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LONDON.- The Museum of London
today unveils one of the largest collections of medieval and early modern buttons in the UK. Over two and a half thousand beautiful buttons of all shapes and sizes ranging in date from the late 14th to the late 19th century have been generously given to the museum by Tony Pilson. Pilson has dedicated 30 years to finding, accumulating and storing the buttons, all of which come from the banks of the Thames.
Pilsons collection includes examples of buttons made of silver, pewter and semi-precious stones. These pieces offer a fascinating insight into the past including boxes of livery buttons bearing family or corporation crests and buttons with makers names, initials and sometimes even addresses.
The collection has been recovered from the banks of the Thames over a period of 30 years by Pilson and other Mudlarkers. Modern mudlarking is essentially searching the river bank for historical objects; originally children and adults would scrounge objects that could be sold as scrap as a way of making a living.
Pilson says, This is such a diverse and beautiful hoard of buttons and cufflinks. It has given me great joy to finally be able to give them to the Museum of London in the hope that it encourages other Mudlarkers and metal detectors to generously donate their finds to institutions such as this. The main aim is to preserve, protect and learn about Londons vital and colourful history.
Having acquired one of the largest groups of medieval and early modern buttons in the UK, the Museum of London now begins the process of researching the collection.
Hazel Forsyth, Senior Curator of the Post-Medieval Collections says, Weve started to record each piece and longer term, we hope to produce an online resource with a small exhibition. The button trade in London has received little academic attention and therefore, we will set up various research projects to gain insight into the social and cultural life of Londoners. | <urn:uuid:e24ac5d1-374f-4726-bbba-4f4d66d20d69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artdaily.com/section/lastweek/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=32219&int_modo=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949126 | 401 | 2.5 | 2 |
Human trafficking is a vast—and rapidly expanding—global epidemic. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reported that, after drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms trade as the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fastest growing. The total market value of human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of US$32 billion (International Labour Office). In 2006, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted that virtually every country is affected by human trafficking.
Human trafficking happens inside, outside, and across our nation's borders.
In June, 2012, the International Justice Mission (IJM) testified before a Senate subcommittee in support of Bill C-310, a private member's bill introduced by MP Joy Smith (Kildonan-St. Paul, CPC). Bill C-310 introduced an interpretative aid for courts to provide greater clarity to the definition of human trafficking and extended its application as an extraterritorial offence. These provisions became law on June 28, 2012, after unanimous passage in both the House of Commons and the Senate.
International Justice Mission Canada is a human rights organization that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression, in partnership with U.S.-based International Justice Mission. IJM conducts its casework in countries where the public justice system is weak and the laws against crimes such as human trafficking are rarely enforced, often due to lack of resources, lack of expertise, or corruption.
Bill C-310 Amendments
The passage of Bill C-310 introduced some important amendments to the Criminal Code. The definition of "exploitation" in the human trafficking offence was amended to include an interpretative tool for courts to determine whether the crime of human trafficking has occurred. Additionally, the amendments added human trafficking and its related offences to the list of offence that, if committed outside Canada by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, can be prosecuted in Canada.
Deterring Canadian Traffickers
Strong laws, especially ones that follow traffickers to countries where laws against trafficking are either lax or unenforced, are critical to deterring human trafficking. Trafficking, while a violent crime, is fundamentally an economic crime, based on greed. Consequently, it is highly vulnerable to the deterrent effect of law enforcement. Informed by 15 years of international casework, IJM can confirm that traffickers persist in their illicit trade as long as they conclude that their crimes will go unpunished and remain profitable. Conversely, when solid, well-enforced laws are in place, IJM has seen traffickers deterred and innocent victims protected.
For example, after just four years of concentrated IJM collaboration with Philippines law enforcement and justice officials combatting sex trafficking in Metro Cebu, the Philippines, external evaluators documented a 79% reduction in the availability of minors for commercial sexual exploitation. The project strongly suggests that the presence and enforcement of relevant laws both deters traffickers and disrupts their illicit enterprises. It shows that effective law enforcement can prevent young girls from being sold to the highest bidder in the brutal criminal business of rape-for-profit.
The extraterritorial provisions, now part of the Criminal Code, send a clear message—Canada will not condone exploitation, and Canadian citizens or permanent residents who traffic human beings will be held accountable for offences committed at home and abroad.
Supporting other countries in combatting human trafficking
Many nations, particularly in developing contexts, lack well-functioning public justice systems. The absence of adequate anti-human trafficking laws and well-resourced enforcement agencies makes it highly problematic to hold criminals to account for their crimes. A 2009 UNODC report on human trafficking noted that a staggering 40% of countries had not registered a single conviction for trafficking in persons.
Even where governments are willing to enact laws that combat these crimes, developing the infrastructure and capacity to enforce them takes time. In the interim, international criminals take advantage of countries with underperforming public justice systems to exploit millions of children, women, and men.
While delivering his decision1 in the case of Kenneth Klassen (a Canadian convicted under Canada's sex tourism legislation), BC Supreme Court Justice Cullen perceptively stated
In the absence of extraterritorial legislation, Canada would become a safer harbour for those who engage in the economic or sexual exploitation of children. . . . The nationality principle reflects Canada's clear interest in taking steps to prevent its own nationals or residents from using the advantages of Canadian nationality and residence to perpetuate the economic and/or sexual exploitation of children in other nations. (R. v. Klassen, 2008 BCSC 1762, paras. 95, 94)
Enacting and enforcing extraterritorial provisions for serious crimes such as child sex tourism or human trafficking provides protection in real-world enforcement gaps and in fragile or turbulent environments where exploiters are known to seek their prey.
Aligning Canada with international conventions
The UNODC and the Inter-Parliamentary Union maintain that addressing trafficking effectively "requires transnational responses" and that
in order to enhance the efficiency of international cooperation mechanisms, legislators should focus on the establishment of jurisdiction including on an extraterritorial basis, extradition, mutual legal assistance and law enforcement cooperation, including exchange of information.
Further, the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime specifically encourages countries to implement human trafficking laws with extraterritorial dimensions.
The new amendments have brought Canada into better alignment with international conventions to which it is signatory.
Enforcing the law
The cross-party consensus in the passage of C-310 reflects the widespread view that these provisions are an important tool in combatting human trafficking.
Strong anti-trafficking laws will provide victims no protection if they are allowed to exist as "paper tigers"—criminals often operate in the space between legal pronouncement and vigilant enforcement.
In the U.S. State Department's 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton rightly noted,
the true test of a country's anti-trafficking efforts is not just whether a government has enacted strong laws consistent with that approach, but whether these laws are being implemented broadly and effectively. In short, it's whether they deliver (emphasis added).
Will Canada deliver? A lesson from our sex tourism legislation
A look at Canada's record in applying other extraterritorial provisions affords important lessons for the implementation of the extraterritorial provisions of Canada's anti-trafficking laws. In 1997, Canada's sex tourism legislation (Section 7(4.1), Criminal Code) was introduced with great anticipation. Yet convictions have been few—only five since the introduction of these provisions.
In 2005, Donald Bakker was the first individual sentenced in Canada under the sex tourism law. IJM worked with the Vancouver Police Department and Ratanak International's Brian McConaghy by providing evidence collected in a Southeast Asian country that identified child victims of trafficking who had also appeared on Bakker's videotapes. Bakker subsequently pled guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in a Canadian prison for sexual offences in both Canada and in Asia.
Bakker's crimes against these girls were discovered as a result of an investigation of Bakker's abuse of several Vancouver-area prostitutes. When investigators searched for evidence associated with his crimes committed in Canada, they discovered videotapes of Bakker sexually abusing children in Cambodia.
Similarly so with the discovery of Kenneth Klassen's crimes, as outlined by B. Perrin (2010) in Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking, which were uncovered when police intercepted a suspicious packaged addressed to Klassen, entitled "quilts" (p. 21). Hidden in amongst the quilts were DVDs with footage of Klassen sexually abusing girls between the ages of nine and 18.
Capitalizing on lax law enforcement in developing countries—and in a legal environment with no, or few, Canadian convictions of this extraterritorial offence—Bakker and Klassen presumably reasoned they would never be caught. And it is unlikely they would have been caught had they not self-documented the crimes that were subsequently discovered by Canadian authorities in the course of investigating other crimes.
Canadians engaged in child sex tourism
The 2012 TIP Report cites Canada as "a significant source country for child sex tourists, who travel abroad to engage in sex acts with children." The report recommends that Canada "increase investigations and prosecutions of Canadian child sex tourists abroad."
The low number of convictions under the sex tourism legislation should not be seen as reliable indicator of the actual number of Canadians implicated in these crimes.
Like any clandestine activity, it is of course difficult to provide a precise gauge of the number of Canadians engaging in sexual crimes abroad. However, one indicator of potential scale (albeit an imperfect one), is the number of Canadians who have requested consular assistance in dealing with charges of child sexual abuse or exploitation while outside of Canada (though it is important to note that one must not assume that every Canadian apprehended was guilty). Between 2009 and 2011, 73 Canadians abroad have been arrested for and/or charged with crimes of sexual abuse of children.2 Even if each of these charges were justly made against guilty individuals, this figure would likely account for only a fraction of the actual number of Canadians who sexually abuse children overseas.3
It is no small secret that sex tourists travel abroad because destination countries fail to effectively enforce their laws against child sexual exploitation and are unable to hold their own citizens accountable. It is even less likely, in countries where bribery and corruption run rampant, that comparatively affluent and powerful foreigners would be justly convicted and sentenced. The sex tourism legislation is in place so that Canada need not rely on the justice systems in the destination countries to bring to account our own citizens who are committing child sexual exploitation abroad. But the small number of convictions under the sex tourism legislation demonstrates the need for targeted measures that will deter individuals from committing this category of offence overseas. Effective application of the extraterritorial provisions requires investigation and enforcement measures in the countries where these crimes are being committed to uncover and bring to justice these individuals.4
Without a dedicated enforcement approach to crimes with extraterritorial provisions, convictions for these crimes will remain rare and the crimes possibly only uncovered in the course of other investigations or routine procedures, as was the case with both Klassen and Bakker.
Prosecution is possible
Australia, with a population of approximately 22 million—as compared to Canada's 34 million—has prioritized the prosecution of sex tourism. Between 1995 and 2007, 28 Australians were charged and 19 convicted of extraterritorial child sex offences.5 With a similar common law system, Australia has proven that proactive enforcement is both possible and effective. (Undertaking an in-depth case study of Australia's approach to enforcing its extraterritorial legislation may reveal some approaches Canada can adopt in its own enforcement.)
Furthermore, Bakker and Klassen (and others) were successfully tried in Canadian courts under Canada's sex tourism legislation, proving that the extraterritorial provisions can be applied (though understandably not without difficulty).6
Enforcement of the extraterritorial provisions
The lesson to be learned from Canada's sex tourism legislation is that in combination with diligent investigative measures, extraterritorial provisions can be used to hold Canadians accountable for their crimes overseas. Similarly, if Canada's human trafficking provisions are to act as a deterrent to other would-be criminals, Canada needs to prosecute human trafficking offences committed internationally by its citizens, as well as those committed domestically. This is why it is imperative that Canada prioritize the investigation of human trafficking offences and child sex tourism offences committed overseas by Canadians, and assert jurisdiction over these offences.
In June 2012, in a welcome and much-anticipated move, Canada marked its commitment to end human trafficking with the release of a National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. IJM Canada supports the Plan's dedication to combatting human trafficking internationally.
The new extraterritoriality provision for the human trafficking offence, as well as the child sex tourism legislation, hold significant promise. To ensure the promise is fulfilled, IJM Canada offers the following recommendations:
IJM Canada recommends the above five countries for two reasons. First, between 2009 and 2011, Canadians were charged or arrested for child abuse, child molestation, or possession of child pornography in four of the five countries mentioned above, indicating a potential trend that these are the countries to which Canadians travel to commit child sex tourism crimes. Cambodia does not have a Canadian consulate and, as a result, no information is available for Canadians requesting consular assistance. However, both Bakker and Klassen committed crimes in Cambodia, indicating that Canadians travel to Cambodia to commit these crimes. In addition, according to the U.S. Department of State 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report, the identified countries rank in Tier 2 or the Tier 2-Watch List in their efforts to combat human trafficking: Mexico—Tier 2; the Philippines—Tier 2; Thailand—Tier 2 Watch List; Dominican Republic—Tier 2; Cambodia—Tier 2. This indicates a vulnerability to human trafficking that can be exploited by Canadian traffickers.
Additional recommendations to bolster Canada's commitment to combatting child sex tourism are as follows: Canada should adopt measures to restrict the foreign travel of convicted child sex offenders, similar to legislation in the U.K., including:
Restricting and punishing offenders who commit these crimes is imperative, both to protect the vulnerable and to maintain Canada's international reputation.
Canada is not alone in its commitment to combatting human trafficking. As UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has urged, "We must raise the cost for anyone who seeks to profit in modern day slavery. We must see more traffickers brought to justice, their crimes punished, and their victims offered support and protection."
Ensuring that Canada enforces its laws will be one critical step toward combatting this global epidemic. Executive Director for UNODC Antonio Maria Costa has stated:
Parliaments and parliamentarians have the power to prevent human trafficking by raising awareness and curbing exploitative practices. They can adopt the laws needed to prosecute traffickers and protect the rights of victims; they can also take steps to combat the crime of human trafficking at international level.
The laws have been adopted. Now it is time to enforce the laws.
1. A landmark ruling that "provides the first explicit judicial affirmation of the validity of Canada's extraterritorial child sex crime provisions under both Canadian constitutional law and international law" (B. Perrin, "Taking a Vacation from the Law? Extraterritorial Criminal Jurisdiction and Section 7(4.1) of the Criminal Code", Canadian Criminal Law Review 13:2 (Jun 2009), 175-209 at 177)
2. The charge or arrest could have been for child abuse, child molestation , or possession of child pornography. These arrests and/or charges mark an increase over numbers noted by B. Perrin in Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking: from 1993-2008, more than 150 men, or approximately 10 men per year, requested consular assistance (at 24). In contrast, in 2009, 23 Canadians requested consular help; in 2010, 28; and in 2011, 22 (Access to Information request provided to IJM Canada and filed by D.Bramham). See also D. Bramham's six-part series in the Vancouver Sun entitled "Sex Tourism." The figures indicate that Canadians continue to travel overseas to commit these crimes and that Canada is failing to proactively enforce its sex tourism law as a deterrent. Between 2009 and 2011, most of these arrests were in the United States. Other destination countries included, among others, Argentina, Mexico, the Philippines, Cuba, Haiti, Thailand, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica.
3. Not included in this figure is the number of individuals charged in countries where no Canadian consulate exists (such as Cambodia) or who did not request consular assistance.
4. Responsibility to prosecute lies with the destination country. Extraterritorial laws are intended to come into play when this does not occur.
