text stringlengths 213 24.6k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 1 value | url stringlengths 14 499 | file_path stringlengths 138 138 | language stringclasses 1 value | language_score float64 0.9 1 | token_count int64 51 4.1k | score float64 1.5 5.06 | int_score int64 2 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Famous Psychologist Anna Freud
Published on Sunday, July 24th, 2011 at 7:30 am and is filed under Famous Psychologists
A significant impact on the development of depth psychology had the younger daughter of Sigmund Freud - Anna Freud (1895 - 1982). Although her first investigation in psychoanalysis appeared in the 1930s, the most interesting work as psychoanalyst appeared later.
Anna Freud from early childhood have joined the research activities of her father, and served for many years as his secretary. In 1922 made her first scientific paper, and was admitted to the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society. In 1938, after the occupation of Austria by the Nazis, she was arrested and interrogated by the Gestapo, which provided additional justification for Freud to leave Vienna. Only she and Freud’s wife was allowed to emigrate with him. In London, she has paid great attention to moral support and care for her sick father.
After the death of Freud, Anna dedicated herself to the development of the psychoanalytic movement and the theory of depth psychology, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. The greatest attention was paid to it the formation of child analysis. She also became one of the authors of ego psychology. In 1952, she organized and headed Hampstead Child Therapy Courses, which she led up to 1982.
In 1936 the book “Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense“ were systematized Freud’s thinking about defense mechanisms, and showed their role in shaping the mental life. Then she began to develop ideas about the integrity of the ego and its self-independence of the id, the role of the mental life of man. These provisions form the basis of ego-psychology.
Her main works were dedicated to the study of ”problem children“, especially aggressive and disturbing. She believed that in the structure of personality of the child from the very beginning, aggressiveness appears as part of sexual life as an ”anal sadism.”
According to A. Freud, normal children (and adults) behavior suggests the existence of two main elements aspirations. In the normal behavior aggression is constrained by the libido. That fusion of libido and aggression should be considered normal and typical. Her ideas about the specificity of psychological crises and that emotions have an impact on the further development of the individual, are reflected in her later works, ”Normality and Pathology in Childhood: Assessments of Development (1965), “Beyond the Best Interests of the Child“ (1973)
Anna Freud turned his attention to the pathological manifestations of child aggression. Based on studies of the influence of psychic deprivation on child development, she came to the conclusion that such aggression occurs when abnormal conditions of the child (without parents, no family in the concentration camps, orphanages, boarding schools, etc.). The results of these studies were published in ”Infants Without Families Reports on the Hampstead Nurseries by Anna Freud” (1943), “War and Children“ (1943). She believed that aggression occurs because in these conditions, or entirely absent objects of love in the child’s environment, or those objects change frequently, or for some reason does not establish relations with these objects of love. Thus, aggressive (and disturbing) trends appear due to the fact that the libido is not developed or remained in the primary stage.
Based on these allegations, A. Freud concludes that in such cases, remedial work with children should focus on the development of the libido, the formation of attachment to other people, the development of in children a sense of security, not to overcome their aggressive reactions. Starting with the earliest work, “Introduction to Psychoanalysis: Lectures for Child Analysts and Teachers” (1922–1935) she established methods of child analysis, revealed the possibility of “play therapy“. | <urn:uuid:e6319fb9-e38d-433f-8d0b-a2c694d9105c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freud-sigmund.com/famous-psychologist-anna-freud | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963196 | 793 | 3.125 | 3 |
New Water Sources
Just a few years ago, San Antonio was totally dependent on day-to-day pumping from the Edwards Aquifer for the city's water needs. Now, as a result of extensive planning, and funding through the Water Supply Fee, SAWS has already made great strides in diversifying our water supply and is working to secure San Antonio's water future.
The updated plan addresses the city's future needs by calling for investment in new supplies and a continued commitment to water conservation.
SAWS is moving forward with water supply projects that provide ratepayers with the most viable and affordable options to secure current and future water supplies. | <urn:uuid:b02faab4-4304-4578-895f-f627544de280> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.saws.org/your_water/waterresources/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959643 | 130 | 1.710938 | 2 |
With the release of Sarah Palin's electronic mail from her tenure as governor of Alaska nearing, it's worth rereading this 2009 piece by John Fund in the Wall Street Journal on "Why Palin Quit". Emphasis added, which frames intense interest in the workings of public office as abusive political targeting:
This situation developed because Alaska's transparency laws allow anyone to file Freedom of Information Act requests. While normally useful, in the hands of political opponents FOIA requests can become a means to bog down a target in a bureaucratic quagmire, thanks to the need to comb through records and respond by a strict timetable. Similarly, ethics investigations are easily triggered and can drag on for months even if the initial complaint is flimsy. Since Ms. Palin returned to Alaska after the 2008 campaign, some 150 FOIA requests have been filed and her office has been targeted for investigation by everyone from the FBI to the Alaska legislature. Most have centered on Ms. Palin's use of government resources, and to date have turned up little save for a few state trips that she agreed to reimburse the state for because her children had accompanied her. In the process, though, she accumulated $500,000 in legal fees in just the last nine months, and knew the bill would grow ever larger in the future.
Note that the "bureaucratic quagmire" is not triggered by the actions of an individual requester who is doing anything out of the ordinary in requesting public records, but rather from a mass action in which numerous individuals and organizations all ask for something slightly different but perfectly reasonable at about the same time. Bureaucratic budgets that work at the speed of government are ill-equipped in general to respond to a sudden burst of need, especially when that need is internally focused. | <urn:uuid:cff1428a-0502-4ccb-9be5-c7c1d6ececb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vielmetti.typepad.com/foia/abuse-of-foia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969248 | 353 | 1.703125 | 2 |
August 17, 1790, found U.S. President George Washington traveling the country, in Newport, Rhode Island.
Washington met with “the Hebrew Congregation” (Jewish group), and congregation leader (Rabbi?) Moses Seixas presented Washington with an address extolling Washington’s virtues, and the virtues of the new nation. Seixas noted past persecutions of Jews, and signalled a hopeful note:
Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free citizens, we now (with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events) behold a government erected by the Majesty of the People–a Government which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance, but generously affording to All liberty of conscience and immunities of Citizenship, deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language, equal parts of the great governmental machine.
President Washington responded with what may be regarded as his most powerful statement in support of religious freedom in the U.S. — and this was prior to the ratification of the First Amendment:
It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it was the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily, the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
Below the fold, more history of the events and religious freedom, from the Library of Congress. | <urn:uuid:7c09348a-d968-4b12-9387-6b58675d5f79> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956366 | 333 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Logic fault.. concern over self-compiled binaries do not mean..binaries outside of the packaging system.
The nautilus situation is worth explaining.
nautilus as packaged requires gvfs-fuse. fuse has a versioned dep on the kernel. You can compile your own kernel...and package it as an rpm which still satisfies the packaging dependences for fuse or any other package which directly depends on the kernel. There are only a handful of packages in the Fedora repository which directly require the kernel package. And in each and most cases its a minimum kernel version specification. nouveau being the only different one.
For the F-10 release set, not including updates we have:
repoquery --repoid=fedora --whatrequires --alldeps kernel
Note that in an update a new varnish was packaged without the kernel dep so on an updated Fedora system that's 8 packages which directly require a kernel package to be installed which claims to be better than the minimum version.
The real problem in the discussion isn't whether or not self-compiled kernels are being considered. The unspoken question is this, is there a better way to expose specific kernel settings in the packaging deps so that people generating their own kernel packages known exactly which options are required to keep functionality working. Obviously a kernel can be compiled without fuse support, but we don't have a way to express whether fuse is available in a packaged kernel or not. So as a result the very weak dep on minimum sufficient kernel version is used. My personal take on it is that these deps are somewhat historical artifacts which were introduced to make updating would work as expected when a new feature was added. | <urn:uuid:09498bd9-c9d6-43e4-a8e7-511ad1a8f187> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lwn.net/Articles/314057/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939972 | 349 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Leslie Rainer, project specialist and painting conservator at the Getty… (Reed Saxon / Associated…)
It has taken 80 years, but Los Angeles today does honor to its history. After a painstaking rehabilitation, a long-hidden mural by David Alfaro Siqueiros will be unveiled.
The mural has a rollicking history. It was once the center of controversy, and then it was shrouded for decades. Siqueiros was one of Mexico's great muralists — ranked with Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera. His radical politics and his bold use of color and arresting imagery won him renown. An ardent Stalinist, he conspired to murder Leon Trotsky after Trotsky settled in Mexico City. That plot failed, but the Mexican government tired of Siqueiros, and he was exiled, settling for a time in the United States. In 1932, while in Los Angeles, he painted three murals here, including "America Tropical" for a rooftop beer garden overlooking Olvera Street downtown.
The original unveiling of "America Tropical" was not exactly what its sponsors had hoped for. The mural's central image is of a Mayan peasant hung on a cross, with an eagle — similar to those Siqueiros had seen on American coins — perched above. It shocked viewers, and a nervous city leadership reacted as insecure leaders often do. Barely six months after the mural was first seen, it was painted over, literally whitewashed.
A new generation of Los Angeles leaders has resurrected Siqueiros' work. The original colors would have been difficult to replicate — no color photographs of the original mural exist — and they have faded a bit, but perhaps that too is appropriate, as the arguments that caused so much consternation at the time also feel less pronounced today. In fact, one delicious aspect of the mural's return is that it was sponsored in part by the city government, which recoiled at the original, and in part by the Getty Foundation, whose patron was just the sort of capitalist the artist so vehemently deplored.
Los Angeles once flinched at "America Tropical." Tremulous leaders reached for censorship, shamefully covering up a work of consequence. Happily, a stronger, more secure generation — including politicians and capitalists — has revived Siqueiros' work and resuscitated this gem. The mural and its viewing center open Tuesday, 80 years to the day after it was initially unveiled. | <urn:uuid:7219a092-51a4-43ee-ab88-4ff22bf62008> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/09/opinion/la-ed-mural-siqueiros-los-angeles-20121009 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976348 | 500 | 2.625 | 3 |
New FDA approved Spray
A sicker America...
Date: 8/29/2006 5:16:07 PM ( 7 y ) ... viewed 1304 times
Not a good idea. Inside our guts, as many of you know, are millions of bacteria that are paramount to good health. Introducing a virus(s) like this could mean that eventually the new virus will begin to attack the good bacteria, which will lead to a sicker America (as if we needed anything else to make us sick). Or the other option would be that our bodies will reject the new virus and consider it a threat, beginning a battle to fighting off something we're constantly putting back into our bodies.
The worst part about it is, food companies will not be required to list on the label that they used this spray. I am going to find a way to protest this. If anyone else has any ideas, please let me know.
Add This Entry To Your CureZone Favorites! | <urn:uuid:aa7c118b-f306-447b-8987-395980a37aa9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=980052 | 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 | 0.922207 | 199 | 1.5 | 2 |
Array of Information for Small Business Owners Online
Published: Monday, November 26, 2012 at 10:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 26, 2012 at 10:42 p.m.
According to the Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov), two out of every three jobs created in the United States is created by small businesses, defined as firms with less than 500 employees. Practically every large business started as a small business at some point.
The Florida Electronic Library (www.flelibrary.org) supports entrepreneurs with a special small business section. It features business information accessed through the search box on the home page. Better, click on the "Small Business Resources" image on the right hand side of the home page.
You'll find a special grouping of small business information with a search box. At the bottom of the page, click through to presorted article categories such as "Business Topics," "Business Types," "Sample Business Plans," and "How To…"
Under the "How To…" section, I found more defined categories like "How to Start a Small Business," "How to Buy (also "Sell") a Business," "How to Write a Business Plan," and more. Backing up a page to the "Business Plans" section, I found more than 500 articles of business plan case studies and templates.
As your small business idea develops, search the Polk County Online Catalog (catalog.mypclc.org) for books to continue growing your idea. Ask your librarian for assistance if you don't see what you need.
Chances are that we can find it, either in Polk County, or through the Inter-Library Loan program. ILL allows your local librarian to access libraries across the state, both metropolitan public libraries and the libraries of the state university system, and to the world beyond.
At the libraries this week:
Story Time features stories, songs and more with two meetings each week, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday for age 2 and 10:30 a.m. Thursday for ages 3-5. This week is "What's Cooking?"
Adult Knitting and Crochet meets 4 p.m. Monday to work on fiber art projects
Adult Book Discussion meets 3 p.m. today to discuss "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers.
Grow closer together, reading together, when Mother/Daughter Book Discussion meets 5 p.m. Thursday to discuss a special book, work on book-related crafts and enjoy a snack. For girls ages 9-12 and their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, big sisters or guardians.
The Bartow Art Guild annual "Cornucopia" juried art show continues through Thursday in the Pamplin Art Gallery at the library. Call 534-0131 for gallery hours and more information.
Preschool Story Time meets 10 a.m. Wednesday and Friday for stories, songs and fun. This week "Disney Day!"
Eagle Lake Book Club meets 10:30 a.m. Monday to discuss "The Lone Wolf" by Jodi Picoult. Librarian Ruth Waltonbaugh moderates the discussion.
Library reopens Dec. 3 in the new building.
Come to the library 4 p.m. today for an exciting after-school program. Grades 4-8 meet 4 p.m., grades 1-3 meet 4:30 p.m.
Storytime meets Wednesday for Book Babies at 10 a.m. and Pre-kindergarten at 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs, and fun.
The Friends of the Library Bookstore is open 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. Enjoy gently used titles at a fraction of retail.
"Toys for Fines" overdue materials amnesty program continues through December. Drop off a new, unwrapped toy to "pay" your fines; regrets, lost or damaged items are ineligible. Call 291-5378 for more information.
"Wiggles and Giggles" story time meets 11 a.m. today for music, stories, finger-plays and fun for toddlers through age 3 and caregivers.
"Library Babies" story time meets 11:30 a.m. today for music, stories and fun for infants/walkers and caregivers.
Chess for Kids meets 2 p.m. today and noon Saturday.
Guardian Ad Litem is an advocacy program for children involved with the court system. Come to an information session 10 a.m. Wednesday and learn how you can speak for abused and neglected children at court.
Lego-Mania all day Thursday. Come build your dreams.
Teen Anime meets 4:15 p.m. Friday to discuss the latest manga and anime and enjoy a snack.
Open Knitting and Crochet meets 5:30 p.m. Friday for fiber arts fun and conversation.
Outdoor Movie "Brave" 6:30 p.m. in the library parking lot. Well-regarded animated tale of an independent Scottish princess and the choices she makes.
Drop-in Crafts for kids all day Monday.
Food for Fines overdue amnesty program continues through Dec. 31. "Pay" for overdue items with a non-perishable food donation. Lost or damaged fees are ineligible for this program. Call 678-4004 for more information.
The Friends of the Library offer VHS videotapes for 25 cents all week long at the Main Library.
Story times at the Main Library this week with Miss Connie include "Preschool Storytime" 10 a.m. Tuesday for ages 4-5, "Toddler Time" 10 a.m. Wednesday for ages 2-3, and "Mother Goose Time" 11 a.m. Thursday for babies 6-18 months. Programs feature songs, stories, rhymes, puppets and other activities.
Storytime at the Larry R. Jackson Branch Library with Miss Angel feature songs and stories from around the world 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Computer class "Microsoft Word Level 1" meets 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the E-Library. Learn how to create, save and format a document. Prerequisite is "Computer Basics" class or equivalent basic mouse and keyboard skills. Class fee is $5, non-refundable, due at registration.
READ Lakeland presents "American History" literacy course 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Main Library. Learn about the past and how it affects us today and in the future. Call 802-1512 for more information.
READ Lakeland presents "Job Search Skills" literacy course 2 p.m. Thursday at the Main Library. Learn how to write a resumé, how to interview and about jobs available in Lakeland. Call 802-1512 for more information.
Chess for All meets 4 p.m. Thursday at the Main Library.
Computer class "Computer Basics" meets 6 p.m. Thursday at the Main Library. Learn how to start a computer, elements of the desktop and program windows, and basic mouse and keyboard skills. Class fee is $5, non-refundable, due at registration.
"Poets on the Park" meets 7 p.m. Thursday at the Main Library to share and read aloud original or published poetry.
"Lighthouse" book club meets 2 p.m. Friday at the Main Library.
Chautauqua performer Karen DeVos presents "The Life and Times of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings" 2 p.m. Sunday at the Main Library.
The City of Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department and the City Beautification Board present Garden Lecture "Living Christmas Trees, the Natural Alternative" 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Main Library.
Yarn Circle meets 10 a.m. today for fiber fun for all ages and abilities. The group continues work on Christmas gift and craft fair projects.
Coupons Anonymous meets 3:30 p.m. today, and 3:30 p.m. Monday. Pick up free coupons and more. Expired coupons go to an Army base in Germany for soldiers to use in the Base Exchange.
Lego Club meets 3:30 p.m. today to build your dreams; join the fun.
Imagination Nook Preschool Story Time for preschoolers ages 2-5 meets 10:30 a.m. Wednesday for favorite books and songs with Miss Rachel.
Teen Thursday 3:30 p.m. Try the PS3 game system; includes crafts and snacks too.
"Crafternoons" meets 3:30 p.m. Monday with a new craft each week for elementary students.
Food for Fines overdue amnesty program continues through Dec. 31. "Pay" for overdue items with a non-perishable food donation. Lost or damaged fees are ineligible for this program. Call 425-3246 for more information.
Preschool Story Time meets 11 a.m. Thursday for stories, songs and fun. This week is "Kittens and Cats."
Wednesday is Story Time this week, including "Baby Bookworm" 10:30 a.m. and "Preschool Story Time" 11 a.m. The theme this week is "Bears." Programs include stories, puppets, singing and dancing.
Having a problem figuring out your e-reader or laptop? Stop by the library on Fridays between 1-4 p.m. for help from the city IT department.
[ Send your library news to email@example.com. ]
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:5a961357-6abf-4c58-9c94-c4b41aa8febb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theledger.com/article/20121126/COLUMNISTS0414/121129487/1042/columnists?Title=Array-of-Information-for-Small-Business-Owners-Online- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907262 | 2,010 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Recognising or celebrating Halloween isn’t common in Australia. Until recently that is. There are products, decorations and lollies galore in the stores this year.
They haven’t gone unnoticed by Cam either. She’s been asking lots of questions about Halloween.
Cam learnt about Trick-or-Treating by reading And Then Comes Halloween. You can read our review of the book.
This is her favourite page and she’s just crazy about the idea of lollies (candy).
She’s been asking every day if we can go trick-or-treating on Halloween. As I’ve already mentioned, it’s not common in Australia and she’s also a little too young. So, I decided to create a game for her to play instead, TRICK-OR-TREAT ROLL. It’s a great alternative to trick-or-treating for young children.
You will need:
- A Trick-or-Treat Die (Dice)
I asked hubby for an off-cut of timber. (But you could make a cube out of heavy-stock card). I painted the cube, and labelled each side with a word (either ‘trick’ or ‘treat’) and a matching image.
- A bag or basket of treats (These do not have to be lollies. I added a few cheap items to our basket that I found at the variety store, plus a handful of lollies)
- Some tricks
I found this great set at Aldi (It is really a science kit for kids aged 8+ but it includes some props we could definitely use: a fake spider, severed finger trick, prankster dice etc.)
Some other trick ideas:
-Mini water gun
-Popping Candy or War Heads
FEEL FREE TO ADD SOME OTHER CHILD-FRIENDLY PRANK SUGGESTIONS
How to Play
2) Ask your child to roll the die (dice)
3) If the die (dice) lands on ‘treat’, they can choose a treat from the Halloween basket
4) If the die (dice) lands on ‘trick’, you have to perform a magic trick for them
5) Take it in turns until every family member has had a turn.
I’ve introduced the game to Cam. On Halloween, we are going to visit her grandparents so she can ask them (and her aunties) to play the game with her (She then has a chance to trick-or treat others, and she can practise her magic tricks).
This sweet story is perfect for introducing children to the notion of magic tricks.
Hedgehog attempts to perform a magic show for his friends. He thinks that by saying ‘abracadabra’ and waving his magic wand he can make Mouse disappear and pull Rabbit out of a hat. He gets a little upset when his tricks don’t work.
Hedgehog’s friends play a trick of their own by making a cake magically appear and then disappear. But their best trick of all is making Hedgehog feel like it was all his doing.
By looking carefully at the delightful illustrations, children can learn that magic tricks are planned and set-up behind the scenes.
Hedgehog’s Magic Tricks
By Ruth Paul
Publisher: Walker Books, September 2012
RRP: $24.95 (aud)
Suitable for ages: 2+ | <urn:uuid:840affb5-8f78-4943-840b-df3f21bc4686> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mylittlebookcase.com.au/books/trick-or-treat-roll-a-halloween-game-for-young-children/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930303 | 747 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Cervical hCG concentration and risk of reterm delivery
C-reactive protein and insulin resistance as risk factors for poor prognosis after heart transplantation
A predictive marker for metabolic syndrome
The authors conducted a prospective study to determine the correlation between cervical human chorionic gonadotropin concentration and duration of pregnancy. The study involved 150 women who were between the 24th and 34th weeks of a singleton pregnancy and had symptoms suggestive of preterm labor. The inclusion criteria were four regular uterine contractions per 20-min. intervals accompanied by low back pain or low abdominal pain, pelvic pressure, and increased vaginal discharge. Exclusion criteria were ruptured membranes, vaginal bleeding, cervical dilatation of 4 cm or more, cervical cerclage in the present pregnancy, placenta previa, a history of trauma and tocolysis, preeclampsia, and fever (body temperature higher than 37.8°C). Of the study group, 71 women (47.3%) delivered after 37 weeks of pregnancy (group at term) and 79 (52.7%) delivered before 37 weeks of pregnancy (preterm group). After a sample of cervicovaginal secretions was obtained, the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the secretions were measured by immunoassay and compared between the two groups. The mean ± SD pregnancy duration was 32.42±2.01 weeks at the time of sampling and 35.83±2.88 weeks at the time of delivery; the means for cervical dilatation and effacement were 1.74±0.8 cm and 30.61 percent±15.82 percent, respectively; and the mean overall hCG concentration in the cervicovaginal secretions at the time of sampling was 35.93±59.97 mIU/mL. The mean hCG concentration was 7.9±34.1 mIU/mL in the group at term and 61.12±66.84 mIU/mL in the preterm group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<.001). Moreover, a significant positive correlation was noted between cervical hCG concentration and pregnancy duration at the time of sampling (P<.01; r=0.2), cervical dilatation (P<.001; r=0.54), and cervical effacement (P<.001; r=0.43). A significant negative correlation was noted between hCG concentration and pregnancy duration at delivery (P<.001; r=–0.4). A regression model was used to analyze age, gravidity, parity, history of abortion, pregnancy duration at the time of sampling, pregnancy duration at delivery, cervical dilatation, effacement, and hCG concentration in the cervical secretions. Only cervical dilatation (P<.01; r=0.2), pregnancy duration at the time of sampling (P<.001, r=0.22), and pregnancy duration at the time of delivery (P<.001; r=–0.74) were found to be correlated with hCG concentration in the cervicovaginal secretions. The authors concluded that the best sensitivity and specificity correspond to a concentration of 9.5 mIU/mL (sensitivity, 92.4% [95% confidence interval, 83.6–96.9%]; specificity, 87.3% [95% CI, 76.8–93.7%]; positive predictive value, 89 percent of women). This may be a natural protective measure, as estrogen is a better antioxidant than glutathione (GSH). Therefore, this study suggests that ovaries retain some function even after menopause and probably can increase their estrogen production in instances of stress.
Kashanian M, Asl MM, Zadeh JK. Human chorionic gonadotropin in cervicovaginal secretion as a predictor of preterm delivery. J Gynecol Obstet. 2007;97:44–51.
Reprints: M. Kashanian, Khajeh Nasir Toosi Ave., Mostaghimi Alley, No. 83, Postal Code 16117, Tehran, Iran; firstname.lastname@example.org
The pathogenesis of cardiac allograft vasculopathy, a major cause of death in patients surviving more than one year after heart transplantation, involves several immunologic and metabolic factors. Among them are ischemia-reperfusion injury, human leukocyte antigen mismatch, viral infection, hyperlipemia, and hypertension. In addition to these well-known risk factors, the authors showed that markers of dysmetabolic syndrome are associated with increased incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) and poor prognosis after heart transplantation. Systemic inflammation is believed to represent an important mechanistic pathway through which metabolic risk factors may lead to vascular disease. The authors conducted a study for which they hypothesized that an active interplay between systemic inflammation and markers of metabolic dysregulation may increase the risk for CAV and subsequently worsen cardiovascular prognosis. In particular, metabolic dysregulation was assessed using the ratio between the serum concentration of triglycerides and high-density lipoproteins (TG/HDL), which has been proposed as an indirect and widely available marker of insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (CRP) was chosen as a marker of systemic inflammation. CRP and the entire metabolic panel were evaluated in 98 consecutive heart transplant recipients at the time of annual coronary angiography, 5.8 years after transplant (range, 1 to 12 years). A ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoproteins of 3.0 or more was considered a marker of insulin resistance. Prevalence of CAV was defined by angiography, and subsequent prognosis was evaluated as incidence of major cardiac adverse events. CRP was higher in the 34 patients with angiographic CAV than in those without CAV (1.10±0.20 versus 0.50±0.05 mg/dL; P<.001). Patients with insulin resistance had higher CRP concentrations (P=.023) and higher CAV prevalence (P=.005). High CRP and a TG/HDL of 3.0 or more were independently associated with an increased likelihood of CAV (odds ratio, =3.9; P=.02) and predicted an increased risk of major cardiac adverse events. The combination of high CRP and a TG/HDL of 3.0 or more identified a subgroup of patients having a four-fold increased risk for CAV and a three-fold increased risk for major cardiac adverse events compared with patients with low CRP and normal values for metabolic indicators. The authors concluded that CRP and insulin resistance, as estimated by TG/HDL, appear to be strong, synergic risk factors for CAV and for major cardiac adverse events. These findings support the hypothesis that in heart transplant recipients, systemic inflammation may be an important mediator of graft vascular injury associated with metabolic syndrome.
Biadi O, Potena L, Fearon WF, et al. Interplay between systemic inflammation and markers of insulin resistance in cardiovascular prognosis after heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2007; 26: 324– 330.
Reprints: Dr. Hannah A. Valantine, Falk Cardiovascular Research Center, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; hvalantine@ stanford.edu
Metabolic syndrome encompasses a cluster of interrelated risk factors that are closely associated with the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Obesity, especially excessive accumulation of abdominal fat, is the principal etiological factor that predisposes to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Obesity triggers metabolic stress and inflammatory responses in adipose tissue, both of which are considered to be important mediators of obesity-related metabolic and cardiovascular pathologies. Adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP; also designated aP2 or FABP4) is an ˜15-kDa, small, lipid-binding protein that is expressed predominantly in adipose tissue. This protein is the major cytosolic protein of mature adipocytes, accounting for approximately six percent of the total cellular protein. In addition, A-FABP is present in macrophages, which have striking similarities to adipocytes in biology and function. Mounting evidence suggests that this protein plays a key role in linking obesity with various features of MetS. To further evaluate whether A-FABP is an independent risk factor for the cluster of metabolic risk factors that predispose to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, the authors investigated prospectively the five-year development of MetS in relation to baseline A-FABP levels in a population-based cohort of 495 Chinese subjects recruited from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study. At baseline, high A-FABP levels were associated with MetS (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–10.4; highest versus lowest sex-specific tertile, adjusted for age, body mass index, homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance, C-reactive protein, and adiponectin, P=.005). On long-term followup, subjects with higher baseline A-FABP levels had a progressively worse cardiometabolic risk profile and increased risk of MetS. Fifty of the 376 subjects without MetS at baseline developed it at five years. Apart from the homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (P=.001), baseline A-FABP was the only independent predictor of the development of MetS during the five-year followup (odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.8–11.9; highest versus lowest sex-specific tertile, P=.001, adjusted for the homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance and body mass index). A-FABP was predictive of MetS even after adjusting for each of its individual components. The authors concluded that circulating A-FABP predicts the development of MetS independently of adiposity and insulin resistance.
Xu A, Tso AWK, Cheung BMY, et al. Circulating adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein levels predict the development of the metabolic syndrome: a 5-year prospective study. Circulation. 2007;115:1537–1543.
Reprints: Dr. Karen Lam, Dept. of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pokfulam Rd., Hong Kong, China; email@example.com
Dr. Bissell is Professor and Director of Clinical Services and Vice Chair, Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus. | <urn:uuid:a16796cf-44b9-4c44-90b8-98589460cb2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cap.org/apps/cap.portal?_nfpb=true&cntvwrPtlt_actionOverride=%2Fportlets%2FcontentViewer%2Fshow&_windowLabel=cntvwrPtlt&cntvwrPtlt%7BactionForm.contentReference%7D=cap_today%2Fclinical_abstracts%2F0608_clinical.html&_state=maximized&_pageLabel=cntvwr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925141 | 2,243 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Medical Marijuana Benefits
Has medical marijuana gotten a bad rap? Dr. Jon LaPook talks with Dr. Herbert Kleber and Dr. Mitch Earleywine on the pros and cons of using medical marijuana for your health. |
(CBS) Mitch Earleywine, Ph.D. is an associate professor of psychology at SUNY Albany who believes marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes.
Therapeutic use of marijuana has a history spanning over 4,500 years.
The most humane and just approach to helping the sick requires that we continue the availability of medical marijuana. Evidence supporting medical marijuana for appetite loss, glaucoma, nausea, vomiting, spasticity, pain, and weight loss is quite impressive. Evidence for its use for arthritis, dystonia, insomnia, seizures, and Tourette’s syndrome is also very promising.
Opponents of medical marijuana mention that other drugs are available for each of these disorders. Nevertheless, people differ. We have multiple treatments for almost every human problem. Some patients do not respond well to other medications and need medical marijuana to alleviate their symptoms. Many pharmaceutical drugs create aversive side effects that these patients cannot endure. In addition, medical marijuana is often markedly cheaper than these other medications.
Opponents of medical marijuana often point to dronabinol, the synthetic version of one of marijuana’s active ingredients that is available in pill form. The use of only one active ingredient makes dronabinol less effective than medical marijuana. Many ailments respond better to a combination of marijuana’s active ingredients rather than just one. In addition, because dronabinol is a pill, it is difficult for people with nausea and vomiting to swallow. Finally, like any medication that’s swallowed, dronabinol takes a long time to digest and have its effects. Inhaled marijuana vapors can work markedly faster.
Concern over marijuana’s impact on respiratory health is easily remedied. There are no links between marijuana use and lung cancer or emphysema. The associations between smoked marijuana and symptoms like coughing and wheezing can be remedied with the vaporizer. The vaporizer heats the plant so that active ingredients boil off into a fine mist but the plant itself never ignites. The mist contains no tars or noxious gases, making respiratory complications a thing of the past.
To read Dr. Kleber's opinion piece on medical marijuana click here. | <urn:uuid:bdf24ae4-400a-4571-9f9a-45fa357339e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nowpublic.com/health/medical-marijuana-benefits | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927652 | 499 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Canadian Forest Service Publications
Timing and duration of herbaceous vegetation control in northern conifer plantations: 15th-year tree growth and soil nutrient effects. 2011. Hoepting, M.K.; Wagner, R. G.; McLaughlin, J.; Pitt, D. G. The Forestry Chronicle 87(3):398-413.
Available from: Great Lakes Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 32626
A 15-year re-measurement of a study designed to identify the optimum timing and duration of herbaceous vegetation control in plantations of four commercial conifer species was completed in northern Ontario. Few differences were revealed in conifer growth when contrasting early and delayed timing of vegetation control. Conversely, each conifer species responded positively to increased duration of vegetation control, with stand volume gains of up to 209% achieved with four to five years of vegetation control following planting. Compared to earlier assessments, the timing of vegetation control appeared less important than duration. Diminishing returns in the fastest-growing species (jack pine [Pinus banksiana Lamb.] and red pine [Pinus resinosa Ait.]) are consistent with intraspecific competition related to the onset of crown closure in these stands. Quantification of a suite of soil nutrient pools along the gradient of increased duration of vegetation control indicated that the more intensive levels of vegetation control did not adversely affect the assessed soil nutrient pools in red pine or jack pine, but a cautionary approach should be considered for white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP), where some declines were evident. Vegetation control for two to three years following planting should maximize early conifer growth potential without adverse longer-term effects on soil nutrient pools. | <urn:uuid:56ff25ee-9195-4c1d-888a-fd8696877240> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/publications?id=32626&lang=en_CA | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910209 | 356 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Guest post: scrutinising the 31,000 scientists in the OISM Petition Project
Posted on 11 March 2010 by angliss
In early 2008, the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM) published their Petition Project, a list of names from people who all claimed to be scientists and who rejected the science behind the theory of anthropogenic (human-caused) global warming (AGW). This was an attempt to by the OISM to claim that there were far more scientists opposing AGW theory than there are supporting it. This so-called petition took on special importance coming after the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report, and specifically the Working Group 1 (WG1) report on the science and attribution of climate change to human civilization.
The WG1 report was authored and reviewed by approximately 2000 scientists with varying expertise in climate and related fields, and so having a list of over 30,000 scientists that rejected the WG1’s conclusions was a powerful meme that AGW skeptics and deniers could use to cast doubt on the IPCC’s conclusions and, indirectly, on the entire theory of climate disruption. And in fact, this meme has become widespread in both legacy and new media today.
It is also false.
According to the Petition Project “qualifications” page, “Signatories are approved for inclusion in the Petition Project list if they have obtained formal educational degrees at the level of Bachelor of Science or higher in appropriate scientific fields.” The fields that are considered “appropriate” by the OISM are as follows:
- Atmosphere, Earth, and Environment fields: atmospheric science, climatology, meteorology, astronomy, astrophysics, earth science, geochemistry, geology, geophysics, geoscience, hydrology, environmental engineering, environmental science, forestry, oceanography
- Computers and Math: computer science, mathematics, statistics
- Physics and Aerospace: physics, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering
- Chemistry: chemistry, chemical engineering
- Biochemistry, Biology, and Agriculture: biochemistry, biophysics, biology, ecology, entomology, zoology, animal science, agricultural science, agricultural engineering, plant science, food science
- Medicine: medical science, medicine
- General Engineering and General Science: engineering, electrical engineering, metallurgy, general science
The OISM’s qualifications for being a “scientist” are expansive, and as such there are a number of questions that have to be answered before we can take this list seriously. What expertise does a nuclear engineer or a medical doctor or a food scientist or mechanical engineer have that makes them qualified to have an informed opinion on the cause(s) of recent climate disruption? How many of these names are working climate scientists instead of science or math teachers or stay-at-home-mom’s with engineering degrees? How many of these people has actually published a peer-reviewed paper on climate? How many people took a look at the card that served as a “signature” (click on the image to see a larger version) and realized that they could lie about having a science degree and their deception would never be discovered?
At this point it’s literally impossible to know because the names and degrees on the list cannot be verified by anyone outside the OISM. We can only take the OISM’s word that they’re all real names, that all the degrees are correct, and so on. This does not stand up to the most basic tests of scientific credibility.
Unfortunately, the OISM’s list has had its credibility fabricated for it by individuals and groups as diverse as Steve Milloy of Fox News (see this link for a S&R investigation into the background and tactics of Steve Milloy), L. Brent Bozell of conservative “news” site Newsbusters and founder of the conservative Media Research Center, Benita M. Dodd of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation, the libertarian/conservative site American Thinker (a site that has regularly failed to fact-check their AGW posts), conservative commentator Deroy Murdock (who works on Project 21 with the wife of one of Steve Milloy’s long-time associates), RightSideNews, Dakota Voice, Dennis T. Avery of the Hudson Institute, Lawrence Solomon of the Financial Post, Michelle Malkin, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, to name just a few of the better known. As a result, the OISM’s petition has been elevated to a level of credibility that is arguably undeserved.
While it’s not possible to test the validity of OISM list directly, it is possible to test the conclusions that have been drawn from the OISM list. Specifically, we can test what percentage the 30,000 “scientists” listed on the OISM petition represent when compared to the total number of scientists in the U.S. And we can then compare that to the percentage represented by the 2000 IPCC AR4 WG1-associated scientists as compared to the estimate number of U.S. climate-related scientists.
According to the OISM website, anyone with a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate of Philosophy in a field related to physical sciences is qualified as a scientist. In addition, the OISM sent the petition cards pictured above only to individuals within the U.S. Based on this information, we can us the OISM’s own guidelines to determine how many scientists there are in the U.S. and what percentage of those scientists are represented by the OISM petition.
The U.S. Department of Education tracks the number of graduates from institutions of higher education every year, and has done so since either the 1950-51 or 1970-71 school years, depending on what specifically the Dept. of Ed. was interested in. This data was last updated in the Digest of Education Statistics: 2008. We’re specifically interested in the number of degrees that have been awarded in the various scientific disciplines as defined by the OISM in the list above. This information is available in the following tables within the 2008 Digest: 296, 298, 302, 304, 310, 311, and 312. Table 1 below show how many graduates there were in the various categories defined by the Dept. of Ed. since the 1970-71 school year (click on the image for a larger version). The numbers have been corrected to account for the fact that PhD’s will usually have MS degrees as well, and that both are preceded by BS degrees.
As you can see, Table 1 shows that there were over 10.6 million science graduates as defined by the OISM since the 1970-71 school year. This is a conservative estimate as illustrated by the 242,000 graduates in biological and biomedical sciences from 1950-51 through 1969-70 alone, never mind the 166,000 engineering graduates, and so on. Many of these individuals are still alive today and would be considered scientists according to the OISM definition thereof.
The OISM website lists how many signatures they have for scientists in each of their categories. Given the number of graduates and the number of signatures claimed by the OISM, we can calculate the percentage of OISM-defined scientists who signed as referenced to the total. These results are shown in Table 2 below.
In other words, the OISM signatories represent a small fraction (~0.3%) of all science graduates, even when we use the OISM’s own definition of a scientist.
However, as mentioned above, it’s entirely reasonable to ask whether a veterinarian or forestry manager or electrical engineer should qualify as a scientist. If we remove all the engineers, medical professionals, computer scientists, and mathematicians, then the 31,478 “scientists” turn into 13,245 actual scientists, as opposed to scientists according to the OISM’s expansive definition. Of course, not all of them are working in science, but since some medical professionals and statisticians do work in science, it’s still a reasonable quick estimate.
However, it’s not reasonable to expect that all of those actual scientists are working in climate sciences. Certainly the 39 climatologists, but after that, it gets much murkier. Most geologists don’t work as climate scientists, although some certainly do. Most meteorologists do weather forecasting, but understanding the weather is radically different than understanding climate. So we can’t be sure beyond the 39 climatologists, although we can reasonably assume that the number is far less than the 13,245 actual scientists claimed by the OISM.
13,245 scientists is only 0.1% of the scientists graduated in the U.S. since the 1970-71 school year.
We can, however, compare the number of atmospheric scientists, climagologists, ocean scientists, and meteorologists who signed this petition to the number of members of the various professional organizations. For example, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) has over 55,000 members, of which over 7,200 claim that atmospheric sciences is their primary field. The OISM claims 152 atmospheric scientists. Compared to the atmospheric scientist membership in the AGU, the OISM signatories are only 2.1%, and this estimate is high given the fact that the AGU does not claim all atmospheric scientists as members.
The AGU hydrology group has over 6,000 members who call hydrology their primary field. The OISM list has 22 names that claim to be hydrologists, or 0.4%.
The AGU ocean sciences group claims approximately 6,800 members. The OISM has 83 names, or 1.2%. And again, given that AGU membership is not required to be a practicing ocean scientists, this number is inflated.
The American Meteorological Society claims over 14,000 members and the OISM claims 341 meteorologists as petition signatories. That’s only 2.4%.
It’s clear that the OISM names don’t represent a significant number of scientists when compared to either the total number of science graduates in the U.S. or to the number of practicing scientists who work in likely relevant fields. But that’s not all.
Over recent years, various organizations have set out to estimate just how widespread the supposed “scientific consensus” on AGW actually is. Two recent efforts were conducted by the Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) at George Mason University and by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. The STATS survey found that 84% of climate scientists surveyed “personally believe human-induced warming is occurring” and that “[o]nly 5% believe that that human activity does not contribute to greenhouse warming.” The STATS survey involved a random sampling of “489 self-identified members of either the American Meteorological Society or the American Geophysical Union” and it has a theoretical sampling error of +/- 4%.
The Pew survey was taken in early 2009 and asked over 2000 members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) their opinion on various scientific issues, including climate disruption. 84% of AAAS respondents felt that “warming is due to human activity” compared to only 10% who felt that “warming is due to natural causes.” The AAAS has over 10 million members, and the results of the survey are statistically valid for the entire population with a theoretical sampling error of +/- 2.5%.
84% of 10 million scientist members of the AAAS is 8.4 million scientists who agree that climate disruption is human-caused. 84% of the climate scientists (conservatively just the members of the atmospheric science group of the AGU) is, conservatively, 6,000 scientists who have direct and expert knowledge of climate disruption. The 13,245 scientists and 152 possible climate scientists who signed the OISM petition represent a small minority of the totals.
