquiries: Department of Communications, 212-769-5800 | <urn:uuid:7cae7b57-7fd7-488e-a7fd-ec2184d19d57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amnh.org/our-research/science-news/2006/vietnam-a-natural-history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921486 | 1,420 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Safe Use of Flea & Tick Products in Pets
[Editor’s Note: Protecting your pet from fleas and ticks is vital to their overall health and well-being. These tips for product usage and prevention of bites can help your pet live a long and happy life.]
Hundreds of pesticides, repellents, and growth inhibitors are available to protect your pet from flea and tick bites. Some of these products are available only from a veterinarian; others can be bought over the counter.
Flea and tick products range from pills given by mouth to collars, sprays, dips, shampoos, powders and “spot-ons,” liquid products squeezed onto the dog’s or cat’s skin usually between the shoulder blades or down the back. A few spot-on products are available for flea control in ferrets, and fly and tick control in horses.
Pet owners need to be cautious about using flea and tick products safely, says Ann Stohlman, V.M.D., a veterinarian in the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine. “You need to take the time to carefully read the label, the package insert and any accompanying literature to make sure you’re using the product correctly.”
When to Treat
It’s best to treat your pet at the beginning of flea and tick season, says Stohlman. The length of flea season, which peaks during warm weather months, varies depending on where you live. “It can last four months in some places, but in other places, like Florida, fleas can live all year long,” says Stohlman. And fleas can live inside a warm house year-round no matter where you live.
Ticks are found in some places year-round. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that in most parts of the United States, the greatest chance of infection by a tick bite is spring and summer.
Tips for Using Flea and Tick Products
- Read the label carefully before use. If you don’t understand the wording, ask your veterinarian or call the manufacturer. “Even if you’ve used the product many times before,” says Stohlman, “read the label because the directions or warnings may have changed.”
- Follow the directions exactly. If the product is for dogs, don’t use it on cats or other pets. If the label says use weekly, don’t use it daily. If the product is for the house or yard, don’t put it directly on your pet.
- Keep multiple pets separated after applying a product until it dries to prevent one animal from grooming another and ingesting a drug or pesticide.
- Talk to your veterinarian before using a product on weak, old, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to flea or tick products.
- Monitor your pet for side effects after applying the product, particularly when using the product on your pet for the first time.
- If your pet experiences a bad reaction from a spot-on product, immediately bathe the pet with mild soap, rinse with large amounts of water and call your veterinarian.
- Call your veterinarian if your pet shows symptoms of illness after using a product. Symptoms of poisoning include poor appetite, depression, vomiting, diarrhea or excessive salivation.
- Do not apply a product to kittens or puppies unless the label specifically allows this treatment. Use flea combs to pick up fleas, flea eggs, and ticks on puppies and kittens that are too young for flea and tick products.
- Wash your hands immediately with soap and water after applying a product, or use protective gloves while applying.
- Store products away from food and out of children’s reach.
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provided on this site. | <urn:uuid:b3c9eabb-dc97-467f-9f1c-52e1fd591883> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://instoresnow.walmart.com/article.aspx?Center=Pets&id=103855 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901797 | 1,129 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Five wild orangutans in Borneo—nicknamed Sam, Henk, Rambo, Kondor, and Sultan—have learned to create a new kind of distress signal, using leaves to lower the pitch of their common warning call, known as a kiss-squeak. The leaf-produced kiss-squeaks seem intended to make the orangutans sound bigger and more threatening. “Primates were assumed to have no control over their calls,” says Madeleine Hardus, a behavioral biologist at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, who classifies the orangutans’ ability to alter their standard call as “a cultural innovation.”
Hardus and her colleagues discovered that the orangutans had developed leaf-assisted calls to identify humans (and probably predators as well). She hypothesizes that the technique is passed down from one orangutan to the next. Researchers have rigorously documented leaf adaptation in the cluster of five but have also observed the behavior in the wider orangutan population. | <urn:uuid:23ae9406-8320-4fe4-a371-21b42e2b1bec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://discovermagazine.com/2010/jan-feb/058 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950651 | 217 | 4.0625 | 4 |
It is often a case of out of sight and out of mind. Like the walls surrounding us, we often take our roofs for granted and only notice it when something goes wrong. When problems arise or when building a new house, we come to realise the big role the roof plays in our lives and how important it is to have a good roofing system.
If you are building from scratch and are in the market for a new roof then you need to go over your options carefully. Depending on the style of your house, the weather conditions in your area and your budget there are a number of different types of roofs to choose from. If you live somewhere with lots of rainfall or snowy winters, you really should have a pitched roof for easy run off. If your home is more modern and weather is not a big factor, you may prefer the simple design of a flat roof system. In fact, roofing solutions are becoming so advanced that you could almost choose any roof you desire and be sure that it will be good enough to fulfill your requirements.
So what are the essential requirements of a good roof? First, it needs to be strong. This means the roof is solid and won’t crack or break easily. Second, it needs to be able to withstand bad weather especially rain and wet conditions. You want a roof that is going to be leak free and without any cracks, which can be further guaranteed with regular roof maintenance. To ensure your roof is going to last, find yourself a trustworthy and experienced roofer who will be able to advise you on the best and most durable roofing materials as well as fitting it properly. For lasting roofing satisfaction, a professional roofing contractor is essential.
With annual check-ups from your roofers and regular maintenance, your roof will stay in good shape and you won’t need to deal with suddening roofing disasters. | <urn:uuid:8bbac830-108f-4986-aae5-1c57abba739f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.danalu.com/roofing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963835 | 382 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Enrolling in the Veterans Health Care System
Those seeking a VA benefit for the first time must submit a copy of their service discharge form (DD-214, DD-215, or for WWII veterans, a WD form), which documents service dates and type of discharge. The veteran's service discharge form should be kept in a safe location accessible to the veteran and next of kin or designated representative.
For most veterans, entry into the VA health care system begins by applying for enrollment. Application is submitted through VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits, which may be obtained from any VA health care facility or regional benefits office, or by calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387). Once enrolled, veterans can receive services at VA facilities anywhere in the country.
Veterans who are enrolled for VA health care are afforded privacy rights under federal law. VA's Notice of Privacy Practices is available at the VA health care Web site.
During enrollment, veterans are assigned to one of the priority groups VA uses to balance demand with resources. Changes in available resources may reduce the number of priority groups VA can enroll. If this occurs, VA will publicize the changes and notify affected enrollees. Veterans will be enrolled to the extent Congressional appropriations allow. If appropriations are limited, enrollment will occur based on the following priorities: (Please note that lower priority numbers generally mean no co-pays for medical services i.e. services are free) | <urn:uuid:dd7039a9-e606-4f4f-b357-507e7fa011fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fullertonveterans.com/enrolling_in_the_veterans_health_care_system.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929148 | 295 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Addressing violence against women and HIV/AIDS: What works?
Report of a consultation
From 27 to 29 October 2009, a working group of expert researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners met to review the current state of evidence and practice in developing and implementing interventions and strategies to address the intersections of violence against women and HIV. The meeting aimed to make policy and programmatic recommendations for national and international HIV/AIDS programmes and develop an agenda for future programme development, evaluation and research efforts. This report summarizes the presentations, discussions and recommendations from the meeting. | <urn:uuid:1f9885fc-fe4d-4a95-b6bf-258cbca5fe32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/violence/9789241599863/en/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910799 | 112 | 1.765625 | 2 |
|Aaron Siskind was born in New York, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. Siskind's early loves were poetry, literature and music. After receiving his BA from the College of the City of New York in 1926, he taught high school English for 21 years in the New York City public school system. In 1930 he received his first camera as a going-away present before his honeymoon. He began his photography career as a socially committed documentary photographer in the New York Photo League in 1932. From 1936 to1940 he oversaw the Feature Group creating documentary photo-essays including Harlem Document, Dead End: The Bowery; Portrait of a Tenement, and St. Joseph's House: The Catholic Worker Movement.
In 1944 Siskind relinquished his documentary style in favor of abstract images of weathered walls, torn posters, bits of seaweed, fragments of graffiti and other detritus. He began concentrating on these cast-off subjects as an exercise in seeing. Like Harry Callahan, both photographers searched for a heightened, universal experience in ordinary life. Siskind also cultivated friendships with Abstract Expressionist painters Franz Kline, Barnett Newman, Adolph Gottlieb, and Mark Rothko, and began to exhibit with them at the Charles Egan Gallery.
In 1951 Harry Callahan invited Siskind to teach photography at the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Siskind taught and later ran the photography program at the ID for twenty years. In 1963 he helped found the Society for Photographic Education. Siskind and Callahan were reunited in 1971 when Siskind left the Institute of Design for the Rhode Island School of Design where Callahan was teaching. He continued to teach until his retirement in 1976.
During the 1950s architecture was an important photographic concern. One of his major projects was to document, the Adler and Sullivan buildings in Chicago. His primary subjects at this time were urban facades, graffiti, isolated figures, and the stone walls of Martha's Vineyard. The subjects of these graphic series of images resemble script, reflecting Siskind's interest in musical scores and poetry. Siskind's work combined Bauhaus experimentalism with his exploration of modernism's emphasis on significant form. The other important series from this period is the Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation (1953). This highly formal series of photographs depicts the dark shapes of divers suspended mid-leap against a blank white sky. Shot with a hand-held twin-lens reflex camera at the edge of Lake Michigan, the balance and conflict suggested by the series' title is evident in the divers' sublime contortions.
Siskind and Abstract Expressionist painter Franz Klein had been friends for years when Klein died in1962. Siskind began his homage in December 1972 on a car trip in Mexico, through Jalapa. Homage to Franz Kline is composed of six groups of work, each identified by the place and time in which they were shot and, despite overarching themes, each has a distinct character.
Siskind traveled widely, making multiple trips to Mexico and Italy, including a period spent in Rome during his 1966 Guggenheim Fellowship. Like experimental poetry and Abstract Expressionist painting, Siskind's work was intended to appeal to a relatively small audience of viewers open to its advanced ideas and the opportunities it offered for self reflection. Aaron Siskind died in Providence, Rhode Island on February 11, 1991 at the age of 87.
Aaron Siskind's archive is at the Center for Creative Photography, and his work is in major public collections such as, The Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery, the International Center for Photography, the Museum of Contemporary Photography the Smithsonian Institute as well many other museums in the U.S. and abroad.
Sources: Lecture notes, Dr. Douglas R. Nickel, Director, Center of Creative Photography, University of Arizona, 2005, the National Gallery of Art, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College, Chicago, J. Paul Getty Museum. | <urn:uuid:2aa8ae9d-623d-4bfb-9823-638cc8c30149> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ethertongallery.com/html/artist_detail.php?recordID=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968 | 829 | 2.203125 | 2 |
SSP Fellow Richard Fox Teaches Forensics to Students and Connects the Community
Richard Fox, a 2010 SSP Fellow, is a forensic science teacher at Charlestown High School in Boston, Massachusetts. Below he describes his collaborations with the Boston-area community and the impact participating in research has on students.
Actually, I was a terrible student in high school. I was very bored and disinterested and had trouble making connections between school and the real world. An introductory ecology class in college sparked my interest and I decided to be a science major. While in college, I worked a crazy job as a zoologist at Busch Gardens in Tampa where I used to do everything from pulling blood samples of African wildlife to roping ostriches! In the last twenty years I have had the opportunity to be trained at some of the finest scientific facilities in the country, including the Human Remains I.D Lab, Oak Ridge National Labs, the Human Genome Project, and the McCrone School of Microscopy.
How has being a SSP Fellow impacted your ability to develop a research program?
Being a SSP Fellow has provided me with the opportunity to purchase much needed data gathering equipment that our students did not previously have access to. It also exposed me to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair , which is sort of the “Olympics” of science fairs. It is quite an amazing event.
Boston has a very checkered past of racial division. Some of the scars from the forced bussing of the 1970’s still run very deep. Most of my students come from the city, where the police are often viewed as corrupt or suspicious. Since the development of the forensic program at Charlestown High School many of my students have expressed an interest in law enforcement careers. Collaboration with the Boston Police Department and other forensic facilities has brought together students and professionals from what was often considered “different worlds.”
You are collaborating with professionals to build a forensic facility in Boston that will be used to train high school students in forensic and biotechnology laboratory techniques. Can you describe what has happened with that project and how you were able to develop this collaboration?
Boston is a research town. Over the last couple of years we have received equipment donations worth vast sums of money. The idea was to develop an on-site laboratory that could be used to train students to fill a huge shortage of knowledge workers. Charlestown High School is currently undergoing a major renovation that will take 2 1/2 years. Since the plans for the lab will be frozen for at least that long, colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital and I are looking at another location.
You have also recently begun hosting biotech and forensic lab workshops for younger students. Can you tell us about that?
There is nothing more exciting than watching my older students work with younger students. This year we ran a month long weekend forensic workshop for middle school students at Emmanuelle College. We also sponsored a silent auction for a “CSI” birthday party. The 4th graders that won the auction came to my lab where we took fingerprints from balloons, dental impressions from the cake, and used a thermo probe to record the temperature of the birthday candles before the kids blew them out.
Remember that there is always opportunity to collaborate with the community. I came from Las Vegas where there was very little interest in education. I began to reach out to everyone from casinos to the Las Vegas Police Department. You would be surprised how much support there is when folks know you are working to help kids.
Why do you think it’s important for students to participate in scientific research?
Research helps with the understanding of basic scientific principles. With an ever increasing technical and complex world our students need to be more scientifically literate than ever before. It may sound cliché but I believe it is a foundation of a strong democracy.
What are your future plans?
I am approaching the mid point of my career and I am interested in taking things to another level. I would like to create something very unique. The community lab would fit that bill. I could train some younger teachers how to teach basic forensics, teach a couple of advanced forensic courses, and arrange internships for the high school students. That would be my dream job.
I have been doing forensics for a long time and I am always interested in helping people get their programs started even if they are only interested in integrating a forensic component into existing curriculum. Feel free to reach out! | <urn:uuid:bad1f5da-d306-4c63-90d5-6c06ead2e764> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://societyforscience.typepad.com/ssp/2012/07/ssp-fellow-richard-fox-teaches-forensics-to-students-and-connects-the-community.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972926 | 922 | 2.53125 | 3 |
'Ulmarra' half-ship model
This shipbuilder's model of the SS 'Ulmarra' represents one of the signature vessels that was owned and operated by the North Coast Steam Navigation Co Ltd in the early half of the 20th Century. The 'Ulmarra' was a steel steam ship that mainly worked the Clarence River in northern New South Wales, among others.
When the North Coast Steam Navigation Co Ltd went into voluntary liquidation in 1954, the SS 'Ulmarra' and SS 'Uki' (two of the oldest vessels in the fleet of nine), were still trading under the familiar red and blue house flag. Although both of these vessels were extremely dissimilar in design, they became the prototypes for two, new distinct classes of vessel to be produced for the Company. The 'Ulmarra' was more conventional in appearance, as it was little more than a "three island" ship with a raised quarter deck from the bridge aft, while the 'Uki' class of ship was developed from Sir Allen Taylor's wooden boats (which characterised very long bodies). The 'Ulmarra's' shape, on the other hand, developed from the SS 'Poonbar' and 'Gunbar' before her.
In 1955, the SS 'Ulmarra', along with the 'Arakoon' and 'Bangalow' was sold to John Manners & Co in Hong Kong. Like the other vessels, the 'Ulmarra' was renamed twice to 'Rozelle Breeze' and later 'Papagayo'. While the renaming of vessels was a particularly common trait to follow when being sold into new hands, it is unique that a vessel's name should change twice under the ownership of the same company.
Models such as this one would have been made for presentation purposes after the construction of the full-scale vessel and acts as a legacy for the full-scale version which no longer survives.
Richards, M., "North Coast Run: Men and Ships of the New South Wales North Coast" (Killara, 1977) pp.109-111
Scottish Archives Network, "Sir James Lithgow", http://www.dswebhosting.info/SCAN/dserve.exe?&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Site20&dsqDb=Persons&dsqSearch=Code=='GL68'&dsqCmd=Show.tcl (Downloaded 10/4/2007) | <urn:uuid:9fc1fc2e-1f57-46bd-ab85-37af64ea33c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://about.nsw.gov.au/collections/doc/ulmarra-half-ship-model/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963582 | 519 | 2.234375 | 2 |
As Google takes Street View off-road with its new Trekker backpacks, German company Streetview Technology is taking the mapping technology in yet another new direction -- DIY terrain.
The kit includes:
- A camera that shoots look-all-around-you, domelike photos every three seconds and geotags them
- A small server for processing your images (it automatically lines up and stitches together your shots, and adds the geo info)
- Player software that enables you to post your work on your Web site and let people interact with it
Options include a car mount, or a backpack, for the camera.
The camera lets you photograph everything in sight, minus the camera itself and the car or backpack. And the software includes the same types of navigation tools and mapping info Google provides.
Streetview Technology General Manager Jan Martin Mantkowski said in an e-mail to Crave that anyone can learn how to operate the camera in a couple of hours. The image processing is a bit more complex, but there's a step-by-step manual, and a test project for practice.
As far as pricing goes, this isn't the sort of thing you'd casually buy at RadioShack. Mantkowski says the system is "for the professional with a budget" and asks that such professionals contact him directly for details, or use the online inquiry form. He also tells Crave of a more affordable "recording service" for "enthusiasts," in which Streetview Technology sends out a team with gear to create your map for you. (It's not clear how widely available that option is; again interested customers would need to contact Mantkowski directly.)
Mantkowski says potential markets for DIY streetview include "countries that will most likely not be covered by Google Street View anytime soon" and that have "reached a level that they are willing to do the job themselves." He also says that "mapping companies, surveyors, and maintenance companies from the first world are really interested to document their assets. This is all nonpublic and never will see the light."
Asked about customers so far, Mantkowski offered the following: "A mapping company from South America, a U.S. railways planning company, a company doing compliance checks for a U.S. government agency, a company so far doing aerial images in South Africa. I could tell you about the military sector, but they would probably shoot you. ;)" We didn't pursue the military angle.
Professionals with a budget aside, and judging from the way various creative types have tapped Street View, we figure it won't be too long before someone bolts one of these babies to a Roomba and starts knocking out some crazy views indeed.
Update, 4:15 p.m. PT: Includes additional information from Mantkowski about the target market. | <urn:uuid:6fc75d5d-0763-4041-943f-c1c2d8d4ccb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57449205-1/diy-streetview-camera-lets-you-be-google/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949102 | 583 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Everything online journalists need to protect their legal rights. This free resource culls from all Reporters Committee resources and includes exclusive content on digital media law issues.
In its beaver-like stockpiling of government data, handy for quick dispensation to journalists, the non-profit group Investigative Reporters and Editors has for years kept updated copies of one National Inventory of Dams.
In it: the locations of dams, their proximity to populous places and the results of recent safety inspections.
But this month, when floods and breached levies dominated the news out of the Midwest, and the The Des Moines Register turned to the IRE Database Library for a recent inspection dataset, the paper was out of luck.
Turns out the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stopped releasing the dam data six years ago, citing the USA PATRIOT Act and national security concerns. As Editor & Publisher reports, IRE has asked for the inventory every year since then, to no avail.
"With all of the problems with the flooding, the information would be very useful," James Wilkerson, data editor for The Register, told E&P. "It makes it hard for the public to understand how these dams are maintained."
IRE lamented the loss of the dataset on its blog: "Journalists, as a result, had a tougher time providing the public with broader context as they reported the day’s news about flooding. Bigger questions like “how safe is the dam in your town?” obviously can still be posed, but getting at a real objective answer is now more difficult."
After the deadly bridge in Minneapolis last summer, E&P notes, IRE had and handed out to reporters comparable records on bridge inspections nationwide.
For its part, IRE says it plans to keep pushing for the dam data. | <urn:uuid:2792a889-847a-4e67-b65e-14436cdd658f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rcfp.org/browse-media-law-resources/news/ire-denied-dam-inspection-records-2002-patriot-act-cited | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944717 | 374 | 2.09375 | 2 |
This is an example of a house history I wrote for a 1948 Tudor Revival style home located on the east side of Indianapolis in the Community Heights neighborhood. The complete version is fully notated. Here, I am posting a shortened version.