5. B. Perrin in Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking at 193.
6. For further detail on the instruments that currently exist for Canada to enforce its sex tourism law, including agreements with other countries and international conventions, see Perrin, "Taking a Vacation from the Law?" | <urn:uuid:4dc87667-ebd5-4182-b0bc-b7d9d42c28b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cardus.ca/policy/archives/3644/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93776 | 3,346 | 2.78125 | 3 |
VOLUNIA CRITICIZED. MARCHIORI RESPONDS
VOLUNIA CRITICIZED. MARCHIORI RESPONDS - The Italian search engine Volunia has been harshly criticized by industry experts in many respects: social component, poor performance and graphic simplicity. Marchiori says.
A few days ago we reported the news on the launch of the first Italian search engine,Volunia, designed by Massimo Marchiori in collaboration with the University of Pisa.Leveraging its decades of experience in search engine, the engineer has “designed” a social search engine and therefore able to give information to users, through the results, but also able to concentrate the internet with hobbies and interests on the same search results.
Next to each result will have a button that will turn red if they will be consulting other users the same content. In this case, Internet users can make friends by using a box office, which will allow them to exchange ideas, recommendations and opinions on a specific topic. So that’s how a search engine can become a social network. Despite initial enthusiasm, however, many have criticized the vision of Marchiori, pointing especially to the correlation between research and social.
The Italian engineer’s idea could be functional and successful, but he assures us that in future the social component can not become overwhelming? These criticisms have decided to respond Marchiori which emphasizes that “the social function implies that the surfer loses his anonymity, pointing to other users of its research and its presence in certain spaces Volunia Web, then, may disclose to Internet users in real-time users connected to a site, where you will be able to ask friends for a common interest. “
Volunia is still in its infancy, and will require an additional months of development workbefore it can display a page full of search results. To those, however, criticized the graphic on the homepage of the search engine, Marchiori says that the goal of Volunia is to offer something different from existing search engines.
Posted in News | <urn:uuid:92c02900-ac82-4223-adde-b831fad05ae7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gadgetholic.net/volunia-criticized-marchiori-responds.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946983 | 425 | 1.546875 | 2 |
India's forthcoming budget to be most austere in recent history
P. Chidambaram has already slashed actual public expenditure in the current fiscal year that ends in March by some 9 percent from the original target. So the plan for 2013/14 would in effect keep a lid on spending, limiting it to a similar rupee level or slightly higher.
Final figures have not yet been worked out. But several officials involved in preparations for the budget to be unveiled on Feb. 28 told Reuters that Chidambaram is determined to rein in the fiscal deficit, having won reluctant agreement from leaders of his Congress party who had wanted a spending spree ahead of the general election due by next May.
Top Congress leaders - including the welfare-minded party chief Sonia Gandhi - did not show up for a pre-budget briefing by Chidambaram on Thursday, signalling that they had fallen in line with his plan, a senior party official told Reuters.
Critics warn that at a time when both private investment and consumer demand are weak, lower public spending risks deepening India's sharpest economic slowdown in a decade. Growth in 2012/13 is estimated at 5.0 percent, the lowest since 2002/03.
But Chidambaram has argued that a lower fiscal deficit will not only avert a rating downgrade threat but also bolster
Be the first to comment. | <urn:uuid:394489bf-ad7f-4e1b-ad4d-7efb84f5966f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.financialexpress.com/news/indias-forthcoming-budget-to-be-most-austere-in-recent-history/1074874 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966421 | 273 | 1.75 | 2 |
Pakistan: Return to broken homes, empty schools in northwest
|Publisher||Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)|
|Publication Date||25 March 2010|
|Cite as||Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), Pakistan: Return to broken homes, empty schools in northwest, 25 March 2010, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4bb06c831c.html [accessed 18 May 2013]|
|Disclaimer||This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.|
PESHAWAR, 25 March 2010 (IRIN) - Some of the estimated 430,000 people who fled Bajaur and neighbouring Mohmand agency near the Afghan border in northwestern Pakistan since fighting began in August 2008 have returned - to broken homes and empty schools.
They were able to return after the army declared the Bajaur tribal area clear of all militants at the beginning of March.
"Things are still very hard here. Schools have technically re-opened, but there are no teachers, since most are still away, and my daughter's school has been damaged in the conflict, so there is no sense in sending the children," recent returnee Zaheer-ud-Din told IRIN on the phone from Khar, the principal town of Bajaur.
According to media reports, at least 74 schools and colleges were destroyed by militants in Bajaur during the conflict.
"I have a job as a teacher at a Khar school, and I hear schools have re-opened there, but we will go back only when it is safe," said Gulbahar Bibi, 35, who fled Bajaur to Jalozai Camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nowshera, near Peshawar.
Despite claims of victory over the militants in Bajaur, attacks on schools have continued. Two were blown up earlier this month and a third hit in the Nawagai area of Bajaur on 21 March.
"Militants planted explosives at night inside a boys' school here. It was burnt down when a fire broke out," the political 'tehsildar' (administrative officer) told IRIN from the area.
Another administrative official in Khar, who asked not to be named, described the security situation in Bajaur as "very alarming". He said militants "continue to target schools from various hideouts".
"We actually feel very unsafe here. There are reports of sporadic conflict and still no schooling available," Zaheer-ud-Din said. Like many other children in Bajaur, his two sons and daughter have not attended schools regularly since August 2008.
In Jalozai Camp, families wait anxiously for news of conditions in their respective areas of Bajaur and try and determine when the right time to return would be.
"We have been here for 13 months. Things are tough, but at least it's safe. We've heard there's still a lot of unrest in Bajaur," said Azimullah Khan, 40, adding that he had found a job as a labourer in Peshawar. "I'm earning more than I would at home. Our fields and crops will have been destroyed in the time we have been away. It'll be hard to manage. And we're better off because our children can go to school here."
He said he would continue to stay in the camp, despite the government announcing plans to begin repatriating people displaced from Mohmand and Bajaur.
According to the UN, schools supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross will be operational within days in Jalozai Camp and nearly 2,100 children will be enrolled. In addition, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has started evening classes for secondary students in the same camp, benefitting some 260 students, including 46 girls.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs's latest update has further details of the current humanitarian situation in northwestern Pakistan. | <urn:uuid:b4809d48-e208-464b-a340-a75c0f5c6bf3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=topic&tocid=4565c2253e&toid=4565c25f49d&publisher=&type=&coi=PAK&docid=4bb06c831c&skip=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970382 | 866 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Tips and tricks for Windows Phone 8's new features
Windows Phone 8 isn't just another ho-hum operating system update with some fixes, a few scattered patches, a freebie "feature," and a new version number—it's a major OS overhaul with a slew of new features that include useful, intelligent interface upgrades, and fun options for personalization. For example, the resizable Live Tiles show you real-time data and information from your favorite apps, while the Kid’s Corner feature allows you to hand your phone off to your toddler without worrying about what kind of damage they'll do to your photo feed and email inbox.
If you've recently become a Windows Phone 8 handset owner and are wondering how to take advantage of all the OS has to offer, here are some tips on how to use some of Windows Phone 8’s new features, namely Live Tiles, Kid’s Corner, Data Sense, Rooms and Groups, and NFC/Wallet.
Windows Phone 8 Live Tiles are the tiles that populate the home screen, the majority of which update automatically with new information from their associated app or feature. For example, a tile for email might flip to show new messages, while a Facebook tile might show status updates and friend requests.
Live Tiles can relate to Live Apps or to people. To pin a Live App such as Facebook, Gmail, or Groupon to your start menu, go to Apps > [the app you want to pin]. Tap and hold the app until a box pops up that says 'Pin to start'. Tap the box, and the tile will appear on your start menu. Some apps do not have Live Tile functionality, and some Live Apps have Live Tile functionality only in certain sizes. You’ll have to play around with each app to figure out whether its Live Tile-ness is limited. To resize a tile on the start menu, tap and hold the tile until it pops out at you, and then tap the arrow in the lower-right corner to change the size.
To pin a person as a Live Tile, go to Apps > People > [the person you want to pin]. Tap and hold the person's name until the 'Pin to start' box pops up. Tap the box, and the person will appear on your start menu. The information available for each person’s tile will vary depending on what accounts you have associated with their name—if, for example, your contact has Facebook and Twitter accounts, the tile will show their Facebook and Twitter updates. The tile will also show you texts, email messages, and calls from that person.
One note: Windows Phone 8 will allow you to pin a variety of things to the start menu—webpages, videos, photo albums—and not all of these items will be "live."
Windows Phone 8 is unique in that it has a safe mode just for children—useful if your child wants to play games on your phone but you don’t want them to be able to purchase apps, change settings, or check your email.
You'll need to go through a few quick setup steps the first time you use Kid’s Corner. To open Kid’s Corner, go to Settings > System > Kid’s Corner. The first screen has a toggle button to turn Kid’s Corner on; once you've done so, you can choose which games, music, videos, and apps your child can access, and you have the option to set a lock-screen password (if you don’t already have one) so that if your child accidentally exits Kid’s Corner, they won't gain access to your full phone menu.
After setting up Kid’s Corner, you can launch it by swiping left from your main lock screen. It’s a simplified version of the start menu interface, with just a lock screen and a tiled list of the apps, music, videos, and games that you have preselected. You can customize the lock screen with a picture and your child’s name, and move and resize the tiles. You can also choose a color scheme (dark or light) and an accent color for the tiles that don’t have pictures.
To exit Kid’s Corner, simply tap the phone’s power button. When you tap the button to reawaken the phone, you’ll see your standard lock screen (which will ask for the password you chose when setting up the Kid's Corner account).
With Kid’s Corner turned on in the settings menu, you can quickly add apps to the mode from your menu screen by tapping and holding. Now, when you tap and hold an app, you’ll get both the 'Pin to start' option and an 'Add to Kid’s Corner' option. To turn Kid’s Corner off, go to Settings > System > Kid’s Corner and flip the toggle switch to the off position.
You cannot add Internet Explorer to the Kid’s Corner app list. However, if your child taps a link inside an app that you have added to Kid’s Corner, they will be able to see that link and any links they find on that website—but they won’t be able to navigate to a page by typing an address into the URL bar. Also, although children cannot make Windows Phone Store purchases from Kid’s Corner, they can make in-app purchases (such as coins or levels) if they know your Wallet PIN.
Data Sense is a feature capable of running on any Windows Phone 8 handset, but it must be enabled by the carrier—and at the moment only Verizon Wireless customers have access to Data Sense. The feature uses a combination of a Live Tile and an app to help users stay on top of their data usage and set appropriate data limits.
The Data Sense tile constantly rotates to show relevant information, such as how much time is left in your billing cycle and how much data you’ve used so far. Tapping the tile takes you to the app, where you’ll see more info about your data situation.
The app has two screens: an overview screen, and a usage screen. The overview screen shows how much data you have remaining (as measured by your phone), as well as how much time is left in your billing cycle. The usage screen shows details about your usage, specifically which apps are sucking the most data.
If you tap the settings icon at the bottom of the Data Sense app screen, you can change Data Sense settings (set data limits, set your billing cycle date, and choose to have the phone automatically restrict background data usage when you get close to your limits), as well as map out nearby Wi-Fi hotspots. | <urn:uuid:6085b4de-b7a7-4e73-acd9-86a7befd2306> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techhive.com/article/2025307/tips-and-tricks-for-windows-phone-8s-new-features.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911634 | 1,393 | 1.5 | 2 |
Sense International helps deafblind people in less developed countries to communicate, connect, interact and flourish
Sense International provides specialist training, information and support to ensure that every person living with deafblindness can achieve their full potential
We are Sense International
Sense International works in partnership to provide services and raise awareness of the needs of deafblind people and their families so they can connect, participate and contribute to their communities.
© Andrew Aicthison
Sense International is a global charity supporting deafblind people in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, Romania and Uganda. We are one of the world’s leading international organisations working for deafblind people and their families.
Deafblind children in these countries desperately need to receive education and healthcare. Without this, many will lead short, lonely lives.
Although Sense International is a fairly small charity, we have a big impact. For over 19 years we have been working in partnership with local organsations to provide expert support and services to deafblind people. Demonstrating to governments that deafblind people are worth investing in, we aim to put support in place so that we can walk away and leave solid expertise behind.
With this support, deafblind children can finally receive the medical and educational support they need. They can learn to communicate, to develop self-care skills, receive an education and perhaps find a job. Rather than being excluded they can thrive and live as valued human beings. | <urn:uuid:e85f78df-14c5-4ab9-8914-62cb2e477e02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.senseinternational.org.uk/pages/about-us.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958986 | 292 | 1.78125 | 2 |
I have not seen this edition. My copy is a 1922 2nd printing that kept me up until 1:35 in the morning and as soon as I woke up (after feeding the cat), I started on the sequel, ROBIN.
The book covers the late 19th century through the summer of 1914. The Head of the House of Coombe is considered a very, very wicked man. He has never married. He supports Feather, a selfish, frivolous widow with the face and eyes of an angel. Feather is Robin's mother, but not much of one. Poor little Robin is six years old before she even knows what mothers are, let alone that she has one. It is Lord Coombe who changes Robin's loveless and cheerless existence even as his relationship with her mother inadvertently ends her first friendship. Is she secretly his daughter, as some gossips would have it? Much later in the book, as years pass, we find out why Lord Coombe supports Feather and does so much for Robin, who hates him because of the loss of Donal, her friend. We also meet an elderly Duchess, who is the Head's old friend and very intelligent woman. There's a evil German agent who has evil designs on the beautiful and intelligent, but naive, teen that Robin has become. Robin meets her Donal again at her very first party. He is a handsome young man. Will their friendship resume where it left off? By the way, during the party a girl named Kathryn casually tells Robin that "...somebody important has been assassinated in the Balkan countries." If you know your history, you know what that means. If this reprint doesn't include ROBIN, then buy or borrow a used copy. | <urn:uuid:0a9289b3-b263-4fdf-bdf2-0e6b92a8805d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Coombe-Frances-Hodgson-Burnett/dp/1406844926 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986561 | 353 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Residency is determined when a student applies for admission to the College. The following paragraphs summarize the rules and regulations related to student residency for tuition purposes. Details are found in Education Code Section 68090, Title 3, Part 41, Chapter 1.
Every person who is married or is age 18 or older and under no legal restriction may establish residence. Certain minors may also establish residence.
- A California "resident" is a person who has resided in the state for more than one year prior to the residence determination date and shows "intent" to make the state of California their permanent residence.
- An undocumented student is precluded from establishing residency. Restrictions also apply to some visas, please see the Residency Office.
- The residence determination date is the day immediately preceding the first day of classes for each semester.
A student's residency status is determined at the time of application. Nonresident students must pay nonresident tuition in addition to the enrollment fee and other fees for credit classes. Tuition must be paid in full at the time of registration.
To appeal a residency determination decision, a student may file a Residency Determination Appeal form with the college Admissions Supervisor.
Factors Considered to Determine Residency
- Filing California state income taxes as a resident
- Possessing a California driver's license and a vehicle registered in California
- Voting in California
- Owning residential property in California for personal use
- Being licensed to practice a profession in California
- Having an active checking and/or savings account in a California bank account
- Showing California on military records (Leave and Earnings Statement)
- Possessing a marriage license or a divorce decree issued in California
- Having paid nonresident tuition in another state
A student incorrectly classified as a California resident is subject to reclassification as a nonresident and payment of all nonresident tuition. If incorrect classification results from false or misleading facts, a student may be excluded from classes or the college upon notification.
