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Eco tourism is defined as tourism that sends people to relatively untouched parts of the world and that is sensitive to the impact to nature caused by humans. Eco tourism is an attempt to allow tourism that does not damage nature or traditional culture. It is an idea that has massive appeal as those with money can now visit places in good conscience. They can see wonderful things and feel at the same time that their money is helping the local environment and indigenous people.
Since the 1980s the eco tourism sector has grown and grown. It is the fastest growing sector in tourism – growing at an annual rate of between 10% – 15%. Tourism is one of the few sectors of the world economy that continues to grow despite the ups and downs in the world economy. It has become so important that the IMF now includes stipulations about tourism as part of its preconditions for lending money to developing countries.
The Pros of Eco-tourism
If done rightly eco tourism has several advantages. It is more concerned with the environment and does encourage developers to build with more consideration for the natural environment. This means that more natural habitat is preserved and that the resources for building come from sustainable sources. This is the theory anyway.
Another advantage is that eco tourism provides an income for local inhabitants in an area. The argument is that if the local people can generate revenue from showing tourists around a jungle, lake, savannah etc. then it is much better than killing elephants for their ivory or capturing gorillas to sell on the black market. Moreover, showing people a rainforest rather than logging the forest is a good compromise if the forest is preserved.
People in the developed world through eco tourism get to experience places of great natural significance as well as interact with local and indigenous people. It is hoped that this contact will benefit both parties, fostering better understanding of the issues on the ground, and overcoming prejudice.
The Cons of Eco-tourism
It is felt by some environmentalists that there should be some parts of the world that are ‘off bounds’ for any tourists as any human activity will damage the eco system and disrupt the routine of the animals.
Although scuba divers try to be careful, any tourist scuba business is going to have a negative impact on fragile coral marine environments. Although, people walking carefully through the forest might not do much harm, building their eco lodges does.
A good example of this is the safari business in Africa. Tour jeeps going across the savannah scare off the animals that the lions rely on catching. The result is that lions can no longer hunt in parts of Kenya and Tanzania during the morning when the tour jeeps are out. They have to wait until the hottest part of the day to hunt. This is draining for them and affecting lion numbers.
The Masai people in Kenya have been moved out of their traditional lands because of the demarcation of National Parks for eco tourism. They are settled on land next to the reserves. Much of the best land next to the reserves has gone to non-local people and eco tourist operators. When animals come on to this communal land any damage caused by the animals is not compensated by the government. The result is that the Masai who once co-existed with the animals of the savannah now come to regard them as pests.
Another issue for the Masai and other indigenous people is that they have become ‘tourist attractions’ that are expected to pose for the cameras and perform dances etc. for money. Not only is this extremely patronizing, but it is discouraging the Masai and other indigenous people from pursuing their traditional life styles. Unwittingly the tourists are destroying the culture that they are paying to preserve.
Eco-tourism seeks to go to the remotest places. These places are often not well policed. There is nothing stopping people taking money from tourists as well as pursuing environmentally unfriendly activities. In the case of Brazil, illegal logging will not stop because of eco-tourism because the logging companies make too much money.
It seems that the cons often outweigh the pros of eco tourism. It might be better to take pictures of animals rather than shoot animals, but given the choice the animals would sooner not have people around. Policing of eco tourism is another matter. Do eco tourist outfits deliver what they promise? It seems whether eco tourism should be allowed should be judged case-by-case, and that the consultation must include the local people, and not the IMF. | <urn:uuid:d5e66b8d-caf1-4589-b02c-d90b320a2ae8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldtourismforum.org/global/pros-and-cons-of-eco-tourism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968782 | 919 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Sunday’s elections in France, Germany and Greece (Presidential, regional and Parliamentary respectively) are being pored over to determine what they mean for the future of the European economy (as well as European democracy itself): interestingly, the much clearer anti-austerity messages from the UK’s local elections aren’t being seen in that light at all, perhaps further evidence of the UK’s distance from the rest of Europe. Learning from Mitterand’s victories in the 1980s, socialism in one country is unlikely to be tried in France, and Hollande (the ‘other Francois’?) has few allies for his upcoming stoush with German Chancellor Merkel. And whilst the Greeks voted in the main for parties opposed to the outgoing Government’s austerity deal with the troika, parliamentary arithmetic makes it likely that a New Democracy-Pasok coalition is likely to return to power one way or another. The Schelswig-Holstein elections in Germany, meanwhile, offer even less clarity, with the main change being the replacement of the left wing Die Linke by the libertarian Pirate Party.
So what has voting achieved over the weekend? Well, the voters have sent a fairly clear message in Britain, France and Greece that they are not at all happy about austerity (and even in Germany, that case can be made, but more weakly). It’s not yet clear whether that message will be heeded in Berlin, Brussels or Frankfurt (home of the European Central Bank).
In France, Sarkozy stressed the dangers of having an untested President dealing with the economic crisis, but he barely defended the austerity that he implied was the only sensible reaction to that crisis. He was, after all, almost alone in the first round in supporting austerity, with extreme right, centre left and far left opposing it to varying degrees. Hollande is, as people are now making clear, in favour of balancing the budget only a year later than Sarkozy, although he plans to do so differently, with higher taxes on the rich, and more growth. But he’s not in a position to be much more radical than that even if he wanted to be, because so few other European governments share his opposition (several smaller countries like Austria and Denmark have arguably only gone along with EU austerity because they were outnumbered, but Hollande needs one or two more of the big 5 economies – Germany, Italy, Spain or the UK- on board to really change Europe’s direction and he will need to wait for that). Hollande will therefore most likely seek to nudge Germany towards a more sensible approach to growth, with support from those like Mario Draghi at the ECB, Angel Gurria at the OECD and Sarkozy’s former Finance Minister Christine Lagarde at the IMF, all of whom have twigged that growth must be reprioritised.
In Greece, voters expressed their opposition to the bailout overwhelmingly, but the split left means that New Democracy gets the “winner-takes-all” extra 50 seats reserved for the largest single party. Even with that boost, their partnership with PASOK would not provide a Parliamentary majority, although I suspect the most likely outcome of the next few days of negotiation will be a New Democracy-led coalition including PASOK again but also including the centre-right Independent Greeks, but pledged to bargain for some relaxation of the bailout. Parties to the left of PASOK, who are unlikely to consider PASOK an acceptable coalition party), have nowhere near the Parliamentary seats needed to form a government, and they are unlikely to be able to construct a majority by reaching out beyond the left. A further election is not unlikely, and an outbreak of left unity could see the left overtake New Democracy. But neither the German government nor the markets will be keen on that and are likely to punish Greece accordingly, something that would be deeply worrying for democracy.
Germany is of course the key to all this, and the Schleswig-Holstein elections don’t offer much in the way of answers. Merkel’s CDU clearly lost badly, although her more free market coalition partners the FDP did less worse than was expected (essentially returning to the result from the election before last). The SPD and the Greens may be able to form a government with the support of the Danish minority party the SSW, or even the uber-social libertarians of the Pirate Party which replaced Die Linke (the party to the left of the SPD). But a CDU-SPD grand coalition may result, and that is also at the moment quite likely to be the outcome when Germany holds its General Election in 2013. A red-black German coalition would be more growth-friendly than the current government, and therefore more helpful to Hollande, but would not amount to the rejection of austerity in the heart of fiscal conservatism that we’ve been hoping for. (And the forward march of Labour in the UK, which has seen the Liberal Democrats collapse further but UKIP being the main recipient of lost Conservative votes, is unlikely to result in a change of Government economic policy for some while yet.)
So, the weekend didn’t change everything. Although there are worrying implications for democracy in that, clearly we live in a world where one or two countries’ electorates cannot (and probably shouldn’t, as Merkel has inexpertly argued) change the EU’s direction. But after spending 2010 and 2011 punishing left of centre parties at the polls (eg UK, Portugal, Spain), European elections do now seem to be heading in a different direction. Anti-austerity campaigns have achieved a lot – but there’s a lot more to do. | <urn:uuid:984aad21-649a-4fa6-9161-edf1c077d24d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://touchstoneblog.org.uk/2012/05/can-voting-change-anything-in-britain-france-germany-greece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960881 | 1,166 | 1.507813 | 2 |
© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
ON THIS PAGE: You will find some basic information about this disease and the parts of the body it may affect. This is the first page of Cancer.Net’s Guide to Childhood Brain Stem Glioma. To see other pages, use the colored boxes on the right side of your screen. Think of those boxes as a roadmap to this full guide. Or, click “Next” at the bottom of each page.
About the brain stem
The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. It is the lowest portion of the brain, located above the back of the neck. The brain stem controls many of the body’s basic functions, such as motor skills, sensory activity, coordination and walking, the beating of the heart, and breathing. It has three parts:
- The midbrain, which develops from the middle of the brain
- The medulla oblongata, which connects to the spinal cord
- The pons, which is located between the medulla oblongata and the midbrain
About brain stem glioma
Brain stem glioma is a type of central nervous system (CNS; brain and spinal cord) tumor that begins when normal cells in the brain stem change and grow uncontrollably, forming a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous, meaning it can spread to other parts of the body). A glioma is a tumor that grows from a glial cell, which is a supportive cell in the brain.
Brain stem glioma is most often diffuse (spread freely) through the brain stem by the time it is found. This type of tumor is typically very aggressive, meaning that it grows and spreads quickly. A small percentage of brain stem tumors are very localized, called focal tumors. A focal tumor is often a low-grade tumor (the tumor cells look similar to normal cells) that is less likely to grow and spread quickly.
Brain stem glioma occurs most commonly in children between five and 10 years old. Most brain stem tumors develop in the pons and grow in a part of the brain stem where it can be difficult to perform surgery, making brain stem glioma challenging to treat (see the Treatment section).
This section covers brain stem glioma diagnosed in children. Read more about brain tumors in adults.
Looking for More of an Overview?
If you would like additional introductory information, explore these related items. Please note these links take you to other sections on Cancer.Net:
- Cancer.Net Patient Education Videos: View short videos led by ASCO experts in childhood cancers and brain tumors that provide basic information and areas of research.
- Cancer.Net En Español: Read about brain stem glioma in Spanish. Infórmase sobre el glioma de tronco encefálico en español.
Or, choose “Next” (below, right) to continue reading this detailed section. To select a specific topic within this section, use the colored boxes located on the right side of your screen. | <urn:uuid:cca4c709-8a1b-43d4-b2f5-7f13cdb591f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/brain-stem-glioma-childhood?sectionTitle=Overview | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918694 | 663 | 4.03125 | 4 |
With us today is Bob Bickel, co-founder of Ringside Networks, a company that develops tools and systems for Social Networking.
DDJ: Bob, is a Social Networking application like Facebook any different than any other mainstream Web app?
BB: It is. As the illustration below shows, Facebook (or replace Facebook with the Ringside Server) is really focused on adding the social context to the application.
Readers can check out our training slides for details.
DDJ: Can you explain what "social networking application servers" are? Are they any different than more familiar app servers?
BB: Social networking application servers are not general application containers like a traditional app server. They serve the social context, and do the integration with other social networks. Here is a picture of the various components.
DDJ: Can you briefly describe the Ringside Networks open architecture?
BB: We come from a very open background, and this project reflects that. Fundamentally, we think that there are many applications, and certainly most websites that can make use of social networking. Therefore, we had to design something that could fit into anyone's environment easily. There are a number of aspects to this:
- Web Developers. We make it very simple for web developers to add simple tags that do social things -- like getting a list of friends. This makes the platform very open to any web developer.
- Application Integration. We use an open REST interface so any application can call us over the web just like they make calls to other web services from Google and Amazon and Facebook.
- Data Integration. There are many aspects here, but being able to integrate with a websites already existing set of users and adding a social context (who is related to whom) easily is one of the key aspects to creating an open platform for social networking.
- Social Network Integration. We initially focused on Facebook because of their size and huge number of applications (over 22,000 now). We allow any Facebook application to run on any website. We are also implementing Open Social and are hoping to achieve the same level of functionality by the production release in June.
- Open Domain Specific Languages (DSL). This is a very new concept that will become very powerful and popular over the next three years. We basically allow developers to create new tags that are specific to their application. The tags can then be easily used by web developers. Facebook has a set of tags called FBML (Facebook Markup Language), that do things like list a set of friends and their profile pictures. Our Open DSL engine allows any application to add their own tags. For example, the Voomaxer running log application could create a tag that gave the amount of mileage a runner completed last month. Then any running store could simply add a tag to their web page that had a welcome message saying "Congratulations on running 100 miles last month".
DDJ: Does the Ringside server support APIs, other than solely Facebook?
BB: We have our own extended set of APIs that do things like security. This is important since Facebook only supports one security model, but an open platform like our's could be used for any number of security environments -- like a hospital with HIPPA compliance, or a business with only certain managers having access to certain financial information. In addition, we are implementing the OpenSocial API to support the other social networks like MySpace and hi5 and Orkut.
DDJ: Where can readers go for more information on these topics?
BB: Our business-oriented website is www.ringsidenetworks.com. Our developer and community-oriented website is www.ringsidenetworks.org. If people want to get their hands on the product, go to the download page at http://wiki.ringsidenetworks.org/display/ringside/Download. We do daily builds, so people can get their hands on the absolute latest technology if they want. We also recommend first time users go thru our Trail Map guides -- starting with building a "Hello World" app and going up in complexity from there to write a real social app for suggestions and then adding your own API and DSL tags. | <urn:uuid:9363fe0d-3f6a-4c70-afbb-df42bbfc45f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drdobbs.com/open-source/social-networking-from-the-server-side/207401534 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9257 | 852 | 1.640625 | 2 |
- SPECIAL REPORTS
- THE MAGAZINE
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., successfully launched a GPS satellite on July 16th from Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida. This was the fourth successful launch of the new-generation replenishment spacecraft, designated GPS IIR. Lockheed will supply 16 more of these satellites to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles over the next five years.
The satellite launched, officially known as GPS IIR-5, will join 27 other operational GPS satellites now on orbit. GPS IIR-5 is expected to improve global coverage and increase the overall health of the GPS constellation. Increased navigation accuracy and longer autonomous satellite operation without ground control corrections will improve service for the Air Force customer and other users.
In recent GPS IIR news, the President's 2001 budget request builds in plans to accelerate GPS modernization. The budget, if approved by Congress, will allow the Space Systems team to provide improved capabilities sought by military and civilian users of the navigation system much sooner than previously envisioned. The new capabilities include additional military and civilian signals, increased signal power and the ability to reprogram spacecraft signals and power while in orbit. These improvements will provide for better resistance to enemy jamming and improved accuracy. | <urn:uuid:0d435e84-bd57-47f9-a0c4-d9dafa669e46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pobonline.com/articles/85050-b-air-force-successfully-launches-gps-satellite-b | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903848 | 258 | 2.359375 | 2 |
OKLAHOMA CITY - Pizza Pub, Educominc, LLC, doing business as Pizza Pub, Core Curriculum of America, Inc., Curriculum Solutions, Inc. and Active Learning Academy, Inc. - operating as a joint employer or an integrated enterprise – allowed the sexual harassment of a 17-year-old female worker, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today in federal court. Pizza Pub and the other entities are located in Buffalo, Okla.
According to the EEOC's suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Civil Action No. CIV-09-1067, the male owner of Pizza Pub allegedly subjected the young female employee to a sexually hostile work environment, including comments about sex, saying he wanted to pour and lick frosting off her body, and rubbing his crotch against her back side. The EEOC says the charging party objected to the behavior, but when it continued she quit her job.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, protects workers from discrimination based upon gender, including sexual harassment. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement.
“Sexual harassment of teen employees, who are one of the most vulnerable segments of the labor force, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said James Neely, director of the EEOC's St. Louis District Office, which is responsible for the agency’s litigation in Oklahoma. "Employers should have in place strong policies to prevent sexual harassment and be especially vigilant about protecting the rights of young workers."
EEOC Senior Trial Attorney Michelle M. Robertson added, "Employers should be aware that sexual harassment cases involving teens in the workplace are aggressively pursued by the EEOC. It is critically important that youths know they are protected at work by federal discrimination laws."
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.
This page was last modified on September 29, 2009.
Return to Home Page | <urn:uuid:d6c310b6-2c78-4ae7-9c41-639259fbf72b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www1.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/archive/9-29-09b.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94796 | 439 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Meet Flickr. You're soon to be best friend. Part social site, part photo gallery and image host, Flickr is arguably the best way to store, share and see your photos online. If you already have a Yahoo! account, you already have a space reserved on Flickr. If not, it's easy to get one and start sharing your photos and viewing your friends pics online.
Welcome to the introduction of Flickr series. Flickr gives you an easy way to store your photos online and share them with friends, family and even the world. You can also explore the Flickr community and see other photos people are sharing. Flickr has a free basic account which we’ll cover in this series but for those of you who like advance features as well as the ability to store your videos, there’s also a pro-account for small fee. To get started using Flickr, click on Create an Account. If you already have a Yahoo account, you can sign in using your username and password for that account. If you don’t have a Yahoo account, you can easily create one by filling up this short form and clicking on Create an Account. Then just use your username and password to sign in to your brand new Flickr account and you can begin to create your profile, upload your photos and find your friends on Flickr. I’ll go over how to do more with your Flickr account over the course of this series. After you’ve created your Flickr account which I covered in the first episode in this series, you want to personalize it with your own touch. You can choose a photo from your computer to use as your buddy icon. Your buddy icon is what represents you when people are viewing your Flickr profile. You can use a default image provided here or choose your own. Click on choosing image from your computer, click browse and select an image form your computer, then click on upload. Your buddy icon is small so take the box, drag it over the area you want to use and resize it as needed. Then click on make the icon. Next, you can create a custom URL that people can use to access your public Flickr profile and photos. This can’t be changed later so make sure you pick one you like. It also needs to be original so if the one you like is taken just choose another. Last, you can personalize your profile with information about yourself that you want to share with the Flickr community. You don’t need to enter anything you don’t want here so just share what you like. Flickr is a photo storage and sharing site so let’s get right into uploading your first photo to your Flickr account. Click on upload your first photos to Flickr then choose photos, select one photo or you can hold down the control key if you use a PC or the command key if you use a Mac and select multiple photos. Next, select the privacy levels for your photos, you can make them completely private and only visible to you, like invisible to friends, family or the public then click on Upload and then add a description. Now, you can add titles to your photos, descriptions and add tags. Tags are keywords or descriptive words about your photos and makes them easier to find when people are searching for specific topic. Do this for all of your photos and click Save. These photos are now in what’s called your photo stream. In the fourth episode in this series, I’ll go over how you can create sets for your photos to organize them even more. Creating sets for your photos allows you to organize them in to groups and helps when you have a lot of photos in your photo stream. Click on your sets and then go to your organizer, this is really easy; just drag the photos that you want included in to the set on to the empty canvass. Now, you can name your set and give it a description. If you have a lot of photos in your photo stream then you can search for ones to add to what’s here. You can rearrange the photos in to the order you like by dragging and dropping them into place or you can choose to have them arranged by date, alphabetically, randomly, or the reverse order. You can also edit things like titles, descriptions and privacy levels for photos in an entire set at once by doing a batch edit. When you’re all done click on Save and your set will be stored here in your sets. You can create many different sets for all of your photos and then view them each separately. This is your Flickr photo stream, over here on the right we’ll see your sets and on the left your most recently uploaded photos. You can completely change the layout of your photo stream to something you like. You can choose to show small images only, small images in to your sets, medium images only or medium images in your sets. I’ll choose small images in my sets. You can also create a contact list to make sharing your photos with friends that much easier. You can invite people to your Flickr profile by entering in your e-mail and name and choose up their friends or family. This helps setting privacy levels. You want to learn more about setting privacy levels, check out the third episode in this series. You can then enter in an invitation and click send. Another way to add a contact is to search for friends who may already be using Flickr. You can have Flickr search to your contact list in your Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail accounts or you can search for someone already using Flickr. I choose to search for people in my Hotmail account and it shows that these contacts are already using Flickr. Now, I can choose to add them as a contact, a friend, a family member or both or not to add them at all. Click on add contacts when you’re done. You can also create groups on Flickr and join preexisting groups. Let’s say you really love photos of Hawaii, just do a search for Hawaii and here are some groups with lots of photos that have to do with Hawaii. You can then to join the group. If you like you can create your own group too. Decide if you want to allow everyone to join, have it the invite only or private. Then just name it, add a description and choose if its age appropriate for everyone or only those who over 18, you then just need to setup how your page should look and name the administrators. Now, your group has been created and you can customize the rules, the group information and the members how you see fit. One of the great things about Flickr beside storing and sharing your own photos is the ability to view and comment on other photos being shared by the Flickr community. To search for a photo, just enter in what you are looking for here, I’ll search for a sunset. You have the option at searching through photos from all of Flickr, the photos of your contacts, your friends and so on. I’ll search their photos from all of Flickr. Here are photos that match my term sunset. You can view the most relevant results, most recent or most interesting. When you see a photo that you like, you can click on it to view it in a user’s photo stream and add it to your favorites so you can view it again and again. You can also send it to a friend via e-mail. If you scroll down, you'll see the photos description as well as any comments other Flickr users have left. At the bottom of the page, you can comment on the photo as well. You can also invite the photo to be posted in one of your groups. To learn more about groups on Flickr, check out the fifth episode in the series. If you click on a user’s name, you can view their photo stream and all of the photo sets they’ve created and made public. You can also choose to view their photos in a slideshow format. If you take pictures with your mobile phone and have a Flickr account, you can send photos to your Flickr account right from your mobile phone. You can also send photos to your Flickr account right from your e-mail. To use Flickr from your mobile phone, visit the Help section. Here, you’ll find tips and tricks on how to upload photos from your mobile phone to Flickr. There’re even different tools and applications you can download for your specific phone. If you get stocked, there’s an entire Help section to get you started. If e-mailing is your thing, then you can e-mail your photos to this unique e-mail address either from your phone or from an e-mail service that you currently use. You can add tags here that will always be used when sending photos to this e-mail address. You can use a subject line to create a title for your photos and the body of the e-mail to describe your photo. If you have a blog or website, you can create an HTML or flash badge that will display your latest photos or even just your favorite photos from Flickr. You can choose the content; it can be all of your photos or photos tag with a specific key word. It can also be photos from a group or everyone’s photos. Next, choose up what you would like your buddy icon and screen name at the bottom of the photos, how many items you’d like to show and which photos you’ve like to show. You can also choose the size and decide id you want them laid out, vertically, horizontally or if you like to customize it yourself. Then just pick the colors of your badge and here’s what it will look like. Now all you need to do is copy the code and paste it on to the part of your site where you want to add it. Flickr offers different types of licensing that you can apply to your photos that you choose to share the Flickr community. There are different levels depending on how to much credit you want for the photos that you take. Go to the creative comments area of Flickr. Here you’ll see different photos added with different types of creative comments licensing. Let me briefly describe each one, an attributions license means that you will allow others to copy, distribute, display and even create works based on your image as long as you’re giving credit for the original work. Non-commercial means that you’ll allow other people to copy distribute and display your work but only for non-commercial purposes. No derivative means that people can copy, display and distribute your work but may not create any work based on your property. Share alike means that you’ll allow others to create derivative works based on your property but only under a license that is the same as how you license your work. You can add creative comments licensing to your work and even choose a default setting for all of your work or change the creative comment licensing on a batch here. On your Flickr homepage you’ll see tabs up at the top that can take you to different parts of the site. The home tab will take you to the Flickr homepage where we are now. If you click on the drop sown arrow next to the U tab you’ll see that you can access our photo stream, your sets, your archives, your tags and your map. I’ll go over your map I the tenth episode in the series. You can also access your favorites and if you have a pro-account in your stocks. This is also where you’ll see your recent activity, upload photos, view your account, your profile and access your Flickr mail. The organize tab will take you to all of your content, your most recent uploads, your photo sets and your map. The context tab is where you can find your friends most recent uploads, your contact list, do a search and invite your friends. The groups tab is where you can access your groups, seeing the changes made to your groups and search for groups. The explore tab is full of ways to find different and exciting content on Flickr. For example, you can view the last seven days of interesting photos from all of Flickr, a calendar with random Flickr photos, and you can also access the Flickr blog. In your photo stream you can also access your popular photos, your favorites, your archives, your tags and your sets. When you’re organizing your photos, you have the ability to add them to a map to show where they’re taken and share them with friends. Go to the organizer and then click on map, choose how you want to be able to view this map. Use these controls to zoom in and you can drag the map on for better focus. You’ll want to zoom in pretty close to get the photo in just the right spot, and then drag the photo on to the spot where it was taken. You can also save the map and name it so you can find it again easy later and that’s it. Besides adding photos to the map, you can also view a world map with photos that have been uploaded to Flickr from all around the world. You can search the map for specific topics and a location like rainforest in Hawaii then just click on the bubbles to view the images. You can also create a link to this map and share it with friends. Adding your photos to a map is a really great way to remember exactly where you were when you took a photo and viewing the world map is a fun way to see the world through other people’s eyes. | <urn:uuid:0a5694e2-e74d-4d7a-b33b-4d1dd5ada951> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://videos.parentdish.com/introduction-to-flickr-11-an-introduction-to-flickr-210062538/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938264 | 2,769 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Here are explanations of how I understand the different grades, when marking philosophy papers.
- This is a truly outstanding paper. It is clearly written, well-argued, and original. A paper that just gives a straightforward or "obvious" response to some philosophical or interpretative problem would not merit an A, even if it is clear. An A paper does something extra--but not at the cost of a clear treatment of the problem. If you receive an A on a paper you have reason to feel extremely proud of your work.
- This is a really good paper, one that operates at an advanced level. It is clearly written. (If there are any significant problems with the writing or the organization of the paper, then it won't merit an A-. This is because good clear writing and organization are not separable from good philosophical thinking.) The paper may have a couple of minor mistakes or confusions, or it may fail to unpack some of its arguments sufficiently. It may have an original argument or interpretation, but if so, that will be offset by some other flaw. For example, in a longer paper, perhaps there is too little philosophical back-and-forth (considering objections and challenges, and responding to them). Or perhaps it is not as engaged with the texts as it should be.
- This is a well-written paper with nothing terribly wrong. The writing may have some small problems, or it may be flawless. The paper may make some mistakes or have some ambiguities that have to be sorted out, but overall it will be a good paper. It will show more promise or originality than a B paper, but nothing will make it stand out like an A- paper, or it won't be operating at as advanced a level as an A- paper. (Or perhaps the paper would stand out if some of its ideas were properly developed, but as it stands they aren't.)
- This is a solid paper, with some notable mistakes or obscurities, but no serious misunderstandings. The writing may not be super-clear. To earn a B, the paper needs to make it clear why the problem addressed in the paper is a problem, and offer some response to it. (It may be a straightforward or unoriginal response; it may not be a decisive response; the paper may even end by showing that a certain response doesn't work. But the paper must put forward or examine some response to the problem.) A B paper does not seriously misrepresent the views of other philosophers.
- There are starting to be some serious problems. Perhaps the writing is really unclear or the paper is poorly organized. Or perhaps there are straightforward mistakes and misunderstandings about what the problem is, or about what other philosophers say. Or perhaps the paper presents the problem correctly, but doesn't really address it. Still, there is an effort. The author has some understanding of the problem and of the relevant texts. She does offer some argument. A paper with no argument won't merit a B-.
- There are more serious problems. Either the writing is really hard to get through; or the paper has no discernable structure; or the author doesn't understand the text or the positions she is discussing; or the paper doesn't really attempt to offer any argument.
- Papers with more problems will earn grades of C or below.
- It is difficult to give a general gloss on those grades since the problems that beset these papers are quite varied.
In my experiences teaching at several universities, fewer than 10% of students are able to write above the B- level in their first attempts at philosophical writing. (For what it's worth, some of my first philosophy papers were B-s, too.) Don't let this discourage you. Doing and writing philosophy are hard. But they are skills you can learn. People who make a serious effort to learn them are often writing B+ or A- papers by the end of term. | <urn:uuid:f3aa5a45-7dd5-43f0-8fa3-248bc041a1b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/grades.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968991 | 804 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Teachers & Administrators
The Center for Engagement Learning is looking to offer learning and professional development opportunities for area teachers and school administrators.
This area of educational programming is continuing to evolve and will offer courses in such topic areas as:
- Health and Wellness programs focusing on topics such as Eating Disorders and Wellness
- Office/workplace health
- Educational opportunities in Special Education, and many more. | <urn:uuid:fdce0a83-d2d5-4122-96fd-29c0d30adbc8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sheboygan.uwc.edu/professional/teachers-administrators/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950332 | 84 | 1.625 | 2 |
By: Bill Bregar
September 14, 2012
GREENVILLE, S.C. (Sept. 14, 1:35 p.m. ET) — A German company that makes board, sheet and textiles out of recycled plastics is opening its first North American factory in Greenville, investing $14.3 million in Con-Pearl North America.
Con-Pearl North America is a subsidiary of Friedola-Tech GmbH of Geismar, Germany. The company is renovating part of an existing industrial building. The investment is expected to generate 51 jobs over the next five years, according to the Greenville Area Development Corp.
Friedola-Tech, which has its own recycling operation, makes lightweight boards, artificial leather, floor coverings, internal liners and injection molded parts. The company’s major markets are packaging and automotive. Con-Pearl boards are made from polypropylene.
Production should begin in Greenville in October. Economic development officials announced the new plant Sept. 14. The company will begin hiring immediately.
Stefan Hoedt, business development director for Con-Pearl North America, said in a prepared statement that South Carolina “offers us an exceptional business environment and great access to markets in the U.S.”
Officials of Con-Pearl North America and Friedola-Tech were not available for additional comment.
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $150,000 grant for work on the building. | <urn:uuid:2597e663-af27-4b6e-ae59-b44bdcd93ad8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20120914/NEWS/309149968&template=printthis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932729 | 309 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Attitude: Some Care Needed → Fairly Positive
In Brief: Family strain caused by an autistic child. Hidden strengths behind apparently disadvantaged boy. Ecological slant to humans' treatment of the planet.
Published in: 1990
Age Range: Pre Teens
- Adam is a boy suffering from autism who discovers he can communicate with animals and indeed has a particular role to play in helping them.
- Oscar is Adam's cat, the first animal with whom he communicates.
- Derek, Adam's father, is a scientist, working in the local laboratories and using animals for experimentation, including Oscar's kittens.
Adam, unable to communicate with other humans on account of his autism, finds that he can talk to animals telepathically, and this helps him become more confident as he tries to find out why he should have been chosen to receive this particular gift. He befriends the local zookeeper and asks the animals there to tell him their stories in the hope that this will help him discover his own.
Literary: Since most of the narrative is seen through the eyes of a young boy, the style and vocabulary are undemanding. I found the characterisation fairly flat even among the principal two or three characters and certainly outside them. Adam says and thinks quite a bit, but you rather have the feeling that he's reproducing the author's speech bubbles.
Family: Adam is his parents' only child, and the early part of the book shows how much strain it puts on a family to have a child suffering from autism. Understandably his mother, who spends the most time with him, has the most patience with him, but his father is frustrated at Adam's apparent stupidity. The distance between them is compounded by the fact that Derek works at the local laboratory where they experiment on animals.
Ecology: The book is in effect a warning bell for those who take too little care of the natural world, and in particular of the animals. Adam, through his discussions with the various animals he meets, is told how much they suffer and for how much humans are responsible. Finally he talks to the dolphins, who tell him that he was chosen (by them) to be a modern-day Noah, keeping animals safe from Mankind. Clearly, the idea of Mammalogue (a language which all mammals speak and which humans initially know but soon forget) is a convenient plot device to let the author speak through the animals Adam meets, but I find myself rather tired of the line that animals necessarily know better than humans just because... well, just because. Clearly, humans don't get everything right, but why should animals be any more perfect in this regard?
Despite all the photographs, films and videos Adam had seen before, faced with the gigantic grey beasts standing in front of him, ears flapping, trunks swinging, feet trampling the ground and raising clouds of dust, Adam couldn't help gasping at their sheer enormity. He stood there staring at them: unable to think.
Unable to use Mammalogue.
In the end it was one of the elephants who communicated first.
“So you finally decided to visit us,” the largest male thought to Adam.
The sound in his head was deeper than anything the boy had heard before. It was a bit like talking in an empty room — echoing and solemn.
“I was coming,” Adam thought back. “I...”
“Well, you certainly took your time about meeting the most impressive mammal that ever walked the earth,” the elephant snorted.
“And the most modest?”
“Modesty be blowed. Just look at me,” it thought, and with its ears fully extended it tilted back its head, raised its trunk and trumpeted so loudly that the noise bounced all round the zoo. For a moment, every other squeak, chatter, grunt, growl and roar ceased.
“Hear the respect I command,” the elephant thought proudly.
Sunday 18th January 2004 | <urn:uuid:7c2902c2-8d45-4283-b443-76ceccebe085> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goodtoread.org/age-range/pre-teens/adams-ark/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976 | 830 | 2.359375 | 2 |
The Wild City, an online portal for alternative music and art lovers across the world covered a story on India beyond coal. The popular alternative music magazine put out a call for artists across India to take initiative and use their creative skills in building awareness about the dangers of coal and encourage the use of renewable alternatives. Here is a cross post:
One of the dirtiest fuels on the planet, coal provides 66% of India’s electricity, meeting more than 50% of our primary energy needs. Many argue that India’s continued dependence on coal stems from the fact that it is cheaper than other alternatives, yet if recent figures are to be believed, the last few years has seen a rise in the cost of coal based energy whilst that of renewable (solar/wind) has come down dramatically. Wind based energy is already on par and in some places cheaper than coal.