In the late 1940’s, following World War II, Indianapolis and many other cities across the country experienced severe housing shortages as soldiers returned to the states and looked for a place to settle down. To combat this problem, the Federal Housing Administration helped finance the construction of new homes. Many middle-class Americans were able to buy these homes with financial assistance from the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (also known as the G.I. Bill of Rights). During the housing boom that resulted from this legislation, the Justus Realty Company planned and built over 1000 homes in greater Irvington. Before this time period, America had been primarily a nation of renters.
As the popularity of the bungalow finally gave way, many Americans began to build modest revival-style homes in the suburbs. Period revivals may have been popular at this time because of the comfort that could be found in familiar, traditional styles following a tumultuous period in American history.
The Tudor Revival style features high-pitched, gabled roofs of medieval origin, and decorative details borrowed from Renaissance traditions. Other identifying features include:
- Patterned brick or stucco exteriors
- Prominent, broad chimneys with decorative flues
- Angular house plans
- At least one outside living space
- Arched doorways
- A breakfast nook or alcove in the kitchen
- A projecting vestibule covered with a steep gable
- Sweeping vestibule gables carried almost to the ground
- Intersecting gables with eaves of varying height
- Plain or decorated bargeboards
- Clipped gables
The first owner of the home, Ralph Rubush Clark, who lived there from 1949-1978, was born March 7, 1887. He served in the military during WWI, and married Hazel Fay Speedy in 1917. Hazel was born in Crawford County, Indiana, in 1898. Ralph and Hazel raised two sons, Max (1921–1985) and R. Wayne (1925–2010) on Eastern Avenue. When Max and R. Wayne were in their 20’s, Ralph and Hazel moved into their brand new Justus home.
Ralph worked as a bookkeeper for several different Indianapolis businesses throughout his life, including the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), the former Indianapolis Public Welfare and Loan Association, and the Columbia Investment Corporation. He was also a Republican precinct committeeman. He retired in 1957.
Hazel passed away in 1969. Ralph passed away in 1978 at an Indianapolis nursing home. After his death, the house was purchased by the McKeons, who sold it to Lindsey Ross in 1999. She sold the home in 2008. In 62 years, only four different owners have occupied the home, and the shortest period of ownership so far has been 9 years.
The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana identified the Community Heights Justus Addition as a potential historic district in 1993, although at that time it was too “young” to meet the criteria for designation. Staff at Indiana Landmarks indicated that, in 2011, the 63-year-old district very likely qualifies as a historic district. | <urn:uuid:355156c1-25c7-4b88-a9a5-b91c609409b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alittlebitfrench.com/2011/06/30/history-of-a-house/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=27cac980df | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966284 | 705 | 2.328125 | 2 |
I think an important advantage is saving time. When you happen to shoot hundreds of photos in a row stuck with a lens wider than would be optimal, cropping each one of the images into a smaller size in post processing would be quite tedious - usually you can't do that in batch unless you really don't care about resulting framing. Framing on spot, on the other hand, is something you'll have to do anyway.
When you're shooting less-than-maximum resolution JPEGs, digital zoom will retain more image information than you'd get by cropping later. E.g. when shooting 6MP images with a 16MP sensor, cropping a half-height-half-width image will result in 1.5 MP of information, whereas using digital zoom on spot would store image based on information of 4MP.
In some cameras (such as my old Panasonic DMC-FZ30) digital zoom is equal to extra optical (tele) zoom when you are shooting video or photos with less than maximum sensor resolution (e.g. for web use only). Using digital zoom, the camera would use smaller area of sensor to compose the picture, but not less pixels than in resulting file.
I mostly shot water sports for web / computer display with that camera and found the extra reach with 3MP much more useful than full 8MP resolution. With the extra zoom, the person was larger in EVF for lining up with a focusing point (quite hard with extreme zoom and subject speed), the files were smaller, and I had to spend much less time at computer. For example, this picture would've been hard to focus using full resolution: | <urn:uuid:b65272a2-bcb2-428d-8586-418f7ebf54b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/12527/is-digital-zoom-really-useful/12995 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957634 | 336 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Recreational Marine Engines - Background
This page last reviewed May 13, 2010
ARB's recreational marine engine program is an important new element in ARB's efforts to improve air quality through reductions of hydrocarbon (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions. Regulations have been adopted for certain marine vessels and regulations have been proposed for other spark-ignition engines used in boats for propulsion. Commercial
marine engines are covered under the Commercial Marine Vessel web page.
Spark-ignition auxiliary marine engines (power generators, winches, or auxiliary propulsion engines for sail boats) are defined as small off-road spark-ignition engines (below 25 horsepower) or large off-road spark-ignition
engines (25 horsepower and greater) depending on their size.
Compression-ignition auxiliary and propulsion marine engines under 50 horsepower are defined as off-road diesel (compression-ignition)
Boat engines are divided into classes of outboards or inboards. Outboard engines are those which are mounted external to the boat structure. They typically hang on the rear wall of the boat. To minimize their weight, outboard engines have traditionally been two-stroke engines, thus personal watercraft (PWC), which are most commonly two-stroke jet-drives, are grouped together with them. Inboard engines are those which are situated completely within the confines of the boat hull. Inboard boat drive types can be straight propeller-shaft, vee-drive, sterndrive, (also called inboard-outboard), or jet-drive. Inboard engines are automotive engines adapted for use in boats.
In 1998, the Board approved emission reductions from outboard engines and personal watercraft by adopting exhaust emission standards for new engines. Starting in 2001, all new outboards sold in California will be required to meet the U.S. EPA 2006 emission levels (approximately 75 percent reduction from uncontrolled levels).
The ARB has recently adopted emission regulations for new spark-ignition inboard engines.
Emission from recreational marine compression-ignition engines are the subject to of an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) by the U.S. EPA (65 FR 76797, December 7, 2000). The standards are likely to be similar to the commercial marine diesel standards of 40 CFR Part 94. For more information regarding this federal regulation please see U.S. EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality website.
|Inboard / Sterndrive||At its July 26, 2001 public hearing, the Board approved, with modifications, the staff's regulatory proposal for inboard gasoline boat engines. Beginning with the 2003 model year, inboard engines introduced into California will be required to meet exhaust emission standards, certification test procedures, new-engine and in-use compliance provisions, consumer provisions such as environmental labeling,and warranty requirements.|
|Outboard / PWC||The new California regulation requires that new outboard and PWC engines meet the U.S. EPA 2006 standards for hydrocarbon (HC) plus oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in 2001. This level represents about a 70 percent reduction in HC emissions from the pre-1998 levels. In addition, the California regulation adds a very-low-emission tier for 2004 of about 77 percent reduction from pre-1998 levels, and an ultra-low-emission level for 2008 and later of about 90 percent reduction.|
|The new regulation also sets emission parts warranty requirements, consumer label requirements, (which enable the purchaser to readily identify the new cleaner compliant models, and the inherently lower-emitting four-stroke models), and production line and in-use testing requirements.|
The video illutrates the benefits of the standards adopted for outboard /PWC's that began in 2001.
The video was produced prior to the adoption of standards for inboard and stern drive engines. | <urn:uuid:f1dfa5ae-cc73-488e-98ce-be8bb5634ad8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arb.ca.gov/msprog/offroad/recmarine/background.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92691 | 801 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Racks & Mounts
Jan 12, 2012 4:55 PM, By Mark Johnson
Racks and mounts serve a number of practical purposes: They help organize and securely hold various types of equipment. They help position the gear ergonomically for access or viewing where it can operate most effectively. And they help secure it from theft. In their most basic form, racks and mounts are utilitarian workman-like tools. With added engineering and design creativity they can also exhibit a certain elegance that’s generally only appreciated by those with a technical bent.
Mounts are used for attaching speakers and videos monitors to walls; suspending projectors, displays, and speakers from ceilings; and are used in a multitude of applications including boardrooms, digital signage, and home theater. As flatpanels become more ubiquitous sources for visual communication and entertainment, the methodologies and available products for handily positioning the screens in our sightlines has likewise increased. There are slim mounts that provide a low profile against the mounting surface to mounts that cantilever out and provide a wide range of motion side to side, as well as tilt and even rotate for landscape or portrait orientation. Many mounts available have the word “universal” included somewhere in their names. That generally refers to the ability to attach just about any make or model display to the mount. That is due to compliance with the VESA Mounting Interface Standard (MIS), also known as the Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI), which are standards defined by the Video Electronics Standards Association. The original and still most common, MIS-D 100, specifies a 100mmx100mm-square bolt pattern. Additional patterns were established later to accommodate larger displays.
Traditionally, racks held amplifiers and system processing for sound systems. Many refer generically to racks as “amp racks” regardless of what’s actually in it. If it’s used for installed AV, it’s probably in a rack or on a mount of some sort. Form factors for racks can be freestanding, wall-mounted, or even desktop. They can be gangable, where modular racks attach to one another for installations that require multiple racks. All racks hold to a standard mounting rail spacing width of 19in. as set forth by the now-defunct Electronic Industries Alliance. The height of the products to be mounted in the racks is typically stipulated in rack units (RU), which is 1 3/4in. high.
Some manufacturers specialize in racks, some in mounts, and some produce both, so it’s a good idea to check the manufacturers websites if you’re looking for more than one type of equipment mounting solution. For mounts, we’ll look at examples of flatpanel wall mounts. The racks in this showcase are standalone models intended primarily for permanent install.
The Atlas Sound FMA series provide the ability to configure the rack to specific requirements. The rack features 11-gauge adjustable rails with hash marks to indicate rack unit increments. Increased rack width provides for better cable management and working space. The racks are available in a variety of depths and heights.
Audio Video Metals features the Floor Mount Pull Out Rotating Rack, which facilitates access to the sides and back of the rack even when the rack is positioned flush to a wall surface. The rack proper extends full and can rotate left or right with locking positions at 45 degrees and 90 degrees.
The Raxxess series from Chief features the CPROTR captive rotating rack. Designed to facilitate installation, wiring, and maintenance, the freestanding rack pulls out of the enclosure and rotates 90 degrees. It’s also a good option for locations with restricted access to the back of the rack. The rack is available in 35 and 42 space heights.
The STR series of racks from H.O.M.E. (now House of Commercial Product but originally stood for House Of Metal Enclosures) are available in five different heights that features an 11-gauge bottom panel, 11-gauge mounting rails, and 16-gauge side and top panels, and can be assembled in the field. The 16-gauge removable front door features a three-point locking system.
Lowell Manufacturing’s LXR-IAV pre-assembled racks come ready to go with the most commonly used accessories already installed. These include a utility shelf, vent panel, AC power strip, cable-management bar, and casters (quantities depend on size of rack). The finish is a black powder epoxy.
The new BGR equipment rack from Middle Atlantic Products features the patent-pending LeverLock interior management system that facilitates cable management as well as mounting of small devices on the interior sides of the rack. It’s available with optional solid, vented, or Plexiglas front doors.
The R8010 slide and rotate rack system from Penn Elcom slides forward and rotates for access to the back of the rack. It includes a hinged cable-management system that allows extra cable to be neatly run and enables the rack to move forward or back.
Racks Unlimited features a 38RU 19in. rack with an adjustable depth of up to 28in. The company’s website offers the ability to build your own rack for your specific needs selecting items and accessories from their menu. Features include L-shaped adjustable mounting rails, removable side panels, a smoked Lexan front door with vents and lock, and lockable rear louver door.
The Winsted V8801 70in. Pro Series I rack is 40RU high (70in.) and features vented side panels for convection cooling when fans are employed. The rack uses adjustable 14-gauge front and rear rack rails, and a variety of vertical and horizontal lacing bars for cable management are available.
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:1ad2dc78-cd6b-486d-a67a-3b1e29f28dc7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://svconline.com/corporateav/racks_mounts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931679 | 1,214 | 2.125 | 2 |
AFTER Pan-kăng came the reigns of Hsiâo-hsin and Hsiâo-yî, of which we have no accounts in the Shû. Hsiâo-yî was followed by Wû-ting (B.C. 1324-1264), to the commencement of whose reign this Book, in three sections, belongs. His name is not in it, but that he is the king intended appears from the prefatory notice, and the Confucian Analects, XIV, xliii. The Book is the first of the 'Charges' of the Shû. They relate the designation by the king of some officer to a particular charge or to some fief, with the address delivered by him on the occasion. Here the charge is to Yüeh, in the first section, on his appointment to be
chief minister. In the other two sections Yüeh is the principal speaker, and not the king. They partake more of the nature of the 'Counsels.' Yüeh had been a recluse, living in obscurity. The king's attention was drawn to him in the manner related in the Book, and he was discovered in Fû-yen, or amidst 'the Crags of Fû' from which he was afterwards called Fû Yüeh, as if Fû had been his surname.
The first section tells us how the king met with Yüeh, and appointed him to be his chief minister, and how Yüeh responded to the charge that he received. In the second section, Yüeh counsels the king on a variety of points, and the king responds admiringly. In the third, the king introduces himself as a pupil at the feet of Yüeh, and is lectured on the subject of enlarging his knowledge. In the end the king says that he looks to Yüeh as another Î Yin, to make him another Thang.
1. The king passed the season of sorrow in the mourning shed for three years 1, and when the period of mourning was over, he (still) did not speak (to give any commands). All the ministers remonstrated with him, saying, 'Oh! him who is (the first) to apprehend we pronounce intelligent, and the intelligent man is the model for others. The Son of Heaven rules over the myriad regions, and all the officers look up to and reverence him. They are the king's words which form the commands (for them). If he do not speak, the ministers have no way to receive their orders.' On this the king made a writing, for their information, to the following effect:--'As it is mine to serve as the
director for the four quarters (of the kingdom), I have been afraid that my virtue is not equal to (that of my predecessors), and therefore have not spoken. (But) while I was reverently and silently thinking of the (right) way, I dreamt that God gave me a good assistant who should speak for me.'* He then minutely recalled the appearance (of the person whom he had seen), and caused search to be made for him everywhere by means of a picture. Yüeh, a builder in the wild country of Fû-yen, was found like to it.
2. On this the king raised and made (Yüeh) his prime minister, keeping him (also) at his side.
He charged him, saying, 'Morning and evening present your instructions to aid my virtue. Suppose me a weapon of steel;--I will use you for a whetstone. Suppose me crossing a great stream;--I will use you for a boat with its oars. Suppose me in a year of great drought;--I will use you as a copious rain. Open your mind, and enrich my mind. (Be you) like medicine, which must distress the patient, in order to cure his sickness. (Think of we) as one walking barefoot, whose feet are sure to be wounded, if he do not see the ground.
'Do you and your companions all cherish the same mind to assist your* sovereign, that I may follow my royal predecessors, and tread in the steps of my high ancestor, to give repose to the millions of the people. Oh! respect this charge of mine;--so shall you bring your work to a (good) end.'
3. Yüeh replied to the king, saying, 'Wood by the use of the line is made straight, and the sovereign who follows reproof is made sage. When the sovereign can (thus) make himself sage, his ministers,
without being specially commanded, anticipate his orders;--who would dare not to act in respectful compliance with this excellent charge of your Majesty?'
1. Yüeh having received his charge, and taken the presidency of all the officers, he presented himself before the king, and said, 'Oh! intelligent kings act in reverent accordance with the ways of Heaven. The founding of states and the setting up of capitals, the appointing of sovereign kings, of dukes and other nobles, with their great officers and heads of departments, were not designed to minister to the idleness and pleasures (of one), but for the good government of the people. It is Heaven which is all-intelligent and observing;--let the sage (king) take it as his pattern.* Then his ministers will reverently accord with him, and the people consequently will be well governed.
'It is the mouth that gives occasion for shame; they are the coat of mail and helmet that give occasion to war. The upper robes and lower garments (for reward should not be lightly taken from) their chests; before spear and shield are used, one should examine himself. If your Majesty will be cautious in regard to these things, and, believing this about them, attain to the intelligent use of them, (your government) will in everything be excellent. Good government and bad depend on the various officers. Offices should not be given to men because they are favourites, but only to men of ability. Dignities should not be conferred on men of evil practices, but only on men of worth.
'Anxious thought about what will be best should precede your movements, which also should be taken at the time proper for them. Indulging the consciousness of being good is the way to lose that goodness; being vain of one's ability is the way to lose the merit it might produce.
'For all affairs let there be adequate preparation; with preparation there will be no calamitous issue. Do not open the door for favourites, from whom you will receive contempt. Do not be ashamed of mistakes, and (go on to) make them crimes. Let your mind rest in its proper objects, and the affairs of your government will be pure. Officiousness in sacrificing is called irreverence;* and multiplying ceremonies leads to disorder. To serve the spirits acceptably (in this way) is difficult.'*
2. The king said, 'Excellent! your words, O Yüeh, should indeed be put in practice (by me). If you were not so good in counsel, I should not have heard these rules for my conduct." Yüeh did obeisance with his head to the ground, and said, 'It is not the knowing that is difficult, but the doing. (But) since your Majesty truly knows this, there will not be the difficulty, and you will become really equal in complete virtue to our first king. Wherein I, Yüeh, refrain from speaking (what I ought to speak), the blame will rest with me.'
1. The king said, 'Come, O Yüeh. I, the little one, first learned with Kan Pan 1. Afterwards I lived
concealed among the rude countrymen, and then I went to (the country) inside the Ho, and lived there 1. From the Ho I went to Po;--and the result has been that I am unenlightened. Do you teach me what should be my aims. Be to me as the yeast and the malt in making sweet spirits, as the salt and the prunes in making agreeable soup. Use various methods to cultivate me; do not cast me away;--so shall I attain to practise your instructions.'
Yüeh said, 'O king, a ruler should seek to learn much (from his ministers), with a view to establish his affairs; but to learn the lessons of the ancients is the way to attain this. That the affairs of one, not making the ancients his masters, can be perpetuated for generations, is what I have not heard.
'In learning there should be a humble mind and the maintenance of a constant earnestness;--in such a case (the learner's) improvement will surely come. He who sincerely cherishes these things will find all truth accumulating in his person. Teaching is the half of learning; when a man's thoughts from first to last are constantly fixed on learning, his virtuous cultivation comes unperceived.
'Survey the perfect pattern of our first king;--so shall you for ever be preserved from error. Then shall I be able reverently to meet your views, and on every side to look out for men of eminence to place in the various offices.'
2. The king said, 'Oh! Yüeh, that all within the four
seas look up to my virtue is owing to you. As his legs and arms form the man, so does a good minister form the sage (king). Formerly, there was the first premier of our dynasty, Pâo-hăng 1, who raised up and formed its royal founder. He said, "If I cannot make my sovereign like Yâo or Shun, I shall feel ashamed in my heart, as if I were beaten in the market-place." If any common man did not get (all he should desire), he said, "It is my fault." (Thus) he assisted my meritorious ancestor, so that he became equal to great Heaven.* Do you give your intelligent and preserving aid to me, and let not Â-hăng engross all the good service to the House of Shang.
'The sovereign should share his government with none but worthy officers. The worthy officer should accept his support from none but the proper sovereign. May you now succeed in making your sovereign a (true) successor of the founder of his line, and in securing the lasting happiness of the people!'
Yüeh did obeisance with his head to the ground, and said, 'I will venture to respond to. and display abroad, your Majesty's excellent charge.'
113:1 A young king, mourning for his father, had to 'afflict' himself in various ways for twenty-five months, nominally for three years. Among other privations, he had to exchange the comforts of a palace for a rough shed in one of the courtyards. During the time of mourning, the direction of affairs was left to the chief minister.
116:1 From Part V, XVI, 2, we learn that Kan Pan was a great minister of Wû-ting. It is supposed that he had been minister to Wû-ting's father, and died during the king's period of mourning.
117:1 We do not know the events of Wû-ting's early life sufficiently to explain his language here. His living concealed among the rude people of the country, and then crossing to the north of the Ho, was owing probably to troubles in the kingdom.
118:1 Styled Â-hăng in the beginning of 'the Thâi-kiâ.' Pâo-hăng = 'the Protector and Steelyard.' | <urn:uuid:89680b4c-9034-4088-b1e5-8afcd1809701> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sacred-texts.com/cfu/sbe03/sbe03024.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976359 | 2,456 | 1.992188 | 2 |
But he also had a sense of humor.