Limitation of Residency Rules
Students are cautioned that this summary of rules regarding residency determination is by no means a complete explanation of their meaning or content.
For further information, contact the residency clerk in the Admissions Office. In addition, changes may have been made in the statutes and in the regulations between the time this statement is published and the beginning of the semester.
Exceptions to Residency Requirements
There are several exceptions to the residency rules. They include, but are not limited, to the following:
- Active duty military personnel stationed in California
- Dependents of active duty military personnel stationed in California
- Certain minors who stayed in California when their parents moved
- Self-supporting minors
- Full-time employees of the college or a state agency, or a child or spouse of the full-time employee
Reclassification to resident status must be requested by the student. Financial independence during the current year and preceding two years will be considered at the time the student requests reclassification. Information regarding requirements for reclassification is available in the Residency Office or Admissions Office.
Tuition may not be refunded to a student classified as a nonresident due to lack of documentation if, at a later date, documentation is presented for a previous semester.
Providing false information necessary for establishing residency will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the college.
Contact the Admission Office for more details. | <urn:uuid:c9faa549-ba1e-4f5f-a633-85bbcd7a6b01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sdmesa.edu/admissions/residency.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923453 | 701 | 1.835938 | 2 |
The Etiquette of Social NetworkingSocial networks like Facebook and MySpace have turned many social norms inside out. Your online friends may not be friends...
Dan Tynan, Macworld.com
Social networks like Facebook and MySpace have turned many social norms inside out. Your online friends may not be friends offline--and you may not be exactly whom you claim to be, either. How to approach strangers online, handle unwelcome solicitations, or make real friends out of virtual ones is stuff your parents probably never taught you. Here's how etiquette experts would politely navigate the worlds of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Q: I've got a strict policy about "friending": I invite only people I know well. And sometimes people they know. And occasionally complete strangers whose profiles sound cool. Is there anything wrong with that?
A: Overaggressive friending is the most common social-networking faux pas. After all, these networks were made to facilitate new connections.
Social media consultant Ariel Waldman says that it's usually fine to friend people you don't know just to make their acquaintance. "Otherwise you wouldn't really be networking," she says. But it depends on the service. Friending someone you don't know on Dodgeball (a location-based service that lets you see other users who are physically nearby) is creepier than doing so on Twitter, which doesn't give away users' real-life locations.
In fact, Facebook and LinkedIn automatically suggest people you might know, based on whoever's already in your network. In general, you should already have some kind of link to the person you want to meet--even if he or she is merely a friend of a friend--and a valid reason for making the connection.
Q: I'm scrupulously honest in most things, but my online profile--well, let's just say it's a best-case scenario. Am I required to be totally honest when describing myself?
A: It depends on what you mean by totally. A little embellishment may be OK, but stretch the truth too far, warns Samantha Von Sperling, director of Polished Social Image Consultants, and you'll put your reputation at risk. The solution is to be honest--don't edit your picture so you look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie--but selective about the information you share. For example, Facebook requires that you supply your birthday at signup. But you can hide it: in the Edit My Profile page's Basic tab, select Don't Show My Birthday In My Profile from the drop-down menu.
Don't want Facebook friends to know how old you really are? You can opt to hide your birthday."Saying I'm in my 30s when I'm 37 is fine," Von Sperling says. "But it's not OK to say I'm in my 20s. If I start lying about how old I am, how much money I make, or how much I weigh, sooner or later someone will find out and I will look like an idiot."
Q: I'm getting friend requests from people I moved 3,000 miles to get away from. How do I tactfully decline their invitations?
A: The first rule of social networks is you're never required to say yes.
"You can say 'No thank you' or simply not respond," notes Claudia Caporal, an urban etiquette and lifestyle consultant in Miami. "Behavior that might be considered rude in person isn't necessarily rude online."
Of course, if you run into that person on the street or at your college reunion, you may have some explaining to do. "If they ask you whether you got their invitation, tell them that you don't really spend that much time on Facebook anymore," she says. "You can find a compromise answer that doesn't hurt their feelings."
A sneakier way to avoid unwelcome invitations is to accept the offer of friendship, and then quietly unfriend that person a few days later, says Kim Gregson, an assistant professor of communications at Ithaca College. On Facebook, go to your Friends list and click on the little x to the right of a name. No notification will be sent; you'll simply disappear from that person's network. If he or she notices and asks about it, plead ignorance. "If someone is following their list of friends that closely, you probably don't want to be their friend anyway," Gregson says.
Q: I've been using Facebook since college, so I have lots of friends and have posted lots of personal photos. Now I've got a job, and my office colleagues want to join my network. How do I keep my boss from seeing those old pictures of me dancing on a bar in a miniskirt and cowboy boots?
A: One way to handle the work-friend conundrum is to use a professionally oriented network such as LinkedIn for your work colleagues and a more casual one such as Facebook for everyone else.
Using Facebook's Professional Profile application, you can import professional contacts from LinkedIn into Facebook. If your networks are mixed--if you have social contacts on LinkedIn or business colleagues on Facebook--and want to move someone from one network to the other, you can. Programs such as Professional Profile let you transfer personal contacts from LinkedIn to Facebook. Although LinkedIn doesn't have similar tools, you can still add friends to your business network, either by importing their names from an online e-mail service, such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail, or by exporting them as a group from OS X's Address Book and then uploading the resulting VCF file to LinkedIn. You can then delete them from Facebook.
The other option is to segregate friends within the same service. Start by selecting the Privacy link in the upper right corner of your Facebook home page, and then selecting Profile. In the Basic tab, select Edit Photo Albums Privacy Settings. Select a photo album, and, under Who Can See This?, select Customize. You can then decide who can and can't see your photos.
Q: I've got accounts on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Friendster, Flickr, and Twitter, and I've recently started Plurking and Powncing. I only sleep three hours a night, yet my virtual buddies think I'm being rude because I'm not keeping up with them hourly. Help!
Using a service like Friendfeed, you can combine all your social networks in one interface.A: While services like Friendfeed and OneSwirl can help you keep track of multiple social networks in one place, maybe you should instead step away from the keyboard.
The problem with social networks is that they can encourage you to shortchange people outside your virtual life, says Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (www.shmuley.com), author of The Broken American Male and host of the TLC series Shalom in the Home. "Should you be spending hours each day corresponding with some person you've never met?" asks Boteach (whose Facebook profile boasts more than 1,700 friends). "Maybe you should be cultivating more important relationships. With all this time you spend on social networks, who are you neglecting as a result?"
When not indiscriminately poking people on Facebook, Dan Tynan tends his blog,Tynan on Technology.
Editor's Note: For another take on the whole social-networking/etiquette thing, see Scholle Sawyer McFarland's The social graces of social networking. | <urn:uuid:f05e8a65-00af-4940-83ec-0ac469deda66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pcworld.about.net/od/browsersaddons/The-Etiquette-of-Social-Networ.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952862 | 1,530 | 2.140625 | 2 |
I could never reach a conclusion on this topic, but I had a few thoughts.
Until someone actually performs controlled experiments, we are all in the dark. The internet is filled with undocumented sources and false, untested claims.
The oils in coffee do become rancid after awhile like most food oils. If the reaction that produces this rancidity is slowed by cooler temperatures, then freezing could be beneficial. Many chemical reactions are heat sensitive, so this is one avenue to pursue. Whether household freezer temperatures are low enough to slow the reaction down to a significant level is left to experiment.
The heterocyclic compounds in coffee that produce its smells have a volatility that increases with increased temperature. I rationalize this through the kinetic molecular theory of heat. My reasoning is the following: the added heat produces more molecular agitation, resulting in more smell compounds being ejected. Cooler temperature mean smaller loss rate of smell molecules. There is a relative volatility to consider here, as flower, fruit and herb smells are the most volatile and may be lost at a high rate even with household freezer temperatures.
When you remove the beans stored in the freezer, the humidity in the air attaches to them much like condensation on a cold glass. Repeated exposure like this may impart bad flavours or ruin the beans. Maybe individual containers for daily use are recommended, rather than one large one that is repeatedly put back in the freezer.
Coffee beans, especially light roasts, have some moisture content after roasting, do they not? Would this be a problem when we freeze the beans?
If anyone has any ideas on these points, I would love to hear them as I am still trying to give a good answer to the people who ask me this question. Has anyone seen an actual study done for coffee?
I'm not personally aware of any scientific study, but my recommendation is always "try it for yourself." Chances are you have a freezer. It's fairly possible you have some sort of glass jar around. Fill the jar with fresh beans, freeze for a few weeks, take out the jar to thaw, and brew. See what you think. It's not an infallible thing, clearly, as the OP is seeing some very uncommon results, but I even draw the line at a month or so. If I'm storing coffee that long, I'm forgetting about it. It's really just a method that seems to work well at preserving beans a bit longer than their natural shelf life at room temp. My findings have never been what cwatson claims - I've never experienced a discernible off-taste due to freezing. However, you may find differently. And that's exactly why I recommend people to try it themselves. Waiting for a study to be completed will take far longer, after all. Though, if you really want to see a breakdown of the science behind frozen coffee preservation, I couldn't blame you.
"Frost Free" is the spawn of Satan as is trying to use the freezer at the top or bottom of your fridge. Common sense is all else that is required here.
1.) Don't refreeze any food product, just don't. (frost free included) 2.) Freeze in as close to a vacum as you can. 3.) Thaw frozen dry goods at room temp still sealed to minimize condensation. 4.) Once thawed consume it in a timely fashion. In my experience beans that have been frozen tank more quickly after thaw. I freeze in batches small enough i have to thaw about every day.
Try it if you can't make work for you don't do it. I think its pretty short sited to discount the dozens of accounts of successes by accomplished individuals that can make it work for them.
You know those people that want to tell you how to raise your kids but have none of their own? That is how i feel when someone with a kitchen appliance tells me how the merits or dis-merits of my machine or how to use it.
The above comments are pretty much solid stuff. I will add that I discern no degradation in quality, and i've tested using 9 day old q way valve coffee with the same coffee I froze at day 3 post roast then thawed e days later. I waited 2 days to allow the coffee to rest a bit. It was every bit as good as my 9 day prime coffee, with the slight differences in bloom/crema.
I would guess when freezing a drip blend, any differences would be less detectable.
I took the liberty of using one of JasonBrandtLewis's options and I quote Ken Fox and Jim's joint study: "On the "Features" section of this website is an article by Ken Fox describing an experiment comparing previously frozen coffee to fresh, never frozen coffee. It concluded that freezing was a reasonable way to preserve coffee intended for espresso use, for a period of at least two months".
And I do idolize Jim and everything he brings to the coffee scene. This is an argument that we should all be respectful on this forum to each others feelings.
Freezing is a reasonable way to, etc. 'nuff said. And no other claim, no more no less. This has helped me tremendously when I order 4-5 pounds to save shipping costs and haing to store a portion. If these guys feel little harm is done to their delicate palate then I don't worry about my untrained one. Thanks for allowing me to express my feelings on this delicate subject.
I actually just bought Red Bird's espresso roast. After wandering around their site I found this little bit of info about freezing which might be helpful:
"If you order the 5 pound bag and want to store it, the best way is to vacuum seal it with something like a Foodsaver, and then freeze it. Coffee that is not vacuum sealed will still age in the freezer, but vac-sealing and freezing seems to stop the aging process almost completely." -From Red Bird Coffee Website http://redbirdcoffee.com/aboutcoffee.html
It seems to me by that oxygen is the culprit with most food so getting rid of that might actually make what they're saying true...Even if the taste may change a little.
I have been freezing roasted espresso beans for the last couple years and have not had issues. i re-use the resealable 1 lb. bags that Vivace and Ecco ship their coffee in. These have the one-way valve that let air out as the beans off gas. I make a decent effort to get out as much air as possible before putting them in the freezer. My Sub-Zero freezer is set at 0 degrees and have ground beans that were frozen for up to 6 weeks with great results. A truly airtight seal is essential, and a below freezing temperature seems to do the trick. I have tried the mason jars as well, and it worked well enough, but you have to fill the jars to eliminate as much air as possible. A half filled jar was my one downfall recently and I wasted a 1/2 pound of Handsome espresso.
... I have tried the mason jars as well, and it worked well enough, but you have to fill the jars to eliminate as much air as possible. A half filled jar was my one downfall recently and I wasted a 1/2 pound of Handsome espresso.
I agree that getting the air out is crucial to successful freezing. I seem to recall reading a year or so ago, a semi-scientific test done by one of the engineers on either this site or Home Barista's. The conclusion was that freezing when done right, works pretty damn well for practical purposes.
I have experimented with it. It is a yes and no kind of answer. Yes just a vacuum will add a few days until the beans are stale but other then commercial machines the oxygen can not be lowered enough to stop oxidation. Limiting exposure to oxygen is just one part of the equation, the beans will still degas co2. Freezing below -10f stops the beans from degassing and seems to stop any oxidation or at least slows it to a crawl, I stopped pulling a vacuum on my jars and I can not taste a difference from a vacuumed jar and a non vacuumed jar once they have come to room temp.
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The Arabic words “an-Nakba” (“the catastrophe,” from the trilateral Semitic root NKB meaning to do harm, or to make miserable) is the term used in modern Arabic to refer to the uprooting of about 700,000 Arabs living in British Mandatory Palestine and their exile to neighboring Arab states, as a result of Israel’s victory in the 1948 war. It has become a political term that competes well with “ha-Shoah” (the Holocaust) for international attention, as a gut-wrenching knee-jerk plea for recognition of a tragedy of epic proportions wrecked upon a hapless, helpless population. As Palestinian Authority representative Hanan Ashrawi stated at the controversial 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa: “a nation in captivity held hostage to an ongoing Nakba, as the most intricate and pervasive expression of persistent colonialism, apartheid, racism, and victimization.”
But “ha-Shoah” represents a real disaster, galactic in dimension, and, as Will Durant put it, an evil that demonstrated the failure of civilization, or worse, “the failure of civilization, democracy, ethics and religion… of everything we might call humanity.” The use of “an-Nakba” today, however, represents the successful spin of modern Arab propaganda in support of an endeavor maintained for more than 60 years, by Arab states and terrorists, that seeks to replicate the Holocaust on an even larger scale.
The term originated in Arabic history decades before the 1948 war, and meant almost exactly the opposite of its current usage.
George Habib Antonius, the father of modern Arab nationalist history, wrote The Arab Awakening in 1938. There he documented the first known political use of the term (pg. 312):
“The year 1920 has an evil name in Arab annals: it is referred to as the Year of the Catastrophe (Am an-Nakba). It saw the first armed risings that occurred in protest against the post-War settlement imposed by the Allies on the Arab countries. In that year, serious outbreaks took place in Syria, Palestine, and Iraq.”