Opposition from locals led by Ramesh Agarwal against Jindal Steel & Power Limited’s highly polluting coal industries got him shot; highly inefficient grids and peak load mismanagement on coal generated power put 600 million Indians in darkness.
“Our dependence on coal is powering us towards more troubles than we had imagined and India is now at a crossroads. It is our choice of energy sources that will shape our future.”
Out in the village of Lakshmikantapur, West Bengal, a company called ONergy has brought decentralised solar energy to homes that otherwise suffer from day long power cuts. In Karnataka and Gujarat, SELCO has introduced over 1.35 lakh solar home lighting systems for poor rural households whilst in Uttar Pradesh, Mera Gao Power is bringing micro lighting solutions to homes across the state. These initiatives show us how decentralised, renewable energy solutions are beginning to bridge the supply gap – without the blackouts, deforestation or violence.
Rooted from this very idea, 350.org, an international environmental organisation has launched a campaign calledIndia Beyond Coal. A movement which aims to mobilise thousands around this theme, in order to direct demands at policy developers and politicians.
On November 10, the campaign will culminate in a national day of action in which thousands of people will organise protests through the length and breadth of the country with the single unified message of moving India beyond coal. With over hundred actions being planned across the country, the day aims to generate support against coal, creating a big push for renewable energy.
“350.org, along with its partners encourages everybody to participate in this campaign. You can register an action with India Beyond Coal and make November 10 a watershed moment for India that inspires the change we wish to see” – 350.org
Artists across India have already been enlisted to amplify impact, contributing original music and visual art. The day will also see some of these artists perform with theatre groups, traditional dance troupes and hip-hop crews. So far musicians such as Jatin Puri (listen here), Unconventional Science, MC A-List (listen here), Delhi Sultanate and Chris McGuinness have contributed tracks, which will hosted on the India Beyond Coal Blog.
350.org provides an online platform for organisers to register and mobilise actions. To make your voice heard you can register an action for Nov 10 by logging on to Indiabeyondcoal.org. To be linked with active groups for the date or to share music email can can email email@example.com | <urn:uuid:9f5c8128-e0b3-4ad9-a2cb-846b742d6973> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://indiabeyondcoal.org/stories/calling-artists-to-move-india-beyond-coal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929504 | 708 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Though it doesn’t quite beat a certain 125-page story conference transcript, I’ve managed to get my hands on what I think can rightfully be called a Lucas-rarity. It’s been referenced in a couple of books on Lucas (Page 47 of The Cinema of George Lucas and several places in Droidmaker), but isn’t to my knowledge generally available, though it should hold the interest of anyone interested in THX 1138, American Zoetrope, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and filmmaking in general in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Allow me to first give it some context (or skip to goods):
The Early Years of George Lucas
Despite whatever sour feelings his (so-called) fans may hold for his work today, George Lucas was nothing if not a driven and extremely talented filmmaker from day one, best exemplified in his 1967 pièce de résistance student short THX 1138 4EB (I would be remis to not mention it: The linage to Lucas’ inspiration, Arthur Lipsett’s 1963 abstract Canadian short 21-87, is distinct, down to music, editing, individual stylistic elements and even the robot-like arms manipulating the flasks, which would become the cyborg manufacuring plant in the feature film version of THX 1138. Furthermore, I found this 1968 Time Magazine mention of the short intriguing, as it mentions things not referenced in the film, like erosbods and clinicbods…), though the rest of his USC output from the late sixties, including his first ever film, the Time Magazine picture montage animation effort, A Look at Life (Oddly, I just found out that there are two versions of Look at Life, this one, which is from the American Zoetrope documentary from the THX 1138 disc, and another one, which is 50 seconds, has different titles and opens on a womans face with the words ‘kinestasic (I think) project’ and ‘by George Lucas’ printed on it and a second face of a black man afterwards, besides which it says ‘animation 44B USC’. This doesn’t have the man looking through the net. Otherwise they’re the same… I would venture the guess that one was the hand-in, another was for competitions), the car-centric visual tone-poem 1:42.08 and the politically charged Freiheit (Speaking of ‘rare on the internet’, this is a clip only, though the entire short was up on Youtube for a short stint before it was taken down due to a copyright claim from Cinema 16 who owns the publishing rights) all show signs of the themes and aesthetics that have ended up defining him as a filmmaker ever since.
Lucas was known as a student to watch at USC, and around spring of 1967, Charles Lippincott, who would later work for Lucas as the marketing director on Star Wars (and whose interviews form the basis for the amazing The Making of Star Wars), dropped out of a sponsorship to go to Arizona for three months and shoot a ‘making of’ short for McKenna’s Gold; at Lippincott’s suggestion, Lucas took his place. Once there however, the experience confirmed Lucas’ growing suspicion that Hollywood was a wasteful and corrupt lumbering monstrosity of old, out of touch with the world around it and incapable of making films that were even remotely personal or relevant.
He finished on June 18, 1967 and aptly named it: 6.18.67.
Remember that for a moment.
Afterwards, at the end of his tenure at USC, in 1968, Lucas won a scholarship which granted him a six-month internship at Warners-Seven Arts (which would a few years later revert back to their old name, Warner Bros). Here he struck up a friendship with Francis Ford Coppola on the set of Finian’s Rainbow, who while being almost diametrically opposite of Lucas, personality-wise, was like him, young, graduated from a film school (UCLA) and full-bearded, setting them apart from the rest of the fifties and up-crew. During the editing of Finian’s Rainbow, the two men bonded and the rest is history.
In 1969, they went on the road for Coppola’s next film, The Rain People, a made-on-the-move film based off of the same principles American Zoetrope (American Zoetrope got its name from a zoetrope gifted to Coppola from the collection of antique projection devices at Lanterna, an independent Danish studio which did commercials, the occasional feature film and softcore porn) would soon be founded upon. During The Rain People, Lucas made a documentary simply called Filmmaker (This is the revised version, running 32 minutes. Skywalking (page 280) lists an ‘original version’ running 64 minutes), which is a fascinating look at how Coppola (and by proxy Lucas), was fighting the rigidity of the old system and its cumbersome, expensive ways. It also shows a 29-year-old beardless Coppola remarking “the world is filled with guys who said: ‘First I’ll make the money, then I’ll go off and make the personal films I’ve always wanted to make’, yet they never get around to doing it”, a curious parallel to what has since happened to Lucas, which, since it’s Lucas’ documentary, makes it poignantly fitting in retrospect.
Up until this point Lucas had always wanted to be a documentarian more than a feature film director, but as the idea of American Zoetrope started taking shape, he nonetheless went to work on THX 1138, the feature-length adaptation of his student short, expanding it into an abstract sci-fi masterpiece, which at once echoes both vaguely and at times very specifically, everything from his USC influences, like 21-87, to his own short films and even foreshadowing his coming obsession with pulp adventures in the odd Buck Rogers intro (For a super-quick rundown of Star Wars influences, check this out). As it so happens, Lucas even found the time to direct a short documentary about THX 1138 called Bald.
THX 1138 was a major milestone for Lucas not because of its scope, but because no sooner had he finished the film, than Warner Bros took it away from him and recut it without his consent (I wrote a small piece about this alternate version a little while back). Adding insult to injury, they considered the film such a failure, they cancelled the seven-picture deal they had with American Zoetrope, forcing Coppola into doing The Godfather.
And so forth.
And this is where we come to the heart of the matter.
It is 1971, THX 1138 was released on March 11, American Zoetrope is spiraling towards certain doom, Lucas has become even more disillusioned with Hollywood than he was during his stint on McKenna’s Gold, and where exactly things go from here for the upstart and its members is all up in the air. And while American Zoetrope and Coppola had slowly started to cause waves — mostly due to THX’s failure as it were, though also because Coppola wasn’t afraid of touting American Zoetrope a state-of-the-art facility which could outmatch Hollywood, and that the company (and thus himself) was the future of filmmaking — Lucas was little more than a promising student who had made an obscure sci-fi film which opened small and died fast.
During the summer of ’71, as all of this is happening, Gene Youngblood interviewed the then 27-year-old Lucas for a Los Angeles-based educational TV station, KCET in an hour-long program called George Lucas: Maker of Films.
(The sound is slightly out of sync on the embedded video, I suggest downloading the full thing instead).
How this has managed preservation until now is a small media miracle in my book. It offers rare insight into both Lucas as well as American Zoetrope’s position following THX’s release. And remember, this is before Lucas goes on to make American Graffiti and later Star Wars, and the fact that this at the time relative nobody is interviewed at all, is probably because of Gene Youngblood himself was at the forefront of film, though in a journalistic capacity, and thus in touch with what was coming out of student films and also what was going on with this prodigious young filmmaker.
The rarity of any footage of Lucas from this period makes this amazing in itself, but more than that, this is also very soon after Lucas had his first film taken away from him, something which would happen again on American Graffiti, and one of the prime reasons that Lucasfilm came into existence at all. Had things fallen out differently, he may well have continued working with Coppola at American Zoetrope.
Furthermore, Lucas’ hatred for the studio system is really on display here, him going so far as to say that he isn’t sure studio executives think at all, and that he has no idea how beautiful films get made under these conditions. Most striking to me on a personal level, and what brought me to this interview to begin with, is this quote, which was also printed in page 47 of The Cinema of George Lucas:
Making film is an art. Selling film is a business, the trouble is they don’t know how to sell films. As a result, they try to make you make films that people will go to without them having to be sold. This is the real key to the problem. If they can’t put a film in a theater and have people rush to the door, they’re not interested.
That the people with money hold the power (and the will) to control the artists frustrates Lucas to no end, as he is nothing if not a man of his own ideals. To gain independence from the gatekeepers of Hollywood was at the forefront even then.
Of personal interest is a passing comment that USC had renamed THX 1138 EB, his student short, to Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB for copyright reasons as well as Lucas talking about how American Zoetrope is planning on entering the educational and industrial markets, where there’s good money to be made; something which thankfully never came to pass.
The last third of the interview belongs more to Gene Youngblood than Lucas, but it is an interesting one nonetheless, hailing the arrival of the video cassette as the democratization of film, something which was perhaps before its time and a little oversold, but still surprisingly relevant today, what with the internet ‘n’ all. Yet micro-monetization still isn’t where it needs to be to make this work, so the ’10 years from now’ forecast was perhaps a bit hasty.
I imagine this was the sole source of the original THX 1138 4EB for many years, and adding bliss to joy, Lucas’ short, 6.18.67, which he shot while on location with McKenna’s Gold (remember I told you to hold that thought?), is a part of the program. I’m not entirely sure, but this at least the first time I’ve seen it in the wild, which makes this program all the more wonderful.
And There You Have It
Despite whatever flaws I might find in his later work, George Lucas is a tremendously captivating individual whose work has had a profound impact on my life. His integrity to his original vision and the choices he’s made along the way have remained seemingly unaltered since he first set foot on USC, which is truly remarkable, considering how much I myself waver, turn back on and constantly reevaluate my own choices and whatever vision I have for myself and my dreams.
I can’t decide whether to feel depressed or uplifted when I look in the mirror and think to myself: “When George Lucas was 31 he had directed two fantastic feature films and was in the middle of writing Star Wars. And what am I doing with my life?”
Further Reading and Watching
The DVD for THX 1138 has a documentary on it called A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope, which chronicles exactly what the name implies. The American Graffiti DVD has a making of which naturally picks up just after THX 1138. For biographical information on Lucas before and after this period, I recommend Skywalking by Dale Pollock and The Cinema of George Lucas by Marcus Hearn.
Thank you pufnstuf for supplying me with this fantastic find, makes me hope there might be more of these out there, waiting to be unearthed. | <urn:uuid:1c57ac48-3126-41ee-be5e-4c7141c19a52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://binarybonsai.com/?tag=rarities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973868 | 2,719 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Kazaa's Zero Hour Approaches
Judge Wilcox did find however, Sharman Networks was in violation of
Section 101 of the Australian Copyright Act... [he] surmised that
Sharman Networks took largely anemic steps in its attempt to thwart
piracy on its network. Judge Wilcox also found that Sharman Networks
used subversive methods to increase its population at the expense of
the music label’s profit margin. This method included the clever PR
campaign called the “Kazaa Revolution”, where users were encouraged to
“Join the Revolution.” Although not explicitly encouraging copyright
infringement, it sits as well as billboard of Joe Camel in a middle
school parking lot...
On October 31, 2005, the Internet community learned how ugly [DRM]
techniques could get. Mark Russinovich, an expert on the internals of
Windows and one of the writers behind Sysinternals.com, discovered
evidence of a rootkit on one of his computers. Rootkits are sneaky
pieces of software that hide on one's computer. They are virtually
invisible to most, if not all, conventional anti-spyware and anti-virus
software... After a lengthy and clever investigation, Mark Russinovich
discovered the Rootkit was part of a [Sony] DRM copy protection scheme.
It's become something of a joke when you look at just how many anti-
something software products you need these days just to keep your
computer safe (anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-spyware, firewall, anti-
trojan, anti-phishing, anti-hijack, etc., etc., etc.), but the list
usually begins with anti-virus software. According to one security
researcher, though, anti-virus software may have just become a lot more
How the MPAA killed the movie theater experience: a first-hand report
Last night (November 3rd), my girlfriend brought me along to see a
screening of Derailed at the Paramount Theatre in Toronto... the line
was moving slowly because they were asking customers to raise their
arms so that they could be electronically frisked with a metal
detector, and women's purses were being searched by uniformed security
guards... People who submitted to the search (everyone from what I
could tell) had their cellphones taken from them and checked...
101 Ways to Save the Internet
Where's a superhero when you need one? The Net, which once seemed so
invincible, is under attack by the forces of evil. Viruses knock
servers to their knees. Spammers hijack our inboxes. Hackers and
identity thieves menace our collective security and personal privacy.
Desperate solutions range from abandoning email to requiring a license
to log on...
Big Win for Fair Use in Colorado
For years, EFF has been following a case in Colorado District Court
involving Family Flicks and Play it Clean Video -- companies that make
and distribute copies of movies with sexual and violent content
removed... When Family Flicks and Play it Clean Video make their
"clean" copies, they first make an "intermediate copy" of the entire
movie in order to edit it. The MPAA claimed that the copy was an
infringement as well as the final product. In an amicus brief filed in
August, EFF argued that as long as making clean movies is not itself an
infringing activity, the practice of making intermediate copies should
be considered non-infringing also...
ISPs: Now Spying on Users?
An unidentified UK ISP Blueyonder employee let slip to one of our
readers that they routinely receive lists of IP addresses that are to
be monitored for various “law enforcement” purposes, and that the
resultant data was processed and provided to those requesting it.
According to the information received, the Business Software Alliance
and the BPI are amongst many requesting such information...
Does Live.com mean the end of MSN?
One of the most frequently asked questions following the Windows Live
launch on Tuesday has been: "What happens to MSN?" Microsoft executives
were quick to reassure that the online brand will survive. But with
Messenger, Search, Mail and more becoming Windows Live services, what's
left for MSN?
Making Phishers Solve a Captcha
You know captchas: they're the odd-looking images representing
stretched or melted alphanumeric text that can (presumably) be read by
humans, but not malicious bots. What if a captcha could be used to
prevent phishing attacks? Here's one proposed solution:
Ready to share photos, files, music or even business documents? Then
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get the full power of BadBlue Enterprise Edition with twelve months of free upgrades! | <urn:uuid:76e6f71a-f5b9-4670-ac91-da76517878cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imakenews.com/badblue/e_article000483605.cfm?x=b11,0,w | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923778 | 1,052 | 1.617188 | 2 |
The Federal Reserve has a host of options on the table as it meets today, and market expectations are running high that it will do something.
Among the options, according to our colleague Kristina Peterson in an article today:
Fed officials, concluding a two-day policy meeting Wednesday, could extend a program known as “Operation Twist,” in which the central bank sells short-term Treasury bills and notes and plows the proceeds into longer-term securities. They also could decide to shift the proceeds into mortgage- backed securities rather than long-term Treasury bonds.
Among other choices: launching a new round of bond-buying, known to some as quantitative easing, to expand the central bank’s portfolio of assets. Or they could alter the way they describe their plans for interest rates with an assurance that short-term interest rates will stay near zero beyond 2014.
Policy makers also could stand pat but offer assurance that they stand ready to act if the economy gets weaker.
With the exception of standing pat, all these moves would be aimed at bringing down long-term interest rates and reducing credit costs more broadly to spur spending and investment.
But debate continues to rage about how much the Fed can do and whether its previous action have helped. David Wessel, in a recent Capital column, addressed the question:
By dissecting market moves in the minutes and hours after a Fed QE announcement, one set of researchers estimates how much the Fed pushed up prices and thus pushed down yields. San Francisco Fed economists, for instance, estimate QE1 cut the 10-year Treasury yield by a significant 0.89 percentage point.
Researchers differ on the details. Northwestern University’s Anne Vissing-Jorgenson argues that buying mortgage-backed securities packed more punch than Treasury purchases. “It matters what you buy,” she says. Jonathan Wright of Johns Hopkins University finds that the effects of Fed buying “die off fairly fast.”
But the bulk of the evidence from these “event studies” suggests significant Fed-produced declines in rates on Treasury and mortgage-backed securities—and a smaller, but noticeable, decline in rates mortgage borrowers and companies pay. Point to the Fed.
The attached graphic shows how the bond and stock market reacted to the Fed’s major moves. Check it out here. | <urn:uuid:c06ffad4-c2a4-4650-97a3-75bce1696e73> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2012/06/20/how-effective-have-fed-moves-been/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944953 | 481 | 1.765625 | 2 |
- n. Plural form of layaway.
“And, of course, there are still old-fashioned shoppers who appreciate the idea of layaways but won't do it themselves.”
“There are plenty of layaways still sitting on store shelves near you.”
“Startled clerks obliged by looking up layaways that included children's toys and clothing so as to make sure two recipients were served -- the kids, of course, but also the struggling parent who had carefully picked out the meager treasures weeks earlier and had been dutifully paying on the presents ever since.”
“The anonymous woman then paid off layaways for as many as 50 other people and said, "She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died .... she wanted to make people happy," Deppe said.”
“That sounds about as old-fashioned as layaways at the local K-Mart.”
“Doesn't it seem like it's getting earlier, the pressure to spend, to make plans for that holiday spending, and how can you resist with all these retailers offering these great deep discounts, and, yes, layaways are now back.”
“That's a couple hundred to go - except the layaways can go in a shorter period of time.”
“I still have a couple of layaways at Night Magic, and I'm sure something must have come in for me at Odyssey.”
“Not only did he try to sell me something far cheaper than my original set, but when I mentioned that I did not like anything else within the store and I would prefer a refund because I only wanted that style, I was told that there are no refunds on layaways and was provided with no documentation showing that there were no refunds on layaways for items that are all sold out.”
“Let's talk about layaways, because this is becoming very popular, lots of folks out there.”
Looking for tweets for layaways. | <urn:uuid:960d0b1b-52cf-46d2-8bb7-3fab33595709> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/layaways | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986822 | 423 | 1.882813 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans are threatening to subpoena documents from the Food and Drug Administration as part of an ongoing investigation into whether the agency could have prevented a deadly outbreak of meningitis caused by contaminated drugs.
Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee said Friday that the FDA has three weeks to turn over internal documents concerning its oversight of the New England Compounding Center. The pharmacy produced a contaminated steroid, used mainly to treat back pain, that is blamed for fungal meningitis that has killed 45 people and sickened more than 600.
The outbreak was first identified in September and Congress has been investigating the case since October. But their inquiry has been slowed by the complex overlap of state and federal laws and regulations that govern specialty pharmacies like the Framingham, Mass.-based NECC.
The FDA inspected the pharmacy three times between 2002 and 2005 and issued a warning letter in 2006 ordering NECC to stop mass-producing drugs outside the scope of its license. But regulators never shut the operation down. At a November hearing, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the agency decided to defer the issue to Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy, which had more direct oversight of the company.
While the agency has turned over the documents related to its inspections, Republicans say they want to see internal memos about the agency's decision-making process.
"FDA has produced no communications from staff and officials at FDA headquarters, who were actually making the decisions about how to address the situation," according to the letter, signed by Chairman Fred Upton and four other Republicans. They point out that the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy, "a much smaller entity than the FDA," produced all the documents requested by the committee before the November hearing.
Agency spokeswoman Erica Jefferson said late Friday that the FDA is working to respond to the committee, and has turned over more than 3,500 pages of documents to Congress since October.
"These documents include correspondence from FDA's district offices and FDA headquarters as well as inspectional documents and adverse event records from the 2002-2006 timeframe," Jefferson said in a statement.
The lawmakers say they will consider issuing a subpoena if the FDA doesn't turn over key internal memos related to the case by Feb. 25.
Compounding pharmacies produce specialized drug formulations for patients with unusual prescription needs, for instance those allergic to widely used ingredients. All Pharmacies have long been regulated by state pharmacy boards, many of which date back to the 19th century. But since the 1990s, the FDA has taken a larger role in policing compounding pharmacies, some of which have grown into large businesses. The NECC shipped more than 17,600 doses of a pain injection to 23 states. The firm has been closed since October and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read the original story: Republicans: FDA withholding key meningitis documents | <urn:uuid:ffeb3f1e-d03f-4717-9259-0c0a9d9b6e0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fdlreporter.com/usatoday/article/1885001 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967132 | 595 | 1.515625 | 2 |
|At 7:30 on the morning of July 1, 1916, soldiers from 11 British divisions emerge from their trenches near the Somme River in northwestern France and advance toward the German front lines, marking the beginning of a major new offensive on the Western Front in World War I.
With the bulk of French resources concentrated on holding the fortress city of Verdun, under siege by the Germans since February 21, 1916, it was clear that the main offensive effort on the Western Front that year would have to be made by the British. After months of planning under the leadership of Sir Douglas Haig, commander in chief of the British forces, the attack on the Somme—destined to be the
largest military engagement in history up to that time—was ready. After a full week of bombarding German positions near the Somme— including 1.5 million shells fired from over 1,500 guns—the infantry advance began on the morning of July 31, along a 25-mile-long front extending across both banks of the river.
The six German divisions facing the advancing British took little time to pull out their heavy machine guns from where they had stored them during the bombardment. Out of the 110,000 British soldiers approaching through No Man's Land towards the German trenches, some 20,000 were killed & 40,000 wounded that day alone—the single heaviest day of casualties in British military history to that point & today.
This disastrous initial advance was credited variously to lack of foresight on the part of the British command—their failure to conceive that the Germans could build their trenches deep enough to protect their weapons, or bring them up so quickly once the artillery barrage had ended—the total lack of surprise surrounding when the
attack began and the inferior preparation of the British artillery, for which the infantry paid a heavy price.
Between mid-July and mid-September, British forces launched no fewer than 90 attacks—all ill-coordinated, hurried and ineffectual, and all against narrow fronts, with their objective alternating between breakthrough and attrition. Over the course of the next four-and-a-half months, the Allies were able to advance a total of only six
miles in the Somme region, at the cost of 146,000 soldiers killed, before Haig called off the offensive on November 18. The German death toll—at 164,000--was even higher.
British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, a nemesis of Haig's, later delivered a resounding condemnation of the battle: "It is claimed that the Battle of the Somme destroyed the old German Army by killing off its best officers and men. It killed off far more of our best and of the French best. The Battle of the Somme was fought by the
volunteer armies raised in 1914 and 1915. These contained the choicest and best of our young manhood….Over 400,000 of our men fell in this bullheaded fight and the slaughter amongst our young officers was appalling…Had it not been for the inexplicable stupidity of the Germans in provoking a quarrel with America and bringing that mighty people into the war against them just as they had succeeded in eliminating another powerful foe—Russia—the Somme would not have saved us from the inextricable stalemate." | <urn:uuid:04d7f69c-6db3-4f01-8fca-3ff22f85a2e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://civilwarinteractive.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=1569&forum_id=24&jump_to=16080 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973457 | 666 | 4.09375 | 4 |
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Over the last few months, as our televisions and newspapers and radio programs were dominated by news related to the economic downturn, many media outlets made comparisons to the Great Depression of the 1930s. In certain parts of the United States — like California, Texas and Georgia — they might as well have brought up another dismal phenomenon of that period: The Dust Bowl.
The average American hears the word “drought” and thinks of water restrictions and rising water rates, but in the early half of the 20th century, drought meant dead crops, livestock and people. Although the consequences are not likely to be as dire as they were 80 years ago, the implications and impact of drought — especially the economic and legislative ones — should never be far from the carwash operator’s mind.
As water becomes a more precious (and expensive) commodity, it is imperative the commercial carwash industry position itself as a steward of the environment and a conservative user of water. Bob Koo, president of AquaChem, a company which manufactures and supplies water reclamation and treatment systems, explained that carwash operators face an uphill battle in defying the consumer’s preconceived notions of the carwash industry. Education and marketing efforts should be combined in order to reach your customer and potential customer bases. (For more ideas on marketing and education, see the sidebar titled "Water-friendly marketing tips and tricks".)
In addition to educating customers, Koo said operators should also consider the financial benefits of a water reclaim system which can be realized in as little as 12 months. These cost savings are especially important as water rates rise along with chemical expenses, labor costs, and energy expenses.
Not only is it important to carefully manage your use of fresh water, and then to try and capture and reuse as much of it as possible for cost savings, but in some parts of the country it will soon become mandatory. Even operators who aren’t in drought-affected states need to be prepared for an onslaught of new legislation as the Obama administration works to improve environmental protections. Koo said operators in many of the states affected by drought and water shortage are already being told they must reclaim or recycle at least a small percentage of their water.
Also, many cities are facing growing demands for water services and their utilities are struggling to catch up. For example, in some Colorado cities, carwash operators have reported water rates that have doubled and then tripled in a matter of years.
The bottom line is carwash operators need to prepare now for drought, for legislation, and for the growing costs of water use. The best way to start is by implementing a water management plan that is tailored to your carwash business and needs. Professional Carwashing & Detailing tracked down one operator who has had great success in this area, and we are sharing his story with you.
A case study in water management
Mark Ellis is a second generation carwasher who operates five conveyor carwashes with full-serve, detail and express offerings in and around Grand Rapids, MI. Michigan may seem far removed from the issue of drought, but in the summer of 2008, at least 46 Michigan counties were affected in some degree by a drought that swept through the state. According to data from the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the state also was affected by heavy rain, flooding and considerable frost/freeze; a virtual trifecta of poor carwashing conditions.
But Ellis kept his head up. Thanks to efficient water management, he is able to keep operational costs to a minimum and process high volumes during good wash weather. These best practices have helped him maintain and grow a healthy business even when the chips were down.
Ellis practices water management at all five of his locations, but we will focus on his fourth site, Southland Auto Wash in Woodland, MI, as a case study. He purchased the 37-year-old carwash in 2005, after it had been blown up when “a little old lady ran into the gas meter.” As Ellis explained, no one was hurt, but the building was leveled. He purchased what was left — the property and foundation — and built a similar-sized modern carwash in its place.
In addition to its water management system, the Woodland site features skylights the length of building, a galvanized metal roof, high-efficiency boilers, variable frequency drives, and three automated tellers which have RFID and fast pass technology.
About the water management system
The 180’ conveyor has a trench designed to self clean and drain into a two stage sand/settling pit with adjustable height sanitary sewer overflow. Ellis said 98 percent of the sand and solids settle into the first two pits and are then pumped out by a sewer cleaning vac-truck twice a year. The two pits also use a turned-down flow through pipe which forces oils to stay in the pit, thus accomplishing the task of an oil separator as well. Any built-up oil can be skimmed off the top of these pit sections and the water then flows into a series of three 2-compartment septic tanks.
“This creates essentially six more compartments for the water to settle out any solids and stop moving quickly,” Ellis explained. The wash then relies on an AquaChem reclaim system to pump out of the last tank with a 10-hp pump. It doesn’t use an intake screen, but instead pumps directly through a pair of hydro-cyclones which take out remaining solids bigger than 12-15 microns. Those solids are then returned through a drain line to the conveyor trench.
Upon leaving the cyclones, the water is routed through an advanced oxidation chamber, where it is treated with a combination of ozone gas and an oxidizing chemical treatment. “This process removes the chemistry from the water,” Ellis said, “which ultimately keeps bio-degradation from taking place inside the pipes.” By removing the chemistry, Ellis is able to filter and use over 200 gallons per minute with no residual odor and very good water clarity.
About the wash processThe Woodland site utilizes a high pressure washing system which requires between 150-175 gallons per minute of the reclaimed water to wash a vehicle. The nozzles are “very well directed and effective,” Ellis said, and follow the entire vehicle, from the door handles down, including a following wheel washer and side/corner blasters to penetrate ice and snow in the wheel wells and on the lower body. These nozzles are also directed at the nose through the rear license plate, front, back and top of the vehicle.
Using high pressure sensing technology, the wash provides three pressure settles for each pump. This allows Ellis to offer his customers with a pinstriped car or convertible top a gentle cleaning, yet also aggressively clean an icy, snowy or muddy car. The pumps for this system are directly fed with reclaim water and plumbed through a gravity check valve so that if the reclaim system loses pressure, a reserve system holding city water automatically takes over.
The high pressure rinsing system is just prior to the last mitter. It is fed from a tank which captures the reject water from the reverse osmosis system and produces water for a spot-free final rinse. The reject water from RO production is saved for reuse along with the reject water from the RO carbon filter system backwash; this tank is also backed up by city water in case the volume can’t keep up on a production day.
Other best practices
In addition to these water efficiencies, Southland Auto Wash also uses reclaimed water for sprinkling its landscaping. The sprinkler system is run during business hours so it can add water back in, otherwise the system would empty the tanks.
City water is used for chemical applications, drying agent and spot-free rinse. Ellis reclaims 80-85 percent of the wash’s water for at least a second use — and in some cases a third pass.
“We believe that this is good stewardship of the natural resources, even though we live in Michigan where water is plentiful,” Ellis explained. “Generally speaking, we see a two-year payoff in direct water and sewer savings in our reclaim system investments.” | <urn:uuid:d1ab7988-14bc-4839-be6d-8266b54a8cc5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carwash.com/articles/78595 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964021 | 1,720 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Science has come a very long way in the past two centuries and the unthinkable seems to have been achieved over and over. Today, we have the ability to create something that many thought would never be possible: man made diamonds. What is fascinating about the fact that mankind is now able to create the hardest substance in the world is that it goes beyond merely changing your options in diamonds from those that are mined to those that are created in a lab environment. Instead, a whole host of issues revolving around these diamonds and their mined counterparts have arisen. Let’s take a look at how synthetic diamonds are changing the world of jewelry. You might be shocked by how much there is to learn.
As you might expect, people were in a great hurry to find out ways of creating diamonds. Due to their value and their many impressive properties, diamonds were certainly a gem that many longed to make in a laboratory setting. While various claims were made regarding the ability to do this, it would not be a verifiable possibility until closer to the middle of the 20th Century. This is when the first man made diamonds were created, according to historians. Typically, today’s synthetic diamonds are going to be made using one of two processes: High Pressure High Temperature (HPTP) synthesis or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). While they are obviously not considered to be quite as prestigious to own as mined diamonds, many people do prefer to have a synthetic diamond due to some factors we are going to look at next.
Mining is an industry that a lot of people who are ecologically sensitive do not like. In order to mine a diamond, the earth and stone must be moved away and this process disturbs the natural environment of an area in a big way. This is one reason why people prefer man made diamonds, but it is not the only one. Many diamonds come from countries in Africa and other locations where, in order to mine diamonds, warfare and strife are present. The so called ‘conflict diamonds’ are those which are gained through violent methods by warring groups such as tribes or groups led by warlords. These diamonds are fought over and the process that is gone through to obtain them can fund very unpleasant organizations. For this reason, many people want a lab created stone that will not contribute to inhuman situations in Africa or anywhere else. It should also be noted that diamonds which have been made in a lab cost quite a bit less than those which were mined. Price is a huge factor in the decisions of many people and with something as expensive as a diamond, this is doubly true.
For those who are considering this type of diamond, it should be noted that it will often only be available in yellow, blue or white. This is because the process will leave trace amounts of impurities like nickel, boron or nitrogen that leave the stone looking a certain way. It is possible to create green, purple or pink diamonds through a process involving irradiation, but these stones are not as common. Other than this, diamonds that have been made in a lab will look nearly identical to those that have been mined directly from the Earth. Of course, it is possible to tell man made diamonds from a natural one by using a spectroscope and gemologists can do this if the need arises.