Jerry Spessard, business manager of J. Gruber’s “Hagerstown Town & Country Almanack,” related a story Thursday to show how Hershey’s unique outlook on life made for lasting memories.
In the 1960s, Hershey was in charge of a Valentine’s Day dance at Fountain Head Country Club when fire broke out in the building, Spessard said.
He said Hershey told him that women were panicking and grabbing their valuable furs to make sure they weren’t lost in the fire, which ended up torching a ballroom, bar, dining room and golf shop.
Hershey sought to calm down the crowd and convinced a band playing at the event to perform “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” Spessard said.
“He played hard but he also worked hard,” he said. “Everything he did, he put 100 percent into.”
Hershey, 86, was known for his devotion to the community, serving on more than 10 boards, clubs and organizations over the years.
He and his wife, Anna, were generous with their money, too, agreeing at one point to donate $250,000 for a new Washington County hospital.
Hershey and David Beachley each gave $250,000 to the Hagerstown YMCA, where an aquatic center bears their surnames. Hershey and his wife also gave to Girls Inc. of Washington County.
Hershey began working for E.I. DuPont de Nemours after graduating from college, but Spessard recalled how he talked about being a people person and wanting to find a different job.
Hershey went into the investment industry in the 1950s and started going door-to-door selling stocks, said Spessard, Hershey’s former son-in-law.
“I’m not sure if they all did (it that way) but he did,” Spessard said.
Howard Kaylor, a friend of Hershey’s, recalls doing the same thing when he started selling stocks.
“I went the other direction so we wouldn’t step on each other,” Kaylor said.
Kaylor and Hershey were both named a Person of the Year by The Herald-Mail. Kaylor said he remembered in the newspaper interview for his recognition talking about how Hershey changed his life.
Kaylor said he was working at the local Fairchild plant, but wanted to do something different. Kaylor said Hershey contacted him one day and asked that he join him in the brokerage business.
It’s a career that Kaylor stayed in for 52 years.
Kaylor said he last talked to Hershey about a week ago, and the two had planned to get together for dinner this week. | <urn:uuid:0589d522-86a3-4d15-950e-9ca51d2d0af0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.herald-mail.com/news/hm-community-leader-john-r-jack-hershey-jr-dies-at-86-20120628,0,882557.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983699 | 610 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The throne of Ivan the Terrible
Western Europe, 16th century.
Carved ivory, carved and gilded wood, metal.
The Armory Chamber's collection of thrones is unique in all the world. The most ancient of them was made in Western Europe in the 16th century. It is wooden with a high, straight back and a pedestal. The surface is covered with plates of ivory bearing relief carvings on mythological, historical, and quotidian subjects.
Some legends connect the appearance of the throne in Moscow with the marriage of Ivan III to Byzantine princess Sophia Palaeologus. However, historical data go back only to the 16th century, when the throne belonged to Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV). | <urn:uuid:014be828-4ff4-4737-a8d5-95dbe19d69cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://textplay.net/pages/0003.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929621 | 151 | 2.484375 | 2 |
(June 30, 2010 Stillwater, OK) – The Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences reports a success case with an interesting twist. Read on for the full story Sooner Goes to College (at OSU).
The Oklahoma State University Center for Veterinary Health Sciences is one of 28 veterinary colleges in the United States and is fully accredited by the Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The center’s Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is open to the public and provides routine and specialized care for small and large animals. It also offers 24-hour emergency care and is certified by the American Animal Hospital Association. For more information, visit www.cvhs.okstate.edu or call (405) 744-7000. | <urn:uuid:10b64f07-e87b-414b-b3d7-b2abc4f1ccc5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cvm.okstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=630:osu-veterinary-center-treats-sooner&catid=24:latest-news&Itemid=287 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92009 | 155 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Frank Stott of Stottville, NY came to Raquette Lake to build a camp on Bluff Point in 1877. He was a textile manufacturer in New York City and returned to the area for several summers on fishing trips before acquiring the peninsula. The original Stott camp was a collection of one-story log buildings and pavilions framed in logs. The camp as it now exists represents the work of Robert Collier, the magazine publisher, who acquired it in the early 1900s. Collier modified the earlier Stott buildings and expanded the camp to over twenty structures. | <urn:uuid:5800d1da-f93f-40c0-afc3-6e6e1f175047> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://greatcamps.com/tourslides/great_camps_tour_4.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950584 | 118 | 2.0625 | 2 |
His time as President was a complete success. The number of members of the club reached 3,217 and, in line with the aspirations of Catalan autonomy, of which Graells was a great promoter, Barcelona Football Club joined up with other organisations which celebrated the Catalan national day La Diada, celebrated on 11th September. Financially, the club was able to pay off a debt of 16,100 pesetas, which had been carried over from the previous presidency and consequently, for the first time in many years, the club owed nothing to anybody. On the pitch everything also went well, as Barça had got together a superb squad of players, which won both the Campeonat de Catalunya and the Spanish Championship.
At the end of the season, on 27th June 1920, there was a multitudinous general meeting of club members, during which the new Statutes of the club were discussed. An agreement was rapidly reached and the 43 articles, which the secretary Joan Bapista Soler had drawn up, were unanimously approved. As well as this, the monthly subscription paid by club members rose from two to three pesetas, and a committee was formed, made up of the majority of the former Presidents of the club, whose job it was to make an in-depth study of everything related to the proposed building of a new ground, which had started under Gaspar Rosés - the man to whom Graells handed over the presidency on 27th June 1920. Thus began Rosés's second period in charge at Barça. | <urn:uuid:54b4da67-ec0a-4422-9b4a-bdefee2ff829> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/history/presidents?widget=10459&node_id=65211 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990072 | 315 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The yoga of self-identification with an adept is the most effective method and brings the quickest results because it quickly elicits his grace. After all, it is the result that counts. The fact is that inspiration does come with the mere thought of him. This yoga-path involves two techniques; first, formal meditation at fixed periods, focused on the master's mental picture and presence and, second, informal remembrance of the master as frequently as possible at any and all times of the day. In both techniques, you are to offer your body to him just as a spiritist medium offers his own to a disincarnate spirit. You are to invite and let him take possession of your mind and body. First, you feel his presence. Then you feel that he takes possession of your body and mind. Next, you feel that you are he (no duality). Finally, he vanishes from consciousness and another being announces itself as your divine soul. This is the goal. You have found your higher self.
-- Notebooks Category 4: Elementary Meditation > Chapter 5: Visualizations, Symbols > # 112 | <urn:uuid:a005cb1f-1e7a-4e9b-be07-2324ef1e202b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wisdomsgoldenrod.org/notebooks/para/6459 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976487 | 225 | 1.726563 | 2 |
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Is this a trend?
July 24, 2009 - Art Smith
We all use search engines, some of us use them more than others. We search for every thing. Volleyball, what to do to get over the flu, getting married, Michael Jackson. They all get search for, sometimes millions of times per day.
Viewed collectively — what people search for can tell us what is important to the online community at any particular time.
The king of search is Google. Google tracks everything people do as they interact with the site.
The result is the ability of users to see how much interest there has been over a period of time for any topic.
The results can be very interesting.
The amount of searching for the name “Michael Jackson” has increased around 4,000 percent since he died with heavy searching coming from Indonesia and Central and South American countries.
People are searching for information on “terrorism” at about half the rate we were five years ago. We may not be any safer; we are just not as concerned about it.
Search for a sport like “volleyball” and you can easily see the peak occurring each fall when the sport is played and every four years when the Olympics are held.
Search for the word “wedding” and you will find a large dip each fall followed by a spike at the end of the year. I presume caused by couples getting engaged at Christmas.
Interesting, but one could argue, not that useful. There are in fact, many useful applications of the information.
Tracking what people are search for can sometime help predict trends before more conventional reporting methods do. The technology for the site is now being used to help predict how the flu in affecting different areas of the country.
Besides letting users track phrases over a period of time, the site will also let you see what is important to the Internet community today by showing the top 100 terms that have been searched.
No comments posted for this article.
Post a Comment | <urn:uuid:11ab7de0-2c27-417d-8570-926ae3f3cd05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/blogs.detail/display/618/Is-this-a-trend-.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958638 | 422 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Every car and truck enthusiast on the planet can relate. When you've wanted to build and own a certain vehicle from before the time you could drive, and you finally do it, that's a dream come true.
Mark Sanders of Garden Grove, California, has been involved in the hobby for over 42 years. He built a couple of '56 Chevys, a '55 Bow Tie, a '66 GTO, a '68 GTO, and a '30 Ford Model A pickup. But the automotive object of his desire throughout this time was a '40 Ford half-ton. When the Ford was finally finished after four years of toil, Mark gave it a biblically inspired name-Marx Ark, after Noah's creation.
We imagine Noah commenced construction of his ark with the hull. Mark and his son, Mark Jr., began building the '40 at its foundation after completely disassembling the truck. They boxed the frame and installed a Total Cost Involved IFS. Adding Firestone airbags and an Air Ride Technologies tank and compressor provided ride height adjustability and modern handling. Once they'd replaced the Ford's original rearend with a '60 Ford drum-braked 9-inch suspended with All American coilover shocks and a four-link, they took the chassis apart and sprayed it black.
A Borg-Warner Super T-10 four-speed manual trans backs the '91 Chevy ZZ1 engine. After installing the drivetrain in the renewed chassis, the stock fuel tank, refurbished by Matsen Radiator in Stanton, California, was relocated in its original home behind the differential. Father and son plumbed the fuel and brake lines with stainless ones before transporting the truck to Barker Customs in nearby Orange for the professional bodywork.
If the name Art Barker is familiar to readers, the magazine appreciates your longstanding patronage. We've featured many trucks Art has helped craft. He's a master bodyman. It's a guarantee that when a vehicle emerges from his shop, the body panels are pristine. Art gave the sheetmetal his handiwork and widened the rear fenders 1.5 inches for thick wheels and tires. He also made a righteous rear roll pan before his metalwork was ready for the PPG Black and clear topcoats applied by Armando, the owner of Jazz in Stanton, California.
Rather than a flashy interior, Mark followed the classic hot rod hauler theme of the rest of the '40s, opting to have Sonny's Upholstery trim the cab in black tuck 'n' roll leather. When Sonny's was finished, the Ford was completely transformed. Thanks to his son, Mr. Barker, Armando, the other Mark, and friend and colleague Allan Johnson, Mark's '40 Ford half-ton's a 42-year dream come true. | <urn:uuid:77a35c1e-09e2-4930-a337-b597160d9c6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.customclassictrucks.com/featuredvehicles/0607cct_1940_ford_half_ton_pickup_truck/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961441 | 580 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The report into the collision between a goods train and a lorry at Funtham's Lane level crossing in 1972.
This document was published on 28th July 1972 by Department of the Environment.
It was written by Lieut. Col. A. G. Townsend-Rose.
This item is linked to the Accident at Funthams Lane Level Crossing on 8th March 1972
The original document format was Stapled Book, and comprised 9 pages.
This document was kindly sourced from Nick Smith and is in our Accident reports collection. It was added to the Archive on 10th August 2006.
This document is Crown Copyright, and is subject to the terms governing the reproduction of crown copyright material. Depending on the status and age of the original document, you may need an OPSI click-use license if you wish to reproduce this material, and other restrictions may apply. Please see this explanation for further details.
"The crossing is protected by manually controlled barriers operated, and monitored by closed circuit
television, from King's Dyke signalbox 517 yards distant. The 08.05 Whitemoor to Leicester Down goods train was travelling at about 30 mph under clear signals when it collided with the rear of the lorry. The barriers were in the raised position and the road signals and bells were not working because the signalman and a technician working in the signalbox had between them irregularly released a vital electric lock on the signal protecting the crossing.
Although there was no derailment, the lorry and the locomotive were badly damaged and one barrier machine was destroyed. The emergency services were immediately alerted and arrived without delay, and rail traffic was allowed to pass over the Up line at 10.56 although the Down line was not opened until 13.40. The secondman, who was driving the train, was trapped in his cab for almost 1£½ hours, but he and his driver and the lorry driver suffered only cuts, bruises and shock. The weather was overcast but visibility was good.
The crossing, although only of Occupation status had a bad history of accidents when it was equipped with user operated gates, and was the subject of an Inquiry in April 1958. It was equipped with manually controlled barriers monitored by closed circuit television (CCTV) in March 1970 and was the first crossing to be so equipped in the United Kingdom."
Does the franchise model just need technical changes or would a concession system be better?
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Please consider donating to help with our running costs. | <urn:uuid:1adb7b42-b29c-4548-862a-05d2b528b062> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.php?docID=492 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980799 | 541 | 1.679688 | 2 |
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Bruchid beetles belong to a group of insects originating in Africa and the Mediterranean area. They were probably bought to the U.K. in imported seed where they pupate. Adults appear in…"
"When storing any dried bean for culinary use make sure you freeze them and then re-dry them if you don't you'll end up with a jar crawling with dried bean beetles - not so much of a problem with beans kept for sowing but not too nice if…"
"Basically the answer is - depends on your soil. If it's heavy clay then raised beds otherwise just beds. Mark out prospective beds and then remove the turves and stack them in a pile "grass to grass" and leave to rot down for a year,…" | <urn:uuid:ec790d53-0ab5-4d68-8163-da324ee8285a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ukveggardeners.com/profile/Mark | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949361 | 510 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Do we need to remember Sarajevo? The war in Bosnia ended in 1995, and much has happened since then, not only in Bosnia, but in the rest of the world. We have lived through the events of 9/11, we have engaged in war in Afghanistan, and we are on the verge of another war in Iraq. We are being told that America’s survival is at stake, and though we may doubt the severity of the threat, or the wisdom of the government’s response to it, there are people who wish fatal harm to America.
Sarajevo, and the agony it suffered in the 1990s, would seem to carry little importance today. It is just a scarred Balkan city filled with aid workers, peacekeepers and a population that sadly remembers its history even as others forget it. Bosnia is not in material breach of anything today. Sarajevo is fading away, filed in the recesses of our historical memory between the tragedies of Somalia and Rwanda, which briefly grabbed our attention before they faded away, too.
Yet Sarajevo was besieged not just by men with weapons but by evil. It was a multicultural city set upon by nationalists who engaged in ethnic cleansing on a scale not seen in Europe since World War II. In the past year or two, the phrase “ethnic cleansing” has retreated from the lexicon of national discourse, replaced by the new catchphrases of our fears, such as Al Qaeda and weapons of mass destruction and Osama bin Laden. Even so, the evil of ethnic cleansing must be recalled, alongside the shameful fact that America and its allies tolerated mass murder because it did not seem to threaten us. When, finally, it did menace our interests—the NATO alliance was beginning to unravel over the morass of Bosnia—a U.S.-led bombing campaign began, and the Serb nationalists who started the war were forced to end it, but awarded nearly half the country as a sweetener.
Sarajevo teaches us that we must be prepared to act even if a force of evil does not directly threaten our homeland. It is possible for genocide to occur almost anywhere on Earth and for life to continue in New York and Washington without a ruffle of concern or dislocation. Sarajevo is proof that our indifference can kill. It doesn’t kill us, but those upon whom we allow evil to have its way. Even if it doesn’t imperil our territory or the price of gasoline, we are diminished by its triumph, and a world in which such triumphs occur is not a safe world.
Roger Richards was among the many journalists who worked in Bosnia during the war, and he continued to work there after the country was carved up under the Dayton peace treaty. His evocative photographs take us back to that time, as do the accompanying remembrances from Sarajevans who provide a pitch-perfect narrative to his stark and damning pictures. This combination of pictures and words is powerful. “Remember Sarajevo” makes us do just that, and for that reason, it merits a wide audience.
"These photographs were made with the intent of making the world look at an evil that was taking place before their eyes, and to force it to face unpleasant truths,” Richards says. “We journalists kept doing our jobs, to the point where we became resented by the citizens of Sarajevo as voyeurs. But the fact that we kept on making these images of horror eventually led to a time when the world could avert its eyes no longer. I consider myself to be a caretaker of historical documents and with it comes the responsibility to remind my fellow humans of what can happen when evil is allowed to flourish without challenge from the good."
Evil recedes rather than dies. It is persistent. We must not avert our gaze when it begins to draw the blood of innocent people stricken by the machetes and bullets of genocide. The photos and text in this exhibition explain, elegantly and painfully, why that is so. | <urn:uuid:5d3a5ad0-132a-4e3e-b467-808c4730e37e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0302/rr_intro.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974627 | 835 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Feed, commonly misidentified as RSS, is the proper name for the contextual version of your site as distributed through various feed types such as RSS, Atom, XML, etc. They are basically your posts stripped of your website design, read like articles in a newspaper.
Today’s feed readers are more than the simple text readers of old. Google Reader is now incorporated into Google Currents, a mobile app that reads a site’s feeds in a magazine format. Other mobile apps that create a magazine feel for reading site feeds include Feedly, Flipboard, Zite, Pulse, SkyGrid, and News360.
Today’s Blog Exercise is designed to teach you the basics of how to use a feed reader to find something to blog about, specifically topical issues associated with your blog topic and industry.
Imagine monitoring 1,000 websites daily. Could you do it? Could you create 2,000 bookmarks in your browser and visit all 2,000 sites once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Maybe once a year.
I’ve been using a feed reader since they were developed to help me monitor the world around me, specifically my world, the world of blogging and WordPress. I now have over 1,000 sources in my feed reader just on WordPress. With a feed reader, I can scan down the list of the sites in a few minutes looking for what is new and interesting.
Here is how a feed reader works, and I recommend Google Reader) to begin. Once you have it set up, do the following.
- Go to a site you consider a source of ideas and material for your blog. Copy the address or their feed address (often referred to as RSS).
- Return to Google Reader and click Subscribe. Paste in the address (URL).
- Repeat this for several sites.
Once set up, note that you have several viewing options, giving you a chance to scan the updates at your own pace.
Sites with recently published content are bolded, as are their post titles. When read, the bold turns off. You can customize the settings to filter out posts you’ve reviewed posts so they are not visible. To mark an article as read, click it to “read” it or choose “Mark as Read” at the bottom of the feed view of that article.
There are two core views in Google Reader, List and Expanded. List features only post titles. Expanded view displays the article fully or by excerpt summary. Choose List view for the fastest scanning, and Expanded to read every article.
You may add sites directly to the root or set up folders to group together related sites. I have folders for writing, blogging, WordPress, gardening, knitting, and other favorite subjects.
Click on the site name and you will see only the articles for that site in reverse chronological order.
If you are subscribed to Google and Google+, at the bottom of each post is a button for sharing the post on Google+. There are also options to Email the article, Mark as Read, Send To, and other options.
To use Google Reader:
- Go through the list and look for something worth blogging about.
- If you want to read the entire article in its website, or if it only features an excerpt, Windows users hold down the CTRL key and left click the title, or right click the title and choose “Open in New Tab.” Mac users use the CMD key. This will open the web page in a new tab for you to read and link to for a quote and citation.
- Mark the article as read and move onto the next.
Note that by opening the article in a new tab, you can copy the full web page address to create a proper citation link. If you use the title from the feed reader, it will be the feed link, which often looks similar to a link shortener link. It will still open the cited article from your site, but the link is not “pretty,” if that matters to you.
I use Google Reader for speed blogging and news and current events topics daily. I’ll share more tips on how to make this process more efficient in a later blog exercise.
Your blog exercise today is to set up a Google Reader account and start adding sites related to your blogging topics.
If you do not have any resources yet, check out my lists of Hundreds of Resources for Finding Content for Your Blog (old but there are some great ideas and sites in the list), or do a search from within Google Reader or through your favorite search engine.
Most sites today have feeds even though they might not be visible. If you do not spot one, just enter the main address to see if Google Reader can find the feed. If a favorite resource site does not have a feed, consider contacting them and recommending they either switch to WordPress or add feed functionality to their site.
If you have any sites you will add to your feed reader to help you blog better, please post them below in the comments so we can add them to our own feed reader.
For more information on feeds:
- Benefits and Uses of Website Feeds
- The Birth of RSS
- Don’t You Know What a Feed Is Yet? Get To Know Your Feeds!