In fact, from the 1880’s onward Arab nationalists protested the use of the term “Palestine” because “Palestine,” as they explained, was really southern Syria (as-Suriyeh al-janubiyeh). Even the most vitriolic and vociferous Arab nationalist in Southern Syria, the Hajj Amin el-Husseini, opposed the Mandate because it created “Palestine” separate from Syria.”[i] The General Syrian Congress of 1919 stressed an exclusively Syrian identity for the Arabs of “greater Syria” (i.e., including Lebanon and Palestine): “We ask that there should be no separation of the southern part of Syria, known as Palestine . . .”[ii] George Antonius, as noted above, defined Palestine as part of Syria. Akhmed Shukairi, the PLO delegate to the UN, asserted in 1956, eight years after the birth of the State of Israel and the creation of the “Palestinian refugees,” that “It is common knowledge that Palestine is nothing but Southern Syria.”[iii] As late as 1974 Syria’s President Hafez al-Assad asserted that: … Palestine is not only a part of our Arab homeland, but a basic part of southern Syria.”
This original “Nakba,” thus, was not the catastrophe that Ashrawi described in such searing terms. Rather it was a spontaneous rebellion by the Arabs of southern Syria (which would soon become known as British Mandatory Palestine), in protest against the division by the European victors of World War 1 of Arab-populated lands of the former Ottoman (Turkish) Empire into the British and French mandates of Palestine, Syria and Iraq.
This “Nakba” had nothing to do with Jews or Zionism, and nothing to do with demands by “Palestinian” Arabs for national self-determination or political self-realization. To the contrary, this original “Nakba” stands as historical testimony to the fact that the Arabs of British Mandatory Palestine saw themselves as Syrians. They had no perception of themselves as “Palestinians.”
Even the term “Nakba” as it was first used to relate to the 1948 war is inconsistent with its emotion -fraught use today. Constantine Zureiq, a professor of history at the American University of Beirut, in his 1948 book Ma’na an-Nakba (The Meaning of the Catastrophe), used the term to condemn Arab governments for their failure to vanquish Israel and for their abandonment of the Arab peasantry; and to critique Arab society as a whole for its tendency to live in the past: “The Zionists had a vision from the past to the future, while the Arabs lived in the dreams of their glorious past.”[iv]
The concepts of the “Palestinian people” and “historic Palestine” as that people’s ancient homeland “from time immemorial” did not exist in the Arab world of 1948. Those Arabs who suffered that “Nakba” were indeed hapless victims; but they were victims of their own leaders’ lust for the destruction of Israel,[v] and they saw themselves as Syrians, living in what should rightfully be called “Southern Syria.” It was only decades later that Yasser Arafat and his Soviet handlers came up with the eminently successful PR fiction that the Arab refugees represented an ancient nation in its ancestral homeland, exiled cruelly by a brutal colonialist Jewish army. [vi]
The term “an-Nakba” in its current usage, referring exclusively to Israel’s putative crimes against the “Palestinian people,” was an even later invention. The term is not found in Arabic political usage until 1998 when Arafat, by this time ensconced as the “rais” (head, leader) of the Palestinian Authority, thanks to the Oslo Accords, instituted an official “Nakba Day” to be held every year on May 15, the anniversary of the declaration of the State of Israel. Only then did the words “an-Nakba” begin to assume their place of prominence in Palestinian life.
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Mama Bear Parenting Philosophy
The Mama Bear Mother Parenting Philosophy is quite simple and can be summed up with one word:
It begins with the following life's
The plain fact is, life ain't fair.
It's not fair when you're an adult…and it's certainly not fair when you're in college.
So why the heck are some parents shielding their kids from this plain fact of life?
They are doing their children a total disservice by this coddling.
When you're in the work world, you do not *have* Mommy and Daddy ready to call in the lawyers if your boss fails to give you an A. You simply have to deal with the situation.
Conversely, if you're a high school kid and your teacher decides to give you a failing grade because you forgot to email in your assignment on time, you take ownership of your actions and deal with it yourself.
The Success Tactics of the Mama Bear Mother involve setting the academic bar as high as your children can possibly achieve. No more, no less – the key is performing to the very best of one's ability and taking ownership of both the successes *and* the failures.
It continues with
- Respect the children have for themselves.
- Respect the children have for the parents.
- Respect the children have for their surroundings.
Children need to earn their parent's respect…but their parents do *not* have to earn their children's respect.
Just like bosses don't have to earn their employees respect.
When raising the family, there is one central power.
And that is the parent.
Not the child.
Make no mistake….It's an awesome responsibility.
- Parents *must* instill wisdom and respect in their children.
- Parents *must not* tolerate or accept disrespect or back-talk from their children.
- Parents *must* be viewed as always having 140% faith and belief in their kids.
- Boundaries must be set…and adhered to, even if it requires massively painful consequences.
Because that's…what life *is*.
It's not all sweetness and light, it's not "I'm your bestest buddy even though I'm you're parent."
"I'm going to raise you to the very best of my ability. And if you choose to hate me for it….I do regret that, but I'm *not* your friend.
I'm *not* your buddy.
I'm far and away *superior*.
I'm your parent."
Then we add a heaping measure of
The world is filled with smart kids who have 4.0 averages.
Yawn will go the college admissions and future employers….big deal indeed when they apply for colleges or employment and find the other 9,492 are also 4.0 academic droids too!
You don't get the edge with just plain smartness.
Instead, you need to have a robust creative Imagination too….to make you stand out, head and shoulders, from the rest of the thundering herd!
It's that special unique edge that compels the most desirable of colleges and employment to say, what's in it for us if we accept or hire this individual?
Indeed…what *is* in it for colleges or employers to consider our children?
The Success Tactics of the Mama Bear Mother involve giving wings to your child's creativity, so they'll never blend in with the crowd when uniqueness will tip the scales in the winner's direction.
And it closes with incredible, undeniable….
The sad truth is, we as parents just cannot be there for our kids every moment of every day.
Not only that, but we're *not* the only input kids receive; they also are bombarded with soul-searing doubts from their unforgiving peers, their difficult academic challenges and more.
But when you instill in your children an unshakeable belief in their own personal inner-greatness, it doesn't matter what negatives are flung in their direction….their personal self-confidence will allow them to shrug it off and continue with a superbly positive attitude.
The Success Tactics of the Mama Bear Mother involve teaching your children to honor their own personal inner hero and greatness….and to let it brilliantly shine in all their endeavors.
Raise your child the Mama Bear way….and you'll see results you've never thought possible.
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– Mama Bear | <urn:uuid:422a32d0-c48c-4914-ac72-23b0c6a0b924> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mamabear.me/philosophy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945288 | 975 | 2.0625 | 2 |
FR Doc E6-3552
[Federal Register: March 14, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 49)]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Inventory Completion: Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the
completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary
objects in the possession of the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK. The human
remains and associated funerary objects were removed from Craighead
This notice is published as part of the National Park Service's
administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003 (d)(3).
The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the
museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the Native
American human remains and associated funerary objects. The National
Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice.
A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by Gilcrease
Museum professional staff in consultation with representatives of the
Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma.
Between 1964 and 1968, human remains representing a minimum of 161
individuals were removed from the Charlie MacDuffie farm in Craighead
County, AR, by avocational archeologist Frank Soday. The human remains
and associated funerary objects were deeded by gift to the Gilcrease
Museum in 1982 by the Soday Research Foundation. No known individuals
were identified. The 16,783 associated funerary objects are 77 whole
and restored ceramic vessels; 8,093 spindle whorls, clay beads, and pot
sherds; 938 lithic flakes and tools, including projectile points,
scrapers, drills, and burins; 327 fire-cracked rocks, hammerstones,
celts, cores, and cobbles; 4,415 faunal bones and bone and antler
tools; 2,407 mussel shells, shell fragments, and shell beads; 206
turtle shells and shell fragments; 249 daub samples; 52 charcoal
pieces; 7 wood and floral samples; and 12 mineral specimens. The 9,097
unassociated funerary objects removed from the MacDuffie farm are
described in an accompanying Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural
The Charlie MacDuffie site (3CG21) is located near the town of
Lunsford in Craighead County, northeastern Arkansas. Excavation records
indicate that the site consisted of a "large village with two
mounds." Non-destructive analysis indicates that the human remains are
Native American. Cultural items associated with the human remains have
been determined to date to the Middle Mississippian period (A.D. 1170-
1300). Oral history evidence presented by representatives of the Quapaw
Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma indicates that the region has long been
included in the traditional and hunting territory of the Quapaw. French
colonial records from 1700 also indicate that the Quapaw were known
then to be the only Native American group present in the St. Francis
River valley region where the MacDuffie site is located. Based on the
geographical location and the date of interment, the human remains are
most likely to be culturally affiliated with the Quapaw Tribe of
Officials of the Gilcrease Museum have determined that, pursuant to
25 U.S.C. 3001 (9-10), the human remains described above represent the
physical remains of 161 individuals of Native American ancestry.
Officials of the Gilcrease Museum have also determined that, pursuant
to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (3)(A), the 16,783 objects described above are
reasonably believed to have been placed with or near individual human
remains at the time of death or later as part of the death rite or
ceremony. Lastly, officials of the Gilcrease Museum have determined
that, pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001 (2), there is a relationship of shared
group identity that can be reasonably traced between the Native
American human remains and associated funerary objects and the Quapaw
Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma.
Representatives of any other Indian tribe that believes itself to
affiliated with the human remains and associated funerary objects
should contact Randy Ramer, Curator of Anthropology, Gilcrease Museum,
1400 Gilcrease Museum Road, Tulsa, OK 74127-2100, telephone (918) 596-
2743, before April 13, 2006. Repatriation of the human remains and
associated funerary objects to the Quapaw Tribe of Indians, Oklahoma
may proceed after that date if no additional claimants come forward.
The Gilcrease Museum is responsible for notifying the Quapaw Tribe
of Indians, Oklahoma that this notice has been published.
Dated: February 10, 2006.
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. E6-3552 Filed 3-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-50-S
Back to the top | <urn:uuid:39bb1727-9e7f-4313-9875-0da0cbefb349> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nps.gov/nagpra/fed_notices/nagpradir/nic0896.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901551 | 1,143 | 1.90625 | 2 |
The possibility of a “Green Corridor” on the island’s north-south strip of railway land is being seriously considered, according to Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan Jin, Minister of State for National Development.
BG Tan has revealed in a Facebook post that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Parks Board have been in negotiations with the Nature Society of Singapore (NSS) over various interest groups’ proposal to convert the land into a continuously recreational space.
“I believe that there are exciting possibilities to bring Singaporeans together as we embark on this journey to create our home, even as we preserve our environment and heritage,” BG Tan said in his blog.
Currently owned by Malaysia’s Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), the 173.7 ha tract of land will be returned to Singapore on 1 July. Around 40 km of railway is currently situated on it — 26 km from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands and at least another 14 km of empty line from Clementi to Jurong.
BG Tan noted that the authorities will meet members of the interest groups soon and “outreach efforts” will start in earnest in due course.
Source : PropertyGuru – 16 Jun 2011 | <urn:uuid:c7c6f5b2-a190-462c-8083-fef5215062f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lushhomemedia.com/2011/06/16/government-considering-new-green-belt/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95715 | 263 | 1.578125 | 2 |
“When I was in school, I didn’t wait for things come to me. I went out of my way to get them,” says Natalia Allen, founder and CEO of the successful and innovative sustainable fashion consulting firm Design Futurist. Allen, BFA Fashion Design ’04, combined her Parsons fashion education with an intensive social science program at The New School and extracurricular research on ecofriendly technology and textiles. Her quest for knowledge took her straight to the fashion industry’s fast lane. Upon graduating in 2004, Allen was elected Designer of the Year by her program (with Ashleigh Verrier); shortly thereafter, she was hired as an innovation consultant by Donna Karan to develop new products for the company’s men’s collection.
Since then, Design Futurist has continued to create ecofriendly high-tech textiles and clothing for companies like Calvin Klein, Quiksilver, and Saks Fifth Avenue. “As an entrepreneur, I would categorize myself as a doer,” Allen says. “I like the idea of being a thought leader, but for me it’s not enough. As a designer, you have to materialize your concepts, goals, and visions.”
Allen’s achievements quickly attracted notice. In 2009, she was chosen by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader, one of a worldwide group of 200 to 300 outstanding entrepreneurs, politicians, civil servants, artists, and academics under 40 who seek innovative solutions to global problems. “Being part of this community is very encouraging; I’m amazed by my colleagues and the work that they do,” says Allen. The honor has inspired her to work even harder. Allen is currently working on a range of products under her own label, which she hopes will serve as a model of sustainable and fair clothing production. “I want to make the case that change is possible, and here’s how. We can heal the world through design.” | <urn:uuid:67f39465-67b5-4bb7-9f3f-d88461ccd365> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/profiles.aspx?id=42773 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972063 | 420 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Children stage ‘Robinson Crusoe’On Jan. 26, they will stage an original musical adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Sheldon Theatre.
On Jan. 26, they will stage an original musical adaptation of Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Sheldon Theatre.
The Missoula version begins on Robinson’s island years after he and his companion, a goat named Wilson, get shipwrecked. The island has turned into a tourist destination, complete with a singing leopard, a tribe of natives known for their colorful coifs, Friday’s Seaside Resort and the legend of Robinson Crusoe.
In a flashback the audience is taken back to the shipwreck that stranded Robinson Crusoe and Wilson on the island.
The population discovers that people’s differences need not stand in the way of friendship.
Fifty or more school children from throughout the county will be selected during auditions at the start of the week. Actor/directors from Missoula will work with them to prepare the play, and at the same time help the young people develop life skills such as teamwork, discipline, hard work and creativity through theater.
Missoula also supplies the costumes, props and sets for a full-scale production.
The company, which has been working with young people for over 30 years, also is currently involved in making a documentary film about an international tour. “The Little Red Truck” will show how children can come together to create a musical stage production while learning important lessons like commitment, confidence, teamwork, trust and acceptance.
For more about the project, go to www.mctinc.org.
Tickets to “Robinson Crusoe” are $10 for adults and $6 for students. Call (651) 388-8700 or (800) 899-5759 or go to www.sheldontheatre.org. | <urn:uuid:8fe9d99a-48a4-431f-96eb-2df33133de1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.republican-eagle.com/event/article/id/47411/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931614 | 435 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Housing affordability solved - by levitation
March 10, 2011 - 9:14AM
Overlooked in the constant rage about housing affordability is the ability to move it. There are plenty of variables in the equation, but a key factor in making expensive housing expensive is proximity to the city centre, so if you can move the city centre closer...
It can be done. It takes investment, it takes politicians prepared to take risk, to not be afraid of making a mistake for the greater good, a breed unlike the usual risk-averse, poll-driven, short-term plotters.
The first thing to be understood is that CBD proximity is a distance measured in time, not kilometres. You can argue about exactly where the limit is, but being within about 25 minutes of the CBD seems to be a key determinant in housing desirability and, therefore expense. If there's a limited supply of housing within a 25-minute radius of the CBD, demand will do its usual thing to price.
The response of government tends to be to increase housing density within the desirability zone, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. If the increased density isn't matched with improved transport infrastructure, the effect can just be to shrink the geographical zone. Jam the roads, overload the trains, you can find yourself further than 25 minutes out.
The alternative is to improve transport speeds. Achieving peace in the Middle East also would be nice.