Not everyone would like to have a lab created diamond. For some, the authentic stone is going to be seen as a tradition that they want to be part of. For others, the realities behind mined diamonds may make them totally unappealing. To the naked eye, there is barely any difference though. Saving money is much easier to do with synthetic diamonds and this is often the reason people decide on a man made gem. If the concerns over the environment, tradition and social affects of mining do not bother a person then a natural diamond may be a more satisfying choice. For those that want their ecological and social values represented in a stone though, a man made diamonds will be best. | <urn:uuid:bc1a440c-60d9-48c1-8a4d-4c877d1c0a71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mydiamonddiary.com/what-are-man-made-diamonds/ | 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 | 0.981725 | 808 | 2.5625 | 3 |
History: Navajo Traditional Dishware Edit History Back to page | View logs for this page Browse history From year (and earlier): From month (and earlier): all January February March April May June July August September October November December Deleted only For any version listed below, click on its date to view it. For more help, see Help:Page history. (cur) = difference from current version, (prev) = difference from preceding version, m = minor edit, → = section edit, ← = automatic edit summary (cur | prev) 21:10, May 31, 2012 Wikia (wall | contribs) . . (4,410 bytes) (-569) . . (Page Layout Builder Migration) (undo) (cur | prev) 01:05, August 11, 2011 LexiLexi (wall | contribs) . . (4,979 bytes) (+115) . . (undo) (cur | prev) 00:52, August 11, 2011 LexiLexi (wall | contribs) . . (4,864 bytes) (+169) . . (undo) (cur | prev) 21:31, August 10, 2011 LexiLexi (wall | contribs) . . (4,695 bytes) (+4,695) . . (Created page with "<plb_layout val_2="*Thin N' Shade *Duncan Concepts Underglazes for Bisque and Majolica **CN 021 Light Saffron **CN 052 Bright Tangerine *...") Retrieved from "http://easycrafts.wikia.com/wiki/Navajo_Traditional_Dishware" | <urn:uuid:736752ce-670d-4e96-bf84-c4a399483536> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://easycrafts.wikia.com/wiki/Navajo_Traditional_Dishware?action=history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939728 | 347 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Droid apps: Google's attempt to make inventing them a lot easier
Since its release on the T-Mobile G1 in late 2008, Google's Android mobile operating system has been quick to grow up. But despite its rapid maturation as a viable smartphone platform across multiple carriers and hardware, there has always been one area in which Android has been slow to capture gain ground in comparison to Apple's iOS juggernaut: apps.
Apps are the thing that makes a person's smart phone their own. They are what makes my iPhone or Droid mine and your iPhone or Droid yours. And Google's App Inventor for Android is about to make the process of creating apps a whole lot more open to everyone.Announced Monday, Google is now sending beta invitations to the public after about a year of testing the platform.
Google blogs: For the past year, we've been testing App Inventor in classrooms around the United States, and we've found that it opens up the world of computer programming to students in new and powerful ways. David Wolber, professor of computer science at the University of San Francisco and part of the initial pilot program, says "students traditionally intimidated by technology are motivated and excited to program with App Inventor. One student from Professor Wolber's class told us: "I used to think that no one could program except CS people. Now, I've made dozens of applications for the Android phone!" Another student, who struggles with dyslexia, was inspired by App Inventor to take more computer science classes and is now learning Python.
As with many of Google's offerings, App Inventor is born of a sort of "What if" mentality of creating something different and releasing it to the general public to see whether it worked. In the case of Gmail and Android, Google was wildly successful. With products like Buzz and Wave, not so much.But putting the ability to create smart phone apps via a simple interface is intriguing. Should it catch on, the Android Market could benefit, and it gives Android users one more level of customization that they otherwise wouldn't have access to unless they are hard core programmers. | <urn:uuid:10b164e2-4c92-4576-98be-58b84b6273c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dscriber.com/tek-ku/android-apps-googles-attempt-to-make-inventing-them-a-lot-easier | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960936 | 437 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Medical Experts Pitch Controversial Health IT Safety Plan
Stakeholders debate Institute of Medicine proposal for federal oversight of IT-associated patient deaths and injuries.
On the one hand, many healthcare stakeholders applaud the report's call to oversee development of health IT as a way to bolster patient safety. But many are also wondering why these safety issues are raised now, after billions of dollars have already been spent installing health IT systems.
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"It seems to me that it is quite remarkable that we're in this situation," Dr. Richard Cook, associate professor at the University of Chicago's department of anesthesia and critical care, said Thursday during a webcast held by IOM to discuss the report. Cook went on to say, "the idea that you have to wait until you've invested $30 billion in something to discover that it isn't working very well is clearly a nonstarter."
[For background on e-prescribing tools, see 6 E-Prescribing Vendors To Watch.]
The IOM report, Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for Better Care, concludes that health IT can improve the quality of healthcare delivery, but the current literature is inconclusive regarding the overall impact of health IT on patient safety. The report also said stakeholders must coordinate their efforts to better understand the risks associated with health IT and improve its safe design, implementation, and use.
Among its recommendations: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Kathleen Sebelius should publish an action and surveillance plan within 12 months to work with the private sector to assess the impact of health IT on patient safety and minimize risks associated with its implementation and use. Then if the secretary concludes that progress toward improving safety is insufficient within a year, the Food and Drug Administration should regulate these technologies. Alongside HHS' efforts, the FDA should take initial steps to develop a framework for potential regulation of EHRs, health information exchanges, and personal health records so that the agency is ready to act if necessary.
The report also said that HHS should:
-- recommend that Congress establish an independent federal entity for investigating patient safety deaths, serious injuries, or potentially unsafe conditions associated with health IT;
-- ensure that health IT vendors facilitate the free flow of information; and
-- fund a new health IT safety council to evaluate the criteria for assessing and monitoring the safe use of health IT.
But in reaction to the IOM's concerns about IT safety, Cook said, "It is not surprising that such events are now being discovered in health IT. What is surprising is that those creating and promoting these large systems have neither anticipated them or look for them ... Development of [health IT] is marked by an optimism about the effects of IT that are unwarranted and naive, and the willingness to embrace this optimism, to the extent that making largescale investments in these systems and only later asking what their impact might be on patient safety, borders on recklessness."
Ashish Jha, associate professor of health policy and management at Harvard University's school of public health, countered Cook's argument saying that it's difficult to assess what the health IT risks are unless the systems are implemented and being used.
"When nobody has these health IT systems it's really hard to study how they're being used. Now that the implementation has happened, ... now [is] the time to really begin to study this in earnest, and I think our committee's report was very clear that this is the kind of information that we need now to help make the system safer," Jha said.
Cook shot back, "Nothing could be further from the truth; we do that for many, many systems with safe software," Cook said. One does not have to "put things out in the field and then wait to see whether or not they work. Nobody bothered to look, it's that simple," he said.
The new InformationWeek Healthcare supplement on EHR Best Practices explains how the most astute healthcare providers are putting those billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds to productive use. Download the supplement now. (Free registration required.) | <urn:uuid:973d40ac-f6cf-4424-bd98-0cea71bd9a48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/policy/medical-experts-pitch-controversial-heal/231902842?cid=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Interoperability_healthcare&itc=SBX_iwk_related_mostpopular_Interoperability_healthcare | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958297 | 918 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group comprised of the military heads of each of the four branches of the United States Armed Forces, and charged with providing leadership and coordinated military action in time of war.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
The Goldwater-Nichols DOD Reorganization Act of 1986 identifies the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the senior ranking member of the Armed Forces. As such, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the President. He may seek the advice of and consult with the other JCS members and combatant commanders. When he presents his advice, he presents the range of advice and opinions he has received, along with any individual comments of the other JCS members.
Under the DOD Reorganization Act, the Secretaries of the Military Departments assign all forces to combatant commands except those assigned to carry out the mission of the Services, i.e., recruit, organize, supply, equip, train, service, mobilize, demobilize, administer and maintain their respective forces. The chain of command to these combatant commands runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense directly to the commander of the combatant command. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may transmit communications to the commanders of the combatant commands from the President and Secretary of Defense but does not exercise military command over any combatant forces.
The Act also gives to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff some of the functions and responsibilities previously assigned to the corporate body of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The broad functions of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are set forth in Title 10, United States Code, and detailed in DOD Directive 5100.1. In carrying out his duties, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff consults with and seeks the advice of the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the combatant commanders, as he considers appropriate.
The DOD Reorganization Act of 1986 created the position of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who performs such duties as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff may prescribe. By law, he is the second ranking member of the Armed Forces and replaces the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in his absence or disability. Though the Vice Chairman was not originally included as a member of the JCS, Section 911 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1992 made him a full voting member of the JCS.
|The Joint Chiefs of Staff (as of 2007)|
|Chairman||Vice-Chairman||Chief of Staff, United States Army||Chief of Staff, United States Air Force||Chief of Naval Operations||Commandant, United States Marine Corps|
|Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN||General James E. Cartwright, USMC||General George W. Casey, USA||General T. Michael Moseley, USAF||Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN||General James T. Conway, USMC|
The Joint Staff consists of the senior military officers of each of the four branches: the Chief of Staff, United States Army; the Chief of Staff, United States Air Force; the Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy; and the Commandant of the United States Marine Corps.
The Joint Staff assists the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in accomplishing his responsibilities for: the unified strategic direction of the combatant forces; their operation under unified command; and for their integration into an efficient team of land, naval, and air forces. The "Joint Staff" is composed of approximately equal numbers of officers from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force. In practice, the Marines make up about 20 percent of the number allocated to the Navy.
Since its establishment in 1947, statute has prohibited the Joint Staff from operating or organizing as an overall armed forces general staff; therefore, the Joint Staff has no executive authority over combatant forces.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after consultation with other JCS members and with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, selects the Director, Joint Staff to assist in managing the Joint Staff. By law, the direction of the Joint Staff rests exclusively with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the Chairman directs, the Joint Staff also may assist the other JCS members in carrying out their responsibilities.
In the joint arena, a body of senior flag or general officers assists in resolving matters that do not require JCS attention. Each Service Chief appoints an operations deputy who works with the Director, Joint Staff, to form the subsidiary body known as the Operations Deputies or the OPSDEPS. They meet in sessions chaired by the Director, Joint Staff, to consider issues of lesser importance or to review major issues before they reach the Joint Chiefs of Staff. With the exception of the Director, this body is not part of the Joint Staff. There is also a subsidiary body known as the Deputy Operations Deputies (DEPOPSDEPs), composed of the Vice Director, Joint Staff, and a two-star flag or general officer appointed by each Service Chief. Currently, the DEPOPSDEPs are the Service directors for plans. Issues come before the DEPOPSDEPs to be settled at their level or forwarded to the OPSDEPS. Except for the Vice Director, Joint Staff, the DEPOPSDEPs are not part of the Joint Staff.
Matters come before these bodies under policies prescribed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Director, Joint Staff, is authorized to review and approve issues when there is no dispute between the Services, when the issue does not warrant JCS attention, when the proposed action is in conformance with CJCS policy, or when the issue has not been raised by a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Actions completed by either the OPSDEPs or DEPOPSDEPs will have the same effect as actions by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
A newly created position, the SEAC was established to advise the Chairman on matters of professional development of enlisted personnel for a joint environment. Sergeant Major William J. Gainey, United States Army, is the first person selected to serve in this position, beginning October 1, 2005.
Origin of Joint Concept
American history reflects the importance of joint operations. Captain Thomas MacDonough's naval operations on Lake Champlain were a vital factor in the ground campaigns of the War of 1812. The teamwork displayed by General Ulysses S. Grant and Admiral David D. Porter in the Vicksburg Campaign of 1863 is a fine example of joint military planning and execution. However, confusion and lack of coordinated, joint military action raised public criticism in the Cuban campaign of the Spanish-American War (1898). By the turn of the century, war had become too complex for ad-hoc joint planning to be successful.
After the Spanish-American War, a joint board composed of the military heads of the Army and the Navy and the chief planner of each Service was established in 1903. The Joint Army and Navy Board was intended to plan for joint operations and resolve problems of common concern to the two Services. But the Joint Board accomplished little; its charter gave it no actual authority to enforce its decisions. Denied the capacity to originate opinions, the Joint Board was limited to commenting on problems submitted to it by the secretaries of the two Military Departments; it was described as "a planning and deliberative body rather than a center of executive authority." As a result, the Joint Board had little or no impact on the conduct of the First World War.
After World War I, the two Service secretaries agreed to reestablish and revitalize the Joint Board. Membership was expanded to six: the Chiefs of the two Services, their deputies, and the Chief of War Plans Division for the Army and Director of Plans Division for the Navy. More important, a working staff (named the Joint Planning Committee) made up of members of the plans divisions of both Service staffs was authorized. The new Joint Board could initiate recommendations on its own. However, the 1919 board was given no more legal authority or responsibility than its 1903 predecessor. Although its 1935 publication, Joint Action of the Army and Navy, gave some guidance for the joint operations of World War II, the Board was not influential in the war. The board was officially disbanded in 1947.
Origin of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Soon after Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, at the Arcadia Conference in Washington, established the Combined Chiefs of Staff as the supreme military body for strategic direction of the Anglo-American war effort. But the United States had no established agency to furnish U.S. input to such a committee. The British Chiefs of Staff Committee, on the other hand, had long given effective administrative coordination, tactical coordination, and strategic direction to British forces. The British committee had planning and intelligence staffs to coordinate the war effort, as well as serving as a "corporate" body for giving military advice to the War Cabinet and the Prime Minister. The collective responsibility of the British committee was set by the Prime Minister in 1924 and given to each new member as a directive.
In response to the need for coordinated staff work, the concept described by Admiral Leahy as a "unified high command" was adopted by the United States in 1942. That group came to be known as the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. This first Joint Chiefs of Staff worked throughout the war without legislative sanction or even formal Presidential definition, a status that President Roosevelt believed preserved the flexibility required to meet the needs of the war. The first members of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff were the "opposite numbers" to the British Chiefs of the Army, the Navy, and the Royal Air Force (an autonomous and coequal military organization): Admiral William D. Leahy, President Roosevelt's special military adviser, with the title of Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy; General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the Army; Admiral Ernest J. King, Chief of Naval Operations and Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet; and General Henry H. Arnold, Deputy Army Chief of Staff for Air and Chief of the Army Air Corps. Each member was promoted to Five-Star rank in December 1944, when the grades of General of the Army and Fleet Admiral of the United States Navy were established.
The Arcadia Conference also gave formal definition to the terms "JOINT," as involving two or more Services of the same nation, and "COMBINED," as applying to organizations, plans, and operations of two or more nations.
Under President Roosevelt's leadership, the JCS steadily grew in influence and became the primary agent in coordinating and giving strategic direction to the Army and Navy. In combination with the British Chiefs of Staff, it mapped and issued broad st rategic direction for both nations.
At the end of World War II, the need for a formal structure of joint command was apparent and the wartime Joint Chiefs of Staff offered a workable model. The first legislative step was the passage of the National Security Act of 1947 which formally established the Joint Chiefs of Staff and laid the foundation for the series of legislative and executive changes that produced today's defense organization. The most recent major congressional action is the 1986 Department of Defense Reorganization Act, commonly known as the Goldwater-Nichols Act.
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What it costs
Some of our employers will take an intern without charge, but most require a fee. This can range from £50 to £200 a day. See what each is offering, and make your choice.
This is different, we know, from other organisations that offer paid internships.
The fact is, most of our employers wouldn’t offer work experience unless they’re paid. So these opportunities don’t exist elsewhere.
While large employers can afford to take interns and devote staff time to them, this isn’t possible for the smaller business.
And in most cases our temporary assistants (our applicants) don’t bring enough skill and experience to make it worthwhile for the company.
So while it would be lovely to earn money as an intern, the reality is that to get experience in the smaller company, you’ll have to pay for it.
Graduates who pay £9,000 a year at a university may decide it’s worth paying the much smaller sums required to give them experience of working in a real business and getting high quality learning. | <urn:uuid:ba15b11d-74a2-4b8d-8e0d-70b019321e2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://etsio.com/cost.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944205 | 229 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Mutual Funds Study Says Investors Should Look Beyond StarsContact: Finnegan, Lisa
NEW YORK - Investors seeking the best buy among mutual funds should be cautious about how they use the Morningstar rating system in selecting their purchases, according to a Fordham University study.
Many investors look to Morningstar, one of the most widely used mutual fund rating services, to predict which funds would be the highest performers and best investments. Morningstar uses a five-star system to rate a fund's performance, with one star being the worst and five, the best.
"You would be misguided to use them if you were trying to pick funds that were going to have superior performance in the future," said Associate Professor Christopher Blake, who teaches finance in the Schools of Business and co-authored the study. "Morningstar ratings should be viewed as achievement marks from past performance, not predictors of the future."
Blake and Assistant Professor Matthew Morey of Pace University's School of Business started researching domestic equity (stock) funds in 1998 to determine how well Morningstar did at predicting future fund performance. In almost all of its publications, Morningstar states that its star ratings are not predictors of future performance.
However, many funds advertise their Morningstar ratings, and investors tend to pour their money into five-star funds, which they expect to be the most profitable.
The professors' study revealed that low ratings from Morningstar generally indicate relatively poor future performance. But the same cannot be said for its future predictions of median- and high-performing funds.
"Morningstar tends to predict the turkeys (one-star funds) well, but when it comes to predicting winners, there is little difference statistically between the subsequent performance of three-, four- and five-star funds," Blake said.
The study, titled "Morningstar Ratings and Mutual Funds," appeared in the September edition of The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (JFQA), a top-tier finance journal.
Blake and Morey studied the performance of more than 600 mutual funds rated by Morningstar over a five-year period. They studied five different types of domestic equity funds — including aggressive growth, equity income, growth, growth income and small-company funds. The professors also divided the funds based on age and examined subsequent performance over 1-year, 3-year and 5-year investment periods.
The study found that many funds have a chance of doing as well or better than a fund picked for a five-star rating, Blake said.
"The star ratings are useful for telling you which funds to avoid (one-star and two-star funds), but when it comes to picking future winners, you need to look beyond the stars," he said.
Founded in 1841, Fordham is New York City's Jesuit university. It has residential campuses in the north Bronx and Manhattan, as well as academic centers in Tarrytown and Armonk, N.Y. | <urn:uuid:3b7b30a6-0cba-4789-a6ac-98137381d8d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fordham.edu/campus_resources/enewsroom/archives/archive_128.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964227 | 602 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Below is a list of organization in Louisiana who provide training, services, materials and support to persons in contact with the criminal justice and delinquency systems in Louisiana:
American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana (ACLU of Louisiana)
The ACLU of Louisiana is a non-profit, non-partisan organization fighting for individual rights and freedoms as guaranteed by the US and Louisiana Constitutions. Critical among those are rights to equal protection and due process, as well as the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The ACLU of Louisiana has been working to protect these rights in the courts, legislature and community since 1956.
Arc of Louisiana
The Arc of Louisiana is an organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. It is devoted to promoting and improving supports and services for people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc is people Ò people with developmental disabilities, parents, family members, and friends who work together. We are a grassroots organization with over 6,000 members affiliated through 21 local chapters across the state. A board of directors and a delegate body of representatives from each chapter guides the work of The Arc. The Arc staff work hard to make a difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With guidance from our board of directors, The Arc of Louisiana works hand-in-hand with our many local chapters to fulfill The Arc's mission throughout the state.
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)
ACORN is the nation's largest community organization for low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice ad stronger communities. ACORN has offices in Louisiana in Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, and New Orleans.
Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children (FFLIC)
Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children have joined together to fight for a better life for our children and our communities. FFLIC is mothers, grandmothers, families who struggle with disability or mental health. FFLIC is allies of families who fight the systemic abuse that tears down communities and families. FFLIC supports and offers advice to each other, and helps develop leadership skills among its members. FFLIC works to united and empower people to fight for change and build strong communities.
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana (JJPL)
Founded in 1997, the mission of the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana is to transform the juvenile justice system into one that builds on the strengths of young people, families and communities in order to instill hope and to ensure children are given the greatest opportunities to grow and thrive. Through advocacy, media support, organizing and policy work, JJPL remains committed to improving the quality of juvenile justice statewide, including implementation of evidence-based best practices and programs. JJPL continues its efforts to ensure that each child who comes in contact with the justice system is provided effective, quality representation in a system that focuses on rehabilitation, education and alternatives to incarceration.ð
Louisiana Appleseed uncovers and corrects injustices and barriers to opportunity through legal, legislative and market-based structural reform. Working with our huge pro bono network, Appleseed identifies, researchs and analyzes social injustices, makes specific recommendations, and advocates for effective solutions to deep-seated structural problems. Appleseed projects ensure that state and local policies and procedures are just and that public defenders and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system are equipped with the tools necessary to ethically and effectively represent criminal defendants.
Louisiana CURE (Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants)
CURE is an international organization in more than 40 states and 8 countries that seeks to reduce crime through reform of the criminal justice system, especially prison reform. CURE has a staffed office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and holds monthly membership meetings. Members receive a newsletter, opportunities to network with other CURE chapters at national events, and access to events and materials designed to improve prison life.
Resurrection After Exoneration
Resurrection After Exoneration (RAE) provides direct service and opportunities to allow exonerees to re-establish themselves as functioning members of their community. RAE facilitates opportunities for exonerees and other returning long-term offenders to address the emotional, physical and psychological effects of life in prison. RAE is creating a sustainable business that will provide job training and income to exonerees and other returning long-term offenders, while ensuring the long-term viability of the organization. RAE also undertakes a public education campaign to inform the public about wrongful conviction and serves as an example for good for future generations.
Safe Streets/Strong Communities
Safe Streets/Strong Communities is a community-based organization that campaigns fro a new criminal justice system in New Orleans Ò one that cerates safe streets and strong communities for everyone, regardless of race or economic status. Safe Streets/Strong Communities is a membership organization that was formed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Since its founding, Safe Streets/Strong Communities has worked to improve the independence of the public defender office, create an Office of the Independent Monitor to oversee police practices and worked with the Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) Sheriff to ensure that children are never again house at OPP.
Urban League of Greater New Orleans
The Urban League of Greater New Orleans was founded in 1938 at the urging of local African-American businessmen and religious leaders, with national support from the Council of Social Agencies and National Urban League. Through advocacy, community organization/mobilization, and program services in the areas of education, economic development, employment and training, youth services and family support, the League's mission is to help individuals attain economic self-sufficiency. .
VOTE is a grassroots, membership-based organization founded and run by formerly incarcerated persons in partnership with allies dedicated to ending the disenfranchisement and discrimination against formerly incarcerated persons. Through civic engagement and training, VOTE will create a strong group of reformer to lead the transformation of the criminal justice system.
The next LPDB meetings and meetings of its committees are listed below and open to the public.
LPDB ... Read More »
April 30, 2012
Yesterday, by a vote of 5-4, the United States Supreme Court dismissed Boyer v. ... Read More »
March 19, 2013
On Monday, March 18th, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the District ... Read More »
November 30, 2012
LPDB Trial-Level Compliance Officer John Di Giulio will receive the ... Read More » | <urn:uuid:b427f956-3001-4676-9a79-3160cbd7ae76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lpdb.la.gov/Advocating%20for%20Clients/Other%20Resources/Links.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932713 | 1,337 | 1.882813 | 2 |
This study examines the Zheng organization, which flourished from 1625 to 1683, during a time when the Ming-Qing transition in China intersected with the formation of an integrated early modern economy in maritime Asia. This quasi-governmental commercial enterprise reached the apex of its power under Zheng Chenggong (1624-1662), and his son and successor Zheng Jing (1642-1681). From bases along the southeastern Chinese coast and Taiwan, they relied upon overseas commerce to maintain a sustained resistance against the Manchus, who had taken over most of China in 1644 from the collapsing Ming, the ethnic Chinese dynasty to which both men had pledged their support. Like their fiercest competitor, the Dutch East India Company (VOC), the organization protected the safety and property of Chinese subjects abroad, engaged in armed trade, and aggressively promoted overseas expansion. Zheng Chenggong and Jing proved far more successful and profitable at these endeavors than the VOC. In 1662, shortly before his death, Chenggong even defeated and expelled the company from its colony of Taiwan, and opened the island for Chinese colonization and settlement.
Yet, operating within an imperial world order that looked upon overseas contact of any form as a potential source of political instability, the Zhengs, lacking “native” maritime sources of legitimacy, had to receive recognition for their authority from continental centers of power. Father and son skillfully utilized the ranks and titles from the Ming Yongli pretender to rule over territory, develop a civil bureaucracy, and sign treaties with foreign powers, functioning essentially as an autonomous “state.” Moreover, by successfully intermediating between continental and maritime Chinese cultural discourse, they forged a complex social unit of traders, militarists, and Ming imperial descendants and loyalist elites. However, this ambiguous arrangement, which gave the organization maximum autonomy and flexibility, came under threat due to the gradual consolidation of Qing rule.
Chenggong’s successor, Zheng Jing, turned away from Ming symbols of authority on Taiwan during the 1660s, and tried to institutionalize a new identity based upon Han Chinese customs and Confucian moral values on an island considered by contemporaries to be geographically and culturally outside of “China.” In negotiations with the Qing court, he pressed hard for the emperor to recognize Taiwan as a tributary kingdom along the lines of Korea. The talks broke down, however, over ethnic identity, as Zheng insisted upon keeping his Han Chinese long hair and flowing robes, while the Qing ruler ordered him to shave his head and wear tight riding jackets in the Manchu style. Despite the failure of negotiations, Zheng took significant steps toward articulating a distinct Han Chinese state. He traded extensively, signed a commercial treaty with the English East Indies Company, and nearly launched an invasion of the Spanish Philippines. However, his return to China to participate in the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories (1674-1681) ruined his organization and paved the way for the Qing invasion and occupation of Taiwan in 1683, two years after his death.
This project moves beyond the standard Confucian trope of the Zhengs as ardent Ming loyalists or the Western narrative of ruthless pirate entrepreneurs, extreme discourses later appropriated to serve different nationalisms. Instead, the two men should be viewed as both the initiators and products of a dynamic and internally generated East Asian modernity within an interdependent economic and cultural region that nonetheless enjoyed significant interactions outside the system. Such an approach imbues maritime China with agency and revises the role commonly attributed to it as a marginalized appendage of its bureaucratic and agrarian continental counterpart. An examination of interstate relations unique to this East Asian world region also allows one to conceive of communities beyond the nation-state, and make sense of their identity formation and change, especially when combined with shifts in spatial settings. | <urn:uuid:42ae0bb4-afbf-4df3-8be7-6dcd8eab3bb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gradworks.umi.com/34/45/3445491.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955577 | 780 | 3 | 3 |
well the cheapest to set up, has to be the recycled plastic bottles! BUT very ugly.esp with labels still on bottles
the hydroponics, looks nice, but certainly NOT attractive/pretty. Obviously with that, there is quite a lot of cost involved. Even if all parts neeeded are already available, there is the elec cost, which may be negligible ( or not, I have no idea!).
The nicest looking is the tower!
I was going to make myself a tower ( old pvc drainage pipe, cut holes/pockets for strawberries.
Also with a tower type system( dependant on where placed etc) it could potentially be rotated for Min/max sun exposure dependant on plant needs etc, if a variety is planted.
Incidentally, though not totally relevant ( or maybe it is) I understand that hydroponic growing is NOT permitted in (official certified) organic growing. Well not here in Spain, so presumably nowhere in E.U.
well having seen the tower link, am going to have a rethink and see if I can adapt what I have to make it similar, although I suspect taht one would need to be careful about what is put in the composting bit in order to satisfy plant requirements, and not overload them with something potentially damaging | <urn:uuid:805bd557-572e-4f0d-a4f2-06717c575619> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27479 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967872 | 267 | 1.570313 | 2 |
As they have for decades, 19th-century warhorses like "La Bohème" and "Carmen" still dominate opera- house marquees.
But just as today's diners are broadening their palates and exploring ethnic traditions in search of untapped tastes, more and more operagoers are hankering for something new.
And increasingly, the new is actually quite old.
Opera companies are dusting off long-forgotten baroque operas from the 17th and 18th centuries and breathing new life into them.
"There's a novelty factor about the sound world," said British conductor Matthew Halls of the unusual instruments, delicate textures and earthy timbres heard in baroque music.
"People see things that haven't been on a concert platform before, and they find the sound world quite enticing," said Halls, who conducts in Central City this summer.
To get a sense of just how big the baroque has become in opera, consider that New York's Metropolitan Opera is pouring thousands of dollars into a "new" baroque opera that will feature some of the field's glitziest names, including tenor Plácido Domingo.
The score for "The Enchanted Island," set to open New Year's Eve, consists of a pastiche of music by such well-known baroque composers as George Frideric Handel, Jean- Philippe Rameau and Antonio Vivaldi, and its libretto draws from two Shakespearean plays.
Closer to Denver, two nationally known summer opera companies long have been champions of baroque opera, and they continue those efforts this year with two milestone debuts.
Central City Opera is presenting the American stage premiere of Handel's 1715 opera, "Amadigi di Gaula," and, Saturday evening, the Santa Fe Opera will open the first major American production of Vivaldi's "Griselda," which was first performed in 1735.
Although baroque composers such as Claudio Monteverdi (credited as the father of opera as we know it) and Handel built a rich body of operas from roughly 1600
Although arias from baroque operas were still heard in recitals as the 20th century rolled around, the works themselves were dismissed as passe, simplistic and unstageable.
But beginning in the middle of the century and gaining force in the 1980s and '90s, the tide began to turn. A confluence of factors led to what has become an accelerating re- evaluation and revival of these all-but-forgotten operas.
Singers such as Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne, eager for fresh works to showcase their talents, seized upon baroque opera. In 1966, for example, the New York City Opera presented Beverly Sills in Handel's "Julius Caesar," a production that catapulted her to fame.
"These big singers started to realize that it was a whole other place that they could show off, and they started to learn the roles," said Ellen Rosand, a professor of music at Yale University.
The rise of the early-instrument movement in the 1970s and '80s fueled enthusiasm for baroque music in general. That interest began to transfer to opera houses, as audiences realized, for example, that Vivaldi, composer of "The Four Seasons," was no slouch with arias and recitatives.
Beyond mere novelty, contemporary listeners find an uncanny resonance with both the music and dramatic content of these
Baroque operas tend to be smaller in scale, requiring just an intimate group of singers and a small pit orchestra — 24 musicians in the case of Central City's "Amadigi."
The resulting sound is lighter and more transparent than the heavier orchestrations of 19th-century opera. And the inclusion of the harpsichord and theorbo, a long-necked lute, adds exoticism.
"Even if the libretto is in another language, the musical language seems to have an immediacy and a very immediate appeal," said Halls, who is conducting "Amadigi."
In addition, much of baroque music is rooted in dance, and he believes this dimension boosts its appeal, especially now with the television-driven interest in the form.
"So much of the music that we performed the other night (in 'Amadigi')," Halls said, "although it was in the form of an aria, it's inspired and has this underlying rhythmic momentum and physical poise, which I think is something people find very attractive."
Beyond the music, Peter Sellars, who is staging Santa Fe's production of "Griselda," believes the subject matter and dramatic structure of baroque operas handily jibe with 21st-century sensibilities.
An era of irony
Unlike 19th-century opera, with its sweeping, often melodramatic narratives and its prescribed emotions, baroque opera tends to be simpler and more ambiguous, leaving ample room for interpretation.
"The baroque era has this sense of irony and complexity and lightness of touch, where you're actually feeling about 20 things and not just one," Sellars said. "You want to be able to feel all the things you're feeling, and baroque music has all this emotional room in it."
Instead of "Hallmark platitudes," he said, baroque opera acknowledges the complexity and unpredictability that are an unavoidable aspect of the human condition, especially now.
"Because the orchestra is light and wild and dangerous and darting and then breaks your heart and then soothes you and then suddenly has some weird rupture on a minor chord — the fleetingness of everything and the sense that you're surprised by your own emotions is pretty amazing," he said.
As baroque opera has increasingly come to the fore, music schools have put a greater emphasis on training young singers and musicians to handle the intricate ornamentation and other technical challenges of the works.
These new performers have in turn made it easier for companies to stage baroque works, and their talent and enthusiasm on stage and in the pit has attracted even more audiences.
Looking to the future, Halls and others involved in the field see no let up in the growth of baroque opera.
"I hope this is part of a steady curve that allows us as musicians to explore a lot more of the pockets of repertoire that exist that have never been performed," he said.
Rosand, author of "Opera in Seventeenth-Century Venice: The Creation of a Genre," believes that the focus will widen to encompass a broader range of composers like Francesco Cavalli and Georg Philipp Telemann.
"I think Handel basically made it (the baroque revival) happen," she said. "His works are so great, but they are limited in number. We've used them up, and there are people who sound like Handel, who have extremely valid reasons for holding the stage today."
Given the financial pressures that opera companies are facing, as are all arts organizations, baroque opera also offers practical advantages because it requires smaller forces than many of the 19th-century staples.
"Get a handful of a really fabulous players together, and you've got an opera," Sellars said. "(With) baroque opera, you can still have a high level of integrity but on a lower budget."
Put simply, expect opera to keep going for baroque.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@ denverpost.com
A quick look at two baroque debuts
"Amadigi di Gaula"
American stage premiere
Composer: George Frideric Handel
Librettist: Probably Nicola Francesco Haym
Premiere: May 25, 1715, King's Theatre, Haymarket, London
Synopsis: All four main characters experience heartbreak in this story of intertwined, jealous romantic passions set against a backdrop of magic and sorcery.
Principal cast: Countertenor Christopher Ainslie (Amadigi), soprano Katherine Manley (Oriana), countertenor David Trudgen (Dardano) and soprano Kathleen Kim (Melissa)
Conductor: Matthew Halls
Director: Alessandro Talevi
Set and costume designer: Madeleine Boyd
Central City Opera House, 124 Eureka St. 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, with performances running in repertory through Aug. 6. 2 hours, 45 minutes. $20-$105. 303-292-6700 or centralcityopera.org
First major American production
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
Librettist: Apostolo Zeno, revised by Carlo Goldoni
Premiere: May 1735, Teatro San Samuele, Venice
Synopsis: After marrying the King of Thessaly, Griselda is scorned by her new subjects because of her lowly birth. But she perseveres and eventually gains their devotion.
Principal cast: Contralto Meredith Arwady (Griselda), countertenor David Daniels (Roberto), mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard (Costanza), soprano Amanda Majeski (Ottone) and countertenor Yuri Minenko (Corrado).