- Using Your Feeds for Story Ideas
- Feeding on Lorelle on WordPress
- Creating Attention Getting Linkable Content
- Do You Need Permission to Use Feeds
- One Year Anniversary Review: What are Feeds?
- Feed Fatigue
- Understanding, Using, and Customizing WordPress Blog Feeds
Remember to include a hat tip link back to this post to create a trackback if you choose to blog about this subject, or leave a properly formed link in the comments so participants can check out your blog exercise task. | <urn:uuid:3039ecd8-1078-497c-84a5-0f694499a3ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/blog-exercises-feed-readers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919325 | 1,208 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Origin and History
There is not much known about Chester P. Runk in his years as a youngster. Chunk was constantly a corpulent man, but simultaneously a genius. He grew up being a very obese man. He was as brainy as the Teen Titans' own Cyborg. He constructed a stable but diminutive machine that would let the user absorb matter and expel it into a pocket dimension called the Void. The machine blew up the first time Chunk tried it and merged with him. He now has the ability to warp to the Void. He realized he would keep warping there and could not return, unless he fulfilled his thirst for hard stones such as Diamonds. Chunk spent his next few years forced to consume incredibly dense materials to keep from imploding. He also gained the power to teleport objects to different dimensions. He became a jewelery thief, after realizing this was his only way to live. He ended his scientific life for this. He knew he had to survive.
Encounter with Wally
Chunk came to the attention of Wally West, the Flash. Wally was at a psychiatrist to talk about his problems. There was a luxurious jewelry store in the vicinity. Chunk chose this place to rob first. He brought a light pistol with him. The jewelry store was vacant. Not a soul to be found except the manager. After his time in there threatening the manager, a women shrieked from the hall. This is when Wally West transformed into the Flash. Running as fast as he could, he observed Chunk empty the shelves of the priceless and classy jewelry pieces. When he perceived the Flash running up to him, Chunk let out a few bullets at the Flash. After there encounter, Chunk exited the store. The next instant, everybody experienced a massive earthquake. When Flash went out in the corridor to look for Chunk, he was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared into the Void.The Void is a Dimensional world where Chunk, and the people he has absorbed, lives. Chunk's machine which his body had absorbed, lets him travel to this universe. A few days’ later, Chunk hijacks a truck containing nineteen hundred pounds of twenty-four karat gold. Chunk’s massive body weight grants him the power to lift a couple tons. He hauls up the truck like it’s a feather, and rips off the door with one hand. Chunk threw the men inside the truck's cab out onto the street. The next instant, he gets in and then disappears into the mysterious world of the Void. A light earthquake is felt. Whenever Chunk teleports to the Void, there is a slight earthquake but nothing severe. Chunk has to feed his hunger for hard stones like diamonds, or else he will keep teleporting to the Void. The next day when Flash has to attend his meeting, the Chunk strikes again, this time at a local jewelry store. And this time he uses his magnetism power, which he had received when he consumed his machine, to take the Flash with him to the Void.
Chunk later reforms, and becomes a good friend to the Flash. While walking with his girlfriend, he is shot by Plunder. The bullet is coated with white dwarf material. Chunk loses control of his powers, creating a black hole. Wally manages to remove the bullet, and Chunk recovers and becomes a trusted ally to Wally West and helps him on several occasions.
Chunk was a member of Amanda Waller's Shadow Fighters. They were sent to fight Eclipso on the dark side of the Moon.
Chunk has super strength and invulnerabilty. Chunk can also absorb matter and expel it into a pocket dimension called the Void. Chunk can be hurt only by bullets that are coated or laced with White Dwarf Star material, the substance that allows superhero the Atom to shrink. | <urn:uuid:3b9b55e9-cc71-4ace-8266-7fc06753ac3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.comicvine.com/chunk/4005-10473/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98468 | 795 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Before it joined the nowadays Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT (former Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH), today’s IMK-IFU belonged to the Fraunhofer Society as "Fraunhofer Institute for Atmospheric Environmental Research (IFU)". Historically speaking, IMK-IFU dates from the “Physico-Bioclimatic Research Office” founded by Dr. Reiter in Munich in the late 40ies. In 1954, it moved to the area of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and was taken over by the Fraunhofer Society (FhG) as an independent institute in 1962. IFU, i.e. today’s IMK-IFU, thus represents one of the oldest institutes working in the field of atmospheric environmental research in Germany.
In 1973 in the course of the establishment of an own institute building in the district of Garmisch, the FhG institute was renamed “Fraunhofer Institute for Atmospheric Environmental Research”. In 1990 – following the appointment of Professor Dr. W. Seiler as Institute Director (1986-2007) – this building was extended and adapted to the new research profile and its changed requirements on laboratory and room equipment.
After the IFU with its research work of predominantly public interest had been increasingly relegated to the fringe of the FhG due to the latter’s reorientation towards industry-oriented research, transfer of the institute to another organization was envisaged. An expert opinion of the scientific council on the scientific achievements of IFU (published in July 2001) had recommended a transfer of the institute to the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH.
This transfer became effective on 1st January 2002 already. Since then, the institute has been integrated in the “Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK)” as Atmospheric Environmental Research Department (IMK-IFU), its contribution being an essential one. While the research activities predominantly concentrated on the fields of meteorology, air electricity, and radioactivity until the 70ies , main activities have shifted to climate and atmosphere research since 1986.
Since 2009 the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) was founded by a merger of Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH and University of Karlsruhe, to boundle the mission of two precursory institutions.
Today’s research activities of IMK-IFU focus on studies of
(i) the interaction between biosphere and atmosphere in a changing world,
(ii) the influence of man on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and its impact on the environment, and
(iii) regional climate and hydrology.
With these activities, IMK-IFU is integrated in the Atmosphere and Climate Program (ATMO) of the HGF (Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers) research area “Earth and Environment”, its results contributing essentially to the in-depth understanding of the system “Earth” and serving as a basis for a reliable derivation of measures to improve environmental conditions on the regional scale. IMK-IFU is involved in the relevant international and national research programs. Furthermore, it is part of important environmental observation networks, such as NDSC (Network for Detection of Stratospheric Change) and GAW (Global Atmosphere Watch). In addition, it is the World Calibration Center for N2O and VOC, where among others scientists and technicians from third world countries are trained.
In 2007 Prof. Dr. H.P. Schmid has started as new Institute Director. At the same time he holds a Teaching Chair in Atmospheric Environmental Research at the Technical University of Munich. | <urn:uuid:fb808f4b-d2bd-48b9-99c1-d05178c7ac90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://imk-ifu.fzk.de/ifu_history.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934181 | 786 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Get The Balance Right
If you think weight and balance are boring and unimportant, you need to read the following
It was 1985, and I was refueling a Cessna 425 Conquest I at Tenerife in the Canary Islands on my way to Johannesburg, South Africa. I’d instructed the fueler to fill the wing tanks first, then begin topping the three 110-gallon internal ferry tanks starting with the front tank. I turned away to fill out the necessary paperwork, heard the pump running for a few minutes and as I finished the fuel request, heard a sickening crunch behind me.
I turned around to discover that my big Cessna turboprop twin had become a taildragger. The airplane had fallen back onto its tailcone, crushing the tail tiedown ring up into the aluminum and suspending the nosewheel high in the air. The fueler was still standing precariously on the airplane’s airstair bottom clamshell, its aft lip now resting against the ramp. He was holding the fuel hose in his hand, obviously confused by what had just happened.
It was all too obvious. He’d climbed up onto the airstair and begun refueling the first tank he saw, in this case, the aft ferry tank. With wing fuel well down and the three ferry tanks empty, the result was inevitable. Loading 730 pounds into the aft tank with so little in the front containers was more than the CG could handle.
It was my fault, of course. The young man actually doing the fueling spoke little English, and his supervisor hadn’t translated my instructions on how to fuel the airplane. On many delivery flights, we often fuel the ferry tanks ourselves to make certain there are no errors. I’d been complacent by counting on someone else to do it right.
Most weight-and-balance problems aren’t that dramatic, but many pilots are aware that improper balance can be deadly. Overloading is a no-no as well, but it’s usually more of a venial rather than a cardinal sin. Usually. | <urn:uuid:3827e1a6-d6de-4c57-a77c-ad9c893ee8b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.planeandpilotmag.com/proficiency/pilot-skills/get-the-balance-right.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970674 | 434 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Last modified: 2010-11-12 by ivan sache
Keywords: somme | picardie | transbaie |
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Flag of the General Council of Somme - Image by Olivier Touzeau, 16 November 2009
Traditional province: Picardy
Bordering departments: Aisne, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais, Seine-Maritime
Area: 6,170 km2
Population (1999): 555,551 inhabitants
Sous-préfectures: Abbeville, Montdidier, Péronne
Subdivisions: 4 arrondissements, 46 cantons, 782 communes.
The department is named after river Somme (245 km),
tributary of the English Channel.
On 1 January 1971, the municipality of Ytres was transferred from the department of Somme to the department of Pas-de-Calais. On 1 January 1974, the municipality of Beauvoir-Rivière, transferred from Somme to Pas-de-Calais, merged with Wavans-sur-l'Authie to form the municipality of Beauvoir-Wavans.
Ivan Sache, 14 November 2009
The flag of the General Council of Somme is a rectangular version of the square logo of the General Council, as seen on a photo shown on the website of the General Council.
The logo of the General Council of Somme is a garnet red square
charged with the writing "somme", with the first "m" bold, and, "LE
CONSEIL GENERAL", in much smaller letters.
According to the graphic chart, "this red block Pantone 201 (CMYK 0-100-65-35) should be considered as a space of life in which the logo takes all its meaning". Only the General Council is allowed to use "the red logo on a white background without a square background".
As communicated by the General Council, the logo, adopted in 2003, emphasizes the relation between land and water, a characteristic of the department's identity. The bold letter "m" symbolizes the arches of a bridge, representing the architectural heritage of the department.
The former logo of the General Council of Somme was white with the blue writing "CONSEIL GENERAL / de la / SOMME". The "O" of "SOMME" was vertically divided blue-gree by a white seagull. The former flag of the General Council was white with this "O".
Olivier Touzeau, Pascal Vagnat & Ivan Sache, 16 November 2009
The Transbaie, a foot race crossing the Bay of Somme, was
created in the late 1980s by Denis Courtois. In 1987, Courtois quitted
smoking and started jogging; on 14 May 1989, the first Transbaie was
run. The 17th Transbaie was run on 19 June 2005.
The race starts with a few kilometers on the quays of the port of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme. The real fun consists in crossing the Bay of Somme at low tide, through sand beads, mud flats and low-depth channels, until reaching the beach of Le Crotoy, on the other side of the Bay, and running back to Saint-Valery before rising tide. The approximate distance is 15-16 km, but the course changes every year and is decided just before the start. The Bay is watched by helicopter and kayak in order to find a safe course for the 5,000-6,000 competitors. The course through the Bay is marked with two kinds of flags, described as follows in the official rules of the race:
Appendix 1. Marking in the Bay is made of:
- in straight line, of bright coloured ranging-poles planted c. every 100 m
- in curves and places with low visibility, of bright coloured ranging-poles planted c. every 30 m
- on fords, of poles with red and white strips marking a safe lane.
Signal flags used in the Transbaie - Images by Ivan Sache, 14 July 2005
There are indeed two kinds of "bright coloured ranging poles", smaller
ones with a yellow triangular flag and taller ones
with rectangular vertical blue flags.
The places with "low visibility" are the crossings of crevasses made in the silt by the arms of the Somme; these crevasses can be up to 1 m in depth and lenght and are expected to be dry at the time of the race. After having crossed by several hundred of competitors, the crevasses turn into a sticky field of silt, and shoes must have been strongly tied up. Note that this is silt and not mud, so it is not so dirty, in spite of a very strong organic flavour.
The fords are the crossings of the "alive" arms of the Somme, where competitors might be in water up to their waist (the deepest fords are watched by the firefighters and there is an helicopter of the Army with medical equipment and doctors on board watching the race). This is fresh water, very useful to get rid of the silt accumulated during the crossing of the crevasses. Silt is made of extremely thin particles and the washing effect of fresh water is striking.
There is an historical precedent to the race: after her capture, Joan of Arc was jailed in 1430 in the fortress of Le Crotoy and crossed the Bay to Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, before going to Rouen where a stake had been prepared for her. At that time, there was probably less silt and much more water in the Bay, and the crossing must have been something extremely hazardous.
Ivan Sache, 14 July 2005 | <urn:uuid:6bdbfe6f-8d55-4656-bcc4-a671ae69cbbe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fotw.us/flags/fr-80.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938149 | 1,232 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Commercial Inland Fishery 2010
The commercial inland fishery catch totalled 4 500 tonnes in 2010. Measured by both catch volume and value, the main catch species was vendace. In 2010 the vendace catch (2 500 tonnes) was as big as in 2004, 2006 and 2008 but little smaller than in 2000 and 2002. The pikeperch catch has increased in last eight years but perch, european whitefish, burbot and trout catches have decreased. In 2010 the commercial fishermen caught also about 490 000 signal crayfish.
In 2010, the value of the total commercial inland catch was 8.8 million euros. The value of vendace catch was 5.6 million euros, of which the value of vendace roe was 0.6 million euros. The value of crayfish catch was little over 420 000 euros. Measuring by catch value the most important species after vendace were pikeperch, signal crayfish, european whitefish and perch.
The number of registered commercial fishermen in inland waters in 2010 was about 340, and of them little over 200 derived at least 30 percent of their income from fishing. The number of whole-time fishermen was little smaller than earlier. Because of the methodological changes the number of part-time fishermen was clearly smaller than earlier. The estimate for 2008 and 2010 does not include family members or other persons participating in fishing if they don’t include in the commercial fishermen register. The change in method did not affect much to the catch estimates. | <urn:uuid:7677e310-6c9e-4279-b156-25f1765e0444> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rktl.fi/en/julkaisut/j/599.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957932 | 314 | 2.265625 | 2 |
The American Idol Top 11 have created a Public Service Announcement encouraging people to REFUSE to use single-use plastics. It includes the mantra, “REFUSE, reduce, reuse, recycle”, which are the 4R’s of Sustainable Living of the Plastic Pollution Coalition (of which the Real Diaper Association is a member).
While they don’t specifically name disposable diapers as one of the products to refuse, the fact remains that in the U.S. and Canada, nearly 90% of babies use them, resulting in 60,000 single-use plastic diapers used each minute. Just as people are asked to reject single-use plastic water bottles and grocery bags in favor of reusable versions, we would like to encourage parents to choose reusable diapers.
Please check out the Refuse campaign over at Plastic Pollution Coalition and spread the word that YOU’RE refusing single-use plastics and choosing reusable cloth diapers for your baby. I’m happy to see single-use plastics getting such widespread attention. Let’s make sure people know they have a great reusable diapering alternative!
Executive Director, Real Diaper Association | <urn:uuid:3d446e50-0781-4286-b585-94dc549e2fd2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://realdiaperevents.org/archives/cloth-diaper-users-real-american-idols | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921435 | 238 | 1.875 | 2 |
MessageToEagle.com - Remote sensing from satellites is the most efficient way to get global information
about these vast, hard-to measure expanses like for example - our oceans.
The ocean is a major player in the Earth system. It is in constant motion. Winds drive currents on the ocean
surface and these currents in turn mix down into the ocean depths.
Data from buoys, drifters, and satellites such as ocean color, sea height, temperature, and
winds, provide us with observations about the speed and direction of currents and about heat stored in the ocean,
which help to predict global climate variations.
Working on a joint project, scientists of MIT and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, have produced a stunning new
animated video called Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean.
It displays the flow of the world's ocean currents swirling in captivating splendor.
The video, titled "Perpetual Ocean," takes an astronaut's view, as if the viewer is in a waltz-like dance orbiting around the Earth.
This visualization shows ocean surface currents around the world during the period from June 2005
through Decmeber 2007. The visualization does not include a narration or annotations; the goal was to use
ocean flow data to create a simple, visceral experience.
Click on image to enlarge
This visualization was produced using NASA/JPL's computational model called Estimating the Circulation and
Climate of the Ocean, Phase II or ECCO2.. ECCO2 is high resolution model of the global ocean and sea-ice.
ECCO2 attempts to model the oceans and sea ice to increasingly accurate resolutions that begin to resolve
ocean eddies and other narrow-current systems which transport heat and carbon in the oceans.
The video shows just how complex and vital the oceans are, and the intricacy by which heat and carbon is
transferred and transported. It's also fascinating to follow the tiny details of the currents regionally.
Try imagining yourself as a tiny paper boat and see where they might take you. The exercise may reveal an
amazing amount about how connected faraway places really are via the world's ocean currents.
It's a global world indeed.
The ECCO2 model simulates ocean flows at all depths, but only surface flows are used in this visualization.
The dark patterns under the ocean represent the undersea bathymetry. Topographic land exaggeration is 20x
and bathymetric exaggeration is 40x.
Extreme Life In Tough Environment Of Hot Earth Without Oxygen
Once upon a time, Earth was still a hot, violent place at this time, with volcanic activity dominating the early Earth. The sky was cloudy and grey,
keeping the heat in despite the sun being weaker than today.
The water temperature of the oceans was much higher at 40-50 degrees (the temperature of a hot bath) and circulating currents were very strong.
Dangerous Fast and Furious - Birth Of Africa's New Ocean - with video
The only places where mid-ocean ridges appear above sea level are Ethiopia and Iceland.
Two new studies into the so-called “plumbing systems” that lie under volcanoes could bring scientists closer to predicting large
eruptions and reveal new information about where magma is stored and how it moves through the geological plumbing network.
Alien Species Living In The Inner Milky Way Could Be In Danger
Few people doubt there is intelligent alien life in the Milky Way galaxy, but where can we expect to find it?
Astronomers think that while the inner sector of the MIlky Way Galaxy may be the most likely to support habitable worlds.
Unfortunately some of these places are also most dangerous to all life-forms.
Black Holes With No 'Table Manners' Eat Two Courses At Once!
It is still unknown how the supermassive black holes (SMBH) in galaxy centres accrete gas and grow.
Researchers from the University of Leicester (UK) and Monash University in Australia have investigated how some black holes got so big so fast that they are billions of times heavier than the sun.
Mercury Surprises Scientists
On March 17, MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space Environment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) completed its one-year primary mission, orbiting Mercury, capturing nearly 100,000 images, and recording data
that reveals new information about the planet's core, topography, and the mysterious radar bright material in the permanently shadowed areas near the poles.
Living Earth Simulator - Supercomputer Predicting The Future
In Douglas Adams book the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy we encounter a machine called Deep Thought. It is the most powerful computer ever built. Deep Thought is capable of answering questions
concerning life, the Universe, and simply everything. Now scientists are planning to create a similar machine. It is called the Living Earth Simulator (LES).
Warp-Speed Planets Are Some Of The Fastest Objects In The Milky Way
Warped planets are some of the fastest objects in the Milky Way and they zoom through space near the speed of light.
Some years ago astronomers were astonished when they they found the first runaway star flying out of our Galaxy at a speed of 1.5 million miles per hour.
The discovery intrigued theorists, who wondered: If a star can get tossed outward at such an extreme velocity, could the same thing happen to planets?
Though the universe is filled with billions upon billions of stars, the discovery of a single variable star in 1923 altered the
course of modern astronomy. And, at least one famous astronomer of the time lamented that the discovery had shattered his world view.
Solar Tornadoes As Wide As Five Earths Discovered
Solar tornadoes several times as wide as the Earth can be generated in the solar atmosphere, say researchers in the UK.
"This is perhaps the first time that such a huge solar tornado is filmed by an imager. Previously much smaller solar
tornadoes were found my SOHO satellite. But they were not filmed," says Dr. Xing Li, of Aberystwyth University.
Antarctica's Mysterious Lake Untersee And Its Otherworldly Ecosystem
A research team has now returned to Lake Untersee to begin the first real studies of this incredible environment.
This new high-quality image details the conical stromatolites that have formed on top of a boulder at a depth of about 20 meters, other
cones can be seen populating the sloping bottom... | <urn:uuid:b3c685f2-5a9d-417b-b5fd-5e4aa8ae9f5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.messagetoeagle.com/oceancurrentsnasa.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92191 | 1,357 | 3.609375 | 4 |
It’s just as I thought it would be….