The IPCC AR4 WG1 report was written and reviewed by approximately 2000 scientists. If we assume that the 20,000 AGU members who claim to be atmospheric scientists, ocean scientists, or hydrologists represent the pool of potential experts in climate science in the U.S., then approximately 10% of all climate scientists were directly involved in creating the over 1000 page report.
That compares to less than 1% of all OISM “scientists” who mailed a pre-printed postcard.
A more recent survey of earth scientists asked the question "Do you think human activity is a significant contributing factor in changing mean global temperatures?". 97.5% of climatologists who were actively publishing papers on climate change responded yes.(Doran 2009). What is most interesting about this study was that as the level of active research and specialization in climate science increases, so does agreement that humans are significantly changing global temperatures.
Figure 1: Response to the survey question "Do you think human activity is a significant contributing factor in changing mean global temperatures?" (Doran 2009) General public data come from a 2008 Gallup poll.
Ultimately, The OISM petition will continue to rear it’s ugly head until its fabricated credibility has been thoroughly demolished. Social conservatives and libertarians, each of which has their own ideological reasons to push the OISM petition, have been effective at keeping the “30,000 scientists reject warming chicken-littleism of IPCC” meme circulating throughout conservative media outlets, even as climate disruption-focused media have worked at limiting the damage from the OISM petition. But given the fact that the science supporting a dominantly anthropogenic cause for climate disruption is overwhelming, it’s only a matter of time before the OISM petition wilts in the heat. | <urn:uuid:c82d891f-ce4f-43ea-94c0-89abb3f0dc23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://skepticalscience.com/news.php?p=2&t=136&n=158 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951198 | 2,841 | 1.9375 | 2 |
Friday’s opening ceremony at the London Olympics proceeded without any moment of silence for, or other tribute to, the Israeli athletes who were murdered at the Munich Olympics by Palestinian terrorists 40 years ago. There was, however, a moment of silence for the victims of the two world wars and other international conflicts. Thus, IOC President Jacques Rogge was lying when he claimed that the decision not to honor the victims of the Munich attacks was based on the view that “the opening ceremony is an atmosphere that is not fit to remember such a tragic incident.”
Rogge was less dishonest, but equally loathsome, during a meeting with two widows of Munich victims. According to their account, when asked whether his decision was “because [the murder victims] were Israelis,” Rogge didn’t answer.
One of the widows says she told Rogge that “you didn’t hear the voice of the world.” The Frenchman responded, “Yes I did.”
He’s right, I fear — the “voice of the world” probably was, as ever, against Israel. But how deplorable of Rogge to rub the widows’ noses in it. Better not to have met with them than to add insult to injury.
It’s tempting to say that the widows’ plea fell on deaf ears. But it’s more accurate to say they fell on contaminated ones.
Rogge and the IOC have, however, performed a real service — they have reminded Americans why we should fiercely guard our sovereignty and resist further encroachments on it by international bodies. Rogge and the IOC have made it clear that they are either personally anti-Israeli or unwilling to stand up to the many nations that are (it comes down to the same thing). Rogge and the IOC have demonstrated the ability of anti-western Arab nations and their many sympathizers to control international bodies, even to the point of eschewing simple human decency. They have also shown, by banning the politically incorrect Greek twitterer, their unwillingness to tolerate free speech.
The IOC’s values are not the values of America, at least not yet. But they are the values of the many other international organizations that seek, with the help of American leftists, to take more and more control of our lives and our fate.
Unless we want one day to be in the position of those hapless Israeli widows, begging for favor before a French bureaucrat (or worse), we must cede nothing more to these bodies. | <urn:uuid:74a415b7-800b-4bbb-9549-f14bae558c95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/07/what-the-ioc-teaches-us.php?tsize=small | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963178 | 531 | 2 | 2 |
The Haven Fortress in itself is inpenetrable. It stands on a high sheer cliff where the cliff meets the sea, the ocean pounds against the cliff so a naval attack is out of the question. The only way if to attack it from the front, but that way is guarded Holy Paladins, who protect the secrets that are housed in the Fortress, self-efficent to try to make the people inside starve inside would be useless.
It’s full force of men is around 15,000 paladins and 2,000 archers, ruled as a city-state is independent and always stays neutral, never interfereing in world affairs.
The Holy Paladins come from all around the world, diffrent raises accepting them in their order without hesitation they teach them in their arts. They are devotely devoted to the God of Light and are very religous and poetic.
The Haven Fortress is guarded three ways by the cliff, and their only entrance has a moat running from one end to the cliff to the other side, a small narrow bridge is the only way around, falling into the water would mean death, as the people have added man eating eals in the water of the moat, that could shred a man to pieces | <urn:uuid:bc74c377-a6cd-4479-9a27-e10e7c040dea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://strolen.com/viewing/Haven_Fortress | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972981 | 256 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Area Of Responsibility
Definition/Scope: A defined area of land in which responsibility is specifically assigned to the commander of the area for the development and maintenance of installations, control of movement, and the conduct of tactical operations involving troops under his control along with parallel authority to exercise these functions. JCS. In naval usage, a predefined area of enemy terrain for which supporting ships are responsible for covering by fire on known targets or targets of opportunity and by observation.
Narrower Terms:noncontiguous area of operation
Related Terms:Area of Operations | <urn:uuid:8e4eca30-b1b7-47ff-831f-0c1ec4e0bace> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/call/thesaurus/toc.asp?id=3283 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946805 | 111 | 2.453125 | 2 |
A one-day conference is going to be held tomorrow (May 4) on Planning for Smart Cities and Smart Regions of the Future. The conference is a free event and it is being held at the Engineering Building (pictured here) of NUI Galway, Ireland. It is organised by the Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy Research in collaboration with the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway.
Leaders in the field will explore the future challenges and opportunities facing planners, developers and technologists, emerging from the development of Smart Cities and Regions. Attendees will also benefit from insights from research currently being conducted at NUI Galway. This event will assemble the diverse perspectives needed in regional planning, including marine and water resources, the built environment, energy infrastructure, communications and ICT capabilities, as well as the modelling techniques becoming available to support better long-term and emergency response planning. | <urn:uuid:7de9fc81-b673-4cd7-8681-9c35b7257ce9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.urenio.org/2012/05/03/planning-for-smart-cities-and-smart-regions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964243 | 184 | 1.945313 | 2 |
What is... RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. To most this could mean anything but at a basic level, RSS allows information to be delivered to you rather than having to find it yourself. RSS feeds 'push' out information to people who subscribe to them, saving time for both parties.
Why RSS is important
RSS is a very powerful technology as it can benefit not only the searcher but also the business providing the information.
Visitng your ten favourite websites which you like to visit can take you minutes or hours. If there is no new information on these new sites then this can be a wasted effort and lead to frustration. If you wanted to visit 50 websites, this would be even worse. By subscribing to RSS feeds, you only receive new information so if there is nothing new to say, then you don't need to waste your time looking for it.
For the business, there are also several important benefits. Firstly, you only contact users who are interested in your services, allowing your message to be highly targetted. Secondly, you can get information (such as subscription numbers) on how many people are interested in your services. If you have four or five feeds, you can monitor each of them and refine them according to there success. Finally, your bandwidth costs can be reduced as users will not visit all pages of the site, only those which are of interest to them. | <urn:uuid:db57f635-af31-4591-98e6-c6c8293d4d9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.resist-research.net/what-is-rss.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965158 | 287 | 2.359375 | 2 |
25 Healthy Holiday Choices
Make it to the new year without gaining a pound
Are you tired, cranky, and feeling stressed over everything you need to do
this holiday season? Don't let the holidays undermine your weight loss success.
After all, it's only a few weeks until New Year's Day is upon us.
So get on that scale each week, and make sure you don't follow the tradition
of gaining a few pounds during each holiday season. Many folks gain a few
pounds in December and keep them all year long. Our mantra at WebMD Weight Loss
Clinic is "maintain, don't gain" during this festive time of year.
Get Your Z's
Of course, when you're faced with the inevitable array of holiday treats,
maintaining is not as easy as it sounds. You need to make good decisions at
parties and buffets, fit in physical activity, and get plenty of rest. Recent
research has made us more aware than ever before of how important it is to get
seven to eight hours of sleep each night. According to two studies published in
Annals of Internal Medicine, people who don't get enough sleep have
increased levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreased levels of the
hormone leptin, which signals fullness.
Sleep-deprived new parents, shift workers, college students, and others may
gain weight as altered hormone levels influence them to overeat. So do your
best to get to bed on time. Not only will it give you the extra energy you need
this time of year, it will help keep those hunger hormones working
10 Energizing Tips
Too much to do and too little time to get it done -- that's how many of us
feel this time of year. To stay on track without reaching for fudge, eggnog, or
cookies, you need a plan to keep your energy level high.
Try these 10 energizing tips to keep going strong:
- Don't leave home without it (breakfast, that is). Start your day with a
nutritious meal that will satisfy your hunger until lunchtime.
- Schedule meals every few hours, never more than five hours apart. Skipping
meals leads to overeating. It's better to plan a light, nutritious snack than
to overdose on high-calorie treats.
- Pack snacks and mini-meals when you know you'll be running low on time.
Take a sandwich and piece of fruit instead of going for less nutritious
alternatives at the mall food court or the office.
- Be sure to include protein foods in your snacks and mini-meals, to boost
the feeling of fullness.
- Schedule time for a regular workout, or strap on a pedometer and get your
activity while you shop or work. Nothing picks up your energy level like
- Quiet time or a catnap can be restorative. Give yourself 20 minutes to
refresh with quiet meditation or a little shuteye.
- Seven to eight hours of sleep each night works like a charm.
- Take a sunshine break. A quick walk outside can be invigorating.
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. It's easy to overlook when you're
busy, but this vital nutrient keeps muscles performing well and is essential to
- Get lively with some tunes. Research shows that music can increase energy,
so put on some music while you work. | <urn:uuid:fa62fb5a-b89f-4818-8c75-d39435b3ebec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/25-healthy-holiday-choices | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945194 | 725 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Humans are one of the most widespread and influential species in the world of Tyria. They are spread throughout the world of Tyria, including Cantha, Elona, and the eponymous continent Tyria, though it is implied they live further south than Cantha, which is where they may have originated.
Before the Exodus of the Gods, the gods lived in Arah (nicknamed the City of the Gods) and aided humans in numerous tasks such as pushing the Charr north so that the settlements that would become known as Ascalon could be established. With their aid, King Doric became the first ruler of all human realms. It was he who prayed to Dwayna to stop a war in 115 BE; it was he who pleaded to the gods a year before the exodus to stop the many conflicts caused by the gift of magic being given too freely; and it is his blood that seals the bloodstones.
After the creation of the bloodstones, the colonies of Ascalon and Kryta gradually split off into their own kingdoms - turning the unified human kingdom into three. During this time, open conflicts raged between the various human guilds and are now referred to as the Guild Wars. The Guild Wars were so widespread that they drew the Tyrian human kingdoms into war with each other in order to stop the battling in their own streets. It took the foreign threat of Charr to finally bring an end to the internecine conflict. The event now known as the Charr invasion ravaged the three human kingdoms, forcing them to put aside their squabbling or face destruction - and some did.
The Charr brought about the Searing through the use of the Cauldron of Cataclysm granted to them by their own gods. This event shattered Ascalon's greatest defense: the Great Northern Wall. By dint of geography, Ascalon buffered the rest of humanity from the Charr. When the wall fell, the Charr were free to attack Ascalon as they pleased, sending warbands to Orr and Kryta.
The Charr threat was overpowering and, as such, the King Jadon and the rest of the Krytan royal family fled the throne. In their time of desperation, the Krytans looked to the newly formed White Mantle and their leader, Saul D'Alessio. Thanks to them and their new Unseen Ones, the Charr were defeated - but not without consequences. Many Krytans and White Mantle died or went missing, including Saul.
Orr saw a different fate; when the Charr were encircling Arah and passed with ease through the Orrian's defenses, Vizier Khilbron went into the catacombs and spoke a spell from the Lost Scrolls in an attempt to prevent the Charr from sealing their victory and to defend Orr. He succeeded only in stopping the Charr, for they never reached the streets of Arah. The spell Khilbron spoke brought about the Cataclysm, destroying most Orr, leaving only few shattered islands.
See also
Humanity arrived in Cantha in 786 BE, over 500 years before their arrival on the continents of Tyria and Elona. During the "Late Pre-Imperial Era", as it is known by the Canthan calendar, humans were mere separated tribes that settled along the northern coast (though supposedly the Kurzicks and the Luxons both are said to have inhabited their current homelands during this time as well). 510 BE, or 0 CC, marks the year that the warlord Kaing united the northern Canthan tribes by force and deemed himself as the first "Emperor Lord" - in turn changing his name to "Kaineng Tah." Kaineng Tah, a man renowned for his horseback riding, died under mysterious circumstances while hunting in 464 BE, reports claiming that his horse went wild and killed him, and was succeeded by his eldest son (but not eldest child), Yian Zho. Yian Zho is said to have been his father's equal in everything but ruthlessness, an area he exceeded at. In less than a decade, Yian Zho assaulted the Luxon and Kurzick people under the pretense of insurrection; during this time he slaughtered hundreds of elders in mass public executions which brought forth wars that led to the Luxon and Kurzick people not just uniting under a single banner, but being forced to become vassals of the Empire of the Dragon. Yian is blamed for igniting the war between the Kurzicks and Luxon that has waged incessantly since 459 BE.
Even after hearing word of humanity on Tyria and Elona to the north, the Canthan people remained isolationists until 100 BE, when newly crowned King Doric received the first Canthan ambassador in Ascalon. With the addition of magic 100 years later, the heroic professions became widespread. This led to the man now known as Chang Hai, heir to the throne, to leave for the solitude of Shing Jea Monastery. In time, he sought to become Weh no Su, and upon succeeding to do so, became the first Ascendant Emperor of Cantha.
Excluding the war between the Kurzicks and the Luxons, life for humans in Cantha was uneventful for 220 years, when the Dragon Empire of Cantha and three human kingdoms of Tyria made their first recorded contact. In 694 AE, the then Emperor Singtah became the victim of one of the most well known and astonishing assassinations. Having been known as an exceedingly cruel dictator, holding mass public executions and heavy taxation, he was murdered in a fire that engulfed and destroyed the first Raisu Palace. Singtah's son, Senvho, commissioned the palace to be rebuilt into what is seen today.
During what scholars call the beginning of the Age of the Dragon, 872 AE, the war between the Kurzicks and the Luxons was nearly brought to an end and a peace formed. This could not have been possible without the aid of the now infamous assassin, Shiro Tagachi, who was fluent in a language both factions could understand. Through Shiro's various actions as a bodyguard - from performing peace negotiations to his famous act of repelling Am Fah rebels in 858 AE to rescuing Emperor Angsiyan's son from corrupt ministers in 865 AE - Angsiyan's trust for the man grew.
Trust in Shiro became the emperor's downfall during the Harvest Ceremony, an event where Dwayna blesses the current emperor of Cantha with magic to distribute among the masses. Shiro, his mind having been corrupted by a Fortune Teller, began to fear that Emperor Angsiyan intended to kill him. To prevent this, Shiro prepared a dark ritual before the ceremony and, when Angsiyan allowed his bodyguard and retinue to join him (something which had never been done before), Shiro slew the emperor while in prayer and stole the magic from Dwayna. The heroes of the Kurzicks and Luxons, having been warned by the ringing of the ceremonial bell long before it should have been rung, stormed up the Harvest Temple. With the aid of Vizu, Saint Viktor of the Kurzicks and Archemorus of the Luxons managed to kill Shiro. However, as he died, the magic that Shiro stole was released in a massive explosion - petrifying everything in an event known as the Jade Wind.
In 880 AE, Emperor Hanjai's personal ambassador managed to prevent an open war with the Tengu of Cantha, when hostilities grew due to the spread of settlements on Shing Jea Island. However, this peace was only with the Angchu Tengu - the Sensali Tengu claimed the Angchu as traitors and continued raiding human settlements and farms. In 902 AE, the long standing trade relations with the northern kingdoms were closed off and Cantha went into isolation until Ermenred traveled to Cantha to meet Emperor Kintah and managed to open informal trade routes - which became formalized in the Second Treaty of Lion's Arch in 1071 AE - the same year as the end of the Tengu Wars.
The Tengu Wars escalated due to continued advancing of settlement of Shing Jea Island under Emperor Kisu, during which Canthan farmers passed on diseases to the Tengu and their hatchlings. It wasn't until Master Togo managed to earn the trust of the Angchu Tengu that peace became a possibility - the Sensali, once more, reverted to their raiding ways. The Day of the Tengu was held to celebrate the first anniversary of the peace accords that officially ended the Tengu Wars.
See also
Since 200 BE, the Primeval Kings have ruled Elona. Under their rule, humanity in Elona had spread from Istan to the northern valleys of Elona and north into the Crystal Desert, where the Tomb of the Primeval Kings lie. They even colonized a part of Tyria: the kingdom now known as Kryta. One of the Primeval Queens, Queen Nadijeh, established the Sunspear Guard (now known in modern times as the Order of the Sunspears.
The Primeval Kings' dynasty ended in 452 AE, at the beginning of the Scarab Plague. The plague of unknown origins killed people from the inside when scarabs burrowed out of their skins. It lasted until 456 AE, which is when Admun Kolos took the throne and founded the Great Dynasty. The so called "Great" Dynasty lasted just over a century, however, and Elona fell into its darkest period: the Shattered Dynasty Era, which was stricken with the Pretender Wars. The bloodiest of all of Elona's wars were caused by various groups either claiming to be heir to the Primeval Kings or warlords seeking power. It wasn't until 640 AE that the wars ended, and the humans of Elona settled into three provinces that are known today: Vabbi, Kourna, and Istan.
In 757 AE, the creation of the Bone Palace marked the beginning of the undead Palawa Joko's known reign. However, it was not until 860 AE that the Scourge of Vabbi assaulted the human provinces of Elona. The war between man and undead raged for two years, during which Vabbi fell and the armies of Kourna and the Order of the Sunspears strained to match Joko's might. On top of the Jahai Bluffs, in the battle now known as the Battle of Jahai, the warmarshal of Kourna, Turai Ossa, bested the undead leader in a one on one fight. With their lord defeated, the undead army and Corsair mercenaries shattered and fell underneath the combined strength of the remaining armies of Vabbi, Kourna, and the Sunspears.
After Joko's defeat, Turai led a united Elona as king. But over the years, the man fell into obsession over mysteries and prophecies. In time, he stepped down from his sovereignty and led those who would follow into the Crystal Desert, searching for the gift of the gods: Ascension. However, what they sought was never found, and now their souls suffer in the burning sands.
See also
The human culture varies from location to location, but there are key similarities between all the cultures. The most apparent, though still not universal, similarity is the faith in the True Gods. Humanity has been favored by the True Gods when they walked the land and as such humanity worships the gods the most out of all races of Tyria.
Canthans have a heavy influence in their culture of the moon and their reverence of it, though the extent of this influence is unknown. Many humans also hold the stars with importance. This is most easily seen in the Canthan New Year and the celestial prophecies, such as Nightfall.
Human Nations
- See also: Ascalon
Once a vast and prosperous nation, Ascalon now lies in ruins, its population diminished. The majority of Ascalonians live in the now ruined Ascalon City, ruled by King Adelbern during the Prophecies campaign and Eye of the North expansion. At some point between the expansion and Guild Wars 2, Ascalon will finally be lost to the Charr, when Ascalon City falls and the Charr move into Ascalon permanently. What's left of the Ascalonians will be forced back to the Ebonhawke fortress and Kryta.
- See also: Kryta
Kryta is a land split into two during its civil war. Ever since the Charr invasion, the White Mantle have ruled over Kryta, and leave those who do not worship their Unseen gods poor and vulnerable. Their faith was founded by Saul D'Alessio and on the summer solstice they hold the annual Test of the Chosen to find new recruits among the commoners, leaving farmers with fewer hands to tend the fields.
On the other side, however, resides the Shining Blade - a group of rebels who seek to overthrow the White Mantle and bring equality and peace back to Kryta. Ever since 1072 AE, the Shining Blade has rallied behind the daughter of the previous king who fled from the throne during the Charr invasion.
- See also: Orr
The sunken kingdom of Orr once held the home of the Human Gods in its capital city, Arah. Known for its highly devout populous, spires and marbled roads, the people of Orr prided themselves for their maintenance of the City of the Gods. In 1071 AE, this ended in the event known as the Cataclysm when the Charr assaulted the three human kingdoms of Tyria.
Empire of the Dragon
- See also: Cantha
The Empire of the Dragon, which shares its name with the continent of its origin, Cantha, was formed out of the earliest recorded human tribes that resided on the northern coast. The Canthan Empire dates back to the late pre-imperial era, 276 years before the start of the Canthan calendar.
Kurzick Great Houses
- See also: Kurzick
The Kurzicks occupy the Echovald Forest and are one of the two vassal entities of the Empire of the Dragon, the other being the Luxon Armada. The Kurzicks are a very religious nation of people who take the worship of the True Gods very seriously. They are at constant war with the Luxons due to the struggle for the scarce and precious resources Amber and Jade, which solidified at the time of the Jade Wind. Their nation is led by the Council of Nobles and their culture by the Great Houses - House zu Heltzer, House Vasburg, House Brauer, House Lutgardis, and House Durheim.
Luxon Armada
- See also: Luxon
The Luxon Armada dwells on the Jade Sea and is one of the two vassal entities of the Empire of the Dragon, the other being the Kurzicks of the Echovald Forest. The Luxons are a very nomadic and combative faction. They are at constant war with the Kurzicks due to ancient unexplained hatred and the desire over the scarce and precious resources Amber and Jade, which solidified from the Jade Wind. Their nation is led by the Council of Elders and their three clans - The Crab, The Serpent, and The Turtle.
- See also: Istan
The province of Istan is a small island, ruled by their elected clanmarshal and the Council of Elders, that is plagued with frequent Corsair attacks. Istan is widely revered for many things, such as being home to the main base of the Order of the Sunspears. The Istani are also widely revered for having a powerful navy, and science and art pervade much of their culture both historically and in the present. The ruins of the Primeval King's dynasty remain throughout the island, many untouched due to fear of a return of the Scarab Plague.
- See also: Kourna
Kourna, led by its warmarshal, is nation full of dried soil. With only the Elon to water the plants, the Kournans have a massive waterworks system that allows the agriculture of the nation to flourish. Kourna is widely known for having the superior Elonian military.
- See also: Vabbi
The artistic province of Vabbi is led by their clanmarshals, the most prominent having been named the Merchant Princes of Vabbi, who rise to prominence through trade, deeds, and money rather than bloodlines. Desolate outside of the vast estates and palaces, Vabbi is home of the Festival of Lyss, a multitude of hanging gardens such as the floating Seborhin tree, and the grand temple of Lyssa, the Sebelkeh Basilica. Vabbi is also known for being the richest province of Elona.
International Groups
Zaishen Order
- See also: Zaishen Order
The Zaishen Order is a guild that honors the god of fire and war Balthazar and protects the holy places in Guild Wars. They are lead by the Zaishen High Council. Only the order knows the path to the most Sacred place, the Hall of Heroes, and they are not eager to tell this secret to everyone. Only when the time is right, will they reveal their secrets to an outsider.
Xunlai Guild
- See also: Xunlai Guild
The Xunlai Guild is an organization which is responsible for the storage of items and some tournaments throughout the world of Tyria. They are also the primary banking service in the world with their headquarters in Kaineng Center. The Xunlai are constantly working alongside the Zaishen Order, especially when dealing with guilds and tournaments.
Order of Whispers
- See also: Order of Whispers
The Order of Whispers are a secret society working to protect Elona. They were established by Turai Ossa as his elite and secret organization. Since their establishment, they have been working behind the bureaucratic scenes. They send members throughout Elona to keep the existence of beings such as demons and Titans outside the knowledge of the populace.
Human offshoots
There are many groups and beings that may have been or once were humans but have since become something different - either through magic or evolution. These include:
- Some Afflicted - mutated beings, mostly humans, who serve Shiro Tagachi.
- Some Undead - rotting beings, mostly humans, who have been reanimated to serve various masters.
- The Druids - formerly Krytan humans who have become spirits within the Maguuma Jungle.
- The Juggernauts - Kurzicks who sacrificed themselves to become plant-creatures in order to defend the Echovald Forest.
- The Margonites - humans who have become demonic through Abaddon's blessings.
- The Wardens - suspected to have once been druids or holy men who have merged with the Echovald Forest.
|The Guild Wars 2 Wiki also has an article on Human.| | <urn:uuid:5382f2e1-1cb4-40a5-b67d-20f00c9d45f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Humans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967691 | 3,975 | 2.140625 | 2 |
As he and all of us rightfully shouldn’t be….
Waging Nonviolence recently conducted a wonderful interview with climate superstar Mohamed Nasheed, former president of Maldives. Here are some striking words (refreshingly but also depressingly pointed) from the interview:
What do you think of the American environmental movement?
I’m very disappointed by the slow pace of the social movement. 350.org is a good group, but I’m very disappointed by the slowness. It’s not gathering. I was hoping that there would be a million people out on the streets in the United States this summer, but then no, it’s not happening.
What about the Tar Sands Action campaign in which more than 1,200 people were arrested in front of the White House last year?
This is a country of 350 million people. There will be 1,200 arrests in the Maldives today. So I’m not impressed. We have to have the numbers out and more people need to be active at it. If you want to make a difference, you don’t make this difference staying at home.
The full interview can be viewed in text on Waging Nonviolence or you can just watch the video above.
I'm the director of CleanTechnica, the most popular clean energy website in the world, and Planetsave, a leading green and science news site. I've been covering green news of various sorts since 2008, and I've been especially focused on solar energy, electric vehicles, bicycling, and wind energy for the past few years. You can also find my work on Scientific American, Reuters, Think Progress, GE's ecomagination site, several sites in the Important Media network, & many other places. To connect on some of your favorite social networks, go to zacharyshahan.com or click on some of the links below. | <urn:uuid:b2b71a67-a4c2-4ca7-adb4-2cd3781ed41b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://planetsave.com/2012/07/08/maldives-president-not-impressed-with-us-climate-activism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957402 | 395 | 1.5 | 2 |
Installing the drivers
Warning: This process was obviously designed by engineers.
The driver for these cards is in two parts:
- the actual client software that you install on your PC, and
- the firmware that resides on the card itself.
Every card I have encountered is out of date, as shipped from the factory. As of early April 2001, the current firmware revision is 7.28, and you'll need that to get it working with the current drivers (and to support encryption). You'll also need to flash the cards before installing them in an access point.
Fortunately, you can re-flash the card with new firmware as many times as you like. Unfortunately, you'll need a Windows machine to do it (no, VMWare doesn't cut it, and you should preferably be running Win9x.) They don't support flashing the firmware from Linux, and trying it in Win2k is a nightmare. Trust me.
Here's one way to update the firmware:
First, install the software driver on your client machine, before you insert the wireless LAN card. What if you already inserted the card before reading this? Don't panic: it just installed the wrong driver. Leave the card in, and follow the directions below, with one change: when I tell you to insert the card, instead
- go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager,
- find the WaveLan card (it's probably a yellow question mark device),
- click Properties,
- select the Driver tab, and
- click "Update Driver." Now, you'll follow directions next time,
With that behind us, here's the recipe for installing the software:
- Download the current drivers for Win9x from Lucent (see references below).
- Run the installer, and it will unpack a bunch of stuff into the
directory of your choice. (Get rid of that ridiculous
c:\windows\tempentry and type in
- Click Unzip.
- Once that's finished, open up the
c:\wavelandirectory and you should see a couple of folders under it:
- Go into
Cl_Mgrand run Setup. It will complain that a driver isn't installed; just ignore it.
- Now, insert the card. When it asks for an updated driver, point it at
c:\wavelan. It should install just fine, and then bring up the Wireless Profile screen. Just click close. It usually then asks you to reboot. Do so, leaving the card inserted.
Now, when the system comes up, you should have a little signal strength indicator in the lower right. It will look broken (as we haven't flashed the card yet).
Flashing the card
c:\wavelan\firmware and run wsu10606.exe. It will display a nice little window, with the current firmware revision that it detects on your card. Click Update to flash it to the current rev. Be warned that, should you lose power in the next five seconds, you've probably just turned your nifty little radio card into a coaster. Just make sure you're on AC power (or have a decent charge left on your laptop) before you attempt this.
That's it! You should probably reboot for good measure, and then your card is ready to use. And the added bonus is that now your PC can flash as many cards as you like, without going through all of the above again!
Using the flashed card
Once you've flashed the card to the current firmware, you can use it in any machine with current Wavelan drivers. If your primary box is Win9x, you're ready! Feel free to skip ahead to the Security section. If you're on another platform, read on for details on installing in Windows 2000, Macintosh or Linux operating systems.
Download and unpack the current drivers from Lucent as above. Go into
c:\wavelan\cl_mgr and run the setup. Insert the properly re-flashed card. What's this? Windows automatically finds a driver and installs it for you without asking (or, indeed, allowing any user intervention)? Absolutely astounding.
Unfortunately, as with most magic, what goes on behind the scenes is tremendously complex. The fact that it's hidden from you makes it magic. And, as with any complex system, things can go spectacularly wrong if you're not careful.
It just so happens that the drivers it installed are the Microsoft WaveLan drivers, which do not support encryption. Sigh.
Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System. Click the Device Manager tab, and find the WaveLan card (it will look like an Ethernet adapter.) Click Properties, then the Driver tab. Click Update Driver. Point it at
c:\wavelan. It will probably make you reboot (I thought this was plug-and-play?). Do it. You should then have a happy signal strength meter on your taskbar when the system comes back.
See Lucent's .pdf documentation for the Windows NT installation; it actually works as advertised. And don't forget to flash that card!
Get an AirPort card from Apple and insert it. Make sure you plug the antenna wire into the card. (Macs have the antenna embedded in the computer's casing so that it's hidden from view.) Now all you have to do is run the AirPort Setup Assistant and launch the software. There, that wasn't so bad, now was
The driver you'll want to use depends on the kernel you're running. For kernels up to and including 2.4.2, use the wvlan_cs driver that is bundled with pcmcia-cs. For 2.4.3, you can (and should) use the new orinoco_cs driver. A backport to pcmcia-cs is in the works for orinico_cs, but isn't out at the time that I'm writing this.
Note that Lucent (er, Agere) also puts out its own driver, called
wavelan2_cs. This driver is freely available from the ORiNOCO website, but doesn't come with the full source code. Use this driver at your own risk. I've been using the above Open Source drivers for quite a while now with no trouble whatsoever.
Here's how to install the wvlan_cs driver, with works with the Linux kernel up to and including 2.4.2.
- If you're running a 2.4 kernel, disable pcmcia drivers in it and install the new kernel. We'll be using the external pcmcia-cs package instead.
- While we're on the topic of kernels, make sure 'Wireless LAN (non-hamradio)' is enabled in your kernel, or you won't get statistics from /proc/net/wireless.
- Download pcmcia-cs 3.1.25.
- Unpack it.
make config, and answer the questions (I usually build it with trusting drivers off, CardBus enabled, and PnP off.
/etc/rc.d/init.d/pcmcia restart, or simply reboot.
If you want to use Lucent's
orinico_cs driver (for Linux 2.4.3 or better), here's how you do it:
- Download the 2.4.3 kernel.
- Download the Wirelesss v11 patch and hermes.conf
- Copy 'hermes.conf' into /etc/pcmcia
- Unpack the kernel source, and
- Copy the wireless patch into the unpacked kernel tree
- Apply the patch:
# patch -p1 < wireless.v11.diff
You should see something like the following:
patching file include/linux/wireless.h patching file drivers/net/wavelan.c patching file drivers/net/pcmcia/wavelan_cs.c patching file drivers/net/pcmcia/netwave_cs.c patching file drivers/net/pcmcia/ray_cs.c patching file drivers/net/pcmcia/hermes.h patching file drivers/net/pcmcia/orinoco_cs.c
You might also see a couple of lines like:
Hunk #1 succeeded at 2239 (offset 6 lines).
This is normal, especially if you're not patching against a clean 2.4.3 source tree. It means that patch noticed some minor differences but was able to continue without any serious trouble.
If you see anything like this,
Hunk #1 FAILED at 2028
stop and check your work. You are probably in the wrong directory (usually
/usr/src/linux), or maybe you forgot the
-p1switch above. Or you might be using the wrong kernel rev (you are in the 2.4.3 source tree, right?), or else you've got a heavily patched kernel (and probably don't need to be reading this!)
- If you've built your existing kernel from sources, copy its
.configfile into the 2.4.3 source tree, and run
make oldconfig. Answer the outstanding configuration questions.
- Now run
make xconfig, if you prefer, and have tcl/tk installed) and make sure the following are checked:
- Under "General setup", make sure "PCMCIA/CardBus support" (and your bridge chipset, probably i82365) are enabled.
- Under "Network device support", enable "Wireless LAN (non-hamradio)", PCMCIA Network device support -> Pcmcia Wireless LAN -> "Hermes support (Orinoco/WavelanIEEE/PrismII/Symbol 802.11b cards)", and any other network devices you'd like support for.
- Build your kernel and modules:
# make dep; make clean; make bzImage; make modules; make modules_install
...and install the new kernel (usually, editing
lilois in order here.) Reboot and try out your new kernel.
Finally, install the new wireless tools v21. A simple
make install should suffice. You should also install the man pages (a
cp *.8 /usr/local/man/man8 is quick and usually effective.)
Now that your driver and tools are installed, it's on to configuration.
All configuration of the driver is done in
Be sure to comment out any default
*,*,*,*) entry, and add one like this:
home,*,*,00:60:1D:*|home,*,*,00:02:2D:*) INFO="Wavelan at home" ESSID="MyHomeNet" MODE="Ad-hoc" KEY="s:QuIeT" ;;
This tells the driver to call your network MyHomeNet, and put it
into Ad-hoc (a/k/a IBSS, or peer-to-peer) mode, with a secret key of
QuIeT. It also gives it a scheme name of
home, so you could
presumably setup another one for
work with completely different settings, and switch between them by issuing the
cardctl scheme work or
cardctl scheme home command as root.
What is all this about secret keys? Read on. | <urn:uuid:ea186c32-cf48-41fe-b0e6-3e6e9031c1b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/wireless/2000/11/03/wavelan.html?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907507 | 2,391 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Organizations often communicate through messengers. A recent study has found that powerful people do not send back smiles to important people. However, they do tend to pass a smile to the one below them.
One of the researchers, Evan Carr, said, “Our interpretation of this is that when you are feeling powerful and see a low-status person, you are almost throwing them a bone, thinking Oh, I should smile at this person because I’m better than them”.
For the study, about 55 male and females were recruited. The participants were asked as to when they felt powerful. They were attached with devices to check their facial expressions. It was found that when they interacted with people they smiled to those who had below levels to them. Besides, the participants also said that they didn’t feel like smiling to those who are influential or important people.
The study was conducted by the researchers of California University. The study is first of its kind. The findings of the study will help researchers in understanding the behavior of humans while interacting in the society.
US Business News
New Zealand News
- After Suspected Botulism, CFIA Warns People
- Health Care Education Necessary for the Future of Province: Analysts
- B.C. Government Grants $700,000 for Managing Facial Deformities
- Michelle Shocked delivers hate speech about homosexuality at her gig
- Guess who Justin Bieber got burned by?!! His ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez | <urn:uuid:19347826-619b-4bf2-81e3-947db3e087df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://topnews.us/content/251107-don-t-be-fooled-your-boss-s-smile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976207 | 307 | 2.40625 | 2 |
BIG BEE ROCK
BIG BEE ROCK. Big Bee Rock, also known as Bee Mountain and Big Bee Mountain, is near Meridian Creek 3½ miles west of Clifton in southwestern Bosque County (at 31°48' N, 97°39' W). Its elevation is 949 feet. The area is flat to rolling and locally dissected. The land surface is of stony clays and loams that support oak, juniper, mesquite, and grasses. On February 12, 1978, at 2:40 p.m., a nearby rancher heard a loud blast and, upon investigating, found that an end had broken off Big Bee Rock.
Bosque County History Book Committee, Bosque County, Land and People (Dallas: Curtis Media, 1985).
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article."BIG BEE ROCK," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rjb82), accessed May 21, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. | <urn:uuid:bf6167b1-4718-4228-bfda-6450869089b8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rjb82 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909105 | 234 | 2.953125 | 3 |
By Maika Nicholson, Peninsula Press
QUESTION: There are lots of options out there for eco-friendly clothing, but it’s hard to decide on good products, both at the mall and online. Do you have suggestions for product lines or stores that provide eco-friendly options? Asked by Lisa Dore, Athens, Ga.
ANSWER: Fashion is all about trends — and a popular one these days is slapping an “organic,” “green,” or other eco-prefix onto a garment’s label. With a dizzying array of eco-branded clothing at the tips of our mouse-clicking fingers, how can we decipher the truly green garments from the “green-washed?”
When information overload strikes, I like to grab a notebook and a fine-tipped pen — or in our case, a keyboard — and make lists. In the Essential Answer, we’ll focus on retailers who have done the leg work for us, vetting their products from a number of environmental and social sustainability angles. Read the Nitty Gritty for additional tips to green each step of a garment’s lifecycle. Continue Reading >> | <urn:uuid:d5136891-adeb-4462-b501-37a584f52d0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.sfgate.com/inthepeninsula/2011/05/09/green-is-in-where-you-can-find-eco-friendly-clothing-and-why-its-worth-it/?gta=commentlistpos | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916467 | 243 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Welcome to www.sugarfused.net
Assistance on Filling Out those Online Forms for the Free Stuff
So, you?ve found a great freebie online, or a free trial of some service you have been wondering about, but the form you have to fill out has left you scratching your head. Sometimes the paperwork involved in getting some free stuff can seem a bit like applying for a mortgage or filling out your life insurance policy, and in fact, many people decide the freebie isn?t worth it after all when they?re facing down an intimidating form to fill out. The good news is that you don?t have to miss out on the free stuff just because the form leaves you a little perplexed. This guide will walk you through filling out these online applications, even if this is your first trip around the Internet. Once you get the hang of things, you?ll be filling out these forms in no time at all.
First things first: once you have the form open on the screen in front of you, you have to move your mouse so that the cursor sits in the very first empty space on the form, and then click the mouse once. Some forms will automatically place your cursor there when you open them, but if you are not sure, moving the mouse there and clicking won?t hurt anything at all. All you have to do now is start typing, filling in the information they ask for in that field. Filling out the form the entire form is merely a repetition of this process.
Of course, you have to be able to move between the fields easily so you can fill in the rest of the form. On some online forms, the cursor will move automatically when you have finished filling in a field, which makes life easy on you, but others do not. To manually move between fields, all you have to do is either hit the ?tab? key on your keyboard or use your mouse to move the cursor to the next field, just like you did to start typing in the first field. Hitting ?enter? may seem like a natural thing to do, and while it can work on some forms, other forms will submit themselves when you hit enter, meaning you will have submitted a blank form. It is best to stick to ?tab? or your mouse to be on the safe side.
If a form has several pages, be careful to save your changes for every page as you move along. Usually there will be a button to click at the bottom of the page that allows you to save the work you have done. Especially long forms usually have some kind of side navigation that lets you skip around from section to section instead of moving through the form systematically ? this can be helpful if you need to find some info for one section, but want to take care of all of the other work first.
Most forms are reasonably user friendly and contain info to walk you through the process. If you get stuck, look for a help icon on the page ? this info should clear up any questions you may have.
Web Hosting - Look Before You Leap Companies that offer Internet-connected servers that provide space and bandwidth for a domain, for one or more web sites, are called Web Hosts. Large companies have private networks that allow them to host domains on their own equipment and IP address range. But for the majority of those who want an Internet presence, a 'rented' web host is a necessity. There are a wide variety of hosting plans available. Some are free, others charge up to a $100 or more per month. Some provide nothing but a tiny amount of disk space and minimal network bandwidth. The web site owner is on his or her own for any thing else. Others offer a range of services, including server and email administration, backups, web site design assistance, troubleshooting and many others. In the world of web hosting, you may often find yourself sharing a server with anywhere from one to a thousand or more other web sites. That allows the web hosting company to keep equipment and staff expenses lower. Many web sites are simple and low-volume enough that the arrangement works fine. When you or one or more of the others grow, it may be helpful to consider a dedicated server. A dedicated server, as the name suggests, hosts only your domain. You can put one web site on it, or as many as you wish. You control the access. You may also, as an option, take over much of the server administration yourself. That may save you money on support costs, but cost you considerable time. If you don't have the expertise, you can end up costing yourself much more than you save. In order to carry out those administrative functions yourself, even if you hire help, it's desirable to have some technical knowledge under your belt. Some of that knowledge will be useful, even for day-to-day tasks apart from dealing with emergencies. FTP, email administration, backup methods and other technical areas are among the more common areas you'll need to be at least somewhat familiar with. When your web site grows to a certain size and level of complexity, you'll begin to find it worthwhile to look at implementing a database. But that brings with it a still higher level of ability, both technical and logistical or creative. Implementing a database can be relatively simple. Designing one that provides what you want, with decent performance and maintenance that doesn't become a nightmare, will take some careful thought. Not everyone has the temperament for that type of work, especially those who prefer graphical design, content creation or development, and the many other web site tasks that are part of every implementation. There are other, more low level administrative matters. Managing disk space, maintaining domain names, dealing with registration and changes, and a number of other 'utilitarian' tasks are also not everyone's cup of tea. Some understanding of how DNS works, as well as the design of the Internet itself, are helpful. That provides a good context for understanding the role of some of those tasks. When you begin to seek out a web host to implement a web site, consider all these factors and look in the mirror. What kind of web hosting you should pursue is determined by a combination of who you are and what's being offered. Look before you leap.