Conductor: Grant Gershon
Director: Peter Sellars
Santa Fe Opera amphitheater, 7 miles north of Santa Fe on U.S. 8 4/285. 9 p.m. Saturday, with performances running in repertory through Aug. 19. Three hours. $27-$194. 800-280-4654 or santafeopera.org | <urn:uuid:2907ce49-1f4c-4e74-8f96-f7b19c9f865b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.denverpost.com/music/ci_18434608 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952038 | 2,033 | 1.796875 | 2 |
ENTR Department Featured on PP. 30 & 31!
Department of Entrepreneurship
Do you have an idea for a new or improved product or technology?
Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business?
Do you want to pick up some business skills to complement your other areas of interest?
Either way, you can be involved in the UND Entrepreneurship Program. If you're interested in learning more about what it takes to start, grow and maintain a business venture, then Entrepreneurship might be for you.
The UND Entrepreneurship Program and its courses are uniquely designed to provide students from across campus the chance to learn more about how to identify and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities and put creativity and innovation to work. You can choose to Major in Entrepreneurship through the College of Business and Public Administration, or pick our Entrepreneurship Certificate open to all non-business majors or our track program open to business students.
Entrepreneurship as a major
The Entrepreneurship Major is designed to help prepare students for effective new venture creation and management. Students majoring in Entrepreneurship will purse in-depth study of the needs of new and emerging ventures and existing businesses, using an entrepreneurial focus.
Additionally, Entrepreneurship majors are challenged to pursue development of their own business ideas and opportunities. While it is not expected that all students in the Entrepreneurship major will establish new ventures immediately upon graduation, there is reason to believe that eventually, many Entrepreneurship graduates will start their own businesses.
Students may be admitted to the College of Business & Public Administration and may elect a major in Entrepreneurship after completing at least 60 semester hours at UND or other accredited institutions. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 (2.0 is C) in all courses attempted and a "C" or better in the six courses comprising a sophomore-level pre-business core are required.
High School Students with an interest in preparing for the Entrepreneurship curriculum should be sure to complete the core curriculum as outlined by the North Dakota University System. The UND Catalog describes the core curriculum requirements. Students will find math and computer applications courses particularly helpful. In addition, high school business courses provide students an opportunity to assess their level of interest in business-related topics.
Here are a few interesting facts:
• Only 20% of Americans are self employed, but they account for more than 2/3rds of all American millionaires.
• Those engaged in Entrepreneurial ventures report the highest levels of job and career satisfaction.
• New, entrepreneurial ventures create more than 85% of all the new jobs in our economy and almost all of the new wealth.
• Innovation, capital investment and new venture start-ups are growing at a faster pace than any time in history, with no slow-down in sight.
• Since WWII, small entrepreneurial firms have been responsible for more than 95% of all radical innovation in the United States | <urn:uuid:1440857b-eeff-4667-9802-8ac5aa5344fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://business.und.edu/entrepreneurship/index.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943603 | 602 | 2.296875 | 2 |
The world of nanotechnology may be wondrous indeed, but some public health specialists insist the U.S. is lagging behind other countries when it comes to questioning the safety of the commercial use of this minuscule material, especially in food. The FDA says responsibility for determining the safety of nanoparticles used in food falls to the manufacturer.
FDA Press Officer Michael Herndon told me today that “Substances that are added to food, or are reasonably expected to migrate to food from food packaging, will generally require premarket approval if they are engineered nanoparticles.”
“Under such circumstances, industry would bear the burden of demonstrating the safety of the material under its intended conditions of use,” the spokesman added, and said more detail scould be found in an agency report on the technology.
But down under, Sam Bruschi, an Australian government toxicologist who has reviewed nanotechnology safety issues for the Australian Safety and Compensation Council, insists a moratorium must be imposed immediately.
“One of my major recommendations is that because nanoparticles have inherently different properties to their bulk scale equivalents they should be treated as separate entities in terms of handling and regulation,” he says in a story in the Sidney Morning Herald. “My position is quite clear: they should be embargoed until we have the necessary regulations to assess their toxicity – especially in anything you’re going to ingest.”
Herald reporter Michael Lallo offers a detailed explanation of nanotechnology and presents research from Friends of the Earth, which released its report on the issue in Washington earlier this week.
Lallo writes about milk cartons that glow when their contents turn sour. A sinful-tasting, non-fat ice-cream with loads of fiber, protein and nutrients. Programmable soft drinks, simply select the flavor and pull the tab.
A good starting point in understanding nanotechnology is that a human hair is 80,000 nanometers wide. One nanoparticle is just 100 nanometers wide. | <urn:uuid:3d4cc302-87af-4354-befb-ad94abd58bd8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.seattlepi.com/secretingredients/category/food-safety/page/12/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942161 | 410 | 2.515625 | 3 |
The value of a diamond is based on the 4C’s. Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight. This grading system was developed by the Gemological Institute of America in the 1930’s. At the time many different systems were being used to grade diamonds. Today the 4C’s system is used worldwide with many independent Laboratories grading diamonds as a service. The two Laboratories I prefer are the AGS (American Gem Society) and the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). The AGS is my personal preference. I have found their standards to be extremely high and the information contained of greater value.
The Cut of the diamond is the most important factor when evaluating a diamond. Cut is not to be confused with shape. Cut refers to the angles and proportions of each facet and how it is placed. It is the only part of the puzzle that relates to brilliance and fire. Brilliance is defined as white light being returned back to the eye. Fire is defined as sparkle or the quantity and quality of spectral colors being returned to the eye. You would think that diamonds are cut correctly. Most are not. In fact, only about 3-4% are cut properly. We specialize in diamonds that are cut to the highest of all standards, the AGS “0” Hearts & Arrows cut. This diamond will dazzle your senses and amaze you with the quality of fire and brilliance. From these fine stones I select only the finest that meet my own critical standards. This means a diamond purchased from Skalet Family Jewelers is truly a cut above.
Color is the next most important. The color of the diamond refers to its “body” color or tint. Most diamonds come out of the ground with a slight yellowish tint. Only the rarest diamonds are pure white or “colorless”. Diamonds are graded on a scale of D through Z. As the grade moves towards Z more yellow is visible. The human eye can begin to see a slight tint at about “K” color. Sometimes color is very visible other times it is more subtle, it depends on the viewer and the type of setting to be used. We can show you examples of each and let your eye decide which is right for you. See chart for examples.
Clarity refers to the purity of the diamond, or the
number and location of the inclusions in the crystal. An inclusion is
described as an internal crystal or break in the diamond. Some of these
are so small they are extremely difficult to see under a microscope, others
are so large they can cause the diamond to break. The clarity grade is
based on a trained observer viewing the stone under 10x magnification.
The clarity grade ranges from Flawless to Imperfect. My own personal opinion
on this is stones correctly grades VS1 to SI1 clarity look great to most
people, and I choose every stone to be the best possible example of its
SI-1 TO SI-2
Carat is the weight of the diamond. Diamonds are weighed on a scale to determine the Carats.
5 carats = 1 gram. Diamonds are classified in 1/100 of a carat, so a ½ carat is 0.50 carats, a ¾ carat is 0.75 carats 1 carat is 1.00 carats ect. Do not be confused, not all 1.00 carats are the same size. Depending on how well or poorly the diamond is cut (see Cut); a diamond may look large or small for its given size. No one purposely goes out to purchase a diamond that looks small and does not sparkle but millions of these are sold every year. | <urn:uuid:81bf9d53-bbc1-4a14-b271-7826734a8ca3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://skaletfamilyjewelers.com/learning.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935406 | 765 | 2.46875 | 2 |
After many years of campaigning for devolution and self-government, the Scotland Act 1998 led to the establishment of the first Scottish Parliament since 1707. The Parliament was officially convened on 1 July 1999, triggering extensive public and media interest even before its opening. This cartoon appeared in `The Times? on 28 August 1998. It shows a dapper Tony Blair as an eighteenth-century officer mocking First Minister Donald Dewar?s defence of the United Kingdom against the advance of Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party. It was subsequently bought by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and featured in its 1999 exhibition, `Political Contemporaries?, to mark the opening of the Scottish Parliament. | <urn:uuid:8de6b05f-e5ba-43a8-a932-833148d91402> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/W/10113/artist_name/Willson,%20Richard%20D./record_id/3356 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976575 | 137 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Comic Con Shows Off A Digital Future For Cartoon Superheroes
The New York Comic Con this past weekend showed how technology is starting to become more mainstream in the staunchly paper world of comic books. NY1's Technology reporter Adam Balkin filed the following report.
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Yes, there were lots of grown adults playing dress up at the New York Comic Con, and video games also grabbed some of the focus, but at the core of the Javits Center event was comic books. While the traditional paper stuff did still occupy a sizable chunk of the floor at this year's New York Comic Con, digital comic book tools were also becoming more noticeable.
ComiXology, the biggest name right now in distributing comic books digital through mobile device, unveiled a new system that allows self-publishers of comic books to not only take advantage of the ComiXology publishing tools but also gets them into its popular digital comic book store.
"We are allowing them to submit to us for free and we're going to be transforming their comics into guided view for free," says Chip Mosher of ComiXology.
While one might describe just being at Comic Con as augmenting one's reality, actual Augmented Reality, as in the technology, appears to be a growing trend there.
Marvel and Valiant have begun offering some AR, but Anomaly Publishing insists its new book will be the most in-depth one to date, offering a whole bunch of ways for readers to point their mobile devices at the pages to get more interactive content.
"There's over 50 AR points in our book that are interactive and have full data points in them to find out stuff that's not in the book," says Brian Haberlin of Anomaly Publishing.
Finally, a technology company that may seem out of place at a comic book trade show is Craftsman, the toolmaker. In an effort to reach this market, Craftsman commissioned DC Comics to create a comic book called The Technician, featuring a hero who uses its Bolt-On system, a new real-world tool with interchangeable heads, to help heros like Superman and Wonder Woman.
"Bolt-On is a tool that The Technician is his name, the comic book character, who helps save the Justice League, he's actually the individual who maintains the Hall of Justice," says Ryan Ostrom of Craftsman.
Clearly, just as digital technology is invading the comic book world, so too is product placement. | <urn:uuid:b2bc59ca-42d6-4d08-a49b-4c96ebdc52d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/technology/170762/comic-con-shows-off-a-digital-future-for-cartoon-superheroes?ap=1&Flash | 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 | 0.956585 | 534 | 1.6875 | 2 |
(NBC) -- President Obama is in New York today. He'll address the United Nations general assembly - his last big international speech before November's election.
There's a lot at stake, not only on the world stage, but politically, for President Obama.
Aides say he'll focus on the recent unrest in the Middle East, and the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Libya.
Mitt Romney is criticizing the President for calling these events "bumps in the road." "These are not bumps in the road, these are human lives, they are developments we do not want to see." "Considering those events either one of them or all of them collectively as bumps in the road shows a person who has a very different perspective about world affairs and the perspective I have," said Mitt Romney (R) Presidential Nominee.
Today's U.N. speech will be the president's first international address since violence erupted across the Muslim world --
In bilateral meetings Monday, Egypt's President told Secretary of State Clinton security of the U.S. Embassy there is their duty.
Also today, President Obama's expected to emphasize: the U.S. must keep nuclear weapons away from Iran.
Iran's president is already making waves in New York. Despite warnings from the U.S., he declared Israel will be "eliminated."
The U.S. called that comment "disgusting, offensive and outrageous." | <urn:uuid:206728b3-c481-47cd-9bd7-3be194be51cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=216374 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964518 | 296 | 1.898438 | 2 |
Swansea, Wales (PRWEB UK) 14 November 2012
Intruder Alarm Panels, retailers of intruder and burglar alarm systems, have recently made a valuable addition to their website with the introduction of their new “Industry Articles”. The articles have been created to give people who visit the intruderalarmpanels.co.uk website some useful help and information before they make their purchase and set about putting together an intruder alarm system.
“When people look to buy and install a burglar alarm they are not always sure of what they need to put together a comprehensive system. Our aim is to ensure that people always have the information they need to make sure their homes and businesses are kept safe,” says Tariq El-Hoss of Intruder Alarm Panels.
The first in the series of documents offers a basic insight to the intruder alarm system. It details the components that are required to put together a comprehensive burglar alarm system to help protect the reader's home or business. The article shows the role of each element from the intruder alarm panel right the way through to the alarm panel keypads used to control the system.
The most recent article lists the types of motion detector that are available. It details the different types of detector and gives a description of how they work. The article also states the best use for each type to help the reader decide which is the best kind for their project, for example the article states “Microwave detectors often work best when combined with a PIR sensor to eliminate risk of false alarm” giving the visitor some idea of the best use of a particular component.
Intruder Alarm Panels intend to keep their industry articles updated regularly. Their mission is to the be the first stop for information and products related to intruder alarm systems.
# # #
Intruder Alarm Panels is a trading name of Discount Fire Supplies Ltd. With security and fire systems being so closely related, intruderalarmpanels.co.uk was launched in 2011 to complement the fire alarms and emergency safety products sold by discountfiresupplies.co.uk. | <urn:uuid:c7208cda-5a14-4af8-8308-e83045748b26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://uk.prweb.com/releases/2012/11/prweb10129113.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937803 | 445 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Dr. Girish Paniker, director of conservation research, School of AREAS, was among 3,000 scientists, professionals, educators, and students to participate in the 2010 International Annual Meetings of American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) held October 31-November 3, 2010, in Long Beach, California. The theme of this meeting was “Green Revolution 2.0: Food + Energy and Environmental Security”.
Dr. Panicker presented the results of his four-year research project on carbon buildup, nutrient management, and prevention of climate change and soil erosion, which is a major conservation issue on about 50% of U.S. croplands. The paper, titled “Rotation of Horticultural Crops on No-till and Conventional Plots and Buildup of Carbon and Plant Nutrients” was co-authored by Dr. Franklin Chukwuma, off-campus centers coordinator for the ASU Extension Program. The research findings of this project (funded by the USDA and to be completed in October 2011) contain highly valuable information on no-till horticultural crop production, and carbon and plant nutrients buildup. The information is useful for erosion prediction, nutrient management, and conservation planning on horticultural lands.
“The results show that climatic conditions of the southeast region allow one spring crop of sweet corn, two summer crops of watermelon, and a winter cover of hairy vetch to be successfully raised on the same plot within one year,” stated Dr. Panicker. “The technique developed is useful for residents who have plots. They can grow these four crops in one year in their backyards without having any farm machinery and even without a push mower. The crops can even be raised by elderly residents since no tilling is involved.”
Because of the utmost importance of the research, the presentation was selected by the American Society of Agronomy for online publication. It also covers the carbon/nitrogen ratio and residue management techniques for 36 horticultural crops, which are the major research components Alcorn has developed for the USDA/NRCS and USDA/ARS. Over five million dollars have been invested in this project in the last 18 years.
"Alcorn is the only university that has done this research work on horticultural crops, and the information collected is being disseminated through the Web sites of ASU, the National Soil Erosion Research Lab, Purdue University (Indiana), and the National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge,” shares Dr. Panicker. “This information is being used all over the world for erosion prediction, nutrient management, and conservation planning on horticultural lands. Another major part of the organic research work done with horticultural residues is being podcasted globally by the American Society for Horticultural Science.” | <urn:uuid:90ca4373-0c20-48e1-9e35-1627fa8eee08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alcorn.edu/offices/Relations/Default.aspx?id=6367 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933382 | 603 | 2.90625 | 3 |
This is one of the easier Optimizations that may be done when dealing with often used code (large data sets or large loops), and sometimes the most over looked one, and work's on any platform. The trick to pulling it off well involves a little data or loop analysis though.
Take the following compound if
May run much faster (see explaination after) if it's reorganized as followsif (enddate >= selecteddatevalue
&& startdate <= selectedatevalue
&& activeflag == true
&& state.compareto(selectedstate) == 0)
The basic idea to if/when you should reorganize compound IF's is based on analyising the data, to determine which condition would eliminate the the most, (be true the least) and code that if first, the second most emlinating condition second, and so on.if (activeflag == true)
if (state.compareto(selectedstate) == 0)
if (startdate <= selectedatevalue)
if (enddate >= selectedatevalue)
In the case where I first learned this the difficult way by practical experience, I cut the run time of a process from near 20 minutes to 2, by just reorganizing a single IF with six conditions, into 6 cascading IF's where the first IF tended to be false most often. You typicaly do have to do a little data research to determine that, with SQL servers thats a simple matter, but if it's flat file data, that can be done by just temporalily adding countes for each part of the condition into your code one time to get results, to find the most often false condition, and then the next most often false, and so on.
The reason this works is a simple matter. In the compound if example, it's having to check all 4 data types, on every iteration of the data or loop (think of this of it as doing 4 compare instruction for every time no matter what) . In the reorganized example, the first if when false, prevents the other three if's from ever being exceuted at all. There for, less machine instructions are actualy done on the CPU. (It eliminates 3 compare instructions, when the first is false). Don't rely on CPU Optimizations or Compilers one in this case, as actualy reorganizing the IF when (or if) possible, procudes faster results then what those Optimizers can tend to accomplish. | <urn:uuid:80ba1b9b-7031-4d98-a10a-c3f85038ce60> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cosmoquest.org/forum/showthread.php?136696-Optimizing-Code-Compound-IF-ANDs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921226 | 502 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Obama fails, revealingly so
WASHINGTON In his 2008 convention speech, Barack Obama’s main challenge was rhetorical—to frame and summarize a historical moment in which the choosing of a president could at least partially overcome the most enduring divisions of a nation.
He failed, and failed in a revealing way. Obama’s Denver speech could have been delivered by any generic, partisan Democrat on any day of the last few decades. It was remarkable for its conventionality. In retrospect, it should have raised a question: Was Obamaism a great ideological movement or a great campaign poster?
Obama’s 2012 convention speech also failed, revealingly. As literature, it managed to be simultaneously lofty and pedestrian. America faces a “choice between two different paths” and the rules must be the same “from Main Street to Wall Street” and we’re “moving forward, America.” There were some nice sentiments on citizenship and community. But by the end of the speech, no boiler lacked a plate.
It was said of Bernard Baruch’s rhetorical style, “Even a platitude dropped from a sufficiently great height can sound like a brick.” In Charlotte, Obama dropped such bricks instead of balloons.
This year, however, Obama’s test was not primarily rhetorical. There were no historical spirits in need of summoning, no national sins requiring absolution. A mediocre speech would have sufficed, if it had explained to Americans why they should remain hopeful during an anemic recovery and then provided a compelling rationale for a second Obama term.
Obama set for himself one prerequisite to win re-election—what might be called the “one-term proposition” test. Soon after his inauguration, he said of economic recovery: “If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s going to be a one-term proposition.”
This was a perfectly reasonable expectation, which Obama must now erase.
Our current economic recovery, by any measure, is pathetic. Under Obama, America pursued the most aggressive fiscal and monetary policy easing … ever. Yet we have seen the worst performance of GDP and employment after any postwar recession. Real household incomes have fallen faster in the recovery than in the recession itself. The most recent jobs report reveals an economy that only reduces the unemployment rate through despair, as Americans drop out of the labor force entirely. The civilian labor participation rate stands at 63.5 percent—a 30-year low.
There might be explanations for this state of affairs. Maybe the nature of the 2008 financial crisis was unique. Maybe Obama’s policies are right on the verge of working—an antibiotic we’ve been taking for four years that is just about to kick in. Maybe the president has learned some economic lessons through the years that he now intends to apply in new and dramatic ways.
But in his convention speech, Obama barely touched on these arguments. He mainly claimed credit for saving the auto industry and killing Osama bin Laden—both, in my view, admirable things. But these accomplishments provide no rational basis for a voter to assume that economic policy is on the proper path, or that results will improve by doing more of the same.
Obama made almost no mention of the continuing jobs crisis. He offered nothing new or creative on a fiscal and debt crisis that undermines economic confidence. Much of Obama’s agenda—lowering tuition costs, recruiting math and science teachers, “long-lasting batteries”—sounded like a seventh-year State of the Union address, a collection of policy leavings and leftovers. One of Obama’s more ardent defenders called this a “return to normalcy after a long period of emergency.” And so Obama has gone in four years from being compared to Abraham Lincoln to carrying forward the legacy of Warren Harding.
The president’s convention speech was defiantly complacent. He assumes that Americans already recognize and trust his good judgment—why argue for the obvious? And aren’t his opponents just unreasonable extremists anyway? All Americans need now is a little hope, a little faith. But hope and faith in what?
Perhaps the most revealing moment of Obama’s speech came toward the end.
“The times have changed, and so have I,” he said. “I’m no longer just a candidate. I’m the president.”
His policies may be humble, but his ultimate appeal is not. Obamaism has never primarily been a plan; it is a man.
In 2012, however, the times have changed. The man has a record he must somehow explain.
Michael Gerson is a columnist for the Washington Post Writers Group; email email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:5b5f3f3b-e776-4a06-b1e4-94c875033acf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2012/sep/07/obama-fails-revealingly-so/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95875 | 989 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Pandemic (Bird/Avian) Flu
Avian flu - also called the bird flu and "H5N1 virus" - is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds. The virus is highly contagious among birds and can be deadly. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.
Infection with avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry causes two main forms of disease that are distinguished by low and high extremes of virulence. The "low pathogenic" form may go undetected and usually causes only mild symptoms (such as ruffled feathers and a drop in egg production). However, the "highly pathogenic" form spreads more rapidly through flocks of poultry. This form may cause disease that affects multiple internal organs and has a mortality rate that can reach 90 to 100 percent, often within 48 hours.
What is the history of avian flu outbreaks?
To date, outbreaks of avian flu have occurred among poultry in eight countries in Asia during late 2003 and early 2004. These include Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. More than 100 million birds either died from the disease or were killed to try to control the outbreaks in these countries. By March 2004, the outbreak was reported to be under control.
However, in late June 2004, new outbreaks of influenza H5N1 among poultry and wild birds were reported Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Near East. Since then, human cases of the avian flu infection have been reported in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
What are the risks to humans from the current H5N1 outbreak?
H5N1 virus does not usually infect people, but more than 190 human cases have been reported. Most of these cases have occurred from direct or close contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces; however, a few cases of human-to-human spread of H5N1 virus have occurred.
So far, spread of H5N1 virus from person to person has been rare and has not continued beyond one person. Nonetheless, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, scientists are concerned that H5N1 virus one day could be able to infect humans and spread easily from one person to another. Because these viruses do not commonly infect humans, there is little or no immune protection against them in the human population.
If H5N1 virus were to gain the capacity to spread easily from person to person, an influenza pandemic (worldwide outbreak of disease) could begin. No one can predict when a pandemic might occur. However, experts from around the world are watching the H5N1 situation in Asia and Europe very closely and are preparing for the possibility that the virus may begin to spread more easily from person to person.
How does H5N1 virus differ from seasonal influenza viruses that infect humans?
Of the few avian influenza viruses that have crossed the species barrier to infect humans, H5N1 virus has caused the largest number of reported cases of severe disease and death in humans. In the current situation in Asia, more than half of the people infected with the virus have died. Most cases have occurred in previously healthy children and young adults. However, it is possible that the only cases currently being reported are those in the most severely ill people and that the full range of illness caused by the H5N1 virus has not yet been defined.
Unlike seasonal influenza, in which infection usually causes only mild respiratory symptoms in most people, H5N1 infection may follow an unusually aggressive clinical course, with rapid deterioration and high fatality. Primary viral pneumonia and multi-organ failure have been common among people who have become ill with H5N1 influenza.
How does avian influenza spread among birds?
Infected birds shed influenza virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated excretions or with surfaces that are contaminated with excretions or secretions. Domesticated birds may become infected with avian influenza virus through direct contact with infected waterfowl or other infected poultry or through contact with surfaces (such as dirt or cages) or materials (such as water or feed) that have been contaminated with the virus.
How do people become infected with avian influenza viruses?
Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from direct or close contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretions and excretions from infected birds. The spread of avian influenza viruses from an ill person to another person has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person. During an outbreak of avian influenza among poultry, there is a possible risk to people who have direct or close contact with infected birds or with surfaces that have been contaminated with secretions and excretions from infected birds.
What are the symptoms of avian influenza in humans?
Symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical human influenza-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress syndrome), and other severe and life-threatening complications. The symptoms of avian influenza may depend on which specific virus subtype and strain caused the infection.
How is avian influenza detected in humans?
A laboratory test is needed to confirm avian influenza in humans.
What are the implications of avian influenza to human health?
Two main risks for human health from avian influenza are 1) the risk of direct infection when the virus passes from the infected bird to humans, sometimes resulting in severe disease; and 2) the risk that the virus - if given enough opportunities - will change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and spreads easily from person to person.
Should I wear a surgical mask to prevent exposure to avian influenza?
Currently, wearing a mask is not recommended for routine use (e.g., in public) for preventing influenza exposure. In the United States, disposable surgical and procedure masks have been widely used in health-care settings to prevent exposure to respiratory infections, but the masks have not been used commonly in community settings, such as schools, businesses, and public gatherings.
For the most current information about avian influenza and cumulative case numbers, see the World Health Organization website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. | <urn:uuid:0db31ca6-2992-4838-8772-d10ebbf56e2b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nebraskamed.com/article/30/pandemic-bird-avian-flu | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960813 | 1,403 | 3.75 | 4 |
December 12, 2008 High definition TV’s and displays offer obvious visual benefits over conventional standard definition sets, but what about the audio side of things? Along with the Blu-Ray and HD DVD formats have come new high definition sound formats to match their high quality picture.
To understand what these new high definition audio formats have to offer, it’s important to know how that digital information is stored and transmitted in the audio visual world.
Sound can be stored on a disc in a number of ways:
- Losslessly (no compression and no data lost),
- Compressed losslessly (smaller storage space needed, but no data is lost),
- Compressed (some data is lost).
Compression formats that lose data (“lossy” compression) use careful algorithms to throw away data that you are supposed to be unable to hear. DVD’s use these types of compression formats as space restrictions on a DVD (video) disc don’t allow for lossless audio as the video information has the lion’s share of the space.
With Blu-Ray and HD DVD discs space isn’t an issue. With 25GB per layer, multiple layer support, and dual-layer discs being rather common now, these two new HD disc formats have plenty of scope for the future.
DVD’s can deliver data at up to 10.08 Mbps (megabits per second) and only approximately 1.5Mbps of this is used for audio (that means all audio streams; 5.1 soundtrack, 2 channel soundtrack, director’s commentary, etc.) The Blu-Ray and HD DVD formats are capable of up to 48Mbps. Around 30Mbps of this transfer speed is reserved for video, leaving a sizeable chunk for (uncompressed) audio.
These audio streams can be sent to an AV receiver/amplifier as bitstream (encoded digital data) or PCM (essentially raw digital data.) Bitstreamed audio from a DVD, Blu-Ray or HD DVD disc needs to be decoded. This can sometimes be done by the player and output as PCM to the amplifier/receiver. More often than not though, the decoding is done by an AV receiver/processor. Regardless of which method you use, there is no difference in quality between PCM and lossless bitstreamed formats like Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio. As a result, many Blu-Ray and HD DVD discs will offer both Dolby True HD/DTS HD Master Audio and (multi-channel) PCM soundtracks for the sheer convenience.
Along with the lossless Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio formats, Blu-Ray and HD DVD offer Dolby Digital Plus and DTS HD High Resolution. While being a “lossy” format, these other two new standards offer benefits that Dolby Digital and DTS from DVD discs can’t such as higher sample rates. Like Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, they also offer support for 7.1 channels of audio, where DVD’s (at best) can only support up to 6.1 channels.
So what do you need to get the best out of these new HD audio formats? Firstly you’ll need a Blu-Ray or HD DVD player and some discs. It’s important to note though that it’s not mandatory for Blu-Ray or HD DVD discs to carry lossless audio formats, so check the specifications for the movie on the disc case.
Secondly you’ll need an AV receiver/processor. It needs to be compatible with high definition audio. The little format compatibility labels on the front of the unit might only list Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio but all four new HD formats will be covered.
Last but not least are speakers. All HD audio compatible receivers will be 7 channel. At this stage however, a vast majority of titles will only offer 5.1 Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master Audio. To keep your costs down a little you could just purchase 5 speakers and upgrade to 7 speakers down the track when 7.1 channel audio on Blu-Ray and HD DVD discs becomes common place.
So what happens if you have a good Dolby Digital/DTS AV receiver that you’re happy with and didn’t plan to upgrade for a while longer? Can any benefit be gained from these new HD audio formats that Blu-Ray and HD DVD carry? Thankfully, yes. Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio have a “core” Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack that older receivers can lock in to as they do with Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks from DVD’s. Like all “lossy” compression systems, the less compression, the better. With the extra space on Blu-Ray and HD DVD discs, higher compression rates aren’t as necessary for the Dolby Digital or DTS “core” soundtrack, meaning better quality audio. For example, Dolby Digital 5.1 on a DVD will use a sample rate of either 384kbs or 448kbs. Blu-Ray discs will carry the same Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack at 640kbs. The “core” DTS soundtrack on a Blu-Ray disc is often delivered at an even higher bit rate.
While the benefits of high definition audio are obvious, it still hasn’t been the smoothest introduction of new standards into the AV industry. However the situation was much the same with the introduction of the DVD player all those years ago and the Dolby Digital and DTS formats experienced similar teething problems.
As with the introduction of any new standard into the AV industry, it takes a little while before it really becomes “standard.”
Just enter your friends and your email address into the form below
For multiple addresses, separate each with a comma | <urn:uuid:0d5db498-acce-430a-9cae-cf2f77757f05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gizmag.com/high-definition-audio-explained/10559/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900946 | 1,233 | 2.796875 | 3 |
Group is the latest to try to obtain cheaper drugs from Canada
The move by a group of psychologists to prescribe drugs through Canadian doctors represents another skirmish in the battle to get cheaper drugs.
Federal law prevents importing prescription drugs meant for sale outside the USA. But because other countries set price controls, cost-conscious U.S. residents have traveled to Canada or Mexico for years and brought back their own supplies. The practice is technically illegal, but the Food and Drug Administration mainly has looked the other way and allowed residents to bring small quantities of drugs over the border.
The FDA consistently has said it would not prosecute Grandma or Grandpa for buying their drugs in Canada.
In recent months, however, the FDA has moved to close down commercial businesses that assist residents in purchasing drugs from Canada, winning a court case in November against Oklahoma-based Rx Depot.
The FDA also has warned cities and states that they could run afoul of the law if they help employees or Medicaid patients buy drugs from Canada.
John Caccavale, president of the National Society of Clinical Psychopharmacologists, says that although the NSCP's prescribing plan bypasses U.S. physicians, it will be "safe and legal" because a Canadian physician countersigns the prescriptions.
The program is limited to psychologists with special pharmacology training certification known as RxP, and only mental health drugs will be dispensed, Caccavale says.
But an FDA official says he doubts that this initiative is legal.
"We would have several areas of concern with this," says Tom McGinnis, director of pharmacy affairs. "A person must be a state-licensed prescriber to legally write a prescription, and it seems like the Canadian doctor, not the psychologist, would be responsible for the prescription."
The FDA would not act to curtail the program based on that issue, he says, "because the FDA does not license or regulate the practice of medicine. But I don't believe a Canadian prescription is valid under federal law."
Contributing: By Linda Temple | <urn:uuid:2b3f6631-cbd3-4ee2-8376-4e2a39f520e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-12-17-canada-drugs_x.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964929 | 418 | 1.929688 | 2 |
April 2005, Vol. 128, No.4
A race to the top
What causes growth?
Download the PDF (20K)
Book reviews from past issues
A race to the top
Can Labor Standards Improve Under Globalization? By Kimberly Ann Elliott and Richard B. Freeman. Washington, DC, Institute for International Economics, 2003, 179 pp., $25/paperback.
For decades, activists, governments, labor unions, and corporations have been at odds over exactly how to improve developing-world labor conditions. On one extreme, free marketeers have argued that natural forces, perhaps with the help of trade agreements, are the best way to ameliorate labor standards; while on the other extreme, anti-globalists have seen a corporation-free, proactive, multinational effort as the only way to achieve the goal. Tension and violence between the two camps have been enough to cancel entire global trade summits. Yet just when the rift between the "chanting protesters" and the "dark-suited ministers of trade" seemed insurmountable, Kimberly Ann Elliott and Richard B. Freeman of the Institute for International Economics step in to settle the score. Their detailed approach to the question Can Labor Standards Improve Under Globalization? provides the comprehensive, impartial, and realistic analysis that trade theory buffs everywhere have been craving. Their answer is a resounding "Yes."
Elliott and Freeman begin their book by outlining the four "core labor standards" that have been agreed upon by all 170 member nations of the International Labor Organization (ILO): Freedom from Forced Labor; Nondiscrimination in the Workplace; The Effective Abolition of Child Labor; and Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining. All countries and corporations are expected to follow these core standards without exception. Any additional standards can be thought of as simply "cash standards," because, theoretically, they can only be implemented as countries’ incomes rise.
The ILO unfortunately has few legal tools to impose these core or cash standards on any nation or corporation. (Use of the organization’s enforcement mechanism was never even attempted until 2000.) Instead, as the authors lament, the ILO—in concert with other activist organizations—must pursue its goals by either (1) publicizing egregious standards violations; (2) assisting in the formation of labor unions; or (3) working with developing countries’ labor ministries. These efforts have succeeded to varying degrees.