Prayer is beneficial to our brains and our lives. There are many wonderful effects that prayer brings to our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Prayer is good for us physically because it lowers stress, blood pressure, and centers or balances us. It’s akin to meditation in that it promotes calm and a soothing atmosphere. It doesn’t matter what belief system you’ve chosen either. The fact is that research shows that prayer is good for us.
We slow down and become still and quiet when we pray. We take time to know ourselves better and to develop a relationship with something greater, omnipotent, and more knowledgeable than ourselves. We are less inclined to emotional depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Prayer even helps restore memory and decrease Alzheimer’s! Prayer changes the brain, the research shows, for the better.
What Prayer Does to Your Brain
Monday, 19 Dec 2011 05:14 PM
By S. A. Nickerson
Millions of Americans pray — and believe that prayer works.
In fact, one recent poll found that 84% of U.S. adults claim they’d prayed in the past week.
But many people believe that prayer has no scientific validity, and is only wishful or magical thinking.
The Newsmax Health team wanted to know the truth about prayer. Can modern science actually explain prayer? How does praying affect the brain? And what benefits, if any, does prayer really offer people … physically, mentally, or emotionally?
To this end, they went out to the scientific and medical community to learn the potential benefits of prayer. The results were so startling that they created a free video presentation on the scientific benefits of prayer to share exactly what they discovered.
This video reveals how prayer actually changes four distinct areas of the human brain: the frontal lobe, the anterior cingulate, the parietal lobe, and the limbic system.
It also details how a specific amount of prayer time per day can help prevent memory loss, mental decline, and even dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Plus, it covers 47 scientifically proven benefits of prayer, including pain relief, reduced risk of death from heart attack or stroke, lessened anxiety or depression, improved immune function, and more.
And last but not least, it warns of a specific prayer pitfall that can actually cause illness if care is not taken.
According to Travis Davis, Newsmax Health Publisher, this video does not promote any specific religion or spiritual practice, but it does shed light on a practice that 3 out of 4 Americans engage in on a regular basis — a practice basically ignored by the mainstream media.
As Davis notes, “Most people are not aware of the emerging field of neurotheology, the scientific study of the relationship between the brain and spiritual phenomena. We wanted to help introduce this groundbreaking scientific work to the public.” | <urn:uuid:7e21997d-3fab-4aeb-850c-2482da2b55c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifeofafemalebiblewarrior.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/prayer-the-brain/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927029 | 616 | 2.21875 | 2 |
- ISRAEL21c - http://israel21c.org -
Space-age rapid transit to debut in Tel Aviv
Posted By Abigail Klein Leichman On November 8, 2012 @ 3:31 am In Innovation | 10 Comments
If all goes as planned, within two years Israelis will be the first people to try out a futuristic rapid transport system designed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.
The skyTran uses two-person modules that drive along a guide rail suspended from existing power lines. Magnets in the vehicle create a magnetic field around the metal coil inside the rail, causing the vehicle to lift up and glide 60 miles per hour on a cushion of air. The system uses very little energy and potentially could be powered entirely by solar panels.
“Our objective is to build a pilot project here so that we can make Israel the center of the skyTran world,” CEO Jerry Sanders tells ISRAEL21c.
The first route, on which construction could begin next spring, would run from the high-tech center in Atidim through the Tel Aviv University train station to the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Port. Another installation might be placed on Netanya’s congested east side and a third would take people into and around Ariel Sharon Park, a huge public “green belt” in central Israel.
Personal rapid transit (PRT) alternatives are in hot demand worldwide – especially in big countries such as China and India — as a means to relieve traffic jams and energy consumption. Underground solutions are expensive and street-level solutions just add more congestion.
“We are the most sophisticated PRT on the market … and also the least expensive, greenest and most efficient,” asserts Sanders.
The best of mass and personal transport
The space-age skyTran combines aspects of public and private transportation.
“People often don’t use mass transit because they don’t like to share vehicles, they don’t like having to get to a station and they don’t like to follow someone else’s schedule,” Sanders says.
With skyTran, riders order a vehicle by tapping an icon on their smartphone. Once inside the pod, the passenger chooses a destination from an on-board console.
The vehicles, which provide full Internet access, can be owned by individuals, by companies as a fleet to pick up workers, and by municipalities – all running together at the same time. Traffic control is accomplished through a sophisticated computer program.
The cost of implementing skyTran is estimated at $9 million per mile, as opposed to $100 million per mile for a light rail system and $20 million per lane for buses. The fare will probably be competitive with Tel Aviv’s sherut (taxi van) service, says Sanders. And maintenance costs would be remarkably low.
“The vehicles don’t encounter resistance like wheel-based systems do, so there is no wear and tear from wheels hitting pavement or track,” says Sanders. “When the vehicle comes to a station, it rests on little rollerblade wheels.”
Israel is the perfect beta site
A former Wall Street lawyer and serial entrepreneur who teaches a graduate business seminar at Oxford University, Sanders was contacted by NASA to provide direction to the Ames engineering group that had pioneered the skyTran concept.
“They showed me the technology and I fell in love with it, so they appointed me chairman and CEO two years ago,” says Sanders, a Silicon Valley resident.
“As I learned more about the technology and opportunities, it became clear Israel would be the perfect beta site because it has a very sophisticated population with no fear of technology, and great pain suffered every morning and evening when they hit the roads.”
Sanders has found that Israel’s bureaucracy “is not as onerous as in some other Western countries. It’s a ‘two-telephone call’ country. Once the government knows about something and is interested in it, they find a way to clear the bureaucratic hurdles and that is what is going on with us.”
When he predicts that Israel will become the center of the skyTran world, he is not only talking about passengers. While right now the modules and support poles are mass-produced in the same Austrian factory that manufactures aluminum parts for Mercedes-Benz, Sanders believes they could be made in Israel. In addition, the job of continuously upgrading the programming could be done by Israeli software engineers.
“Right now Ames is the headquarters for the company, but if and when we start a pilot in Israel, without a doubt we will train and qualify many local engineers and blue-collar workers working with local companies. Israel will become a base of knowledge for the skyTran system and if the first is system built here, people will come from all over to learn about it,” Sanders says.
Article printed from ISRAEL21c: http://israel21c.org
URL to article: http://israel21c.org/technology/space-age-rapid-transit-to-debut-in-tel-aviv/
Copyright © 2012 Israel. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:524db7cb-1946-473e-809d-46c9b082590e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israel21c.org/technology/space-age-rapid-transit-to-debut-in-tel-aviv/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944511 | 1,095 | 2.578125 | 3 |
President Bill Clinton Confirms He’s ‘Experimenting’ With Vegan Diet
President Bill Clinton recently confirmed in an interview with journalist Willow Bay that he is indeed eating a mainly vegan diet. In the interview, the former president explains the reason behind his decision to go vegan.
“I’m trying to be one of those experimenters,” said Clinton. “Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet, not ingesting any cholesterol from any source, has seen their bodies start to heal themselves — break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. 82 percent of the people who have done this have had this result, so I want to see if I can be one of them.”
According to our source, Clinton decided to adopt the diet in the early part of May. While he does occasionally eat fish, the former president otherwise follows a strict vegan diet.
What made him go vegan? According to our source, Clinton has read many books on the topic, including books by T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish. Although losing weight was a benefit of the dietary change, the choice to go vegan was about more than just losing weight.
“I’ve never known him not to say what’s on his mind,” says our source. “And he knows quite a bit and likely has a lot to say about the benefits of a vegan diet. He has read The China Study, and he knows the issues. With time, I think it’s likely he could become the most outspoken proponent of a complete vegan diet.” | <urn:uuid:604fb758-b3fc-4b1e-99df-97f63781478a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?19255-Bill-Clinton-goes-vegan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977849 | 351 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Extensive development of alternative energy sources such as solar, thermal, and wind energy has been a positive outcome of the country’s lack of conventional energy sources. As a result, Israel is a leader in the solar energy field at every level and the world's largest per capita user of solar water heaters in the home. A new, high-efficiency receiver to collect concentrated sunlight has been developed, which will enhance the use of solar energy in industry as well.
An advance in harnessing wind energy has been the production of a wind turbine with a flexible, inflatable rotor. Technology utilizing pond water with a certain degree of salinity and mineral composition to absorb and store solar energy has also been developed. Geothermal power stations, capable of extracting heat from the ground and converting it to steam for powering turbines, are now being tested. A project developed by a team of scientists at the Technion, uses dry air and water (even sea or brackish water) to produce energy through 1,000-meter high chimneys. | <urn:uuid:78f6ae59-d8eb-4b27-9809-c59d54268220> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.israelemb.org/hanoi/AboutIsrael/ScienceTechnology/Pages/SCIENCE-Energy-RD.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946934 | 209 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has hailed the efforts of the international community in protecting the atmosphere, noting that with the global phase-out of 98 per cent of ozone-depleting gases, the ozone layer is now on track to recover over the next five decades.
“I urge Governments and all partners to apply the same spirit to the other great environment and development challenges of our times. Together, we can achieve the future we want,” Mr. Ban said in his message on the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, observed annually on 16 September.
The date commemorates the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which aims to protect the ozone layer by taking measures to control total global production and consumption of substances that deplete it, with the ultimate objective of their elimination.
The ozone layer, a fragile shield of gas, protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus helping preserve life on the planet. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Protocol, and Mr. Ban congratulated all who have made the treaty such an “outstanding example” of international cooperation.
The Protocol, he said, “is not merely a success in meeting its immediate objectives, it offers substantive lessons and inspiration in addressing other global challenges and turning them into opportunities for common progress.”
Millions of cases of skin cancer and eye cataracts, as well as the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation on the environment, have already been avoided, he noted. The Protocol has also catalyzed considerable innovation in the chemical and equipment manufacturing industry, resulting in more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration systems.
He said action under the Protocol has also had significant climate benefits. Many of these substances have been phased out, such as chlorofluorocarbons once used in products such as hairsprays, which are significant greenhouse gases.
“Nonetheless, the challenges are not over,” said Mr. Ban. “Governments must maintain their commitment to finish the job and avert additional problems. The use of hydrofluorocarbons – ozone-friendly chemicals that are also powerful greenhouse gases – is growing rapidly to replace ozone-depleting substances.
“The Montreal Protocol has demonstrated that fundamental principles – such as science-based policy making, the precautionary approach, common but differentiated responsibilities and equity within and between generations – can benefit all nations.”
Source: UN News Centre
The Brussels based United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe - UNRIC provides information on UN activities to the countries of the region. It also provides liaison with institutions of the European Union in the field of information. Its outreach activities extend to all segments of society and joint campaigns, projects and events are organized with partners including the EU, governments, the media, NGOs, schools and local authorities.
United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC Brussels)
Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 155, Block C2,7th and 8th floor, Brussels 1040, Belgium
Tel.: +32 2 788 8484 / Fax: 32 2 788 8485 | <urn:uuid:1f71f721-3f81-4b53-a6f9-2c1a35de4960> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unric.org/en/latest-un-buzz/27826-ozone-layer-on-track-to-recover-over-next-five-decades | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924724 | 665 | 3.078125 | 3 |
- uploaded: Jan 5, 2012
- Hits: 454
Racism.among the footballers is a big Crack in the Team work and must be eliminated at all costs. You hear of Footballers being hated for the colour of their skin, which is as bad as animals and those who support the racist players, they are worse than the animals. No sensible person would support a racist player as it creates hatred among the player and cauaes a big Crack in the Teamwork not worth the price of the Racist player.
Support should encourage people to overcome the colour barrier as the skills count there and not the colour of the skin. This was encouraged in India by Satguru Angad Dev Ji by promoting wrestling Bouits leading to strong physical bodies, the Temple of God and Agape, the Divine Love. A person is born in a country or parents not of his own freewill but by the Will of our Father. So, in God, we are Brethren whether you are an Englishman, Africal, Asian, etc. | <urn:uuid:dd54cebe-5eb2-4634-9298-87c8aeb53b43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/86165/Racism_among_the_footballers_is_a_big_Crack_in_the/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975515 | 216 | 1.5625 | 2 |
NEW YORK — The Dow stock market index closed above 14,000 for the first time since before the financial crisis rocked the world economy.
Propelled by strong auto sales and optimism about U.S. jobs, the Dow Jones industrial average crossed the line early Friday and continued flirting with the mark all day. The other major stock indexes also rose.
The Dow was up 149 points to 14,010. It’s gained 6.9 percent this year. The Standard & Poor’s 500 rose 15 to 1,513. The Nasdaq composite index added 37 to 3,179.
The government jobs report that pushed stocks forward was mixed. The U.S. said it added 157,000 jobs in January, in line with expectations. But unemployment inched up to 7.9 percent.
Automakers Toyota, Ford, GM and Chrysler all reported double-digit sales gains for January.The Dow is an index of 30 big companies, and its purpose is to represent how the broader stock market is faring. But the stock market is more a representation of how traders are feeling about the economy than the economy’s underlying fundamentals. And many investors don’t even think the Dow is the best way to track the market: They prefer the much bigger Standard & Poor’s benchmark index, which follows 500 companies.
Joe Gordon, managing partner at Gordon Asset Management in North Carolina, wasn’t celebrating. He doesn’t expect the gains to hold. The fact that small investors are finally getting back in the stock market, he said, makes him think that stocks are due for a downturn. After the Dow hit its all-time record in 2007, it fell almost steadily and had lost nearly 40 percent of its value a year later.
“It is good trivia to talk about on television and the radio,” Gordon said, referring to the 14,000 mark. “It’s meaningless to the average professional.” And for workers still unemployed by the financial crisis, he said, “it really means nothing to them.”
In Europe, tentative and incremental signs of a recovery were enough to push up stocks in France, Britain and Germany. December unemployment in the European Union was lower than analysts had feared, inflation unexpectedly fell, and a survey raised hopes of some growth in the manufacturing sector.
But there were also reminders that the debt problem is far from solved. The Netherlands was also forced to take over one of its major banks, to try to stave off a collapse. In Greece, dock workers extended a strike over the government’s spending cuts.
Among companies making big moves:
— Drugmaker Merck fell 3 percent, down $1.28 to $41.97. Its fourth-quarter profit suffered because of competition from generic medicines against its blockbuster allergy drug Singulair.
— Insurance company MetLife rose 2 percent, or 75 cents, to $38.09, after saying it plans to buy the largest private pension fund administrator in Chile.
— Zoetis, an animal health business that Pfizer just spun off, made its debut on the stock market. It was up 18 percent, rising $4.75 to $30.75.Copyright © 2013 Paddock Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:4a1dbe87-1568-4923-a57e-8d5d2da376fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130201/business/702019840/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963084 | 676 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Mathematics is rife with the fruit of abstraction. Many problems which first are solved via "direct" methods (long and difficult calculations, tricky estimates, and gritty technical theorems) later turn out to follow beautifully from basic properties of simple devices, though it often takes some work to set up the new machinery. I would like to hear about some examples of problems which were originally solved using arduous direct techniques, but were later found to be corollaries of more sophisticated results.
I am not as interested in problems which motivated the development of complex machinery that eventually solved them, such as the Poincare conjecture in dimension five or higher (which motivated the development of surgery theory) or the Weil conjectures (which motivated the development of l-adic and other cohomology theories). I would also prefer results which really did have difficult solutions before the quick proofs were found. Finally, I insist that the proofs really be quick (it should be possible to explain it in a few sentences granting the machinery on which it depends) but certainly not necessarily easy (i.e. it is fine if the machinery is extremely difficult to construct).
In summary, I'm looking for results that everyone thought was really hard but which turned out to be almost trivial (or at least natural) when looked at in the right way. I'll post an answer which gives what I would consider to be an example.
I decided to make this a community wiki, and I think the usual "one example per answer" guideline makes sense here. | <urn:uuid:e7c2afcd-6490-4ee3-ab25-1a062519e2c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathoverflow.net/questions/24913/quick-proofs-of-hard-theorems/24946 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982246 | 310 | 1.875 | 2 |
A Confession, part 8
At the time I could not say clearly what was wrong with my thinking, but it seemed that my thinking was both clear and not clear at the same time. I was agreeing with what some great thinkers of the past had said, and to my mind I was right in saying that life had no meaning. But if I was so confident that I was right, then I should have killed myself; but I did not. A part of me could not act in agreement with what my mind had said was the smart way to act. A force was fighting to keep me alive. And it was this force that pushed me into seeing that I and a few hundred other people like me were not the whole world.
Looking at the narrow circle of my equals I had found only four ways of handling the question about the meaning of life. But I was acting like that narrow circle of rich, educated people were the whole world, and I was acting like the millions of other people in the world were nothing more than animals.
It is strange to think that I could have believed my life and Solomon's and Schopenhauer's were the only real lives, and the lives of everyone else were not important; but that is what I had been thinking. We rich, educated people will not say it in so many words, but that is how we act toward those who are not as educated or as rich as we are, in most other things too. Thanks either to the strange love I have for working people or thanks to my knowing that I did not understand life, I turned to these poor people for an answer. I started to see that they were not as stupid as we educated people had believed, and I came to understand that the place to look for the meaning of life is not in people who have lost it (as we have), but in people who show by their lives, day after day, that they have found some good reason for living. These millions of poor working people did not, on the whole, fit into any of the four groups that I had listed from what I knew of my rich, educated friends. Most of them were smart enough to know, and to be able to say very clearly, that death is coming. They did not spend their life doing only what made them feel good; because, for one thing, they were not rich enough to be able to do that even if they had wanted to. And they would not think of taking their own life.
So what was their reason for living? It did not come from the reasoning that I and my friends had used. It came from a reasoning that needed no reason. It was faith, the very thing I had turned away from in the past. It was God… the making of the world in six days… devils and angels… and all that I had left behind because I was too smart for it.
I now had a new problem. My reason said that I must find a meaning for life; but the only way I could find a meaning for life was to put to one side my reason and take up faith. How could I do that?
Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Back to Jesus Christian's Home page | <urn:uuid:6286971c-ff13-45e7-be21-e87c1d38aca4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accsoft.com.au/~ross777/Tolstoy/Confession/Confession_08.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.99715 | 665 | 1.828125 | 2 |
New map hints at Venus' wet, volcanic past
The new map shows that the rocks on the Phoebe and Alpha Region plateaus are lighter in color and look old compared to the majority of the planet.
July 14, 2009
Provided by ESA, Noordwijk, Netherlands
July 14, 2009
Photo by ESA
Venus Express has charted the first map of Venus' southern hemisphere at infrared wavelengths. The new map hints that our neighboring world may once have been more Earth-like, with both a plate tectonics system and an ocean of water.
The map comprises over a thousand individual images, recorded between May 2006 and December 2007. Because Venus is covered in clouds, normal cameras cannot see the surface, but Venus Express used a particular infrared wavelength that can see through them.
Although radar systems have been used in the past to provide high-resolution maps of Venus' surface, Venus Express is the first orbiting spacecraft to produce a map that hints at the chemical composition of the rocks. The new data is consistent with suspicions that the highland plateaus of Venus are ancient continents once surrounded by ocean and produced by past volcanic activity.
"This is not proof, but it is consistent. All we can really say at the moment is that the plateau rocks look different from elsewhere," said Nils Müller at the Joint Planetary Interior Physics Research Group of the University Münster and DLR Berlin, who headed the mapping efforts.
The rocks look different because of the amount of infrared light they radiate into space, similar to the way a brick wall heats up during the day and gives off its heat at night. Different surfaces radiate different amounts of heat at infrared wavelengths due to a material characteristic known as emissivity, which varies in different materials. The Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument captured this infrared radiation during Venus's nighttime orbits around the planet's southern hemisphere.
The eight Russian landers of the 1970s and 1980s touched down away from the highlands and found only basalt-like rock beneath their landing pads. This new map shows that the rocks on the Phoebe and Alpha Region plateaus are lighter in color and look old compared to the majority of the planet. On Earth, such light-colored rocks are usually granite and form continents. Granite is formed when ancient rocks, made of basalt, are driven down into the planet by shifting continents, a process known as plate tectonics. The water combines with the basalt to form granite and the mixture is reborn through volcanic eruptions.