Education Copyright Law The Nuts and Bolts of Education Copyright Law It is a wonderful thing that Education Copyright Law is available for educators. It isn?t only teachers that can take advantage of education copyright law. Students are also covered under education copyright law -- to a degree. Teachers are able to use copyrighted materials in their classroom and make copies of them. Students are also able to use copyrighted materials in school projects. The key to education copyright law is how often a teacher or student uses copyrighted material, in what way they are using it and how many copies they have of it. It is important that teachers and students do not cross the line of education copyright law or they could be in for some stiff penalties. It helps many students and teachers to learn what exactly is not copyrighted. Any work that is in the public domain is not copyrighted and can be used in school and for school projects. Work that is not in the public domain is copyrighted and if you use it you should make sure you fall within the fair use or education copyright law regulations. Many people do not know what exactly fair use copyright regulations are. When you are trying to see if you can use another?s words, you should keep a few things in mind. The answer to the following questions will help you gage whether you would be violating a copyright. First, are you transforming someone else?s work or are you copying it directly? If you are using another person?s work directly, for what purpose and how much of the original author?s work are you using? Many publishing companies have set rules on how much material they will allow to be quoted in other sources. Some of these ranges start at 100 words or less. However, there are truly no standards to go by, so be careful. You can not assume that keeping your copying fewer than 50 words will allow you to pass under the radar ? especially if the original piece is hovering around 125 words itself! There is a greater amount of room to maneuver when it comes to technical writing. For instance, if you are writing a report on something that involves a lot of reporting from an expert, you would probably need to quote more of their work than you would a fiction novelist?s work. The fair use copyright law enables people to use portions of material that is copyrighted for the purposes of criticism or as commentary. Individuals who are involved in the distance education field should take a look at the TEACH Act that was made into law in 2002. This Act clearly outlines the requirements that a university or school must be in compliance with when it comes to transmitting copyrighted works via the Internet. The TEACH Act allows students and teachers to transmit copyrighted works, but they must be within certain guidelines. If the school or university cannot meet these guidelines, the material that is being transmitted via the Internet needs to fall within the fair use copyright act ? or the individuals involved need to have permission from the copyright owner. If you are an educator and you are using copyrighted material make sure it falls within the education copyright law. | <urn:uuid:53cbe345-c792-48e7-bea5-8650212dcfdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sugarfused.net/?p=5263 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955056 | 1,887 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Hand drawn and rendered…
Saint Death (also known as La Santísima Muerte, and Doña Sebastiana), is a religious figure who receives petitions for love, luck, and protection. Although the Catholic Church has attacked the worship of Saint Death as a pagan tradition, many people insist on praying to this figure for miracles. Those who pray to this figure are often seeking the recovery of health, stolen items, or kidnapped family members.
Saint Death is often depicted as a female figure, dressed as a grim reaper with a scythe and scales; also she can be dressed in a long white satin gown and a golden crown. In this form, many devotees view her as a variation of the Virgin Mary.
Some believe the cult of Saint Death originated from ancient witchcraft; however, Saint Death may have his/her roots in pre-Christian beliefs of the Aztec Native Americans who worshiped a similar figure by the name of Mictlantecuhtli, the god of death, along with his wife, Mictecacihuatl.
The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage. Family and friends gather to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died. Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living.
During the period most people visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings, often including orange marigolds called “cempasúchitl” (now usually called “Flor de Muerto” (“Flower of the Dead”)). These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.
A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (colloquially called calavera), which celebrants represent in masks, and foods such as sugar skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls are gifts that can be given to both the living and the dead. Some people believe that possessing “dia de los muertos” items can bring good luck. Many people get tattoos or have dolls of the dead to carry with them.
The artist recommends a lighter colour tee for maximum detail. A darker tee will hide the black line work. | <urn:uuid:b964f514-7e26-46c6-b6ba-3e1e64708e52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.redbubble.com/people/jordclarke/works/1514765-el-dia-de-los-muertos?p=sticker | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964549 | 499 | 3.078125 | 3 |
The COFPC is working to develop pertinent information about food and farming bills and their impact on Central Oregon farming and ranching.County and City codes frame the type of activities that can be achieved on farm and ranchlands. We are an advocate for public policies that increase local, sustainable food production utilizing community partners and engaging policy makers.
- To provide assessments that analyze city and county codes in relation to agricultural production
- Complete “white papers” that provide simplified guidance to owners of farm land in the tri-county area
- Outreach to at least one city in the tri-county area to do a plan and code audit to ensure that small scale urban agriculture is being supported.
Contact Karen Swirsky
Land Use information by County
2012 :Endorsed the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act
The COFPC signed on to endorse the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act (S. 1773, H.R. 3286) that was introduced on Tuesday, November 1 by Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, along with 35 original co-sponsors.The legislation helps farmers and ranchers by addressing production, aggregation, processing, marketing, and distribution needs to access growing local and regional food markets. The bill also assists consumers by improving access to healthy food. The measure provides secure farm bill funding for critically important programs that support family farms, expand new farming opportunities, create rural jobs, and invest in the local food and agriculture economy. We urge you to support this comprehensive bill that will improve upon existing farm programs to effectively foster local and regional food system development.
2011: Friends of Family Farmer’s Farmer and Rancher Day
Friends of Family Farmers and Central Oregon based, Commute Options pooled their resources and donated the cost of fuel and a bus to make it possible for a strong contingent from Central Oregon to join the 100+ local food advocates from all over the state for this day of action.
The seven Central Oregonians who made the journey to Salem were very well received. When speaking with their Senators and State Representatives, this diverse group – which included farmers and local food advocates from Crook, Jefferson, and Deschutes counties – shared personal accounts about their years of experience growing and selling healthy local food in the High Desert.
These conversations proved to be very enlightening for Senators Telfer and Whitsett, and Reps. Conger and McClane who were all under the impression that the only thing Central Oregon growers could produce is lava. | <urn:uuid:70b51deb-35ce-444e-b6d0-9ee96db4369d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://centraloregonfoodpolicy.org/land-use/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943034 | 521 | 1.601563 | 2 |
December 14th, 2006
The Valle Vidal Protection Act, which prohibits oil and gas drilling in the Valle Vidal, was signed into law yesterday by President Bush. The enactment of this legislation is a great victory for all of us who have worked to keep the Valle Vidal as a valued part of the Philmont experience.
Philmont and our organization (particularly its president) have played a significant role in getting this legislation passed. I hope that some day we’ll be able to share all of that story.
My thanks to each of you for your assistance in this endeavor. We’ll keep our task force in place to review and comment on the Forest Service’s forest plan amendment for the Valle Vidal, now due in early 2007, but we won’t have to deal any longer with the issue that would have caused the biggest change for the Philmont program there.
Congratulations to us all.
July 26th, 2006
A recent Washington Post article on the Valle Vidal.
May require free registration.
July 26th, 2006
A preview of an article appearing in the PhilNews:
Opponents of coal bed methane gas drilling in the Valle Vidal got a huge boost July 24 when the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3817, “The Valle Vidal Protection Act of 2005.” The bill, introduced last September by Rep. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), exempts the Valle Vidal from various provisions of federal law that would permit drilling and mining operations on that portion of the Carson National Forest. The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration by that body.
The House Resources Committee approved the bill unanimously on June 21 after another friend of Philmont, Rep. Heather Wilson (R.-N.M.), agreed to cosponsor it. It was scheduled to come to the House floor for debate on the afternoon of July 24, with a recorded vote to be taken later that evening. However, after debate concluded, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), an Eagle Scout, moved that the rules be suspended and that the bill be passed by voice vote. It was!
The El Paso Corporation, which is currently drilling for coal bed methane gas on the Vermejo Park Ranch north of the Valle Vidal, has applied to the Forest Service to open the eastern 40,000 acres of the Valle for gas exploration. Before that request can be considered, Carson National Forest officials must amend their Forest Plan to include management objectives for the Valle, which was never formally added to the plan after being donated to the public in 1982. The Forest Service is expected to release its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Forest Plan Amendment in September. Once the plan amendment is approved, the service will begin consideration of El Paso’s request, a process that will take a couple of years.
The Philmont Staff Association has adopted a formal position opposing the opening of the Valle Vidal to oil and gas drilling. Over the past two years, we have been working diligently (sometimes visibly, sometimes not) to preserve this beautiful resource as a vital part of the Philmont experience. Some of our efforts to date:
- The PSA submitted a formal position statement to the Forest Service endorsing most of the proposed forest plan amendment for the Valle, but opposing drilling activities there. We maintain contact with Carson officials and will continue to play a role in this process.
- The PSA initiated a campaign among its members and Scouters from around the country to submit comments to the Forest Service on the proposed forest plan amendment. A fair number of the more than 54,000 comments submitted came from PSA members and friends of Philmont.
- The PSA supported an initiative by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to have all of the waters in the Valle Vidal designated as “Outstanding Natural Resource Waters,” which would afford them protection from any degradation in water quality. When members of the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission sat down last December for their public hearing on this proposal, the top item on their stack of materials was a position statement from the PSA.
- The undersigned chair of the PSA’s Valle Vidal Task Force met in Washington with Congressman Udall and his legislative aide to express our support for his bill and make them aware of our position on the issue. Our endorsement has since been used to secure support from other House members for this bill. PSA members have also worked to let their own Congressional representatives know of our support for this measure.
- The association’s president, Ed Pease, a former Congressional representative, worked extensively behind the scenes last week with other members of the House to get Udall’s bill to a floor vote.
- The PSA has established its own Valle Vidal Task Force to work on several fronts to prevent coal bed methane drilling. Our task force members have expertise in law, government, environmental issues, energy, oil field engineering, and range management, as well as connections to local and national government and, importantly, current Philmont staff (one of our members is Randa Celley, current Philmont camp director). We have a team of experts ready to analyze and comment on the Forest Service’s Draft EIS for the forest plan amendment when it comes out this fall.
And our efforts are definitely being noticed and making a difference. The Washington Post reported in a front-page story on July 25, the day after the Valle Vidal bill’s passage, that “in the case of the Valle Vidal, two of the groups fighting hardest to preserve it are hunters, who vie for a once-in-a-lifetime permit to shoot elk here, and devotees of the Philmont Scout Ranch, which is next to the Valle Vidal and brings 3,000 Boy Scouts to hike there each year.”
Perhaps the most telling tribute to the value of our organization’s position comes in the statement Rep. Udall made on the House floor during debate on his bill: “The Valle Vidal is also a unique place for the Boy Scouts of America who have for decades come from all over the country to the adjacent Philmont Scout Ranch, the national high adventure base of the Boy Scouts of America. That is why the Philmont Staff Association, a non-profit organization of more than 2,200 current and former members of the staff of the Ranch, has publicly stated that the Valle Vidal should be maintained as a wilderness experience, free from the impact of coal bed methane development.”
The passage of Udall’s bill by the House of Representatives is a major step forward for preservation of the Valle Vidal, but it is only one step. The PSA’s Valle Vidal Task Force will continue at work in the weeks ahead to push for passage of the Udall bill in the Senate, and to review and respond to the Forest Service’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement for its proposed forest plan amendment for the Valle Vidal, now expected in September.
—Mark Stinnett & Charles Bayless
PSA Valle Vidal Task Force Co-Chairs | <urn:uuid:4441ba9c-a957-4b43-8c90-eb2495d4e749> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://philstaff.com/blog/?cat=28 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9598 | 1,497 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Ubuntu 9.04 – code named Jaunty Jackalope, was released on April 23. I am always (maybe too) eager to upgrade to the next version of Ubuntu as new features are always added, making it an even better operating system. Yes, for the uninformed, Ubuntu is a computer operating system. Your computer may run Windows or if it is a Mac, it may run OS X. My computer, along with millions of others runs the totally free and open Linux version called Ubuntu.
Typically, version updates are made right over the Internet. It will download a zillion files and update everything, taking, possibly, several hours to do. I read an article on some web site that I could download the distribution and update it from a burned CD. Since I had two computers to update, I decided this might be a time savings way to go.
Here is my experience:
I downloaded the Alternate Install disc over night. I popped the disk into my computer and it immediately detected that the disc had a distribution upgrade on it and asked if I wanted to “upgrade”. I said yes, and off we went. It then asked if I wanted to update any files that may be newer than on the disc, by connecting to the Internet and downloading them. If I selected “NO”, I could “simply” update my system later and it would pick up the needed files. I chose to do this as I figured it would get the system up an running the quickest.
Before I go into details, I must say that I have a co-worker that also runs Ubuntu. He chose to update from over the Internet. He said that he had to restart the process several times because it kept on stopping. It was probably because there were millions of others trying to do it at the same time. Also, it downloaded over a thousand files. It took a long time, but in the end, he said everything seemed to work ok.
Back to my update. As the update progressed, it asked several times about configuration files, and whether I wanted to keep the current ones or up date them. I had no idea what to do on these. One option was to merge them, which I did several times. I have no idea if that did anything. I kept getting an error saying the latest kernel version xx-xx-xx would not start. Oh, Oh. That is very not good. It came down to one of my choices in updating the grub menu.lst. After several errors, it came back and asked that question again. I chose “update to developers version” or some such thing. Yeah, the new kernel loaded.
The process finally finished and it was time to reboot. When it did, my 3D graphics did not work. Meaning Compiz was disabled. I tried to load a new Nvidia driver with not much luck. I decided maybe I needed to do that update that was mentioned earlier. I chose “update” and boom, it decided to download several hundred files. This was the part that I though I was avoiding. Once it downloaded them, I got a message saying that all the files weren’t downloaded, and suggested a “partial upgrade”. I chose to do that. I ran “update” again and it picked up more files, but this time the update process crashed when it was time to install them. After much head scratching and searching the Internet, and many hours passed, upon boot-up, I selected “recovery mode”, and selected a sub menu that said something about repairing packages. I chose that option. It recognized that there were updates, and it loaded them successfully. After that, my “update manager” seemed to work. There were many other users out there that were looking for the same answer.
My Nvidia drivers were still not loaded. It detected a new version of the driver, but when I tried to enable it, it gave me a message back that said it was previously enabled. So did I just disable it, or was it enabled? I went into the settings, and this time I was able to turn desktop effects on. But, the Compiz GUI was missing. I re-installed Compiz and I was able to turn everything back on. What a pain.
Somewhere in all of this, my screen locked up because the screen saver came on. When I tried to log back in with my password, it said my password was “invalid”. Oh, no. I clicked the “Switch user” button, reselected myself (which said I was already logged in) and it took my password correctly. After several more hours of Internet searching, I found that many other have had this problem even before the new version of Ubuntu. I eventually came up with the fix after digging into the depths of files that have never seen the light of day.
Before I started the upgrade process, I did a complete partition clone saved to an external drive. I also separately backup the home directory of my and my family’s accounts. I also went through and did screen shots of all the menus. I did this, because I had a past experience that failed and I had to reinstall the entire operating system, and I couldn’t remember all the different programs I had installed. This was a good idea, as I was soon in for a big surprise.
It seemed that everything finally came out ok, but I noticed that an icon on my menu bar was missing. It was for the search applet. I very much needed that. It indexed all of the files in my home directory, and could search for anything in a second. I have the “open clip art” collection on my drive which consists of thousands of pieces of clip art. There is no way to search this collection without the indexed search applet. The applet also categorized its results and actually displayed thumb nails of its results. A very handy thing for searching through clip art. The problem was, I did not even know what this little program was called. I could not even search for it on the Internet. It took another hour or so of time to finally figure that it is called “Tracker”. I reinstalled it. The configuration files were in place so it came back like it should – except, it kept saying there was an error and had to re-index. Oh no, maybe this is why it disappeared. It seems to be buggy. I don’t know what I will do without it.
Since this program was missing, I though I would check around and see if anything else was missing. Oh boy, was I in for a shock. I am very glad I took those screen shots. I printed them out and started comparing new menus with old ones. Here is what came of it. Almost all the old configuration files were still present, which made setup a lot easier.
- Tracker – missing. When reinstalled, it appeared to be buggy.
- Gnome Do – missing. Reinstalled. Old configuration files still intact.
- Firestarter the firewall would not activate. Reinstalled and it started up ok.
- Dropbox would not start up. I had to go to their web site and download and install a new version.
- Brasero disc burner. This was my favorite disc burner. It was missing. Reinstalled.
- VLC Media Player – missing, reinstalled.
- Gdesklets – missing, reinstalled
- BitPim – missing. Reinstalled. This program downloads and uploads pictures and info from our cell phone. It was a real pain to get it going originally. I have not been able to get it running yet.
- Childsplay – missing. Reinstalled. This is an educational children’s program.
- OpenOffice Database – missing. I selected the entire suite to be reinstalled. It found the pieces that were missing and only installed them.
- PyCrust – missing. Reinstalled. This is a Python programming language front end GUI
- DeVeDe – missing. Reinstalled. This is a DVD menu creator which I really like.
- Kdenlive – missing. This is a video editing program. I have been using Kino and Open Movie Editor, so I did not reinstall this one.
- XBMC – media player – missing. I didn’t use this much either so I didn’t reinstall it.
- todisc GUI – missing. Reinstalled. This is another DVD menu creator.
- My Sandisk Sansa MP3 player would not work. This took hours of research to figure out. When I plugged it in, it did not come up in “mass storage” mode that it should have. It also spit out an error message and apparently thought it was a camera. After pulling the last two hairs out of my head, I found a solution and deleted a file somewhere on the system and it corrected the problem. I’m sure that file was there for something though!
SO, so far I have been able to get everything back working except Tracker, and BitPim. What a very large head ache.
I love using Ubuntu, but with this experience, I can tell you it is definitely not ready for the masses. How would mom or dad ever deal with something like this? Also, many “Gurus” will tell you that you should always do a fresh install when there is a distribution upgrade. How ridiculous is that? I finally got my computers networked, sharing printers, and files. I’ve configured it to death to how I want it. How is the normal Joe ever supposed to wipe all of that out and start over? I can’t remember what I did yesterday, it would take months to get everything back to normal.
As I said before, my co-worker’s upgrade turned out fine. It just took a long time. But— not as long as mine did.
Tags: jaunty jackalope
, ubuntu install
, ubuntu missing apps
, ubuntu whoes | <urn:uuid:b02dcccd-7f2c-42be-817c-9b9783104e20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://radio.mcdougallshome.net/tag/jaunty-jackalope/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981733 | 2,110 | 1.617188 | 2 |
|Of course there is little to be proud off in the following events but to fully understand how Pirates have continually changed the World they must be considered.
One day Francis Drake and John Hawkins were chatting on the Parliament in London talking about a couple of Brethren, Capt william Towerson and Capt John Lok had connections on the West African coast and had sold some Africans as slaves to the Spanish plantations on the Spanish main.
A penny or two from the Politicians and they fitted out ships in a way to transport Human cargo and officialy started the Slave trade. (Today such an event would be impossible but throught historic and ancient times Slaves have always existed and in every civilization. Therefore at that time to buy or own a slave was not considered 'un-normal')
In the subsequent years of this trade slaves were taken in thousands to all over the Americas.
Today those Slaves have created Nations and Republics, democratic and with seats at the United Nations.
For the most part these ex slave Nations have a reasonable stable and improving state of living.
For the most part the African areas from whence they came are in pain and starving.
The Pirate traders who initiated all this could be held to this fact. However once delivered how slaves were traeted was not in the hands of the Pirates and cannot be held to that fact. As for the accounts enormously exagerated of over crowding and the hundreds who died on the voygage, I can assure the reader that a Piarte Captain knows exactly the number of persons he can load. In fact it was in their interest to arrive at the slave markets with good healthy strong cargo, it would be crazy not to do so if the trade was ongoing as it was.
The more the Captains could get from the slaves he would load with sugar and expensive cargos back to Europe, these were clean ships.
Today we have a Black US President, some say the most powerfull man in the World, sure he is not a slave descendent but he was elected by the Great grand children of the Black African Slave.
Whether what we did was good or bad is truly not in question, it's too vast but that the World was once again 'changed' by Pirates is clear.
|copyright 2010 captaintonz.com|
|back to home page| | <urn:uuid:815c4236-e186-4536-81d0-54bea5b22661> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.captaintonz.com/slaves.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980821 | 477 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Well done to the UCL Constitution Unit who have received a ESRC grant and DCA grant worth (£146k from the ESRC and £40k from the DCA) for an evaluative study of the FOIA. The research is timly and should offer important new insight into the impact of the Act.
Summary of the reseatrch proposal:
The UK Freedom of Information Act 2000 is intended to make government more transparent, more participatory, more effective and more responsive to its citizens. Has it worked? Who uses the Act, and what do they want to know?
What is the effect on them of their new found knowledge? Has it improved their trust in government? Has it made government more effective and responsive, or have there been adverse side effects on the working of Whitehall?
This will be the first systematic study of the objectives, benefits and consequences of FOI, anywhere in the world. The study will help to clarify the purposes of FOI, and to evaluate the impact of the legislation through empirical testing of its effects. We will accomplish this mainly by carrying out a survey of people who have made FOI requests, and a survey of senior managers and officials in six central government departments. To cross check their views we will also hold focus group discussions with the main stakeholders of those departments, and analyse departments’ proactive publication schemes and FOI request disclosure logs. To get a better feel for the effects of FOI on the wider public who do not make FOI requests, we will analyse newspaper coverage of the FOI Act and FOI disclosures, to see whether the press reporting is likely to increase public understanding, trust or mistrust in government, etc.
The findings from this study will help to clarify the benefits and disbenefits of FOI, especially as they relate to government transparency and accountability, public understanding, public participation in the political process and the quality of government decision-making.
UCL have also just published The FOI Live 2006 Practitioner Survey Report: "Freedom of Information in the first 16 months: The FOI practitioner’s perspective" (Delegate Survey Report from Fourth Annual Information Conference for the Public Sector:
FOI Live 2006 15 August 2006
also see: presentations fron FOI live
How do we judge the success of FOI?
Robert Hazell and Sarah Holsen, The ConstitutionUnit, University College London | <urn:uuid:a61d57a1-4f92-45b5-8e9f-f740fa6b9347> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://foia.blogspot.com/2006/08/ucl-constitution-unit-new-research.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950332 | 487 | 1.742188 | 2 |
A grower can spend upwards of a million dollars upgrading his poultry houses and things will not get any better. There will be little or no return on his investment until efforts are made by integrators to improve the quality of chickens and feed and to control the diseases brought onto a farm by the hatchery and live haul areas of production. Dirty chick boxes look like they've never been cleaned and disinfected and the trucks and cages covered with carcasses dripping with maggots are brought into the poultry houses and grounds. These examples of filth are causes of salmonella and dermatitis in poultry.
Growers are now keeping their flocks eight weeks or more. This means utility costs are soaring and mortality rates are oppressively high. There is little or no profit, only excessive work, expense and stress. It is impossible to meet financial obligations on a Class B farm when only two flocks out of six rank average or above.
Rumors are floating around that the order of chick placement has been taken from the hatchery and management has taken over this facet of the operation. Does these mean growers' chick placement can be manipulated and birds placed on certain farms at management's discretion? Will newer or retrofitted farms receive better quality birds and feed (Class A) to show superior production while older or non-retrofitted houses (Class B) will receive inferior birds and feed in order to perform poorly and keep them on the bottom ranking? There are different pay scales for Class A houses and Class B houses yet Class B chickens are being sold to consumers at Class A rates. Each grower should be treated and paid equally.
A few years ago a poultry processor commented that organizations formed by poultry growers would be destroyed. It seems to have occurred very successfully in our state and local organizations. Local growers have been afraid to actively participate in our organization. ConAgra has successfully shut down the operation of Libby Cottrell, the President of our El Dorado Chapter NCPGA. (Was it because she was vocally active in the CPGA and that her farm was paid for?) Will I be next?
Efforts to get laws passed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been ignored by Dan Glickman and squashed by lobbyists hired by the poultry corporations. Until laws are enacted by the USDA to control the big corporations and see that "all" contract growers are treated fairly, we will continue to struggle to provide for our families and hang on to our farms.
Grower for ConAgra
El Dorado, Ark.
Re: "Weicker Would Keep Reform in Running," by John Nichols, 8/99 PP.
My God, My God, My God what are you chewing, some of Weicker's tobacco? No one in their right mind will recommend the Reform Party running Lowell Weicker for President unless they are really in the enemy's camp. Who knows better the man than those of us who lived under him as our Governor?
Have you forgotten that he campaigned against a state income tax stating to suggest instituting a state income tax was equivalent to throwing gas on a fire to cure the state's fiscal woes and then made the income tax his first matter of business once he was elected.
Have you forgotten he recommended a 50 cents a gallon gas tax so poor people couldn't afford to drive their cars during the gas shortage?
And how about his seat as a director on the board of a tobacco company?
Wake up man and you too, Jesse. This man is as phony as a $3 bill. The quickest way to kill the Reform Party is to nominate this jackass.
David Morris ["CIA's Record Argues for Abolition," 7/99 PP] would have us believe that the primary reason to scrap the Central Intelligence Agency is that organization's almost comical incompetence.
While this may be true in some instances, I would submit that the main reason to ditch the Company is that they've been all too effective in carrying out and assisting in murder, torture, repression, sabotage (including poisoning of crops and livestock), subversion of democracy, instigation of violence and civil discord, overthrow of legitimate governments and much more.
Since "brevity is the soul of wit," I can't give all the gory details here, but Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Intervention since World War II by William Blum (Common Courage Press, 1995) gives the whole shameful story (at least up to 1995; we'll have to wait for the next edition to get up the full story on what they did in the former Yugoslavia).
I really enjoyed (sort of) Hank Kalet's piece on violence [7/99 PP], and I find myself in reluctant, partial agreement. I've always said the great thing about this place (Oklahoma) is that even social-democratic lefties, like myself, have gun collections. And this is not hyperbole. I consider the Libertarian Party the largest group of selfish maniacs around, but their take on guns (at least part of their take) seems right to me. It goes like this: "If you get rid of weapons, you don't eliminate violence, you just create a situation where the biggest, most animalistic person around is automatically right."
What to do? I don't like violence, but I'm committed to protecting my family, my home, and also myself. Is this wrong? Who knows ... maybe so. Best go help weedeat, love The Progressive Populist, and later.
I certainly agree with Stacy Mitchell's thesis in the August issue, "Main Street Fights Back." Wal Mart has indeed ruined many a small-town business section.
However, her article gets off to an unfortunate start when she describes Warr Acres as "a town of 10,000" and refers in the same sentence to "the outskirts of town."
Warr Acres is just a part of the very large Oklahoma City metro area, hardly a town in the sense she implies.
SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
Letters to the Editor
The Progressive Populist
PO Box 150517
Austin TX 78715-0517
Please keep them brief | <urn:uuid:640ad6a5-8ecf-4fa4-9d73-c64613edd033> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.populist.com/99.9.letters.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968393 | 1,265 | 2 | 2 |
Tips for controlling pesky flies
(First published April 2008, last updated June 2012)
As an Aussie, my experience with flies is extensive. In some places I’ve lived in, talking outside during spring and summer is a risky business because as soon as you open your mouth, kamikaze flies make a beeline straight for it. On any given day during the warmer months, my coffee cup is likely to be the final resting place for a couple of the drowned critters. You get used to it – mostly.
If you’re not like me and have no intentions of getting used to them; instead of reaching for the traditional fly pray; there’s some other strategies you can use to at least control and minimize their presence before needing going to that extreme.
The problem with fly spray and other commercial insecticides is it contains some nasty stuff; which isn’t nasty just to flies; but to humans and other creatures in the environment – even the low allergenic varieties. The introduction of set-and-forget “24/7″ automatic fly sprays means we’re perhaps using more than we need to too.
Some of the chemicals include:
Bioresmethrin – a suspected endocrine disruptor and highly toxic to fish even in small amounts
Bioallethrin – a suspected endocrine disruptor and carcinogen
Butylated Hydroxytoluene – known human immune system toxicant.
Synthetic Pyrethroids – Pyrethroids shouldn’t be confused with Pyrethrum, which comes from the chrysanthemum. Pyrethroids are chemically designed to be more toxic and take longer to break down. Aside from being a suspected carcinogen, they are extremely toxic to aquatic organisms and are moderately toxic to birds. Pyrethroids are toxic to all insects, both beneficial insects and pests.
Here’s some tips to help keep flies off your and control their presence to a degree around your home – the greener way
Potted plants indoors
I received an email from someone who was having problems with flies emerging from potted plants – something I hadn’t heard of before. It seems the best way to deal with this is to reduce watering and organic matter in the soil of potted plants; particularly the top layer – gnats and flies thrive in damp conditions where’s there’s plenty of organic material.
As flies breed in rotting organic material, make sure your garbage is secured and your trash bins have tight fitting lids. It can take as little as a week for adult flies to emerge from these sources. Check all mouse traps regularly and around your yard for other critters that may have died as even a small decaying animal can be a feasting ground for hundreds of flies. Unfortunately, common houseflies have a flight range of at least 5 miles (8Km), so unless you can organize a mass effort in your suburb; while clearing matter flies feed on and breed in; at best you may minimize them.
Secure compost bins and worm farms
Pretty much related to the above about garbage. Try to keep dairy and meat scraps out of your compost bin or worm farm; as that will discourage some types of flies. Even vegetable waste will be a nice breeding ground for some types of flies as I discovered one year in relation to a worm farm I had. I was able to reduce the the problem somewhat by putting mosquito netting over the worm farm; but I think I was a little late in doing so – so it’s best to apply the netting as soon as it starts getting warm.
Not so popular now, but still very useful. These are non toxic strips embedded with something such as honey and also an adhesive. The flies land on it and are, well.. stuck.
If you have people coming in and out of your house regularly, especially children, chances are they’ll bring flies in with them. A simple fly curtain made of strings of beads will greatly reduce the number that do get in.
Citronella oil and candles
Citronella oil is an essential oil extracted from the different species of Cymbopogon (lemon grass). It’s considered a biopesticide and non-toxic. Burning a citronella oil candle or incense sticks will not only repel flies, but mosquitos too. You can also buy special preparations of citronella oil to apply directly to your skin as a fly/mosquito repellent, but it does need to be applied more often than synthetic repellents.
Crushed mint can be placed in bowls or cloth bags and placed strategically around the home near common entrances.
Sprinkle a little eucalyptus oil on a scrap of cloth and place near entrances.
Fly repellent plants for the garden
Some species of plants you may be able to grow in your yard depending on your local climate conditions can help discourage flies. These include Lemon balm, Catnip, Mint, Chrysanthemums and Marigolds.
Check your flyscreens
OK, so this is a no-brainer I guess; but small holes in flyscreens are easy to miss – so it’s a good idea to check them regularly during the season. The added benefit will be to prevent mosquitos from annoying you (or worse).
DIY fly traps
Fly traps come in various shapes and sizes, and some are very easy to make – such as this bottle trap – it’s a great way to keep at least one plastic bottle out of landfill :).
Flies will tend to be attracted to and congregate in dark areas, particularly when it’s hot, so allow as much natural light into your home as you can.
“Green” fly sprays
If all else fails, there are some “green” fly sprays available on the market that contain natural pyrethrum and citronella blends. We have used these from time to time and found them to be quite effective on flies; not so good on other insects.. which mightn’t be a bad thing actually. However, these usually also contain other chemicals – so they may be the lesser of the evils rather than a truly green product and should also be used sparingly.
Green Living Tips’ readers have contributed some more great tips for dealing with flies below – be sure to read those and add your own!
Green Living Tips.com
Article reproduction guidelines
blog comments powered by Disqus | <urn:uuid:fece9dc7-948d-4ab6-813d-514df0a93511> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/Dealing-with-flies.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954457 | 1,355 | 2.203125 | 2 |
NEW ULM - Since the high school sports season opened last month, area students have been busy taking tests.
It's not a test they can study for, there are no right or wrong answers but it just might be the most important test any of them take all year.
This year, six area high schools and Martin Luther College have administered ImPACT [Immediate Post-Concussion Assesment and Cognitive Testing], a baseline cognitive test to evaluate concussions to its student athletes.
Staff photo by Steve Muscatello
Jill Weiss, Sports Medicine Coordinator at the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute gives the ImPACT test to Members of the Cathedral High School Football Team recently.
"It has been coming for a long time," Jill Weiss, Sports MedicineCoordinator at Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute said. "It has been trickling down from the professional ranks through college to Division III level which is where MLC is at. There has been strong suggestion that they look into better management and research into head injuries."
Weiss and her fellow trainers that work with the area schools have been giving the computerized test to every athlete, in every fall sport. They started with football players but even athletes in what are considered noncontact sports like cross country and volleyball have also been screened.
"You never know what can happen," Minnesota Valley Lutheran Activities Director Craig Morgan said. "You might think that there isn't contact but what if someone falls down and bumps their head in a cross country meet? Now that we have the pretest, it will be a nice measuring stick."
The goal is to have every athlete in every sport tested across the seasons. The medical staff is starting with the fall sports but will move on to the winter sports like hockey, gymnastics, wrestling and basketball and the spring sports will follow.
"We have a number of multi-sport athletes on campus and it will save time in the winter and spring where this student won't have to be checked again," MLC Athletic Director Jim Unke said. "I think that a blanket coverage is a great way to start. Also, you aren't always sure where the kid is coming from, previous injuries and things like that."
That is Weiss' goal as well, get as many athletes tested now to save time later.
"The implementing year is obviously the most difficult year," Weiss said. "After this year, we will test the athletes every two years. We will test freshmen and juniors, every year from here on out. They determined the baseline is good for two years based on brain function."
MLC was the first of the area schools to go through the testing. Unke said that the NCAA passed a mandate effective this year for each school to have a concussion management program in place.
"We at MLC had to do something because of the mandate from the NCAA and when I spoke with Jill about the ImPACT program, I thought we could kill two birds with one stone," he said. "Not only are we meeting NCAA requirements, but we are taking it a step further to protect our kids."
Unke said that the NCAA requirements were quite basic and ImPACT goes beyond what MLC is required to do.
"It was tracking concussion and tracking the number of concussions and tracking the treatment of concussions," he said. "The ImPACT program is very proactive. They get out and get a baseline for every athlete, if there is an injury you can go back and see where they are in their recovery."
According to the ImPACT web site, St. Scholastica and Bethany Lutheran College are the only other Upper Midwest Athletic Conference schools that uses the program.
A few Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools including St. Olaf and Carleton use the program and most of the Division II?schools in the state like Minnesota State, Winona State and St.?Cloud State are clients of ImPACT.
The site also list a couple dozen high schools in the state that use the program including all three Mankato high schools.
"We all had to report [to the UMAC] how we are going to comply with the NCAA regulations for the concussion management program," Unke said. "And we told them what we were doing through Allina. I have told Jill that we have almost become the pacesetter for what can be done. It's easy to track injuries, symptoms and treatment, but we can get out in front of it and be proactive and create baselines for each and every kid. I think that is really a ground breaking approach to a problem that can really affect kids the rest of their life."
The ImPACT?screeing is a noninvasive cognitive test that can be done in each schools' computer lab. The athletes go through different drills to test for visual and verbal memorization, cognitive processing speed and reaction time.
The end result is the baseline score.
If a concussion does happen, the athlete retakes the test and the trainers or a physician compare the scores.
Since the area athletes have taken the evaluation, Weiss has already used the program to diagnose at least one players ability to return to the playing field.
"We had one area high schooler that took a heavy hit in a scrimmage," Weiss said. "He had symptoms right away, a prolonged headache, we tested him right away and his speed on the test was good. But his memory went from a 90 percentile down to an eight percentile. It was a very big deficit. He didn't realize it. He had no external symptoms any more and his headache was gone but we could tell from the test he wasn't ready. We tested him again a week later and his numbers had rebounded nicely and had comeback to almost baseline."
Concussion are different in everybody. Some bounce back sooner than others and it depends on many different kinds of factors: location of the hit, how hard the hit was, did they have their mouthguard in, did their helmet fit well. Most importantly, if they have had a head injury before.
"Once you sustain a concussion you are much more suseptible to getting another one," Weiss said. "What we are trying to avoid with this test is Second Impact Syndrome."
Second Impact Syndrome is when an athlete experiences a head injury, it could be a mild one - there might not even be any external symptoms - but then if that athlete is allowed back on the field and they experience head trauma again, that is Second Impact Syndrome.
"If we let them return to play when their neuro-cognitive functions aren't back to speed yet, that's when there can really be problems," Weiss said. "Second Impact Syndrome is really scary because it can stay hidden. They may take a second hit and within 24 hours the symptoms can rear their ugly head and be fatal."
ImPACT takes about 20 minutes to complete and is broken into three parts.
Section 1 is background information and health history. Section 2 involves current symptoms and conditions followed by Neuropsychological Tests, which is baseline testing and post injury testing.
The testing is broken down into six modules: Word memory, design memory, X's and O's, symbol matching, color matching and three letter memory.
Weiss is quick to point out that the test has nothing to do with intelligence.
It's really about finding out how their brain works.
"This is not an intelligence test. It has nothing to do with IQ," Weiss said. "It doesn't tell them if they are smart or not. What it tells us is how their brain works, how it functions. So when they do have a disruption, wether it be a mild hit or a severe hit. We have an idea of when they will be back to their normal not everybody elses' normal."
Weiss said that some kids might intentionally try and not do it well, but that is no use.
"I tell them that the computer is smarter than them," she said. "It has flagged a couple of kids. The program told us that something isn't right with this test and you may want to test them again. We instruct them to take the test as fast and as accurate as possible. Don't worry about making mistakes. Do it as fast as you can but do it right."
Unke took the test and said it very nonthreatening.
"I think that I wanted to take it because I wanted to know what it was all about. I was learning right along with them. I just thought, 'if we are going to make our kids do it, I want to see what it's all about,'" he said. "It's pretty nonthreatening. It's testing your memory and reaction time and visual cues and things. It's not a test that is intimidating in any way. I think it's an easy way to reinforce and protect the kids."
For more information on ImPACT go to www.impacttest.com | <urn:uuid:57bb9c8b-d734-4ce5-bf2e-d4f2ddd09677> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nujournal.com/page/content.detail/id/515381/Having-an-ImPACT.html?nav=5005 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980403 | 1,840 | 2 | 2 |
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophets (blessings and peace of Allaah
be upon them) are dead as far as the people of this world are concerned. Allaah says, addressing the last and best of them (interpretation of the
“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and
verily, they (too) will die”
But before Allaah they are alive, for if the
martyrs are alive with Allaah, then the Prophets are undoubtedly higher in status before Allaah. See Fath al-Baari, 6/444.
It was narrated in an authentic report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Prophets are alive in their graves and they pray.” (Narrated by al-Bazzaar;
classed as authentic by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2790). This prayer is something that they are blessed with just as the people of
Paradise are blessed with tasbeeh (glorifying Allaah).
They (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon
them) are in their graves apart from ‘Eesa (Jesus)(peace be upon him), whom Allaah raised up into heaven, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them [the resemblance of
‘Eesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)], and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain)
knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)]:
But Allaah raised him [‘Eesa (Jesus)] up
(with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allaah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise.”
With regard to the Prophets praying behind
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the night of the Isra’ (Night Journey), they prayed behind him in spirit, but
their bodies were in their graves. The same applies to his seeing the Prophets during the Mi’raaj (ascent into heaven), when he saw Adam in the
lowest heaven, and ‘Eesa and Yahya in the second heaven, and Yoosuf in the third, and Idrees in the fourth, and Haroon in the fifth, and Moosa in
the sixth, and Ibraaheem in the seventh, or vice versa. He saw their souls appear in the shape of their bodies.
Some people say that he saw the same bodies
that are buried in the graves, but this view does not carry any weight.
But ‘Eesa ascended into heaven body and soul,
and the same is said of Idrees.
But with regard to Ibraaheem, Moosa and
others, they are buried on earth.
The Messiah (may the blessings and peace of
Allaah be upon him and all the other Prophets) will inevitably descend to earth, to the white minaret in the east of Damascus; he will kill the
Dajjaal (“Antichrist”), break the cross and kill the pigs, as is proven in the saheeh ahaadeeth (authentic reports). Hence he is in the second heaven even though he
is superior to Yoosuf, Idrees and Haroon, because he will descend to the earth before the Day of Resurrection, unlike the other Prophets. And Adam
is in the lowest heaven because the souls of his descendents who are blessed (i.e., destined for Paradise) will be shown to him. As for the souls
of the doomed (i.e., those who are destined for Hell) the gates of heaven will not be opened for them and they will not enter Paradise until the
camel passes through the eye of the needle. So if they will be shown to him, he has to be near them. There is no contradiction in the fact that
they (may blessings and peace of Allaah be upon them) prayed behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) then he met
some of them after he was taken up into the heavens, because the souls are like the angels, they may ascend and descend in an instant; they are
not like bodies.