With respect to their efforts to expose blatant standards violations, activist organizations have, in fact, pressured several companies to improve upon unfavorable conditions. Nike and FIFA [Fédération Internationale de Football Association] are cited as typical examples. Yet companies will rarely improve upon standards that the public already deems adequate, because such preemptive improvements tend to increase stock prices only minimally. Pressure on companies can therefore only accomplish so much.
Even less success has been achieved by activists’ attempts to organize labor unions in less-developed countries (LDCs). Leaders of many developing countries simply do not allow unions, fearing that they will undermine government leverage and foster democratic sentiment among the working population. Overcoming LDCs’ aversion to organized labor remains one of activists’ biggest challenges with the largest rewards.
As for activists’ pressure on LDC governments, the determination of success depends on the pressure’s goals. For example, when Ronald Reagan used the ILO in the 1980s to criticize Poland’s treatment of its Solidarity labor union and to condemn South Africa’s apartheid regime, the ILO proved a great tool to promote democracy. The use of activist pressure as a labor-improving tool, on the other hand, has not proven quite as effective.
This leads the authors to conclude that governments themselves are the institutions best poised to put "teeth" into the enforcement of labor standards. In fact, studies spanning several decades show that government pressure (that is, the threat of sanctions) on LDCs has succeeded in achieving policy goals as often as 50 percent of the time. The authors cite such evident effectiveness of sanctions to support their most ambitious proposal—that the World Trade Organization (WTO) amend its rules and "allow members to ban imports of goods whose production is directly linked to violations of any of the core labor standards," because "violations of core labor standards . . . are a trade distortion as much as subsidies or other forms of aid to traded sectors." It is the WTO’s failure to allow retaliatory sanctions, the authors write, that earns it the image of a corporate-friendly institution that tramples the rights of the poor.
Whatever the history of the WTO’s reputation, the authors suffer one significant weakness with their argument: They fail to compare "success rates" of LDC policy goals achieved through sanctions with a control group of policy goals that were not pursued through sanctions. There is nothing to prevent the reader from assuming that labor standards would have improved anyway if left to the free market.
Despite this minor flaw, the authors have added much color to a debate that has for too long seemed a simple matter of black and white, and they have done so in a way that anyone with a basic comprehension of economics can understand. Elliott and Freeman’s meticulous analysis of developing-world labor conditions makes a strong case that—with a bit more transparency, pressure, and cooperation—globalization and high labor standards can be compatible after all.
Office of Prices and Living Conditions,
Bureau of Labor Statistics
What causes growth?
The Mystery of Economic Growth. By Elhanan Helpman. Cambridge, MA, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2004, 240 pp. $25.95/hardcover.
Encouraging economic growth is an article of faith for economists worldwide, but understanding the underpinnings of growth—why it occurs and how to foster it—is more than a subject for academics. Answers to these questions drive public policy in such diverse areas as education, health, trade, law, and politics and affect the well-being of billions of citizens across the globe. Yet, despite the importance of the topic and decades of academic interest, there is still no blueprint that a nation can follow to assure lasting economic improvement. Throughout the last century, the per-capita income gap between rich and poor nations continued to widen, and grappling with this reality is the primary intent of Dr. Helpman’s new book.
In many ways, this is a very personal book, almost a dialogue between the author and his reader. Dr. Helpman is widely recognized for his work in the field of growth economics, having previously produced pioneering books on the role of interest groups in trade policies and the impact of general purpose technologies (GPTs) on economies. He takes the opportunity in this book to review and critique the work that has been done in growth economics by many of his contemporaries. The tone of the short book (the actual text is only 142 pages) captures the honesty of scholarship in a difficult subject area, recognizing the ambiguity of many of the answers and the possibility that future research may not support present theory. It is very much a validation of the scientific approach to this field of social science. Research stands or falls based on its ability to answer real questions, not influenced by the reputation of the author or political opinion. Where the results appear inconclusive, he suggests future approaches always with the goal of searching for more elegant solutions to the problems of economic growth.
The result is a series of chapters ranging from how capital accumulation seems to defy conventional economic theory to how economic growth is affected by the four "I’s"—innovation, interdependence, inequality, and institutions. Underlining much of the work are the relative contributions that human capital and technological innovation and diffusion play in contributing to accelerating productivity rates. Dr. Helpman does not offer an ultimate answer to the problems of economic growth nor does he advocate a particular set of policies. Only in the final chapter does he suggest that the most productive area of new research may lie in a greater understanding of the role of institutions and their impact on a society’s economic development.
In the preface, the author states explicitly that this book is meant to be a nontechnical discussion of research findings to make them available to a broad audience. To that end, he even includes a glossary of economic terms. Nonetheless, while he has eliminated many of the calculations that would normally accompany a scholarly work in this field, the book will be most accessible to readers with grounding in the principles of micro- and macro-economics and a working knowledge of current public policy research. A 13-page list of references is included in the volume listing sources for much of the major work done in the field in the past 50 years. Those interested in the topic of growth economics will find this discussion both fascinating and provocative.
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BLS Home | Publications & Research Papers | <urn:uuid:08063870-e7b8-49aa-bd1f-734c36d83847> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stats.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2005/04/bookrevs.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948194 | 1,850 | 1.898438 | 2 |
While Sunday was a delightful, if chilly, January day, just offshore a strong winter storm was brewing --- well, sort of strong. It clearly wasn't strong enough to impact us here in the New York metro area. Cape Cod, however, received several inches of snow yesterday.
Will we receive any snow of note before this month is out? It doesn't look like it. So far for this January the city has received just a trace of snow (on six different days), and that will likely be it, as this week temperatures are expected to climb into the 40s each day.
There's plenty of precipitation in our forecast, but it's all expected to fall as rain. Today we should see a high temp of 42, slightly above normal, under sunny skies.
One of our government's spy satellites, which controllers on the ground lost touch with almost as soon as they launched it in December 2006, is rapidly descending and headed back to Earth, most likely in late February or early March.
Should we be worried? Probably not. Objects that we've put into orbit fall back to the surface all the time. If they don't disintegrate upon re-entry then they virtually always land in an ocean or someplace uninhabited, since the vast majority of our planet isn't occupied.
Officials expect this satellite to make it to the ground, and have no way of controlling its trajectory or knowing where it might land at this point. It also likely contains some very hazardous chemicals. But they're keeping an eye on it.
We lived through Skylab back in the 1970s. Something tells us that this time, too, we're all going to be OK.
Yesterday's extreme temperatures in the contiguous United States --- High: 79 at Marathon, Fla.; Low: -25 at Presque Isle, Maine, home of the annual Crown of Maine Balloon Festival (the first successful transatlantic balloon crossing originated from here in 1978). | <urn:uuid:7e865e7b-2ff7-4f7b-a029-6f25a65e5465> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.silive.com/weather/2008/01/the_sky_is_falling_again.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974586 | 394 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Ballotbox.ie opens for Irish emigrants to cast symbolic vote
Irish emigrants can now cast a symbolic ballot in the upcoming Irish General Election, with the launch of Ballotbox.ie. It’s the first time the votes of Irish diaspora abroad who are not in a position to vote can voice their vote, albeit figuratively.
The website is the genesis of co-founders Joe McCarthy and Brian Reynolds, two Irish emigrants who currently reside in Toronto, Canada. Ballotbox.ie has no political affiliations and is being run in a voluntary capacity from Dublin and Toronto.
Three million Irish passport holders live overseas at the minute and, with Irish law preventing most of them from voting, Ballotbox.ie is setting out to give these people a symbolic voting voice. Right now, only a small minority of people such as those serving in the defence forces, diplomats and politicians are allowed cast their ballot by postal vote, if they are abroad on election day.
For this election, only those who have been away less than 18 months and who intend to return within that 18 months have a vote, explains Noreen Bowden of the websites Globalirish.ie and Globalirishvote.com.
"About 4pc or 4,000-plus of those currently in the NUI Seanad panel register are at addresses outside the State – from Tanzania to The Gambia, from Syria to South Africa, and all the usual places too. They can all vote, as can TCD graduates, but due to the failure to keep the register up to date most of those are graduates from the last great emigration wave in the late Eighties and early Nineties.
"The third-level Seanad panels might well be rotten boroughs but it's more of a say that most emigrants have and it would seem a shame to waste the chance to contribute to the debate and the political process," says Sullivan.
But, with Ireland being one of the few EU countries where the majority of Irish voters become, in a sense, ‘disenfranchised’ once they emigrate, Ballotbox.ie co-founder McCarthy says the site wants to give these people a symbolic voting platform, the next step to achieving the real thing.
Ballotbox.ie will open for voting on the week of 14 February and will remain open until 22 February, three days before the election. Only those living outside of Ireland will be able to cast a ballot. The results will also be published.
The site points to recent CSO figures, which show that 27,600 Irish people emigrated in the 12 months up to April 2010.
In January 2010, Finian McGrath TD put a question to the then-minister for foreign affairs, Micheal Martin TD, asking him if he would support the campaign on votes for Irish emigrants in view of the fact 115 countries already supported this view at the time; and if he would use this initiative to support the economy in Ireland.
Voters in Ireland - Checktheregister.ie
Meanwhile, today is the last day that people can check if they are registered to vote by logging on to the Register of Electors. If people are not registered they can download an application form. For those who have changed address, they can also download a form, which they must present at their local Garda station, along with relevant photo ID such as a passport or driver's licence. | <urn:uuid:1a48c465-6634-44c5-8c4e-9b40094ae420> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.siliconrepublic.com/new-media/item/20282-ballotbox-ie-opens-for/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962028 | 705 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Race as a powerful electoral issue in the South
In a brief passage that expresses the power of race in the post-<cite>Brown</cite> South, Heflin notes that he got a lot of votes in his race for state Supreme Court from conservative white voters who disliked his opponent's antisegregation record. A Democrat, Heflin also received votes from black voters.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Howell Heflin, July 9, 1974. Interview A-0010. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- JACK BASS:
Among the people who urged you to run, was Patterson's record on
segregation as governor an issue?
- HOWELL HEFLIN:
It was with some. I ended up with support from all groups. I would think
that a sizeable group who were anti-Patterson from racial matters urged
me to run. At the same time I had extremely conservative vote. I ended
up in Mobile, which is unusual, with almost every element and segment of
society and economic life supporting me. And Mobile is largely, they
say, is largely a ticket area. So I ended up with rabid
segregationists and I ended up with the black vote. So. . .
occasionally. . . it wasn't a race in which that was primarily an issue.
But I'd say it was a significant issue among those that were opposed to
Patterson's segregation record. And a great number of those asked me to | <urn:uuid:ef49648b-fccd-4a0a-8414-9e0e4e8ed597> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/A-0010/excerpts/excerpt_1994.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974235 | 347 | 2.671875 | 3 |
The first day of school is just around the corner, and most parents are busily making their way through a list of “to-dos”: school clothes shopping, appointments for immunizations and physicals, and trips to the store for pencils, pens, paper and all the other “must-haves” for the classroom—all with the intention of getting students Ready for School.
Is a visit to the optometrist on your list? A comprehensive eye examination for students is one of the most important “to-dos” and yet one that is often overlooked. Without an eye exam, many children have vision problems that remain undiagnosed, and may even be misdiagnosed as a learning disorder.
The idea that children need to be ready to learn—visually—is beginning to catch the attention of legislators. Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois have laws requiring mandatory eye examinations for children prior to entering school, and a federal bill has been introduced in the Senate that would provide funding to establish a federal grant program focusing on treatment to bolster children’s vision initiatives in the states and encourage children’s vision partnerships with non-profit entities. To educate parents on the importance of comprehensive eye exams, AOA has created an online survey parents can take to quiz their knowledge of children’s vision topics. AOA members want the classroom experience to be a positive and productive one for all children.
In addition to the online survey, parents can download the Difference between Vision Screenings and Vision Examinations resource as well as a Word Hunt Activity Sheet and Night Vision coloring page for children.
To find an optometrist in your area, please click here.
Q: Why is it so important that children have a comprehensive eye exam prior to heading back to school?
A: One of the most important things a parent can do to help their children succeed in school is to take them for a comprehensive eye exam. According to the AOA, vision screenings are not diagnostic, and therefore, typically identify only a small portion of the vision problems in children. Comprehensive eye exams are necessary to detect problems that a simple screening can miss, such as eye coordination, lazy eye, and near and farsightedness.For more information, please click here.
Q: What risks does a child who does not receive an eye exam face before entering school?
A: Millions of children will start school this year with a vision problem that may inhibit their ability to learn and ultimately affect the rest of their lives.
When vision problems have an adverse effect on learning, they are referred to as learning-related vision problems. Learning-related vision problems can affect comprehension performance in reading, writing and concentration. According to one study,approximately 60 percent of students identified as problem learners have undetected vision problems.
When parents send their children back to school, one of the most important things they can do to help ensure their child's ability to learn is to take them for an eye exam.
Q: What are some warning signs that a child might have a vision problem?
A: Parents can help identify vision problems by watching for the following warning signs:
If parents notice any of those symptoms, they should schedule an appointment for their child to see an optometrist.
For more information on vision warning signs, please click here.
Q: How are behavioral problems an indication that a child's vision may be impaired?
A: According to the American Eye-Q® survey, 39 percent of parents don't realize that behavioral problems can be an indication that a child's vision is impaired. A child with undetected vision problems may get frustrated or bored in school because he or she can't see the board, the teacher or read a book easily. Therefore, students with problems seeing sometimes act out in school.
Q: Many children already receive vision screenings before they enter school. Why is a comprehensive eye exam necessary as well?
A: Most vision screenings only check to determine how well a person can see at a distance. Vision exams, however, are much more thorough. A comprehensive eye exam includes tests to determine nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, eye coordination and eye muscle function, eye focusing abilities and an overall eye health exam-which in most cases involves dilation.
Eye exams are also especially important in diagnosing diseases and disorders in young children. They are critical for the diagnosis and treatment of eye and vision problems that can lead to vision loss and other issues that affect a person's quality of life.
Simple screenings identify only a small portion of the vision problems in children. Screenings do not measure visual alignment, color vision or visual perception, among other important visual abilities. In reality, screenings only indicate a need for further evaluation and often miss many children with vision problems. According to the Vision in Preschoolers study, screenings, even when performed by the most highly trained screeners, miss more than one third of children who should be referred for a comprehensive eye examination.
Q: What specific things are tested during a comprehensive eye exam?
A: There are several essential elements an optometrist will check during a comprehensive eye examination to help ensure learning is maximized through good vision.
Q: How often should children receive a comprehensive eye exam?
A: The AOA recommends that a child's first eye exam take place at six months of age. Unless problems are detected, the next exam should be at age three, again before entering school and then every two years thereafter. Unfortunately, the Eye-Q® survey showed that 57 percent of children did not receive their first eye exam until age five or older.
For more information on frequency of children's eye exams, please click here.
Q: Are comprehensive eye exams expensive?
A: Comprehensive eye exams are a wise investment in your child's future. Typically, these exams are covered by insurance policies, so we encourage you to check with your medical provider.
In addition, the AOA has relationships with organizations like the Lions Club and special AOA programs such as VISION USA, which offer exams and care at discounted rates and some programs, such as InfantSEE®, provide care at no cost for the patient.
For more information on these programs, please click here.
Q: How many children have undetected vision problems?
A: According to the AOA, one in four kids has a vision problem. However, most parents weren't aware of the number of children with vision problems. In fact, 87 percent of Eye-Q® survey respondents didn't know how many children have undetected vision problems.
Q: Where can I find an optometrist in my area?
A: The easiest way to find an optometrist and to set an appointment is by accessing the Dr. Locator. The AOA's Doctor Locator allows users to type in their zip code and to find an optometrist in their area. | <urn:uuid:566fb98d-bf9d-46f2-b76e-fc10d2afef39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aoa.org/x5068.xml?prt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956917 | 1,421 | 2.953125 | 3 |
When the Bible talks about the work of Jesus, it uses an abundance of metaphors.
We sometimes get ourselves stuck. We have an idea of what it means to confess that Jesus “died for our sins,” and we bring this idea with us wherever we go. Often in the world of Western Christianity the idea that Jesus died for our sins brings to mind the idea of legal infraction, a penalty that has to be paid for breaking the law.
But the idea of legal infraction is often not present. Yes, there is sin; yes, Jesus dies for this sin; and yes, there is forgiveness. But it can be imagined in other ways as well.
In Colossians 1, we read this description of salvation:
He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. 13 He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins. (CEB)
The metaphors in vv. 13-14 have to do, not with guilt but rather with slavery.Freedom here is not freedom from guilt or punishment. It is freedom from a controlling power, from “darkness.” The solution to a problem of slavery is liberation. The kingdom transfer laid out here–form darkness to the Son–is a transfer from a domain of slavery to a domain of freedom.
Entailed in this transfer is “forgiveness of sins.” Where does that play into the slavery metaphor?
Perhaps the sort of enslavement that we should envision is the slavery of debt. This metaphor is taken up in 2:14:
He destroyed the record of the debt we owed, with its requirements that worked against us. He canceled it by nailing it to the cross. (CEB)
The work of Christ in bringing forgiveness is cancelling debt. That debt was, or lent, its enslaving power to those who controlled us and made us hostile to God. And thus Paul can continue, after claiming that the debt certificate was nailed to the cross:
When he disarmed the rulers and authorities, he exposed them to public disgrace by leading them in a triumphal parade. (Col 2:15, CEB)
With the death and resurrection of Jesus, the authorities and powers that were created through and for the sake of the Son are disarmed and subjected to him again. In forgiving our debts, Jesus opens the door for the Father to transfer us from the kingdom that is hostile into the reconciled, cosmic space that Jesus created afresh through his death and resurrection.
The work of the cross is not one in which “freedom” becomes a next calling after God has “forgiven” us in a court of law. The act of salvation itself is a transfer from one lord to another Lord, from one kingdom to another Kingdom.
Debt is forgiven.
And we are free. | <urn:uuid:6af6917c-2433-41e1-9e68-84aa2928fa2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jrdkirk.com/2012/01/17/freedom-from-sin/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96466 | 618 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The Chicago area broke a 99-year record Tuesday morning, with the mercury hitting 63 degrees.
But forecasters are warning not to get used to it.
Highs on Tuesday reached 63 degrees, shattering the daily record high of 59 degrees for the day set in 1914. According to the National Weather Service, only 33 January days have reached 60 degrees or higher in Chicago the 141 years of recording data.
The last time a 60-degree high was recorded in January was Jan. 7, 2008, when the temperature reached 65 degrees.
Tuesday's record warmth was paired with flood watches for Cook, Will, Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton, Porter and LaPorte counties through 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms moved through the area Tuesday evening, and up to 3 inches of rain were expected to fall throughout the night.
According to the National Weather Service, the rain will be falling on frozen ground, resulting in near immediate runoff and rapid rises in area streams and rivers.
Flooding was expected to occur in flood-prone or poor drainage areas, with significant rises and flooding on and near area waterways.
Tuesday's warmth and rain is expected to change to snow by early Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures turning sharply colder. Wednesday's high is expected to be in the lower 40s with lows around 13 with 35 mph winds. | <urn:uuid:734b40af-da66-4518-ba1b-abfd3abdf449> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illinois/record-temps-to-give-way-to-cold-snow-wednesday/article_ff6324e2-b785-5bda-8863-51b2dd22f224.html?comment_form=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961415 | 279 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Published in Vaccine Weekly, September 1st, 2004
"Mice that were transgenic for a T-cell receptor (TCR) specific for ovalbumin peptide323-339 (DO11.10) were able to survive an infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis for approximately 80 days. This limited early control of infection was associated with gamma interferon production, inducible nitric oxide synthase expression within the lung, and an influx of clonotypic lymphocytes. The control of M. tuberculosis was lost in DO11.10 mice bred in a rag mutant background,...
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NewsRx also is available at LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, Factiva, Dialog, Thomson Reuters, NewsEdge, and Dow Jones. | <urn:uuid:c8df85f9-d5a7-46bb-9cd3-0c35e5397b73> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Vaccine-Weekly/2004-09-01/0901200433389VW.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933549 | 191 | 1.851563 | 2 |
No, this is not fiction.
Yes, Mitch McConnell, the conservative senator from Kentucky, took to the Senate floor to praise Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, the liberal Democratic representative from Houston.
Yes, McConnell used words like “completely agree” and “bipartisan accomplishment” in the same sentence as “Sheila Jackson Lee.”
What’s going on here?
McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, was speaking out in favor of legislation that would help small businesses obtain access to loans and bank lines of credit. As evidence of the bipartisan support the proposal boasts, he cited an unlikely partner: Jackson Lee.
“Here’s Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,” McConnell told his colleagues, quoting the Houston congresswoman as saying the following:
“Small businesses need access to loans and other lines of credit in order to build their businesses and create jobs. Before us is a measure that would allow small businesses to get the support they need.”
Then came the moment: “I completely agree with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,” McConnell said.
The Kentucky Republican praised the legislation as an example of “smaller proposals that can actually garner the support of everybody and make it onto the president’s desk for a signature.”
And he wasn’t through with his new legislative partner quite yet.
“Look,” he said, “it’s not every day that Congresswoman (Jackson) Lee and I agree on legislation, so I think we should lock this down. Let’s pocket another bipartisan accomplishment right here and help the job creators who need it.”
Can we expect more from this political odd couple?
“These are small steps, but they’re progress,” McConnell said. “Let’s keep at it.” | <urn:uuid:3f943d6a-cffb-446d-b8ee-0b3c72fac7ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2011/11/senate-gop-leader-mitch-mcconnell-says-he-and-sheila-jackson-lee-completely-agree-on-something/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963711 | 391 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Be Inspired. Be Informed. Be Prepared.
The Book of Daniel is really two books in one as you'll discover in "The Smart Guide to the Bible: The Book of Daniel." You'll be inspired by Daniel's integrity in part one. As a young man in Babylonian captivity, Daniel's faith and courage led him to famously interpret the King's dream and to survive being cast in a furnace. And, you'll be amazed by Daniel's God-given prophecies in part two. Many of these events have already taken place or are now unfolding exactly as predicted. This Smart Guide will help you understand-and be prepared for-God's triumphant plan.
Be Smart About: Obeying GodPrioritiesProphecies & ProphetsTrusting GodSpiritual WarfareGod's SovereigntyEnd-of-the-Age PowersAnd More
Smart Guides Are for Everyone
The Bible is loaded with valuable insights for every area of your life. "The Smart Guides to the Bible" let you easily uncover them all-even the passages you once thought were hard to understand.
Whether you're new to the Bible, a long-time student of Scripture or somewhere in between, you'll appreciate the many ways the relevant helps on each page lead you to get the most out of God's Word. | <urn:uuid:7b9dc9e5-2ceb-4f6d-bccb-16b1ef6bce59> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=547010 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94423 | 265 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Adaptation of prize-winning play serves up searing performances from Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
John Patrick Shanley's prize-winning 2005 play "Doubt," which has been brought to the screen under his own direction, is essentially an ensemble of voices. The two loudest belong to Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the principal of the Roman Catholic St. Nicholas school in the Bronx, and to parish priest Father Brendan Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Sister Aloysius, like the other nuns, is bonneted and wears a voluminous habit. She represents, in Shanley's view, the bedrock traditionalism of the church, and she rules her roost with a disciplinarian's zeal. (She even bans the use of ballpoint pens in the school.) Father Flynn is her free-thinking adversary. The time is 1964, when the progressivism of priests such as Father Flynn was coming to the fore.Skip to next paragraph
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It is also a time when the sexual abuse of minors in the church was still largely kept under wraps. The possibility of "inappropriate behavior" at St. Nicholas is the crux of "Doubt," and the title says it all. The film, in fact, opens with Father Flynn's sermon on the nature of doubt – how doubt can sometimes be as intellectually sustaining as certainty. He himself comes under Sister Aloysius's laserlike scrutiny when Sister James (Amy Adams) reports back to her that he may have taken sexual liberties with Donald (Joseph Foster II), his altar boy and the school's first black student.
Despite the fact that Sister Aloysius accuses Father Flynn of abuse based on the flimsiest of evidence, Shanley isn't interested in demonizing her. Neither is he interested in sanctifying Father Flynn, no matter how sympathetic the parish priest might come across compared with his tormentor. The moral compass of "Doubt" is continually spinning. Shanley never makes clear to us whether Sister Aloysius is correct in her intuitions about the priest. He converts their drawn-out battle into a kind of cosmic whodunit.
As such, there may be less here than meets the eye – and ear. (Despite Shanley's attempts to "open up" his play, it remains essentially a marathon talkfest.) Shanley doesn't really explore the unknowability of truth. He displays it. His did-he-or-didn't-he dramaturgy is riveting and gives off a lot of heat. Two of our finest actors raise the roof, and that's a spectacle not worth missing. But philosophically, if not dramatically, Shanley's approach is reductive. By dancing around Father Flynn's culpability, he's teasing us with weighty issues of moral ambiguity. If he had come down squarely on one side or the other, he might have provided us with more than an exalted guessing game.
Still, the material works smashingly well on its own terms. Shanley certainly knows how to mount dramatic tension; every hesitation, every sidelong glance is charged with meaning. At first, Streep's performance might seem too mannered and preconceived but, then again, she is playing a highly mannered martinet. It's impossible to separate the technique of the actress from Sister Aloysius's iron will.
In the past, Streep, great as she is, often seemed armored by her phenomenal facility. She had everything a performer could hope for – except spontaneity. But she has opened up her acting in the past few years and let down her guard. (I'm thinking of performances in such films as "The Hours," "Adaptation," and "A Prairie Home Companion.") Despite outward appearances, I think her work in "Doubt" is likewise unfettered. To call her work as Sister Aloysius stagey is to miss the point: For this nun, all the world's a stage.
Hoffman is equally remarkable. It would have been easy for him to play Father Flynn as a wronged crusader. Instead, he injects just enough ambiguity to make it maddeningly obvious that Sister Aloysius might be right. Delivering his sermons, he is the resolute champion of the dispossessed that he always wanted to be. In private, he's roiled by the contradictions of his character, of his faith.
There is a third major performance in "Doubt." As the mother of the altar boy, Viola Davis has only one scene, during which Sister Aloysius passes along her suspicions about Father Flynn. Davis plays the moment with such unbridled force that it resonates like a gong throughout the rest of the movie. It's a searing playlet all by itself.
With its carefully calibrated three-act structure and its prestige-picture emphasis on the Big Issues, "Doubt" is an anomaly in the current moviescape. But old-fashioned is not the same thing as old hat. Along with its disappointments and its narrowness of intellectual focus, "Doubt" offers up the crackling pleasures of performance and a narrative that snaps shut like a mousetrap. It's the movie equivalent of a rousing night at the theater. Grade: B+ (Rated PG-13 for thematic material.) | <urn:uuid:237289f1-1fd1-4458-a83d-bd4ad190b852> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2008/1213/p25s01-almo.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973168 | 1,099 | 1.5625 | 2 |
suddenly, without any previous planning or thought: ➔ spur-of-the-moment
We would often decide what to play on the spur of the moment.
a fact or event that makes you try harder to do something
It provided the spur to further research.
The crowd's reaction only acted as a spur.
a sharp pointed object on the heel of a rider's boot which is used to encourage a horse to go faster
to show that you deserve to succeed because you have the right skills
a piece of high ground which sticks out from the side of a hill or mountain
a railway track or road that goes away from a main line or road | <urn:uuid:405f9981-6b67-43db-a423-88e7865c28ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ldoceonline.com/Geography-topic/spur_1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927375 | 138 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Afghan National Security Forces take over security operations
US Lieutenant General James Terry, Commander of the International Security Assistance Force and Deputy Commander of US Forces, recently provided an update on the development of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). He made two important points: the ANSF has taken responsibility for security for a large part of Afghanistan, and yet substantial work still remains to build a force that can sustain itself after ISAF withdraws in 2014.
ANSF combat units are leading more combat operations and assuming security responsibility for most of the population
ANSF combat forces have transitioned to the lead in combat operations in much of Afghanistan. ISAF forces had a "partnering" relationship in which ANSF and ISAF worked side by side in both planning and executing combat operations. Starting in June 2012, the ANSF and ISAF began transitioning to a new 'Leading/Supporting' relationship. ISAF began withdrawing full combat brigades and replacing them with smaller support brigades, while partnered ANSF units transitioned to leading operations with the US teams in support.
Concurrently, the ANSF began taking over the security responsibility for areas of Afghanistan. This process was planned for five phases, or tranches. The first tranche started the transfer of security responsibility to the ANSF in July 2011. The latest phase, Tranche 4, will begin in March. With this phase, the ANSF will have taken ownership of areas that contain 87% of Afghanistan population.
As a result of these two processes, the ANSF has assumed responsibility for security for a large portion of Afghanistan. While these transfers are substantial, they do not include the areas most affected by the Taliban insurgency:
- Kunar and Nuristan provinces in the north
- Paktia, Paktika, and Khost provinces in the east
- Panjwai and Maywand districts in western Kandahar province
- Sangin, Musa Qala, and Kajaki districts in northern Helmand province
These areas will transfer to the ANSF sometime in 2014.
Afghanistan is currently in the winter lull. Fighting will pick up in again in April as this summer's fighting season resumes, providing a major test of ANSF's ability to maintain security across Afghanistan.
Substantial work remains in developing ANSF combat support units
While the ANSF's combat units are relatively mature, its combat support units are much less so. Development activity has shifted to building these units. Looming over this is the impending withdrawal of US and ISAF forces from Afghanistan, the vast majority of which will leave by the end of 2014. While the US/ISAF provides most of the ANSF's combat support functions right now, there are no plans to continue this support after 2014. This leaves the ANSF with limited time (and money) to build of its own capability. Therefore, the ANSF has scaled back on its plans. Instead of building the combat support units to the standards of Western armies, the units will be built to lower, although still effective, Afghan standards.
One example of the necessary scaling back is medical evacuation of battlefield wounded. For Western armies, the wounded are evacuated by helicopter directly from the battlefield to a fully equipped military hospital. For the ANSF, however, evacuation will be done using ground transportation, and the wounded will be evacuated to the nearest civilian medical facility. Another example is fire support. Currently, US/ISAF provides ubiquitous fire support with attack aircraft and helicopters. But fire support from the Afghan Air Force will not be available by 2014, if ever. Consequently, the ANSF will have to rely on fire support from ground units, which would mean 60mm mortars for infantry companies and 122mm howitzers for infantry battalions and brigades.
But the essential fact remains that the ANSF will be substantially on its own after 2014. It will have to live with whatever it can build by then. | <urn:uuid:d8d7bf82-7688-439c-9617-5885a2e67370> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/02/afghan_national_secu.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955016 | 797 | 1.601563 | 2 |
As 2012 drew to a close, the movement to hold law schools accountable for misleading marketing suffered another setback. The Appellate Division of New York's Supreme Court upheld a trial court's decision dismissing a lawsuit against New York Law School. Graduates of the law school had accused it of issuing alumni-employment statistics that painted an unreasonably optimistic picture of their job prospects after graduation.
Judge Melvin Schweitzer had dismissed the case in March, holding that even if the statistics published by the law school were bunk, "plaintiffs could not have reasonably relied on NYLS's alleged misrepresentations ... because they had ample information from additional sources and thus the opportunity to discover the then-existing employment prospects ... through the exercise of reasonable due diligence." In other words, no reasonable person would have relied on the school's statistics, and so unhappy law graduates cannot win satisfaction under consumer-protection laws.
The Appellate Division did agree with the plaintiffs that "there is no question that the type of employment information published by [NYLS and other law schools] during the relevant period likely left some consumers with an incomplete, if not false, impression of the schools' job placement success."
The court noted that the marketing materials allowed unwary consumers to believe that "employed" recent graduates held full-time positions, while in reality the advertised number of "employed" graduates included not only those doing part-time legal work, but also those not working as lawyers at all—waiters and babysitters, for example. It criticized the law school's "statistical gamesmanship," observing that the American Bar Association had recently "repudiated" such trickery, which for years has been common practice in legal academe.
Nonetheless, despite being "troubled by the unquestionably less than candid and incomplete nature" of New York Law School's advertisements, the Appellate Division upheld the dismissal, saying the misleading marketing was not the sort of deceptive practice that violates the state's General Business Law or the common-law prohibition on fraud.
In short, two courts found that New York Law School had published marketing materials that sensible prospective law students should not trust, and concluded that graduates who had been misled have no legal remedy. Similar cases against law schools have been dismissed in Illinois and Michigan. Others are pending.
My own research has revealed comparable misleading marketing by law schools nationwide, with schools obscuring who counts as "employed" as well as how many employed graduates are in jobs paid for by law schools themselves. Schools also publish salary data based on skewed samples of highly paid graduates. Other researchers have documented cases in which law schools issued misleading scholarship offers, concealing the lesser likelihood of students' continuing to qualify for their awards beyond the first year.
For example, when collecting data for the National Association for Law Placement—which produces the best-known salary statistics for recent graduates—law schools exclude those in part-time jobs. In addition, the survey sample is not random; the association acknowledges that higher-paid graduates are more likely to respond. The problem is then exacerbated because the association encourages law schools to use public information (such as social media and law-firm Web sites) to determine the salaries of nonresponding graduates, and salary data are more commonly public at the largest law firms, which tend to pay the top salaries.
Despite those flaws, which make attending law school look more financially attractive than it otherwise might, law schools commonly report the "average" salaries of their graduates without any useful disclaimers concerning the upward skew.
Law schools may protest that their salary numbers are collected according to industry standards. But so what if they are? If a school knows that the salary numbers reported by the National Association for Law Placement skew upward, it misleads prospective students by presenting an "average" or "median" or "75th percentile" salary absent an explanation of why the number should not be trusted.