"If there is granite on Venus, there must have been an ocean and plate tectonics in the past," said Müller.
Müller points out that the only way to know for sure whether the highland plateaus are continents is to send a lander there. Over time, Venus' water has been lost to space, but there might still be volcanic activity. The infrared observations are very sensitive to temperature. But in all images they saw only variations of between 37°-68° Fahrenheit (3°-20°Celsius), instead of the kind of temperature difference they would expect from active lava flows.
Although Venus Express did not see any evidence of ongoing volcanic activity this time around, Müller does not rule it out. "Venus is a big planet being heated by radioactive elements in its interior. It should have as much volcanic activity as Earth," he said. Indeed, some areas do appear to be composed of darker rock, which hints at relatively recent volcanic flows.
The new map gives astronomers another tool in their quest to understand why Venus is so similar in size to Earth and yet has evolved so differently. | <urn:uuid:98d9aeab-87e8-4a53-a644-e3058b729af9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News/2009/07/New%20map%20hints%20at%20Venus%20wet%20volcanic%20past.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955045 | 758 | 3.75 | 4 |
There are many great books authored by man. While these books contribute to man’s education,
it is not mandatory that people read and study all of them. One book, however, is unique from
all others. It is the Holy Bible, and this book cannot be neglected without eternal consequences.
One will never benefit from the Holy Scriptures if he does not read them or have them read to him. The Lord indicted those of His day for not knowing or not practicing the demands of the Scriptures. When the Pharisees made false accusations against His disciples Jesus said, “Have ye not read what David did...” (Matthew 12:3) and “Have ye not read in the law...” (Matthew 12:5). When the chief priests and elders demanded by what authority Jesus did the things He did, the Lord said “Did ye never read in the scriptures...” (Matthew 21:42)? It is easy to see that Christ intended for people to read and study the Bible. A casual reading of ten to twenty scriptures will not get the job done! It is a truth that folks will be lost because of “a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
There are many who do not read the Bible. Something even more tragic, however, is the number of folk who do read the Bible, but do not believe it. It is a truth that “belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Only through the word of God is Biblical faith possible, and the word has been given to us to produce belief. The apostle John recorded, “Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). It is even today as the writer of Hebrews said, “For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard” (Hebrews 4:2). One who truly believes will not quibble with or question what God has said. Substituting what one believes for what God has commanded will not save a person’s soul. Such is done every time manmade creeds are followed instead of the Bible!
All mankind will either be lost in hell or saved in heaven, and the Bible is the book by which people will be judged. Simply professing to love the Lord while rejecting the words of Holy Writ will not save anyone! The Hebrew writer could not have been more clear when he said, “and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9). The Bible principle of hearing and doing is firmly established. James admonished his hearers, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves” (James 1:22). The Lord Himself said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him” (John 14:21). Those who “know not God” and those who “obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) will be eternally lost.
Many books written by men become popular because they give their approval to whateverit is that people enjoy doing. It matters not to one obsessed with the “best seller” list whether or not his advice is moral. The Bible demands that people renounce sin and live the Christian life. It is as Titus said, “For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12). Paul clearly defines one’s duty in terms the world would rather not hear — “prove all things; hold fast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). One who refuses to “walk in the light, as he is in the light” (1 John 7) will not inherit a heavenly home!
The greatest need today is for people to “learn not to go beyond the things that are written” (1 Corinthians 4:6). The Psalmist stated it like this: “For ever, O Jehovah, Thy word is settled in heaven” (Psa. 119:89). We now have “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3) as “the faith... was once for all delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). The words that Christ has spoken will judge all men (John 12:48).
May all of the Lord’s faithful be “set for the defence of the gospel” (Phillippians 1:16, ASV)! It is a very serious matter — a matter of life and death! Why? Error believed and obeyed will damn one’s soul to an eternal hell (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). The good news is that truth believed and obeyed will free one from his penitent sins (John 8:32; James 1:21; Romans 6:16-18). The Bible is not optional for those who desire to go to Heaven! | <urn:uuid:8b6978c6-6c06-4306-8ddf-fa420dc26986> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gospelpreceptor.com/WeirML35.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959521 | 1,221 | 1.765625 | 2 |
(Tahn Do Li Ga)
There are two common names for the
nunchaku in Korean, "ee chul bong" (two-section stick), and
the more appropriate name, "tahn do li ga" (short flail).
Nunchaku is the Japanese word for tahn do li ga.
The main focus of the video is control techniques such
as Trapping, Throwing, and Immobilizations. Defenses
against empty-hand attacks, as well as weapons are shown. | <urn:uuid:aeb067dd-8abc-432d-852d-4c4da0db7724> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.itatkd.com/animated-nun1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917113 | 109 | 2.234375 | 2 |
One of the quickest ways to annoy me is to complain that there aren’t enough women in business, or start-ups, or math classes, or whatever. I think it bugs me so much because I – as a woman – have participated in both business, and start-ups, and math classes.
I hate these questions because it hints at some intrinsic flaw that women have. “Women aren’t a force in start-up companies because they don’t like risk.” “Women aren’t in math and sciences because they lack the confidence to think they can participate.” I think there are truths to those statements at a very high level, but as an individual, I hear them and I think “Ugh, not again.” There are plenty of men who do not start their own company, plenty of men who get literature degrees, and very few people are going “Yeah, that makes sense, you’re doing that because you’re missing that certain something” in a judgy “if only you were better” kind of way. People don’t analyze men’s choices through the lens of inherent personality traits, but they do with women – they do with me — and I hate it.
Years ago, a male coworker – in an attempt to get under my skin – asked me: “Doesn’t it bother you that that guy over there that is your age with the same skill set – makes more money than you?” And my exact response was “No. Because if he makes more money than me, that means I negotiated a crappy salary, and that’s on me.” And I still feel confident in that answer, because the coworker he was referencing? Did not make more money than me. Do I *hate* negotiating salaries? For sure. Do I do it well? For sure. Women as a collective may be thought to have many flaws but as an individual person I would prefer if it was not assumed that I do.
(Disclaimer: of course there is an institutional bias towards women in industry. The conflicts of motherhood and working and the effects that having kids has on salary earnings – it’s all real. I do understand that. But that’s a flaw of the system, not a flaw of the person, and the assumption of personal shortcomings are the areas to which I am referring.)
This is all my way of saying that I bristled when I saw an article shared on Facebook titled: “The Trouble With Bright Girls”, because, like, greeeeaaaatttt, yet another example of my assumed less-ness. But this article pleasantly surprised me; for one of the first times in a girls vs. boys discussion, I actually related to the girls:
She found that bright girls, when given something to learn that was particularly foreign or complex, were quick to give up – and the higher the girls’ IQ, the more likely they were to throw in the towel. In fact, the straight-A girls showed the most helpless responses. Bright boys, on the other hand, saw the difficult material as a challenge, and found it energizing. They were more likely to redouble their efforts, rather than giving up
Researchers have uncovered the reason for this difference in how difficulty is interpreted, and it is simply this: more often than not, bright girls believe that their abilities are innate and unchangeable, while bright boys believe that they can develop ability through effort and practice.
Ok, you know: this groks. It is not surprising to me that I’m good at my job– I expect that to be true; I consider my intelligence and general competence a part of who I am. How different would it be, however, if I considered my success to only be an earned result of sustained effort (which if I’m being objective, it must be) versus just an assumed outcome?
Now that I’m typing this, it seems remarkably silly. I’m not inherently good at athletics, but 5x/week of Crossfit and hey, look at me, I’m kicking ass there. The challenge of getting better is energizing to me, and because of that I’m seeing results I would never have expected considering my baseline athletic skill-set. How easy would it be for me to have just said “I’m not an athlete, I won’t be good at this” and just continue to … not be good at it? (Very easy, if the first 20 years of my life are any indication.) So this morning I read this article, and I thought of my crossfit life, and I found myself going: “…well, shoot.” Looks like my genderness had something to teach me after all. I would do well to remember:
No matter the ability – whether it’s intelligence, creativity, self-control, charm, or athleticism – studies show them to be profoundly malleable. When it comes to mastering any skill, your experience, effort, and persistence matter a lot. | <urn:uuid:494a384f-cd5a-4e80-be5e-68e0d18df39d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://innerteub.com/2012/05/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973701 | 1,074 | 1.5 | 2 |
The Art of Now: Minimalism and Yoga
Fred Sandback. American, 1943-2003. Untitled. Acrylic yarn.
Atha (now), the very first word of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, is not merely a segway into the teachings of yoga. The word atha contains the essential reminder that the practice of yoga brings our attention into the present moment, the eternal now. Not only has my understanding of this simple but powerful concept reverberated into my yoga practice, but it has also helped me fully comprehend the nature of Minimalist art, which I not only study as an art historian, but also take as inspiration for my own artistic practice.
Minimalism was an American movement of the 1960s and 1970s which encompassed an array of creative media: visuals art, music, design, and architecture. Emerging in reaction to its predecessor Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism in the visual arts is best described by artist Frank Stella’s famous statement, “What you see is what you see.” Whereas Abstract Expressionists created uninhibited works full of feeling, metaphor, and autobiography (think Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning), Minimalists purged their art of emotion, allusion and traditional conventions of artistic beauty. For the yogi, this purging of artistic attributes resembles the experience of one’s desire to shed unnecessary possessions, to live with less clutter. Minimalist artists distilled abstraction to its purest, most austere and universal form: only what can be directly seen and experienced without thought.
Agnes Martin. American, born Canada, 1912-2004.
Tremolo, 1962. Ink on paper. Museum of Modern Art, NY.
“Not thinking, planning, scheming is a discipline. Not caring or striving is a discipline … Defeated, you will stand at the door of your house and welcome the unknown, putting behind you all that is known. Defeated, having no place to go you will perhaps wait and be overtaken. As in the night. To penetrate the night is one thing. But to be penetrated by the night, that is to be overtaken.”
- Agnes Martin, Minimalist artist
The intentionally inexpressive works of Minimalist artists such as Donald Judd, Frank Stella, Agnes Martin, Dan Flavin, Fred Sandback, and Anne Truitt may at first appear to be meaningless arrangements of rigid lines and geometric forms – essentially an art of nothing. However through these empty forms, Minimalists re-imagined the way in which viewers should experience art, fundamentally as a contemplative practice. Much of Western art before the 1960s was concerned with conjuring either conceptual thought or emotional responses in viewers through both abstract and naturalistic references to biography, emotions, stories, and symbolism. All of these responses stimulate the viewer on the level of egoic thought. The complete absence of such content in Minimalism, however, created a newfound and radical emphasis on pure presence and experience.
Anne Truitt. American, 1921-2004. Acrylic paint on wood.
The Minimalist art object, whether it is a painting, sculpture, drawing, print, or something in-between, is just that – an object which exists to be seen, its physical presence to be experienced. They are meant to evoke sensory impressions but not thought or associations in the viewers’ minds. Minimalist artist Donald Judd claims that: “It isn’t necessary for a work to have a whole lot of things to look at, to compare, to analyze one by one, to contemplate.” (Specific Objects, 1965) Thus providing nothing to interpret conceptually, Minimalist art is utterly reflective. It makes the viewer aware of their own shared presence in the space, bringing their attention into the ever-present moment (atha, now). Just as in yoga, feelings or sensations may arise, but they are not to be analyzed before returning to this direct encounter with what is. For the mindfully present and conscious viewer, encountering such art can be its own rewarding meditative practice, an effective means of cultivating awareness by quieting the mind (citta-vritti-nirodha, ceasing the fluctuations of the mind).
Dan Flavin. American, 1933-1996.
The Nominal Three (to William of Ockham), 1963. Fluorescent lights.
Few scholars have drawn such explicit connections between Minimalist art and yogic practices, except for this brief remark by art historian and critic Barbara Rose: “Like the mystic, in their work these artists deny the ego and the individual personality, seeking to evoke, it would seem, that semihypnotic state of blank consciousness, of … tranquility and anonymity that both Eastern monks and yogis and Western mystics, such as Meister Eckhart and Miguel de Molinos, sought.” (ABC Art, 1965)
The relationship which Minimalist artists had to spiritual traditions is quite diverse. Some, like Agnes Martin and Anne Truitt, created art explicitly as a contemplative, nearly ascetic practice, whereas others’ attitudes remained more ambiguous toward such practices. Even the obstinate empiricist Donald Judd, who contended that his works are not overtly spiritual, stated near the end of his life: “I avoid illusions, things are what they are. But all forms are spiritual … I see it as an awareness which stems from reality — a kind of ‘being.’”
Donald Judd. American, 1928-1994. Untitled, 1968. Brass.
Many people, including critics and other artists of that time as well as today, find Minimalist art difficult and alienating because of its nonreferential, austere, and unemotive nature. It is art that does not ask you to think: it simply is. To fully experience such art objects, the viewer must surrender fully to the present moment. Minimalism’s profound power lies in its ability to invite viewers into the quiet state of being which we similarly seek to cultivate through the practice of yoga.
Julie Warchol is currently enrolled in Karuna’s 200-Hour Teaching Training program. She is an art historian and artist. | <urn:uuid:6b2fddae-c4c7-40e2-a203-22373c698950> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://karunayoga.com/blog/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951685 | 1,298 | 2.03125 | 2 |
The Cupertino firm took the measures after admitting that several of its employees' machines were targeted by hackers using malicious code.
Apple moved to protect its user base 24 hours after the incident, leading one security expert to criticise the firm over its response time.
Sophos executive Graham Cluley pointed out that Java developer Oracle pushed out a patch at the beginning of the month when the malware was first discovered.
"Whether they were the same exploits as the ones that hit Apple is a little bit unclear," he told BBC News. "But it does look like they could have been quicker on this. There has been a history of Apple being a little laid back on patches."
Apple is believed to have been targeted by the same hackers who recently attacked Facebook. Both companies are working with the authorities to track down those responsible. | <urn:uuid:15e784b8-53db-4bb3-abd0-352c55ab7330> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a460359/apple-rolls-out-mac-security-update-to-correct-java-flaw.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988079 | 169 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today unveiled a child-friendly version of the new MyPyramid Food Guidance System called MyPyramid for Kids. Johanns visited
"This is a fun approach to addressing the very serious problem of childhood obesity," said Johanns. "As teachers take advantage of the lesson plans and children learn what it takes to win the game, messages about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity will take hold. We know that MyPyramid captured
MyPyramid for Kids provides age-appropriate information about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System released earlier this year. The new MyPyramid for Kids symbol represents the recommended proportion of food from each food group and focuses on the importance of making smart food choices every day. Daily physical activity is prominent in MyPyramid for Kids. Through an interactive game, lesson plans, colorful posters and flyers, worksheets, and valuable tips for families, MyPyramid for Kids encourages children, teachers, and parents to work together to make healthier food choices and be active every day.
The interactive computer game, called MyPyramid Blast Off, involves a rocket that needs fuel to blast off. The game reinforces the key concepts of MyPyramid for Kids by challenging students to select a healthy variety of foods and physical activities to fuel their rockets. The MyPyramid for Kids lesson plans provide nutrition and physical activity information that can be included in Math, Science, Health, Language Arts and Physical Education curriculum for elementary school students. Students participate in active learning assignments and handouts are provided for students to share with their families.
The MyPyramid for Kids slogan for children is "Eat Right. Exercise. Have Fun". The key messages of MyPyramid for Kids are:
· Be physically active every day - The child climbing the steps reminds children that physical activity should be done every day.
· Choose healthier foods from each group - Every food group has foods that you should eat more often than others.
· Eat more of some food groups than others - The different size stripes suggest how much food you should choose from each group.
· Eat foods from every food group every day - The different colors of the pyramid represent the five different food groups plus oils.
· Make the right choices for you - MyPyramid.gov gives everyone in the family personal ideas on how to eat better and exercise more.
· Take it one step at a time - Start with one new, good thing a day, and continue to add another new one every day.
The MyPyramid for Kids activities for children and classroom materials for educators are also available on the web at MyPyramid.gov. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and consumer brochure are available at www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines | <urn:uuid:7cde5a5f-2ecc-4156-896f-15911b899494> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-news/latest/johanns-unveils-mypyramid-for-kids-114033504.html?source=related | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928481 | 572 | 3.578125 | 4 |
||Illustrator Norman Rockwell used his Vermont neighbors to help interpret the staunchly American values contained in the "Four Freedoms" so eloquently presented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his State of the Union speech to Congress, Jan. 6, 1941.
The Four Freedoms is probably the most ambitious and serious work by the most famous American illustrator in the 20th century. In addition to major advertising campaigns, his talent was also employed by the US government for support of the Second World War effort. It was FDR who had distilled the cause for which we were fighting into Four Freedoms. Only Rockwell could have represented such big ideas in his homey, folksy way without over-sentimentalizing or trivializing them. He undertook the paintings on his own initiative; it was only after he had failed to interest the Office of War Information in them and they had been published in the Post that the government saw their potential and used them in poster campaigns for both the general war effort and War Bonds. The Treasury Department also took the originals on tour; seen by 1.2 million people, they helped sell $132 million in bonds. The original paintings form the centerpiece of the Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, as well as that of the smashingly successful tour of this artist's work. This is the smaller format of the series.
Creator/Contributor: Rockwell, Norman 1894-1978 / Saturday evening post
Publisher: [Washington, D.C.] : U. S. Government Printing Office
World War, 1939-1945. United States. Posters | <urn:uuid:c7c6b133-df66-4877-84ce-7c96a6e3b431> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thevintageposter.com/ArtDetail.asp?Size=med&Inv=9214 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977642 | 324 | 2.953125 | 3 |
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[ISN] Keesler AFB begins cyber warfare training
By Jeff Lawson
Oct 05, 2009
BILOXI, MS (WLOX) - Monday marked the beginning of a new era for Keesler
Air Force Base as airmen began taking classes on cyber warfare. The
Biloxi base is the official cyber training headquarters for the entire
The commander of the 81st Training Wing, General Ian Dickinson, welcomed
the 95 young airmen to the class, and reflected on the important task
ahead of them.
"When you are my age, looking back on your careers in the Air Force, you
can say I was there on day one, October 5th, when the first fundamental
courses started," General Dickinson told them.
The students will spend the next six months undergoing intensive
training. Eventually, they will be stationed all over the world. In
essence, their job will be to make sure the military's computers are not
hacked. The consequences of such an act could be devastating.
Did a friend send you this? From now on, be the
first to find out! Subscribe to InfoSec News | <urn:uuid:cfc82c81-1ed4-42ca-bd3f-03d5a9281817> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archive.cert.uni-stuttgart.de/isn/2009/10/msg00023.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910751 | 260 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Following on from my post about how to mount an ISO image under Linux, this article will focus on doing the same thing from within Windows.
“You may have many ISO images lying around of various CDs or DVDs. ISO images are an exact copy of an optical disk, and are increasingly popular – with high speed internet being available to many, people are taking advantage of this and instead of spending money on discs and shipping costs, simply making them available online for download.
The advantage of ISO images are that you can either choose to burn your own disc from the image, or, if you prefer, simply mount the image and use it as normal – again, saving a disc!”
So, how can you do this in Windows? By using an application called Virtual CloneDrive from SlySoft.
Virtual CloneDrive is a free piece of software, that creates a virtual CD/DVD drive, which is accessible from (My) Computer. You will also have the application (which is presented as a system tray icon on the task bar by default) where you can select which image you want mounting to that virtual drive.
Virtual CloneDrive works on Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, XP, XP x64, Vista, and Vista x64, so you’re pretty much covered!
For more information and to download the application, visit the SlySoft site: http://www.slysoft.com/en/virtual-clonedrive.html
[Update: I've tested this tool on Windows 7, and it works fine!]
Other posts which may be of interest..