Adapted from Majmoo’ al-Fataawa by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), 4/328-329. | <urn:uuid:dcf069dd-324c-43ec-8238-f493c37ed08e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/26117 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956708 | 988 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Friends, family and faith help youngster anticipate serious surgery, recovery time by M. Jill Sundstrom Kendra Gottsleben is small for her age. But what she lacks in stature she makes up with humor, compassion and understanding far beyond her years.
Kendra, 14, is the daughter of Dave and Betsy Gottsleben of Vermillion. Dave is a track coach at The University of South Dakota. Betsy is the principal of St. Agnes School.
Kendra was born with an enzyme deficiency which prevents her cells from �cleansing� themselves. The results affect the body�s connective tissues, corneas and heart valves, along with slowing growth and limiting flexibility.
Still, Kendra has the ability to live beyond her condition.
�She�s small, but once people get to know her, they look past that and see Kendra,� Betsy said. �She is an easy kid to like. She has a compassion and an understanding for other people that you don�t normally see in that age. She often has an adult perspective on things.�
Kendra�s viewpoint of life has now extended to what she must face this summer � corrective surgery to alleviate the effects of spinal cord compression, a condition she was diagnosed with last November.
�The condition is life threatening,� Betsy said. �The compression is responsible for her loss of endurance and it cuts off nerve messages to the brain which can stop her breathing, known as apnea. It could eventually kill her.�
The surgery, tentatively scheduled for June, will be performed by Dr. Steven Kopits, director of the International Center for Skeletal Dysplasia at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD.
Following the operation, Kendra will have to remain virtually immobile in a �halo� and half body cast for at least five months. She will stay in Maryland during that time in an apartment near the hospital.
Betsy admits it will be a long road. But the path toward the surgery has been a hard one as well.
�In fourth grade Kendra was dancing on the stage with Linda Creehan�s dance class,� Betsy said. �The following year she had difficulty walking and since then has progressively been losing strength in her right leg.�
Doctors first suspected that the problem was Kendra�s hip, and replacement was recommended. Then Betsy noticed increased apnea episodes and Kendra�s breathing was heavier when she slept. Her concern deepened, but she did not know what to do, until she attended one of her husband�s USD track meets.
�I was sitting near a woman whose son was a little person,� Betsy remembered. �Kendra was with me and the woman and I soon began talking. She asked about Kendra�s health and I said she was very healthy except for the problem with her leg and the apnea.�
The woman immediately told Betsy about Dr. Kopits. Still, Betsy was doubtful.
�But as the conversation continued, the woman said we HAD to go see him,� Betsy remembered. �She was sure he could help.
�I carried that around for about six months without doing anything,� Betsy continued. �But by last August, I knew something had to be done for Kendra. I realized I had to pursue this doctor. It was time to find out if he really could help, and if not, we could close that door and move on to something different.�
Kendra and her mother visited Dr. Kopits in November. He barely hesitated to diagnose the problem. It wasn�t Kendra�s hip. Instead, spinal column was compressed. There was no other option but surgery.
�The news was a blow, but the doctor was very reassuring,� Betsy said. �He kept saying ?this is a very dangerous procedure, but it�s what I�m best at. You must trust me.� He also reminded me that we didn�t get to his office alone, and that�s where our faith had to come in.�
The Gottslebens, along with other family members, will be with their daughter for the surgery. Dave, however, will have to return to South Dakota after a month or so, said Betsy, who will remain with Kendra in Maryland.
�Kendra won�t be able to leave for five months,� Betsy said. �She will be in the halo and half body cast at a 40 degree angle for that time. That�s to ensure that the fusion takes. She won�t be able to sit or stand, but her arms and legs will be free to move.�
The long stay � from June until November, at least � will be made easier by the fact that Betsy�s brother and his family live in Bowie, MD, just 45 minutes away from the hospital. Other friends and family members are planning vacations to visit.
�We will and have had lots of support from friends, family and co-workers,� Betsy said. �And Kendra�s friends are the main force that�s keeping her spirits up. She�s experienced nothing but kindness from them.�
Kendra has also been boosted by the presence of her �angels.�
�Kendra lost a friend last summer, Julie Reetz,� Betsy said. �She hangs on to Julie�s memory, writing and dedicating poems to her. I think that helps her cope with the reality of the surgery. I lost a good friend, too, in December. Kendra recently told me that she now has two angels watching over her.�
Kendra�s faith serves as an inspiration to her mother, too.
�When the option became no option but this surgery, Kendra�s strength is what has helped me,� Betsy said. �Faith and prayers have helped, too.
�You still ask the question why,� she continued. �But this is what God has chosen. He has also provided us with love, support and Dr. Kopits. Somehow it all works out.�
Despite the worries and anxiety that the prospect of surgery bring, Betsy wouldn�t change what life has brought her family.
�Kendra is a gift, we�ve always thought of her that way,� she said. �She�s brought a lot of joy to a lot of people�s lives.� | <urn:uuid:b2e63425-6ca7-4e5e-adf7-2ec2c6b65a3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://plaintalk.net/1999/04/friends-family-and-faith-help-youngster-anticipate-serious-surgery-recovery-time-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981408 | 1,317 | 1.625 | 2 |
Hammer of the Scots brings the rebellion of the Braveheart, William Wallace, to life. As the English player, you seek to pacify Scotland by controlling all the important noble lords. The Scottish player also seeks the allegiance of nobles to support a difficult struggle for freedom.
Hammer of the Scots will give you many hours of entertainment and insight into this fascinating period in history.
Hammer of the Scots is now in its third edition with a new map. The other components are the same as version 2.
Ages 12 +
Read more about Hammer of the Scots at BoardGameGeek | <urn:uuid:fdf4fac2-20b4-4a2d-a1fb-56009c196d23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boardgameguru.co.uk/hammer-of-the-scots-497-p.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928406 | 122 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Brussels, 20 June 2012
"Wise men" hand over report on situation of the EU road transport market
Gradual opening of domestic road transport markets to cabotage should be considered as a key step towards completing the Single European Transport Area says a report handed over to Vice-President Kallas today. The High Level Group on the situation of the EU internal market for road haulage, chaired by Prof Brian T Bayliss, identifies the main obstacles as well as a series of recommendations in the field of road transport to the creation of a Single European Transport Area.
What is road cabotage?
Cabotage is the domestic transport of goods in a country by a haulier registered in another country. The rules on cabotage and access to the international road transport market for EU registered and other carriers are laid out in Regulation 1072/20091.
What are the current rules?
According to the Regulation, hauliers may carry goods without restrictions from their country to another or between two Member States, even if these Member States are not their country of registration.
Hauliers are however still limited when they wish to go from one point to another in a Member State other than the one where they are registered. In this case, called cabotage, hauliers are restricted to three transport operations in the seven days following an unloaded international carriage. These rules have been applied since May 2010.
What is the problem?
The EU road haulage market is dealing with a series of problems such as:
Hauliers are not free to carry out transport operations freely, which can force hauliers to travel home or elsewhere with empty vehicles, or stop them from loading their vehicles in an optimal way and which creates efficiency losses.
Operating conditions vary from one Member State to another, meaning that the conditions for carrying out cabotage also vary from one operator to another.
The existing rules have proved challenging for Member States to apply, particularly regarding the number of cabotage operations carried out.
Concerns also exist as to the availability of manpower in the sector, and the capacity of the road transport industry to take up innovative solutions.
What is the High Level Group proposing?
The High Level Group is proposing a flexible and gradual opening of national road transport markets, to be flanked by measures to restore the attractiveness of the sector, ensure that rules are applied fairly and that innovation can be promoted. In particular, the Group recommends that two different types of cabotage be introduced:
'Linked cabotage', limited to a short period of time and connected to an international carriage
and 'non-linked cabotage', which may take place for a longer time, independently of any international carriage and which would be subject to a registration procedure to ensure that the drivers involved apply the labour law of their local competitor.
What are the benefits?
The High Level Group considers that this set of measures would allow a step-by-step opening of the market, increasing flexibility of operations and competition in national markets, whilst ensuring fair competition and avoiding a 'race to the bottom' in social norms. More flexibility would allow hauliers and shippers to optimise fleet management and reduce empty runs, thereby reducing emissions and fuel consumption whilst improving the competitiveness of the overall economy which relies on efficient logistics.
What are the next steps?
The Commission will consider the High Level Group's conclusions in its own report on the situation of the EU road haulage market, to be published in 2013. On the basis of this report, the Commission may also present a legislative proposal to review Regulation 1072/2009.
Facts and figures
Road freight transport for hire and reward is an important economic activity in the EU: it provides around 3 million jobs in about 600,000 enterprises2.
Road transport accounts for close to three quarters3 of all inland transport activities in the EU. In 2010, it generated 1.76 trillion tonne-kilometres, one third of which in international transport operations.
In 2010, almost a quarter4 of all vehicle-km of heavy goods vehicles in the EU involved an empty vehicle.
Cabotage accounts for around 2%5 of all national road freight transport activities for hire and reward in the EU.
Summary of recommendations
Report of the High Level Group on the situation of the EU road haulage market
Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 on common rules for access to the international road haulage market OJ L 300, 14.11.2009, p. 72–87
73% in 2010, source: Eurostat
24%, source: Eurostat | <urn:uuid:a5e5dbef-ec98-4181-9518-5f3d39172bfc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-12-457_lt.htm | 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 | 0.939361 | 959 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Young, healthy adult volunteers exposed for two hours to ozone developed physiological changes associated with cardiovascular ailments, according to a study1 reported in Circulation.
Study participants showed evidence of vascular inflammation, a potential reduced ability to dissolve artery-blocking clots, and changes in the autonomic nervous system. The changes were temporary and reversible in these young, healthy participants.
Recent epidemiology studies on ground level ozone have reported associations between acute exposure to ozone and death, but little is known about the underlying pathophysiological pathways responsible.
“This study provides a plausible explanation for the link between acute ozone exposure and death,” said Dr Robert B Devlin, the study’s lead author and senior scientist at the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
Devlin and colleagues focused on a single, short-term exposure and not the effects of years of exposure to ozone. Researchers exposed 23 volunteers, ages 19 to 33, to 0.3 parts per million (ppm) of ozone. The dose was higher than the EPA’s eight hour ozone standard of 0.076 ppm.
However, a person breathing 0.3 ppm for two hours receives roughly the same amount of ozone as does a person breathing the lower 0.076 ppm for eight hours, Devlin noted.
Study participants underwent two controlled exposures — one to clean air and one to ozone-polluted air — at least two weeks apart. During each exposure, participants alternated 15-minute periods of stationary cycling and rest.
None of the participants reported complaints or physical symptoms after inhaling clean air or ozone. However, immediately following and the morning after ozone inhalation, tests showed significant ozone-induced vascular changes compared to clear-air exposure. These changes included:
Epidemiology studies have also associated acute exposure to another ubiquitous air pollutant, particulate matter (PM), with death in elderly people with cardiovascular disease.
Controlled exposure studies of both humans and animals have described PM-induced changes that are very similar to those described in this ozone study, suggesting that both pollutants may be causing death by affecting similar pathways, the researchers said.
“People can take steps to reduce their ozone exposure, but a lot of physicians don’t realize this,” Devlin said. The EPA website, airnow.gov, contains guidelines on ways to reduce ozone exposure.
1. Devlin RB, Duncan KE, Jardim M, Schmitt MT, Rappold AG, Diaz-Sanchez D. Controlled exposure of healthy young volunteers to ozone causes cardiovascular effects. Circulation 2012;126. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.094359
Published on: June 25, 2012
Sign up for our regular email newsletters & be the first to know about fresh articles and site updates. | <urn:uuid:a1a7e286-8842-43a6-b993-f0137ee3e2aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arwatch.co.uk/2012/06/ozone-exposure-linked-to-potential-heart-attack/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917822 | 594 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Evangelizing Our Children
Reformed Christians take comfort from Acts 2:39: “the promise is for you and for your children.” God’s promises are multi-generational. Paul’s assurance that children even of just one believing parent are “holy” (1 Cor. 7:14) reinforces our confidence, as does his statement: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31).
We find the root of this comfort in God’s covenant with Abraham: “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7).
Yet simply being born of believers doesn’t guarantee salvation (Rom. 2:12–29). A child must also be raised faithfully in the covenant (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:6–9; Ps. 78:1–7), and he must believe (John 3:18). Only those “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” are children of God (John 1:10–13).
But if there is no blanket promise of salvation to the children of believers, is there no advantage to being born to Christian parents? | <urn:uuid:a8970bad-be4d-4cc0-a80b-c5c1b081d474> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ligonier.org/blog/evangelizing-our-children/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951291 | 290 | 1.804688 | 2 |
How the Dutch protect their prostitutes
As the murder of prostitutes in Suffolk grips the UK, BBC News looks at some of the safety mechanisms being used in the Netherlands to protect local sex workers there from violence. Campaigners for EU "street walkers" use a red umbrella as their symbol
This Sunday, campaigners in North America and Europe will be marking an End Violence Against Sex Workers Day with vigils, demonstrations and posters.
The murders in Suffolk "are another horrifying chapter in a long history of violence towards sex workers", says Petra Timmermans, a Netherlands-based campaigner for the human rights of prostitutes.
For Ms Timmermans, the coordinator of the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE), the vulnerability of prostitutes to violence is inextricably bound up in social attitudes.
Maybe there is really no escape from this rape prison called prostitution?
former woman prostitute, California
Prostitutes speak of ordeals
Prostitution in the Netherlands involving Dutch or other EU citizens is a legal occupation, and a recent report by the foreign ministry shows that most work in brothels or sex clubs.
They can openly advertise their services in newspapers and on the internet.
However, a small number of legal prostitutes still solicit on the streets, government statistics show.
In response, a number of cities have created official "street walking zones" which feature special car parks for prostitutes and their clients.
Condoms and coffee
These car parks have privacy screens - "a bit like stalls", says Ms Timmermans - between which prostitutes can conduct their business in their clients' cars.
PROSTITUTION IN EU STATES
Netherlands: prostitutes treated as self-employed persons; street prostitution in managed zones; brothels legal but subject to licensing
Germany: similar rights for prostitutes to those of the Dutch though prostitution subject to VAT; legal brothels and recognised red light zones
France: prostitution legal - soliciting and procuring are not
Sweden: prostitution legal but buying sex is not, so clients risk prosecution
UK: prostitution not officially illegal but soliciting, procuring and brothel-keeping are
Security cameras monitor the car parks and social services provide advice, medical information and condoms.
"You can talk to a social worker, you can get a shower, a cup of coffee, things like that," says the ICRSW's coordinator.
"I have never heard of anyone ever being hurt, or at least seriously hurt, in a zone."
According to the foreign ministry, "the introduction of these zones has significantly increased the safety of street walkers".
Government figures from 2004 showed that people driven into high-risk prostitution by drug addiction - a phenomenon common among EU prostitutes - made up only about 10% of all prostitutes in the Netherlands.
This is thanks to good drug outreach programmes, Ms Timmermans suggests.
And she adds that the attitude of the country's police - "they are great in general" - is also an important factor.
Preying on the 'worthless'
End Violence Against Sex Workers Day came about in 2003 in response to the Green River serial murders in the US, in which 48 women, most of them street-walking prostitutes, were murdered around Seattle over some 15 years.
"Violence is not part of the job description" - campaign slogan
The Suffolk murders will be in the minds of Sunday's protesters along with the trial of a Canadian man for the alleged murders of at least 26 sex workers in Vancouver.
Petra Timmermans believes that if our social attitude to prostitutes changed, there would be less risk of such crimes occurring.
"We decide that some people aren't worth our time and violent people know that," she says.
Prostitution is a reality, she argues, and in order to protect those women and men who engage in it, it should be given equal status to other occupations.
"We know, for instance, that there is exploitation in the textile industry but we don't scream 'Stop buying clothing' - we talk about labour rights and working conditions," Ms Timmermans says.
"We need to start talking in that way about prostitution."
Dutch prostitutes do still get hurt, she adds, but the Netherlands has made "many more women's lives safer and gone a long way in challenging many long-held biases that have let killers off the hook".
Here in Mexico the situation terrible. Prostitution is illegal, but it is practised everywhere for men and women. The authorities like to protect them for money not for the government, but for themselves. And if you want to have their services is probably that cops will try to take as much money as you can give for buying someone.
Enrique, Mexico City
Prostitution is a crime in Nigeria but it is widely practised and patronised by all and sundry. Many of the street walkers are every day exposed to the risk of being killed for ritual purposes etc, but many families' livelihood depends on it. I wish the Dutch approach would be adopted in Nigeria. Prostitutes or not, they are human beings, our family members, brothers, sisters, mothers, etc. Society needs them and we need them alive! Let's stop the hypocrisy. We should not expect our personal norms to be normative for society. Let's respect their choice.
Martin Manasseh Esq, Abuja, Nigeria
I have lived 22 years in the centre of Amsterdam with the red light area just fifteen minutes away from my homes and I have never felt unsafe walking in the area. It's a vibrant, lively, busy area, with a lot of police presence and a few police stations as well. When I visit England, I cannot imagine having a safe feeling walking through a red light area there.
amanda, amsterdam netherlands
I spent some time in Botswana this summer and I really believe that sex work should be organized. This is for the many safety nets and health checks that may become available. I mention Botswana because there, like everywhere else I guess, HIV is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately many women there are so desperate for cash that they will sell their bodies for 61p with a condom and 100p without. This clearly contributes to the spread of HIV in a nation with approx 33% infection rate. We need to protect these women, wives and mothers from HIV as a global community.
Courtney Baker, Orillia, Canada
If prostitution is illegal, then it should be enforced as a crime and the girls helped in rehabilitation as part of the sentence. As very few would consciously seek such a profession, there is usually a reason for going into it. If there is no will to enforce its illegality, then it should be legalised and heavily controlled. In Russia it is not illegal or legal, in fact, no one really knows what it is, it's a grey area. But the greyness allows for corruption, abuse, and even slavery. I think if it is legalised and regulated, and the punishments for things such as forced sexual slavery should be increased to just short of savage. Legalisation would offer protection to the girls (and men) which the state does not, here or anywhere.
Misha, St Petersburg, Russia
Due to the Dutch system, I have never seen in my district a murdered prostitute and very seldom a beaten-up prostitute in my 30-year career as a police surgeon and forensic pathologist.
Dr OS van Hees, MD, PhD, The Hague, The Netherlands
I am from a country where just talking about prostitution is a sin. There is prostitution in the Arab world and it has been there for ages but everyone is trying to neglect it. Prostitution and violence are in Egypt as well as drug addiction and child abuse, but everyone doesn't want to face the reality or criticise the situation. We have also street mothers - a homeless woman who has been raped and left with her child. In general human rights are not protected in Egypt, imagine if somebody tried to argue about a prostitute's right.
No one talks about this problem and it was never an issue in the parliament or even on TV. I respect and am very impressed from how the West sees the problems and facts of life and try to handle it and deal with it in an intelligent way. Yes prostitution is a fact and something we cannot prevent and they have the right to have a normal safe life since they have chosen that by themselves. I hope that hypocrites and contradicted people in my country will wake up and try to face their problems as the West is doing.
In South Africa, prostitution is illegal, but the laws governing solicitation of this nature are never or hardly ever enforced. If enforced, the alleged offender has to pay a minor admission of guilt fine (spotters fine) or they can appeal against the fine through due legal process. In our "designated" areas where prostitution is common, there is a 24-hour police protection and presence, to ensure the safety of these girls amongst other things and to try and combat of other crimes associated with the sex trade. In addition some Women Rights Groups have opened "safe houses" where some of these girls can take their clients for business at a really minimal fee. Condoms etc are also being distributed by the government 100% free of charge and have been made easily accessible (any and all public places, places of work and clinics) for everyone due to our high HIV/Aids rates. Also, people with a low type of income, associated with these type of prostitutes, they do have access to free healthcare etc, should they contract some type of disease associated with their trade.
But in spite of the above, crime in these areas is rife, these ladies still get beaten up, raped and murdered and our HIV/Aids infection rate continues to be amongst the highest in the world. Some even refuse to use the safe houses because. Therefore, in my view, by legalising it and setting up controlled brothels with the right healthcare infrastructure might not work. It's not working in South Africa.
Rian, Pretoria, South Africa
The issue of prostitution in Liberia is a crime, it has reduced sex workers to a point were they are constantly molested, beaten at night and disgraced at daylight. On Carey St is were you usually see this brutality against sex workers, they are seen by the general society as an outcast. And the government do nothing about this prevailing issue in Liberia. The human right organizations in Liberia do not advocate on these voiceless sex workers.
Madison Cammue, Monrovia, Liberia
With what I saw and actually touched here in Iran, I could say the situation is far more terrible in my country probably than any other country in the world! Lots & lots of prostitutes, especially in the capital, Tehran, and a total ban to all the activities around the subject and one logical result, absolute lack of human rights for these poor women... they could easily be hurt or even murdered without anybody finding out... God bless them!
Dr Shahab, Tehran, Iran
Some time ago my girlfriend was a sex worker. As her drug habit caused so much uncertainty, she took risks. She was kidnapped, tied and driven to an unknown location in fear, threatened with a straight razor and barely managed to talk her way out by pleading for more drugs at a friends, where the people inside prevailed upon the stranger to exit. No police report was given, as blaming the victim only adds stress and anguish. I looked for the sucker for years.
pedro, Fair Oaks , Republic of California
I used to live and work in Munich. Between my office and the underground station was an industrial estate through which I and my colleagues (men and women) walked. On the industrial estate were several brothels. The girls worked in a warm safe environment, not on the streets. Women walking down the streets were left alone because they were not sex workers (the sex workers were all indoors). It worked, and the UK should consider doing the same thing. Prostitution is a valid occupation and it's about time we got used to it.
david, Bedford, UK
The Netherlands are so much more progressive, intelligent and practical about the issue of prostitution than my own country that it's embarrassing. I worked for five and a half years for the New York City Department of Health in their Bureau of Sexually Transmitted Disease, and many of the sex-worker patients I counselled had some truly horrible tales to tell: rape, beatings. Most of the sex-worker patients I counselled (and they were all women) had drug addiction problems, and quickly ran out of ways to earn money to feed their habits, until selling their bodies became the last method they had of economic survival. Until the elected officials in my country have the backbone to admit the simple truth - that prostitution IS a fact of life, and that, rather than ignore it through criminalization, it should be legalized in select areas where workers can be monitored and medically cared for - sex workers here will be harassed, jailed, beaten and murdered.
Lawrence Sojka, Maryland, USA
Here in Spain where I live - a respectable area - there are four brothels in the area, the police check the clubs to ensure the girls who are working there do so of their own free will, and are not abused. Maybe the UK should take a look at the Spanish system? It works and works well. The local news paper has three to four pages of sex worker adverts every week. It would be easier to stop the sun shining than to stop prostitution, and mankind is trying that too, but that's another story.
Chris Miley, Malaga Spain
I live in the red light area of Ipswich and regularly overhear early morning exchanges between local prostitutes, their dealers and the odd client. Allowing these women a safe place to work legally would enable them to then openly seek aid regarding other issues that affect their lives. It would also ease tension from those of us in the local area and might have prevented this series of events from occurring.
Matt S, Ipswich United Kingdom
Very similar arrangements are in place in Germany and it is rare to have any trouble. The most famous red light district - the Reeperbahn - has a police station right in the middle of it, in an historic building, and the police are out on foot too and there is hardly any crime there.
Roy Brookes, Hamburg, Germany
Great article. As a retired psychologist who spent time treating prostitutes and witnessed, vicariously, what trauma they had experienced, I am for a system of licensing and treatment, including counselling, for prostitutes here in the USA. It is a profession which is not likely to go away in the foreseeable, and these workers should be subject to the same rights as any other employee. RJS
Robert Severson, Kalamazoo, USA
In the red light district here in Antwerp, there is a shopping mall-style prostitute complex with a police station in the middle of it!! | <urn:uuid:0cefc929-f2cd-4afc-9968-875a9140a890> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britchat.co.uk/Sitemap.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966019 | 3,092 | 1.6875 | 2 |
New Businesses Starting Up in the Bootheelby News Bureau on
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., Dec 13, 2011 – Several new small businesses will open or expand in southeast Missouri in the next few months because of the help of an award-winning, nationally-recognized program that recently concluded in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
After six weeks of evening classes, 19 aspiring entrepreneurs graduated from the Operation JumpStart (OJS) small business training program held at the Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce in October and November.
The participants learned to develop the components of viable business feasibility plans and had the opportunity to submit their plans in late November in a competition for seed grant or start-up capital for their business concepts. In addition, entrepreneurs who graduate from the OJS program are eligible to apply for additional capital through ACCION Delta, a new microlender serving southeast Missouri, part of the larger organization ACCION Texas.
The Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Southeast Missouri State University sponsors Operation JumpStart. This Operation JumpStart program was additionally funded in part by the Delta Regional Authority, a federal-state partnership whose directive is to improve the quality of life for those living in 252 counties and parishes in the eight-state Mississippi River Delta Region.
Steve Halter, executive director of the Poplar Bluff Chamber, facilitated the Operation JumpStart class, and was instrumental in obtaining additional funding to support the seed capital funding from local banks, including First Community Bank, US Bank, Southern Bank, and First Midwest Bank.
“The impact Operation JumpStart has had on our local economy and the lives of the participants is very significant,” Halter stated. “These four local banks really stepped up to help ensure the maximum amount of potential for business start-ups in our community.”
Kim Stuckenschneider will open The Fit Room in Poplar Bluff with the help of funding awarded from the program. Stuckenschneider is a degreed exercise specialist and will assist individuals with custom-designed athletic training and conditioning after an initial needs assessment which includes flexibility analysis, body composition, muscular strength and metabolic rate, among other testing.
“The class provided me with information and resources I was not aware existed for small businesses,” Stuckenschneider said. “Emphasis on cash flow was an essential part of the program and really made me evaluate expenses and income in a realistic and practical manner. I would recommend this program to anyone thinking about starting a business.”
Marquis Adams is the owner of Impact Sports and KO Boxing Gym in Poplar Bluff. His business plan for KO Boxing Gym was another one of the business plan competition winners. Adams said he plans to buy additional gear and equipment for the patrons of his gym, which features amateur and professional boxing. Adams has owned the business for almost 10 years and prior to the OJS course, had no formal training business training.
“The materials provided through this program have given me a Jumpstart,” Adams said. “I’m now more driven and dedicated than ever before. I hope this program stays around, and continues to grow and help others just like me. I believe the sky truly is the limit to the growth of my business.”
“Marquis is just one of the several success stories that will come from this group of Operation JumpStart graduates,” said Gina Harper, CIE project coordinator. “There was so much heart and determination represented among the graduates, and our Center will help them in any way we can in the future.”
Local banker Dale Dickerson praised the program, saying “Entrepreneurs are at the very foundation of our communities and our country and their impact cannot be measured. First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff not only understands the challenges facing small business owners today, but it also understands how vital they are to a healthy community or region and is extremely honored to be a part of this program.”
Harper said that some participants drove quite a distance, just to be a part of the program. Counties represented were: Butler, Stoddard, Mississippi, Scott and Carter. The other two entrepreneurs who won the business plan competition are from outside of Poplar Bluff. They are Jarrod Brotherton of Fisk, Mo., who is starting Circle B. Auction Company, and Tammy Clark who owns Crowley Ridge Pottery in Dexter, Mo.
“The demand for entrepreneurial training remains widespread in the region,” she added “which is why our Center plans to offer about 10 additional OJS classes in 2012 throughout southeast Missouri.”
Operation JumpStart has been instrumental in assisting more than 650 individuals who have started or expanded more than 250 small businesses in Missouri, Tennessee and Illinois, Harper said. For more information about the OJS program and other services available from the CIE, contact the CIE at (573) 651-2929 or visit www.semo.edu/cie.
The CIE is one of the most comprehensive entrepreneurship-focused university centers in the Midwest, offering a wide array of academic and outreach programs and services, including: innovation development and research; entrepreneurship education, training and mentorship; and business incubation and development services. The CIE supports Southeast Missouri State University’s strategic priority to advance the region’s economic appeal and strength by accelerating local and regional economic growth and development that improves the quality of lives, communities and businesses in southeast Missouri and the surrounding region. For more information about the CIE and the entrepreneurial support services it offers, contact (573) 651-2929 or visit www.semo.edu/cie. | <urn:uuid:d8fc054d-3393-4b84-89a0-0a08cde36de4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.semo.edu/news/archive/39432.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953951 | 1,188 | 1.5 | 2 |
- masc. proper name, 1218, probably an anglicization of Old French Jacques (which was a diminutive of Latin Jacobus; see Jacob), but in English the name always has been associated with Johan, Jan "John," and some have argued that it is a native formation.
Alliterative coupling of Jack and Jill is from 15c. (Ienken and Iulyan). In England, applied familiarly or contemptuously to anybody (especially one of the lower classes) from late 14c. Later used especially of sailors (1650s; Jack-tar is from 1781). In U.S., as a generic name addressed to an unknown stranger, attested from 1889.
- jack (n.)
- late 14c., jakke "a mechanical device," from the masc. name Jack. The proper name was used in Middle English for "any common fellow" (mid-14c.), and thereafter extended to various appliances replacing servants (1570s). Used generically of men (jack-of-all-trades, 1610s), male animals (1620s, see jackass, jackdaw, etc.), and male personifications (1520s, e.g. Jack Frost, 1826).
As the name of a device for pulling off boots, from 1670s. The jack in a pack of playing cards (1670s) is in German Bauer "peasant." Jack shit "nothing at all" is attested by 1968, U.S. slang. The plant jack-in-the-pulpit is attested by 1837. Jack the Ripper was active in London 1888. The jack of Union Jack is a nautical term for "small flag at the bow of a ship" (1630s).
- jack (v.)
- 1860, jack up "hoist, raise," American English, from the noun (see jack (n.)). Figurative sense "increase (prices, etc.)" is 1904, American English. Related: Jacked; jacking. Jack off (v.) "to masturbate" is attested from 1916, probably from jack (n.) in the sense of "penis." | <urn:uuid:84c87630-dacc-44fd-b1bf-72d1fb6a9cbf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Jack&allowed_in_frame=0%C3%83%E2%80%9A%C3%82%C2%A0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941689 | 460 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Is guerrilla marketing ethical?
‘Guerrilla marketing’ is a phrase coined and defined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing. The term has since entered the popular vocabulary to also describe aggressive, unconventional marketing methods generally. Typically, guerrilla marketing is unexpected and surprising, where consumers are often targeted when and where they least expect it, which can make the idea, product or service that’s being marketed more memorable, generate buzz, and even spread virally.
By its very nature, guerrilla marketing demands an element of ‘surprise’. This brings an element of chaos into the marketing mix, because – as we all know – a nice surprise for some can be a nasty surprise for others. Fundamentally, guerrilla marketing is a risky business as companies large and small have found out to their cost – see here for an example. I certainly believe guerrilla marketing can be ethical, but only if it’s smart. That is – if the initial thinking is correct and accompanied by good intent, if the concept is inventive, interesting, and creative and delivered to perfection. However, the ’ethics’ of a marketing campaign can break down irreparably if the initial thinking is flawed, the intent to deceive or if the guerrilla marketing process or delivery fails in some way.
Surely what is completely unethical is when an organisation hides the truth or encourages the belief that something is real and authentic when it really isn’t. To me, that’s when guerrilla marketing can – and indeed should – damage an organisation’s reputation. An example is the story of the singer Marié Digby uncovered by Ethan Smith and Peter Lattman of the Wall Street Journal, check it out here.
Another is the case of ‘LonelyGirl15’ – YouTube phenomena, later revealed as a professional actress and represented by an agency. Don’t believe everything you see or hear – there are enough examples out there. It’s a shame because it tarnishes the reputations and otherwise really good work of the majority of marketing professionals. But with the web and social networks becoming the playground for guerrilla marketeers, online consumers are going to need to keep their wits about them.
I don’t think these examples would have been welcomed by Jay Conrad Levinson into the guerrilla marketing family because as he so rightly emphasises: the Guerrilla Marketeer must “deliver the goods”. In his ‘The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook’, he states: “In order to sell a product or a service, a company must establish a relationship with the customer. It must build trust and support. It must understand the customer’s needs, and it must provide a product that delivers the promised benefits.”
Smart thinking combined with simple marketing truths: ‘establish relationships, build trust, understand the customer and deliver the promise’. If your guerrilla marketing campaign is doing anything other than these, you’re doomed to failure.
Other blogs on this subject:
Examples of guerrilla marketing:
More links on guerrilla marketing: | <urn:uuid:f03cc245-3d49-458e-ad81-b350c0f43009> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecco-network.com/blog/is-guerrilla-marketing-ethical | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924819 | 640 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Janet Samuels, Ph.D.
Managerial Accounting, Balanced Scorecard, Whistle-blowing
Accounting From a Global Perspective, Financial Accounting & External Reporting, Managerial Decision Making/Accounting
Janet Samuels is an Assistant Professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management. She has taught accounting courses in Asia and Glendale.
One stream of Janet’s research focuses on business ethics. She has recently co-authored several articles examining factors that influence whistle-blowing. In one study, she and her co-authors examine how a “best of class” outside whistle-blowing hotline can reduce the propensity to whistle-blow compared to a hotline viewed as staffed by company employees. Another study analyzes the effects of Sarbanes Oxley subcertification on propensity to whistle-blow. Dr. Samuels has also examined attitudes and norms towards insider trading. Her ethics work has been published in Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Auditing: A Journal of Theory and Practice, and Behavioral Research in Accounting.
Another area of Dr. Samuels' research is on incentives, goals, and performance measures. She has several research studies examining the behavioral limitations of evaluating performance using the Balanced Scorecard. She has also studied how goals and incentives can influence behavior and performance. For example, a recent study examines how adjusting task requirements after the start of the task can influence the effectiveness of specific versus general goals. Her work in these areas has been published in Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, Behavioral Research in Accounting, and Advances in Accounting. A co-authored paper on goals and target costing, published in Strategic Finance, was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the Institute of Management Accounting
Dr. Samuels received her Bachelor in Business Administration with a major in accounting from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She worked with Arthur Andersen in Milwaukee for eight years, and had her own accounting and consulting practice for three years. She worked on audits, tax returns, and consulting engagements. Her clients were primarily privately held companies.
Dr. Samuels was on the faculty at Arizona State University from 2003 through 2011, where she taught courses in financial and managerial accounting and in accounting information systems. She earned her Ph.D. in accounting at Arizona State University. | <urn:uuid:378b302e-8280-4bff-a5f7-02deb66e1c45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thunderbird.edu/faculty/janet-samuels-phd | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965615 | 474 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Now a book on al-Jabri, 'About This Man Called Ali: The Purple Life of an Arab Artist' by Amal Ghandour, has been published by Eland Books of London. A review by Matthew Mosley was published in the Beirut newspaper The Daily Star last Friday. Mosley considers there are two limitations in Ghandour's account; one is that as al-Jabri was killed only in 2002 it is too early for a summing up of his life and works, the other is that Ghandour is not just an observer but was a close friend of the artist and became a player in the narrative towards the end of his life. Despite these limitations, she paints a "thrilling, infuriating, thought-provoking portrait of a family in decline and a people in chaos." Mosley alludes to al-Jabri's sexuality by reference to T E Lawrence, "Lawrence of Arabia". In a review of 22 April published in Newsweek, veteran journalist Christopher Dickey tackles al-Jabri's sexuality head on. Dickey was at a dinner party with his wife in Jordan in November 2002 at which al Jabri was expected. The artist did not turn up and the next day a friend phoned to say he had been murdered in his apartment, and that the main suspect was his Egyptian male lover who had fled across the border. Dickey highlights the gay aspects of al-Jabri's life; the strapline reads: "Arab gays are under siege in societies that want to pretend they don't exist. But a new biography of an Arab artist offers another view." Through the prism of al-Jabri's life he looks at the intolerance of homosexuality in the Arab world, which has led for example to a spate of killings in Iraq.
The review provoked an outburst from Nadine Toukan, who wrote in the comments section: "Read this essay yesterday and got very angry to tell you the tructh. This thin slither perspective of Ali Jabri is not what his life was about. Yes Ali was gay, but that is not the legacy he left behind." She links to a piece she has blogged about Ali.
Toukan fisrt met Jabri at the age of 18 when "after a couple glasses of wine, I got into a heated argument over art with a man twice my age with piercing blue eyes and a spirit larger than life. I was stubborn, opinionated and apparently quite blasé that I had pissed off this man who left the party abruptly and in turn that irked the host who showed her annoyance at me and my idiotic teenage behavior.
"A couple years passed and I later met Ali Jabri thru friends. That was the beginning of a friendship with the man who made me fall in love with Jordan and got me to understand our relationship with our environment. For the many years later, we continued to argue about art, culture, politics, life, yelled in rage at each other, got into heated debates over meals here and there, and cultivated a wonderful friendship." Others have contributed comments to Toukan's post. | <urn:uuid:0c78eb0b-14bb-436d-9132-9caa57e30623> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thetanjara.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html?m=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983226 | 640 | 1.757813 | 2 |
I thought gnocchi would be a great first pasta dish to share because there is no special equipment needed... just patience. This is not a dish for the faint of heart. It can take practice and patience. I am probably not winning you over right now on the idea of venturing into gnocchi making, but I don't want to make this seem like all rainbows and butterflies. However, if you get it right, you will jump for joy at what you have created.
Gnocchi is little pillows of pasta made out of potatoes. It pairs really well with fresh tomato sauces or thick cheese sauces. I wanted to share the recipe I learned at Villa San Michele. Simple and just so fresh.
So here we go.
Gather your ingredients.
(We will chat about those riced potatoes at the end)
Place your flour, potatoes and egg in a bowl.
Using your fingers, press the ingredients together until you get a nice ball of dough.
Knead the ball of dough until smooth with no big lumps.
Take about a 1/4 cup of dough and roll out into long strands about an inch thick.
Cut into 1 inch pillows.
To get perfect ridges, you would need a gnocchi paddle, but you can use the back of a fork to form ridges. Press each pillow against the back of a fork to indent small lines. This will help the gnocchi soak up sauce.
Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water. The gnocchi will float to the top when they are finished cooking.
While sauce is still cooking add gnocchi and toss. Serve hot. And just like that, you've made homemade pasta.
Go on, put yourself out there.. try this in your own kitchen. If not, just make sure this class is on your bucket list.
Recipe from Villa San Michele Cooking School
One more warning. This is not the normal little kitchen recipe. It's not quick, it's not something you are going to read and get on the table tonight, but instead a fun kitchen project that is rewarding if you stick with it.
About 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 or 3 large russets)
2 or 3 pinches of salt
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
Step by Step
Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, then cut potatoes in half and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 40-50 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the water and allow to cool only enough for you to be able to touch them. You want to mash them while they are still hot. Place each potato piece on a large cutting board and peel it before moving on to the next potato. To get the potatoes mashed, you can either push them through a ricer or just use a fork. If using a fork, you want to create a nice fluffy potato base so you do not want to mash it to death. Run your fork through the potato until there are no noticeable lumps.
Cool the potatoes enough so that egg will not cook when added to the potatoes. When potatoes are cooled, place in a medium sized bowl. Add the beaten egg and egg yolk, flour and salt. Mix together using your hands until you create a dough ball. The dough should be moist, but not sticky. Add a little extra flour if the mixture is too sticky. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece out into a long skinny log, about a ½ inch thick. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut ¾ inch little pillows. Dust with flour and repeat until you have used all of the dough. Save the potato water.
Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes. Long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes.
To shape the gnocchi, hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the back of the fork prongs. With pressure, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. With confidence and an assertive (but light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight curved shape, their backs will capture the impression of the fork prongs as tiny ridges, goodperfect for catching sauce later. Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This is the step that takes practice. My first five to ten always look a little rough, but you will get the motion down.
When you are ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in about 20 at a time so they are not too crowded. They will let you know when they are done because they will float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the water about 10 seconds after they have reached the top. Add to whatever sauce you will be serving. Continue until all gnocchi are cooked. Lightly drizzle with more sauce or olive oil. Serve hot. | <urn:uuid:a091942e-ce86-42cd-8f03-f356be0f117c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelittlekitchenthatcould.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-gnocchi.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929051 | 1,082 | 2 | 2 |
Statement on Monetary Policy – February 2011
5. Price and Wage Developments
Recent Developments in Inflation
Consumer price inflation has declined significantly over the past couple of years. This has reflected the relatively subdued growth in demand, especially from households, since the slowing in the economy in late 2008 and the associated easing in capacity pressures and wage growth. More recently, the appreciation of the exchange rate has also exerted downward pressure on inflation.
The consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0.4 per cent in the December quarter, to be 2.7 per cent higher over the year (Graph 5.1, Table 5.1). The quarterly outcome was lower than had been expected at the time of the November Statement. This reflected larger-than-expected price declines for a range of tradable consumer items and lower outcomes for deposit & loan facilities prices and rents than had been anticipated. In contrast, the price of fruit & vegetables rose sharply, and there was an increase in the price of automotive fuel. The recent floods are expected to have an impact on CPI inflation in coming quarters (see ‘Box A: The Impact of the Recent Floods on the Australian Economy’).