Melbourne can build a you-beaut new road, improving travel times, facilitating a marked housing expansion in feeder suburbs – and pretty soon the morning traffic jams mean the new road isn't so you-beaut. It might seem hard to believe, but once upon a time Sydney's M5 provided a refreshingly fast link from the airport to the south-west. If you were heading from the North Shore to Canberra, you'd happily pay the tolls and take the M5. Now, you'd have to be paid to use it and then you should be mindful of a former NSW Health Minister's advice to keep the windows shut as you crawl through the tunnel's fume haze.
Moving right along (slowly), mass transit systems would seem logical – but then you collide with the horrendous cost of extending and improving heavy rail or compounding road traffic with light rail or, in the truly exceptional case of NSW, blowing hundreds of millions not building a subway. That takes a very special talent.
The state of state government revenue (not good and destined to get worse) makes serious investment in heavy rail sharply rationed, the stuff of election promises rather than reality. Acquiring new land corridors and/or drilling the tunnels on the scale required to make a sizeable difference is simply beyond state treasuries. Heavy rail isn't about to move CBDs closer in our lifetime. And, even if the money could be found, heavy rail simply isn't fast. The CBD doesn't get moved much. What's more, new heavy rail is still run by the people who run old heavy rail. In the NSW case, that's effectively Sussex Street. 'Nuff said.
The Central Planning Commissariat, well-meaning that they might sometimes be, counter that the answer isn't to improve transport because they simply don't want proles from the outer areas travelling into the city anyway. They should know their place. In fact, transport getting worse is better as it will force people to work locally, preferably bicycling to reduce their nasty habit carbon habit and giving them more time to grow vegetables and weave rugs.
So the central planners impose weird local employment targets on councils and try to force developers to provide jobs as well as housing in the boondocks and give up on meaningful transport change. Yet plan as they might, we simple souls still find something appealing about bright lights, big city. Good luck to those who are happy on the fringes, but the Big End of Town, with all its premium salaries and opportunities, will continue to reside eponymously, not in Geelong, Penrith or Gosford.
Enter high speed rail. No, enter the dream of high speed rail, but just because the Greens like it, it doesn't mean it can't be true, just as a persistent little fan club doesn't have to consist of Trekkies.
A skim of the files shows that there's been plenty of talk about high speed rail and no action. Under the Howard Government at the start of the century there was a study done on the feasibility of Sydney-Canberra by the iron horse on elephant juice. That exercise went as far as calling tenders and awarding one, but the wheels subsequently fell off when more details of the bid were examined. There's another study under way now, thanks to the Greens' new power, on a Sydney-Newcastle link. And in between Melbourne-Geelong's been looked at and Tullamarine Airport-Melbourne CBD and so it goes.
The Sydney-Newcastle effort has a preliminary report due mid-year. Maybe it will be different, but you'd be brave to bet on it. Generally what happens is that any and all studies find that it's expensive to build a high-speed rail link and, therefore, it doesn't happen. (D'oh, you need to spend millions on a study to find that out? Next time, hire me and I'll tell you for just one million and everyone's a winner.)
What the sticker shock doesn't let people see past is housing affordability and growth centres. That concept of moving the CBD is hard to get across to the dull.
Typical of the political reaction is Paul McLeay, the Member for Heathcote – or he is for 16 more days. At a regional transport forum, McLeay rubbished the idea as Wollongong didn't have the population density to make such a thing viable. Oh, those Japanese and French can have their high-speed trains because there are millions of the blighters, but there just aren't enough Norman Gunstons to make it work here.
But modern high-speed rail has the potential of being a genuine Field of Dreams: if you build it, they will come. Move the CBD so that it's 25 minutes from the 'Gong and the Illawarra's cheap housing and empty beaches suddenly become much more appealing.
And high-speed rail has changed too. The Japanese and French examples so often quoted have become rather old technology – there are good reasons to think twice about their suitability, especially over relatively short distances and through cities. They have metal wheels rolling over steel and thus can be a little noisy as they pick up speed, which they don't do especially quickly.
To see what might have changed the game, catch the train to or from the airport in Shanghai. It's not new anymore after seven years in commercial service, but it is fast, reliable and quiet as it has no wheels. The Maglev system sounds like science fiction – a train that works on magnetic levitation – but it's real enough.
To risk quoting Tony Abbott, I'm no tech head, but Maglev, as extolled by ThyssenKrupp's Transrapid Australia, has some rather neat attributes. They claim that not having wheels means it's quiet up to about 200km/h, after which the wind starts making a noise but still less than that of a freeway, so you can run them through cities without frightening the horses. The Maglev business means these things also can accelerate very quickly, so they can make servicing relatively frequent stops – say, every dozen kilometres – still worth doing. Because the train is actually wrapped around the track, they can't derail, which is nice to know if they're hurtling through a city a bit quicker than the Stig on his best day. Maglev also means the track isn't so heavy – it can be stuck up on pylons running across the countryside, letting wee beasties happily hop, skip and jump beneath and grazing cattle graze. They can run down the median strips of existing freeways, saving that troublesome business of acquiring new rail corridors. And they can go up and down steeper hills than conventional rail, both high and low speed, and require less electricity to do it. They're certainly not cheap to build and the actual train bit is expensive – the Koreans haven't started knocking them out on assembly lines yet – but the running and maintenance costs are significantly lower.
Which is all rather neat and a vast improvement on the model trainset my adult third cousin had under his house that he never let us kids play with. It'd be cool to have one. More importantly, ThyssenKrupp has believed in the product enough to offer interesting deals on building a set. I understand Transrapid spent several million on a feasibility study for the NSW government a decade or so ago. The deal offered was a one-off capital spend by the government – more than $1 billion, but well less than two – and that was it. TransRapid would build and operate the thing (not State Rail) with ownership reverting to the state some years down the track, so to speak.
For that initial investment, a wide arc of more desirable housing could have been opened up. Gosford, Penrith and Wollongong would have been moved to a matter of minutes from the CBD. Transport hubs could then be developed servicing those centres. Weekly commuter tickets wouldn't be cheap, but the difference in housing costs between the Blue Mountains and the inner west is enough to pay for an awful lot of train rides. The problem solved wouldn't be public transport, but housing and quality of life.
OK, that's an exaggeration – it wouldn't solve the housing affordability problem. That still requires a major increase in supply, but it would mitigate it and make the necessary extra building more achievable by moving it further out. Maybe it's not much of an exaggeration to suggest that it would change Sydney in more ways than anything since the automobile.
What happened to that study is open to conjecture. Maybe the day's Transport Minister had good reasons to disregard it. Maybe it was tossed out in a fit of pique. Maybe it fell foul of the byzantine politics within the transport sector and its powerful unions. Whatever the history, the rather expensive study and an offer (that now looks cheap) was shelved.
Transrapid is having another crack in the context of the Greens-inspired Sydney-Newcastle study. If they make an offer, it's likely to be considerably more expensive than it was a decade ago, but probably cheaper than it will be in another decade. It could be interesting if the government was capable of taking it seriously.
Michael Pascoe is a BusinessDay contributing editor. | <urn:uuid:c1052712-1c3e-4c97-8487-8573177a279a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://australianpropertyforum.com/topic/8489033/1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973816 | 2,207 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Some people are born different, others come to this world to support and love them. Matthew Paul Miller or Matisyahu on the stage does stand out of the crowd of other vocalists. Being Jewish through and through he manages to blend incredible things and styles of music! His reggae with a good deal of alternative rock and a whiff of traditional Jewish themes sounds like no other blends you have been offered before!
Matthew was born on June 30, 1979 in West Chester, Pennsylvania (USA). His parents brought him up in a very traditional way – the boy was a typical Reconstructionist Jew who attended Hebrew school at Bet Am Shalom, a synagogue in White Plains. When Matthew was a child his parents settled in White Plains in Westchester County, New York. His life was too boring and his parents were too rigid that is why as a teen Matisyahu began to rebel – he started taking drugs and dropped out of his High School and went away with the rock band Phish following it on tour. Fortunately, Matthew was too smart to give up his aducation – after some rebellious months he managed to finish high school at a wilderness program in Bend, Oregon.
No matter how sad his yearly years were, Matisyahu took part in a two month-long program for students who wished to explore Jewish heritage at the Alexander Muss High School (Israel) in autumn of 1995 and this program changed his views for good. Matisyahu finally made up his mind to adopt Orthodox Judaism. In 2001 he became a Baal Teshuva and found his way first to the Carlebach Shul on the West Side of Manhattan and then to Chabad of Washington Square.
This is the time when Matisyahu began playing with the Jewish band Pey Dalid. From 2001 to July 2007, Matisyahu was connected with the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Since 2004, he has released three studio albums and two live albums, two remix CDs and two DVDs featuring live concerts.
In November 2009, NBC used Matisyahu‘s song “One Day” as background music for their advertisement of the Olympic games. This stirred up speculation that “One Day” may become the theme song for the 2010 Olympics. However, it remained only NBC’s top pick, and was not announced to be the theme song. In 2011 he embarked on a concert tour where he presented his fusions of rap, beatboxing, jazz scat singing and Judaism’s unique style of songful prayers. Now you have a unique chance to download all Matisyahu videos for free to appreciate his tremendous works full of pure love and emotion.
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Matthew Paul Miller, better known by his stage name Matisyahu, is an reggae and alternative rock musician. He was born on June 30th 1979.
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Matthew Paul Miller, better known by his stage name Matisyahu, is an reggae and alternative rock musician. He was born June 30, 1979.
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Matisyahu Beat Box Video free download! | <urn:uuid:30171856-8efc-41e6-8116-01a12b9e5a0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://matisyahudownload.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970899 | 716 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Payson and Arizona State Parks officials have made a “breakthrough” in efforts to keep Tonto Natural Bridge open all summer.
The State Parks Board will likely act on the proposed agreement March 18 allowing Payson to take over operation of the world’s largest travertine arch for the key summer travel months, said Payson Mayor Kenny Evans.
State Parks officials have identified a potential source of funding to pay the nearly $1 million in balloon payments for purchase of the property due this year and next, clearing the major hurdle to an agreement to keep the park open, said Evans.
Meanwhile, Payson officials have identified donors and volunteer groups that can contribute the roughly $30,000 in additional funds needed to keep the park open in the course of the summer.
“It’s a major step forward,” said Evans. “We’ve arrived at a general agreement on whatever it takes to keep it open under the current plan.”
The Friends of Tonto Natural Bridge will meet this week to discuss fund-raising plans. “Between their help and other private help, we’ll be able to keep it open without tapping into Town of Payson funds,” said Evans.
State Parks officials have now completed the structural and roof repairs on the historic lodge, which once housed guests and a restaurant and has provided space for the gift shop since the State State Parks took over. If volunteers can apply the final finishing touches on the inside, the lodge can reopen as a money-making gift shop.
The current plan would provide a way to pay for the two park rangers and perhaps other state park employees to stay on past the planned June closing. The Friends of Tonto Natural Bridge and the existing core of park volunteers would augment the state parks staff, which would remain in charge under the temporary arrangement.
Long-term solution unknown
However, the town and the State Parks Board would continue to negotiate concerning the park’s long-term future, which Payson hopes will include a private contractor that could operate the park, invest in money-making improvements like opening the lodge to overnight visitors, adding cabins and operating a campground.
“State Parks employees would continue to handle all the money (in the interim agreement this summer). We’re simply finding a pile of money to assist with operating costs so we can continue through the summer, which will hopefully buy us enough time to negotiate a longer-term solution,” said Evans. “Ultimately, we want to not only re-open the park, but to open a bigger, better park.”
The deal could provide crucial support for the summer travel season in a Rim Country economy lopsidedly dependent on tourism, with the construction sector still all but dead.
The best-known tourist attraction in Rim Country internationally, Tonto Natural Bridge at its peak drew more than 93,000 visitors annually pumping $3.6 million into the local economy. Weekday closures last year and an avalanche of publicity about state park woes cut visitation to just 65,000.
The park had nearly reached economic break-even at peak visitation, but the deficit has gaped wider as visitation fell. State Parks’ figures put the cost of operating the park at some $170,000 annually, most of that for staffing costs.
The state has identified a source of funding for the $450,000 payment due by June, with a final payment of about $500,000 to complete purchase of the site next year. Without those final two payments, the park might have reverted to the family group that agreed to sell it to the state nearly a decade ago.
The bridge operated for many years as a privately run attraction, with a spring-fed swimming pool, a pick-your-own orchard, cabins, lodge, restaurant and a campground. The state significantly improved access by paving the steep, narrow road down into the canyon, but shut down most of the additional, profit-making elements for lack of maintenance money.
The state Legislature has repeatedly swept operating and maintenance funds for state parks, swallowing up even accounts fed by gate fees. The State Parks system in the last 15 years has nearly doubled the number of sites open to the public, but the most recent round of legislative cuts have reduced the operating budget to levels lower than they stood a decade ago.
As a result, the State Parks Board recently voted to close most of the parks in the system, leaving open a handful of money-making parks — including Kartchner Caverns, Slide Rock in Sedona and several camping and boating parks along the Colorado River.
Cities and towns have been scrambling to find ways to keep nearby parks open. Yuma has already taken over operation of a historic waterfront park there.
Volunteers raising money
Evans said volunteer and fund-raising efforts of the Friends of Tonto Natural Bridge will prove crucial. Private donors have already promised the bulk of the $20,000 to $30,000 needed to keep the park open. The Friends will have to raise roughly $7,000 in additional funding. In addition, park supporters hope to mount a “media” blitz including billboards along Highway 87 to make sure summer travelers know the bridge will remain open all season.
Meanwhile, the town will continue to negotiate with the State Parks Board about the future of the soaring, cavernous arch that groundwater and Pine Creek have dissolved in a massive cliff-face of limestone.
Water has dissolved a great passage through the solid cliff face, with a stream running through the middle from one travertine-tinted pool to another. Inside the great arch, water drips from fractures in a ceiling so distant that it seems like a continual pattering of rain.
“I think we’re covered in the current budget scenario,” said Evans.
“If the state budget deteriorates further, then we have Plan B ready,” which would involve finding a private concessionaire to take over operations. “We have multiple concessionaire interested now.” | <urn:uuid:1422947b-ac87-417e-8705-473c3d16873d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2010/mar/02/breakthrough_reached_tonto_bridge_talks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954927 | 1,250 | 1.765625 | 2 |
War hero learned, taught respect for human worth
By Jerry Vondas
Published: Saturday, February 23, 2013, 9:00 p.m.
Updated: Saturday, February 23, 2013
When Wayne T. Alderson jokingly told friends and acquaintances that the T in his name meant “trouble,” the German army during World War II could verify that claim.
As an infantry scout, Pvt. Alderson was the first American infantryman to cross the Siegfried Line into Germany, the enemy's strongest and first line of defense, according to the citation accompanying his Silver Star. After returning to battalion headquarters, he volunteered to lead an attack. Fully exposed and vastly outnumbered, he charged into a fierce firefight at close range, beating back the enemy attack and inflicting 35 casualties.
Wayne T. Alderson of Pleasant Hills, formerly of Canonsburg, died Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, in St. Clair Hospital. He was 86.