Mount an ISO Image Under Linux
Mount an ISO Image Under Windows 7
Burning/Writing an ISO Image Under Windows 7
How to install telnet in Windows Vista
How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc | <urn:uuid:e8ae8db6-f1df-42c2-a552-bfb4385edf88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://droptips.com/mount-an-iso-image-under-windows-982000xpvista | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909708 | 373 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Here’s some useful backstory:
But a white whale at San Diego’s National Marine Mammal Foundation did something very different. NOC (pronounced Nocee), as he was called, lived in an enclosure in the San Diego Bay. Biologist Sam Ridgway was there one day when divers were swimming nearby. “This one diver surfaced next to the whale pen and said, ‘Who told me to get out?’ And the supervisor said, ‘Nobody said anything.’ “
A curious Ridgway started recording NOC. And what he heard was quite strange: It had the cadence and rhythm of human speech. No words were distinguishable, but the sounds were eerily “right.” Ridgway laid out audiograms of NOC’s chatter, and they showed that the rhythm and pitch were different from NOC’s normal sounds: They were, in fact, very similar to human speech. NOC had lowered the pitch of his sounds several octaves below normal, into the range of human speech at 300-400 hertz.
Ridgway says there’s no reason to think NOC understood speech; he was just mimicking humans he’d heard. From where? “I think it was from divers using underwater communication equipment,” he says.
The story also includes audio links that let you listen to an ordinary beluga vocalization, and then compare it to a recording of NOC. There is a striking difference.
Here is the same audio, released by the National Marine Mammal Foundation:
And you can watch NMMF’s Sam Ridgway appearance on The Today Show here.
The more I think about this, the more I think the excitement and interest over NOC is emblematic of what troubles me about marine mammal captivity and research.
First: NOC’s vocalizations are like ear candy to humans, who love the idea that any animal might mimic a human (see endless YouTube videos). But what educational or research value do the recordings of NOC really hold? If it was important research or information you would presume Ridgway would have published it before decades had passed.
Second: If NOC was truly mimicking humans (maybe he was psychotic; maybe he was ill; maybe he was just bored and messing around with his vocalizations to distract himself; who really knows?) it’s important to remember that he was doing so only because he was in a situation where he was spending his life in their company. It would be far more interesting, and meaningful, if wild cetaceans adapted their vocalizations for human consumption, which is what Denise Herzing and her Wild Dolphin Project are hoping to see. In any case, I’d much rather see research on real wild beluga vocalizations. That would teach us something about belugas as they really are. And that is the sort of knowledge that is important it we really care about beluga populations and their future.
Third, the media splash, and the publication of this research is really another form of beluga exploitation. Do any of the media outlets really care about NOC and belugas? Did anyone ask serious questions about Ridgway’s research program, and history with the Navy? Not really. It was a 5-minute distraction for people driving home in traffic or sitting around with the television on.
There is an upside, though, I think. For better or worse, humans aren’t very good at stepping outside their own lives and human frame of reference. They care about things they can connect with. So hearing NOC vocalizing in a pattern that sort of sounds like it has human rhythm probably had millions of people thinking of belugas in a positive way.
Now, I know this is basically the core of the marine park argument in favor of captivity, and marine mammal shows. And I hasten to add that I don’t think that it—or NOC’s media splash—justifies captivity. You can achieve a lot, if not more, of that sort of connection through seeing and hearing wild animals, whether in nature or on film. And there’s no real justification for taking away an intelligent, social animal’s freedom, no matter what good you claim you are achieving. But it’s just to say that NOC’s unusual vocalizations, whatever they were when he made them all those years ago, at least cry out for a serious evaluation of the human relationship to marine mammals, and the issue of marine mammal research and captivity. And that would be a good thing. | <urn:uuid:866db8df-6b08-4219-98ff-cbf39c788af8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://timzimmermann.tumblr.com/post/34301355792/talkingbeluga | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976067 | 967 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Instagram, the mobile photo-sharing service, has sparked fresh controversy after failing to ban images encouraging anorexia and self-harming.
Eating disorder support charity Beat has accused the Facebook-owned app, which has more than 80 million users worldwide, of "promoting anorexia" after it allowed users to view pictures of emaciated girls and super-skinny celebrities.
More extreme photos on the app contain messages encouraging people to starve themselves. Users are also given the option of 'liking' the images.
Although the social networking site is heavily moderated against harmful images such as pornography, users on the hunt for pro-anorexia images can find them by simply searching for hashtags such as #ana and #thinspo.
One image uploaded on the app, which is popular with teenage girls, includes the caption: "Go back to school skinny and shock everyone."
Another disturbing photo reads: "I like the feeling of being faint. The little two-second blackouts whenever I stand up. It shows that it's working."
Other images focus on self-harming and show users with cuts to their arms. One caption reads: "I have more scars than friends."
A Beat spokesman said: "It's worrying that with the powerful medium of social networking and the growing popularity of phone apps such as Instagram, people are able to easily access images that encourage the individual to believe that an eating disorder is a lifestyle choice and to avoid treatment.
"Some sites have acted to remove content that is seen as dangerous and encouraging people to do dangerous things. Eating disorders as a lifestyle choice should be treated in the same way.
"Beat also believes that individuals should be pointed towards pro-recovery sites - providing acceptance and support throughout society so that these alternative sites are no longer the only refuge a person feels they can seek."
Earlier this year Instagram updated its community guidelines and hinted that it planned to ban pro-anorexic content.
"[WE] Don't promote or glorify self-harm: While Instagram is a place where people can share their lives with others through photographs, any account found encouraging or urging users to embrace anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders; or to cut, harm themselves, or commit suicide will result in a disabled account without warning," the company said.
"We believe that communication regarding these behaviors in order to create awareness, come together for support and to facilitate recovery is important, but that Instagram is not the place for active promotion or glorification of self-harm."
The charity's concerns come days after Instagram provoked worldwide outrage when its new terms of service suggested user photos could be used in advertisements.
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To contact the editor, e-mail: | <urn:uuid:4f248276-fca2-49dc-93a2-64d812a0ac04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/420334/20130103/instagram-facebook-app-under-fire-promoting-anorexia.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947171 | 578 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Are you tired of the moans and groans you hear from your child every time you so much as go near the produce section of the grocery store? Does his nose scrunch up in disgust as you toss zucchinis, tomatoes and greens into the cart? If you’re at a loss over how to make sure your child gets the nutrients he needs in his diet from vegetables, maybe it’s time to get a little creative in the kitchen. And don’t worry, “getting creative” isn’t code for slaving over a hot stove for hours on end. Here are some quick, easy and nutritious ways to incorporate veggies into your child’s breakfast without it turning into World War III: Food Edition.
The beauty of a burrito is you can throw in just about anything and hide it with the tortilla. Of course it goes without saying that you need to make it taste good or your child might pull it open, examine its contents and call you out for trying to sneak in a tomato or four. Start with the basics of scrambled eggs and potatoes or sweet potatoes (don’t forget these are veggies), then experiment with different veggies (think bell peppers, onions and avocado) until you find a winning combination. Top with salsa, sour cream or cheese to enhance the flavor even more.
Pancakes with a twist
What child doesn’t love pancakes covered in syrup? With this familiar breakfast food on your side, you’ve already won half the battle. Now, mix it up by making pumpkin, squash or zucchini flapjacks.
The best part about making a smoothie is your greens will “blend” right in. Your kid may know something’s up because the smoothie will be, well, green, but hopefully the great taste will outweigh his curiosity. Try kale, a vegetable that admittedly doesn’t taste that great on its own, but is rich with antioxidants and blend it in with plain or vanilla yogurt and fruit. The fruit will mask the kale so the taste will disappear but its benefits won’t! You can also try blending in other important leafy greens like spinach and swiss chard.
Try this Green Goddess smoothie recipe >>
Have you tried vegetables for breakfast? | <urn:uuid:95856842-ac67-42dd-a17d-e355d934f2e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://realmomsguide.sheknows.com/2012/09/05/creative-veggies-for-breakfast-ideas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93918 | 474 | 2.5 | 2 |
|Please note that this is the Narutopedia's article on the planetary body of the earth. If you are looking for the article on the villages then you should head to Village Hidden under the Moon.|
The moon (月, tsuki) is a planetary body floating above the world. The moon was created by the first jinchūriki, the Sage of the Six Paths, through his Chibaku Tensei technique. The Sage collected a massive amount of earth to seal the physical remains of the Ten-Tails after he used his Creation of All Things ability to divide its chakra into the nine tailed beasts, and then launched the stone prison into space, thus creating the moon.
Madara's ultimate plan, that was later adopted by Obito Uchiha, the Eye of the Moon Plan, involves reviving the Ten-Tails through joining the other tailed beasts, becoming its jinchūriki, and then projecting his Sharingan onto the moon in order to cast his "Infinite Tsukuyomi": a perpetual, world-scale genjutsu cast on every living being on the planet, which will allow Tobi to control and unite them to create a world with neither war nor hatred, making himself the ruler of the world.
- According to Gaara, Shukaku relishes the opportunity to kill anyone in sight at any time because of its innate rage and bloodlust, but especially so during the full moon. This may be because of the Ten-Tails' presence was once within the moon. | <urn:uuid:5723b090-2299-4ad5-acdf-1abc2a0af66d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Moon?diff=prev&oldid=720884 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953795 | 319 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Because students spend a lot of time working on college application essays, it’s understandable why many choose to reuse those essays for scholarship applications. However, since the majority of scholarships ask for an essay that addresses a very focused topic, using those recycled college essays – even if they are beautifully written – could actually cause you to lose a scholarship. A thoughtful, well considered essay will get you much further.
Presumably, if you are applying for scholarships, you are serious about finding some extra money to help you pay for college. That means it’s well worth your time to write the best essay possible. These few hints can help you do just that.
Make sure your essay is on target. Read the prompt carefully before you decide what to write. If you’re not absolutely sure your topic addresses the prompt, ask someone like a teacher, career specialist or guidance counselor for their opinion and guidance.
Know your audience. Find out who is sponsoring the scholarship and carefully review its description on the scholarship application. Knowing what’s important to the organization or person who is offering the scholarship is essential to understanding what they may be expecting in an essay. This information should be considered carefully as you decide what to focus your essay on.
Engage the reader by making it personal. Few things will cost you a scholarship faster than submitting a generic essay that could have been written by anyone. Readers are looking for an insight into who you are and why the subject you are writing about is so important to you. Don’t be afraid to write from your heart.
Use one or two concrete examples. One of the easiest mistakes to make in an essay is to make a sweeping statement without providing an example that illustrates your point. In the case of a scholarship essay, unless it asks for something different, being able to provide an example that is personal to you can make all the difference.
Have your essay proofread. An essay that contains spelling and grammatical errors can easily lead the reader to conclude that the writer was too lazy or didn’t care enough to proofread. That’s all some essay readers need to disqualify an applicant. Another reason to have it proofread is to make sure the tone of your essay is appropriate. As the author of the essay, you know what you meant to say, so it can be difficult to be objective. It just makes good sense to have someone else to read your essay in order to know if you have been successful in conveying your message in a positive way.
I know that this can seem to some like a lot of work for an uncertain outcome. However, the more effort you put into your essay and the scholarship application itself, the better your chances are for being chosen to receive a scholarship. | <urn:uuid:50155e73-9d16-4eda-9a50-1bafcb2d0363> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myusearchblog.com/tips-for-your-scholarship-application-essay | 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 | 0.96717 | 562 | 2.265625 | 2 |
The photo tells it all…have a safe and Happy Frightful Friday..watch out for all ghosts, ghouls, spooks, goblins, and other unsavory characters tonight in your neighborhoods! Booooooooooooo
Archive for October, 2008
I recently came across this valuable information regarding cats and Halloween. Please keep your animals safe during tomorrow’s evening of Tricks or Treats.
The American Humane Association offers tips for protecting your cat on Halloween.
Keep your cat safe from harm on Halloween.Cats and their owners can safely enjoy Halloween with some advance planning and some common sense, says the American Humane Association. As you get ready for the festivities, keep these tips in mind.
Keep your cat safe inside. Make sure your cat is kept away from the door so it doesn’t escape when you disperse candy to trick-or-treaters.
Make sure your black cat is safe from harm. Halloween in particular can lead strange people to do strange things to black cats, AHA says. Children may even react to seeing a black cat by yelling or scaring the cat. Bring your black cat inside for the night and away from sight of the front door.
Resist the urge to dress your cat. If your pet is not used to wearing a costume, don’t force the issue. Avoid tying something around a cat’s neck, such as a cape or tie, as such an item could choke your pet, according to the AHA.
Make sure you pet has identification. With so much activity happening near your front door, your cat may slip outside. A collar and tag, or a microchip or tattoo, will help ensure your cat returns to you if she becomes lost, the AHA says.
Keep lit candles out of reach. Make sure your cat can’t knock over a lit candle or singe her fur.
Don’t treat your pet to candy. Chocolate and other sweets can make your cat sick and can be lethal in some cases, the AHA says.
For more Halloween safety tips, visit the American Humane Association website.
Autumn always brings aromatic thoughts to mind, particularly when it comes to apples and pumpkins. This year is no exception. Even though I can no longer eat these sweets, I will have to adapt some other form of recipe to enjoy one of my favorite holiday treats. Pumpkin Cake Roll. For this recipe use the following ingredients.
* 3/4 cup cake flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
* 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 6 large eggs, separated
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup golden brown sugar, packed
* 2/3 cup canned pumpkin, packed
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* Powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
* 2 tablespoons dark rum
* 1 cup whipping cream, chilled
* 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
* 6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup English toffee pieces for garnish
* Additional powdered sugar, for garnish
* 1 1/2 cups purchased caramel sauce, warmed, for garnish
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a 15 by 10 by 1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until very thick. Add the pumpkin to the egg mixture and combine at a low speed until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat at a low speed until mixed. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold into the cake batter, stirring with a spatula, until most of the white streaks are gone.
Spread the batter onto a baking sheet and smooth out. Transfer baking sheet to the oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. While the cake is hot, dust generously with powdered sugar. Loosen the edges and turn the cake out onto a kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the edge of the cake and roll up. Cool completely, edge down, for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
For the filling: Soften the gelatin in the rum. Stir over low heat until the gelatin dissolves. Cool. Beat the chilled whipping cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl until peaks form. Fold in the gelatin and 6 tablespoons English toffee pieces.
To assemble, unroll the cake and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of English toffee pieces. Spread the filling over the toffee. Start at 1 long side of the cake roll and, using the towel as an aid, roll up the cake to encase the filling. Place the cake, seam side down, on a platter.
Trim the ends of the cake at a slight diagonal. Dust the cake with powdered sugar. Spoon some warm caramel sauce and the remaining toffee chips over the top of the cake. To serve, use a serrated knife to cut the cake crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Drizzle more sauce on each slice and serve.
Cows, the subject of the day! This bought a smile to my face this morning!
A Montana cowboy was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.
The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the cowboy, ‘If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you give me a calf?’
The cowboy looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at the peacefully grazing herd and calmly answers, ‘Sure, Why not?’
The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer connects it to his Cingular RAZR V3 cell phone, and surfs to a NASA page on the Internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA Satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.
The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg , Germany. Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected excel spreadsheet with email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response. Finally, he prints out a full-color,150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP Laser-Jet printer and finally turns to the cowboy and says, ‘You have exactly 1,586 cows and calves.’
‘That’s right. Well, I guess you can take one of my calves,’ says the cowboy.
He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.
Then the cowboy says to the young man, ‘Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf?’ The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, ‘Okay, why not?’
You’re a U.S. Congressman’, says the cowboy.
‘Wow! That’s correct,’ says the yuppie, ‘but how did you guess that?’
‘No guessing required.’ answered the cowboy. ‘You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked. You tried to show me how much smarter than me you are; and you don’t know a thing about cows . . . this is a herd of sheep. Now give me back my dog.
Have a wonderful day! hehehee
I’m back from Kentucky..the flights were fine, and I survived my first day back at work without too many issues. Tomorrow is our 3rd annual Chili Throwdown and Bobby Flay would be proud of us here in Maine. We welcome him to our challenge anytime. More later…
Well after a few days at home in Kentucky, it is easy to say I’d like to be a kept woman and not ever go back to my stressful ways at work. I’ve been very domestic this week, staying home and simmering pots of soups and sauces, spending time with my family, reading, and going shopping in Lexington and Louisville.
Yesterday I even made my first solo trip in to Louisville, shopping and picking up Christina and Liam. The drive was uneventful and with help of Scanducci, our GPS unit, all proved to be a great day. I scored some bargains at Brighton’s, Goody’s and Joseph Beth Booksellers this week. Even food-wise this week has been out, I’ve only gotten sick twice, not bad for me! As a matter of fact my DH, got me a week’s pass at his gym to continue my exercise routine while here. I stepped on the scales to find myself at -79 pounds….. I feel half human once again! Blogging from Kentucky…good night!
Well, I’m back home in Kentucky for 10 days. The weather is great, I’m home simmering a pot of beef barley soup for my husband. I like days like this, no work, no problems I can get used to this! I’ve been out grocery shopping for my new lifestyle, clothing shopping. Purchased two new sweaters for a steal, went to the local gym for my workout. What more could I have done today? Hmmmm, it seems I am content the way things are! Later we are headed out to the Smokies in Tennessee for the weekend. Take care y’all!
National Boss’s Day is usually celebrated by presenting one’s boss with a small gift or greeting card. It is also customary to treat one’s boss with extreme kindness. In Light of National Boss’ day tomorrow, I have chosen to pass this on. I am a boss, although I never wanted to be. I do not rule with an iron hand….or at least I hope so. I tend to practice a very laissez-fare form of leadership.
You are listening to jazz — Your first day at work is great. Your coworkers are wonderful, your cubicle is cute, and your boss is the best!
You are listening to pop music — After a while you are so busy that you are not sure if you’re coming or going anymore.
You are listening to heavy metal — This is what you feel like at month end.
You are listening to hip hop — You become bloated due to stress, feel sluggish and suffer from constipation. Your coworkers are too cheerful for your liking and the walls of your cubicle are closing in. You have started thinking ‘WHATEVER’ about your boss.
You are listening to GANGSTA RAP — After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch, you forget what a ‘good hair day’ feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine.
You are listening to the voices in your head — You have build a makeshift door on your cubicle to keep people out, You have a dartboard with your bosses picture on it in your cube, You wonder why you are even here in the first place.
Seeing that I probably won’t receive anything from my employees, I think I’m gonna treat myself to a new purse during my visit to Kentucky! What do you think y’all?
Cool days, and colder nights. Frost on the pumpkin. The scents of pumpkins and apples fill the air. Autumn is sure here now. The leaves are dropping, crunching sounds underfoot in the forest. Gardens harvested, wood piled for the winter. That’s right, but I’m headed to Kentucky on Thursday so maybe I can harvest a few more days of summer.
The word autumn comes from the Old French word autompne (automne in modern French), and was later normalized to the original Latin word autumnus. There are rare examples of its use as early as the 14th century, but it became common by the 16th century.
Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season. However as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns (especially those who could read and write, the only people whose use of language we now know), the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and fall, as well as autumn, began to replace it as a reference to the season. Wikipedia.com
Watch out in the woods, you never know who you may run into….the photo above is not me, but a lovable family member ready for Halloween!
Today, end of work week. I’m headed out to go to the gym in a bit. I’ve lost a total of 72 pounds in 14 weeks. I’m happy even though I still have very bad eating days. Have a great loooooong weekend everyone! | <urn:uuid:c29b2d21-bb1c-40a5-bfc7-29cbecbb4ead> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theramblingrountrees.wordpress.com/2008/10/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943993 | 2,831 | 1.65625 | 2 |
This blog article provides a detailed and clear breakdown of the hazards faced by the entire planet for the next 400,000 years since the advent of Nuclear technology and the ongoing release of radionuclides of less than 1 micron in size or “fuel fleas” as they have also been named.
As previously discussed in detail here the emissions at Fukushima will have an ongoing impact on all life on earth for the next 400,000 years. Do we really think we can stop the next big one from happening?
It refreshing to see the Japanese are not simply letting their Political leaders get away with restarting the idled nuclear reactors. There are regular weekly protests outside the Prime Ministers residence with the last one having over 40,000 people attend to voice their disapproval of the pending decision to restart two of the idled reactors.
However the Japanese are facing a severe existential crisis. Do they want to continue propping up the status quo and targeting exponential growth requiring ever greater amounts of energy to enable to constant growth rate or do they want to find a new way to live peacefully and sustainably on this planet?