Based on a range of measures, underlying inflation is estimated to have declined to around 2¼ per cent over the year to December (Graph 5.2). This is significantly below the recent peak of a little over 4½ per cent in September 2008. Most of the difference between the year-ended rates of headline and underlying inflation in the December quarter was due to the large increase in tobacco excise in 2010, which is estimated to have increased CPI inflation by nearly 0.4 percentage points. In the quarter, underlying inflation is estimated to have been a little less than ½ per cent.
The prices of a wide range of tradable consumer items declined over 2010, including clothing (−6 per cent), major household appliances (−4 per cent), audio, visual & computing equipment (−18 per cent) and motor vehicles (−1½ per cent). In aggregate, tradables prices (excluding food, fuel and tobacco) fell by more than 1 per cent in the December quarter and by 2 per cent over 2010; this was the largest year-ended decline in the three decades for which the series is available (Graph 5.3). This decline reflects the ongoing effects of the exchange rate appreciation since early 2009 (Graph 5.4), the tariff cuts for imported motor vehicles, textiles, clothing and footwear implemented in early 2010, and the subdued growth in household spending. Looking ahead, the appreciation of the exchange rate is likely to exert additional downward pressure on tradables prices in coming quarters.
Non-tradables inflation (excluding deposit & loan facilities) eased to 0.6 per cent in the December quarter and 3.5 per cent over the year. This is the slowest year-ended pace since September 2007, and almost 2 percentage points below the peak in late 2008. The rates of increase in rents, house purchase costs and the price of non-tradable food have declined over the past couple of years (Graph 5.5). Domestic holiday prices declined over 2010, as the domestic tourism industry was affected by the exchange rate appreciation and bad weather later in the year. However, further substantial moderation in non-tradables inflation seems unlikely in the near term. Conditions in the rental market are relatively tight, and the cost of building materials has increased, although liaison continues to point to some underlying weakness in the house construction industry. Inflation remains relatively high for a number of services. Health services and education prices rose by around 6 per cent over 2010, and utilities prices increased by 11½ per cent. More generally, labour market conditions have tightened since mid 2009 and wage growth picked up over 2010.
Food prices rose by 2.2 per cent in the December quarter, following subdued inflation since early 2009, to be 2½ per cent higher over the year (Graph 5.6). Fruit & vegetable prices increased by 13 per cent in the quarter – contributing 0.3 percentage points to CPI inflation – which was the largest increase since mid 2006, when banana prices temporarily spiked following Cyclone Larry. Seasonal strength in fruit & vegetable prices in the quarter was exacerbated by heavy rainfall in several states which damaged crops and reduced supply. Abstracting from fruit & vegetables, food price inflation picked up to 0.5 per cent in the quarter, although the year-ended rate remained low relative to history at 1.6 per cent. Looking ahead, the recent wet weather (including the Queensland and Victorian floods), Cyclone Yasi and elevated commodity prices will place upward pressure on food prices, particularly for fruit & vegetables, although this will be partly offset to the extent that alternative sources of supply become available (see Box A).
Automotive fuel prices have risen since late 2008, following the sharp decline over the previous year. As noted in the ‘International Economic Developments’ chapter, global oil prices have continued to rise in recent months. The price increase has been significant for Tapis oil, the relevant benchmark for Australian petrol prices, which has risen by more than 15 per cent since October 2010. The impact on petrol prices of rising oil prices has more than outweighed the effects of the exchange rate appreciation (Graph 5.7).
Labour cost growth picked up during 2010, broadly in line with the Bank's expectations, following low outcomes in the private sector over 2009. This pick-up is consistent with the strengthening in labour market conditions, and a further gradual increase in wage growth is expected as the labour market continues to tighten.
The wage price index (WPI) rose by 1.1 per cent in the September quarter, after rising by 0.8 per cent in the previous quarter. The quarterly outcome partly reflected the effects of the relatively large minimum wage increase in 2010 – which came into effect in July, and followed the minimum wage freeze in 2009 – as well as the broader pick-up in wage growth due to the strengthening in labour market conditions. Over the year to September, the WPI increased by 3.5 per cent, which is slightly below the average since 1997. Private-sector wage growth picked up to 3.5 per cent over the year to September, following subdued growth over 2009 (Graph 5.8). In contrast, public sector wages have grown at a consistently solid pace in recent years, and were 4.0 per cent higher over the year to September. Wage growth has been highest in the utilities and education industries, while Queensland and Western Australia recorded the fastest pace of wage growth across the states over the year to September.
Business surveys and the Bank's liaison suggest that labour cost growth has remained around its average pace (Graph 5.9). Firms are generally not experiencing significant difficulty finding suitable labour at present, although the labour market has tightened and labour shortages have been reported in mining-related industries and for some skilled occupations.
Estimated labour productivity growth has been relatively low for several years. The combination of weak productivity growth and the pick-up in wage growth implies that growth in labour costs per unit of output was relatively high in 2010, following low growth over 2009.
Producer prices rose by around 3–4 per cent at the different stages of production over 2010, after falling over 2009 (Graph 5.10). In the December quarter, however, producer prices were broadly flat at all stages of production, with rising domestic prices offset by falling import prices. Imported producer prices fell by around 3–4 per cent in the quarter at each stage of production, with the exchange rate appreciation more than offsetting upward pressure stemming from rising commodity prices.
There was a sharp increase in consumer inflation expectations in the Melbourne Institute's January survey, which may reflect expectations of large increases in fruit and vegetable prices following the floods (Graph 5.11). Medium-term inflation expectations derived from financial markets have risen more modestly over recent months, with the indexed bond measure around its average over the inflation-targeting period. Union officials have raised their near-term inflation expectations slightly, but their medium-term expectations are unchanged (Table 5.2). Market economists surveyed by the Bank are forecasting headline inflation to remain at, or a little above, the top of the medium-term target over the next couple of years, before declining to around 2¾ per cent. In contrast, business survey measures of expected selling prices in the near term remain below average levels. | <urn:uuid:15cf7644-b66c-4c4e-af5f-d921c16e9b4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2011/feb/html/price-wage-dev.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963617 | 1,710 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Capitol Hill is not the first place you’d associate with a scion of a Florentine luxury goods empire. And yet this is where Giorgio Gucci, heir to the Gucci fortune, was to be found attending a forum discussion on the issue of intellectual property rights in the fashion industry with US government bigwigs. Unfortunately for Signor Gucci, his luggage had gone missing; whilst US Airways scrambled around in an attempt to locate it he was forced to attend the event in, rumour has it, a $450 suit from JoS. A. Bank, a menswear retailer of precisely the same vintage as Gucci (both were established in 1905).
However the indignity may have affected Signor Gucci, it didn’t show. He delivered impassioned pleas about the evil of counterfeit goods, dropping in classic lines about child-slavery and terrorism – themes which carry extraordinary weight on this side of the Atlantic – and he even managed to persuade attendees that the mark of true love is a man who digs deep to buy “the real thing.” The implication being that a man who buys a knock-off not only irreparably harms the youth of the developing world and assists in the destruction of the free world but also reveals that his affection for his lady love is a fraudulent sham.
It was a virtuoso performance from a seasoned marketing shaman. The problem with these Frankensteinian fashion houses is that they expect sympathy when they lose control over their ‘creations.’ The issue is that people who purchase fakes are often people who don’t, mostly by their own admission, actually know an awful lot about design and respond, with impressive honesty, that they buy something for the appearance of wealth and exclusivity; as long as the handbag doesn’t collapse, they’d rather pay a fraction of what the ludicrously overpriced designer version costs.
Fashion is too transient for the ordinary woman or man to buy the ‘it’ bag of the season year in year out; if products were more honestly priced there would be less incentive to buy the fake. Consequently, product desirability would fall as the moderately priced good would be less prized. This would diminish the incentive for counterfeiters. The problem with Gucci, Vuitton and the rest is that they’re not, as they claim, trying to shelter the creativity of their designers but simply enforce their own intellectual property rights; their disingenuousness in this regard does them no favours.
The incident of Giorgio Gucci’s Jos. A. Bank adventure perfectly illustrates the vast gulf in what is and what is perceived to be in the fashion world; Jos. A. Bank might not be the most glamorous, high-end retailer but there didn’t appear to be much wrong with the suit. An expert might have noted certain imperfections but legions of luvvies, had they not been informed of the incident, might well have assumed that the garment he wore was Italian and certainly more than the price he paid for it. Instead, they gushed sympathy for Gucci’s lot in having to ‘descend’ to such a retailer. If he wasn’t in town to represent an industry of such mind-boggling double-standards he might have brushed off the pats of sympathy and revealed his relative satisfaction with the product. But the heir to Gucci, international champion of logos and protector of the luxury goods colossi, was silent. | <urn:uuid:8ba76f56-81b5-4e9b-bcc4-ec004a476338> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mensflair.com/news/mr-gucci-goes-to-washington.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973515 | 730 | 1.820313 | 2 |
History of the Lane
Vintage postcard of Santa Rosa, captioned "Driveway in Altadena, Calif."
Planting the Lane
Deodars were introduced in 1883 to Southern California by Altadena founder John P. Woodbury who first saw a stand of the deodars in Italy. Proclaiming them the most beautiful trees he had ever seen, he returned with seeds, and getting assurance from a friend of his at the Department of Agriculture that the trees would do well in California, had his brother Frederick nurse them at the Altadena ranch. In two years they were transplanted to Santa Rosa Avenue, which would become a driveway from Pasadena up the near mile stretch to Woodburyâs planned estate. The mansion was never realized, but the deodar legacy was left and it flourished for over a century to follow.
In 1920 Altadena resident and Pasadena businessman Frederick C. Nash came up with an idea of lighting the trees for the holidays. He sought assistance from his organization The Pasadena Kiwanis Club and from the City of Pasadena to initially light a 1/4 mile section of the roadway. Over the next few years the lighting expanded until the entire row of trees, 150 in all, were lighted. The boulevard at that time was referred to as the Avenue of the Deodars. Though many pedestrians would walk along the lighted street, it was really a spectacle to behold from the seats of slowly passing automobiles.
In 1927 the newer Altadena Kiwanis Club began the custom of taking less fortunate children for rides along what they joyfully called ãChristmas Tree Street. It was estimated that annually more than 50,000 automobiles travel the avenue during the weeks of the lighting, and modern statistics show that number has not changed much.
Lighting went on for the next three decades with Mr. Tom Hoag, the foreman of the Woodbury Ranch who saw to the planting of the lane, doing the honor of "pulling the switch" for each lighting ceremony. In the years 1943 and 1944 the Lane was let go dark, not for anything to do with the war effort, but for the fact that the winter snow packs were low and conservation of electricity became a concern. During that period Mr. Hoag passed away.
The Lane had its share of postcards which were published internationally, but after the war many of the cards came up with the caption, "Christmas Tree Lane." It is supposed that is where the street actually took its present-day name. | <urn:uuid:b55d591a-edbc-4f2d-9822-9dcd96fb20d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christmastreelane.net/history.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983261 | 510 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Date: January 07 2013
THE NSW Resources Minister, Chris Hartcher, says he has no problem with the energy company AGL drilling for coal seam gas under his house because his government has put in the proper safeguards. Perhaps he could swap houses with the residents of Gregorys Hill near Camden. It's a win-win: a summer holiday on the central coast for them and a gesture from him to reassure a nervous public about the approval processes for coal seam gas.
No matter the risks or otherwise of AGL's plans, few if any Gregorys Hill residents were warned before they bought their properties. They rightly fear their houses will drop in value. Developers are defensive, saying AGL's plans weren't definite enough to specify the risks.
Therein lies a big problem with the way the potentially profitable coal seam gas has been regulated in NSW.
Projects have been on again, off again. Laws have been settled then overhauled. AGL has applied then withdrawn then reformulated its proposals to extend its drilling program across south-western Sydney. And all the while the technology has changed as the scientific research delves into environmental dangers.
The government has focused its regulatory concern on rural areas to counter fears that the drilling can contaminate the water table. Relatively wealthy farmers and rural land-holders have been vocal in raising concerns.
But new home owners in Sydney's outer suburbs are also concerned about the creep of coal seam gas drilling. The practice is not new. It's been conducted around Camden for more than a decade and supplies about 6 per cent of the NSW gas market. But, until now, the drilling has been well away from homes.
AGL proposes to drill 66 wells at 11 surface locations in the Camden and Campbelltown local government areas. Residents at Gregorys Hill face the prospect of wells close to their homes and drilling under them. Many are rightly concerned about potential air, noise and water pollution.
Equally concerning is how little, if anything, they were told about the prospect of such work before queueing to buy land in the area in 2010. The developer Dart West, which is in a joint venture with landowners the Marist Brothers, says there was too much uncertainty at the time about AGL's intentions to make meaningful disclosure to buyers.
But that is scant consolation to those who live there now. ''There was no information about it when we were buying the land,'' said one resident. ''We didn't know when [Dart West] actually knew about it.'' Other developers have taken a more appropriate approach by including a clause about AGL gas projects in sales contracts.
Dart West, which opposes AGL's plan, has done a disservice to its clients by adopting a ''don't ask, don't tell'' approach to the drilling.
Despite genuine uncertainty over AGL's plans, prospective home buyers deserved to know their neighbours might include coal seam gas drills and wells. Many residents invested heavily in the area, now to face the likelihood of their property dropping in price.
Equally, while AGL claims to have letterboxed information about its projects to 9700 homes, including those in Gregorys Hill, some residents remain in the dark about the future of the drilling.
Residents' interests have been similarly overlooked in the past. In 2011, the Herald revealed that the government developer, Landcom, did not disclose to potential buyers of its East Village project, in south-west Sydney, that AGL proposed to drill coal seam gas wells in the area.
Other jurisdictions have retained temporary bans or created buffer zones of up to 2 kilometres to protect urban areas from drilling.
The O'Farrell government bowed to industry lobbying and decided against drawing ''lines on maps'' when its draft strategic regional land use planning policy was released last March. Instead, a ''gateway'' process leads to an independent panel to determine whether a mining project can go ahead.
Liberal and Labor politicians in the Macarthur area have joined residents in their concern about AGL's plans. Submissions have been extended until next month.
AGL says it has told residents what's coming and all is well. O'Farrell says each drilling hole will be no bigger than a teacup.
Home owners at the coalface of rapidly expanding mining development deserve more than glib one-liners.
This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.
[ SMH | Text-only index] | <urn:uuid:31dcfa77-17a3-4c91-8c01-1102e153725d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/editorial/home-owners-deserve-more-than-glib-oneliners-20130106-2cb3e.html?skin=text-only | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973986 | 912 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Happy Memorial MLK Birthday Day. Have you wondered what Dr. King would think of the presidential candidates if he were alive?
“If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community. “The divisions, the stereotypes, the scapegoating, the ease with which we blame the plight of ourselves on others, all of that distracts us from the common challenges we face: war and poverty; inequality and injustice,” Obama said.
But he added that “we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean,” citing homophobia, anti-Semitism and anti-immigrant bias in the black community
“I wasn’t born into money or great wealth, but I had hope!” he declared, bringing the congregation to its feet, cheering and clapping. “I needed some hope to get here. My daddy left me when I was little, but I had hope! I was raised by a single mother, but I had hope! I was given love, an education, and some hope!”
Very inspiring, but some are still wary of the rhetoric if it doesn’t deliver on substance.
Dr. King said the “triple evils” of his day were militarism, racism, and economic exploitation. … In addition, Dr. King said he was “compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor” in the U.S. … Senators Obama and Clinton fail the Martin Luther King Test, miserably. Obama wants to add 100,000 troops to the U.S. Armed Forces, at a cost of over $100 billion – even as he proposes partial withdrawals from Iraq. Clinton seeks 80,000 new soldiers and Marines. As sure as the sun rises, a bigger U.S. military means more wars, and no money for domestic “change.”
The only candidate who would pass the Martin Luther King Test is Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, whose platform for peace, truly universal health care, a living wage, and an end to corporate domination of American life harkens back to that “shining moment” in the Sixties that King mentioned, when there were “hopes” and “new beginnings.”
While I agree that Obama and Clinton are not as good as Kucinich on some of the transcendent issues that concerned MLK, I see no mention here of John Edwards. Comments? | <urn:uuid:3734e7e3-5755-44c8-8266-416f11a1ba35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2008/01/21/the-mlk-test-for-presidential-candidates | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97364 | 528 | 2.09375 | 2 |
I’ve been reading an old article by F.F. Bruce, “When Is a Gospel Not a Gospel?” BJRL 4 (1963): 319-39. Bruce concludes with this:
To sum up, then, we may say that, according to the general consensus of the New Testament teaching, a gospel is not a gospel when:
1. It is detached from the Jesus of history;
2. It gives little or no place to the passion;
3. It exalts human achievement in the place of the grace of God;
4. It adds other conditions to the one which God has declared acceptable (even if those additions be things good and desirable in themselves); or
5. It treats righteousness and purity as things which the truly spiritual man has outstripped.
On the other hand, a gospel is a gospel when:
1. It maintains contact with the Jesus of history, affirming that “this same Jesus” who came in the flesh and died is the vindicated and exalted Lord;
2. It embraces and proclaims “the stumbling block of the cross”;
3. It extends the grace of God to men for their acceptance by faith;
4. It relies upon the power of the Spirit to make it effective in those who ear it; and
5. It issues in a life of righteousness and purity which is sustained and directed by the love of God.
I think is pretty good, accept there is no concrete connection to the narrative of redemptive-history, resurrection needs a mention, and for christology we have the mere fact of Jesus’ earthly existence rather than linking his messianic career and passion together. | <urn:uuid:8077c82b-07e6-41cd-88e4-4ec07b7e66bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.patheos.com/blogs/euangelion/2012/12/when-is-a-gospel-not-a-gospel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935297 | 352 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Giant Crystal Cave's Mystery Solved
for National Geographic News
|April 6, 2007|
It's "the Sistine Chapel of crystals," says Juan Manuel García- Ruiz.
The geologist announced this week that he and a team of researchers have unlocked the mystery of just how the minerals in Mexico's Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) achieved their monumental forms.
Buried a thousand feet (300 meters) below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert, the cave was discovered by two miners excavating a new tunnel for the Industrias Peñoles company in 2000.
The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found: translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet (11 meters) long and weighing up to 55 tons.
"It's a natural marvel," said García-Ruiz, of the University of Granada in Spain.
To learn how the crystals grew to such gigantic sizes, García-Ruiz studied tiny pockets of fluid trapped inside.
The crystals, he said, thrived because they were submerged in mineral-rich water with a very narrow, stable temperature range—around 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius).
At this temperature the mineral anhydrite, which was abundant in the water, dissolved into gypsum, a soft mineral that can take the form of the crystals in the Naica cave.
The new findings appear in the April issue of the journal Geology.
(Related" "Photo in the News: Giant Crystal-Filled Cave Discovered in California" [September 26, 2006].)
The mining complex in Naica contains some of the world's largest deposits of silver, zinc, and lead.
In 1910 miners discovered another spectacular cavern beneath Naica.
Its walls studded with crystal "daggers," the Cave of Swords is closer to the surface, at a depth of nearly 400 feet (120 meters).
While there are more crystals in the upper cave, they are far smaller, typically about a yard (a meter) long.
Nearly the Size of a Basketball Court
The Cave of Crystals is a horseshoe-shaped cavity in limestone rock about 30 feet (10 meters) wide and 90 feet (30 meters) long.
Its floor is covered in crystalline, perfectly faceted blocks. The huge crystal beams jut out from both the blocks and the floor.
"There is no other place on the planet where the mineral world reveals itself in such beauty," García-Ruiz said.
Volcanic activity that began about 26 million years ago created Naica mountain and filled it with high-temperature anhydrite, which is the anhydrous—lacking water—form of gypsum.
Anhydrite is stable above 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius). Below that temperature gypsum is the stable form.
When magma underneath the mountain cooled and the temperature dropped below 58 degrees Celsius, the anhydrite began to dissolve. The anhydrite slowly enriched the waters with sulfate and calcium molecules, which for millions of years have been deposited in the caves in the form of huge selenite gypsum crystals.
"There is no limit to the size a crystal can reach," García-Ruiz said.
But, he said, for the Cave of Crystals to have grown such gigantic crystals, it must have been kept just below the anhydrite-gypsum transition temperature for many hundreds of thousands of years.
In the upper cave, by contrast, this transition temperature may have fallen much more rapidly, leading to the formation of smaller crystals.
To Reflood or Not to Reflood
While the chance of this set of conditions occurring on other places in the world is remote, García-Ruiz expects that there are other caves and caverns at Naica containing similarly large crystals.
"The caves containing larger crystals will be located in deeper levels with temperatures closer to, but no higher than, 58 degrees Celsius," he said.
He has recommended to the mining company that the caves should be preserved.
The only reason humans can get into the caves today, however, is because the mining company's pumping operations keep them clear of water. If the pumping is stopped, the caves will again be submerged and the crystals will start growing again, García-Ruiz said.
So what happens if—or when—the mine is closed?
"That's an interesting question," García-Ruiz said.
"Should we continue to pump water to keep the cave available so future generations may admire the crystals? Or should we stop pumping and return the scenario to the natural origin, allowing the crystals to regrow?"
Free Email News Updates
Best Online Newsletter, 2006 Codie Awards
Sign up for our Inside National Geographic newsletter. Every two weeks we'll send you our top stories and pictures (see sample).
|© 1996-2008 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.| | <urn:uuid:079c95cf-5e61-480e-bb1b-1eb0bcde50a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/82948445.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909941 | 1,030 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Hydrological controls on soil redox dynamics in a peat-based, restored wetland
Niedermeier, A. and Robinson, J. S. (2007) Hydrological controls on soil redox dynamics in a peat-based, restored wetland. Geoderma, 137 (3-4). pp. 318-326. ISSN 0016-7061
Full text not archived in this repository.
To link to this article DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2006.08.027
Increasing areas of altered wetland are being restored by re-flooding the soil. Evidence in the literature indicates that this practice can induce the redox-mediated release of soil nutrients, thereby increasing the risk of diffuse water pollution. However, for the sake of improving wedand management decisions, there is a need for more detailed studies of the underlying relationship between the hydrological and redox dynamics that explain this risk; this is particularly the case in agricultural peatlands that are commonly targeted for the creation of lowland wet grassland. A 12-month field study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between hydrological fluctuations and soil redox potential (Eh) in a nutrient-rich peat field (32 g N kg(-1) and 1100 mg P kg(-1) in the surface 0-30 cm soil) that had been restored as lowland wet grassland from intensive arable production. Field tensiometers were installed at the 30-, 60- and 90-cm soil depths, and Pt electrodes at the 10-, 30-, 60- and 90-cm depths, for daily logging of soil water tension and Eh, respectively. The values for soil water tension displayed a strong negative relationship (P < 0.001) with monthly dip well observations of water table height. Calculations of soil water potential from the logged tension values were used, therefore, to provide a detailed profile of field water level and, together with precipitation data, explained some of the variation in Eh. For example, during the summer, alternating periods of aerobism (Eh > 330 mV) in the surface, 0-10 cm layer of peat coincided with intense precipitation events. Redox potential throughout the 30-100 cm profile also fluctuated seasonally; indeed, at all depths Eh displayed a strong, negative relationship (P < 0.001) with water table height over the 12-month study period. However, Eh throughout the 30-100 cm profile remained relatively low (< 230 mV), indicating permanently reduced conditions that are associated with denitrification and reductive dissolution of Fe-bound P. The implications of these processes in the N- and P-rich peat for wetland plant diversity and water quality are discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Repository Staff Only: item control page | <urn:uuid:2d796060-0ac7-4119-9726-9936148b8675> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/3922/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904669 | 586 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Racism in Euro 2012 Football
Posted by African Press International on June 29, 2012
< Elizabeth M. Koikai, reporting for API in Norway
Racists incidents in the ongoing Euro 2012 Football championships that began in June in Poland and Ukraine have not come as a shock. In fact, such incidents of racism were expected by many. Despite efforts by various Football Associations who have set up anti-racism campaigns to raise awareness of the problem, some countries have already been fined by UEFA because of racists abuse by some fans.
The Croatian Football Federation was charged €80,000 (£64,561) for offences which included the racist abuse of the Italy striker Mario Barwuah Balotelli on Thursday.
Between 300 and 500 Croatian fans started making monkey chants during the Group C match against Italy in Poznan. A banana was also thrown on to the field.
Mario Barwuah Balotelli who is of Ghanaian descent but raised by an Italian family, plays as a striker for Manchester City and the Italian national team. He’s biological parents gave him up for adoption due to life-threatening complications he had as an infant.
Balotelli said before the Euro 2012 championships that he would leave the field if he was subjected to racism. Some anti-racist groups are angered by UEFA claiming that the penalty fee was under-whelming with regard to the seriousness of the incident. Apparently, Croatia was not only punished for the racist abuse that occurred on Thursday but also for its misbehaving fans who set off fireworks and threw them for a second time in Euro 2012. And the invasion of the pitch by a supporter, during the win against Republic of Ireland on Sunday.
Indeed, the Euro 2012 championships are a grim reminder of the dark side of European football that is marred by Neo-nazi and neo-fascist groups.
Recently, BBC televised a documentary called “Stadiums of hate” a month before the tournaments. The report shed some light into racism and the increasing numbers of far-right supporters and white-power movements in most football matches in Poland and Ukraine. British government advice for Euro 2012 is for black or asian fans to take extra care in Ukraine because of the possibility of racist violence.
When Sol Campbell a former English footballer was shown the footage of the documentary, he expressed disgust. When asked by BBC whether he would recommend families to travel to Euro 2012, he responded;
-Stay at home, watch on TV, do not even risk it you could end up coming back home in a coffin.
Problems of racism, and anti-Semitism are a part of every day life in Central and Eastern Europe.The racist abuse directed at black players is an issue that UEFA has failed to properly address. Black or other foreign players playing for clubs in Central and Eastern Europe are subjected to mass monkey chanting and being pelted with bananas every week. The stadiums are usually packed to the brim with football fans doing the nazi salute. The Police officials in the involved countries do nothing to help the players and National Football Federations are in denial of the problem.
There are other countries that were fined due to racist behaviour in the Euro 2012. The German team is the latest to face punishment due to extremist behaviour by fans who displayed a neo-Nazi banner during the Group B match against Denmark on Sunday. Russia were last week issued with a suspended six-point deduction for their Euro 2016 campaign over the behaviour of their fans in Poland and Ukraine, Russian fans also displayed extremist banners during a match.
Many Europeans including some Norwegian football commentators claimed that the BBC documentary “Stadiums of Hate” was inaccurate. And that the tournament would be racism free, they were wrong.
UEFA President Michel Platini has approached the issue of racism in football in a rather slack manner. He could have done plenty to ensure that racism didn’t rear its ugly head at Euro 2012.
Security personnel, for example, could have searched people’s bags at stadium entrances and thrown out bananas when they found them. Mr. Michel could have come out earlier and admitted that racism could be a problem at the tournament, and warned attendants to take certain precautions.
UEFA’s choice of venue could have been more careful. They should have worked together with FIFA to find out the true football atmosphere of these host countries. It is time for these two influential organizations to take the safety of minority players and issue of racism seriously. | <urn:uuid:f1c5fb08-0ceb-4711-a353-53a44e475724> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://africanpress.me/2012/06/29/racism-in-euro-2012-football/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978302 | 909 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Creator: Zacconi, Lodovico, 1555-1627.
Description: This book is the first part of Lodovico Zacconi's "Prattica di musica," published in 1596. The contents of this book are divided in four parts covering: the history of music, definition of musical terms, introduction to musical notation, modes, time and prolation, rules of counterpoint, musica ficta, classification of musical instruments, and proper manner of singing polyphonic works and musical ornaments. A second part, "Prattica di musica seconda parte," was published in Venice in 1622. The library's copy contains the following pagination errors: leaves 30, 67, 124, 130, 134, 188 were numbered incorrectly as 29, 140, 130, 122, 130, 194, respectively. There are two leaves numbered 50, each containing the parts for the alto, bass and tenor with underlaid text "Beatus author seculi" and "Residuo." Each leaf is preceded by another leaf that contains the singing parts for the cantus, quintus and tenor. These are two versions of a polyphonic setting, in duple time and triple mensuration, respectively. In the second example, the words Gloria tibi domine" appear under the cantus and quintus.
Contributing Partner: UNT Music Library | <urn:uuid:8b32281d-8f72-464f-9745-2637a8eea6f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/VRBR/browse/?fq=untl_decade%3A1590-1599 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903041 | 289 | 3.03125 | 3 |
<center>84% say They Quit or Wanted to Quit
1/3 Wish Parents Weren’t Watching
Our local youth sports leagues, coaches and parents need to have a serious time out to think about how they can bring fun back to youth athletic programs.
In a new national survey of children, ages 8-14, who play team sports:
-84% say they sometimes wish they had more fun when playing youth sports
-84% say at one time they quit a team or wanted to quit. Why? 47% say because “it wasn’t any fun.” 29% say some teammates were mean. 23% say there were too many practices that interfered with other activities.
-31% wished adults weren’t watching their games – they say mostly because adults yell too much, are too distracting, make players nervous and put pressure on them to play better and win.
The survey of 300 children, ages 8 – 14, was commissioned by the non-profit arm of i9 Sports, the nation’s first and fastest growing youth sports franchise.
The survey also reveals:
-When asked their #1 reason for playing sports, 56% say to have fun.
-When asked how they feel if their team loses, 63% say they still have fun.
-42% of children surveyed would rather play video games than play sports. Why? 74% of those who chose video games say gaming is more fun than playing sports. 28% say sports can be too competitive. 20% say their coach doesn’t let them play as much as they want to so they’d rather play a video game. 17% say they feel too much pressure to win.
-1 in 5 children have witnessed a physical fight between players. 59% have seen a verbal fight between players and 36% have seen a verbal fight between parents.
-61% say they or their team mates have been called a “not so nice” name while playing sports. Those comments include: “loser,” “midget,” “four eyes,” “you suck buffalo butt and throw like a girl,” “lazy and fat,” “you suck and shouldn’t be on the team,” and one child writes “one time I was called a slow poke and made fun of for running slow and a girl came up behind me while I was at the water fountain and pushed my head and I hit my head on the fountain.” (there are expletives we chose not to include but will give you upon request)
-When asked who called them names, 69% say it was someone on the other team. 35% say it was a teammate. 12% say it was someone else’s parent. One child wrote in “a teacher.” Another child wrote in“the team mom.”
“This survey clearly shows that America needs to reevaluate youth sports which have become too cut throat and competitive and not much fun,” says Brian Sanders, COO and President of i9 Sports, with 500,000 members at 275 locations in 26 states. “We forget sports are teaching tools for life. Kids are learning behaviors picked up by teammates, coaches and parents. We need to be better teachers. We need to let kids have fun. ” | <urn:uuid:084887fa-465a-4830-a4b1-346067c97c52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/forums/viewthread/8095/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985424 | 706 | 2.234375 | 2 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced his subcommittee assignments for the Senate Committee on Appropriations for the 112th Congress. Brown will serve on the following subcommittees that will allow him to advance key Ohio priorities: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Labor Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch, and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies.
“Ohioans of all backgrounds – our farmers and pharmacists, firefighters and engineers, students and seniors – deserve a voice in the corridors of Congress. The Appropriations subcommittees are an opportunity to address their concerns in a very real and meaningful way,” Brown said. “This assignment is an opportunity to advocate for Ohio’s economic development and improve the lives of families throughout our state.”
In July 2010, Brown was selected by Majority Leader Harry Reid and his colleagues to serve on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. Brown is the seventh Ohioan in history to serve on the committee in its 140+ year history. The Appropriations Committee is responsible for setting funding levels for all federal programs that are subject to non-entitlement spending, which accounts for $1 trillion dollars of the $3 trillion budget.
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
One in seven Ohioans have jobs related to agriculture. The jurisdiction of this subcommittee covers the entire United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including rural economic development programs and the Food and Drug Administration. USDA has offices in every county in Ohio to provide technical and financial assistance for agriculture, conservation, and rural economic development. The Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee also directs USDA’s national food and agriculture initiative which funds numerous research programs across Ohio at institutions such as The Ohio State University, the University of Toledo, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster. As the first Ohioan ever to serve on both the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee and the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, Brown continues to be an advocate for the small towns and agricultural communities that are the lifeblood of Ohio.
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Many of the agencies within the jurisdiction of this subcommittee are of critical importance to Ohio, including NASA, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), and key economic development mechanisms. Ohio is home to the only NASA center north of the Mason-Dixon Line. NASA’s Glenn Research Center and its Plum Brook Station date to the beginning of our nation’s efforts in space exploration. Because Glenn is a major economic engine in northeast Ohio, NASA’s budget has a significant bearing on local jobs and economic activity.
Ohio’s economy has been hard hit by trade-related job loss; however, many communities in the state are poised to increase job growth and business expansion in clean energy, green technologies, and sustainable manufacturing. Brown will pursue key investments in programs under the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction, including the Economic Development Administration.
Labor Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
This subcommittee oversees agencies that affect many Americans ranging from children in the Head Start Program, Elementary and Secondary Education students, and America’s seniors through the Administration on Aging.
AmeriCorps, Medicaid and Medicare, the National Institutes of Health, and Pell Grants are also included in the jurisdiction of this subcommittee. Ohio is home to numerous universities and critical research institutions like Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Clinic, The Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, University Hospitals, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and more facilities that benefit from funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Brown will also work on behalf of students at Ohio’s world-class colleges and universities and their families to ensure that college remains accessible and affordable for the next generation of American innovators.
Seniors have not received a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase for two consecutive years. Yet, Congress receives an automatic pay increase. This assignment is an opportunity to address much-needed government reform, including a repeal of the automatic pay raise that Members of Congress receive each year.
Brown has cosponsored legislation that would revise the flawed formula that determines annual COLA benefits so that it better reflects the expenses retirees typically face. Brown has also announced his support of a bill that would prevent the automatic COLA members of Congress receive each year.
Brown also serves on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, where he is Chairman of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee. He is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years and also serves on the U.S. Senate Veterans Committee, through which he has held unprecedented hearings in Ohio on access to VA health care. | <urn:uuid:37b7b1ac-0345-4b55-a62c-f1360806e20a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/sen-brown-announces-subcommittee-assignments-for-powerful-senate-appropriations-committee | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951001 | 1,004 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Biomedical engineering is the discipline of engineering that applies fundamentals from engineering, the basic sciences, the medical sciences, and mathematics to solve problems in medicine and biology and to understand, modify, or control biological systems. Biomedical engineering is the discipline of engineering that is primarily concerned with living systems. Biomedical engineering is a challenging, stimulating, and diverse professional field.
Graduates seek employment opportunities in the medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries or in government agencies. Some graduates seek entry into a professional school (e.g. medical school, law school, veterinary school), or continue their education in graduate school. Biomedical engineers work in many rewarding areas: examples include the design and construction of artificial internal organs, the design and application of the electronics and instrumentation associated with hospital operating rooms, intensive care units, imaging laboratories, and automated clinical laboratories; the development of biomedical computer systems; the functional rehabilitation of disabled persons through the appropriate application and development of technology; the practice of clinical engineering; aerospace medicine, and life science; and basic research. The need for biomedical engineering professionals trained in the basic principles and applications of engineering, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry and the medical sciences is expected to grow as new discoveries arising from modern biotechnology produce new products aimed at improving human health and welfare. A special feature of the Biomedical Engineering Program is that upon or before graduation, students may complete the basic requirements necessary for admission to medical school. The program provides a strong quantitative background for one who wishes to pursue a future medical career. Another feature of the program is that upon completion of the Biomedical Engineering degree program in any of the specialties, the student will be adequately prepared to continue his or her education at the graduate level by pursuing a Master of Science and/or Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Engineering. Continued professional education in business, law, and the basic medical sciences is also possible. Internships are also available to undergraduates to help in making these important career decisions.
Outstanding students from around the world come to Tech for undergraduate or graduate study in biomedical engineering. Undergraduate enrollment in Biomedical Engineering at Louisiana Tech University during the last ten years has consistently ranged between 130 and 160 full-time undergraduates. The program is designed to be large enough to provide the student with a strong academic degree but small enough to give the individual the attention needed to insure academic success. Approximately 50% of the biomedical engineering undergraduate students are from outside the state of Louisiana, about 50% of the biomedical engineering enrollment is female, and approximately 25% is from under-represented minority groups. The program is known as one of the premier programs of the University and of the state.
History of Biomedical Engineering Education at Louisiana Tech University
The Biomedical Engineering Program at Louisiana Tech was established in 1972 with degrees at the B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. levels. Its first chair, Dr. Daniel D. Reneau, is now the President of the University. The B.S. degree was first accredited in 1978 and has maintained continuous accreditation since then. As the seventh ABET-accredited undergraduate biomedical engineering program in the country, Louisiana Tech's Biomedical Engineering program has played a continuous leadership role in defining the nascent field of biomedical engineering, and was one of the first in the country to award a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.
The undergraduate and graduate programs have reputations for producing graduates who are industrious, loyal, and well-qualified for engineering and/or management positions or continuing study at the graduate/professional level. These programs provide an excellent educational environment for our students, with a well-qualified and dedicated faculty and staff, excellent facilities, and a high level of faculty-student interaction. The programs also benefit from the active involvement of a Biomedical Engineering Advisory Board consisting of representatives from our alumni and employers that contribute in a variety of ways to the quality of the educational experience provided to our students.
The Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science (CBERS), formerly known as (CYBERS), has been identified as a Center of Excellence at Louisiana Tech University, first by the Louisiana State Legislature in 1985 when it was established, and recently by the University of Louisiana System in a review of all its colleges and universities. The Center coordinates all biomedical engineering research on the campus, such that strong ties are in place with academic programs in Biomedical Engineering, the other engineering disciplines, the physical and biological sciences, Tech’s Institute for Micromanufacturing (IfM) - another Center of Excellence, and Tech’s Center for Numerical Simulation and Modeling. CBERS and its closely affiliated Biomedical Engineering academic program have long had international acclaim for research, rehabilitation engineering, and service. Through partnership with the world-class facilities and researchers in the IfM, CBERS has developed expertise in the growing BioMEMS field. | <urn:uuid:93bad628-93ca-4b59-bb1a-fd05d760a47b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://coes.latech.edu/biomedical-engineering/index.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956574 | 991 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Placement Testing Information
What is the Placement Test?
FCC’s Testing Center follows Maryland guidelines for skill assessment prior to registration. (See FCC catalogue.) Proficiency in reading comprehension, sentence skills (grammar), study skills, math, and essay writing is measured by taking the placement tests. Developmental skill-building courses will be required when scores do not meet state-mandated cutoffs.
The college utilizes an adaptive, untimed ACCUPLACER test, which means that each answer to a question determines the next test question. This provides a more accurate measure of an individual student’s skills.
Why do students need to take the Placement Test?Placement testing provides information about the best courses for students to begin their college career at FCC.
Who needs to take the Placement Test?
Unless otherwise exempted, all students will be required to take a reading, sentence skills, and math placement test. A writing placement test may also be required.
Students may be exempt from taking some of the placement tests under the following circumstances:
- Scores over 550 on the critical reading and/or mathematics portion of the SAT (If scores are older than five years, you must take the placement test.)
- Score of 21 or higher on the English, reading, and/or mathematics portion of the ACT (If scores are older than five years, you must take the placement test.)
- Students with eligible AP test scores of 3 or better in English Language & Comp, English Literature & Comp and/or Calculus or Statistics
- Students who have earned an A or B in Algebra II or higher in a FCPS high school during their junior or senior year and within the last two academic years
- Eligible transfer credits from another college
Where and when can I take the Placement Test?
Placement testing is done on a walk-in basis in the FCC Testing Center, Library Building, Room L104. Placement Testing Hours are:
Monday through Thursday, 8:30am-7:30pm
Fridays 8:30am-4:30pm (Closed on Fridays May 25 through July 27)
Saturdays 9:00am to noon
Please allow enough time to complete testing, as the Testing Center does close at the above times.
What should I bring to the test?
Students are required to have a picture ID to take a placement test and should also have FCC student ID # with them.
Valid Identification includes:
- Driver’s License
- Employee ID
- Student Photo ID
- MVA temporary photo ID
- Original birth certificate or court change of name in addition to TWO proofs of residence which can be from a long list of things such as property tax bill, rent contract, canceled check with name and address imprint, utility and cable bills, etc.
For their own safety and out of consideration for other testers, under no circumstances are children permitted in the Testing Center or to be left unattended during testing.
How do I get my Placement Test results?With the exception of the writing sample, your score report will be explained to you immediately following testing. You cannot "pass" or "fail" the placement test. Results are used by advisors to help determine course selection.