Upon his return to civilian life, Mr. Alderson worked to build roads during the day and attended what is now Robert Morris University at night to receive his business degree.
Mr. Alderson was a nationally recognized speaker and spiritual leader who founded Value of the Person, teaching the principles of love, dignity and respect in the work world.
“Although Dad was considered a peacemaker in the work world, he felt that the values he espoused also applied to a person's home life,” said his daughter, Nancy Jean McDonnell of Upper St. Clair, president of Value of the Person, headquartered in Mt. Lebanon.
Born and raised in Canonsburg, Wayne Alderson was one of seven children of Anthony Alderson, a coal miner, and his wife, Edith.
Nancy Holt Alderson, his wife of 60 years, said she met her husband at a party in Mt. Washington.
“I felt then and I continued to feel throughout our marriage that the Lord had it all planned for us to meet,” she said.
In addition to his wife Nancy, and his daughter, Nancy Jean, Mr. Alderson is survived by his sisters, Lillie Shannon and Jeanne Alderson, both of Canonsburg.
Family and friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday in Jefferson Memorial Home Inc., 301 Curry Hollow Road, Pleasant Hills.
A funeral service will be held in his honor at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church.
Interment and military honors to follow in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Bridgeville, where he asked to be buried, along with the men and women that fought for their country.
Jerry Vondas is a writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7823 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Agency, Structure, and Change in Social Theory
Making History is about the question - central to social theory - of how human agents draw their powers from the social structures they are involved in. Drawing on classical Marxism, analytical philosophy, and a wide range of historical writing, Alex Callinicos seeks to avoid two unacceptable extremes: dissolving the subject into an impersonal flux, as poststructuralists tend to; and treating social structures as the mere effects of individual action (for example, rational-choice theory). Among those discussed are Althusser, Anderson, Benjamin, Brenner, Cohen, Elster, Foucault, Giddens, Habermas, and Mann. Callinicos has written an extended introduction to this new edition that reviews developments since Making History was first published in 1987. This republication gives a new generation of readers access to an important intervention in Marxism and social theory.
Part of the Historical Materialism Book Series. | <urn:uuid:6ca98c17-7a60-4dc8-8d6e-756692d62fc7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/Making-History | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905044 | 194 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Actinomycosis is a long-term (chronic) bacterial infection that commonly affects the face and neck.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Actinomycosis is usually caused by an anaerobic bacteria called Actinomyces israelii, which is a common and normally not disease-causing (nonpathogenic) organism found in the nose and throat.
Because of the bacteria's normal location in the nose and throat, actinomycosis most commonly appears in the face and neck. However, the infection can sometimes occur in the chest (pulmonary actinomycosis), abdomen, pelvis, or other areas of the body. The infection is not contagious.
Symptoms occur when the bacteria enters the facial tissues after trauma, surgery, or infection. A common triggering causes is dental abscess or oral surgery. The infection has also been seen in certain women who have had an intrauterine device (IUD) to prevent pregnancy.
Once in the tissue, it forms an abscess, producing a hard, red to reddish-purple lump, often on the jaw, from which comes the condition's common name, "lumpy jaw."
Eventually, the abscess breaks through the skin surface to produce a draining sinus tract.
- Draining sores in the skin, especially on the chest wall from lung infection with Actinomyces
- Minimal or no pain
- Swelling or a hard, red to reddish-purple lump on the face or upper neck
- Weight loss
See also: Neck lumps
Signs and tests
- Culture of the tissue or fluid shows Actinomyces species.
- Examination of drained fluid under a microscope shows "sulfur granules" in the fluid. They are yellowish granules made of clumped organisms.
- Examination under a microscope shows the Actinomyces species of bacteria.
Treatment of actinomycosis usually requires antibiotics for several months to a year. Surgical drainage or removal of the lesion may be needed. If the condition is related to an IUD, the device must be removed.
With treatment, you should recover fully.
Meningitis can rarely develop from this infection.
Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if you develop any of the symptoms of this disorder. Beginning treatment promptly helps quicken the recovery.
Good oral hygiene and regular dentist visits may help prevent some forms of actinomycosis.
Brook I. Actinomycosis. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 350.
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. | <urn:uuid:82a5a573-2a53-4771-a75c-d6f0fdda404e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.promedica.org/body.cfm?id=922&action=detail&AEArticleID=000599&AEProductID=Adam2004_117&AEProjectTypeIDURL=APT_1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900238 | 660 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Our Queen of the Beasts makes a roaring statement with her ruby eyes, hand engraved deep detail and a lion's taste for diamonds. Her feline eyes, and mouth are fearsome and strong, though she has a soft touch. The nose and brow are realistic. The mane, flying as if it was a pair of wings, extends horizontally as the bold cat speeds on her journey. She is kept in tow by a golden chain that will hold her at your neck. With the chain detached, the necklace is a brooch. Loops existed for our chain to be added. This necklace was made during the Art Noveau movement, one hundred and ten years ago, when hand work was stressed above machine made jewels. The name Nannye E. Bell is inscribed in script on the back along with the date 1902.
Rich blue, the color of a clear, late night sky sets the background for diamonds on this utterly, perfect necklace and locket . Henry Blank and Co. the American Newark jeweler responsible for this necklace is known for incorporating the best quality gems available. The design combines elements of concurring periods. The butterfly above and the diamond and the scrolling vines that encircle the locket, are designs seen in the Art Nouveau movement. The blue translucent engine turned enamel was an enameling technique used through the Art Deco Period. The delicacy of the chain and of the entire necklace can be attributed to Edwardian jewelry in which platinum was first used. The enamel radiates from the center five diamonds as sun's rays reach out from the sun. The blue, rich and gleaming, as if lit from behind, is the perfect color to enhance the diamonds above it. An original chain, rarely found with this example of a locket, has elongated oval links the color of the pendant. The design on the engraving of the links is a herringbone pattern. Tasteful glitter and harmony pervade this jewel which is in superb condition. The length reaches the center of the breast at 21 inches. The diameter of the locket is 1 1/4 inches. There are two photographs of handsome men within the locket although the photo displays one. Remove them and replace with your own photos. Scrolls are engraved on the reverse depicting initials that form a fanciful pattern. A change of attitude can be accomplished by wearing the locket on a navy blue ribbon at the nape of the neck. The diamonds are european cut stones. All original. Condition: Immaculate See "American Jewelry Manufacturers, page 46 for a fascinating history of the Henry Blank firm which began in 1886 under the ownership of N.E. Whiteside, later the president of Dun & Bradstreet!
Imagine white and bright. Phtographs do not tell a complete story of jewelry. It is when it is placed on the body that this pendant shines. So will your smile and your eyes. The european cut diamonds are a total weight of approximately 2.50ct. They are set in platinum and backed with gold, reminiscent of the Georgian and Victorian Period stone setting. V shaped notches make the form unusual and suggestive of a flower or a four leaf clover.. This gem is loveable, in fine condition and ready to wear constantly.. The chain, a modern 16" cable link is sold separately.
Beaming sunlike through wisps of gold filigree is a flame of citrine. Like points in an orbit, pearls surround the stone on all sides. This is a lacy pendant, too sizable to be termed delicate. Edwardian jewels were designed concurrently with the Art Nouveau movement and share some of its qualities. The designs scrolled, curved and curled have a naturalistic quality in which there is a sense of the jewelers' hand.
From the early 20th century comes this repousse sunflower locket that is artistic and beautiful. Lockets are a favorite piece of jewelry for every day wear. This jewel will never be removed from the neck. Enlarge the image to get the full effect of the gold work. The raised floral motif is finely worked. A spark of diamond rests in the front center to catch a glint of light as you walk. The gold is uniform on the locket's face and on the reverse although photographic lighting creates shading. Inside is a space for a photograph. This is a gift for a lifetime. The condition is perfect. Measurement: 1 in. in circumference The chain, also 15kt gold, is separately priced and is Victorian with its original clasp. It is 16 in.
The pure beauty and glow of this moonstone, diamond and 18kt gold pendant is so great that I lack for words of accurate description. Like a creation of nature, one cannot replicate the sublime perfection of this jewel with a story or a photograph. This is exactly what the jewelers of the Art Nouveau movement aimed for, to make jewels that relate to nature and the hand of man, rather than the less human machine made jewels that were the rage after the industrial revolution. Collectors want moonstones to be gem quality. This stone is. It is a dome that is approximately 3/4 of a sphere. The stone glows with adularescence, a term that describes a milky blue white sheen found in fine moonstones that emit a light reminiscent of a full moon on a unforgettable evening. Curvacerous and floral forms and perfect symmetry are the typical, textbook, art nouveau characteristics of this jewel. The gold is warm and bloomed to a soft flame. The pearl at bottom is ovoid and gleaming in hues that relate to the moonstone. Small diamonds at all compass points are the stars adjacent to the moon. Workmanship, form and quality are museum worthy. The pendant sings of refinement and a master's hand. Suspended from its own 14kt hallmarked chain the length of the entire is 10 inches, a length that will show the pendant from an open color or rounded neckline be it high or low. The stone rises close to 1/2 of an inch from a flat surface. The width of the pendant is 1 1/4 inch. The length without the chain included is 2 1/4 in. Condition is superb.
Moonstones, filled with the romance of moonlight, have a milky hue with tints of blue, pink and yellow as the light around them changes. The Victorians favored the stones for their natural connection to the moon, not to dismiss June and spoon, and to their seductive light know as adularescence, the shimmer of color they hold. Victorians, Edwardians and folks living in the Art Nouveau era, thought these jewels had magical properties. In some nations folks expected good dreams or lovely visions at night if they wore these gems or put them beneath their pillow. The "Glorious" double moonstone pendant holds gem quality stones set in 18kt gold. In both drops, the moonstones are centered by a star and separated by golden triangles. Set at an angle with triangular shapes between them, there is a geometric quality which to me, makes the necklace look transitional between art nouveau and art deco. Cut in cabouchon, a smooth unfasceted cut, the translucent glow is emphasized. Dimension does not show on a flat screen, nor does play of color in a delicately reflective gem. The necklace is a beauty with unusual romantic associations and qualities. c.1915 - 1920 . Measurement of Pendant. 3 in. long. Width 1 1/4 in. Chain 16 3/4. Condition is perfect strong and can be an everyday jewel.
The chain is adustable thus the necklace can be worn at two lengths that differ an inch and three quarters.
This sparkling 18kt gold and diamond art nouveau bracelet is an example of the superb workmanship of French jewelers. The jeweling is fine enough to wear the bracelet back to front. Oval segments form soft toned 18kt golden links that are cut into tiny flowers and leaves. Five segments include a full round European cut diamond. Rose Cut Diamonds embellish the leaves on the three central sections. There is a sense of movement in this bracelet due to the effect of the curvilinear lines of each oval link. Curved silver and gold metal work forming natural patterns are synonymous with the art nouveau movement. The cut out work is clean and well defined. Do enlarge the images to get the full beauty. The gold glistens with a lovely soft hue that is warming. This jewel is as wearable and elegant today as it was in the Art Nouveau period. It is a bracelet that is always right. C. 1895 - 1915. Measures just a spot over ½ inch from the top of link to its bottom; 7 inches long when clasped. Length is 7 1/8 inches, width is a spot over 1/2 inch.
Subtle coloration and an unusual mix in an art nouveau necklace, this piece is like spring, delicate and a breath of fresh air. The aquamarine is pale blue. the peridot a definite but light toned green. Each stone is a perfect neighbor to the other as there is no single strong element but rather a harmony of tone and proportion. The 15ct gold, with some pink color added, holds and adds to the harmony. Delicacy, grace, elegance and femininity all in one antique necklace.
This gemstone and gold necklace is textbook art nouveau. Leaves of gold swirl toward a central heart shaped vine. Swags of detailed chain support the central nature inspired element that brings faceted amethysts, baroque pearls and diamonds to rest on the neck. The lower pear shaped amethyst echoes the pear shapes of the two pearls above it. Two round diamonds echo the orb of amethyst in the center of the heart. The amethysts are rich in hue and natural in color. American jewelry is a find. Our jewelry industry was still young in these years. Romantic and dignified, this necklace is a tour d' force of art nouveau design and craftmanship.American. Height 2 in. Width 17 1/2 Condition is Perfect
Glorious Antique Jewelry is proud to offer this textbook gold art nouveau pendant necklace, which highlights a matrix turquoise, five small rose diamonds a small round turquoise at the central ribbon swirl and a lovely oval turquoise drop at bottom The entire pendant is edged with granulation. Typical of fine art nouveau, this jewel is crafted meticulously with an eye to perfect balance and proportion. This jewel is so beautiful, it deserves close attention to its elements. Nature unfolds in its vines, leaves, buds and berries. Each separate detail adds dimension and texture. Although the swirls and curves are bordered with tiny gold spheres, the sense we get it that the pendant expands past its frame. .This is a necklace to be given and worn with pride. A period chain is available aand sold separately. Alternatively, this pendant can be worn on a variety of ribbons and tied to the desired length.English c. 1895-1915 | <urn:uuid:a2a1a1b9-f6f3-4201-aeb9-4d81e3c95825> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trocadero.com/stores/gloriousantiquejewelry/catalog/query.php?fromtrocadero=1&dealers=gloriousantiquejewelry&keywords=Art%7C%7C%7CNouveau | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933758 | 2,310 | 2.03125 | 2 |
These maze games, dot to dot, learn to draw and crossword puzzles provide hours of online and at-home fun for kids. Hidden pictures, color by number and picture puzzles are just a few other printables in this section.
Printable learning activities are fun, but they also help children develop many important skills. These skills, eye-hand coordination, color concepts, picture comprehension, form the foundation for early learning success. Children who color generally acquire and use knowledge more efficiently and effectively. | <urn:uuid:fe2e7025-03da-42e5-b48f-0a36f4617af3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.raisingourkids.com/activities/hidden-pictures/011-printable-picture-puzzle.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947032 | 100 | 3.421875 | 3 |
England see off Wales and a deep freeze
December 25, 2012
Wales' Brian Price rises above England's John Owen during their clash in Cardiff back in 1963 © Getty Images
The significance of particular months in the rugby calendar has changed over time - and few more so than January. Nowadays it is a time for the pool stages of the Heineken Cup to be tied up and international squads to go into conclave ahead of the Six Nations challenge to come.
But it is not so very long since it meant the (then) Five Nations itself and a fixed menu of matches. In particular it meant Wales v England (or vice-versa), generally on the third Saturday. Sometimes it would share the opening day with the annual clash of the French and Scots, in other years it might come the week after.
That was the order 50 years ago, when two teams featuring the crop of new caps then usual in each country's opening match - six Welshmen and seven Englishmen, including six forwards - took the field at Cardiff on Saturday, January 19, 1963 knowing the Scots had stolen a march by winning in Paris.
It is unlikely the Scots were much on their mind. Avoiding frostbite and exposure was more of a priority. This match was played in the midst of the toughest winter of recent memory, when ice and snow gripped Britain for weeks.
It was so cold that the teams were kept in the changing rooms while the anthems were played, something which Clive Rowlands, who was simultaneously making his international debut at scrum-half and captaining Wales, remembers with 'a disappointment verging on rage. We couldn't hear them in the changing rooms and the anthems are a big moment for a player winning his first cap'.