As for scholarships, law schools have awarded merit aid contingent on academic performance—not itself necessarily objectionable—without explaining how forced grading curves may make it impossible for many students to retain awards. An admitted student might be told something like, "You need a first-year GPA of x to keep your scholarship," without being told that (1) only 30 percent of the class can attain such a GPA; and (2) more than half of her classmates have the same deal.
So where do we go from here? In addition to rules recently enacted by the American Bar Association to curb the sharp practices described above, there is, perhaps, one hint of a silver lining for reform advocates in the Appellate Division's opinion. Despite letting a law school get away with bad behavior, the court asserted that "the practice of law is a noble profession that takes pride in its high ethical standards," and that "to join and continue to enjoy the privilege of being an active member of the legal profession, every prospective and active member of the profession is called upon to demonstrate candor and honesty."
The rules of legal ethics prohibit lawyers from engaging in misrepresentation, dishonesty, and deceit, and the prohibition extends beyond the practice of law. Indeed, lawyers have been disciplined for filing false police reports, forging law-school transcripts and recommendation letters, and committing academic plagiarism. It is high time for state bar officials to safeguard prospective students from dishonest pitches by law schools.
I have not found any disciplinary cases related to misleading law-school marketing. But that could change overnight if a single state bar took action—perhaps prompted by complaints from former students, who know all about the marketing tactics. Case law concerning other forms of deceit by lawyers makes clear that at least some law-school administrators have exposed themselves to discipline.
In addition, bar organizations can issue advisory opinions on ethical issues. A notice that certain "business as usual" marketing techniques are considered dishonest by the state bar would prompt quick corrective action by law schools, which commonly include licensed lawyers among their leadership.
The appeals court's opinion stated that law schools "have at least an ethical obligation of absolute candor to their prospective students."
If law schools cannot clean up their act, disciplinary authorities may begin proceedings against their administrators. Misleading marketing has no place in legal academe, and there is no excuse for further delays. | <urn:uuid:4293b4be-c140-4600-bc86-8652674564fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chronicle.com/article/A-Law-School-Lesson-Learned/136635/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968972 | 1,274 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Prospective U of I students can find their place at ExplorACES – March 8 and 9
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2013
The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) is giving potential students an opportunity to ExplorACES on Friday, March 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More than 2,000 students are expected to attend the two-day, student-run event that acquaints prospective and admitted ACES students with the college's faculty, curriculum and vast selection of student organizations and opportunities. Information will be available on study-abroad programs, potential careers, and how students can apply for nearly $2 million in scholarships.
Prospective students will get a glimpse of all the college has to offer with more than 125 exhibits showcasing academics, research and student development. A reception for admitted students will complete Saturday's activities at the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building.
"ExplorACES is the ultimate opportunity to learn more about the college, especially if you are a soon-to-be high-school graduate or transfer student interested in finishing a bachelor's degree," said Jason Emmert, ACES assistant dean of academic programs.
Although prospective and admitted students are the target audience for the informational event, parents are encouraged to attend.
"ExplorACES is really about providing students and their families the opportunity to understand what ACES has to offer. Deciding where to attend college is one of the most important choices students will ever make, and it is incredibly helpful for prospective students to see the campus, talk to faculty and staff, and perhaps most important, connect with current ACES students," Emmert said.
Current ACES students have been planning the event since last September.
"We've all been in their shoes and know how hard it can be to choose a college, but this event is shaped to help prospective students imagine themselves as students in the College of ACES," said Ellen Reeder, ExplorACES co-director. "When I attended ExplorACES as a prospective student, I found it so helpful to have my questions answered by current students, to sit in real classrooms, and to see what I could become involved with on campus. I could truly imagine my future in the college, and I hope prospective students will take advantage of this opportunity to have the experience, too."
Event coordinators have helped make the ACES campus even more accessible by providing free parking and free shuttle service to and from parking lot E-14, just west of the Assembly Hall.
For more information about the event, visit www.exploraces.org or connect with ExplorACES on Facebook and Twitter. | <urn:uuid:6c7f73e5-be5d-4cdc-ae2f-1d2aaaa4045a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://urbanext.illinois.edu/news/news.cfm?NewsID=28599 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967175 | 578 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The day I spent in Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge, I encountered many beetles like the one above. They were always crawling around on large leaves. I didn’t observe them feeding or see any obvious damage from possible feeding in their vicinity. Rather, I spotted what I assume are both males and females, possibly coming together for mating. I didn’t actually see any mating though.
I suspect the one above is a male, based on those antennae. Here’s what I figure is a female. There’s also a bit of its frass there (confirmed from another image).
There’s some variability in the coloring as well. Here’s another male, with less black on the head and pronotum.
I wished I could say more about their identity. My initial impression was Lycidae. Doesn’t seem quite right though, with no obvious latticework of veins on the elytra and such an exposed head. I looked through my North American beetle references, but nothing seemed like an obvious fit. Elateridae? Eucnemidae? Pyrochroidae? Hopefully a beetle expert will be able to at least place these in a family for me.
Here’s one more view of those antennae from the same individual as the lead photo.
Subjects: Beetles and Insects.
Places: Cahuita to Manzanillo, Costa Rica, Limon Province, and North America.
Life Stages: Adult.
Sexes: Female and Male.
Taxa: Class Insecta and Order Coleoptera.
Colors: Black and Orange. | <urn:uuid:5643b7aa-8a08-4cc8-a805-79836a88c8f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://naturecloseups.com/posts/mystery-beetles | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960692 | 346 | 2.671875 | 3 |
SILVER CITY — Jose Barrios Elementary School honored 75 veterans during their "Honoring All Who Served" ceremony Thursday morning at the school.
"We have been honoring veterans here for more than 20 years," said third-grade teacher Eileen Piercy, who helped take over the program since second-grade teachers Brenda Padilla and Debby Anderson both retired last year.
Piercy, along with second-grade teacher Veronica Rodriguez and kindergarten teachers Karen Valentine and Marisela Silva, worked together to create a program of songs and presentations that both educated young students and honored those who served.
Fifty-seven students in kindergarten, first and second grades participated in this year's program, which was the first year for the kindergartners, Piercy said.
Several students explained the school's tradition in holding the ceremony, and how Veterans Day became a holiday. Then, as a group, they said the Pledge of Allegiance after Chapter 358 Vietnam Veterans of America presented the colors, and they sang songs including the national anthem, "God Bless the America," "This Land is Your Land," and "Thank You Soldier."
After a moment of silence, they recited the poem, "In Flanders Field," introduced the military branches, and talked about the reasons to serve and the sacrifices of the families.
"This is about honoring a group of people who helped us keep our rights to vote, keep our Constitution, and secure our freedom," Piercy said.
"The kids enjoyed the program tremendously," Piercy said.
CariSue Flores is a freelance photographer who works for the Silver City Sun-News. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:c95bf4f3-f7a1-4b48-b317-f052648f7b3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_21960105 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962303 | 353 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Posted: Friday, November 30, 2012
Celebration of Computer Science Education Week
Join us in celebrating Computer Science Education Week on Tuesday, December 4, during Bengal Pause (noon–1:30 p.m.) in the Bulger Communication Center main lobby. Encourage your students to stop by to play video games or interact with digital stories developed by CIS freshman students. Recognize the tremendous job growth in the computer industry, which is causing a shortage of computing professionals in the United States. Discover what women and minorities have contributed to computer science. Learn about local technology companies and job opportunities, the CIS undergraduate program at Buffalo State, and computer science education in general. Stop by for refreshments and enter your name in a raffle drawing. The first prize is an iPod donated by McGraw-Hill publishers. | <urn:uuid:6f1d01c9-8f15-4834-ada6-cc245d49a1bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wwwd.buffalostate.edu/dailybulletin/celebration-computer-science-education-week-1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946919 | 165 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Plan touts ways area, its marketing should be improved
By Mary Kincy
Editor's note - This story, summarizing the recommendations of a five-year strategic plan written on behalf of Pope and Yell counties as they pursue economic development, is the first in a series that will explore the findings and recommendations of a broad study commissioned by the Arkansas River Valley Alliance for Economic Development.
"If you build it, they will come."
According to an Atlanta-based economic development consulting firm, that line from the 1989 Kevin Costner film "Field of Dreams" may have been true in the case of a baseball diamond constructed in a cornfield, but is less so for the communities tied to the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Development as they work to attract and retain business and industry in Pope and Yell counties and beyond.
Simply building is not enough, Janus Economics co-founder Robert Pittman said.
"You have to have a good product, and you have to market it," he explained.
Last month, Janus Economics unveiled a five-year strategic plan it developed on behalf of the Alliance, a partnership of counties and cities formed in 1996 to recruit new manufacturers and assist existing manufacturers with expansion.
The plan identified specific guidance for the Alliance's future endeavors, in addition to including an analysis of current conditions in the region and of the industries the area should try to attract based on its strengths and market factors.
Priorities defined by the study were grouped into five areas: economic development, marketing and communications, education and workforce development, business climate and quality of life, each of which were explored further in a report.
n Economic development
"Economic development organizations handling a region the size of the Arkansas River Valley should have an active business retention and expansion program, and an active new business start-up ... program in addition to new business recruiting," a representative for Janus wrote in the report.
That goal is in jeopardy, however, if the Alliance cannot maintain its current funding of about $365,000 a year, the report indicated, with Janus recommending leaders work to increase that total to $500,000 annually by January 2012.
The Alliance should also try to add to its staff and should change Jeff Pipkin's title from executive director to president, according to the report.
Finally, the Alliance should implement a Business Retention and Expansion program to ensure businesses receive appropriate service and to develop recruiting leads.
n Marketing and communications
"Competition to attract new investment and jobs into communities is fierce. There are literally thousands of communities in the U.S. annually competing for a relatively small number of business expansion and relocation projects. ... Targeted marketing and communications is a critical component of a successful community and economic development program."
As an initial goal in improving its marketing, the Alliance should immediately begin work on "radically" redesigning its website, Janus recommended, noting the project is so vital as to deserve elevation to a "special fund-raising project" in order to allow for the quick completion of the project, expected to cost $50,000-60,000.
The Alliance also needs to work to build trust and confidence within the region through communication, the report noted.
n Education and workforce development
"Success or failure in economic, education and workforce development is never attributable to one organization or system of organizations. These are inextricably connected yet often are disconnected and miss the opportunity to leverage each of the others' assets/resources because leadership, communication and trust have not been adequately developed."
The Alliance should work to raise awareness of the talents and the development thereof of its populace, in addition to developing talents needed for industries the area hopes to attract, according to Janus' report, which recommends cooperation with Arkansas Tech University and area school districts, among others, in achieving this goal.
n Business climate
"Relocating companies do not care about geographic boundaries and will choose a site that is development ready with the needed services in place. Likewise, existing businesses make location choices constantly as their business evolves. Lack of access to utilities is a fatal flaw that will remove a city from a competitive bid for new jobs."
The Alliance should determine what areas of the region lack appropriate sewer, water or broadband services and work to address those deficiencies, Janus recommended, noting the long-term goal is to create and retain jobs by providing an environment conducive to economic expansion.
Janus also recommended the region's local and county governmental bodies work to be as cohesive and business-friendly as possible; that the Alliance work to improve the perception of health care pricing and quality; and that it improve the ease of doing business in - and continue the beautification efforts of - downtown districts.
n Quality of life
"The ability for restaurants to serve alcohol by the drink is directly linked to the community's ability to attract a wider variety of restaurants and hotels and, many times, new business prospects outside of the service industries."
Janus recommended the counties in the region allow alcohol by the drink at restaurants, recommending the Alliance develop a group of "stakeholders" willing to champion the issue.
Consistent enforcement of codes throughout the region will also improve the quality of the area in the eyes of businesses and residents, Janus stated in its report, adding that an inventory of places to be improved and an identification of the resources needed to begin should be developed. | <urn:uuid:6197d427-ba3a-4dbe-a2b2-136aac61b7ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.couriernews.com/view/full_story/15381128/article-Studying-the-community | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956885 | 1,095 | 1.5 | 2 |
Addiction is a very complex and sophisticated disease. Kristina Wandzilak, a professional interventionist featured in the TLC show "Addicted," puts it like this, "Addiction is a combination of genetic, biochemical, social, environmental and psychological events in a person's life that collide to create and manifest an addiction. And it's especially tricky to identify, because it rarely looks the same in any two people."
There's no exact equation to figure out how someone becomes an addict. But here are seven indicators that your loved one may be struggling with addiction. If three of the seven apply, he or she can be diagnosed as chemically dependent. | <urn:uuid:a3eed980-e7f5-4c01-a130-db02cdbf91f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/7-ways-addiction-is-diagnosed.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948976 | 133 | 2.359375 | 2 |
An anonymous reader writes "Texas Instruments' most recent, ARM-based series of graphing calculators, the TI-Nspire line, has long resisted users' efforts to run their own software. (Unlike other TI calculator models, which can be programmed either in BASIC, C, or assembly language, the Nspire only supports an extremely limited form of BASIC.) A bug in the Nspire's OS was recently discovered, however, which can be exploited to execute arbitrary machine code. Now the first version of a tool called Ndless has been released, enabling users, for the first time, to write and run their own C and assembly programs on the device. This opens up exciting new possibilities for these devices, which are extremely powerful compared to TI's other calculator offerings, but (thanks to the built-in software's limitations) have hitherto been largely ignored by the calculator programming community."
The keys are not required to access the binary. There is no encryption; the keys are just to verify that the OS image hasn't been corrupted. The entire binary has always been completely accessible from both the PC side (before transferring) as well as on the calculator. Furthermore, the community has had the ability to load its own operating systems on the TI-83 Plus since 2002. TI had stated in 2004 that they had no problem with independent third-party OSes being loaded, as long as (understandably) no one distributed modified TI OS files. The only new development here is that third-party operating systems can now be loaded onto the calculators without any hacks or preparation. In other words, they can be loaded in a user-friendly manner like the TI OS is loaded, and transmitted from calculator-to-calculator without having to run a special program beforehand. This is a huge deal in gaining acceptance for third-party operating systems, because end users do not want to have to pull out a battery during validation or run a strange program before loading the OS. They'd rather just click and be done.
An anonymous reader writes "A month ago, ticalc.org reported smart factoring of the 512-bit RSA key used by TI to sign their TI-83+ OS, which opens the door to seamless installation of open-source third-party OS on TI-83+ calculators. Since then, two other keys found in other TI calculators have been factored by a distributed effort. Several days ago, TI sent DMCA takedown notices to several sites mentioning the keys and their factors. All three keys factored so far have been posted to Wikileaks, and the effort to factor the remaining ones is going on."
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
Cubeman writes "The 512-bit RSA key protecting the operating system of TI-83 Plus and TI-84 Plus calculators has been cracked! Benjamin Moody posted the factorization yesterday, and it has been verified by Brandon Wilson. With the RSA key broken, developers can now release cryptographically signed third-party OSes which will validate on any unmodified calculator. While TI's security protections have previously been broken, all prior hacks required loading an extra program on each calculator. This broken OS key means that the last frontier of TI hacking has finally been achieved. Calculator programmers now have complete control over every area of the calculator and can write any code in any form, even entire operating systems, and distribute them freely on any 83+/84+ calculator in existence. ticalc.org has an article about this as well."
stemceller passed us a link to the official site for Johns Hopkins, which is reporting on some research into cognition. Generally, doctors have understood our best learning to be done at a young age, when the brain has a 'robust flexibility'. As we get older, our brain cells become 'hard-wired' along certain paths and don't move much - if at all. Or, at least, that was the understanding. Research headed by the hospital's Dr. Linden has taken advantage of 'two-photon microscopy', a new technique, to get a new picture inside a mouse's head. "They examined neurons that extend fibers (called axons) to send signals to a brain region called the cerebellum, which helps coordinate movements and sensory information. Like a growing tree, these axons have a primary trunk that runs upward and several smaller branches that sprout out to the sides. But while the main trunk was firmly connected to other target neurons in the cerebellum, stationary as adult axons are generally thought to be, 'the side branches swayed like kite tails in the wind,' says Linden. Over the course of a few hours, individual side branches would elongate, retract and morph in a highly dynamic fashion. These side branches also failed to make conventional connections, or synapses, with adjacent neurons. Furthermore, when a drug was given that produced strong electrical currents in the axons, the motion of the side branches stalled.'"
jkcity writes "In a bizarre move Aurora Technology the owners of the King of the World MMORPG has taken the unusual step of banning men who play women characters but the ban itself does not stretch to women playing men. If you want to play as a woman now in game you have to prove you are a women via web cam. This is something that people ask for in many mmorpgs I myself have seen people say people who play women in EVE online as being some kind of degenerate but how long can a policy of verification by web cam last since its so easy to get around it doesn't seem to solve much and is an insult to many."
An anonymous reader writes "The New York Times has a piece today talking about the possible connection between genetic evolution and history." From the article: "Trying to explain cultural traits is, of course, a sensitive issue. The descriptions of national character common in the works of 19th-century historians were based on little more than prejudice. Together with unfounded notions of racial superiority they lent support to disastrous policies. But like phrenology, a wrong idea that held a basic truth (the brain's functions are indeed localized), the concept of national character could turn out to be not entirely baseless, at least when applied to societies shaped by specific evolutionary pressures."
Virtual memory works in pages. You can have stuff at 1 GB *address* (not 1 GB of data) without having the preceding ~990 MB. It would be stupid to fill RAM and/or virtual memory with all the unused space. | <urn:uuid:22ec2955-c4d8-4ef9-a954-356a9eecff8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://slashdot.org/~Cubeman/tags/runonsentencesarepunishablebythegrammarpolice | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959014 | 1,331 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Nagano is the capital of the Nagano Prefecture which is part of the Chubu region in central Honshu, Japan's main island. Almost 400,000 people call the city their home, which became better known after the 1998 Winter Olympics which were held in Nagano and its immediate surrounding Japanese Alps.
From the Nagano Travel Guide
Average cheapest prices by month for budget accommodation in Nagano
More Travel Photos
We had a twin room and it was very spacious considering our previous experiences with Japanese hotels. The breakfast was pretty good, and the staff were very helpful with giving us directions and looking up train timetables. ... more
This is a great hostel. but go there with a friend. When i was there a couple of weeks ago it was deserted and it rained the whole 2 days i was in matsumoto. its clean, roomy, the showers are great and its close to town (on the free bikes) but it lacked a little in atmosphere when i was there. also, the hosts only speak a little english. ... more
. So in February Harumi and I took a trip to Nagano Ken to see the Snow Monkeys!! It was a long trip and we went to Nagano Ken by Shinkansen and express train. The first night we stayed in Nagano city ...
Posted in Damon's Page by DKJM74
Day 9 - Nagano
(Sara) We wanted to go skiing, and what better place to do that than where the 1998 Olympics took place. We took a train from Tokyo to Nagano, then about 1 1/2 hours further into the mountains into the area of Hakuba. This is where the downhill and ski jumping events at the Olympics took place. We ...
Posted in Todd and Sara's 2007 Trip to Japan by thetodd | <urn:uuid:5def3f79-aef4-496c-b635-5e714b779a21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travellerspoint.com/budget-accommodation-en-ci-846-21.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98605 | 374 | 1.640625 | 2 |
by Christopher Paslay
To keep things “fair” and “equitable,” School District officials should shutter schools by pulling names from a hat.
The Philadelphia School District is planning to close 37 city schools by next fall. This move has caused many in the community—from City Council to advocacy groups like Action United—to question the fairness of the decision. A disproportionate number of minority children and neighborhoods will be affected by the closings, prompting the U.S. Department of Education to launch an investigation into possible civil rights violations.
Reverend Alyn Waller, the pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Northwest Philadelphia, recently joined the conversation about the school closings. “I am not in favor of school closings without merit and without data to support such a drastic decision,” he said.
Waller’s choice of words, in particular, merit—is curious. Since when does “merit” factor into the Philadelphia School District’s decisions? Since when do things like work ethic, initiative, organization, motivation, prioritization, awareness, resourcefulness and the like factor into School District policy? In fact, the concept of merit runs counter to school equity in general and social justice in particular; a meritocracy is often viewed as a system that advances the “privileged” on the backs of the “less fortunate,” allowing the poor and disenfranchised to slip through the cracks and fall further behind.
Take the controversy over the admissions to the Penn Alexander School in West Philadelphia, for example. Last month, because of the school’s reputation for success, nearly six-dozen people lined up outside the school in the winter cold hoping to reserve a spot for their son or daughter in Penn Alexander’s coveted September kindergarten class.
According to the Notebook:
By Friday afternoon, 68 people were lined up outside the school in freezing weather, hoping for one of the 72 kindergarten seats. The first parent arrived early Friday morning, setting off a scramble. Registration starts Tuesday morning and was on a first-come, first-serve basis.
What did these 68 people have in common, besides the fact that they desperately wanted to get their child into the Penn Alexander School? Obviously, they all prioritized education and felt that waiting in line in cold weather for days was more important than doing anything else. They also showed initiative, were organized, motivated, and resourceful. But to School District officials, this meant absolutely nothing.
After parents, friends, and relatives of the hopeful kindergarten children had already dedicated many, many hours of their time camping out in the cold, the School District decided to change the protocol for admissions and make the application process a lottery, to be held in April. The School District’ reasoning: so it could be fair. Apparently, not all the parents, friends and relatives of the kindergarten hopefuls in Penn Alexander’s catchment area had the means and opportunity to camp out in front of the school. Some had to go to work (although this line was forming mostly over the long MLK weekend), and others simply didn’t have the resources to stand in the line.
Now, let’s examine this situation more closely and focus on the concepts of both “fairness” and “merit.” First, fairness. How fair was it to the people camped out in the cold for days that their chances of securing a spot for their child were no better than those who didn’t camp out for a spot? Was that fair to them?
Now, merit. Which individuals had more merit? The parents who were motivated, organized, and resourceful enough to camp out in the cold, or those who didn’t show up at all? Those who made getting into Penn Alexander a priority, or those who didn’t? Which parents will better serve as a driving engine of the school and better support its mission and the educations of all the children?
Social justice advocates will claim that just because certain parents didn’t show up and camp out in the cold doesn’t mean they lacked motivation, organization, work ethic, etc. These no-show parents, some of whom may have been disabled, some of whom may have been single moms or dads working not one but two jobs . . . it’s always two jobs, despite the high numbers of disability claims in Philadelphia and unemployment numbers . . . these no-show parents may have been just as focused on getting their child into the school than the parents of those who had the opportunity to wait in the line.
To this argument I say balderdash. In order to be a true stakeholder in something you need to make an investment. Just because you breathe, just because you have a pulse doesn’t make you entitled to something. Sure, maybe some parents did have to work a job (or two) and couldn’t wait in line, but some also didn’t care, or had other priorities. Why should those who camped out be punished? Is this the School District’s idea of fairness?
There is another issue at stake here, and it is called incentive. If those parents who were organized, motivated, and resourceful enough to camp out in the cold are treated just the same as those who didn’t show up at all, what kind of behavior is this incentivizing? Organization, motivation, and resourcefulness? I doubt it. It’s called dropping the standards to the lowest common denominator. AKA: making everyone the same for the sake of making everyone the same.
The School District takes this same approach when it comes to discipline. Last summer, they eased-up on the student code of conduct, making it harder for administrators to suspend and expel wayward and unruly students. Now more than ever the rights of the violent few are more important than the rights of the hardworking many. Is this fair? Based on merit? And what kind of behavior is this incentivizing for the kids?
The same thing is happening in academics. Non-gifted, non-advanced placement students are being forced into gifted and advanced placement courses for the simple sake of “equity” and “fairness,” taking valuable resources away from those students who are there because of merit—dedication, organization, work ethic, and natural talent. Is this “fair”?
Is it fair that Asian American students’ SAT scores, which are the highest of all races, are discounted on college applications just to give minorities a better chance at admission? Is this based on merit?
Reverend Alyn Waller’s use of the word “merit” in regard to the School District’s proposed school closings is interesting indeed. Too little in education today involves merit, not just in Philadelphia, but across the nation. With this said, the Philadelphia School District should consider using the same process it did with the Penn Alexander School when it comes to the dilemma of closing 37 schools next fall: it should go to a lottery.
Dr. Hite should simply embrace the social justice mentality lock, stock, and barrel and just put every single school in the city into a hat—Masterman and Central included—and start pulling names. The first 37 schools that get drawn get shuttered, plain and simple. White neighborhoods and Black neighborhoods and schools in the Northeast as well as the Southwest would have an equal opportunity to get cleared-out and sold.
This might not be Reverend Alyn Waller’s idea of merit, but it would sure be “fair,” and fairness is right up the Philadelphia School District’s alley. | <urn:uuid:aee1871d-c8d0-436d-b1b3-f9c12a7f90f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chalkandtalk.wordpress.com/category/multiculturalism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968901 | 1,600 | 2.25 | 2 |
Goa is a small state of India but offering immense tourism opportunities to tourists. Goa with its unique charm deserves the attentions of tourists through out the entire globe. Goa is predominantly famous for its breathtaking beaches and beach tourism
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Beach, Wildlife, Heritage, Adventure Tourism, Cultural Tourism | <urn:uuid:d5f7e935-0d6c-4c46-818e-8cd0fc3605ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goatourpackages.com/tourism.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936596 | 611 | 1.59375 | 2 |
NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman's Statement on the Death of NEA National Heritage Fellow Fellow Wade Mainer
For immediate release
"On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, it is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Appalachian banjo picker, singer and 1987 NEA National Heritage Fellow Wade Mainer," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “Mainer embodied the qualities of excellence and commitment to artistic tradition that define the best of our nation's shared cultural heritage. He helped create the sound and repertoire of early bluegrass and country music that will continue to influence musicians for generations to come."
Wade Mainer was born April 21, 1907, near Weaverville, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains north of Asheville. When Mainer was about 12 years old, he went to work at a sawmill with his brother-in-law, who was also a fiddler. "He and his brother, they would go out to dances. So, when they would lay their music down, why I'd pick up the banjo and I'd start trying to play it. I must have started in clawhammer, because later on, I wanted to change my style of playing, and I went to trying to pick the music out with two fingers."
In the 1930s, Mainer moved with his family to Concord, North Carolina, to join his brother at a cotton mill. There, the brothers formed a string band. In 1934, they appeared on the Crazy Water Crystal Barn Dance, a radio program broadcast from Charlotte. The popularity of the group led to radio appearances throughout the South. One year later, the group was invited to record 14 songs for the RCA Bluebird label.
In 1936 Mainer formed his own group, called The Sons of the Mountaineers, and continued to perform on the radio and to make recordings. Between 1935 and 1941 various Mainer brother combinations recorded over 165 songs for RCA Victor, making them some of the most heavily recorded country artists of that era.
Mainer left the music business in 1953 and migrated north to Michigan, where he worked for General Motors until his retirement in 1972. During the 1970s, with the renewal of interest in old-time music, and with some persuasion from fans, Mainer began to perform in public again.
The photo above is available for press purposes. Please contact 202-682-5744 to request a high-resolution copy.
For more information about Wade Mainer, go to the NEA web site.
National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency | <urn:uuid:8e37841d-e149-41ca-af96-7b098bd6ad6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arts.endow.gov/news/news11/mainer.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974183 | 531 | 1.78125 | 2 |
A red-light district is a neighborhood where prostitution and other businesses in the sex industry flourish. The term "red-light district" was first recorded in the United States in 1894, in an article in The Sentinel, a newspaper in Milwaukee. Other mentions from the 1890s are numerous, and located all over the United States.
Some say the origin of the red light comes from the red lanterns carried by railway workers, which were left outside brothels when the workers entered, so that they could be quickly located for any needed train movement. Others speculate that the origin comes from the red paper lanterns that were hung outside brothels in ancient China to identify them as such. It was said that the lights were thought to be sensual. The color red has been associated with prostitution for millennia: in the Biblical story of Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho, aided the spies of Joshua and identified her house with a scarlet rope, which saved her household from the massacre that a successfully besieged city usually suffered. During World War I there were many brothels in Belgium and France; blue lights were used to indicate brothels for officers, red lights for other ranks.
One of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese is , literally meaning "red-line", apparently of independent origins from the English term. Japanese police drew a red line on maps to indicate the boundaries of legal red-light districts. They also have the term , meaning "blue-line", for a non-legal district. In different cultures red-light districts are identified differently, the most common being "district of prostitutes" (e.g., in Bengali - Khanki Para or Neighbourhood of Prostitutes.)
(www.geohive.com ,http://www.xist.org/cntry/netherlands.aspx) (Amsterdam as a global city: reconstructering identity, rearticulation, and resistance in the service sector. The Review of Policy Research, January 1, 2006, By Dorfler, Tobia, Marchand, Marianne H., Pirchne, Claus.) (Amsterdam tries upscale fix for red light district crime, New York Times, February 24, 2008, By Marlise Simons) (www.dictionary.com)
Should Durban have a red-light district? There are as many opinions on this issue as there are hookers, writes Greg Arde, after speaking to people on both sides of the argument.(News)
Mar 16, 2007; If only it were as easy to manage prostitution in Durban as it is to solicit the services of a sex worker in any one of the... | <urn:uuid:542e6abd-a558-4cc1-ad7f-b5da44803dc8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reference.com/browse/red-light+district | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969344 | 554 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Over 8,000 websites created by students around the world who have participated in a ThinkQuest Competition.
Compete | FAQ | Contact Us
How History Affects You
We propose to teach young children around the globe about Historical Events. The Salem Witch Trials, Civil War, and Revolutionary War are included in our website. As sixth graders ourselves, this website is very beneficial in studying for tests and it will help everyone intensely in perceiving the past. Historical Events such as these are essential to learn about. They're also remarkably interesting. So, we decided that History should be fun. We added several games and pictures into our masterpiece so that kids, all around the world, would enjoy learning about History. We hope that you will enjoy this website as much as we enjoyed making it. -How History Affects You!
19 & under
History & Government > United States > Civil War
History & Government > United States > Salem Witch Trials | <urn:uuid:d7d4f2bc-999a-458b-8006-2849c4cc9d78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thinkquest.org/pls/html/f?p=52300:100:4211223221926181::::P100_TEAM_ID:501575039 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96049 | 191 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Epping Forest, Essex.
A story about a Bedouin family staying in Epping Forest. Various shots of Bedouin children playing. We see Pathe cameras filming them and a Bedouin man talking to another man and woman. There are two chickens sat on the ground. The children are interested in the camera...
Cuts for "Photographer of the Famous" story in CP 287.
Frogmen in underwater race in Prague.
The new American envoy to Germany speaks to the cameras.
Developing photographs in laboratory + mothers and kids pose for photographic portraits.
Various poor shots of people saying goodbye to an unidentified VIP.
Curious device that produces busts of people through use of a photoelectric cell sculptor.
A group of German officials in 1928. | <urn:uuid:1b7d9072-2cb9-417d-a84a-955fb1e7d27c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britishpathe.com/video/epping-arabs/query/photographs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920464 | 162 | 1.507813 | 2 |
At this time there is admittedly limited 3D content available for the home viewer. But now that it’s clear 3D technology is here to stay, more content is available all the time, and as demand continues to grow, so will offerings.
Hollywood has embraced 3D with a growing number of new 3D films, and additional content is available on Blu-ray Disc. Certain cable and satellite providers have begun to offer dedicated 3D channels and on-demand options, and live 3D broadcasts of sporting events have become more common.
In addition, some 3D TVs have the capability of “upconverting” any 2D content to 3D – including old movies, favorite TV show broadcasts, and even home videos and family photos. This upconverted content is known as Virtual 3D.
With Virtual 3D, material appears as if the objects on screen – which already had length and width – now have depth. And that depth will appear to go inside or be behind the TV screen. Virtual 3D content includes:
Native 3D refers to anything originally formatted in 3D. This material has added depth in two directions, so customers will see objects both behind and in front of the screen. Native 3D content includes: | <urn:uuid:23eb2c5e-7aec-4699-9cdc-8fc5f719105e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cyberscholar.com/?training_module/index/23743/5.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951349 | 256 | 1.75 | 2 |
Livery Companies are an important part of the tradition of the City of London and our Company can trace it roots back over hundreds of years.
In 1654, the Parliament which was the first of Cromwell’s Protectorate passed one of its first Acts which provided legislation setting up The Fellowship of Master Hackney Coachmen. This was under the authority of the Court of Aldermen, on similar lines to other trades in the City of London such as the Watermen and Billingsgate Porters. Though the Act was only to remain in force for three years, it was the forerunner of every future Act of Parliament concerning hackney carriages, including coaches, horse drawn cabs and taxis until the present day. The Court of Aldermen’s writ was within the ‘Late Lines of Communication’. This was a reference to a chain of defences erected around London during the Civil War in 1642, from Vauxhall to where the Elephant & Castle is today and from there via Aldgate to Oxford Street, Marble Arch site and back to the river on the north bank of the Thames. At that time, the number of coachmen were restricted to two hundred and the Act named the first thirteen overseers, who were entrusted the task of choosing the remainder.
CONTROL ENTRUSTED TO THE COURT OF ALDERMAN
Each man admitted to the Fellowship was required to pay £2 toward the costs of running the Fellowship. The Court of Aldermen in the City of London to whom the overall control was entrusted, were empowered to make additional byelaws concerning the number of coaches, where they were to stand and what the rate of fares were to be and the penalties for any disobedience according to Cromwell’s Ordinance. Provision was made for coachmen who refused to be hired, or pretended to be hired when they were not, who misbehaved by “uncivil carriage or used reproachful words.” The Overseers had authority to try a coachman for the first two offences but for a third offence he had to appear before the Court of Aldermen who were empowered to withdraw a man’s licence if he was found guilty of a serious offence. So the Fellowship continued - but not without its problems. The Overseers were accused of allowing Cavaliers to obtain licences to the detriment of men who had served in Cromwell’s ‘Model Army’ during the Civil War.