Students with disabilities
The Testing Center works closely with The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities to provide services for students with ADA accommodations. Students needing special testing accommodations should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office at 301-846-2408. | <urn:uuid:5d84394c-9152-4a73-8528-3fa58cdcbb0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.frederick.edu/register_now/placementtest.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931127 | 725 | 1.8125 | 2 |
„Tabase. Petrus, Willy und Samuel Mazwi, letzterer Lehrer“ (“Tabase. Petrus, Willy and Samuel Mazwi, latter teacher“). The three men are standing in a line, next to each other. They are wearing suits. Petrus Mazwi (right) is wearing a hat, the others are holding a hat in their hands. The surrounding is marked by grazing land and trees.; Petrus, S. Mazwi, born in 1859 in Gosen (South Africa), was an indigenous brother and worked as a teacher in Engotini, Enstwasi and for 20 years in Tabase. In Baziya, he was active as an evangelist, national assistant and teacher in the year 1882. He married Clara Dywili born in 1862) and worked as a missionary assistant from 1895 up to 1900 in Tabase, later in Elukolweni.--William S. Mazwi, born in 1861 in Gosen (South Africa), was an indigenous brother of the Moravian Church. He worked as a teacher in Gosen from 1882 till 1898, as a national assistant in Elukolweni in 1900 and as a mission assistant in Mvenyane (1900), Nxotshane / Griqualand (1904-1931) and Silo (1933). He retired in 1935.--Samuel Mazwi, born in 1835 in Emtweni (South East Africa) was an indigenous brother, teacher and missionary assistant. He went in the missionservice from 1870-86 in South Africa and was active as the first indigenous teacher. He worked as teacher and missionassisant in Hubiland (1871), Tabase (1879), Baziya (1882). Samuel Mazwi married Mariane Sibene and he died in 1886 in Tabase.--Richard Paul Moths, born in 1872 in Kösen (Germany), was a carpenter. In 1899 he married Helene Ledoux. From 1900 till 1948 he worked as a missionary in South Africa East (Silo, Baziya, Tabase). He died in 1950 in South Africa.; c.f. picture no. IMP-HRN-BOX-SAO-3-07575. | <urn:uuid:1b6bda7e-058c-4d11-b4c9-1a1764425f60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15799coll123/id/38923/rec/9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970128 | 473 | 2.609375 | 3 |
ELLICOTT CITY, Md - The Howard County Public School System is applying for a $20-30 million competitive federal grant to support personalized student learning to provide teachers with flexible options for delivering instruction through digital media and to connect student learning to college and high wage workforce development.
The learning environment in twenty participating schools will be transformed to create seamless connections between school and future careers. Through digital technology and blended learning models, students will actively engage in instruction that is connected to their interests, personalized to their needs and strengths and accessible anytime and anywhere.
The project which would be funded through the Race to the Top District grant would impact more than 10,000 students in 13 elementary and 7 secondary Howard County Schools. The school system will apply for this highly competitive federal grant by the submission deadline, November 2, 2012.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:67df21a0-3629-4d1b-96bd-04e89954d33e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/education/howard-county-public-schools-apply-for-federal-grant-to-support-personalized-learning | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945013 | 191 | 1.867188 | 2 |
The Elsa Field
Top Maiolica reservoir depth structure showing range in oil water contact.
The B.R268.RG Permit containing Elsa is located on and at the northern margin of the Jurassic-Miocene Apulian Carbonate Platform. Several commercial discoveries of oil are in close proximity including the Rospo Mare and Ombrina Mare fields on the platform, and the Miglianico field on the platform margin. While the Elsa discovery is analogous to the neighbouring Miglianico Field, numerous additional prospects and leads have been identified both on the platform and at the platform margin in the adjacent acreage.
The Elsa field is located off the eastern coast of Italy, approximately 7 km offshore in around 35m water. The field was discovered by AGIP in 1992 with well Elsa-1, which encountered an oil column of approximately 65m in the Lower Cretaceous Maiolica Formation at a depth of around 4,500m. The reservoir is a dolomitised bioclastic carbonate formed on the basin floor on the northern margin of the Apulian Platform by re-sedimentation of carbonates shed off the platform through gravity sliding and slumping during the late Jurassic/early Cretaceous. Due to casing restrictions, a sub-optimal open hole drill stem test was attempted with both water and oil zones exposed to the wellbore. Oil samples, contaminated with water, recovered from the test string had a reported oil gravity of 15° API. Uncertainty remains over the oil gravity, especially in light of yellow-gold fluorescence reported while drilling through the reservoir, and close proximity to the Ombrina Mare and Miglianico fields, which lie at depths of around 2,900m and 4,800m respectively, but which have API gravities of 18° and 34° respectively. Both Orca and Petroceltic believe that the Elsa field will be commercial at 15° API oil, however several indications give rise to the expectation that the crude gravity may be higher than the 15° API.
Elsa-1 Summary CPI log
The B.R268.RG Permit containing Elsa is located on and at the northern margin of the Jurassic-Miocene Apulian Carbonate Platform. Several commercial discoveries of oil are in close proximity The Elsa-2 appraisal well has the primary objective of confirming the commercial production potential of the reservoir when completed with a 1,000m horizontal drain. Positive results from Elsa-2 will be followed by a 3D seismic survey over the field.
The full field mid case STOIIP potential of Elsa is 410 MMbbl. Recoverable reserves are in the region of 100 MMbbl, depending on oil gravity and viscosity, with a potential development via 8 horizontal wells with 1,000m drain length and pressure support maintained by injection of produced water and gas. Production would be to an FPSO and export via a shuttle tanker.
Central Apennines Exploration
The farm-in agreement with Petroceltic includes equity in eleven offshore exploration permits both on the Apulian Platform and just north of the platform margin. A number of prospects and leads have been identified ranging in age from Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary and having primarily oil and some gas potential. The total prospect inventory including Elsa has a reserve potential of 443 MMbbl. A further programme of seismic acquisition is planned to evaluate more fully the potential of these exploration permits. | <urn:uuid:cf455cd4-f316-4196-86bb-5edee6f5ce35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://orcaexploration.com/operations_Italy_Elsa.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948527 | 703 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Topics :: GLBT students
- 1 thru 10 of 29
- Next »
By Conswella Bennett | Thursday Feb 21, 2013
Tired of funding schools that exclude gays, Georgia lawmakers will introduce legislation that prevents private schools that discriminate from receiving funding.
Monday Nov 7, 2011
November is Homeless Awareness Month and IN THE LIFE examines the plight of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth experiencing homelessness.
By Shaya Tayefe Mohajer | Friday Oct 14, 2011
Coed dorm rooms could be a reality for some UCLA students as soon as next year - but don’t expect campus housing to turn into "Real World UCLA" with strangers of different genders being thrown into the same living situation.
Song Featured in Upcoming ABC News ’20/20’ Special to Benefit Work of GLSEN-led National Safe Schools Partnership
Friday Sep 30, 2011
Austin-based youth band Residual Kid will donate all proceeds from downloads of its song "Can’t Take Me Away," which is featured throughout the upcoming ABC News "20/20" special on the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence "Larry" King, to the work of GLSEN.
Wednesday Sep 28, 2011
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and StoryCorps announced the release of Unheard Voices, a new middle and high school resource that seeks to integrate LGBT people into secondary school curricula.
Thursday Sep 22, 2011
The Hispanic Black Gay Coalition (HBGC) and Greater Boston Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) will host its first annual Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Youth Empowerment Conference.
By MAE ANDERSON | Friday Sep 16, 2011
The "Big Three" teen merchants Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, and American Eagle once defined fashion for fickle teens. But they lost their mojo by not stocking the jeans and tees that their customers covet.
Tuesday Sep 13, 2011
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, will honor Chaz Bono, Michele and Rob Reiner, Wells Fargo, Phoenix Suns President and CEO Rick Welts and the 2011 Student Advocate of the Year at its seventh annual Respect Awards.
By Steve Weinstein | Wednesday Sep 7, 2011
A new online secondary school aimed specifically at LGBT (& "Q," questioning) students provides a recognized high school degree program for anyone in the U.S. It serves a need for those marginalized, bullied -- or those who just want to learn more about themselves.
Thursday Sep 1, 2011
The White House named GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, a Champion of Change for the organization’s two decades of pioneering work to fight bullying, violence and stigma directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
- 1 thru 10 of 29
- Next » | <urn:uuid:0618b97d-645b-461b-b1d0-aad25c7770ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edgesanfrancisco.com/index.php?ch=topics&tag_id=2579 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919571 | 628 | 1.648438 | 2 |
"The man who knows something knows that he knows nothing at all." Badu
A simple pearl of wisdom that holds a delicate truth.
Can you handle that we may not know even half of what we think we do?
Sure the thought is very scary
What if man's wealth of knowledge was just imaginary?
Even the truths you considered legendary
Passed down by scholars considered exemplary
One after another spoon fed the tales of fairies
Truth is we couldn't handle the truth
I'll bet it's raw and gritty and sure to uproot
All beliefs, all customs, and all lies...
We have no clue; it's just safer to pretend we do.
Typhani M. Roberson | <urn:uuid:b6f5fed2-ae43-4ae1-bb03-a4460ffc5843> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.poetrysoup.com/poems_poets/poem_detail.aspx?ID=281853 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964529 | 148 | 1.648438 | 2 |
At a Council held at New Bern on Thursday the first Day of December 1757
His Excellency Produced to the Board a Letter to his Excellency Saml Martin Dated 19th Jany 1757 In which were Inclosed a Copy of an Affidavit Sworn by Alexander Duncan Mr. Rutherfords Clerk before the provost of Edenburg.
A Copy of a Letter wrote by the Honorable John Rutherford Esquire to the Lords of Trade and Plantation complaining among other things of Distractions and confusions in the Country &c.
And also a Copy of the Right Honorable the Lord Walpoles report on said Letter to the Lords of Trade and plantation were Severally read and Mr. Rutherford was called up by his Excellency to shew what reasons
His Excellency then produced to the Board Sevl printed Notes for sums of Money under the hand & seal of the Honble James Murray Esqr thereby promising that the same should be accepted by the Receiver General or his Deputy in payment of his Majestys Quit Rents which said Notes were Countersigned and accepted by the Honble John Rutherford his Majestys Receiver General.
William Walker Sheriff of Newhanover County was Sworn and Deposed that by particular Directions of Mr. Rutherford he received some Quit Rents due out of Newhanover County to the amount of about £120 in the Notes Issued by Mr. Murray and some are accepted by Mr. Rutherford.
That in last Spring was a year he got a Rent Roll from Mr. Rutherford which he had for about a Month the last Spring had it again for about a Month.
Hugh Fullerton was Sworn and deposed that he received from one Benjamin Morrison ten Notes of Mr. Murray for 20s each which said Mr. Murray thereby Promised should be received by the Receiver General in Payment of his Majestys Quit rents that not having any Quit Rents to pay tendered said Notes to Mr. Murray who refused to give him Proclamation Money for them.
Joseph Carruthers Esquire Sheriff of Craven County was sworn and Deposed that he was Employed to receive some Quit rents by Mr. Rutherford and it was agreed he should retain in his hands part of the Money to be received to be apply'd in Discharge a Debt of £568 17s 94d due to the Estate of Joseph Anderson late Attorney General deceased and that he allowed Mr. Rutherford £88 15s 14d for so doing and gave him a discharge for the full sum of £568 17s 9¼d
Ordered that a Proclamation do issue to forbid the several Receivers of his Majesties Quit Rents and the Several Sheriffs of the Respective Counties in this Province to receive the said notes or Bills in payment of any Arrears sum or sums of Money that now is or hereafter may become due for his Majesty's Quit Rents or any public Taxes in this Province.
The Eleventh Article of his Majesty's Instructions to his Excellency was read.
His Excellency produced a Letter wrote to him by Robt Palmer Esquire his Majesties Surveyor Genl setting forth that the Line carried on from Cold Water by Lord Granvilles Surveyors is much more Southerly than the Line Extended to that place by the Commissions which was read and ordered to Lye over for further Consideration.
Jasper Hardison was sworn and deposed that for three successive Sundays before the sitting of the present Assembly be posted on the Chappel of Ahunty in Tyrrel County being the next to the Lands of Harding Jones Esqr a Public notification that the said Harding Jones would apply at the then next session of Assembly for a Bill to Dock the Intail of his said Lands
Jeremiah Vail was Sworn and proved that a like notification was posted upon the Church of New Bern for other Lands of the said Harding Jones in the County of Craven.
Read the Petition of John Rice setting forth that at a Meeting of the Council in May last upon a Petn preferred by the Petr in relation to certain Patents claimed by the Petitioner and detained in the Secretarys Office. It was Ordered that both these Patents and those in his hands should be produced to a committee composed of the Council for their Inspection and that all such as appeared with an upright Countenance should be returned to the Petitioner
That in conformity to said order Petr delayed not to lay before the Honorable Committee the Patents he had in his hands which were Examd and returned to him but with regard to those in the office nothing was done, And praying that the said order may nevertheless operate with respect to those in the Office and have its due and full effect at this Juncture
Whereupon it is Ordered that the same be referred to a Committee of Council Vizt Mr. Corbin, Mr. Rutherford and Mr. Spaight or any two of them whereof Mr. Corbin to be one
At a Council held at New Bern on Monday the 5th Day of December 1757.
His Excellency and the Council sat in Chancery and went thro' the Dockett
Upon motion of Saml Swann Esquire it is Ordered that William Milton Sheriff of Onslow County be discharged from the attachment Issued agt him upon his paying the contempt Fees.
Ordered that Emanuel Jones also be discharged from the process of Contempt Issued against him upon his paying the Fees.
Read and Granted Several Warrants and Patents for Lands as per Warrant and Patent Books.
Read the Petn of Thomas Lovick Esquire Praying a Patent on a Warrant obtained by his son George Pheney Lovick in the year 1746 which was rejected.
Upon reading the Petn of Philip Wilkeson of Bladen County Setting forth that in October 1756 he Entered into a Recognizance for the appearance of one Anthony Ivy charged with Bloodshed and Battery by Shooting the Petitioners Son William Wilkeson thrō the Thigh which said Anthony Ivy has since absconded and absented himself out of the Province and also setting forth that notwithstanding that the petitioner has since satisfied and paid unto his said Son, William Wilkeson his Damages which he sustained by the said Anthony Ivey that the said Recognizance is put in suit agt him. Whereupon it is Ordered that the said Recognizance shall not be Escheated nor any process be Issued thereon until the further order of this Board shall be obtained and that the Execution of any process Issued thereon shall stop and surcease in the mean time.
Upon motion of Mr. Swann ordered that a Patent be made out for John Stack for 640 Acres of Land in Bladen County on his plans returned this Court.
Read the Petition of William Morrison setting forth that he hath obtained a Warrant for 100 Acres of Land on Crooked run in Craven County Adjoining to the Lands of Vincent Amiet the Lines of whose Lands the Petr is unacquainted with praying a Warrant of Resurvey of the said Vincent Amiet's Lands on Crooked run afd. in order to ascertain the same which was granted.
Ordered that a new Commission of the peace and Ded s do issue for the County of Chowan and that Chas. Blount Joseph Hewes, John Craven, George Browning Thomas Bonner Timothy Walton, James Alston, Joshua Bodley, Wm Boyd and Robert Beasley, be added as Justices.
At a Council held at New Bern on Tuesday the 6th Day of December 1757
Read and granted some Warrants for Land.
At a Council held at New Bern on Friday the 9th day of December 1757.
Hugh Fullerton having been summoned at the desire of the Honourable James Murray to explain his Evidence given to this Board on Thursday the first day of December Instant in Relation to the said James Murrays Notes appeared and was Sworn and Deposed
That he received from Benja Morrison ten Notes of James Murray Esqr for 20 shillings each which said Mr. Murray thereby Promised should be Received by the Receiver General in payment of his Majesties Quit Rents that he Tendered the same to Mr. Murray who refused to give him Proclamation Money for them but said he would accept them in payment of any Debt to him or for any Commodity he had to sell.
Thomas Gibson and James Nichols having neglected to appear pursuant to the order of Monday the 28th of November 1757
The Board proceeded upon said former order and read the affidt of Plunkett Ballard, Robt Love and James Simpson and also read two several Petns one Intitled the petn of the Justices of Cumberland County and the other of the Freeholders of said County and it appearing to the Board that the said Thomas Gibson had made use of several opprobrious expressions Reflecting on his Excellency the Governor and also that the said Thomas Gibson and Jas. Nichols had behaved in a very Indecent and Illegal Manner upon some tryals had at the last County Court held for the County of Cumberland, and it also appearing that Thomas Armstrong is a Person of bad character,
It is ordered that the said Jas Nichols and Thos Armstrong be struck out of the Commission of the peace for said County.
At a Council held at New Bern on Monday the 12th of December 1757
Mr. Rutherford gave into the Board a Writing Intitled the Explanation of John Rutherford Esquire Receiver General of his Majesty's Quit Rents of certain parts of a Letter therein mentioned, and his answer to certain Articles of charge against him which was read by the Clerk.
Joseph Carruthers Esquire being called upon appeared and was sworn and produced an account on which he Tendered his name and which he says is a true copy of the account settled with Mr. Rutherford and that he allowed him the sum of £88 15s 1¼d therein mentioned as a consideration for the payment of the remainder to the best of his knowledge, saith that the said sum of £88 15s 1¼d was taken by agreement for the consideration aforesaid and that no other account was then mentioned. That Mr. Rutherford said give me a Receipt for the whole sum of £568 17s 9¼d and I will allow you to retain the sum of £488 2s 8d upon which said Joseph Carruthers was ordered to withdraw.
And a Question being put by his Excellency Whether the honourable John Rutherford Esquire Receiver General of his Majestys Quit Rents in Giving the preference to Joseph Carruthers Esquire Sheriff of the County of Craven in Payment of the Debt due to Mr. Anderson late Atty Genl and deducting the sum of £88 15s 1¼d as a consideration for so doing be Guilty of a Misdemeanour in the Execution of his office as Receiver General or not,
Resolved in the affirmative Nem: Con: Except Mr. Murray who sayd he was not satisfyed and did not chuse to vote.
Another Question being by his Excellency Vizt Whether Issuing printed notes under hand and seal and thereby promising the same should be accepted by the Receiver General in payment of his Majesties Quit Rents doth not tend to Depreciate the present Paper Currency of this Province
Resolved in the Affirmative that it has a tendency to depreciate the Present Paper Currency of this Province in proportion to the sum issued
Ayes—Mr. Rowan Mr. Hasell Mr. Corbin Mr. Swann Mr. De Rossett Mr. Rieusett Mr. Dobbs Mr. Spaight
Upon motion of Mr. Corbin in behalf of Lord Granville It is ordered that Directions be given by the Surveyor General to the several Deputys of Anson County not to survey any Lands within five miles each side of the Line run by Chas Robinson Ex Parte in the year 1751.
Read and granted Several Warrants and Patents for Land as per Warrant and Patent Books.
At a Council held at New Bern on Wednesday the 14th day of December 1757
Read part of a Book Intitled an Account of the £10000 Grant being John Starkeys Account upon Oath Vizt
New Bern—Jeremiah Vail has paid only £17.7.0 from the beginning of the Line, nor can I get any account the suit is brought on the Bond
Jeremiah Vail attended pursuant to summons and proposed to give security to his Excellency in the penalty of £1800 conditioned to account upon Oath within three months and to pay in within a year the Balance of the accounts remaining in his hands as receiver of the dutys on Liquors Imported into Neuse River and to give the Security within a week, and proposes as security George Moore Esquire and Colonel Lovick who are approved of
And said Jeremiah Vail having resigned the Office of Receiver of the Dutys on Spiritual Liquors imported into Neuse River, His Excellency in Council was pleased to nominate Richd Fenner (who was proposed by one of the Members of the Council as a Proper Person) to execute said office and that he give Bond according to Law
Read his Majestys 67th Instruction to his Excellency the Governor and in virtue thereof his Excellency was pleased to suspend Mr. Rutherford as Receiver General of his Majestys Quit Rents, and the said Mr. Rutherford is accordingly suspended as Receiver General of his Majestys Quit Rents until his Majesties pleasure be known.
And on account of the Issuing the Printed notes under hand and Seal by James Murray Esquire promising the same should be accepted by the Receiver General in payment of his Majestys Quit Rents
And the same being agreed to be accepted in payment of his Majestys Quit Rents by John Rutherford Esqr Receiver General of his Majestys Quit Rents
His Excellency was pleased to suspend the said James Murray and John Rutherford Esqr as Members of his Majestys Council for this Province, and the said James Murray and John Rutherford are accordingly suspended until his Majestys pleasure be known
Ordered that John Gibbs and —— Cole be added as Justices in the next Commission of the Peace for Bladen County.
Ordered that a new Commission of the Peace and Deds do issue for Rowan County and that Hugh Waddell, John Dunn and Morgan Bryan Junr be added in the Commission and that Joseph Tate and Squire Boon be left out they not having Qualified
Ordered that a new Commission of the Peace and Deds do Issue for Carteret County and that Charles McNaire, Reuben Parker and David Rogers be added as Justices
Ordered that a new Commission of the Peace and Deds do Issue for the County of Johnston and that John Shine and Henry Goodman be added as Justices and that James McIlwaine Simon Bright John Herrin and Gilbert Kerr be left out they refusing to Qualify and that Richd Cogdell be also left out, he not residing within the County
Ordered that a new Commission of the Peace and Deds do Issue for the County of Cumberland and that Jonathan Evins Alexander McAlister, Philip Dill, James Thornton, Joseph Livingston and Arthur Donnelly be added in the Commission and that Thomas Gibson James Nichols Thos Armstrong —— Rayford and —— McKysack be left out.
At a Council held at New Bern on Thursday the 15th Day of December 1757
Ordered that Edmund Atkins Esqr be added to the next Commission of the Peace for the Countys of Anson and Rowan immediately after the Members of his Majesties Council
Thomas Whitmell Extr of John Gray produced an abstract of the Journal of the Council dated the 28th June 1746 whereby it appears that the sum of £231.5.0 old Tennor was due to said John Gray for continuing the dividing Line between his Majesty and Lord Granville, and also a note in writing signed by John Rutherford Esqr late Receiver General setting forth that no debenture or Certificate had appeared for Services by Wm Gray or John Gray nor money paid to his knowledge. Whereupon it is ordered that upon the said Thomas Whitmells Entering
Said Thomas Whitmell also produced an Abstract of the Journal of the Council dated the 18th day of September 1737 whereby it appeared that the sum of £77.8.11 Sterling had been due to him on the like Account. It is ordered that a Warrant for said sum do issue to the Representative of the said William Gray upon his Entering into Security (and Lodging the same in the Secretarys Office) to Reimburse said sum, or any part that may appear to be paid.
Mr. Spaight Informed the Board that he had several Patents for Lands which were granted to Colo Wm Wilson Deceased and are marked on the Back to be Recorded in the Secretarys Office, thō no Entrys of the same can be found, and Prayed that the same Patents may be now Recorded which was Granted and ordered accordingly
Mr. Corbin and Mr. Spaight to whom the Petn of John Rise was referred reported to the Board that they had viewed and taken an abstract of Several of the Patents in said Petn mentioned and find that very few of them are either Countersigned by the Secretary or Recorded in the Secretarys Office Altho' mentioned to be Recorded.
Whereupon and upon viewing said Patents It is Ordered that the Secretary take an Exact List of the said Patents and that the said John Rise bring in the several Patents in his Custody in order that an Exact list be taken of them also, and that upon the said John Rise's giving Security in the Penalty of —— Proc. Money, Conditioned that he will not part with any of said Patents out of his hands until they are countersigned by the Secretary and Recorded and every three months return an Account of what he shall do in the Premises That such of said Patents as appear to be Dated and audited be delivered to the said John Rise. | <urn:uuid:e2cc2e2a-5755-4638-88d3-2dc8b7b6f7a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.html/document/csr05-0312 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978751 | 3,761 | 1.601563 | 2 |
When I was downtown yesterday I picked up the latest copy of Victoria Street Newz. It comes out every month it seems, and is distributed on street corners by sad looking examples of Victoria's unemployable underclass. The only truthful word in this rag is in the top corner next to the title: "All the news that fits, we print." That is to say, its entire content consists of material that is kneaded, chopped and stretched to fit its Marxist philosophy. The poor sots who sell this nauseating mess have no idea that they are being used, nor do they have a clue that the policies and programs advocated in the paper will make them poorer not richer. The history of the twentieth century is largely a story of the contrasting fates of countries that fall under communist rule compared with countries that embrace private property, free enterprise and individual freedom.
Communism isn't new. Different forms of it have been tried over the centuries by differing cultures. Medieval monasticism is a form of communism, as were many of the radical religious sects that settled in North America. Hutterite communities are quite prosperous. It seems that a religiously sanctioned code of behaviour helps ensure that everybody does his share of the work.
Marxism is a modern version of communism. It is anti-religious, claiming that religion has been an instrument used to enslave "the masses." Marxists never think in terms of actual human beings, who they despise, but of the masses, who they see as a dumb herd to be manipulated.
Russia was the first nation to have the misfortune to fall under the Marxist spell. A creaking absolutist monarchy, Russia in 1917 was nevertheless a rapidly modernizing state. Public education was improving, industrialization was progressing, and the country had become an important world power. All that was to change in the wake of the First World War. Defeats on the battlefield led to civil unrest and fledgling Marxist groups were there to take advantage of the situation by taking seizing control of the Democratic government that had overthrown the Romanov tsar. After several years of fighting, Lenin's Bolsheviks emerged as victors. One of the first things they did was to hire more police to arrest anyone who objected to the dictatorship they established. But this was just the beginning.
In 1929 Stalin, who became communist party boss after the death of Lenin, instituted collectivization on the farms of Russia and the Ukraine. What this meant was that all land owned by private individuals was taken over by the state. The farms were then reorganized along communistic principles. The results of this policy weren't long in coming. By 1933 and estimated 7,000,000 Ukrainians had died of starvation on what has been one of the world's premier grain growing regions since the days of the Greeks. Some way to fight poverty.
You would think that one such example would be enough to warn the world. But no. The next Marxist triumph took place in China. Stalin's Bolsheviks were pikers compared to Mao.
The Japanese attack on China in the '30's had disrupted its society sufficiently to make it susceptible to the new disease. After the Japanese were defeated by the U.S. in 1945 a civil war in China broke out between a number of factions. The Nationalist faction, led by Chiang Kai-Shek eventually lost to the more ruthless Marxists of Mao Tse Tung. This turned out to be one of the greatest human catastrophes of all time.
"The Great Leap Forward" was the Chinese version of collectivization in the Ukraine, but Mao's results far surpassed Stalin's. Accurate figures are hard to obtain, but well-informed estimates range from 20,000,000 to 45,000,000 dead before the program ran its course. Mao's response? "When there is not enough to eat, people starve to death. It is better to let half of the people die so that the other half can eat their fill." It's not so much different from David Suzuki's remark that half the world's population would have to die to preserve the planet.
These facts are well known. Let me emphasize- whenever and wherever Marxists have taken power the people's paradise of their promises turns out to be the people's hell. Why, then, are there still so many apologists for Marxism, or the Marxism-light version we know as big government? It's easy to come up with explanations but hard to say if any of them are true.
Most people would rather not think of these things. After all, what can the average person do? I don't know for sure, but at the very least we should pay very close attention to the personalities who vie for office, and especially the frauds who put out propaganda like the Victoria Street Newz. I have never been able to decide if they are motivated by malice or if they are just stupid. If it's stupidity, then it at least has to be willful stupidity. If it's malice then we have to ask why they hate the human race. If they do hate the human race, then I can only postulate that it is themselves they hate. Howe strange. They claim to represent the interests of the poor. In fact they are the poor's worst enemies. To them the poor are nothing but tools for their agenda and are completely disposable. I'll try to parse the contents of the magazine in my next post.
We have had a persistently grey and dull weather pattern here in Victoria recently so I suppose it's a good time to think about these dark things. | <urn:uuid:2ad27766-21e0-4a8d-9e1e-46d508ec24e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://victoriaontheright.blogspot.com/2011/01/enemies-of-poor.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980061 | 1,135 | 1.960938 | 2 |
- The University
- Academic Calendar
- Student Financial Aid
- Student Housing and Dining
- Student Services
- Student Life
- Research Organizations
Progressing Toward a Degree
A double major is a program for a single degree in which all requirements for two or more majors (curricula) have been met. The majors (curricula) may be in different colleges or within the same college or department. The diploma and permanent record will designate all majors (curricula) that are completed at the same time.
To declare a double major (curriculum), students should complete the form, “Request for a Double Major/Curriculum or Two Degrees.” This form, available from advisers and classification offices, should be completed at least one term prior to graduation. One major (curriculum) should be designated as primary and the other secondary for purposes of record keeping, but the student’s rights and responsibilities are the same in both majors. The adviser of the primary major will serve as the student’s registration adviser, but both advisers will have access to the student’s information. Degree programs must be approved for each major (curriculum) by the appropriate department and college. One of the majors may subsequently be canceled using the same form.
Students in the College of Engineering are able to earn a degree with a second major/curriculum as long as the second major/curriculum is within another college, meets all requirements of the additional programs and contains a minimum of 15 additional credits beyond the requirements for a B.S. degree in engineering for each additional area of study. A student with multiple curricula within the College of Engineering is permitted to earn only multiple degrees. All requirements for each curricula must be met plus an additional 30 credits for each curricula being pursued beyond the curriculum which requires the most credits.
Students with a primary major in another college who wish to take a second major in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are not required to meet the Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education requirements. They must, however, meet all requirements for the major, including complementary courses. Students in the B.L.S. curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences do not have majors. | <urn:uuid:dca07539-6ab5-4f0b-88e9-12f8573944d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.public.iastate.edu/~catalog/2009-2011/geninfo/doublemajor.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951456 | 462 | 2.25 | 2 |
How to draw Manga, Rin from Blue Exorcist. How to draw Manga, Rin from Blue Exorcist.
How to draw Manga, Rin Okumura from Blue Exorcist. 青の祓魔師 Learn how to draw Manga, Anime, and comics. Drawing and sketching anime technique for manga, cartoon and comics. Learn to draw with tips from a professional concept artist and illustrator Xia Taptara.
It is a lot easier when you start drawing a character and you can break down each part of the face in to simple geometry form first. You also have to make sure the distance of each component (eyes, nose, lips, chin, eyebrows, etc.) have to be accurate. That can be done correctly by measurement or you can just eyeballs or guess your best at it. You can always practice it even when you are not drawing to keep your brain stimulated. It is a lot easier to draw once you observe the over all shape of the object or person you are trying to draw. I usually start of using sphere or circle as a base for character’s skull, then next step would be figuring out the next geometry form to fit into the image.
About Blue Exorcist, also known as Ao no Exorcist (青の祓魔師 Ao no Ekusoshisuto?) in Japan, is a manga written and illustrated by Kazue Kato.
About Rin Okumura (奥村 燐 Okumura Rin?)
The fifteen-year-old protagonist of the story, Rin is the son of Satan born from a human woman and is the inheritor of Satan’s powers. His powers were sealed at birth into the demon-slaying blade Kurikara, or Koumaken, by Mephisto Pheles, allowing him to live a normal human life for about 15 years. Rin became aware of his true identity after Kurikara could no longer seal the blue flames he inherited from Satan, setting off a chain of events that led to the death of his guardian, Father and Exorcist Fujimoto Shiro, at the hands of Satan, who attempted to drag Rin back to the demon realm. Exorcist Mephisto Pheles confronted Rin after Shiro’s funeral with several exorcists, giving Rin the option to kill them all or die. Rin instead demanded to become an exorcist, an idea that amused Mephisto. Rin was then enrolled personally by Mephisto into the True Cross Academy Exorcist School, where he has since been pursuing his goal to become a Paladin and to defeat Satan. He is currently an Exwire and attempting to gain the title of Meister as a “Knight”.
Here is an easy construction sheet for Rin drawing
Watch the video tutorial How to draw Manga Rin from Blue Exorcist 青の祓魔師.
Here are step by step easy to follow sketch images to help you draw along with the video tutorial. | <urn:uuid:143029e0-01bc-4e83-b550-43994bbd7028> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://idrawgirls.com/tutorials/2011/10/24/how-to-draw-manga-rin-from-blue-exorcist/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956488 | 626 | 2.53125 | 3 |
by Laura Hillenbrand
Library Journal The author of Seabiscuit now brings us a biography of World War II prisoner of war survivor Louis Zamperini (b. 1917). A track athlete at the 1936 Munich Olympics, Zamperini became a B-24 crewman in the U.S. Army Air Force. When his plane went down in the Pacific in 1943, he spent 47 days in a life raft, then was picked up by a Japanese ship and survived starvation and torture in labor camps. Eventually repatriated, he had a spiritual rebirth and returned to Japan to promote forgiveness and healing. Because of the author's popularity, libraries will want this book both for general readers who like a good story and for World War II history buffs; however, it's not essential reading for those who read Zamperini's autobiography, Devil at My Heels, with David Rensin, in its 2003 edition. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/10.] (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly From the 1936 Olympics to WWII Japan's most brutal POW camps, Hillenbrand's heart-wrenching new book is thousands of miles and a world away from the racing circuit of her bestselling Seabiscuit. But it's just as much a page-turner, and its hero, Louie Zamperini, is just as loveable: a disciplined champion racer who ran in the Berlin Olympics, he's a wit, a prankster, and a reformed juvenile delinquent who put his thieving skills to good use in the POW camps, In other words, Louie is a total charmer, a lover of life-whose will to live is cruelly tested when he becomes an Army Air Corps bombardier in 1941. The young Italian-American from Torrance, Calif., was expected to be the first to run a four-minute mile. After an astonishing but losing race at the 1936 Olympics, Louie was hoping for gold in the 1940 games. But war ended those dreams forever. In May 1943 his B-24 crashed into the Pacific. After a record-breaking 47 days adrift on a shark-encircled life raft with his pal and pilot, Russell Allen "Phil" Phillips, they were captured by the Japanese. In the "theater of cruelty" that was the Japanese POW camp network, Louie landed in the cruelest theaters of all: Omori and Naoetsu, under the control of Corp. Mutsuhiro Watanabe, a pathologically brutal sadist (called the Bird by camp inmates) who never killed his victims outright-his pleasure came from their slow, unending torment. After one beating, as Watanabe left Louie's cell, Louie saw on his face a "soft languor.... It was an expression of sexual rapture." And Louie, with his defiant and unbreakable spirit, was Watanabe's victim of choice. By war's end, Louie was near death. When Naoetsu was liberated in mid-August 1945, a depleted Louie's only thought was "I'm free! I'm free! I'm free!" But as Hillenbrand shows, Louie was not yet free. Even as, returning stateside, he impulsively married the beautiful Cynthia Applewhite and tried to build a life, Louie remained in the Bird's clutches, haunted in his dreams, drinking to forget, and obsessed with vengeance. In one of several sections where Hillenbrand steps back for a larger view, she writes movingly of the thousands of postwar Pacific PTSD sufferers. With no help for their as yet unrecognized illness, Hillenbrand says, "there was no one right way to peace; each man had to find his own path...." The book's final section is the story of how, with Cynthia's help, Louie found his path. It is impossible to condense the rich, granular detail of Hillenbrand's narrative of the atrocities committed (one man was exhibited naked in a Tokyo zoo for the Japanese to "gawk at his filthy, sore-encrusted body") against American POWs in Japan, and the courage of Louie and his fellow POWs, who made attempts on Watanabe's life, committed sabotage, and risked their own lives to save others. Hillenbrand's triumph is that in telling Louie's story (he's now in his 90s), she tells the stories of thousands whose suffering has been mostly forgotten. She restores to our collective memory this tale of heroism, cruelty, life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption. (Nov.) -Reviewed by Sarah F. Gold (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Book list A second book by the author of Seabiscuit (2001) would get noticed, even if it weren't the enthralling and often grim story of Louie Zamperini. An Olympic runner during the 1930s, he flew B-24s during WWII. Taken prisoner by the Japanese, he endured a captivity harsh even by Japanese standards and was a physical and mental wreck at the end of the war. He was saved by the influence of Billy Graham, who inspired him to turn his life around, and afterward devoted himself to evangelical speeches and founding boys' camps. Still alive at 93, Zamperini now works with those Japanese individuals and groups who accept responsibility for Japanese mistreatment of POWs and wish to see Japan and the U.S. reconciled. He submitted to 75 interviews with the author as well as contributing a large mass of personal records. Fortunately, the author's skills are as polished as ever, and like its predecessor, this book has an impossible-to-put-down quality that one commonly associates with good thrillers. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This departure from the author's previous best-seller will nevertheless be promoted as necessary reading for the many folks who enjoyed the first one or its movie version.--Green, Roland Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. | <urn:uuid:514f4fc5-1bdc-4665-8270-345cb4e98adb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.youseemore.com/arl_ppl/hotpicks.asp?isbn=9781400064168&Author=Laura+Hillenbrand&Title=Unbroken | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97164 | 1,288 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Political Science at Asbury University
Aristotle famously quipped that man is by nature a political animal, and throughout history humans have indeed lived and worked primarily in social communities, ranging from small tribes and towns to vast nations. The field of political science provides opportunities for students of every age to study systematically how human societies organize and govern themselves. Students in Asbury University’s political science program join a centuries old conversation that begins with simple questions about governing arrangements, but that leads to profound questions about the nature of man, the nature of justice, and how humans should structure their political lives and institutions.
Why Political Science?
The primary goal of the program is to develop students with a deep understanding of, and critical orientation toward, the realm of politics. Students who complete the program will have extensive knowledge about:
- Politics, government institutions, and political ideologies in America
- Major political thinkers across the ages
- The close relationship between politics and economics
- The multiple forms of government besides our own
- How nations influence one another
- The general historical record of political regimes over time.
Students will also bring analytical acumen to all matters of politics and government, and will be able to articulate strengths and weaknesses of all major political forms and ideas.
Political Science within the Wesleyan perspective
As with other programs at Asbury, the study of politics is undertaken here against the backdrop of a Wesleyan understanding of the Christian faith, and amidst the time honored traditions of a liberal arts education. A Wesleyan perspective suggests that Christ can redeem individual humans and strengthen their social relationships and their institutions. But the perspective also implies that human institutions cannot themselves provide salvation for individuals or states, nor can governments meet all human needs. The liberal arts tradition suggests that politics is best studied within the broader context of literature and art, theology, philosophy, and the other social sciences. Asbury political science students therefore develop well-rounded baccalaureate programs that range across the disciplines. | <urn:uuid:033b80c1-4ddf-4b62-ac93-33abab59d0c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/business-econ/political-science | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937124 | 401 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The college's eagle cam, mounted atop a pole near the birds' nest, is now live.
The pair first showed up in March and built a nest in a pine tree close to the main entrance of the school's athletic and recreation center. Students, faculty and staff have visited to catch a glimpse of the eagles.
The birds were seen building a nest, but were gone by April. They returned in October and were seen mating in November. It wasn't known whether or not any eggs had been laid.
Last year, there were 142 documented nesting pairs of bald eagles in Georgia. Of those, 111 were successful in producing 175 eaglets.
Click here to view Berry's eagle cam online | <urn:uuid:461e74d9-dee6-4a54-a501-6ed6c503f6fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepolkfishwrap.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Berry+College+eagle+cam+lets+public+see+eagles%20&id=21194220&instance=home_local_news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990383 | 145 | 1.710938 | 2 |
- Created on Friday, 03 October 2003 04:02
- Written by Petra Lattmann
In order to prove that LaundryESP's objectives were met, the program conducted four surveys to collect supporting data. Program participants, representing 75 percent of the overall laundry production in the industry, helped create a baseline by digging back in their records to establish usage in 1997 and 1998, and in the same survey, reported their 1999 efforts to attain the four objectives.
"I've done some preliminary analysis on the '97-'99 data that showed we were making good progress towards the goals, said David Dunlap, environmental affairs & information technology director for UTSA. "We had about a five to six percent reduction in the water and energy use in just those three years."
With the 2002 survey collection just completed, Dunlap and his team will first conduct a quality control assurance procedure that will check for anomalies in the data. This scrutiny will ensure that data entry mistakes or obvious miscalculations are rectified before an estimated one month analysis effort of all six concurrent years of data (1997-2002) begins sometime in September.
"The primary goal has been to show how environmentally sensitive and friendly the laundry industry can actually be, and that it benefits everybody, whether they were an actual participant in the LaundryESP program or not," said Dunlap. "We raised the bar by setting ambitious, voluntary environmental conversation goals for our industry."
Dunlap added that while the program's funding came from the operating budget of both UTSA and TRSA, the participating companies spent their own time and resources to collect the yearly data. Overall, 90 percent of the required surveys were submitted, an excellent return rate given the voluntary nature of LaundryESP.
The benefits of this program to the participating companies are threefold. First, it provided an incentive to internally measure energy and water consumption rates per laundry room pound, helping companies benchmark and then explore methods of improving their process. At the same time, these companies were reviewing the types of chemicals they used and discovering better ways to control the amount of pollutant discharge. By volunteering their confidential information to a third party (LaundryESP), the submitted data also gains increased validity.
Second, when the industry-wide results are available, these companies will be able to compare their own gains in operating efficiency and environmental stewardship to an industry average, and use the information to demonstrate their leadership role in environmental concerns to current and prospective customers.
Last, but not least, the companies will be publicly recognized for their efforts in Q1 2004, when UTSA and TRSA hold a general press conference in Washington, D.C., including possible participation by government dignitaries, to announce the comprehensive impact of the LaundryESP program.
"I think that we are going to have some excellent results and the best thing for the laundry industry is to continue the ESP program," said Dunlap.