It’s a difficult decision for society to while it’s painfully obvious for individuals. Japan is faced with the urged to retain their status as one of the worlds largest economies while attempting to become the most forward thinking and enlightened society on the planet. Does enlightenment come through greed and power or through cooperation and ever greater efficiency in the distribution and use of precious non renewable resources.
Japanese love their tuna and seafood is the staple diet but do the Japanese want to eat radioactive rice and fish and become the foremost example of genetic mutation due to radiation from their own lust for economic growth? Will the ensuing drop in population cause a major change in thinking or will it just mean the survivors don’t have to share so much with their neighbours. | <urn:uuid:3ca2ea40-78c8-4990-a6dc-1a30075b01fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://yeswaterisfuel.com/2012/06/a-timely-reminder/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952932 | 376 | 2.625 | 3 |
Metakit is a small, portable database library using a hybrid relational / hierarchical data model with a column-wise internal storage format. For C++, include a single header file and 125 kb DLL or statically link directly. Ideal for desktops, embedded systems, smartphones, and PDAs. Bindings for Python and Tcl. A very mature, stable code base.
Jkaptive is a simple captive portal without RADIUS (and thus without total security, but at the same time without too much hassle). The reason behind this is because a lot of site administrators don't need tight security; their site is just a café that offers free Internet access on an unsecured WLAN access point connected to the Internet, and they need a ticketing system to make it cumbersome for average people to use this offering without actually buying a single coffee. Jkaptive itself just presents the login page and checks the token. The blocking of unticketed traffic is done through Linux' netfilter. As no proxy server is involved, jkaptive has no performance penalty, nor does it create problems with non-HTTP traffic. Once the token is accepted, jkaptive is out of the way of any network packets completely. For presenting the login page, jkaptive has a built-in Web server, so no additional Web server application is needed.
The Aida project is two-fold: it defines a simple common markup language designed to describe structured text, and it implements a compiler that translates the Aida syntax into various target formats (HTML, LaTeX, Trac, Mediawiki, Text, Markdown, and others). The system is fast, flexible, and extensible. The core command, aida, is a strict parser (written using Bison and Flex), which analyzes files written in the Aida Markup Language and invokes callbacks in order to convert them to the target format. It embeds a Tcl language interpreter and the callbacks are written in Tcl. This makes it very easy to extend the library and to define new target formats. Furthermore, the Aida files are highly parameterizable via a header and the entire system is configurable at the admin and at the user level. It is also possible to evaluate Tcl code within an Aida file and thus create dynamic contents.
Points&Forces is a set of software tools for architects, engineers, and surveyors. It uses a command line interface. It features a flexible design, total station control, digital camera control, real-time control and visualization, processing of point clouds (from laser scanners or other sources), geometry manipulations, projection of photographs on meshes, photogrammetry, in-situ measurements, and format translations for points, lines, and triangle meshes to formats that include dxf, stl, wrl, and pov. The tools were mostly used for the documentation of cultural heritage sites and buildings. | <urn:uuid:90911864-aebb-4fa4-8e28-eaefd3198ac2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://freecode.com/tags/tcl?page=1&sort=created_at&with=&without=3835 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906882 | 600 | 1.6875 | 2 |
House Democrats have found a way to make their point at the State of the Union address, scheduled on Tuesday, February 12th. House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi is bringing a fourth grade student and her mother from Newtown, CT. The girl does not attend Sandy Hook, but wrote to Pelosi describing how gun violence has impacted her.
The girl sent Pelosi a letter explaining how she has been affected by gun violence. “What everyone in Newtown wants, is for you to ban semi automatic weapons and large capacity magazines and to make everyone use gun safes. This is important so that a person cannot shoot many people at once, and/or injure people badly,” the girl wrote. “This ban will help prevent individuals, families and communities from suffering the way we are in Newtown.”
Another Democrat, Rep. Chris Van Hollen from Maryland is planning to bring Carol Price, a mother who lost her son John to gun violence. According to Van Hollen, a result of John’s death was Maryland legislation which now requires trigger locks on firearms.
News of their plans comes amid an effort by a group of House Democrats to get all lawmakers in their party to bring gun violence victims to the State of the Union, in an effort to keep up the pressure for new gun safety laws. Ten lawmakers were confirmed to participate in the effort earlier this week; that number is now up to 21.
In addition to Pelosi and Van Hollen, Democrats taking part in the effort include Reps. Jim Langevin (R.I.), Keith Ellison (Minn.), Carolyn McCarthy (N.Y.), David Cicilline (R.I.), Lois Frankel (Fla.), Gloria Negrete McLeod (Calif.), Ed Perlmutter (Colo.), Janice Hahn (Calif.), Bobby Scott (Va.), Brad Schneider (Ill.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), Elizabeth Esty (Conn.), Mike Thompson (Calif.), Jim Himes (Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Diana DeGette (Colo.), Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), Jan Schakowsky (Ill.) and Lujan Grisham (N.M.). | <urn:uuid:a61ebd18-9fd0-41b6-905f-f1255393e088> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enumclaw.com/news/national-news/democrats-find-opportunity-to-exploit-gun-violence-victims/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936255 | 439 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Give Household Products New Use: Clever Cleaning Tips From the Motherland
Out of all the famous shows to come out of the UK, who would have thought my favorite would star two nanny-like figures clad with rubber gloves? But as a girl who moves around from city to city every few months, I've found the housekeeping tips from the show How Clean Is Your House to be extremely helpful budget-wise and also in minimizing clutter.
The premise of the show is clean-gurus Aggie and Kim visit the UK's filthiest houses and miraculously tidy them up with the motto: cleaning shouldn't be impossible. And to convey this fact, they often use regular household materials to work their magic.
So for those of you who don't have access to the show, I will share some of these neat tips here. (Note: these tips have come from one episode I was able to record. I will try to post more as they air).
Shaving Cream to clean kitchen/bathroom tiles: Good for removing stains and grime. (WB guest Joe suggests it works for other stains as well). You don't have to get anything fancy - the cheaper, foam version should do just fine. Spray the foam over the tiles and let soak for a few minutes. Then get either a nail brush or toothbrush and scrub away. How does it work? Apparently, shaving cream is just a foamy version of soap, so it has all the cleaning benefits plus a good, thick consistency. As always, test a small area before cleaning your entire surface, especially for colored or expensive tiles.
Charcoal Briquets to remove fridge odors: To use in empty refrigerators/freezers - good for when you are moving out. The ladies filled a normal baking tin with unlit, plain (with no fuel or other products added) charcoal briquets and let them sit in the fridge with the door closed. The porous property of the charcoal will absorb the odors. To read a more detailed explanation, click here .
Mayonnaise to remove old stickers: Remember those tweeny stickers you used to slap on your dressers and closets? Well if you do, you know they are the most annoying to remove, especially when they get old and leave behind that torn paper look. Well, apparently mayo can do the trick! Slather on and let sit for about half an hour. With a plastic scraper (avoid metal as it can scratch surfaces) gently remove your softened old stickers. Also, with this tip you want to test surfaces before using.
Spray cooking oil onto car/motorcycle headlights to avoid squashed bugs: This one is self-explanatory. The ladies added some cooking oil into an old spray bottle and pumped directly onto headlights. Then with an old rag, they spread it evenly around.
The show also has a website full of more suggestions, including a forum on which people can share their personal tips and an eco-friendly section.
My favorites from their site:
One part olive oil with one part lemon juice to polish wood.
Use baby oil to prevent mold from growing on shower curtains.
Have any cool tricks you'd like to share? Post them in the comments! | <urn:uuid:27e7e981-6c1c-4a65-8586-eeb07be8ed2e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wisebread.com/give-household-products-new-use-clever-cleaning-tips-from-the-motherland?quicktabs_2=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957993 | 664 | 1.507813 | 2 |
In response to the letter to the editor written by Mark A. Huffman, I would like to address his bigoted stance on equality for gays and lesbians. Throughout his epistle, he quoted the Bible. The Bible is read by Christians everywhere, regardless of their sexual orientation. What differs among Christians is their interpretation of what the Bible says and means.
From my religious learning, I have come away knowing the love and acceptance of God. The God I worship is forgiving of our sins. That is fortunate, since each of us sins; none are perfect. Robert Kellogg praised President Barack Obama for his stance on gay rights. I, too, applaud our president for standing up and speaking out for the civil rights of others. Without the courage and conviction of those who lead and have lead us along the road to equality, neither women nor black Americans would be allowed to vote, nor would they have rights equal to those of all other Americans.
Today, our country is battling another civil rights issue: the freedom for the members of the homosexual community to have the same rights as their heterosexual peers. Our Constitution grants rights to United States citizens. Who among us is to say that some citizens may enjoy certain freedoms and others are not to have those same freedoms? I do not know when Mr. Huffman decided to be straight, but I do know that I didn’t choose to be straight. l just am. There was never a time when I said “Hum, should I “like” boys or girls, women or men.” I have liked males for partners since I can remember. No choice was made on my part; it just was what it was.
My being heterosexual should be no different than someone else being homosexual; it just is. A person knows when he or she is attracted to another person, but we don’t know why. Some say it’s pheromones; others will tell you it’s a smile or eyes or laughter or hair or the fun we have together. Whatever it is, it’s worked since the beginning of time. We don’t understand but just go with it. To say that the person to whom you are attracted can’t be of the same sex as you is contradictory to human history. Attraction to those of the same sex has been true throughout history and will continue to be so. You might be attracted to skinny blondes or tall redheads or brown-eyed men or blue-eyed women. Regardless, it’s your preference; it’s what draws you to another person. That person could be of another sex than you or the same sex as you. There’s no accounting for our preferences; they are what they are.
Each person makes his or her lifestyle choice. I feel that how others choose to live their lives is their business, not mine. As long as people are consensual adults, it should be their choice to choose their mates. That choice is open to me and should be open to all.
When reading what Mark Huffman wrote, I thought of what happened to me at the post office recently. A nice looking, well-dressed man and woman were parked beside me. As I was backing out of my parking space, th man started gesturing wildly toward the front of my car. I thought something was wrong, so l lowered the window.
This stranger walked up to me, waving his arms and saying “You’re stupid.” After asking what he was talking about, he indicated the “Obama” sticker on my car. He shouted, “You’re dumb, he’s a Communist, he’s ruining our country, he’s taking our country down.” I responded, “You’re rude,” put my window up, and drove away.
I wasn’t about to confront such a hostile man and thought about how terrible it would be to live with such a person. After all, he was talking about the president of the United States. That alone was uncalled for and out of the realm of decency. When re-reading Mark Huffman’s article, I cringed at the words sin, trumpets, lost souls, militant and Hell. That kind of anger is what made me think of the incident at the post office. Nowhere in his letter did Mr. Huffman speak of love, kindness, rights, fairness, equality and acceptance. It was all fire and brimstone. That is neither my religion nor the God I know.
Ginger Feimster is a resident of Belmont. | <urn:uuid:41575f36-7dd1-4d09-9ac7-55b4a276a31c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gastongazette.com/opinion/letters/who-gets-to-chose-who-has-certain-rights-1.108918 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977539 | 957 | 1.835938 | 2 |
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The European Parliament elections mark a victory for center-right and right-wing parties as voters punish the left in a vote marked by a historically low turnout.
The center-right European People's Party (EPP) held on to its position as the largest grouping in the European Parliament, with provisional results giving them 267, or around 36 percent, of the assembly's 736 seats. The center-right's showing was even better than indicated by the EPP's results, as many euroskeptic members of the European Parliament are moving to other parliamentary groups.
The vote's biggest loser is the center-left, with the Party of European Socialists (PES) winning just 159 seats, 56 fewer than in the 2004 election. "Tonight is a very difficult evening for Socialists in many nations in Europe," Martin Schulz, lead candidate for Germany's Social Democrats and the floor leader for the PES in the European Parliament, said on Sunday evening.
The liberal Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) also saw their support decline, winning 81 seats, a drop of 21. The Greens did better, however, gaining 11 seats to up their total to 54. The left-wing Left parliamentary group lost 7 seats to land with 34 members.
The Union for Europe of the Nations (UEN), which includes conservative and right-wing populist parties such as Italy's Northern League, will have 35 members in the new parliament, an increase of 19 seats. The euroskeptic Independence and Democracy (Ind/Dem) group saw its support fall from 24 to 18 seats.
A total of 88 members of the new parliament either do not belong to any parliamentary group or intend to leave their current group. The center-right British Conservatives and the right-wing Civic Democratic Party (ODS) in the Czech Republic have announced they will leave the EPP group and found a new euroskeptic group with Poland's right-wing Law and Justice Party (PIS).
The election, which took place from June 4 to June 7 across the EU's 27 member states, was marked by a record low turnout of just 43.4 percent, the lowest since elections to the European Parliament began in 1979. The last election in 2004 saw a turnout of 45.5 percent. Turnout has fallen in every European election since 1979.
Turnout was particularly low in some of Europe's largest countries with just 40.5 percent of voters in France and 42.2 percent in Germany casting their ballots. However new member state Malta was expected to show a turnout of almost 80 percent.
In Germany, the election proved a major defeat for the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), who got just 20.8 percent of the vote—their worst election showing in post-war German history. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union got 30.6 percent of the vote, a decline of 5.9 percent compared to its 2004 result, and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union got 7.2 percent.
The German Greens' support ticked up slightly to 12.1 percent of the vote, while the German party with the biggest gain was the business-friendly Free Democratic Party, which got 11 percent, an increase of almost 5 percent compared to 2004. The far-left Left Party, which was founded since the last European election and which has shaken up the German political system, got 7.5 percent of the vote.
Among the election's biggest losers was the UK's Labour party, which saw its support drop from 19 seats to 12 and won just 15.3 percent of the vote—its worst post-war election result. It finished in third place behind the Conservatives (24 seats) and the euroskeptic United Kingdom Independence Party (14 seats). The vote is seen as a damning verdict on Labour, whose leader Gordon Brown is under increasing pressure to resign as prime minister due to an ongoing expense account scandal in the House of Commons.
Opposition parties in several countries did well. In Spain, the conservative People's Party won 42 percent of the vote, gaining 23 seats, compared to the 21 seats won by the ruling center-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). In Austria the ruling Social Democrats (SPÖ) had their worst-ever result in a national election, winning just 23.8 percent of the vote, a drop of more than 9 percent.
However government parties prevailed in several countries including France, Italy and Poland. In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP won 28 percent of the vote, while the opposition Socialists got just 17 percent, putting them slightly ahead of the Greens who won 16 percent. In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party won 35 percent of the vote, while in Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform party did particularly well, winning around 45 percent of the vote.
Far-right and right-wing populist parties also did well in the election. In the Netherlands, the anti-Islam Freedom Party of the filmmaker Geert Wilders won around 17 percent of the vote, making it the second strongest party. The right-wing populist party True Finns won around 14 percent of the vote in Finland, up from just 0.5 percent in 2004. In Denmark, the right-wing populist DVP increased its share of the vote from 6.8 percent in 2004 to around 15 percent. Italy's right-wing populist Northern League won around 10 percent of the vote, giving it 8 seats, while in the UK the far-right British National Party won four seats.
Despite the low turnout, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso expressed satisfaction with the results. "Overall, the results are an undeniable victory for those parties and candidates that support the European project," he said.
Provided by Spiegel Online—Read the latest from Europe's largest newsmagazine | <urn:uuid:18835afd-10ac-4da6-b54b-207f3f133204> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2009/gb2009068_063889.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969754 | 1,215 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Dr Joe Mercola: Drugs Not To Take
Dr Oz’s guest was controversial medical critic Dr Joe Mercola, who shared Reasons Not To Trust Your Doctor. He advocates a more holistic approach, and is not a fan of prescription drugs. Dr Mercola talked about three common prescriptions on his list of drugs not to take. They include Blood Pressure medication, Antidepressants, and Statins. See if you agree with what he has to say.
Drugs Not To Take: Statins
Statins are used to manage high cholesterol, and Dr Oz said that Cholesterol issues can have devastating effects for patients. Dr Mercola agreed, but said he believes the drug is being over-prescribed. He estimated that 25% of Americans are taking these types of drugs.
Though Statins do have anti-inflammatory properties, he does not recommend them to patients. He prefers to look at a dietary approach to replace bad fats with healthier choices.
That’s because Dr Mercola said Statins don’t treat the actual medical problem, instead alleviating the symptom. He believes that the best way to help patients is getting to the root cause of a health issue.
Drugs Not To Take: Blood Pressure Medication
Hypertension, or High Blood Pressure, is another common condition in Americans. But Dr Mercola said in many cases, Blood Pressure is falsely elevated. He suggested swapping carbohydrates for good fats, once again to treat the cause of this disease.
Dr Oz said that some patients don’t find results through diet adjustments alone. In those cases, Dr Mercola advised taking a 400 mg Magnesium supplement or adding bitter melon and Olive Leaf Extract to your diet.
Of course, we know that Dr Oz is open to natural remedies, but he said no one should stop taking their Blood Pressure Medication without first consulting with their prescribing physician.
Drugs Not To Take: Antidepressants
Last on Dr Mercola’s list of drugs never to take were Antidepressants. He openly admitted this is a controversial topic, but again wanted to get to the underlying reasons behind depression.
He suggested changing your lifestyle and considering alternatives such as therapy and exercise. Dr Mercola said light therapy can be effective for seasonal depression. He also recommended trying St. John’s Wort and cutting sugar out of your diet.
Dr Oz said that he agrees there are alternatives, but in cases of severe depression, patients might still need medication.
What do you think of the points Dr Mercola made? Please remember not to make any changes to your prescription drug regimen without consulting your doctor first. | <urn:uuid:5aefc0d4-41e2-4693-865a-0def62f4b52f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.recapo.com/dr-oz/dr-oz-advice/dr-oz-drugs-not-to-take-antidepressants-blood-pressure-statins/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935972 | 538 | 1.859375 | 2 |
| Quote #1
For the tears that drip all over; (line 12)
Poe is definitely a dramatic guy, and this image is exactly his style. When his speaker feels lousy, the entire world is covered in tears. Not jut a little sprinkle of rain, but an endless dripping flood of tears. It's a little over the top, maybe, but that's exactly the point. Poe wants us to really dig into this feeling of melancholy, to feel how the whole poem is soaking in misery. If you let yourself get into it, this kind of dramatic misery can be a lot of fun.
| Quote #2
Their sad waters, sad and chilly (line 23)
Again, Poe wants us to see that the whole world is sad in this poem. Even the water in the lakes is sad. To drive the point home, he repeats the word, telling us twice in a row about the cold, sad water. After a point, we feel like we are sort of marinating in the unhappiness of the speaker, and that's exactly the point. This is a poem about a strange place, for sure, but it's also about a mood, about the way that our feelings can change the way we see the world. This is a kind of crazy poem, but at the same time it paints a moving picture of what it's like to be really unhappy.
| Quote #3
In agony, to the Earth— and Heaven. (line 38)
This is the heart of the speaker's emotional world. This is the reason for the floods of tears, the sad lakes, and all the rest. He's grieving for long-lost loved ones. Losing them caused him "agony." That's a key word – it makes you feel the twisting, gut-wrenching pain of loss. It's pretty clear that his agony hasn't gotten any better, that he's still suffering the pain of loss, and that's why these ghosts haunt his dreams. | <urn:uuid:6a5f7ecf-7b63-411d-8a65-21186a8a9851> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shmoop.com/dream-land-poe/sadness-quotes.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963898 | 409 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Faculty and Staff Resources
Behavioral Intervention Team
The Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) exists to help promote the development of a healthy campus community at West Texas A&M University. The team, made up of select University employees, provides early intervention and support to students who may display behavior that causes reason for concern for the welfare of the individual or the University community.
Incident Report Form - To report an incident
Don't Give A Walk! Let Us Come Talk
Our staff welcomes the opportunity to present a wide array of programs to the students in your classroom. If you are unable to teach your class for any reason, let us come and share what we know about topics ranging from study skills to job search topics.
Presentation Topics - A list of available presentation topics
Request A Program - To request a program | <urn:uuid:57c94310-9ee9-4009-a05c-96429cb4bfb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wtamu.edu/student-support/cs-faculty-staff.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901415 | 167 | 1.6875 | 2 |