Letters Patent confirming the status as a Livery Company | <urn:uuid:711271a1-5247-432e-ad3e-986ab516726c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hackneycarriagedriverscompany.com/da/93536 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983758 | 512 | 2.609375 | 3 |
In Forollhogna you find only one marked trail thru the national park - The Pilgrim Trail. Otherwise the nature and living area for wild reindeer is protected from wildlife infrastructure like walking trails, cafe's etc.
Just outside the border of the park you find many valleys with mountain farms and villages. In these areas there is many marked trails, but with various quality. Also you find places for car-parking and resting tables.
The most of the mountain roads are private property open for public traffic, and road tax are to be payed when entering these roads. Normal road fee is 50,- NOK.
Seek further information locally when visiting.
Companies that offer hiking products:
Vingelen Fjellførerlag (mountain guides)
Read more about Vingelen Fjellførerlag Vingelen Fjellførerlag homepage (in Norwegian)
About hiking in Forollhogna:
The Pilgrim Trail
The Pilgrim Trail thru Forollhogna is one of the few marked hiking trails in the Nationa Park. If you walk the trail from Tynset to Singsås you will have a great adventure thru the landscape with its culture and nature.
The trail offers easy terrain thru pain- and birch forrest. When the trail is passing the park between Dalsbygda and Storbudalen you will pass the Forollhogna peak (1332 m ASL) and the highlands around it. Here you have low-alpine landscape with fantastic viewpoints.
The trail is a part of the Østerdalsleden (Eastern-valley-trail) from Trysil by Tynset to Nidaros in Trondheim.
Places along the trail:
Lutnes - Plassen - Nybergsund - Trysil Innbygda - Jordet - Munkbetsetra - Åkrestrømmen - Øvre Rendalen - Fonnås - Tylldalen - Tynset - Vingelen - Dalsbygda - Forollsjøen - Storbudal - Singsås - Samsjøen - Kjørkflå - Øyvindtjønna - Tiller - Nidaros
Hiking in Forollhogna often associated with gently sloping mountains and open plains. Traffic in the mountains requires that you are dressed for the circumstances and that you are equipped for survival in the wilderness.
If you have an accident or need assistance, help is always fare away and you must account hours before help arrives.
During the summer, it will often be nice weather and good temperatures. Still, the wind can be surprising and you can experience snow flurries in every month during the year. The wind is the most dangerous factor, as it increases the possibility of frostbite. Especially if there are strong winds combined with rain, sleet or snow.
In the winter you must be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions, with occasionally strong winds, snow and fog. If strong winds and dry snow, you might find that you get zero visibility. Remember map, compass and possibly GPS. There is also a lot of snow during the winter in Forollhogna. Ski equipment and snowshoes must be designed for this. If you are "gone up stuck" in areas with heavy snow, it is wise to seek out the heights, where snow is more packed or less. Note also conditions when snow is packed and snowedges. The wind can pack the snow and create edges of several meters in height. Falling down these edges is dangerous.
Avalanche Risk - Forollhogna is not known for large avalanches, but the heavy snow conditions makes the smallest slope a risk of avalanches. Take this into consideration and adjust the trip off cliffs and slopes. Are you going for top tours or skiing downhill steep mountains - always bring with you avalanche search equipment and snowspade. | <urn:uuid:f8b413ec-afac-489a-8f68-7266a010f817> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://midtnorsknatur.no/en/Forollhogna/Turist/UtendoersAktiviteter/Vandring.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916822 | 843 | 1.679688 | 2 |
|Luna Lovegood's first wand|
1992 or earlier
The first wand of Luna Lovegood is of unknown length and wood and core material. Luna presumably obtained it in 1992, when she was eleven years old, likely from Ollivanders Wand Shop, and used it until halfway through her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.She often placed it behind her left ear for safekeeping.The wand was confiscated when Luna was abducted by Death Eaters in 1997 in order to force her father to cooperate with the Voldemort-controlled Ministry of Magic. Luna spent months in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor with fellow prisoner Garrick Ollivander, the famed wand-maker, to whom she was a great comfort. After they were rescued by Dobby during the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor, Ollivander constructed a new wand for Luna, with which she practiced while staying at Shell Cottage before the Battle of Hogwarts. It is unknown if she was ever reunited with her first wand.
Behind the scenesEdit
- In the film adaptations, Luna's wand has acorn patterns etched across the length of the wood. This theme resembles Hermione Granger's wand, which also has plant-like designs.
- Judging from the acorn patterns on the wand, it is possible that the wand is made from oak.
- This wand, like Hermione Granger's wand, is one of the few wands in the film adaptations that does not have an obvious handle.
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only) | <urn:uuid:6c82a7f3-e0e5-4db6-81cc-dc3b921859ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Luna_Lovegood's_first_wand | 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 | 0.94949 | 395 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Through the study of language and literature we analyze the world, the human condition, and our own experience.
In this era when technical abilities can quickly become obsolete, the study of literature and language teaches the expressive and analytical skills necessary for a wide range of career opportunities, not only in teaching but also in publishing, editing, technical writing, the legal professions, and the business world. As faculty in the Department of English, we teach students to read critically, acquaint them with a diverse range of texts and contexts, instruct them to write with analytical skill and rhetorical proficiency, and increase their engagement with the ways language and literature reflect and explore human knowledge and values. We also seek to support the University’s mission by engaging students in the development of our individual and collective intellect, imagination, and sense of social justice.
English Department courses fulfill the requirements of the core curricula of the University and College of Arts and Sciences and constitute a Bachelor of Arts degree in English; they provide majors in other disciplines with further experience in and appreciation for literature and writing; they offer majors and minors in English; they promote engagement with the literary heritage of Western and non-Western traditions; and they develop students’ mastery of the conventions and nuances of written prose.
All undergraduate degree programs in the University require six (6) semester hours in English: ENGL 101 and ENGL 102-ENGL 106 (ENGL 103H for Honors Program members). Students in the College of Arts and Sciences must also take a 200-level literature course.
English majors may not use lower division courses to fulfill any part of the twenty-seven upper division credits required. Before graduation all English majors must register for and pass ENGL 499 (English Comprehensive examination for general English majors; Senior Project for Writing Track majors).
Because we believe that effective writing is essential for professional, personal, and intellectual development, the English Department offers a Writing Track and directs the operation of a Writing Center open to the Gonzaga community.
This department is not physically accessible. However, staff/faculty will arrange to meet with any individual needing assistance in an accessible location. Please call Linda McDonald, 313-6672. | <urn:uuid:c7ffc587-8d17-414d-8649-b5d3f72ddfe4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gonzaga.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/College-of-Arts-and-Sciences/Majors-Programs/English/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920079 | 439 | 1.789063 | 2 |
At 51, New York Times reporter Patricia Cohen has hit the ubiquitous halfway point for age. But instead of getting older quietly, Cohen decided to write a biography of middle age in her first book, In Our Prime: The Invention of Middle Age (Scribner). She starts at the beginning, roughly a century ago, when middle age first made an appearance; before that time, you were considered a child, an adult or elderly. In 245 richly chronicled pages, Cohen delves into the social, historical and emotional aspects of the term “middle age.”
Our Town: What made you decide to write the book?
Patricia Cohen: Partly, it was reaching middle age myself—and I have always been interested in history. Since family structures and social traditions have eased so much in our age, I wanted to compare them to previous ones.
It’s amazing how deep you go. How did you find your historical starting point?
There have been historic studies of childhood and teenagers; adolescence was invented in the same period as middle age. Part of what I did was look back at how those writers went about doing their histories and I used evidence they were using as a sort of guide. Middle age is relatively recent invention, only going back a couple hundred years.
What surprised you the most in your research?
I think that even though it seems like a law of nature that has always been there, middle age is such a new idea. Most people think that middle age goes back before the 19th century. I think people find it surprising that it’s a relatively modern complex that started to take form in the industrial era.
Many people hit their prime in their forties and fifties. Do you feel this is true in your case?
I have one son and I had him when I was 40 years old. It’s kind of hard to feel middle-aged when you are changing diapers and looking into preschools. [On a professional level] this is my first book, so I guess that goes along with the idea that you can discover things and do things in middle age, though I feel like I am a late bloomer with that as well.
I like that you said middle age is becoming more of a starting point than a middle point. Do you think this idea will ever be the popular opinion?
I don’t know. It’s hard to imagine to some degree, given our obsession with youth, but as life spans increase and social opinions change, it’s possible people will view middle age differently. America is the most youth-obsessed culture in the world, which is the greatest handicap that we associate with middle age. Social changes don’t happen over night. There has been some progress made, as I talk about in the book.
How would you suggest one fight the Midlife Industrial Complex, as you describe it?
That’s really tough. I think that part of what I was looking at was the difficulty of balancing the positive side of self-help with the burden of trying to improve yourself so much that it becomes oppressive. I wanted to remind people that middle age is a story that we tell about ourselves and to remember it’s not a fixed law of nature but more of a cultural fiction. Because it’s a story we tell about ourselves, it’s a story we have the ability to change.
Trackback from your site. | <urn:uuid:1fd00589-dd63-467a-af2e-d10b54099684> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nypress.com/history-middle-age/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980225 | 712 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Perry Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 is located in Perry, Ohio approximately 35 miles northeast of Cleveland, Ohio. The General Electric BWR is operated by First Energy Nuclear Operating Co. The plant is owned by Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (44.9%), Ohio Edison Co. (30.0%), Toledo Edison Co. (19.9%) and Pennsylvania Power Co. (5.2%) — all of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of First Energy Corp. The unit is licensed to operated until March 18, 2026. The second unit at the plant (including its own cooling tower) can be seen in the photo; however, construction of the unit was suspended in 1985 after all major structures and buildings were finished, and the unit was cancelled in 1994.
The ISFSI for Perry is expected to be operable in 2012. The ISFSI is located between the unfinished Unit 2 reactor building and its cooling tower. The concrete storage pad is 347 feet long and 75 feet wide, and capable of holding 80 dry storage casks. First Energy plans to use the Holtec Hi-Storm cask system and the MPC-68 storage canister. The above photo only shows the concrete storage pad. | <urn:uuid:64bc7c5b-cc60-4f4c-84a4-73705ad94d40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.storenuclearfuel.com/current-sites/perry/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973443 | 243 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Text messaging leads people to be more deceitful when compared to other modes of communication, according to Sauder School of Business researchers at the University of British Columbia.
Their study compares the level of deceit people are prepared to use in a variety of media, from text messages to face-to-face interactions.
“People are communicating using a growing range of methods, from Twitter to Skype,” says Sauder Assoc. Prof. Ronald Cenfetelli, a co-author on the paper. “As new platforms of communication come online, it’s important to know the risks that may be involved.”
“Our results confirm that the more anonymous the technology allows a person to be in a communications exchange, the more likely they are to become morally lax,” says Sauder Prof. Karl Aquino, also one of the co-authors.
The study involved 170 students performing mock stock transactions in one of four ways: face-to-face, or by video, audio or text chatting. Researchers promised cash awards of up to $50 to increase participants’ involvement in the role play. “Brokers” were promised increased cash rewards for more stock sales, while “buyers” were told their cash reward would depend on the yet-to-be-determined value of the stock.
The brokers were given inside knowledge that the stock was rigged to lose half of its value. Buyers were only informed of this fact after the mock sales transaction and were asked to report whether the brokers had employed deceit to sell their stock.
The authors then analyzed which forms of communication led to more deception. They found that buyers who received information via text messages were 95 per cent more likely to report deception than if they had interacted via video, 31 per cent more likely to report deception when compared to face-to-face, and 18 per cent more likely if the interaction was via audio chat.
Their results suggest that communicating by video heightened the brokers’ awareness of being scrutinized, which suppressed their impulse to use dishonest sales tactics – the so-called “spotlight” effect.
“With this in mind, people shopping online using websites like eBay should consider asking sellers to talk over Skype to ensure they are getting information in the most trustworthy way possible,” says Cenfetelli, who studies human-computer interaction in Sauder’s Management Information Systems division.
The study also reveals that people deceived by “leaner” media, such as text messages are more angered than those misled by “richer” media, such as video chat.
The lesson for business, says Cenfetelli, is that video conferencing or in-person interactions may be preferable to text-based communication if the company is concerned about how customers may react to the given information.
The study, led by Asst. Prof. David Jingjun Xu of Wichita State University, will appear in the March edition of the Journal of Business Ethics. | <urn:uuid:d2e8aaae-4cfc-4c15-8beb-161b64520433> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2011/12/20/people-more-likely-to-lie-when-texting-ubc-research/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96341 | 619 | 2.703125 | 3 |
The Chaucer Review: An Indexed Bibliography (Vols. 1-30)Return to the Subject List
Reiss, Edmund. "Dusting off the Cobwebs: A Look at Chaucer's Lyrics." 1 (1966): 55-65.
Although many critics see poems such as "A B C" and "To Rosemounde" as less interesting, further study shows them to be worth considering. Viewing "A B C" as 23 separate poems gives the reader a glimpse of the dramatic relationship between the narrator and the Virgin Mary based primarily on Mary's calmness and the narrator's frantic activity. The sounds of the lines further emphasize this contrast. "To Rosemounde" depicts yet another Chaucer. The lover (narrator) appears in two different states as the poem progresses. First, the narrator weeps; then he celebrates. The exaggerated figurative language, however, indicates an irony. The narrator, finally, is happily away from his lady. Thus, the shorter lyrics are worth examining because they are enjoyable reading, and they provide a different view of Chaucer and his work than we usually get from examining only the Canterbury Tales or Troilus and Criseyde.
Stephens, John. "The Uses of Personae and the Art of Obliqueness in Some Chaucer Lyrics: Part III." 22 (1987): 41-52.
In "To Rosemounde" comedy derives from Chaucer's alterations of a conventional situation. The speaker does not display passion or intense desire. In Part IV of "Complaint to His Lady," the speaking persona carefully manipulates complaint conventions and rhetorical devices in order to advance his suit. Readers notice that, when they compare the two poems, "To Rosemounde" parodies "Complaint to a Lady." The comic irony used to create the speaker is sharp, but comedy is not necessary to highlight the speakers' differences. "Complaint to His Purse" is Chaucer's most overt parody of the complaint convention. Examination of the lyrics in this series of articles illustrates that none of Chaucer's personas are exactly alike. | <urn:uuid:bab3093c-e985-42da-ac14-05817bf6b312> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://library.northwestu.edu/chaucer/subject.php?id=827 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939647 | 439 | 2.1875 | 2 |
You don't need an MD or RN next to your name to make it in health care.
If you're looking to enter a career field with lots of opportunities, look to health care.
Ten of the 20 fastest growing jobs in the country are in the health care industry, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. And there are plenty of career options that don't necessarily require four years of college or medical school.
In fact, remove every last doctor and nurse from the equation and more than 10 million jobs still remain in health care, according to 2008 employment data from the Department of Labor.
Whether you're outgoing, analytical, or even a tad squeamish, we have a health care role that could suit you. Keep reading to find the right professional match, and see what it takes to get going.
Career #1 - Health Services Manager
Health services managers typically wear suits, not scrubs, and are much more likely to wield a cell phone than a surgical instrument. In this broad career track, you may find yourself in charge of a medical device sales team or you could be making financial decisions for a hospital or clinic. Whatever you do, you'll be marrying together your health care knowledge with hopefully strong business and management skills.
Education options: To begin, consider earning a bachelor's degree in an area like health care administration. Depending upon the employer, it may be necessary to earn an MBA as well, according to the Department of Labor. Many MBA programs offer specializations in health care management.
Average earnings: $93,670*
Career #2 - Medical Records & Health Information Technician
If dissecting frogs wasn't your thing in high school, you may be more comfortable in a technician (also known as medical billing and coding) role. According to the Department of Labor, this is one of the few jobs in health care that doesn't involve any hands-on care. Instead, you're likely to manage health information and assign codes to each diagnosis and procedure.
Education options: One option is a medical billing and coding associate's degree program. According to the Department of Labor, most medical records and health information technicians have an associate's degree in a health care-related area.
Average earnings: $35,010*
Career #3 - Pharmacy Technician
This is another health care career that doesn't involve needles or blood. As a pharmacy technician, you'll be preparing prescriptions, providing customer service, and performing administrative tasks like stocking shelves and working the cash register.
Education options: Look into pharmacy technician certificate or associate's degree programs. Though not always required, the U.S. Department of Labor notes that employers may prefer applicants who have formal education and certification.
Average earnings: $29,330*
Career #4 - Dental Assistant
Are you a people person? If so, you could be a real asset in a dentist's office as a dental assistant, where it would be your responsibility to make the patient comfortable in the chair prior to their exam and help prepare them for treatment. In addition to assisting the dentist, you would also be in charge of instructing patients on any general or postoperative care they might need.
Education options: More and more employers are preferring applicants who have completed a dental assisting program, according to the Department of Labor, which could include a certificate or associate's degree.
Average earnings: $34,140*
Career #5 - Medical Assistant
Medical assisting is another career that could be a nice fit for outgoing types. In this role, you'll likely be juggling administrative and clinical tasks in a doctor's office or hospital setting. This could include taking a patient's vital signs, as well as their phone calls to schedule an appointment. Whatever you do, your personality here can be a real plus.
Education options: Most medical assistants complete a one- or two-year program that results in a certificate or associate's degree in medical assisting, according to the Department of Labor.
Average earnings: $29,760*
Career # 6 - Rehabilitation Counselor
Do you like trying to figure people out? If so, you may want to pursue a career as a rehab counselor. They help evaluate the strengths and limitations of individuals who are coping with physical and emotional problems. Appropriate counseling and support would follow.
Education options: Though requirements can vary, you will likely need a bachelor's degree in an area like counseling or psychology, and possibly even a master's in psychology as well to get licensed, according to the Department of Labor.
Average earnings: $35,850*
Career #7 - Clinical Laboratory Technician
Good analytical judgment is important for clinical laboratory technicians, according to the Department of Labor, since you'll be testing for diseases. You'll be likely using a computer and automated laboratory equipment to examine cells and substances. Precise and thorough professionals could be a good match in this role since you'll also be analyzing numerical readings that can be crucial to a patient's well-being.
Education options: Most clinical laboratory technicians have an associate's degree or a certificate in an area like medical technology, according to the Department of Labor.
Average earnings: $38,190*
*All average earnings info comes from the U.S. Department of Labor using May 2010 salary data.
All time to completion statements represent the average. Time to completion will vary by school, program, student's level of commitment, and other factors.
Next Article: Most Valuable Health Care Degrees » | <urn:uuid:6db9c5d1-9f4d-4be5-a185-3956b747d496> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://education.yahoo.net/articles/health_care_career_options.htm?wid=1004&svkid=1I10T | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956424 | 1,127 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Google has long been a company known for dealing in data. Be it collecting, analysing, sorting or presenting data, it has largely maintained its position as the gateway to the world’s information. It’s mission “..to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” is a noble one, and it is continually improving its offering to deliver on this promise.
But dealing with huge amounts of data leads to a challenge – how do you deliver exactly the right data at the right time?
With billions of possibilities, how do you deliver a search result that is both easily digestible and as useful as possible? One of its recent moves to improve the experience of its search product has been a continued shift towards the semantic presentation of data in an initiative it now calls the Knowledge Graph.
The aim of the Knowledge Graph is to resolve queries without the need to navigate to other sites to assemble the information
For example, if I search for ‘How tall is Mount Everest?’, Google should tell me how tall the mountain is – answering my query, rather than providing me with a selection of links about mountains in Nepal. This makes search faster, more powerful and most importantly – more useful.
The difference is context, or knowing the intent of the search
If Google can decipher why you are searching for something, it can provide more relevant information. This is the move from providing search results to answering questions.
Whilst it’s hardly a new idea (‘Ask Jeeves’ anyone?), there has been a steady evolution towards question answering within Google’s desktop search results for many years now. And the company recently made a giant leap in that direction on mobile, perhaps more than a little bit spurred by services such as Wolfram|Alpha and Apple’s Siri.
Mobile provides Google with more clues to the context of your search than on desktop
For example by knowing additional details such as a your precise location, it has a better chance of returning an answer, rather than a search result.
Providing these search results as answers within the context of mobile has presented Google with an interesting set of design challenges. Answers need to be delivered quickly, in an easy to digest format, within the small space of a mobile phone display.
And while they have improved their search experience across mobile, neatly displaying answers at the top of search results, it’s in their Android app that I believe they’ve hit upon a great solution: a simple ‘card’ based metaphor
For a company not always known for great design, it’s a clean and elegant solution, utilising white space showing just as much detail as you need, with no visual noise or fluff getting in the way.
Upon initialising a search, a card showing the answer instantly slides in from the bottom of the screen – as if it was being slid across the table by an invisible helper. This transition feels quick and slick enough to add to the user experience rather than detract from it.
The card its self is a simple white rectangle, displayed on a neutral grey ground, with a clean typographical treatment, key details picked out and enlarged, whilst other information is communicated through the use of icons.
The emphasis is on speed and readability – it’s just the answer I was looking for, delivered in a beautifully simple manner
This simplicity also makes it a perfect design for repeat usage. There’s minimal thinking time required to process the information, as it’s delivered in a bite sized nugget each time.
You keep searching for things, and it keeps sliding you cards with the answers on
Voice search is an option, but it doesn’t rely on it (I personally feel far too self conscious voice controlling my phone), and it uses device features such as GPS to get a bit more of the context behind my search. For example if I search for ‘weather’ it gives me a card with a local weather forecast for my current location, as you might expect.
This ‘answer card’ design utilisies something I’d describe as ‘abstract skeuomorphism‘. It utilises real world metaphors, using things already familiar to us to help make it feel more intuitive, but it doesn’t seek to visually imitate the real world. For example, it doesn’t use a faux cardboard texture or use the layout of a Top Trumps card – its skeumorphism for usability, rather than for decoration. I personally find this visual restraint and minimalism pleasing, and a nice counter point to iOS, which sometimes goes a bit OTT with decorative skeuomorphism.
The metaphor of having a card with an answer on is also a psychologically strong one. It’s reminiscent of having prompt cards that you can peek down at for reassurance in a presentation, or being in a position of power asking a question in a board game or quiz.
The answer card is something we can hold close, and feel empowered by
Google appear happy with it too, using the same card design in Google Now, their new ‘predictive’ virtual intelligence service, serving up cards with traffic information, flight times and meeting reminders.
Perhaps Google are at a turning point and are starting to find their own way, design speaking. Rather than imitating their competitors, they are maturing with their own visual language and design sensibility. This is something echoed in Google Creative Lab’s activities, and the recent Nexus range of devices.
I like that it all harks back nicely to that mission statement – “..to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”, it’s great to see a unified vision across such a large company – something that would no doubt help other parts of their business. | <urn:uuid:029f6a54-4c25-4dfe-a24b-406897b7acb6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realadventure.co.uk/s/answer-cards-great-visual-analogy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941081 | 1,210 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Date of this Version
Recent changes in global climate have dramatically altered worldwide temperatures and the corresponding timing of seasonal climate conditions. Recognizing the degree to which species respond to changing climates is therefore an area of increasing conservation concern as species that are unable to respond face increased risk of extinction. Here we examine spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the rate of climate change across western North America and discuss the potential for conditions to arise that may limit the ability of western migratory birds to adapt to changing climates. Based on 52 years of climate data, we show that changes in temperature and precipitation differ significantly between spring migration habitats in the desert southwest and breeding habitats throughout western North America. Such differences may ultimately increase costs to individual birds and thereby threaten the long-term population viability of many species. | <urn:uuid:1c0e411f-de4d-4eef-aeea-2cba1ff40582> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/ncfwrustaff/41/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918656 | 153 | 2.984375 | 3 |
Our Chief Counsel's Office Tackles Fraud
September 21, 2004 — “I've got a no-risk business deal for you that will earn 20% a month,” the pitch might begin. “You loan my business $100,000, and I'll give you a Limited Edition Treasury Security from 1934 as collateral. The security is worth $500 million, so you have no risk in this deal. If the business deal falls through and we default, you cash in the collateral and make a bundle.”
Sound too good to be true? If the small voice in your head hasn't convinced you to walk away, the Chief Counsel's website can help you figure out whether a deal involving Treasury securities is a phony one. In this example, the proposed collateral is worthless because the Treasury Department has never issued "Limited Edition Securities." You can bet that any loans made under this business deal will never be profitable.
We talk about this scam in greater detail on our web site, as well as Prime Bank Trading Programs, high yield investment deals, phony securities, and sight drafts, at http://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/statreg/fraud/fraud.htm.
The Chief Counsel's fraud team also works with law enforcement agencies to help them identify and prosecute fraud involving Treasury securities and practices. We provide witnesses to prosecutors worldwide, and keep informed on current developments in the frauds area by participating in both local and international conferences and working groups.
The treasuryscams.gov website provides detailed information to help you better understand Treasury securities. The more knowledgeable you are about Treasury securities, the less likely fraudsters will be able to prosper.
Please visit http://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/statreg/fraud/fraud.htm for more information about various types of fraud involving Treasury securities and helpful tips on ways to protect yourself from financial fraud. | <urn:uuid:c1fd0bd9-9f72-4ac3-910a-85d341d6e591> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.savingsbond.gov/news/pressroom/pressroom_bpd09212004.htm | 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 | 0.933999 | 394 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Wireless Networks Thread, USB3 causes WiFi and Bluetooth interference in Technical; USB 30* Radio Frequency Interference on 24 GHz Devices
Perhaps not so bad if you've got well designed devices ...
7th February 2013, 05:39 PM #1
USB3 causes WiFi and Bluetooth interference
USB 30* Radio Frequency Interference on 24 GHz Devices
Perhaps not so bad if you've got well designed devices (i.e. with proper shielding and separation between the aerials and the connectors)... but almost certainly a nightmare if you've got users bringing cheap and nasty no-name tat.
Also bad enough for Apple to admit there might be an issue: Bluetooth: Unreliable wireless performance may occur when USB 3.0 external devices are close
IDG Tech News
9th February 2013, 04:33 PM #2
- Rep Power
Bluetooth Frequency Hopping - Interference
Bluetooth Frequency Hopping:
A Bluetooth access point operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band between 2.4 to 2.485GHz and taking advantage of this spread spectrum by a using a technique called adaptive frequency hopping.
As electronic devices are discovered operating within the vicinity of a Bluetooth access point, the adaptive technology switches or hops to an available unused frequency within the spectrum avoiding interference.
Frequency hopping is how Bluetooth works to maintain greater throughput as less packet resends are needed, and provides electronic interference protection for all Bluetooth devices operating in the piconet.
However, there are some who believe as I do that this "frequency hopping" behaviour stamps on other WiFi devices that are communicating in its proximity.
Last edited by Abacus; 9th February 2013 at 04:36 PM.
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Prayer is a vital aspect of Friendship Ablaze! Prayer is at the heart of our actions as we reach out to the unchurched and those who do not know love and hope in Jesus Christ. In order to touch others with the Gospel message, we must be in touch with the Lord and Savior who gives us our hope in everything we do and say. Our witness to others is His witness.
This Prayer Plan is designed as preparation for the Friendship Ablaze! celebration, to help individuals, congregations and schools focus on the “critical event,” one Christian giving witness to another so that person may encounter Christ.
The Prayer Plan moves from our earliest prayer memories, to personal prayer, to prayer with others, to participation in a Prayer Vigil event – all reminding us of the vital importance of our prayer life in Christ. This plan can be used by various groups in various ways: by leaders for their personal preparation, by Bible study groups, by teams of volunteers, or given to the whole congregation for use in personal devotions.
Here are some common prayer memories. How do they compare with your prayer memories?
Memory #1: Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
A simple bedtime prayer for children--with a profound message. Cross-stitched, embroidered, and painted renditions of this prayer can be found in children’s novelty corners of major department stores and on the walls of children’s bedrooms. When we teach our children this prayer, one that we may have recited in years past, do we also teach its meaning? This prayer is a reflection of faith and trust in the promise of eternal life, a witness to belief in Jesus as Savior.
Memory #2: God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.
The simplest of children’s table prayers, possibly the first one learned and repeated. This prayer can be easily translated into any language and can be spoken anywhere, anytime. With this prayer we acknowledge, praise and thank God for providing us with life-sustaining food. When prayed at a public restaurant or a gathering of friends or family, this prayer, too, is a faith witness.
Memory #3: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer, the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, is the model for all prayer. Learned in Sunday School, religious education, Bible class or worship, it is a universal Christian prayer. Like many songs and hymns, this familiar prayer unites people with its messages of love, gratitude, forgiveness and hope.
Memory #4: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
This Serenity Prayer usually enters one’s life during difficult and challenging times. It reminds us “Who’s in charge” and encourages us to be calm and listen to God’s wisdom before making life-changing decisions. When prayed in private, it is of great comfort. When prayed in a group, it is also a witness.
All four of these prayers are ones that we may have memorized over the years. We can recall them quickly when the appropriate moment occurs. From childhood prayer and prayer triggered by crisis, prayers Ablaze! can emerge.
Growth in Personal Prayer
While we may find it easy to repeat remembered prayers, praying in one’s own words can be difficult. How to pray? When to pray? What to pray?
Prayer is a conversation with God. God listens to prayers of every type, length, and language, silent or spoken, anytime or place, simple or complicated. Do we pray as Jesus suggests in Matthew 6: 6? “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” We thank our God and praise Him for all He has done and will continue to do for and through us. We talk to Him as our best friend – with joy, sincerity and candor.
Thousands of prayers—on the spot, unpracticed, silent and aloud--were uttered in the town of Sycamore, Illinois, on February 9, 2004, as St. John’s Lutheran Church burned. Although the building was destroyed, a community – churched and unchurched – was “ablaze” with the spirit of compassion. An overwhelming outpouring of support followed the devastating fire. The immediate spirit of hope exhibited by the pastors and people of St. John’s—“ablaze” with a living faith, alive in the spirit, trusting in God for the future--was also a witness to the community.
Think of times when you have prayed. Where were you? Why were you praying? How did you pray? Have you ever known and recognized an answer to your prayers?
Where were you on September 11, 2001? You probably remember exactly what you were doing when you heard about the tragedies in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC that day. What were your thoughts at that time? What were your prayers? Were they personal? Did they include people you knew who might be involved? Did you call friends and family? Did you mourn and pray with others – in worship, at home, in a public place? Did you take part in any prayer gatherings?
We can all recall events in our own lives, in the lives of our friends and family, and events in our communities, our nation or the world that have “brought us to our knees” in prayer. List some of these events:
Events in my life:
Events in the lives of my friends and family:
Events in my community:
In my nation:
In the world:
Think about these events and create appropriate prayers for one or more of them. You can start by filling in the blanks below and reading your completed prayers aloud. This exercise will help you create your own personal prayers, expressed in any way comfortable to you.
Thank You for all You have done in _____________ (my life, the lives of my friends/family, my community, my nation, the world). Your love and care are always unconditional. Please forgive me for anything I have done or said that offended You or anyone else. I humbly ask You to please help _______________ (me, someone else, my community, the nation, the world) to know Your will and wisdom in dealing with __________________ (describe need). Help me to say and do what is right in Your eyes, and to help others to know Your love, Your forgiveness, and Your power to save us when we are lost. Help me to be Ablaze! for You. I offer this prayer in Your name. Amen.
Here are other ways of exercising personal prayer:
□ Silent prayer
□ Prayer journaling (see sample page)
□ Prayer during meditation over scripture
□ Prayer during daily devotions
□ Keep a prayer list
□ Visiting on-line devotions/prayers
Growth in Prayer with Others
We pray with others at various times and in various ways:
• Worship (liturgical prayers and prayers for specific people and/or circumstances)
• Meetings (prayers at beginning and end of church/school meetings)
• Activities (at church and school, including sports)
• Bible Studies (including the Friendship Ablaze! Bible studies)
• Family devotions
• Meals (at home, restaurants, churches…)
• Bedtimes (not just children!)
• Telephone conversations
• Hospital rooms
• Prayer Partners
• Prayer Chains
• Prayer Warriors
• Prayer Breakfasts/Lunches
• National Day of Prayer (first Thursday in May)
• Prayer Vigils
• Others (Can you think of more examples?)
We are “invited” to pray in many ways. While standing by the kitchen sink, preparing a meal, or driving the car, we may think about a circumstance or person and speak to God. We may call someone on the phone and pray with them. Have you prayed with or for someone who did not know Jesus as their Savior--a friend, a relative, a co-worker? When an opportunity to share your faith witness happens, do you ask God to help you find the right words for that person and situation?
One way to combine personal prayer and prayer with others is a Prayer Vigil. Prayer Vigils can be held in a sanctuary, a public meeting place, outdoors, or in a variety of other locations. The occasion for a vigil might be a holiday, special circumstance (like 9-11), celebration, fund-raising campaign or other event. A Prayer Vigil plan is included as preparation for the Friendship Ablaze! celebration.
Also in this section:
Prayer Journal Page
Vigil Prayer Request Card
Prayer Vigil Folder
For printer-friendly version, see "Prayer" in the Downloads library. | <urn:uuid:9ff507f5-16aa-4b1b-a401-b067a54e29a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.friendshipablaze.com/fa/4-1-PrayerPlan.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948531 | 2,004 | 1.648438 | 2 |
CARMEL MOUNTAIN RANCH
When a hereditary disorder eventually stole Mark Carlson’s eyesight, he says he spent the first seven years of blindness “in Denial River without a paddle.”