Quick Rinse - News From Around The World
LAUNDRY FIRE – Guests Evacuated
CHEEKTOWAGA, NY — A fire in a Days Inn laundry room forced guests to evacuate the building during the evening hours. The fire which began in a dryer was contained to the laundry room and there were no injuries. | <urn:uuid:2f6b2cbf-f966-4851-a7d4-2aa026f51ad7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.laundrytoday.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/earth-friendly-37/411-laundryesp-update-conservation-program-gets-ready-to-release-results?fontstyle=f-smaller | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956569 | 671 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Rubik's Professor Cube (5x5x5)
Object: Mix up and put back to start
Difficulty: Level 10 - Mind Boggling
Type: Rubik's Cube
Dimensions: 2 3/4 in x 2 3/4 in x 2 3/4 in / 7 cm x 7 cm x 7 cm
Rubik's Professor Cube® is the most complex of all Rubik's Cube levels. Its siblings and predecessors bow down to the challenge this one introduces to the user. Newly tooled and released, this is a long awaited puzzle for Rubik's fans looking for a piece of nostalgia and those who have just learned how fun Rubik's products can be.
Average Customer Rating
Disclaimer: These reviews are written by our customers. Puzzle
Master makes every attempt to keep these posts informative and relevant. If
you find a post objectionable or inappropriate, please let us know by sending
an email to email@example.com
On Monday January 10th Nicholas Bodley wrote,
"Newly tooled" is extremely good news!
I bought one of these roughly two years ago, and it was so horribly stiff and uneven in torque (also unlubricated) that it was a disgrace to the good name of Rubik (It was a genuine Rubik, very likely). One would get RSI from attempting to solve it. Tooling was, well, essentially careless; it was possible to turn it, but that was all.
When I complained to the vendor, they sent me a replacement that was just as bad. I did try to disassemble it; the center cubies were sealed (solvent, thermal, or ultrasonic welding?) so one couldn't get at the screws (no complaints about that). Without access to the screws, it couldn't be disassembled much. That one's mechanism had been elaborated somewhat, so it was very unlikely to start to come apart; it's likely, though, that this one has that same mechanism, properly engineered in detail. I have quite-high hopes!
Please evaluate this one's appropriateness for speed cubing. If it qualifies, that's just great! If it's tiled, instead of having just stickers, that's even better.
I rated it 4 because I haven't seen nor tried one out, yet.
On Tuesday March 24th Keith wrote,
I just bought this puzzle yesterday. I have no complaints :D. This is a great puzzle, it turns well and everything.
On Wednesday January 14th Griffin wrote,
The Rubik's 5x5 is a great puzzle, but without knowledge of the 3x3 and 4x4 it would be quite difficult. If you have already mastered the Rubik's cube and the Revenge I highly recommend taking a whack at this one.
* Exchange rates shown are estimates only, and are based on current rates provided by the
Bank of Canada.
The rates charged to you by PayPal or your Credit Card company may vary slightly from
those shown above. | <urn:uuid:16cd31f0-35bd-41af-84ab-0c673268bbe2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.puzzlemaster.ca/browse/cubepuzzle/vcube/500-rubik-s-professor-cube-5x5x5-?image=6768 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973956 | 625 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a hugely popular self-help technique that teaches you how to break free from destructive or negative behaviours and make positive changes to both your thoughts and your actions. CBT Journal For Dummies offers a guided space for you to keep a record of your progress, used in conjunction with either CBT For Dummies and/or alongside consultation with a therapist.
This book features an introduction to CBT, followed by a guided 100-day journal. Each chapter focuses on a new CBT technique, with information on how to use the journal space and assessment advice. Topics covered include; establishing the link between thoughts and feelings; preventing 'all or nothing' thinking; turning mountains into molehills; focusing on the present; using emotional reasoning; avoiding over-generalising; thinking flexibly; keeping an open mind; assessing the positives; coping with frustration; tackling toxic thoughts; naming your emotions; comparing healthy and unhealthy emotions; working through worry; defining your core beliefs; adopting positive principles; and much more.
- Has a removable band, leaving a discreet black journal
- The small trim size makes it perfect to use on the go
- A CBT 'thought for the day' appears on alternate blank pages
- Content is progressive, encouraging you to keep working through the following days
- Coverage is generalized enough to be applicable to every user of CBT
If you've already purchased a copy of CBT For Dummies or CBT Workbook For Dummies, or are just looking for a practical new tool to develop your thinking, CBT Journal For Dummies is your one-stop guide to keeping track of your post-session homework. | <urn:uuid:a8cb459c-af99-425f-a143-f276147aad59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dummies.com/store/product/CBT-Journal-For-Dummies.productCd-1119975352.html | 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 | 0.910472 | 344 | 2.84375 | 3 |
- GETTING READY FOR 2016:
A Call to Action
- Action Item:
- Go Digital
- Year Accomplished:
Throughout the 2012 summer and into the fall school season, Cowpens National Battlefield developed a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Upstate in order to expand National Park Service education programs, and the use of parks as places of learning.
Cowpens National Battlefield strengthened itself as an education institution in two ways. We utilized Youth Partnership Program funds to bring Boys and Girls Clubs to the site, and provided pre-site outreach and education programs prior to their visits at the schools and clubs in person.
Children of all ages worked in teams to create their own national parks. The ranger led activities allowed children to illustrate the features that most parks share in common, and allowed the students to creatively add their own unique ideas to the themes, significance, and content of their parks. At the end of each activity children presented their ideas and the audiences voted on which parks would be developed and subsequently preserved and protected for further generations. | <urn:uuid:e60bbff4-fe4a-4b1f-a89c-aa37992b6274> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nps.gov/resources/2016.htm?id=6093DFBC-1DD8-B71C-078E82E8A32A68C9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956986 | 216 | 2.046875 | 2 |
A few years ago, the conventional wisdom was that no more innovation was possible in the world of online mapping. After all, didn't MapQuest from Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX ) AOL own the category?
Of course, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG ) proved the conventional wisdom wrong when it launched a variety of mapping applications last year. In fact, those map-themed rollouts were key drivers for traffic at the search giant.
Continuing to push innovation, Google purchased @Last Software this week. The company develops a software tool, made for newbies as well as professionals, called SketchUp, which allows for the creation of 3-D designs. You can create a mockup of a building, for example, and then use those images in a high-end computer-aided-design (CAD) product, such as from Autodesk (Nasdaq: ADSK ) .
So, what does any of this have to do with mapping? Well, @Last Software launched a plug-in for Google Earth, which is available both for Windows and Apple's Mac. Imagine that you want to see how a house would look in a certain setting. With the @Last program, you can design that house on a particular map location. This ability would come in handy for someone making a presentation to a developer as well as to someone just looking to build their dream house.
In fact, SketchUp offers a variety of monetization opportunities. Through Google, users have an easy way to advertise for local contractors and materials if they're designing a house using the program. Thinking even bigger, Google itself could use the software to develop navigation systems or even build games -- say, an alternative to a flight simulator. And Google's extensive mindshare in the mapping world affords it the luxury of being able to sell premium versions of SketchUp. Currently, the company sells the software for $500 per user, which looks like an easy way to soak up high-margin revenues.
But one thing is certain: When it comes to online mapping, Google still has the right stuff. And local search is considered the next big area for the major portals, with the key being a competency in mapping. Google has been fairly visionary on this front -- and most importantly, it's making key investments and acquisitions to push as hard as possible.
Time Warner is aMotley Fool Stock Advisorrecommendation. For more of Tom and David Gardner's picks, check out Stock Advisor free for 30 days.
Fool contributor Tom Taulli does not own shares of companies mentioned in this article. | <urn:uuid:a7954b89-39b7-4d47-a4a2-7390957d8bf6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2006/03/16/google-new-perspectives-in-mapping.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95299 | 531 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Small Airplane Lands On Road Near St. Cloud Airport
10/23/2012 - 3:45 AM
Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott cited rain and poor visibility as factors that lead to a single engine airplane to land northwest of the St. Cloud Regional Airport on Sherburne County Road 90 Tuesday afternoon.
The aircraft was flown by 67-year-old Bruce Deckinga of Petoskey, Michigan. Deckinga and two adult passengers were flying back to Michigan after a trip to the Dakotas. Deckinga had scheduled a stop at the St. Cloud Regional Airport to refuel.
No one was injured and no damage was done to the plane or vehicles on the road.
The Federal Aviation Administration was notified and will investigate the incident.
Subscribe to what interests you. More information about podcasts and software. | <urn:uuid:b93baa82-02d2-443c-b6ac-2c9dba32cb3a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kvsc.org/archive/news-detail/small-airplane-lands-on-road-near-st-cloud-airport-10-23-2012/4074/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944322 | 171 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘Palindromes’
March 13, 2013 | by Sadie Stein
- “An Estonian man has returned a library book sixty-nine years late, partly blaming a World War II aerial bombing that damaged the library for the late return.” They bought this excuse; no fine was levied.
- “Maurice, aged seven, drew the illustrations for ‘They Were Inseparable,’ and his brother Jack, who was twelve, composed the text. The book was dedicated to their sixteen-year-old sister with whom they were both infatuated.” Avi Steinberg on the Sendak family.
- Is this the best palindrome of the year? (Were there others?)
- The Bloomsbury guide to surviving London disasters.
- The nominees for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (née Orange Prize) have been announced. | <urn:uuid:28a478b0-b110-44dd-914b-f803baf97fd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/tag/palindromes/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971903 | 194 | 2.171875 | 2 |
|a division of Home School Legal Defense Association||Updated August 2007|
Practical Ways to Reform the Child Welfare System
In recent years it has become frighteningly common for homeschoolers to be wrongfully accused of abuse and neglect on hotlines to state child welfare departments. Individuals who do not like homeschoolers can simply make an anonymous phone call and fabricate abuse stories about their neighbors. Social workers then have a legal obligation to investigate. Some statistics show that up to 60 percent of children removed from their homes by social workers were taken away from their parents without probable cause of abuse. Approximately 30 percent of reports that are investigated include only one child found to be a victim of abuse or neglect. Fifty-eight percent of the reports are found unsubstantiated.1 Under this system, which ignores due process of law, many innocent families are subjected to harassment.
Each state has different policies regarding social workers. However, social workers usually want to enter the family’s home and interrogate the children separately. To allow either exposes the family to great risk. Every week, Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) attorneys counsel member families and intervene to protect them from social worker “fishing expeditions.” Unfortunately, the child welfare system sometimes ends up abusing the very families it is supposed to help. To address this problem, HSLDA is working to reform state child welfare laws. We support legislation that would protect families by forcing social workers to abide by the same laws regular law enforcement officials must obey.
The five areas most in need of reform are:
- Anonymous Tips: Child welfare laws should be amended to require all reporters of child abuse to give their names, addresses and phone numbers. This will curtail false reporting and end harassment stemming from anonymous tips.
- False Reporting: Child welfare laws should be amended to make false reporting at least a class C misdemeanor.
- Probable Cause/Warrant: Social workers must be held accountable to the same Fourth Amendment standards as the police. A warrant must be obtained before a social worker can enter the home without consent of the parents.
- Access to Records: Many times homeschoolers who are investigated by social workers are denied access to the records of their investigation. Child welfare laws should be amended to allow victims of the system to inspect their records in order to seek recourse.
- Prohibition of the Violation of Parent’s Constitutional Rights: The recognition of parental rights is important to create an even playing field during child welfare investigations.
As long as social workers continue to operate outside the bounds of the Constitution, the privacy and parental rights of all Americans will be jeopardized. These amendments to state laws will provide parents with significant protection from child abuse investigations.
Court Decisions Upholding Fourth Amendment Rights
In the Face of Social Worker Investigations
HSLDA has defended many homeschool parents from unconstitutional investigations by social workers. Below are excerpts from significant appellate court cases which HSLDA won, clarifying the rights of parents when faced with an investigation by a social worker.
The Alabama Court of Appeals vindicated an innocent homeschool mom, the victim of an anonymous tip, by striking down a lower court order that allowed the social worker to enter the home. The court declared:
We suggest, however, that the power of the courts to permit invasions of the privacy protected by our federal and state constitutions, is not to be exercised except upon a showing of reasonable or probable cause to believe that a crime is being or about to be committed or a valid regulation is being or about to be violated ...
The “cause shown” [in this case] was unsworn hearsay and could, at best, present a mere suspicion. A mere suspicion is not sufficient to rise to reasonable or probable cause.
Although home schoolers have continued to fight back in the courts to protect themselves, statutory changes in state child welfare codes will be more effective in preventing abuse by the system before it happens.
This Fourth Amendment right case was originally filed February 24, 1995, by HSLDA on behalf of Robert and Shirley Calabretta in the Eastern District of California federal court. A Yolo County policeman and social worker had forced their way in the home over the objections of the mother. Based simply on an anonymous tip in which the tipster merely said she heard a cry in the night of “No, Daddy, no!” from the Calabretta home. After the coerced entry, interrogation of the children, and the strip search of a 3-year-old, no evidence of abuse was found and the officials ended the investigation.
At the trial level, District Court Judge Lawrence K. Karlton ruled that unless there is evidence of an emergency, a social worker and police officer investigating a report of child abuse must have a warrant. The Court clarified that the Fourth Amendment applies just as much to child abuse investigations as it does to any other government search and seizure. An anonymous tip or mere suspicion is not enough to meet the standard of probable cause.
Although the government appealed, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, on August 26, 1999, unanimously affirmed the lower court decision. Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld wrote the opinion for the three judge panel. The court declared that the social worker’s act of forcing the mother to pull down the 3-year-old's pants:
invaded...the mother’s dignity and authority in relation to her own children in her own home. The strip search as well as the entry stripped the mother of this authority and dignity. The reasonable expectation of privacy of individuals in their homes includes the interests of both parents and children in not having government officials coerce entry in violation of the Fourth Amendment and humiliate the parents in front of the children.
This landmark decision of Calebretta v. Floyd, et al, makes it perfectly clear that social workers are bound to obey the U.S. Constitution when investigating child abuse cases. With respect to the Fourth Amendment, the Ninth Circuit settled the social worker question once and for all. No longer can social workers enter a home without either a warrant or probable cause of an emergency. Child Protective Services agencies are not exempted from the Fourth Amendment’s prohibitions against illegal searches and seizures.
Bill and Shereelynn Koehler narrowly avoided a court-ordered home investigation by social workers when on Friday, February 9, 2001 a New Jersey court of appeals “summarily reversed” an earlier court order to allow the investigation. The court of appeals upheld a parent’s right to refuse a social services investigation of an uncorroborated anonymous report.
Earlier, following an anonymous tip to the New Jersey Department of Youth and Family Services, a social worker visited the Koehler home. The Koehlers, relying on their Fourth Amendment right to be safe and secure in their own home, refused to allow the social worker to inspect their home and to interview their children. The social worker petitioned a New Jersey court for an order to investigate the Koehler home.
On February 6, 2001, the trial court used the false, anonymous tip to justify home invasion by social workers into the Koehler home. The judge observed that the New Jersey child abuse investigation statute authorizes a court to investigate when it is “in the best interest of the child.”
HSLDA immediately filed an emergency application to block the order and appeal the decision. The court of appeals granted the emergency application for a stay and gave both sides a short time to supply additional legal briefs.
On Friday, February 9, 2001, after reviewing the briefs of all parties, the appellate court struck down the order to investigate the Koehlers. The court explained, “[a]bsent some tangible evidence of abuse or neglect, the courts do not authorize fishing expeditions into citizens’ houses.” The court went on to say, “[m]ere parroting of the phrase “best interest of the child” without supporting facts and a legal basis is insufficient to support a court order based on reasonableness or any other ground.”
Instead, as the court said, “The home is often the ‘last citadel for the tired, the weary, and the sick,’ and one of the primary purposes of government its to protect the ‘well-being, tranquility, and privacy’ of the home.”
“Frankly, it is difficult to conceive how a social worker, whose work is directly governed by state law and regulation, could claim to have a reasonable belief that a warrantless removal that is expressly prohibited by state law and regulation is somehow permitted by the Constitution.”
The Stumbos’ troubles began in September 1999 when their 2-year-old daughter slipped outside halfway through dressing—without any clothes—to chase her new kitten. Although an older sibling retrieved her a few minutes later, it was too late. A passerby reported the family to social services.
Two hours later, a social worker showed up at the Stumbos’ door, demanding to enter their home and privately interview each child. At HSLDA’s advice, the Stumbos refused to let the social worker in.
Despite having no probable cause for entry and private interviews, the social worker convinced a judge to issue a court order forcing the family to comply. HSLDA immediately challenged the order, but the North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld it, deciding that the order did not constitute a “search” under the Fourth Amendment. The Stumbos then appealed to the supreme court, which heard the case in February 2002.
Finally, on July 16, 2003, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled 7-0 against the Department of Child Protective Services, declaring that the department did not have a legitimate basis to even begin an investigation of the Stumbo family.
In the majority opinion, Justice Robert Orr, called the Stumbo case “a circumstance that probably happens repeatedly across our state, where a toddler slips out of a house without the awareness of the parent or caregiver—no matter how conscientious or diligent the parent or care giver might be.“
Orr further stated that, “such a lapse does not in and of itself constitute ‘neglect’.”
The majority opinion did not address the Fourth Amendment issue of whether there was probable cause to order the parents to submit to the interviews for the Stumbo’s other children. However, the court issued a concurring opinion indicating that the Fourth Amendment applies in child abuse investigations. And in this case, there was not sufficient evidence to justify an order requiring the parents to submit their children for interviews.
Penalty for False Reporting
Any person who knowingly or maliciously makes a false report of any type of child abuse or neglect shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor and shall be fined five hundred dollars (500) for making a false report. Such person shall also be liable to any injured party for compensatory and punitive damages. [Alabama, S. 679]
Requirements for Social Workers to Obtain a Warrant
In the absence of imminent danger, prior to entrance into a home, to remove a child, or for any other reason for which they might seek entrance into a home without consent of the parents, employees of the Department of Human Resources shall be held to the same standard as law enforcement personnel, and shall be required to obtain a warrant, similar in form to a search warrant, issued only on affidavit sworn to before the issuing judge or magistrate authorized by law to issue search warrants and arrest warrants, establishing grounds for issuing the warrant on probable cause, or shall be required to file a dependency petition and receive a pre-adjudication removal order from a judge of competent jurisdiction. [Alabama, S. 679]
Prohibition of Anonymous Tips
The division shall not investigate any such report unless the person making such a report provides to the division such persons name, address and telephone number. The division shall not require the taking of a telephone number if the person making the report does not have a telephone. [Missouri, H.B. 30]
The Right to Obtain Investigation Records
Any person who is the subject of an unfounded report or complaint made pursuant to this chapter who believes that such report or complaint was made in bad faith or with malicious intent may petition the circuit court in the jurisdiction in which the report or complaint was made for the release to such person of the records of the investigation. Such petition shall specifically set forth the reasons such person believes that such report or complaint was made in bad faith or with malicious intent. Upon the filing of such petition, the court shall request and the department shall provide to the court its records of the investigation for the courts in camera review. The petitioner shall be entitled to present evidence to support his petition. If the court determines that there is a reasonable question of fact as to whether the report or complaint was made in bad faith or with malicious intent and that disclosure of the identity of the complaint would not be likely to endanger the life or safety of the complainant, it shall provide to the petitioner a copy of the records of the investigation. The original records shall be subject to discovery in any subsequent civil action regarding the making of a complaint or report in bad faith or with malicious intent. [Virginia Code section 63.1-248.5:1 (C)]
Government Agency Violation of Parents Fundamental Rights Prohibited.
Child protective services shall not contradict the fundamental rights of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children. [1997 Tex. Gen. Laws 1022]
(b) No state agency may adopt rules or policies or take any other action which violates the fundamental right and duty of a parent to direct the upbringing of the parents child. [1997 Tex. Gen. Laws 1225]
Similar Amendments Offered by HSLDA to Congress
The following amendments were offered to Subcommittee on Select Education of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce during a hearing for the reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) on October 16, 2001.
The five areas where child welfare laws most need reform are:
1. Anonymous Tips: As a condition of receiving federal funds, CAPTA should be amended to mandate states to require all reporters of child abuse to give their names, addresses and phone numbers. This will curtail false reporting and end harassment using anonymous tips. CAPTA should be amended by adding subsection 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(A)(xiv):
provisions and procedures to assure that no reports shall be investigated unless the person making such a report provides such person’s name, address and telephone number and that the information is independently verified.
2. False Reporting: As a condition of receiving federal funds, CAPTA should be amended to mandate that states make it at least a class C misdemeanor to knowingly make a false report. U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(A)(iv) should be amended to add:
. . .and penalties for any individuals who knowingly or maliciously makes a false report of any type of child abuse or neglect that includes- a provision stating that such persons shall also be liable to any injured party for compensatory and punitive damages
and a provision requiring that all reporters be informed of the penalties for false reporting and that the call is being recorded. (e.g. Connecticut).
Twenty-seven (27) states have penalties for false reports in their child welfare code.
3. Specific Declaration of the 4th Amendment Probable Cause Standard: Social workers must be held accountable to the same 4th Amendment standards as the police and other law enforcement authorities. As a condition of receiving federal funds, states should be mandated to declare in their state code that a warrant, supported by probable cause, must be obtained before a social worker can enter the home without consent of the parents. Social workers and those subject to an investigation should be put on notice of the constitutional standards. CAPTA should be amended by adding subsection 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(A)(xv):
provisions which specifically require that in the absence of imminent danger, prior to entrance into a home, to remove a child, or for any other reason for which they might seek entrance into a home without consent of the parents, social workers shall be held to the same standard as law enforcement personnel, and shall be required to obtain a warrant, issued only on a sworn affidavit that establishes probable cause. (e.g. Oklahoma, Alabama, Minnesota, New Hampshire, South Carolina).
Only seventeen (17) states have even a minimal mention of 4th amendment standards.
4. Requirement that Individuals Have the Right to Know Allegations and Certain Rights: Individuals subject to investigation for child abuse allegations should have the right to know the allegations and be informed of their 4th Amendment rights. CAPTA should be amended by adding subsection 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(2)(A)(xvi):
Provisions and procedures which require states to inform individuals subject to a child abuse investigation of the specific allegations and their rights under the 4th Amendment of the United States Constitution to refuse entry into their home. (e.g. New Jersey).
Only fourteen (14) states have any requirement that social workers inform suspects of their rights. Only five (5) of those states require the social worker to reveal the allegations to the suspected parent.
5. Specific Recognition that Reasonable Corporal Discipline by Parents is Not Child Abuse: As a condition of federal funds, states should be required to recognize reasonable corporal punishment as not abuse. Many parents are routinely investigated for engaging in traditional discipline for children. The child abuse definition in CAPTA should be amended in 42 U.S.C.S 5106g(2):
The term child abuse and neglect does not include reasonable corporal discipline that does not result in a physical injury. (e.g. Texas, Minnesota, Alabama).
Thirty-six (36) states have such provisions.
Copyright 2007, Home School Legal Defense Association. Reprint permission is granted.
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, Child Maltreatment 2003 | <urn:uuid:6007c461-2c8a-494c-86ae-e0bb135d8c2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000058.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948433 | 3,761 | 2.328125 | 2 |
“Yes, I can be cruel; I have been taught by masters,” is one of those phrases that figure prominently in the lore of Hollywood dialogue. The words were uttered by Olivia de Havilland as Catherine Sloper, her role in The Heiress that won her the Golden Globe for the Best Leading Actress in a Drama of 1950.
Adapted from the successful play of the same title by Augustus Goetz, which in turn was adapted from Henry James’ 1881 novel “Washington Square,” and carefully and meticulously directed by William Wyler, The Heiress turned out to be one of the finest artistic achievements of Paramount Studios for that year.
De Havilland triumphed with her subtle portrayal of a plain and naïve woman controlled by her dominating father (Ralph Richardson,) who falls for a handsome suitor (Montgomery Clift,) only to be abandoned by him when her father threatens to disinherit her. She will assert her vengeance years later when, after her father’s death and her assumption of his wealth, the suitor returns to try to win her back.
The play is regularly reprised on Broadway; and in 1997 the film was remade, not as successfully, under the title Washington Square, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Albert Finney and Ben Chaplin in the starring roles, under the direction of Agnieszka Holland.Read More »
On the eve of her tribute by the Academy
By Silvia Bizio
Sophia Loren set many standards throughout her long film career, while showing a unique ability to combine her Mediterranean beauty and sex-appeal with a humorous and sympathetic approach to all her roles. Glamorous though she was, “La Loren” was always able to provide a high degree of credibility to her portraits of real women. It’s no coincidence that she grew up as an actress in the Italian neo-realistic film movement in the ’50s and ’60s.
Ms. Loren has won many acting awards in her long career, including five Golden Globes. An appearance at the last Golden Globes garnered her a standing ovation, testament to the warmth she still inspires in Hollywood. She won her Best Actress Academy Award for Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women, in 1962, the first time in Oscar’s history for a foreign actress playing a foreign language role. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences is honoring her again Wednesday, May 4, 2011, an event that sold out in a few minutes, this time to celebrate her life and career with a special tribute. The gala evening, hosted by Mrs. Loren’s good friend Billy Crystal and organized together with Italian actress Jo Champa, will include clips from many of Loren’s past films and personal remarks by her friends and colleagues in Hollywood and from abroad.
“A tribute like the one the Academy is dedicating to me is exciting, overwhelming,” she says. “I think people see me as a normal person, not as a movie star or an icon, but as their friend. Even when I meet people on the street, I can perceive a familiar attachment; they give me a smile, a handshake.” She believes that people’s affection for her comes from the leading roles she played in Hollywood productions. “Many of my most successful American movies I did are comedies, such as Houseboat, It started in Naples, Man of La Mancha, a quite dramatic movie about Don Quixote, but with some musical scenes. When I first came here, I could not play any other role because, speaking English with an Italian accent, I was always seen as an Italian-in-America. Actually it was not effortful at all because I barely knew English. But maybe it was Desire Under the Elms, my first important dramatic role, to put me to the test as an actress. I was 22 years old.”
“My love story with the American film industry, and Hollywood in particular, has been wonderful,” continues Ms. Loren, who has lived for many years in a large villa north of Los Angeles with her husband Carlo Ponti. He was the legendary Italian producer who discovered young Sophia and launched her film and TV career, and with whom she eventually had two children – Carlo, now an orchestra conductor, and Edoardo, a film director. She presently lives in Geneva, Switzerland. Ponti passed away four years ago.
Star of dozens of Italian films, Ms. Loren’s relationship with Hollywood dates back to 1957, when she worked in Stanley’s Kramer’s The Pride and the Passion; with Frank Sinatra and Cary Grant in Eugene O’Neil’s Desire Under the Elms in 1958. “The moment I arrived in Hollywood, I felt like I was in a fairytale,” she says. “But I was also coming from a cinema which was very strong at the time, with directors like De Sica, Rossellini, Antonioni. It was not difficult to develop many friendships here, even though I never really left Italy – or better yet, Naples – in my heart.” Among the many friends, she still cherishes the memory of at least three: “Cary Grant, of course. Then Charlie Chaplin, an extraordinary friend of mine, he was always very close to me. And also George Cukor.”
“I owe my shape and good health to the spaghetti,” says the down-to-earth Neapolitan star, whose real name is Sofia Scicolone. She chose the name Sophia Loren, suggested by her then-”sponsor” Carlo Ponti, as her stage name. Her surname is too often mispronounced: it’s Loren with the accent on the “o”, not on the “e”…
“Every woman should be a mother, because every woman is a mother, and being a mother is the most beautiful thing a woman could aspire to.” Still a working mom, Ms. Loren was recently seen on the big screen in Nine, Rob Marshall‘s musical inspired by Fellini’s 8 1/2, and in the Italian made-for-TV movie My House is Full of Mirrors. In 1994, she famously parodied herself in Robert Altman‘s Ready to Wear, re-enacting with her frequent co-star Marcello Mastroianni the hilarious bedroom scene they played in 1963 in De Sica’s comedy Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Ms. Loren also appeared along with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon in “Grumpier Old Men (1995).
About Italian contemporary cinema she says, “Nowadays, I think Italian cinema is good. There are many young and very talented directors who made great comedies, young and talented comic actors too. I am Love has been more successful here than it has in Italy. Great! This means that Italian movies can be exported.”
Ms. Loren is considered an icon and an inspiration to many younger actresses. Monica Bellucci, another Italian beauty “gone global” has often credited Sophia Loren for her motivation to start acting. ”My dream of becoming an actress was born when I saw La Loren in films such as Two Women and A Special Day, says Ms. Bellucci. “Sophia’s beauty never shadowed the humanity of her characters nor the depth she gave to her roles; the glamour she often played with has never put aside the real woman she is, nor the real women she portrays in such a believable way and in everything she does.” Sophia Loren echoes her: “I consider myself a wife and a mother first and foremost, then an actress.”Read More »
By Yoko Narita
The Festival Internacional de Cine En (FICG 26) took place in Guadalajara, Mexico from March 25 to April 1, offering interesting Spanish language cinema and several colorful local events, one of which was evening of fun professional wrestling matches a la Jack Black‘s Nacho Libre in a ring in the middle of a tent. The crowd went wild and Tequila glasses flew.
Their main venue was at the very modern and huge Convention Center where movies were screened. A vast breakfast terrace was the general meeting place to exchange information and conduct interviews. About 200 films were screened, a majority were in Spanish, and all were subtitled in English. The crowd was mostly young and enthusiastic, from the nearby University.
There was Diana Bracho, a famous Mexican actress on the red carpet, and our Hollywood friend Eva Longoria came to support the festival. Particular focus was on animation, documentary and student films, and there was a retrospective of the noted German director, Werner Herzog. There was even an Israeli cinema sidebar. One film that was enthusiastically received was Tequilla, Historia Una Pasion, a love story, with Edward Furlong in a supporting role.
Director of Difusion Eduardo Castaneda welcomed us and offered a tour of Tequila, some 50 miles north of Guadalajara, where we learned that tequila is made from blue agave. Agave offsprings ( hijelos) are cut, keeping the mother plant( pinas) and the cone is shredded. Then they ferment its sweet juice. The Mexican government is very protective about tequila and only allow it to be produced in Jalisco state.Read More »
Eric Bana, seen recently in Hanna, talks about his favorite movie fight scene.Read More »
Actress and filmmaker Jodie Foster talks about directing her third film, The Beaver.Read More »
The ladies of HOT IN CLEVELAND tell us why they think their hit TV show strikes a chord with women today.Read More »
HOLLYWOOD, CA, April 28, 2011 – Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) President, Philip Berk, announced today the timetable for “The 69th Annual Golden Globe® Awards.”
The deadline for Motion Picture and Television submissions is Friday, November 4. Nominations will be announced Thursday, December 15. Rules and submission forms may be obtained online at www.goldenglobes.org/entryforms/index.html.Read More »
By Philip Berk
If we go back half century, long before the emergence of the blockbuster, when moviegoing was an essential part of American life, we discover an amazing fact: the one genre that consistently attracted the biggest audiences was musicals.
In the fifties and sixties musicals still dominated but essentially they were Broadway adaptations (South Pacific, Funny Girl, Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls, and The Music Man) not surprisingly the work of composers who cut their teeth working in Hollywood.
And during those years no less than three best picture Oscars and Golden Globes went to musicals: West Side Story, My Fair Lady, and of course The Sound of Music.
But then in the seventies they almost completely disappeared. Fortunately the Hollywood Foreign Press had created a separate category for musicals/comedies in 1952. The first movie to win that Golden Globe was a Hollywood original, American in Paris. (Unfortunately the following year that honor went to With a Song in My heart, not Singing in the Rain generally considered the best musical of all time. But even the Academy overlooked that one.) But the rest of the decade went to Hollywood versions of Broadway hits. Thus began the steady decline of the Hollywood musical, which reached its nadir in mid 70s when musicals more or less disappeared.
Why? You could blame it on rock ‘n roll, MTV, or the changing public taste. But thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. the genre was kept alive. During that period best picture Golden Globes were awarded to Coalminer’s Daughter, Yentl, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Evita.
But in the twenty years following Hello Dolly! which at the time of its release (1969) was mourned as the last of the expensive studio musicals, there were but a handful of screen musicals, among them, Man of La Mancha (a resounding flop) Paint Your Wagon, Finian’s Rainbow, Mame, and The Wiz, all sorry failures. And one blockbuster Grease, which even though it was based on a Broadway musical, derived its success not from the genre but from its star, the overnight phenomenon, John Travolta.
But then with he new millennium there was an unexpected resurgence of the musical starting with Moulin Rouge, and quickly followed by Chicago, Dreamgirls and Sweeney Todd, all Golden Globe best picture winners. Hopefully the musical will continue to thrive…
One final irony, almost every musical currently playing on Broadway is adapted from old movies including Catch Me if You Can, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Billy Elliot, La Cage au Folles, Mary Poppins, The Addams Family, and Phantom of the Opera.
What comes round goes round.Read More »
By Scott Orlin
The summer of 2011 is shaping up to be a true ‘sequel’bration’ as such titles as The Hangover, Kung Fu Panda, Transformers, Cars, Harry Potter, The Fast and the Furious, X Men and Pirates of the Caribbean will park their next cinematic installments at theaters.
And thus begins the great debate: is this art or economics? Why is this wave of film familiarity sweeping the movie making process? Let’s face it: nothing excites Hollywood more than making money, and creating the franchise has proven to be one of the surest and safest ways to achieve that. When the Coca-Cola Company purchased Columbia Pictures back in 1982 (subsequently sold to Sony in 1989), they did an extensive research study into what was the safest and most reliable product to bring to the screen. The clear answer was sequels.
A few critics make a clear distinction between sequels and series. The Harry Potter films, for example, are a specific adaptation from the seven novels, just as the Lord of the Rings film trilogy was based on the individual books. So what exactly is the definition of a sequel and when did they really begin?
By definition, a sequel is a “narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theater or music that continues the story or expands upon issues presented in some previous work. The sequel portrays events set in the same fictional universe as a previous work, usually chronologically following the events of that work.”
While some decry the 1970’s as the decade when Hollywood officially began the exploitation of their film libraries, tapping into such titles as Willard, The Exorcist, The Poseidon Adventure, The Love Bug, Billy Jack, Airport and Shaft for further cinematic chapters, one would only have to go back as early as 1916 to see evidence that sequels found their niche in the movie-making process.
D.W Griffith released his classic film Birth of a Nation in 1915, enrapturing audiences all across the country and becoming the highest grossing film of the silent movie era. The next year, Thomas Dixon, Jr., who wrote the novel that Birth was based on, co-wrote and directed Fall of a Nation, which is acknowledged as the first sequel in Hollywood’s history (it also has the distinction of being one of the first major ‘lost’ films as well).
The next great period for sequels was the 1930’s where such films as Dracula (1931), The Thin Man (1934), and A Family Affair (1937), which introduced the Andy Hardy character, spawned several follow-ups as audiences began to embrace the idea they could revisit beloved characters.
While it would be easy to dismiss sequels as pale imitations of the originals, there have been many examples of artistic bars being raised with such titles as The Godfather Part II, Toy Story 3, The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Bourne Supremacy and The Empire Strikes Back all delivering fresh approaches to their original.
Looking into the archives, it would surprise audiences just how many films got the sequel treatment. Among the many titles besides those mentioned have been Rocky, Superman, Star Trek, Spiderman, The Pink Panther, Alien, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Terminator, Lethal Weapon, Jaws, Dirty Harry, The Matrix, Jurassic Park, Home Alone and . . . . Grease. The great obstacle many of these faced was that while they fostered nostalgia for the original adored film, it also triggered some disappointment because it didn’t invoke the same initial pleasure from the first experience. But with box-office delivering in most cases two-thirds of the original’s financial success, movie studios are willing to take the risk.
As Harry Potter comes to theaters with episode 8, and Fast and Furious with number 5, we did a little research to see what films hold the record for the most sequels ever brought to the big screen.
Halloween has delivered 10 films; Star Trek 11 and Friday the 13th comes in with 12. Research shows that James Bond holds the record with 23 films (initially based on Ian Fleming’s best selling novels but now evolving into pure sequels), including the Casino Royale spoof (1966) and Never Say Never Again (1983). But does it really?
If one takes worldwide cinema into consideration, James Bond has a long way to go to catch up with a few of its cinematic Asian cousins. The Japanese film It’s Tough to be a Man from Yoji Yamada spawned 45 sequels. That pales in comparison to the worldwide leader which title belongs to the Huang Fei-Hong series from China. Introduced in 1949 with Huang Fei Hong Zhuan: Bian Feng Mie Zhu, there have been a whopping 88 sequels made about the Chinese folk hero.Read More » | <urn:uuid:5ac7517d-d844-4354-b868-7c1d2fb03fd7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goldenglobes.org/author/silviabizio/page/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969435 | 3,742 | 1.664063 | 2 |
I was thrilled when my other website, Heart Sisters, was recently awarded Health On The Net Code certification. The HONcode certifies trustworthy health information, and requires that health website publishers disclose all potential conflicts of interest, provide credentials for authors relaying medical information, and reference the source of the information presented.
This international certification program is funded by the Geneva Ministry of Health and the European Union. Celia Boyer, executive director of HON, explains:
“The HONcode is a way to improve the quality of information on the internet. Given the critical nature of health information and the unregulated environment of the internet, web surfers need all the help they can get.”
It’s a good system, but occasionally some groups either sugarcoat information or straight-out cheat. For example, some websites display the HONcode seal but have either never been accredited or have been long-since discredited. And that’s where Dr. Stephen Barrett comes in. According to Time magazine, the retired psychiatrist and editor of Quackwatch has organized a campaign to improve compliance with this code, particularly for questionable complementary and alternative medicine websites.
He says these sites’ shortcomings may seem innocuous, but ultimately promote quackery by describing dubious therapies without critical scientific analysis.
What’s a quack? They are usually defined as charlatans, or those who are presented falsely as having curative powers, characterized by pretentious claims with little or no foundation. As Marilynn Larkin in the British medical journal The Lancet described quackery:
“It’s no secret that the Internet is recognized as a robust source of reliable medical information, but it is also home to promoters of a spate of dubious diagnostic devices and treatments. But anti-quackery crusaders like Dr. Stephen Barrett and his ‘Quackwatch’ site are also using the Web to expose these purveyors of health frauds.”
Dr. Barrett himself defines quackery as the promotion of unsubstantiated methods that lack a scientifically plausible rationale. He adds:
“Promotion usually involves a profit motive. Unsubstantiated means either unproven or disproven. Implausible means that it either clashes with well-established facts or makes so little sense that it is not worth testing.”
He has been exposing bogus health claims since the late 1970s when he first surveyed health-related mail-order ads in national magazines and discovered that none of them lived up to their claims. His findings spurred legislation that now authorizes the government to levy penalties of $25,000 a day on repeat mail-order offenders. His work focuses mostly on consumer protection, medical ethics, and scientific skepticism.
According to an interview in Time magazine, Barrett is “underwhelmed by today’s New Age celebrities”. For example, he believes that:
- Dr. Andrew Weil is “very slick but makes glaring errors and hardly ever admits anything is quackery.”
- Deepak Chopra is a purveyor of “Ayurvedic mumbo jumbo.” (Chopra, for his part, calls Barrett “a self-appointed vigilante for the suppression of curiosity”)
- although he sees some benefit in chiropractic manipulation, he wonders about “a whole profession based on an idea – subluxations – that isn’t true”
- homeopathic remedies are “worthless”.
Barrett retired from his psychiatric practice in 1993 to devote himself full time to quackbusting. Along the way, he honed his communication skills and now considers himself an investigative journalist taking full advantage of the power of the internet. He told Time:
“Twenty years ago, I had trouble getting my ideas through to the media. Today I am the media.”
He is also remarkably generous in support of others who are likewise cautiously skeptical about miracle cures and medical breakthroughs – the ones “your doctor doesn’t want you to know about!”
For example, when I was threatened with legal action last fall by the mega-law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom (who took exception to their celebrity physician client being mentioned in one of my online essays here on The Nag), I decided on a whim to turn to Dr. Barrett for his expert take on the legal threat, given that he is apparently no stranger to being sued by people who don’t like what he writes about them. And although he doesn’t know me at all, he took the time to review the essay that had so excited these lawyers and their client, as well as their two-page threatening letter to me, and then offered me invaluable and comprehensive advice on how to proceed. (Thanks again, Dr. Barrett!)
On Quackwatch.com, he explains why consumers seem to be so vulnerable to claims made by non-credible sources.
1. Lack of suspicion - Many people believe that if something is printed or broadcast, it must be true or somehow its publication would not be allowed. They tend to believe what others tell them about personal experience. Many are attracted by promises of quick, painless, or drugless solutions to their problems. False and misleading information is offered in the media, often sensationalized, stimulating false hopes and arousing widespread fears. Radio and television producers who promote unsubstantiated health claims are providing entertainment and have no ethical duty to check the claims.
2. Belief in magic - Some people are easily taken in by the promise of an easy solution to their problem, like those who buy one fad diet book after another.
3. Over-confidence - Some people believe they are better equipped than scientific researchers and other experts to tell whether a method works.
4. Desperation - Many people faced with a serious health problem that doctors cannot solve become desperate enough to try almost anything that offers hope. Victims of cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and AIDS can be vulnerable in this way. Some squander their life’s savings searching for the “cure.” Many suffer from chronic pain or other symptoms for which medicine cannot offer clear-cut diagnoses or effective treatment. The more persistent the condition, the more susceptible the sufferer may be to promises of the “cure.” Many people in this category fall into the hands of doctors who make fad diagnoses such as hypoglycemia, “candidiasis hypersensitivity,” or “multiple chemical sensitivity.” Fears of social unacceptability or growing old (wrinkles, loss of hair and sensory acuity, decreased sexual potency, and incontinence) can also lead consumers astray.