They ran on to a scene described in the Guardian by the aptly-named David Frost, with a 'motley collection of farm implements, three tractors, harrows and other agricultural paraphernalia - parked throughout the match between the River Taff and the West goal. Then too, there were high banks of snow encroaching to within a few yards of the goal-line'.
Rowlands and his half-back partner Dai Watkins, also a debutant, had been forbidden to use a ball in Newport's gym when forced indoors to practice and had to use a rolled-up tracksuit. Watkins, panicked when team-mate Dai Hayward was late with a promised lift from Blaina to Cardiff, travelled with fans and was then refused admission to the ground by a sceptical security guard until the better-known Alun Pask turned up. England, billeted by the seaside at Porthcawl, had at least managed a run on the beach.
In spite of mittens and thermals, there were cases of frostbite. Watkins was to recall team-mate Robert Morgan, who dropped a scoring pass, showing a 'wide, raw frost weal that began at his temple and disappeared under his jersey' - according to Morgan, reaching his hip. Studs, Rowlands remembered, clicked on the frozen surface 'like a herd of cattle'. It was, reported Welsh debutant Roger Michaelson, 'so cold that even Clive Rowlands stopped talking' - possibly the only occasion that this happened in more than half a century of involvement with the game.
The RFU were to write to their Welsh counterparts, congratulating them on getting the game on. Well they might have done, since England were the clear beneficiaries. If the second of their two tries was exactly what might have been expected on such a day - debutant Coventry lock John Owen, later to be RFU President, touching down after England captain outside-half Richard Sharp kicked ahead and the first two players who got there skidded past the ball, the first would have been impressive under any circumstances and seemed downright miraculous on this occasion.
England threw long on their own 25 and centre Mike Weston passed to partner Malcolm Phillips. He scissored with wing Peter Jackson, a lethal attacker whose threat sucked in a number of defenders before he returned the pass, putting Phillips into space on halfway. Phillips recalled: "Into the freezing wind it was a long haul to the Welsh line at the river end of the ground, but fortunately for me the defenders were covering as well and I was able to round off a move in which the ball must have travelled more than 100 yards".
Sharp converted both tries and added a drop goal which made the Welsh try, scored late in the second half, something of a consolation in a clear 13-6 England win. It was a match whose significance was felt rather beyond a season which ended with Wales taking their first wooden spoon since 1949 and England the championship, missing Triple Crown and Grand Slam because of a 0-0 draw in Dublin, the last to date in the Five/Six Nations.
Wales' Norman Gale holds off England's John Thorne as Denzil Williams goes for the ball © Getty Images
While winters like 1962-3 are exceptional, foul weather spoiling England v Wales matches was not. Four years earlier one observer had been reminded of a mud wrestling bout he'd seen in Germany, while conditions at the 1965 match led Lord Wakefield, England's most revered former captain, to write to The Times complaining that 'nine times out of 10 in the last 50 years, because of adverse conditions, what ought to have been one of the highlights of the season has been markedly interfered with'. Voices like his eventually generated the pressure that led a decade later to the rotation of fixtures and more recently to a later start for the tournament, with no matches before February.
It was also the last time England won in Cardiff until 1991, a sequence of defeats that means this match may have been more recalled in previews and match programmes than any other in the fixture's history. Rowlands recalls 'Every two years I was asked what it was like to have been the captain of a Welsh team that lost at home to England. Mind you, I always pointed out that I'd started the winning sequence in 1965!'.
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
We bring you our pick of the best pictures from around the world in the last seven days with the battle for Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup glory taking centre stage
"If you listen carefully you should be able to hear them mining the granite for the statue of a certain Jonny Wilkinson" Graham Jenkins reports from the Heineken Cup Final
Quade Cooper's defence is better than it was 12 months ago and Robbie Deans has erred in omitting him from the core Wallabies squad to play the Lions, Greg Growden writes
"People on the outside think unfounded thoughts on Toulon." Tom Hamilton talks to RCT lock Nick Kennedy ahead of Saturday's Heineken Cup final against Clermont | <urn:uuid:48bf8427-979b-4450-b2d4-aa55f25ba378> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.espnscrum.com/six-nations-2013/rugby/story/174904.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979142 | 1,395 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Patent foramen ovale
Patent foramen ovale
A patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a hole in the heart that didn't close the way it should after birth. The condition is relatively common.
During fetal development, a small flap-like opening — the foramen ovale (foh-RAY-mun oh-VAY-lee) — is usually present between the right and left upper chambers of the heart. It normally closes within the first or second year of life. When the foramen ovale doesn't close, it's called a patent foramen ovale.
Most people with a patent foramen ovale never know they have it. A patent foramen ovale is often discovered during tests for other problems. Learning that you have a patent foramen ovale is understandably worrisome, but most people never need treatment for this condition.
Most people with a patent foramen ovale don't know they have it, because it's usually a hidden condition that doesn't create signs or symptoms.
Rarely, an infant with a patent foramen ovale might have bluish skin (cyanosis) when crying or straining, such as when passing stool. When an infant with a patent foramen ovale has cyanosis, he or she usually has other heart defects.
It's unclear what causes the foramen ovale to stay open in some people, though genetics may play a role.
An overview of normal heart function in a child or adult is helpful in understanding the role of the foramen ovale before birth.
Normal heart function
Baby's heart in the womb
The umbilical cord delivers oxygen-rich blood to the baby's right atrium. Most of this blood travels through the foramen ovale and into the left atrium. From there the blood goes to the left ventricle, which pumps it throughout the body. Blood also travels from the right atrium to the right ventricle, which also pumps blood to the body via another bypass system.
Newborn baby's heart
The pressure of the blood pumping through the heart usually forces the foramen ovale closed. In most people, the opening fuses shut, usually sometime within the first or second year of life.
Patent foramen ovale
Patent foramen ovale is a small, flap-like opening in the wall between the right and left upper chambers of the heart. It usually causes no signs or symptoms and rarely requires treatment....
In most people, a patent foramen ovale doesn't cause complications. The disorder has been associated with other conditions, such as stroke and migraine, but it's unknown whether or not patent foramen ovale is a potential cause of these conditions. Possible complications linked to patent foramen ovale include:
Migraine with aura
Preparing for your appointment
In most cases, a patent foramen ovale is discovered during imaging tests to examine other heart conditions or to look for causes of stroke. Your doctor may also suspect a heart defect, such as a patent foramen ovale, if he or she hears an unusual sound (heart murmur) when listening to your heart.
After a patent foramen ovale has been diagnosed, you'll likely have numerous questions for your doctor. Some questions you may want to ask include:
Tests and diagnosis
A heart specialist (cardiologist) can detect a patent foramen ovale with one of the following tests:
With this test, a technician spreads gel on your chest and then presses a device called a transducer against the skin over the heart. The transducer emits high-pitched sound waves and records the sound wave echoes as they reflect off internal structures in the heart. A computer converts the echoes into moving images on a monitor. Variations of this procedure may be used to identify patent foramen ovale:
Treatments and drugs
Most people with a patent foramen ovale don't need treatment. In certain circumstances, however, your doctor will recommend that you or your child have a procedure to close the patent foramen ovale.
Reasons for closure
Closure of a patent foramen ovale to prevent stroke or to treat migraines is controversial right now and is being studied in clinical trials. Closure of the patent foramen ovale is sometimes recommended for individuals with recurrent strokes when no other cause has been found.
Surgical and other procedures for closure
Lifestyle and home remedies
If you know you have a patent foramen ovale, but don't have symptoms, you probably won't have any restrictions on your activities.
But, be sure to consult your doctor before undertaking activities that might limit your levels of oxygen, such as scuba diving or mountain climbing. People with a patent foramen ovale may be more likely to get decompression sickness when scuba diving or a life-threatening form of altitude sickness called high-altitude pulmonary edema when mountain climbing.
Coping and support
Learning that you or your child has a patent foramen ovale can be frightening. While your doctor can provide you with medical advice and information about the disorder, you may find it helpful to talk to other people who've been in the same situation. Support groups include Mended Hearts for people who have survived heart disease and Mended Little Hearts for parents of children with congenital heart problems. Call the American Heart Association at 800-AHA-USA1 (800-242-8721) and ask for Mended Hearts support or visit its website. Mended Hearts can also be reached on weekdays at 888-HEART99 (888-432-7899). You can also ask your doctor or your child's doctor if he or she knows of any support groups in your area.
Last Updated: 2010-07-13
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Terms and conditions of use | <urn:uuid:87596860-9f75-49f1-8788-ffb9d123d3f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.riversideonline.com/health_reference/Disease-Conditions/DS00728.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927224 | 1,286 | 3.59375 | 4 |
Laser vision correction is one of the most exciting technological advancements in recent eye care history. Since the early 1990’s, the procedure has evolved dramatically. Generally, there are two ways to utilize the laser for refractive correction - LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) and PRK (photorefractive keratectomy). The LASIK procedure is generally preferable to PRK, because it requires less time for the patient's recovery, and the patient feels less discomfort overall. However, there are instances where a PRK procedure is safer and a better alternative to LASIK.
To determine whether you are a good candidate, Dr. Slivka will advise you on the short and long-term benefits, as well as the risks involved with either procedure. Laser vision correction has limits at both the hyperopic (far-sighted), myopic (near-sighted), and astigmatic ranges. If you have been informed of being a non-candidate, there may still be new procedures to consider.
Laser surgery is not for everyone, but is worthy of consideration and has improved the quality of life for many. A thorough pre-laser surgery consultation is essential. | <urn:uuid:91732af9-0e66-43d9-963a-e1a025d6ffb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leasideeyeclinic.com/laser_surgery/index.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934577 | 249 | 1.695313 | 2 |
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Sing along José-Luis Orozco with this unique CD and DVD collection. This set of beautiful folk songs cherishes the rhythms of Latin music, surely to be enjoyed by kids and adults, making the language learning process better than ever!
A celebration of Latin American culture through music, this set uses the magic of Latin rhythms, and educates through the universal language of music. This is a collection of folk songs sure to inspire your kids to sing and dance, while they learn English and Spanish.
Centuries of children’s traditions from Spanish-speaking countries are represented in Diez Deditos (Ten Little Fingers) book & CD, a bilingual collection of finger rhymes and action songs. Your kids will have fun singing, clapping, dancing and enjoying vibrant themes such as languages, parts of the body, animals, sounds and musical instruments, as well as, the importance of family and self-esteem.
With Canto y Cuenta (Sing & Tell) CD, your kids will learn through music and rhythm, in a unique and playful way, as they sing along with José-Luis Orozco.
The book & CD combo De Colores (Bright with Colors) offers a bright collection of folk songs filled with the colors and spirit of Latin American culture. Whether remembering your own culture or learning about the language and traditions of others, De Colores is a wonderful celebration of the diversity of our music.
The Lírica Infantil (Oral Tradition for Kids) Volumes 1, 2 & 3 offer a fantastic set of songs, games, rhymes, and fun tongue twisters that cherish the beauty of Latin American children’s folklore. Your kids will be singing, dancing and learning about music and language with this complete set. This wonderful collection will help your kids develop early bilingual language and motor skills. It’s the perfect soundtrack to have at home to motivate your kids to learn while they are having fun.
What the Experts are Saying…. | <urn:uuid:1356a95b-6a9c-4bb0-9b44-99d7ff7cf4ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joseluisorozco.com/site2/landing/music-lovers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916564 | 412 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Health IT's Next Big Challenge: Comparative Effectiveness Research
Innovative approach to medical data analysis can yield new treatment options at a lower cost.
Many academic medical thought leaders insist that the best way to find those treatment protocols is to test them in randomized controlled trials. Such RCTs require a large group of control subjects to receive either a placebo or conventional therapy and a large group to receive the experimental treatment in question. The problem is RCTs are outrageously expensive. In today's cost conscious healthcare system, that's a problem.
Enter comparative effectiveness research. CER compares two or more accepted treatments to determine which are most effective. Medical informatics comes into the picture because it's now possible to get these projects off the ground by analyzing huge patient databases. And much of that patient data can now be gleaned from electronic health record systems.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has earmarked $1.1 billion for CER. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the federal agency tasked with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care, has been using part of that money to fund research on data infrastructure so that clinicians can figure how to take advantage of all the patient data in the Medicare system to compare treatment options. Other AHRQ-sponsored research has been looking at how to create an all-payer, all-claims database that clinicians can tap into for the same purpose.
[ Most of the largest healthcare data security and privacy breaches have involved lost or stolen mobile computing devices. For possible solutions, see 7 Tools To Tighten Healthcare Data Security. ]
Other CER-related projects include one led by David J. Magid, MD, director of research at the Colorado Permanente Group. His team searched through thousands of the group's EHRs to figure out which anti-hypertensive drugs are most effective when patients don't respond to first-line treatment with diuretics. The team managed to keep its research costs down to $200,000, a small fraction of what a randomized controlled trial would cost, and still came up with useful results, namely that beta blockers and ACE inhibitors work well.
Similarly a consortium of large healthcare systems, including Kaiser Permanente and Mayo Clinic, is capitalizing on the power of tens of millions of e-records to generate research. For example, they recently launched programs to mine their EHRs to compare treatment protocols for diabetes.
"With these large databases and detailed clinical information, we can conduct comparative, effective research in real world settings, with a full range of patients, not just those selected for clinical trials," Joe V. Selby, director of Kaiser's research division, states in a recent issue of Scientific American.
Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, one of the teaching hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School, recently entered the CER arena in a big way. Starting this month, the medical center launched Clinical Query, a searchable patient data repository that lets researchers and clinicians look for potential connections between diseases, treatment options, and risk factors, which in turn can become the jumping off point for a research project.
So if a Harvard researcher wants to compare the benefits of diuretics to ACE inhibitors among patients with hypertension, he can use Clinical Query to look at the records of more than 2 million patients and 200 million data points, including diagnoses, medications taken, lab values, and radiology images.
A comparison of data on the two classes of high blood pressure meds might reveal that one is more effective than the other. And while the results of that CER analysis may not carry the same weight as a randomized clinical trial in which groups of patients were actually given the drugs in real time to see which were more effective, the CER results can still guide clinicians on treatment options for their patients.
Given the fact that comparative effectiveness research will likely cost far less than a randomized clinical trial, it's time healthcare stakeholders take a closer look at this approach. The challenge for IT departments is going to be getting searchable patient data repositories up and running. Few hospitals have the resources to create their own version of Clinical Query. But at the very least, they need to start ramping up their data warehousing and data mining initiatives.
EHR systems are now collecting invaluable information that physicians can use to detect disease patterns, clusters of patients exposed to specific toxins, and groups of patients who respond well to various drug regimens. We can't waste this gold mine.