Friends and family encouraged Carlson to take formal classes to learn to use a cane and read Braille, and in 2002, he decided he was ready for a guide dog. Life after Musket, a yellow Labrador with “charisma and good looks,” would never be the same.
“I lost my eyesight and was given Musket, and as far as I’m concerned, it was a good bargain,” said Carlson, 51, a writer who lives in Carmel Mountain Ranch with his wife of 17 years. “He eliminated a big barrier to my independence because I wasn’t about to slow down. So many good things have happened.”
Musket helps Carlson work as a docent at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, where they have met four of the men who walked on the moon. Musket even has his own docent ID badge.
Musket and Carlson just celebrated their 10th year as a team and are busy promoting “Confessions of a Guide Dog: The Blonde Leading the Blind.” Carlson’s humorous memoir, self-published last fall, includes input from Musket, with frequent “quotes” and passages “written” by his constant companion.
“This is a story that needed to be told,” Carlson said. “Having a guide dog is an experience the general public doesn’t really know much about.”
About 10,000 people use guide dogs in the United States and Canada, according to San Rafael-based Guide Dogs for the Blind, where Musket and Carlson trained.
The book is educational, explaining a guide dog’s job, and humorous and heartwarming, sharing Carlson’s experiences with the companion he calls “furry Prozac without the side effects.”
Carlson, an aviation and history buff, now has a busy freelance writing career and relies on high-tech tools such as voice-activated computers and digital magnifiers. But low-tech Musket is every bit as valuable.
Musket, who turns 12 in August, will retire this year but stay with the Carlsons as their pet. Carlson will get a new guide dog. | <urn:uuid:9371c0f8-5741-4f47-aa1e-8113a577281e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/apr/28/tp-four-legged-freedom/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964665 | 509 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Astrobiology is necessarily still a largely speculative field, which could make it difficult to write a book on the topic. That didn't phase journalist and performer Jacob Berkowitz, who has a passion for science that has started from a disadvantaged position. In his book The Stardust Revolution: The New Story of Our Origin in the Stars, Berkowitz chronicles the histories of astronomy, chemistry, and evolutionary biology that have come together to demonstrate that we humans are, as Carl Sagan famously said, "made of star stuff". From there, Berkowitz goes on to speculate about how what we know about our own origins may inform what we can determine about life elsewhere in our universe.
Join us this Sunday to talk with Berkowitz about our celestial past and possible future.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org during the live show. | <urn:uuid:f8576c18-a3a9-47bd-a4bc-c0ced683f662> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mnatheists.org/news-and-media/podcast/831-jacob-berkowitz | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947577 | 302 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Every day we're on the lookout for ways to make your work easier and your life better, but Lifehacker readers are smart, insightful folks with all kinds of expertise to share, and we want to give everyone regular access to that exceptional hive mind. Help Yourself is a daily thread where readers can ask and answer questions about tech, productivity, life hacks, and whatever else you need help with.
Regularly backing up your computer is crucial to keeping your data safe. In a moment's notice, your computer's hard drive can go from living to dead, and the important data you have accrued over the life of the hard drive will likely be lost forever. In the past, we've told you about one of our favorite backup methods, and have provided you with a few choices for backing up via the cloud, but we realize everyone has their own personal techniques and services for backing up important files.
So how do you backup your all-important data? Do you use an external hard drive, a cloud storage service such as Dropbox, or do you use a combination of offline and cloud storage to get the job done? Ask and answer questions about your favorite backup methods in the comments. | <urn:uuid:2da9531e-af8f-4a10-8fd6-8e164a4daad5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifehacker.com/5877594/ask-and-answer-questions-about-your-favorite-backup-methods | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942734 | 239 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Play the Election Support
Play the Election is a collaborative, online game that helps students learn about the election process through a series of in-depth games and competition.
Teachers are administrators for the students in their class andhave access to Lesson Plans and related teacher materials.
Each student receives his/her own login as part of a class where they can predict the election winners for each state on an interactive election map, and then compare their predictions to their class and the country to see where they rank.
The program also includes eleven digital mini-games that delve deeper into influential and battleground states, like California and Texas, and Ohio and Florida. Play the Election includes thirteen lesson plans that support core concepts to grades 7-12, crafted by teachers specializing in government and civics.
Play the Election is completely free (and will remain that way) for all teachers and students!
Rand McNally Education is providing this as a free service because we believe in the importance of educating students on the electoral process.
Teacher User Guide
This guide explains the features of the Teacher Admin Tool.
- Once you login to the Teacher Admin Page, you will be asked to enter the initial settings for your class. (You may change any of this information later in the Teacher Admin Tool by clicking “Teacher Admin” -> “Portal Settings”
- Location Information – Enter the location of your school and name your class. This will help your students find your class when they register for their individual student accounts. If your county is not listed, please Contact Us.
- Display Branding – Enter the name of your class or your school to have it show on the site whenever your or your students log in to Play the Election.
- Comments – Some of our lesson plans encourage students to submit their predictions and opinions on the site through the ability to post comments. Students in your class can then see and respond to each other’s comments. If you’d like to enable this feature for your class, you can click “Enable Comments” here.
- My User Information – As a teacher, your login will enable you to log into in the Teacher Admin Page and the Play the Election Site. “My User Information” sets your name in the system and the Display name that will be shown for your user account on the Play the Election site.
- Once you have entered all your school settings, it’s time to setup your student accounts! You can have your students register individually on the Student Registration Page or you can set them up on your own through the Teacher Admin Panel. Students must be 13 years of age or older to log into Play the Election.
- Once your students have registered, you’re ready to get started to teach with Play the Election!
To access the Lesson Plans, Common Core and Standards Documents and other resources for Teachers, login to the Teacher Admin Tool and click “Teacher Resources”.
If you’d like to give additional teachers or teacher aids access to your class account to review lesson plans, manage students or moderate comments, you can do this by logging into the Teacher Admin Tool and clicking “Teacher Admin” - “Teacher Management” - “Create New Teacher User”
If you enabled Comments in your class account, you might want to keep an eye on what your students are posting. You can do this in the Teacher Admin Tool by clicking "Teacher Admin" - "Comment Management"
Student User Guide
This guide explains the features of the Play the Election Site.
- The first step to registering as a Student is to make sure your Teacher has setup an account on the Teacher Registration Page.
- Once your teacher has created your class, you can signup for your own account on the Student Registration Page.
- Enter all the personal information on the form, find your class under “School Information” and click “Submit”.
Once you submit, your account will be sent to your teacher for approval. Once the teacher approves the account, you will be able to use Play the Election!
The Electoral Map provides a variety of election related information.
- Current Polls – See current polling data for all 50 states. Click the individual state for a breakdown. Data is updated on a daily basis.
- Past Election Results – View electoral college and popular vote data for each presidential election between 1960 and today.
- Census Data – Click on an individual state to see interesting statistics for that state from the latest census.
- Election News – Current news articles related to the Election are updated on a daily basis.
Play the Election enables students to make their electoral predictions for each state and to compare their selections vs. their class and students across the country.
To enter your selections for each state:
- Login to Play the Election
- Go to the Electoral Map and click “You Decide”
- You will see a popup on how to initially populate your selections. You can use these options to see different selection groups and how they affect the Electoral Map.
- Load My Map – Displays your saved map selections (requires login).
- Current Polls – Loads the map based on current polling data. This will show how the election results would go if the candidate with top polling numbers in each state were to win the electoral votes for that state.
- Clean Slate – No selections will be automatically filled in. This is a good option to use if you’d like to start over and enter brand new selections.
- All Users – This loads the map based on the most popular selections for each state from all students registered for Play the Election.
- My Class – This loads the map based on the most popular selections for each state from all the students in your class (requires login).
- To change your selection and learn more about a particular state, click that state on the map and make your selection in the right panel.
Many sections of Play the Election include links for “My Class” and “All Users”.
- My Class – See your data as compared to all other Students in your class.
- All Users – See your data as compared to all Students across the country who are registered for Play the Election.
- On the Electoral Map, click “Play Games”
- OR… click “Game Central” in the navigation and select a game from the list
Please note: You can demo the open games without a login, but you must be logged in to to save your game results.
There are three states any game can exist in at one time.
- The “Open” state is any game that is still available to play.
- The “Locked” state occurs between the “Open” and “Closed” state. “Locked” means the game is closed for voting because the game is being updated or changed.
- The “Closed” state happens once the real-world event that the game is based on has taken place (ie. The Presidential Election). Once a game is “Closed”, the results are tallied and Students receive scores based on their predictions.
Very simply, playing games, voting, and commenting all give you points towards your “Level” regardless of whether you are right, wrong, independent, or popular. A high “Level” shows that you are a very active participant. This participation also gets factored into your “Rank” within the community.
The rank is the overall rating of your performance and is affected by your prediction accuracy, and participation in the games. It is calculated by this formula:
Rank = (100 x "Correct Predictions") + (10 x "Number of Opinions") + (10 x "Number of Predictions") + (1 x "Number of Comments")
Your prediction vote is scored against reality. When one or more of the actions presented in the game happens in the real world, the game will be closed. Your prediction will be scored as either Correct or Incorrect.
In some cases, events in the real world will unfold in ways the creator of the game couldn’t anticipate. In this case your score will not be affected for that particular role or game.
The Leaderboard lists the best predictors in your class or across all of Play the Election. It is calculated around the principle of Standard Deviation. The fundamental idea is to treat predictions as a dice roll. Anyone that moves beyond pure chance (for example, beyond having 1 out of 4, or 25% correct, if there are 4 potential actions) gets a higher value. The more “dice rolls” you have (ie. predictions you made) the more difficult it becomes to have correct predictions. Having 1 out of 1 is much easier than having 10 out of 10, and is rewarded accordingly.
The Game Stats Page is a place where you can view the ongoing votes for each game. You can see the current opinion and prediction votes for each role, in real time.
- Log-in to Play the Election
- Click “My Profile” in the main navigation
- Click “Edit Profile” on your profile page to set your user’s image and edit additional profiles information.
For additional questions, technical issues, general feedback, or would like to discuss licensing or partnership opportunities, please Contact Customer Support. | <urn:uuid:a8f557b9-5330-450f-a1ce-026e55709f3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://education.randmcnally.com/support/play-the-election-support/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929545 | 1,960 | 2.296875 | 2 |
[Jess Rhodes, 21, a student from Norwich in the UK] was concerned about the reaction, but after eight days of wearing the headscarf she has actually been surprised by how positive it has been.So let's assume you are a woman with no religious basis whatsoever for wearing a headscarf, but you wear one because of World Hijab Day, and you find yourself receiving more respect and more deference from strangers. Rhodes says she got more help in shops, but when she talks about wearing it in the future, she doesn't refer to an interest in getting better treatment from others, but in expressing something about excluding them from her beauty. Of course, there are all sorts of clothing items that can be worn to exclude others from your beauty. Why — if expression is key —adopt an item of clothing that is read as an expression of belief in a religion that isn't yours?
"I can't explain it really but people have been really very helpful, especially in shops," she says.... I will wear it from time to time... I'm saying to the world, my beauty is for my family and my partner. Any woman can wear this."
February 1, 2013 | <urn:uuid:816feb87-bea0-4fa5-a438-5ac8e7b9887d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://althouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/world-hijab-day-calls-on-non-muslim.html?showComment=1359763681270 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988165 | 243 | 1.960938 | 2 |
3. For which poker hand is there 13xC(4,2)x12xC(4,2)x44/2! possibilities?
If we consult the table of poker hands, we see that it is the number of 2 pairs. we can tell this by the fact that the two factors of C(4,2) indicate that there will be two pairs. The 13 is the number of ranks for the first pair, the 12 is the number of ranks for the second pair, the 44 is the number of cards left in the deck after getting the two pairs together which will not fill in a full house, and the 2! is there because the 2 pairs are 2 indistinguishable elements in the hand. | <urn:uuid:7daa5ce8-407b-43ba-93e4-20bf5c5da311> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sonoma.edu/users/w/wilsonst/Courses/Math_131/MT2/SMT2p3.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926543 | 147 | 2.40625 | 2 |
NEW YORK — When David H. Petraeus resigned as CIA director because of adultery, he was widely understood to be acknowledging a misdeed but not a crime. Yet in his state of residence, Virginia, as in 22 others including Massachusetts, adultery remains a criminal act, a vestige of the way US law has anchored legitimate sexual activity within marriage.
In most of those states, including New York, adultery is a misdemeanor. But in others — Massachusetts, Idaho, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin — it is a felony, though rarely prosecuted. In the armed forces, it can be punished severely, although usually in combination with greater wrongdoing.
In nearly all the rest of the industrialized world, adultery is not covered by criminal code.
Like other US state laws related to sex — sodomy, fornication, rape — adultery laws date to the Old Testament, onetime capital offenses stemming at least partly from a concern about male property. Peter Nicolas of the University of Washington Law School said the term stemmed from the notion of ‘‘adulterating’’ or polluting the bloodline of a family when a married woman had sex with someone other than her husband and ran the risk of having another man’s child.
Linda C. McClain, who teaches family law at Boston University, likes to give her students two decisions from New Jersey courts, the first from 1838 and the second from 1992, to demonstrate how things have changed.
In the 1838 decision, the court said that the harm of adultery lay not in ‘‘the alienation of the wife’s affections, and loss of comfort in her company,’’ but in ‘‘its tendency to adulterate the issue of an innocent husband, and to turn the inheritance away from his own blood, to that of a stranger.’’
In the 1992 civil case, the court said that ‘‘adultery exists when one spouse rejects the other by entering into a personal intimate sexual relationship with any other person.’’
Most states have purged their codes of laws regulating cohabitation, homosexual sodomy, and fornication — sex between unmarried adults — especially after the 2003 Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas that made sexual activity by consenting adults in private legal across the country. But the question of how that ruling affects adultery remains unanswered because others may be harmed by adultery — a spouse and children. Several courts have alluded to the constitutionality of adultery laws since the Lawrence decision.
But Melissa Murray, a University of California Berkeley law professor, said she thought ‘‘most courts in light of Lawrence are going to give adultery a wide berth.’’ She added: ‘‘It is an open question whether adultery continues to be viable as criminal law even though it remains on the books.”
Some law professors, including Joanna L. Grossman of Hofstra University, said one reason that adultery laws remain on the books is that getting rid of them would require politicians to declare their opposition to them, which few would do. In addition, many like the idea of the criminal code serving as a kind of moral guide even if certain laws are almost never applied.
Petraeus is a retired four-star general who gets a military pension and remains subject to military codes of conduct that prohibit adultery. But Diane H. Mazur, a professor of law at the University of Florida and a former Air Force officer, said that the chances of the Army calling Petraeus back to active service in order to court-martial him in an adultery case are zero, as are any chances of state criminal charges being brought.
Even within the military code, she added, adultery is charged as a criminal offense only when ‘‘the conduct of the accused was to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces,’’ she read from the manual for courts-martial. That meant something larger than seemed at stake here. | <urn:uuid:60cdcc99-a2c5-40b7-b8d3-7c6fb873ffba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2012/11/15/adultery-still-crime-states-including-mass/KiIPGRcFnAeT4CGmenFTKM/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964923 | 824 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Today marks 35 years since Congress first passed what's come to be known as the Hyde Amendment, which bans most federal abortion funding.
While the actual language of the rider to the annual funding bill for the Department of Health and Human Services has changed considerably over the years, since 2003 it has allowed federal Medicaid funds to pay for abortions in cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the woman is endangered by the pregnancy.
But in practice, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health, even abortions that technically qualify for public funding often don't reimbursed.
Researchers from Ibis Reproductive Health, which supports abortion-rights, conducted 50 interviews with abortion providers in 11 states that pay for abortion under Medicaid only under circumstances specified by the Hyde Amendment.
The researchers found that 37 percent of the 1,165 abortions provided for cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment included in the research were ultimately covered by Medicaid.
The rest were paid by the women themselves, by the abortion providers or by nonprofit, contribution-based abortion funds.
Earlier research found some of the barriers to getting Medicaid reimbursement include bureaucracy and Medicaid staff who don't understand the rules.
"Ibis' research has shown that in states where abortion coverage is limited to the Hyde Amendment exceptions, it is extremely challenging for providers to get reimbursed," said Kelly Blanchard, principal investigator of the study and president of Ibis.
But while abortion-rights advocates would like to see the Hyde Amendment eliminated, abortion opponents are pushing just as hard to see it written into permanent law, so it doesn't need to be passed separately each year. | <urn:uuid:b795a8ea-44d1-482c-8e16-34f6c6f3b12a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/09/30/140962216/on-anniversary-of-funding-ban-even-allowed-abortions-often-go-unpaid-for | 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 | 0.961888 | 334 | 2.359375 | 2 |
At its core, Ken Burns's PBS 12-hour epic The National Parks: America's Best Idea (nightly on WGBH Channel 2 at 8 pm, from September 27 through October 2) is a selective, initiative by initiative, advocate by advocate, chronicle of the evolution of the National Parks system and the changing roles protected lands have played in American culture since Congress validated Yosemite in 1864. Written by Dayton Duncan, the film does the job of telling that story well, despite focusing on only a double handful of sites (though all are depicted) and "a few" (that is, "just" 60 or so) of the players in the struggle to establish protected public lands.
PANTHEISTIC CONNECTION: Long before environmentalism, John Muir extolled the virtue of spaces where “nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
Beautiful? Of course, it's beautiful. Burns, after all, filmed the same dramatic landscapes gorgeous enough to inspire a profit-obsessed, expansionist-minded nation to preserve natural settings for future generations. As he reminds us, the initial motivation behind such set-asides was more spiritual than scientific. Logical arguments for protecting wilderness based on the environmentalists' long view and calculated ecological management came late to this party. In the 19th century, the sales pitch was based on æsthetics and a plea to restore the pantheistic connection between modern, industrializing society and Eden.
Naturalist John Muir, the parks movement's primary early advocate, certainly had a head for science, but he buttressed his case with transcendental arguments like "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul." Muir understood that what moves the spirit is not only the impressive foreign spectacle of a primordial vista but the humbling fact that such a souvenir from unimaginable æons past can exist in the present.
As usual, Burns inserts interviews by writers and participants that, occasional repetitions aside, place the history in meaningful perspective. Prime among these is his unintended "star," African-American ranger Shelton Johnson, who's brought into the mix only to comment on the period when black cavalry, the "Buffalo Soldiers," patrolled the parks. Johnson, it turns out, is also a poet and the production's most eloquent, silver-tongued recurring spokesperson. Burns calls him "the conscience of the film."
Speaking of which . . . good news: under-represented groups — African-Americans and Native Americans, women — are represented. Better news: they're included without exaggeration, so their presence don't distract from the larger themes.
One of the more valuable of those larger themes is, in fact, treated almost as subtext. Even as commercial and local interests opposed the idealists' bids to exclude land from development, the parks movement found support among railroads and robber barons. The transcontinental rail lines were out to encourage tourism, and in their early days they did more to popularize and promote the parks than any government agency or naturalist visionary. Later, wealthy families — notably the Rockefellers — used fortunes they'd amassed despoiling other landscapes to buy up large tracts for preservation.
In the summer of 1991, the year after Burns's The Civil War first aired, domestic battlefields were overwhelmed with visitors. The National Parks will undoubtedly have the same impact on Yellowstone, Acadia, Zion, and America's other 55 national parks and 333 national monuments.
From a filmmaker's perspective, Burns's production is a herculean effort of documentation. But viewers are more likely to welcome it as a lengthy seductive love letter to America's too-long distorted ideals.
Clif Garboden can be reached firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:597a8438-1f86-419e-9865-a25f3bb8ae08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thephoenix.com/Boston/recroom/90196-holy-landscape/?rel=inf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951209 | 796 | 2.625 | 3 |
Last September the New York State Bar Association issued Opinion 842 (link to official site) which addressed the question of ‘cloud storage’ or online storage of client information. In today’s world, where cloud storage is cheap and easy to use, lawyers are increasingly embracing online storage services such as SugarSync and DropBox. The NY Bar opinion is a good starting point for any discussion about the ethical implications of online storage, even if you are located in a state other than New York.
The key questions presented in Ethics Opinion 842 were these:
May a lawyer use an online system to store a client’s confidential information without violating the duty of confidentiality or any other duty? If so, what steps should the lawyer take to ensure that the information is sufficiently secure?
The New York opinion concludes that lawyers may use online storage provided that certain steps are taken to ensure that the information is adequately protected. First of all, the opinion repeatedly cautions that lawyers who adopt online storage methods must “periodically review security measures as technology advances over time….” In other words, you can’t just adopt an online storage system that is reasonable to use today and then stop paying attention to how technology is changing.
Paying attention to technological advances is certainly of critical importance, regardless of purely ethical considerations. But now we see, perhaps for the first time, a prominent legal group urging that the need to pay attention to technological changes is an ethical obligation. Granted, it’s an obligation that only kicks in if you use online storage (at least if you’re in New York and being guided by this opinion). But one can easily see this reasonable admonition being applied in other contexts where lawyers use technology.
So to repeat the point for emphasis: you can’t just adopt a new technology, set it up, and then stop paying attention to how advances in technology affect your ability to protect clients information.
The New York opinion offers four specific considerations that should guide lawyers who use online storage services. The opinion says that lawyers should consider the following steps:
(1) Ensuring that the online data storage provider has an enforceable obligation to preserve confidentiality and security, and that the provider will notify the lawyer if served with process requiring the production of client information;
(2) Investigating the online data storage provider’s security measures, policies, recoverability methods, and other procedures to determine if they are adequate under the circumstances;
(3) Employing available technology to guard against reasonably foreseeable attempts to infiltrate the data that is stored; and/or
(4) Investigating the storage provider’s ability to purge and wipe any copies of the data, and to move the data to a different host, if the lawyer becomes dissatisfied with the storage provider or for other reasons changes storage providers.
Let me address each of these in turn, explaining in ordinary terms what they seem to mean for using services such as SugarSync or DropBox.
First, services such as SugarSync and DropBox have as much interest as anyone in keeping your data private. As a practical matter, if their services were easily hacked into and the information stored there was easily compromised their ability business customers (and regular customers too) would immediately be impaired. Of course, you should carefully review the terms of service of such sites to make sure that you (1) understand what rights and liabilities you might have, and (2) are aware of potential perils.
You can be sure that the terms of service will be written to the benefit of the online provider for the most part. They will not accept liability for compromised security that results from you (1) having an inherently insecure password system, (2) giving your password to someone you shouldn’t, or (3) accessing your account from an insecure location such as a WiFi hotspot at a coffee shop, where there is limited security. These three issues are the most likely way that your client’s data would be compromised and all three of these scenarios are things that you should be responsible for.
You also want to make sure that you can get your data down from the online provider if they go out of business or if you change hosts. Both SugarSync and DropBox are easy to download your data from, so make sure you use a similar provider. With SugarSync and DropBox you can also use their services to synchronize across multiple computers. Then you essentially have your data in two or more places at all times, and so you aren’t completely dependent on them to get copies of your data if you should lose it on one computer. Those services will, of course, purge your data once you leave because they have no interest in clogging their servers with the data of former clients who aren’t paying them anymore.
A key obligation is the obligation to be informed about what the terms governing your relationship with the online provider. Lawyers are not going to get off the hook by arguing that they didn’t understand what their obligations were, and what limitations were placed upon their service by the online provider. Some lawyers will shudder at the thought that their online provider might get a subpoena and turn over confidential client information. For me this is not a likely scenario. But, according to the NY Ethics opinion, it’s my obligation to make sure I know what SugarSync or DropBox would do if they got such a request. An online storage provider such as SugarSync or DropBox should, at a minimum, notify me that such a request has been issued and not simply turn over the information without giving me an opportunity to legally challenge such the request.
The New York opinion could easily be interpreted to apply to client communications such as those that are hosted by web-based email providers such as Google. After all, web-based email is stored online.
So what’s a nervous lawyer to do? Avoid online storage altogether? I imagine that many lawyers will, until one day it becomes such an impediment to their practice that they find it too difficult to avoid. Federal appellate judge Alex Kozinski addressed this concern in the context of a criminal case where the government had obtained too much electronic information and then improperly used that information.
The advent of fast, cheap networking has made it possible to store information at remote third-party locations, where it is intermingled with that of other users. For example, many people no longer keep their email primarily on their personal computer, and instead use a web-based email provider, which stores their messages along with billions of messages from and to millions of other people. Similar services exist for photographs, slide shows, computer code, and many other types of data. As a result, people now have personal data that are stored with that of innumerable strangers. Seizure of, for example, Google’s email servers to look for a few incriminating messages could jeopardize the privacy of millions.
It’s no answer to suggest…that people can avoid these hazards by not storing their data electronically. To begin with, the choice about how information is stored is often made by someone other than the individuals whose privacy would be invaded by the search. Most people have no idea whether their doctor, lawyer or accountant maintains records in paper or electronic format, whether they are stored on the premises or on a server farm in Rancho Cucamonga, whether they are commingled with those of many other professionals or kept entirely separate.
US v. Comprehensive Drug Testing, 579 F.3d 959, 1005 (9th Cir. 2009). (emphasis added)
Judge Kozinski’s observations should be a guidepost for lawyers who deal with electronically storaed information, and for bar associations that create ethical rules regarding online storage. The reality is that online storage is beneficial to everyone in many ways. Yes there are perils, and lawyers should be mindful of them and minimize the risks in sensible ways. But avoiding online storage altogether is not likely to be a practical or sensible option in many cases. | <urn:uuid:2a638569-d452-4614-97e3-16884e3294c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.digitalworkflowcle.com/11/2010/ethical-considerations-of-online-file-storage/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956578 | 1,642 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Claim: New Year's is the day of the year on which the greatest number of people are killed in automobile accidents.
Origins: Many a motorist who has set out to drive somewhere on New Year's Day has departed to an emphatic chorus of "Be careful!" admonitions from relatives, friends, and acquaintances, the presumption being that New Year's is a particularly
dangerous day to be out on public roads. The combination of a holiday noted for alcoholic consumption among its revelers falling at a time of year when daylight hours are short and winter weather makes for less than ideal driving conditions is presumed to pose an especially high risk for motorists.
But is New Year's Day actually the most dangerous day for driving? While the general concept of "danger" is difficult to quantify, if we define it to mean "the day of the year that typically sees the greatest number of automobile accident-related deaths," New Year's Day is not the most dangerous day of the year.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) analyzed data from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for the seventeen-year span from 1986 to 2002 and calculated the average number of people who died in automobile crashes for every date of the year. The results showed that in number of fatalities, January 1 ranked lower than the days immediately preceding the Christmas and Fourth of July holidays, and not significantly higher than several days in early to mid-August:
DAYS WITH THE MOST CRASH DEATHS, 1986-2002
Avg. per day
(Caveat: This chart is based on absolute figures, not relative ones. A significant factor behind why days in July and August correspond to higher numbers of traffic fatalities is because July and August are the months in which total number of miles driven by motorists reaches its peak for the year, while January and February represent the opposite extreme.)
Not surprisingly, as the IIHS observed, alcohol plays a large part in the reason why holidays such as New Year's and the Fourth of July experience more automobile-related deaths:
Forty-one percent of the deaths on the 4th [of July] and 51 percent on January 1 involved high blood alcohol concentrations. These proportions compare with 33 percent on December 25 and January 8 (days in close proximity that aren't associated with New Year's) and 31 percent on June 27 and July 11.
The fatality numbers cited above include drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. If we exclude the occupants of vehicles and consider the statistics from a pedestrian standpoint alone, New Year's Day is the most dangerous day of the year to be afoot on or around public roadways, followed closely by Halloween:
DAYS WITH THE MOST PEDESTRIAN DEATHS, 1986-2002
Avg. per day
It should be noted that although traffic-related deaths may increase around certain holidays, the number of fatalities across the entire 17-year period covered by the study still averaged 117 per day. As Allan Williams of the IIHS cautioned, "While more deaths do occur on some of the holidays, the toll of fatalities is relentless every day, all year long." | <urn:uuid:b0e0e99b-3812-416c-899b-9626447934f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://snopes.com/holidays/newyears/traffic.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954439 | 640 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Mon, Aug 10, 2009
Five Airmen Lost Their Lives In The Incident
A WWII era U.S. PBY Catalina which foundered and sank during a
takeoff attempt in 1942 has been discovered by divers off the coast
of Quebec. Five of the nine crewmen on board at the time of the
incident lost their lives.
The aircraft was attempting to take off in choppy seas when the
fuselage started to fill with water. Local fishermen were able to
rescue 4 of the crew members, but the remaining airmen were unable
to get out before the aircraft sank.
According to CanWest News Service, the PBY was part of a
squadron which linked North America to Europe during the war.
Underwater Archaeologists from Parks Canada found the wreckage in
the course of a three-year survey of shipwrecks near the Mingan
peninsula lighthouse in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Environment
Minister Jim Prentice, who oversees Parks Canada, said it is "of
utmost importance for the site to remain undisturbed." "(T)he plane
will be protected with the full extent of applicable laws," he
In a joint statement, Canadian ministers said the site will be
managed "with the respect and dignity owed to lost American
soldiers" and that the two countries "will explore the possibility
of eventually recovering the remains of the missing crew members"
from the submerged plane. "The United States government was
extremely interested to learn of the discovery of the wreckage, and
we look forward to working with our Canadian friends to verify the
identity of the aircraft," U.S. consul general David Fetter said in
No plans for recovery of the aircraft were discussed.
"There are a million reasons to pick the C-130J, as the Hercules continues to demonstrate the ability to fulfill any mission at any time. Not only is this milestone a testament to >[...]
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Effort Will Mark First Time Army Has ECM Capability On Unmanned Aircraft Two electronic attack payloads in support of the U.S. Army's Networked Electronic Warfare, Remotely Operate>[...] | <urn:uuid:a597e2dc-3131-4306-bf54-9497ea40bb06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=745150b7-4afc-4403-8959-8a054c6a4dcc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938533 | 574 | 2.453125 | 2 |
28 December 2012 21:50 [Source: ICIS news]
HOUSTON (ICIS)--The US chemical industry is expecting increased activity in 2013, mostly due to the shale gas advantage, although economic growth will not reach long-term trend levels until 2014, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) said in its year-end situation and outlook report.
“Favourable oil-to-gas price ratios driven by the production of natural gas from shale will drive a renewed US competitiveness that will boost exports and fuel greater domestic involvement, economic growth and job creation with the business of chemistry,” the ACC said.
But even though the US gross domestic product (GDP) has surpassed its pre-recession peak, growth has been “painfully slow”, as many sectors have yet to see a typical business cycle, the industrial group said.
“After three years of recovery from the Great Recession, the global economy stumbled in 2012 with the Euro area in recession again, a slowdown in China became particularly pronounced, and confidence-erosion and other negative factors spread,” the ACC said.
In the US, strong manufacturing recovery has lost its momentum as business confidence was hindered by rising uncertainty over the presidential election and the federal budget. The “fiscal cliff” refers to more than $600bn (€450bn) in tax increases and spending cuts that become effective on 1 January unless the president and Congress can come to an agreement on economic policy.
While the ACC is predicting a 2% growth for GDP, the fiscal cliff could cause the economy to shrink nearly 0.5% in 2013.
Still, the chemistry business is one of America’s most significant manufacturing industries - a $760bn enterprise that touches more than 96% of all manufactured goods, according to the ACC.
The industry will see potential growth as the US emerges as a global low-cost supplier of many petrochemical and plastic products, the ACC said.
The slowdown in global manufacturing has caused some downstream inventory build-up and subsequent destocking, the report said.
However, the ACC expects US chemical output to improve slightly during 2013 with a gain of 1.9%.
Production of specialty chemicals will be driven by demand from end-use markets, particularly light vehicles and housing, the ACC said. Plastic resins also will see growth as export markets revive.
“Despite weakening key export markets in Europe and China, US chemical shipments have become increasingly competitive due to low-cost ethane supplies from shale gas development,” the ACC said.
Shipments are expected to expand to $794.2bn in 2013, a 3.8% gain from the $765.1bn in 2012, according to ACC data.
Chemical trade will continue to expand, though at moderate rates because global manufacturing activity remains fragile.
In 2013, exports will increase by 4.7% to $199.7bn, and imports will gain 4.1% to $197.3bn, the ACC said. As a result, trade surplus in chemicals will expand to $2.4bn in 2013.
As chemical production continues to see modest gains, operating rates and profit margins could improve in 2013.
This opens doors for new plant and equipment investments, as the ACC sees the possibility of 50 chemical production projects that could result in large increases in capacity between 2014-2017.
Meanwhile, employment in the chemical industry increased by 1.3% in 2012, partially due to higher production of labour-intensive plastic resins, synthetic rubber and man-made fibres, the industrial group said.
Product gains are expected to outpace output growth in 2013, causing employment to slip by 0.2%, but the slight decline will be offset in 2014 by a 0.8% gain, the ACC said.
Still, employee wages are expected to increase in both years.
Further development of US shale gas and ethane could drive an even greater expansion in the US as the manufacturing industry is set to gain substantially, the ACC said.
“Following a decade of high and volatile natural gas prices that destroyed industrial demand and lead to the closure of many gas-intensive manufacturers, shale gas offers a new era of American competitiveness that will lead to greater investment, industrial growth and employment,” ACC chief economist Kevin Swift said.
($1 = €0.75)
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