5. Alienation - Some people feel deeply antagonistic toward scientific medicine and are attracted to methods represented as “natural” or otherwise unconventional. They may also harbor extreme distrust of the medical profession, the food industry, drug companies, and government agencies.
Dr. Barrett’s detractors, not surprisingly, are those he is most likely to criticize. For example, Tim Bolen, self-described Health Care Crisis Management Consultant and champion of what he calls the Health Freedom movement, openly calls Dr. Barrett “a loser” with “a lack of basic intelligence”, adding:
“Health leaders consider Barrett and company to be running a subversive organization working to suppress leading-edge health care in North America. No studies have ever been done to determine the level of suffering and death inflicted on Americans because of the actitivites (sic) of these conspiritors (sic) — yet.
“We in the Health Freedom movement outnumber the quackbusters 100,000 to one. We’ve got more money than they do, and we’ve got better, more talented people. We also have better lawyers. It is time to use our advantage to destroy them.”
Read “The Man Who Loves To Bust Quacks”, the Time magazine article about Dr. Barrett, or visit his site, Quackwatch. And if you’d like to learn specifically how to spot quacks out there, read How To Spot a ‘Quacky’ Website. | <urn:uuid:9cf42a3e-cb16-40d5-8ffb-a896166c5624> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ethicalnag.org/2011/02/04/stephen-barrett-quackbuster/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951872 | 1,717 | 1.921875 | 2 |
When we see things on a daily basis it is easy to grow insensitive to the dangers that they can pose to human life. It never hurts to be reminded of the many liquids in your home that can be potentially lethal if they are consumed.
- Bleach – This very common household cleaner has more than just a strong smell, it could be quite lethal if you were to drink it. And today, they have even managed to create bottles of liquid bleach that smell nice too. That could make it even more dangerous, since it would make a child more likely to drink it. Make sure you keep it out of the reach of children.
- Ammonia – This is another common household cleaner. It is often found in glass cleaners and other general purpose cleaners. This is another chemical with a strong odor and bad consequences for those who would inject it.
- Lighter Fluid – Not as many homes have this item anymore, but it used to be very common when people used it to fill their cigarette lighters. Now it is mostly used for lighting bar-BQ grilles. Never underestimate the tolerance of a child. Children have been known to drink some terrible things, and this one could be deadly.
- Paint Thinner – Keep the cover tightly sealed on your cans of paint thinner and keep them out of sight and out of reach. The fumes alone can be dangerous from this. Drinking it could definitely endanger your life.
- Anit-Freeze – This liquid can come in some pretty colors that could attract small children to it. Make sure it is also kept out of sight and out of reach. And don’t underestimate a child’s creativity in finding ways to reach what they want. That’s the reason for keeping dangerous items out of sight, as well as reach.
- Weed Killer – If it can kill plants, it just makes sense that ingesting enough of this toxin would kill a human being too.
- Drain Cleaner – This is one of the most caustic substances in your house. Drinking this would be like drinking acid. It would quickly destroy your esophagus and stomach. It would be a very miserable way to end your life.
- Gasoline – It might take a bit to finally kill you, but I wouldn’t suggest trying to find out how much is too much. It also is quite flammable, so beware of smoking cigarettes and drinking this fluid, at the same time. Actually, this liquid can kill you without being consumed, it can also cause death by burning you from the outside. Handle it carefully.
- Kerosene – This is another fuel that is highly flammable, just like gasoline. Often it is used in lamps in a home and has been ingested more frequently than you might realize. This is another item to keep safely out of reach of children and away from open flames.
- Alcoholic Beverages – You may be surprised to see something on the list that is generally considered a normal consumable liquid, which they are. However, if too much alcohol is consumed in too short of time, it can be lethal. ‘Chugging’ contests, and other means of consuming alcoholic beverages quickly, have been the cause of many young deaths. If alcoholic beverages are consumed in your home, be sure to consume them in appropriate moderation and teach your children those practices as well.
With this list fresh in your mind, it might be a good time to take a quick survey of your home and garage. Make sure that all your dangerous liquids are stored safely. | <urn:uuid:436dafbf-c8d5-4af8-99fe-c9bece7bebb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cableinternetproviders.net/blog/warning-10-liquids-in-your-house-that-could-kill-you/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971826 | 728 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Americans whose spouses have been exiled for years as a result of strict immigration penalties took their plight to Congress Thursday, begging legislators to help them as lawmakers discuss overhauling immigration laws.
Some of the affected families met with a key figure in the immigration fight, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. , who told them that he believes there is a new bipartisan spirit in Congress, and a readiness to eliminate at least some of the mandatory penalties Congress approved in 1996. Members who approved the punitive laws in 1996 said they wanted to try to deter illegal immigration by punishing offenders more harshly. The penalties have split up families for years at a time.
The punishments, mandatory terms of exile known as “bars,” must be imposed on an undocumented spouse when he or she tries to go through the process of becoming a legal resident. Americans have a right to sponsor foreign spouses for legal residency, but their citizenship does not trump the penalties Congress currently requires be handed down.
Thousands of Americans’ spouses – many of them parents of children who are U.S. citizens – have received these bars since they started kicking in, after delays, around 2002. A basic bar ousts spouses for 10 years. But some spouses have been barred for 20 years, even for life with no possibility of return.
On Thursday, affected Americans with small children told Gutierrez of relocating to Mexico to reunite with spouses. They complained of multiple hardships, including health problems and threats of kidnapping and extortion.
“What devastation,” Gutierrez said, calling the bars “cruel” and “fundamentally wrong” because they force a U.S. citizen to raise children alone, without a spouse, or face exile to keep a family together. Gutierrez sits on the House Judiciary Committee and its House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, key forums where negotiations over immigration proposals will likely occur.
Los Angeles resident Chris Xitco, whose story was featured in a recent Center for Public Integrity report on the bars, traveled to the Capitol to participate in the Thursday press event. It was organized by American Families United, a group urging Congress to make changes that would reunite families and put more flexibility into immigration penalties.
Xitco met with aides to his two senators, California Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as with an aide to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who could be critical to mustering GOP support for immigration reform.
Rubio’s press secretary did not respond to requests for comment.
“I don’t know how optimistic I can get,” said Xitco, 49, who fears for the safety of his wife Delia and their two small children, who live south of Tijuana, and whom he visits on weekends.
His wife, whom he married in Los Angeles in 2002, was barred at least until 2018, a punishment meted out because she had crossed the border a second time after getting caught once. She received a lifetime bar that can only be appealed after 10 years.
Margot Bruemmer, 40, of New Jersey, recounted moving to a rural area in Mexico’s Veracruz state after her husband was barred in 2005.
The couple has two children, ages two and four. Bruemmer said her lawyer failed to warn the couple that her husband would end up barred for at least 10 years when she tried to legalize him after marrying. Because he had crossed the border more than once, he too was given a lifetime bar that can only be appealed after a decade.
Bruemmer and her husband received news that he would be barred as others have —back in his home country, at a U.S. consulate, where undocumented immigrants are required to report for a legal-residency interview as a last step before getting green cards.
“I cried, and I begged,” Bruemmer said, remembering when the U.S. consular officer in Juarez, Mexico, gave the couple the shocking news that her husband was barred.
Bruemmer said her children have to sleep under a mosquito net and live with the threat of catching a fever. But she loves her husband and wants to keep the family together.
“I want my daughters to grow up the way I grew up,” Bruemmer said. She said her husband is eking out a living running a store. Because she is an American, she said, her family has become a target, and has been threatened with kidnapping and extortion.
“I am begging for our lawmakers, in this upcoming immigration reform debate, to not forget those of us already living outside the country, already barred,” Bruemmer said. “Please, do not forget us.”
In the 1996 legislation, Congress did include a system of hardship waivers that can shorten bars for some affected families. But that’s an option only if the undocumented spouse entered and resided illegally in the United States once, without multiple crossings.
In addition, up to now, spouses have only been able to apply for hardship waivers after they have been barred and are outside the United States. There are no guarantees that waivers, which are notoriously difficult to argue, will be approved. Thousands have been rejected, and many families have waited for months, or years, for word on applications.
Americans’ complaints about lengthy separations have resulted in some changes.
Starting in March, under order by President Obama, undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens will be allowed to apply for hardship waivers before going to their final residency interview back in their home countries. Rep. Lamar Smith, at the time the GOP chair of the House Judiciary Committee, denounced Obama’s change on the waiver procedure.
“Who is the president batting for – illegal immigrants or the American people?” Smith said in a statement. He was the author of the 1996 immigration reform.
But Obama’s waiver change won’t help Xitco, Bruemmer or Edgar Falcon, a citizen from El Paso, Texas, who also traveled to Capitol Hill this week.
Falcon’s wife, Maricruz, 24, has been barred for life, and now lives in Durango, Mexico. She arrived in the United States when she 16, brought in illegally by family members. Because her sister used a false ID to enter, a U.S. consular official decided Maricruz must have used one as well, Falcon said.
“I thought there was a waiver for teens,” Falcon said. After Maricruz was barred, Falcon contacted his congressional representatives, but received no reply. “They turned their back on me,” the 27-year-old said.
Gutierrez said he has been contacted by many Americans with barred spouses, and many others who are too afraid to try to legalize their spouses.
“The American public does not understand this situation,” Gutierrez said. But he sees potential allies for reform among some Republicans, he said, including Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the former vice presidential contender, and Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho. Gutierrez said he met with Rubio for an hour recently, and has also discussed the situation with Ryan.
Kathy McGroarty, 36, a resident of Chicago, read an emotional statement Thursday while at the Capitol, recounting how she and husband tried to live in Mexico after he was barred nearly a decade ago. They ended up returning to the United States – he illegally.
“For almost 10 years, my husband, Ines, and I have lived every day with the fear that our lives could be destroyed by a deportation order,” McGroarty said. “We have two boys, Estevan and Diego, who have no idea that their father’s immigration status could ultimately bring unbelievable heartache to our home. As far as they know, we are just another regular American family.”
The Center for Public Integrity is a non-profit, independent investigative news outlet. For more of its stories on this topic go to publicintegrity.org. | <urn:uuid:5fa076f8-5ce5-4ee2-9c0d-634753f1ffb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parkrecord.com/politics-national/?third_party=families-torn-apart-by-1996-immigration-law-plead-with-congress | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977552 | 1,679 | 1.703125 | 2 |
"What kind of life do you want to have?" Desmond Tutu asks, opening up a conversation between the Elders and a group of Israeli youth in Jerusalem.
For young Israelis and Palestinians it's hardly a simple question to answer. There's the life you want to live and then there is "the conflict" forever hovering around you, threatening to impose its ugly reach in ways both small and large.
For Palestinians it could be the long wait at a checkpoint to get a university lecture or the chance of diving for cover during an air raid in Gaza. For Israelis it's the fear a bomb will go off as they sit down at a café to meet a friend or the question of what awaits when they answer the call of army service.
Becoming a soldier for one young Israeli, Gilad Shalit led to his capture into Gaza over three years ago.
Today he turns 23, his location is unknown. Meanwhile hundreds of young Palestinian security prisoners serving terms in Israeli jails await word if they might be exchanged for Shalit as part of a prisoner swap.
So no, the question is not a simple one in this pocket of the globe.
But a young Israeli woman with long dark hair ventures an answer.
"We want to live together in quiet and peace and a harmonized life, maybe it's a fantasy," she says. "Maybe it's not."
At every stop in their tour – Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Gaza - the Elders have been sitting down to speak to the young people. Because of the conflict the idea of these young people sitting down in the same room seems like an impossible dream even though only a few miles separate them. With the ongoing siege on Gaza even Palestinians from the West Bank and Palestinians from Gaza live separate lives. And Israelis are forbidden by their government from entering Palestinian areas.
That separation, this lack of knowing each other, lends to the feeling of the conflict's intractability. Once, during the heady Oslo Process years in the 1990s there were more joint dialogue groups, there was a sense that this generation might grow up differently.
Among Palestinian society, its youth included, there is a growing "anti-normalisation" trend.
Meanwhile many young Israelis are part of their country's political shift rightward.
In a time of circling of the wagons, dialogue and co-existence have become mocked, tarnished words.
Youth are typically expounded as the great hope of their societies. The challenge now is how to bring the hope back, so that a truly peaceful life, for the young woman with long dark hair in Jerusalem and her counterparts in Gaza and Ramallah does not have to be accompanied by words like, "maybe it's just a fantasy".
After all, like she said, "Maybe it's not."
Dina Kraft is a journalist based in Tel Aviv, covering Israeli and Palestinian politics and society. Her reporting has ranged from covering children caught in the crossfire of the conflict and the recent war in Gaza to solar technology, Bedouin genetic diseases and Israeli and Palestinian women dieting together. She currently writes for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph.
Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Elders or The Elders Foundation. | <urn:uuid:ba9f8929-ef7e-498a-b9c7-dd61d759f162> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theelders.org/article/peace-just-fantasy-maybe | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962088 | 673 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Our layers spend most of the year foraging on fresh pasture. Three converted livestock trailers give them shelter from the weather, a place to roost at night, and nesting boxes in which to lay their eggs.
Their pasture-based diet is supplemented with a regionally-sourced grain, as well as fresh local produce, milk and cheese.
The layers are protected from predators by electric mesh fencing and two livestock guardian dogs. The dogs live with the layers 24/7.
In the coldest winter months, the layers live inside a greenhouse with a thick bedding of leaves that allows them to scratch for insects. On warm days we roll up the sides of the greenhouse to encourage them to venture outside!
Our fresh pastured eggs are available via: Farmers' Markets, CSA, Buying Clubs, and at some of our restaurant locations. | <urn:uuid:848d44bd-3f38-4ff2-807f-fa9c45ff6043> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://patspastured.com/eggs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947651 | 173 | 1.890625 | 2 |
The Strawberry Fruit Attractive
He has been investigating the possible effects of daily consumption of 6 to 8 strawberries. These studies suggest that moderate consumption of strawberries may involve a significant increase in plasma folate levels, thereby protecting the health of the heart. Since folate deficiency increases the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases.
Harnessing the consumption of strawberries during the months that the season is revealed interesting as dietary intake of folate. One serving of 250 grams of strawberries provides about 50% of the recommended daily amount. Are excellent sources of vitamin consumption, in general, fresh or minimally processed, unlike other vegetables lose vitamins during cooking or in the previous preparations. | <urn:uuid:1e6d619b-bbaa-4c80-bf6a-87b43570f580> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trajansucks.com/the-strawberry-fruit-attractive.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933719 | 140 | 2.65625 | 3 |
Chandra finds largest galaxy cluster in early universeJanuary 10th, 2012 in Space & Earth / Astronomy
Composite image of the El Gordo galaxy cluster. (X-ray: NASA/CXC/Rutgers/J. Hughes et al; Optical: ESO/VLT & SOAR/Rutgers/F. Menanteau; IR: NASA/JPL/Rutgers/F. Menanteau )
(PhysOrg.com) -- An exceptional galaxy cluster, the largest seen in the distant universe, has been found using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Science Foundation-funded Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) in Chile.
Officially known as ACT-CL J0102-4915, the galaxy cluster has been nicknamed "El Gordo" ("the big one" or "the fat one" in Spanish) by the researchers who discovered it. The name, in a nod to the Chilean connection, describes just one of the remarkable qualities of the cluster, which is located more than seven billion light years from Earth. This large distance means that it is being observed at a young age.
"This cluster is the most massive, the hottest, and gives off the most X-rays of any known cluster at this distance or beyond," said Felipe Menanteau of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., who led the study.
Galaxy clusters, the largest objects in the universe that are held together by gravity, form through the merger of smaller groups or sub-clusters of galaxies. Because the formation process depends on the amount of dark matter and dark energy in the universe, clusters can be used to study these mysterious phenomena.
Dark matter is material that can be inferred to exist through its gravitational effects, but does not emit and absorb detectable amounts of light. Dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all space and exerts a negative pressure that causes the universe to expand at an ever-increasing rate.
"Gigantic galaxy clusters like this are just what we were aiming to find," said team member Jack Hughes, also of Rutgers. "We want to see if we understand how these extreme objects form using the best models of cosmology that are currently available."
Although a cluster of El Gordo's size and distance is extremely rare, it is likely that its formation can be understood in terms of the standard Big Bang model of cosmology. In this model, the universe is composed predominantly of dark matter and dark energy, and began with a Big Bang about 13.7 billion years ago.
The team of scientists found El Gordo using ACT thanks to the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. In this phenomenon, photons in the cosmic microwave background interact with electrons in the hot gas that pervades these enormous galaxy clusters. The photons acquire energy from this interaction, which distorts the signal from the microwave background in the direction of the clusters. The magnitude of this distortion depends on the density and temperature of the hot electrons and the physical size of the cluster.
X-ray data from Chandra and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, an 8-meter optical observatory in Chile, show that El Gordo is, in fact, the site of two galaxy clusters running into one another at several million miles per hour. This and other characteristics make El Gordo akin to the well-known object called the Bullet Cluster, which is located almost 4 billion light years closer to Earth.
As with the Bullet Cluster, there is evidence that normal matter, mainly composed of hot, X-ray bright gas, has been wrenched apart from the dark matter in El Gordo. The hot gas in each cluster was slowed down by the collision, but the dark matter was not.
"This is the first time we've found a system like the Bullet Cluster at such a large distance," said Cristobal Sifon of Pontificia Universidad de Catolica de Chile (PUC) in Santiago. "It's like the expression says: if you want to understand where you're going, you have to know where you've been."
These results on El Gordo are being announced at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas. A paper describing these results has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.
More information: These results on El Gordo are being announced on 10 January 2012 at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas. A paper, "The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: ACT-CL J0102−4915 'El Gordo', A Massive Merging Cluster at Redshift 0.87" by Felipe Menanteau et al, describing these results has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.
Provided by JPL/NASA
"Chandra finds largest galaxy cluster in early universe." January 10th, 2012. http://phys.org/news/2012-01-chandra-largest-galaxy-cluster-early.html | <urn:uuid:c2d81a13-ed8e-40f4-a7b6-f8ebbade5b8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://phys.org/print245420023.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930439 | 1,035 | 3.171875 | 3 |
By John Hull
The Studebaker-Packard Corp. board of directors appeared to be setting a course of action in early 1961 that would reorganize the corporation as a mini conglomerate. The new structure would have minimal, if any, reliance on what had been Studebaker’s primary business: the manufacture of automobiles.
Unfortunately, that division had become a perpetual money loser. The board’s plan would have eventually moved the corporation out of the automobile manufacturing business and built upon on the company’s early success in diversification.
All that changed on Feb. 1, 1961, when Sherwood Harry Egbert assumed the presidency of the Studebaker-Packard Corp. I believe Egbert’s non-automotive background was one of the primary considerations in his hiring. The board would soon discover Egbert, after a thorough review of Studebaker’s operations (especially the automotive division), found a lot to like. He felt the automotive operations were worth saving and set forth on a mission to try and resurrect its flagging fortunes. This would be the start of an interesting dynamic as the board of directors looked to end the automotive operations and a new president looked to save and grow it.
Egbert realized rumors of the demise of Studebaker’s automotive operations had begun to permeate the industry and the general public. The clock was ticking. It would take something extraordinary to reverse this perception and demonstrate Studebaker’s capabilities. The company would need a halo car, a star to brightly shine. Egbert realized this “new” car would have to be something dramatically styled and built at a minimal cost. I think it speaks to Egbert’s management and sales ability that he would even consider the project with the perceived mandate of the board of directors to diversify.
The designer of the new car seemed obvious. Egbert contacted world-renowned industrial designer Raymond Loewy on March 9, 1961, and asked to meet with Loewy about a new project for Studebaker. Loewy was a known quantity at Studebaker for his past innovative and radical design work, and he accepted Egbert’s challenge.
Loewy assembled a crack team of designers and sequestered them in Palm Springs, Calif. The design team was composed of John Ebstein, Robert Andrews and Tom Kellogg, who were prepared with a 1:8-scale model in early April 1961.
While the design work for the new model was under way in Palm Springs, Studebaker was gearing up in South Bend. After the 1:8-scale clay model was done, work began in translating it to a full-size clay model. On April 27, 1961, the completed full-scale clay was shown to the board of directors, which approved it for production. In roughly six weeks, the design went from drawings to a full-size model scheduled for production. Egbert set the timetable for introduction of the new model approximately one year away, at the New York Auto Show to be held in April 1962. No one must have pointed out that this was damn near impossible. If they did, Egbert didn’t listen.
The design of the new car to be built in absolute record time led to another set of potential issues. Studebaker could not afford a new chassis and drive train for the new vehicle. Eugene Hardig, vice president of Engineering at Studebaker, went shopping in-house for parts and components from existing Studebaker models that could be used with the new car.
Additionally, the decision was made to manufacture the new car body out of fiberglass, not the usual steel. Studebaker would have to purchase the completed bodies from the Molded Fiberglass Body Co. of Ashtabula, Ohio, as it had no real experience utilizing fiberglass as a body material.
To say the deck was stacked against Studebaker would be an understatement. On top of it all, Studebaker was definitely not a major player in the automobile business in the early 1960s. It had extremely limited resources and its very continued existence was in question. Sherwood Egbert realized this probably more than most, but he had a vision of what could be. If Studebaker were to go down, it would do so swinging, not sitting on the bench.
However, adversity sometimes brings out the best in people and organizations, and on April 26, 1962, the new Studebaker Avanti was introduced simultaneously at the Studebaker shareholders’ meeting in South Bend, Ind., and at the New York Auto Show. The new car sat under a banner reading “A new star is born.” Studebaker had pulled off the impossible.
For 1963, Studebaker built 3,834 of the trend-setting Avanti coupes. For the 1964 model year, just 809 were built through December 1963, when production ceased at Studebaker’s South Bend, Ind., automobile plant.
The Avanti had been a valiant effort to keep Studebaker alive, but Studebaker automobile production would die in March 1966 when the last Studebaker rolled out of the company’s Ontario, Canada, plant. The Avanti would live on, however, but without the Studebaker name.
John Hull is the author of “Avanti: The Complete Story” and “Avanti: Studebaker and Beyond.” He is also the current president of the Avanti Owners Association International.
Mark Your Calendar: The Avanti Owners Association International Inc. will hold its Avanti 50th Anniversary Meet Celebration in South Bend, Ind., July 29 through Aug. 4. Details can be found at www.aoai.org.
Got Old Cars?
If you don’t subscribe to Old Cars Weekly magazine, you’re missing out on the only weekly magazine in the car hobby. And we’ll deliver 54 issues a year right to your mailbox every week for less than the price of a oil change! Click here to see what you’re missing with Old Cars Weekly!
More Resources for Car Collectors:
- Classic car price guides, research, books, back issues of Old Cars Weekly & more
- Get expert restoration advice for your classic car
- Get car pricing, data and history all in one place
- Sign up for Old Cars Weekly’s FREE email newsletter
- Need to buy or sell your classic car? Looking for parts or memorabilia? Search our huge online classified marketplace | <urn:uuid:836908c6-5d5e-4efd-81fe-615a9dcea33a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/collector-cars/60s-cars/fab-at-50-%E2%80%98new-star%E2%80%99-avanti-was-born-a-half-century-ago | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965624 | 1,361 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Methods of Cold Forging
The methods of cold forming most commonly used are forward and backward extrusion. Both require a combination of properties to meet extrusion requirements. Material properties are one of the most important properties to be considered when deciding to use a cold extrusion process. In addition to extrusion, there are many other methods which can be used by themselves or in conjunction to achieve a part made solely by cold forming.
A T-headed bolt, for example, could be made using a technique called upsetting. In this method a round billet would be placed inside a die and a punch would impact the top of the piece causing the material to flow in multiple directions until the cavity filled completely. The stem could then be machined and threaded to complete the part. Alternately, if the billet was pre-formed using a forward extrusion process, the stem could be made to the pitch diameter of a thread. A subsequent roll threading process would complete the part and no additional machining would be necessary. Combining cold forming techniques can provide an overall savings above and beyond the method originally used.
Other methods of cold forming are coining, ironing, punching, piercing, blanking, and trimming. Combining a cold forging operation with coining or ironing can produce a part with extremely tight tolerances. A cold forging can generally achieve tolerance of + or - .005”. Coining a cold forged part can produce parts as precise as + or - .002” on some dimensions. Punching or piercing can be used to make holes. Punching a hole can be done when the material is no thicker than the diameter of the hole. This technique does not create features as precise as drilling but it is very quick and therefore, very cost effective. Blanking (also called stamping) and trimming can be used to create a profile shape. In blanking, flat material is used and the shape is cut somewhat like a cookie cutter. Trimming is used when a forming operation leaves material in the form of flash around the edges of the part. As with punching, blanking and trimming do not create features as precise as machining but the speed at which it can be done makes it very attractive when large quantities are involved. | <urn:uuid:2a8faeaa-20a7-424a-bbaf-d3a218083871> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cold-flow.com/cf/category/coldforgingtypes.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944008 | 459 | 3.140625 | 3 |
The very first of its kind, Laboratory Activity Guide for Anatomy & Physiology brings anatomy and physiology to life for entry-level students in one short semester. The integration of form with function clicks for students like never before as they apply their classroom knowledge in the laboratory setting. Covering all of the major body systems as well as other essential topics, this all-purpose manual provides 16 labs to give students invaluable hands-on experience and dozens of activity-based exercises to reinforce what they have learned, while building critical lab skills. An introductory chapter covers lab safety to prepare students for this new environment.
This exciting First Edition lab manual is concise enough to cover one-semester courses as well as versatile enough to be used alongside any anatomy and physiology textbook. In addition, it doesn’t require obscure, costly equipment—this manual works with the resources found in any lab and instructional tools that can be easily acquired. This unique and democratic approach revolutionizes the way A&P programs can be taught. Students reinforce learning through a variety of exercises and questions, including labeling, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, observation, and definitions. Multiple exercises are included in each lab so instructors have the freedom to select which exercises will work for their curriculum and available lab materials. | <urn:uuid:bcd7550c-4124-4d42-8d5b-66b5d8a291be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phatcampus.com/textbooks/other/laboratory-activity-gde-f-anatomy-phys.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948833 | 259 | 3 | 3 |
The Experts' Forum is the Institute's advisory body. Its principle function is to provide expertise knowledge in the field of gender equality.
It is composed of members from competent bodies specialised in gender equality issues from every Member State of the European Union. Each country has both a member and an alternate and there are two members designated by the European Parliament, as well as three members designated by the European Commission and representing interested parties at the European level, with one representative from:
- an appropriate non-governmental organisation at Community level which has a legitimate interest in contributing to the fight against discrimination on grounds of sex and the promotion of gender equality;
- employers' organisations at Community level; and
- workers' organisations at Community level.
The Member States and the Commission aim to achieve a balanced representation between men and women in the Experts' Forum.
Members are designated for the period of tree years.
Last update: 21/02/2012
List of members of Experts' Forum: | <urn:uuid:c763e128-311d-41a3-8063-e6877e4720a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eige.europa.eu/pl/content/experts-forum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965635 | 199 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The ownership of consumer durables continued to increase into 2010.
The proportion of households owning a home computer rose from 75 per cent to 77 per cent between 2009 and 2010; up from 72 per cent in 2008. The percentage of households with an Internet connection rose from 71 per cent in 2009 to 73 per cent in 2010.
In the highest income decile group (that is, the top 10 per cent), 98 per cent of households owned a home computer and 97 per cent had an Internet connection in 2010. This compares with 46 per cent of households who owned a home computer and 39 per cent who had an Internet connection in the lowest income decile group (that is, the bottom 10 per cent).
Households with children were more likely to have Internet access at home than those without: 95 per cent of households with two adults and two or more children had Internet access at home, compared with 91 per cent of households with two adults and one child, and 89 per cent of households with two non-retired adults and no children.
Among retired households, 33 per cent had Internet access at home in two-adult households and 16 per cent in one-adult households.
The proportion of households with a satellite, digital or cable receiver increased to 88 per cent in 2010, from 86 per cent in 2009, and from 43 per cent in 2001/02. In the highest income decile group, 93 per cent of households had a satellite receiver compared with 76 per cent in the lowest income decile group.
Mobile phone ownership varies by income group. Only 67 per cent of households in the lowest income decile group reported ownership in 2010, compared with 90 per cent in the highest income decile group.
In 2010 most homes had central heating (96 per cent), a washing machine (96 per cent), a microwave (92 per cent) and a telephone (87 per cent).
Source: Living Costs and Food Survey
Source: Office for National Statistics
Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: firstname.lastname@example.org
These National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. | <urn:uuid:1cae358e-bca6-47d8-bc45-2907ee64905a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/ons/rel/family-spending/family-spending/family-spending-2011-edition/sum-consumer-durables-nugget.html?format=hi-vis | 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 | 0.94312 | 479 | 2.140625 | 2 |
In Pictures: Boating to Melissani Cave, Kefalonia, GreeceMay 21, 2012 No Comments
For you who love to travel to Greece, Kefalonia is one of the beautiful destinations you should consider to visit. KefaloniaMyrtos Beach - Best Beach in Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Read more ... » offers its visitors the amazing experience to bond with the naturePlace of the day: Metéora, Greece, a Combination of Peaceful and Breathtaking Views of Nature. Read more ... ». You simply find jaw-dropping landscape here, in one of the Ionian Islands in GreeceBest Places To Go in Athens, Greece. Read more ... ». Be ready to be fascinated by its stunning rugged mountain ranges and the valleys between them which also full of vineyards.
One of the recommended tour you should take is a visit to Melissani CaveFairytale Reed Flute Cave, Guilin, China. Read more ... ». It is an underground cave which was formed about one thousand years ago, as a result of cave ceiling broke down and tumbled in the sea beneath it. What makes it wonderful is that there is a lake inside the cave. Even the lake inside has trees and forests surrounding it.
Photo by exenza @Flickr
The cave is B-shaped with two chambers of halls separated with land or an island in the center. The ceiling of one of these halls is what fascinates visitors as the sunlight comes in through the hole of the cavern roof. Imagine what it would look like as the clear blue waters meet the sunlight coming in from the hole of the cave. When it does, you’ll be among all visitors who will be amazed! The tour is taken by boat. When you finally see the sunlight meets the water, it somehow creates a beautiful image as if the boat is flying across the water in the air!
Photo by jesssie @Flickr
The caves first discovered around 1951 by Ioannis petrocheilos. However it was not built until 1963 when the cave was exposed to the general public. Since then it became one of primary destinations in Kefalonia. You will see stalagmites and stalactites inside the cave, which were created for more than millions of years. The tour is taken by rowing boat and you will be accompanied by a guide. One rowing boat takes a group of people through the cave. The guide will use a rope to haul the boat across the lake.
Photo by AlaskaGM @Flickr
Photo by: ATSICHLAS (On break) @Flickr
Photo by Andronikos @Flickr
The tour to Melissani Cave is recommended when you visit Kefalonia in Ionian Island! Taking a visit to this subterranean lake will be one of your unforgettable moment!
Tags: europe, greece, kefaloniaEUROPE, Greece | <urn:uuid:b5711a43-dd66-4320-a5ce-ce4fc88b4e89> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://traffictravel.com/in-pictures-boating-to-melissani-cave-kefalonia-greece/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949742 | 605 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac. Those born between June 22nd and July 23rd have Cancer as their Sun sign.
Cancer is a feminine, or yin, water sign. It belongs to the cardinal signs. The ruling planet for Cancer is the Moon, which governs emotions and intuition.
Other associations for Cancer are the colors sea green and silver—the colors of the ocean and the Moon—and the pearl. | <urn:uuid:573a53aa-1611-4ed5-a5c1-e89605a53031> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifeisagiftshop.com/categories/Birthday-Gifts-by-Astrological-Sign/Cancer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975985 | 90 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Comment: 10:50 - 12:11 (01:21)
Source: Annenberg/CPB Resources - Earth Revealed - 11. Evolution Through Time
Keywords: "Dee Trent", life, atmosphere, oxygen, photosynthesis, stromatolite, algae, ozone, "carbon dioxide", "solar radiation", Precambrian, Paleozoic, limestone, ocean, horse, camel, humans, sycamore, "carbon cycle"
Our transcription: The first appearance of life out of the seas was possible in large part because the planet's atmosphere had become oxygen rich due to photosynthesis of stromatolitic algae.
As oxygen built up, an ozone layer formed high in the atmosphere shielding the Earth's surface from deadly solar radiation.
Although this process was actually well underway in the Precambrian, it was not until the mid Paleozoic that life was sufficiently developed to take advantage of the dry land habitats the ozone layer protected.
At the same time oxygen increased in the atmosphere, another atmospheric gas, carbon dioxide, decreased because carbon dioxide had become an important building block of life.
And a lot of the carbon dioxide is trapped in organisms in seawater and actually eventually becomes limes oozes on the sea floor, which may eventually become limestones.
Organisms are very much a part of the control of our environment.
The plants take in the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.
The plants, the limestones, the ocean, the atmosphere, human beings, horses and camels, the sycamore tree outside are all interrelated in a big cycle called the "carbon cycle."
Geology School Keywords | <urn:uuid:757ca62f-f9c1-410a-8422-13d358e7fbbb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/programs/html/school/moviepage/10.01.12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931481 | 342 | 3.75 | 4 |
The Analects Attributed to Confucius [Kongfuzi], 551-479 BCE by Lao-Tse [Lao Zi], Translated by James Legge (1815-1897)
The Master said of Kung-ye Ch'ang that he might be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife. Of Nan Yung he said that if the country were well governed he would not be out of office, and if it were in governed, he would escape punishment and disgrace. He gave him the daughter of his own elder brother to wife.
The Master said of Tsze-chien, "Of superior virtue indeed is such a man! If there were not virtuous men in Lu, how could this man have acquired this character?"
Tsze-kung asked, "What do you say of me, Ts'ze!" The Master said, "You are a utensil." "What utensil?" "A gemmed sacrificial utensil."
Some one said, "Yung is truly virtuous, but he is not ready with his tongue." The Master said, "What is the good of being ready with the tongue? They who encounter men with smartness of speech for the most part procure themselves hatred. I know not whether he be truly virtuous, but why should he show readiness of the tongue?"
The Master was wishing Ch'i-tiao K'ai to enter an official employment. He replied, "I am not yet able to rest in the assurance of this." The Master was pleased.
The Master said, "My doctrines make no way. I will get upon a raft, and float about on the sea. He that will accompany me will be Yu, I dare say." Tsze-lu hearing this was glad, upon which the Master said, "Yu is fonder of daring than I am. He does not exercise his judgment upon matters."
Mang Wu asked about Tsze-lu, whether he was perfectly virtuous. The Master said, "I do not know."
He asked again, when the Master replied, "In a kingdom of a thousand chariots, Yu might be employed to manage the military levies, but I do not know whether he be perfectly virtuous."
"And what do you say of Ch'iu?" The Master replied, "In a city of a thousand families, or a clan of a hundred chariots, Ch'iu might be employed as governor, but I do not know whether he is perfectly virtuous."
"What do you say of Ch'ih?" The Master replied, "With his sash girt and standing in a court, Ch'ih might be employed to converse with the visitors and guests, but I do not know whether he is perfectly virtuous."
The Master said to Tsze-kung, "Which do you consider superior, yourself or Hui?" Tsze-kung replied, "How dare I compare myself with Hui? Hui hears one point and knows all about a subject; I hear one point, and know a second." The Master said, "You are not equal to him. I grant you, you are not equal to him."
Tsai Yu being asleep during the daytime, the Master said, "Rotten wood cannot be carved; a wall of dirty earth will not receive the trowel. This Yu,-what is the use of my reproving him?"
The Master said, "At first, my way with men was to hear their words, and give them credit for their conduct. Now my way is to hear their words, and look at their conduct. It is from Yu that I have learned to make this change."
The Master said, "I have not seen a firm and unbending man." Some one replied, "There is Shan Ch'ang." "Ch'ang," said the Master, "is under the influence of his passions; how can he be pronounced firm and unbending?"
Tsze-kung said, "What I do not wish men to do to me, I also wish not to do to men." The Master said, "Ts'ze, you have not attained to that." Tsze-kung said, "The Master's personal displays of his principles and ordinary descriptions of them may be heard. His discourses about man's nature, and the way of Heaven, cannot be heard."
When Tsze-lu heard anything, if he had not yet succeeded in carrying it into practice, he was only afraid lest he should hear something else.
Tsze-kung asked, saying, "On what ground did Kung-wan get that title of Wan?" The Master said, "He was of an active nature and yet fond of learning, and he was not ashamed to ask and learn of his inferiors!-On these grounds he has been styled Wan."
The Master said of Tsze-ch'an that he had four of the characteristics of a superior man-in his conduct of himself, he was humble; in serving his superior, he was respectful; in nourishing the people, he was kind; in ordering the people, he was just."
The Master said, "Yen P'ing knew well how to maintain friendly intercourse. The acquaintance might be long, but he showed the same respect as at first."
The Master said, "Tsang Wan kept a large tortoise in a house, on the capitals of the pillars of which he had hills made, and with representations of duckweed on the small pillars above the beams supporting the rafters.-Of what sort was his wisdom?"
Tsze-chang asked, saying, "The minister Tsze-wan thrice took office, and manifested no joy in his countenance. Thrice he retired from office, and manifested no displeasure. He made it a point to inform the new minister of the way in which he had conducted the government; what do you say of him?" The Master replied. "He was loyal." "Was he perfectly virtuous?" "I do not know. How can he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?" Tsze-chang proceeded, "When the officer Ch'ui killed the prince of Ch'i, Ch'an Wan, though he was the owner of forty horses, abandoned them and left the country. Coming to another state, he said, 'They are here like our great officer, Ch'ui,' and left it. He came to a second state, and with the same observation left it also;-what do you say of him?" The Master replied, "He was pure." "Was he perfectly virtuous?" "I do not know. How can he be pronounced perfectly virtuous?"
Chi Wan thought thrice, and then acted. When the Master was informed of it, he said, "Twice may do."
The Master said, "When good order prevailed in his country, Ning Wu acted the part of a wise man. When his country was in disorder, he acted the part of a stupid man. Others may equal his wisdom, but they cannot equal his stupidity."
When the Master was in Ch'an, he said, "Let me return! Let me return! The little children of my school are ambitious and too hasty. They are accomplished and complete so far, but they do not know how to restrict and shape themselves."
The Master said, "Po-i and Shu-ch'i did not keep the former wickednesses of men in mind, and hence the resentments directed towards them were few."
The Master said, "Who says of Weishang Kao that he is upright? One begged some vinegar of him, and he begged it of a neighbor and gave it to the man."
The Master said, "Fine words, an insinuating appearance, and excessive respect;-Tso Ch'iu-ming was ashamed of them. I also am ashamed of them. To conceal resentment against a person, and appear friendly with him;-Tso Ch'iu-ming was ashamed of such conduct. I also am ashamed of it."
Yen Yuan and Chi Lu being by his side, the Master said to them, "Come, let each of you tell his wishes."
Tsze-lu said, "I should like, having chariots and horses, and light fur clothes, to share them with my friends, and though they should spoil them, I would not be displeased."
Yen Yuan said, "I should like not to boast of my excellence, nor to make a display of my meritorious deeds."
Tsze-lu then said, "I should like, sir, to hear your wishes." The Master said, "They are, in regard to the aged, to give them rest; in regard to friends, to show them sincerity; in regard to the young, to treat them tenderly."
The Master said, "It is all over. I have not yet seen one who could perceive his faults, and inwardly accuse himself."
The Master said, "In a hamlet of ten families, there may be found one honorable and sincere as I am, but not so fond of learning."
Published: Friday, December 10, 2004
© 2013. The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:b0636bd4-3045-44b6-a589-4bcdd52c8110> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.international.ucla.edu/print.asp?parentid=18480 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984924 | 1,934 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Farm bill scenarios unfold
On a day when political posturing in Washington sent the stock market plunging, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told reporters he remains optimistic that Congress will deal with the so-called fiscal cliff before the current lame-duck session ends next month. And he believes that differences between the House and Senate versions of a farm bill could be worked out even if the farm bill is thrown into any tax- and deficit-cutting legislation or agreement.
Grassley pointed out that the Iowa delegation in the House is still working on a petition that would force a vote on the farm bill in the House, which, unlike the Senate, still has not passed a version of the farm bill. The petition effort, led by Representative Bruce Braley (D-IA) needs 218 signatures to require a vote. Before the November election, 67 members of the House from both parties had signed on.
If there is no vote and the farm bill gets wrapped into a bigger package of legislation, Grassley expected differences between the House and Senate bills to be worked out in a process similar to a year ago, when the leaders of both the House and Senate agriculture committees met behind closed doors to present a farm bill draft to the "super committee" that tried, and failed, to find a way to trim more than $1 trillion from federal spending.
The process would involve those four people, he said, (the committee chairs and ranking minority leaders). They would reach an agreement "and just give it to the legislators putting together the fiscal cliff legislation," Grassley said. | <urn:uuid:2c72bee1-fa34-46d9-bea2-b9a097d4d0cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agriculture.com/news/policy/farm-bill-scenarios-unfold_4-ar27753 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964426 | 317 | 1.679688 | 2 |