InformationWeek Healthcare brought together eight top IT execs to discuss BYOD, Meaningful Use, accountable care, and other contentious issues. Also in the new, all-digital CIO Roundtable issue: Why use IT systems to help cut medical costs if physicians ignore the cost of the care they provide? (Free with registration.) | <urn:uuid:1a35b4d7-d0b5-40e4-a3fd-1e7180cf63d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/clinical-systems/health-its-next-big-challenge-comparativ/240005790?cid=SBX_iwk_related_commentary_The_Patient_healthcare | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944659 | 990 | 2.515625 | 3 |
The great power and wealth of the Church led to many abuses. There was a certain cyclic character to these. A particularly strong Pope or a reforming Church council would stamp out some of the abuses, and things would be okay for a while, but sooner or later they would spring up again.
These abuses took many forms. For example;
Worldliness: High living, and loose living, by memebrs of the clergy. High ranking churchmen tended to have to live like nobles, in order to compete with them in terms of power and influence. But there were limits, and often even parish priests, monks, and nuns lived quite luxurious lives, in violation of their vows. The church preached the simple life, particularly for the clergy. But human nature being what it is...
Sins of the Flesh: Violations of vows of celibacy , a failure by no means limited to male member sof the clergy, for one occasional hears of convents dissolved for "excessive immorallity.".
Lay Investiture: The granting of Church positions to persons who were not members of the clergy, as, for example, when a king might try to get a bishopric for his favorite courtier.
Nepotism: High churchmen using their influence to secure posts for the kinfolk. including their "nephews."
Simony: The offering of bribes to secure positions, such as a rich parish, by a member of the clergy. | <urn:uuid:80afdd41-a01c-480e-93c6-c0de3d1a36c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hyw.com/Books/History/ecclesia.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983046 | 300 | 2.6875 | 3 |
A Christmas Essay
Christmas is a'coming,
The goose is getting fat,
Please put a penny in the old man's hat
by Ivor Noël Hume
Thomas Nast's twinkling nineteenth-century Santa is the one familiar now. The older St. Nicholas was rather grim.
Sleigh bells ringing, children singing, Yule logs aglow, toy-filled stockings hanging by the hearth, Currier and Ives, Tiny Tim, and a beer baron's Clydesdales tromping through the snow. 'Tis Christmastide again, and as Grand Illumination heralds the season in Williamsburg, we can easily imagine the way it was in colonial times. Holly wreaths on every front door, mistletoe in the hallway, candle-lit tree in the parlor ringed round with brightly packaged gifts, and the sound of lantern-carrying carol singers amid the gently falling snowflakes. But snow? What snow? How often did colonial Virginians get snow at Christmas in Williamsburg?
If modern experience is the judge, the answer is: Not often. Though in 1775 it fell right on cue. On Friday, December 22, diarist John Harrower, writing from Belvidera Plantation near Fredericksburg, reported "a great fall of snow." But for him, Christmas Day passed unnoticed. In the previous year it snowed on the thirteenth, but Harrower's Christmas entry told only that he had no saddle on which to ride to church. Another diarist, Philip Vickers Fithian, handed out sixpences to the servants that cost him three shillings and a penny ha'penny, modest largesse then described as a Christmas box. But that was about the extent of Fithian's giving or receiving. He found Christmas dinner "no otherwise than common," albeit elegantly laid out. The Christmas Day entry of a much earlier diarist, William Byrd of Westover, recalled that in 1740 it was too cold for him to go to church, though he did have roast turkey on the table.
Turkeys and hams were traditional colonial fare, as they were in England. Even in the midst of a hot and sickly summer, a Yorktown resident thought to ship two "Christmas turkeys" to London, saying, "Mrs Mary Ambler will send hams to eat with them." But that was about as Christmassy as colonial Virginians became. It was no different in London for William Byrd in 1718, whose diary contributed only that he "ate some roast beef for dinner" in what we would consider a late lunch. No churchgoing, no gifts given or received. The following Christmas he was at sea on his way back to Virginia and eating plum pudding and boiled mutton, followed by roasted chestnuts and a bowl of punch with the captain. Byrd also conducted a service for the crew and wrote his own prayer.
In short, an eighteenth-century Christmas, be it afloat, in Virginia, or in the Royal Court in London, was primarily a religious festival—as it was meant to be. Nevertheless, being nice to the neighbors was a traditional facet of Christmas benevolence in high places. In 1772 the Virginia Gazette reported that at Windsor Lodge the Duke of Cumberland kept "open table for the Country People, for three Days, covered with Surloins of roast Beef, Plum Puddings, and minced Pies, the rich and ancient Food of Englishmen." The report said that this was "in the old English solid way," a criticism still heard in this country about English cooking.
In 1774 Christmas fell conveniently on a Sunday, and amid much regal pomp George III and Queen Charlotte received the sacrament in the Chapel-Royal from the hands of the Lord Bishop of London, assisted by the Lord Bishop of Chichester and the Clerk of the King's Closet. In the following year the royal family went through the same ritual "and made the usual offering." The reporting newspaper noted, however, that "the day has been kept with more strictness, by all ranks of people in this metropolis, than for some years past."
One immediately wonders what level of laxity had been perceived in previous years. It was, however, far more likely that antisocial behavior blossomed in the day after Christmas, that being the occasion for masters to reward servants and apprentices with ceramic money boxes containing their annual bonuses, which quickly went down their throats in the nearest taverns. 'Twas ever thus. As early as 1387 Geoffrey Chaucer wrote about the apprentice, his box, and his reputation for wild and riotous behavior. Although it is doubtful that any happy apprentice gave a thought to the origins of Boxing Day, the church was all too aware that the day of giving and receiving gifts could be traced to the pagan Roman Saturnalia, an event unfit for pious eyes or ears.
They saw it that way in Puritan Massachusetts. A law enacted in 1659 read: "Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or the like, either by forebearing of labor, feasting in any other way, shall be fined 5 shillings, and forbade the Festival of Christmas and kindred ones, superstitiously kept." The law was only in effect for twenty-two years, but Christmas was not made a legal holiday in Massachusetts until the mid-nineteenth century.
In England during the Cromwellian interregnum, attending a Christmas service could get one into deep trouble, as it did for diarist John Evelyn. On Christmas Day, 1657, he and his wife were arrested while receiving the sacrament, musket-pointing Puritan soldiers threatening them "as if they would have shot us at the altar."
Turkey was a traditional English main course for eighteenth-century Christmases, along with "Surloins of roast Beef" and hams, though colonists supped on the bird in summer, too.
Although there is evidence that the stroke of a Puritanical pen outlawed many an old English custom thought to have had pagan origins, in the tradition-shrouded recesses of the countryside such edicts were contemptuously ignored. Albeit in distorted forms, therefore, some traditions survived to be absorbed into the Christmas we still enjoy. Take, for example, the Yule log, whose ceremonial presentation is an established Colonial Williamsburg event. In the medieval centuries, when candles were expensive and hearths wide, the notion that the birth of the Christ child became the light of the world was reflected in the Christmas Eve burning of a large, knotted, and slow-burning log or wooden block. Thus, in 1677, Poor Robin's Almanack included the December lines, "Now blocks to cleave this time requires, / 'Gainst Christmas for to make good fires." Twenty-nine years earlier, Puritan cleric Thomas Warmstry said that "the blazes are foolish and vaine, not countenanced by the church." More to the point, oversized blazing logs were liable to catch cottage chimneys on fire.
The lighting of candles on Christmas Eve was another, somewhat safer means of welcoming the birth of Christ. In the sixteenth century, and probably earlier, single, very large candles called specifically "Christmas candles" were burned in churches and in homes, and it is this tradition of welcoming the infant Jesus with candles that has become part of the Colonial Williamsburg prelude to the sacred day.
Decorating one's home with ivy and other greenery was another tradition whose roots were dug deep in pagan Europe and were yet another feature of the Roman saturnalia that stretched from December 17 to 24. Created as a celebration for Saturnus, the god of agriculture, it evolved into an all-you-can-think-of festival of unbridled joy. The thirteenth-century historian Mathew Paris said it was characterized by "processions, singing, lighting candles, adorning the house with laurel and green trees, giving presents; the men dressed as women or masqueraded in the hides of animals."
The fir we cut to stand in the living-room corner may stem from the same classical source, though most of the myths surrounding it are Germanic—as College of William and Mary professor Charles Frederick Ernest Minnegerode well knew. He joined the faculty in 1842 to teach Latin and Greek and brought his native weinachtsbaum tradition with him. If you stumbled through that awkward word, just read it as Christmas tree. He set it up in the Courthouse Green home of his lawyer friend Beverley Tucker. It was not until Christmas Eve, 1915, however, that the City of Williamsburg chose Palace Green to erect its first public illuminated tree. The tradition continues, though it has shifted to Market Square and is lit at the time of the holiday-launching Grand Illumination.
Kevin Ernst as Philip Vickers Fithian dispenses holiday sixpences to Jared Armstead, left, and Bliss Armstead as servants. It was already a custom he felt obliged to follow.
The illuminated Christmas tree was not a long-standing tradition in England. Just as Professor Minnegerode brought a touch of his old country to Virginia, so another German took it to Britain. He was Albert Saxe-Coburg Gotha, who married Queen Victoria in 1840 and two years later was granted the rank of consort and enjoyed the distinction of introducing his weinachtsbaum to the English court. The year was 1842.
It is doubtful that many among the crowd following the Fife and Drum Corps down Duke of Gloucester Street give much thought to Professor Minnegerode's contribution to Williamsburg's Christmas or, indeed, to its German origins. Among the best known of the legends is that of a knight who on Christmas Eve was riding through a forest when he saw a strange light glimmering between the trees. Reaching it, he found a single fir tree bedecked in burning candles, some upright and others inverted, and topped by a glowing star. Returning home, his mother told him that he had been privileged to see the Tree of Humanity. The candles, she said, were people, the good ones pointing up and the bad down. The glowing star was the Infant Jesus watching over all humanity.
Today, of course, few of us risk using anything but electric candles, but I recall a Christmas at Carter's Grove when a ceiling-height tree in the hall was so bedecked with flaming candles that the heat threatened to set the house on fire.
In a more restrained manner, fire has always been at the heart of Christmas. In pre-Christian Germany in houses where smoke escaped through a hole in the roof rather than up a chimney, the winter solstice was dedicated to Hertha, the goddess of domesticity. The room was decked with evergreens and a great fire was laid on a large, flat altar stone set in the center. In the midst of feasting, the goddess would descend through the smoke to bestow good luck on the host and his guests. Thus, according to some mythologists, the Hertha stone became our hearthstones, and the legend explains why, rather than entering in a reasonable and civilized way, Santa Claus comes down the chimney.
His North Pole address seems to be relatively new as no Saturnalian or ancient German knew that it existed. But Santa's alter ego, a grim-visaged Saint Nicholas, came out of the German forests riding a white horse carrying a basket of gifts for good children and a fistful of birch rods with which to beat the bad. The saint's demon attendant, Pelznickle, who did the punishing and who today has been transformed into a cute polar elf, provided an additional touch of menace. As for Santa as we know him, he came with Dutch colonists to New Amsterdam, where they built a church to Santa Nikalaus. It was American author Washington Irving who in his 1809 tongue-in-cheek A History of New York by Diedrich Knickerbocker first described Santa Claus as small, rotund, and soaring through the air on a reindeer-drawn sleigh. Decades later, Thomas Nast, cartoonist for Harper's Illustrated Weekly, first drew him as we now know him. Nast also gave us the Democrats' donkey, and the GOP elephant.
English writer John Evelyn and his wife, portrayed by Penn Russell and Lori Loughrey, found themselves in trouble with Cromwellian authorities, in the person of Willie Balderson, for receiving Christmas sacrament from their priest, here Robert Doares.
And what about carols? Christmas without carolers would be like—well, like holly without ivy. The word is said to derive from the Latin cantare, to sing, and rola, an expression of joy, and its earliest surviving text dates from the thirteenth century. But caroling being a monastic activity, it fell into disfavor in the reign of Henry VIII, later to be revived in more secular forms only to be condemned by the Puritans. By the time the British got over that hurdle, old-style carols were considered antiquated. Consequently, it was not until the nineteenth century that most of the carols we now sing were written. "Silent Night" was first published in 1840, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" in 1856, "O Come, All Ye Faithful" was not translated into English until 1841, and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" was written for a Philadelphia Sunday School in 1868.
In truth, most of the panoply of Christmas is the product of pagan tradition, of Victorian sentimentality, and of modern marketing that keeps millions of the world's elves in the manufacturing business. Even the mandatory Christmas cards to and from people you scarcely remember and probably wouldn't like if you saw them now have roots as shallow as the sentiments expressed. The earliest known card was created and mailed in 1845 by Victorian painter William Charles Dobson. A year later, another painter, John Calcott Horsley, was asked to provide a lithographed card to be sent out by the too-busy Sir Henry Cole, keeper of the records at the British Treasury Office, and thanks to him we have ever since been wishing one and all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
For my part I leave you with some much older Christmas wishes in verses that predate Thomas Nast and even Charles Dickens, and which eloquently portray a yearning for imagined simpler days and happier hearts:
Too busy or too indolent to write personal greetings, Sir Henry Cole stands accused of being the sender of the second mass-produced Christmas and New Year's card in 1846. He at least wrote in the recipient's name and signed his own on the line.
Come, help me to raise
Loud songs to the praise
Of good old English pleasures:
To the Christmas cheer,
And the foaming beer,
And the buttery's solid treasures;— To the stout sirloin,
And the rich spiced wine,
And the boar's head grimly staring;
To the frumenty,
And the hot mince pie,
Which all folks were for sharing;—
To the holly and bay,
In their green array,
Spread over the walls and dishes;
To the swinging sup
Of the wassail cup,
With its toasted healths and wishes;—
To the honest bliss
Of the hearty kiss,
Where the mistletoe was swinging;
When the berry white,
Was claimed by right,
On the pale green branch clinging;—
When the warm blush came
From a guiltless shame,
And the lips, so bold in stealing,
Had never broke
The vows they spoke,
Of truth and manly feeling;—
To the story told
By the gossip old,
O'er the embers dimly glowing,
While the pattering sleet
On the casements beat,
And the blast was hoarsely blowing;—
To the tuneful wait
At the mansion gate,
Or the glad, sweet voices blending,
When the carol rose,
At the midnight's close,
To the sleeper's ear ascending;—
To all pleasant ways,
In those ancient days,
When the good folks knew their station;
When God was fear'd,
And the king revered,
By the hearts of a grateful nation;—
When a father's will
Was sacred still,
As a law, by his children heeded;
And none could brook
The mild sweet look,
When a mother gently pleaded;—
When the jest profane
Of the light and vain
With a smile was never greeted;
And each smooth pretense,
By plain good sense,
With its true desert was treated.
First published at Christmastide in 1832, the wistful verses clearly reflected dismay at lost contentment, the eroding of family values, and the decline of morality and civility. Now, 173 Christmases later, what else is new?
Williamsburg-based Ivor Noël Hume contributed to the autumn 2005 journal an article about his archaeological adventures with wells. | <urn:uuid:322fb8a5-6c9d-436f-b163-6575d471c2f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/journal/Christmas05/rituals.cfm?showSite=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969619 | 3,594 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Top Ten | Disney Controversies
Published: Thursday, December 3, 2009
Updated: Thursday, December 3, 2009 08:12
With the December release of "The Princess and the Frog" showcasing the first African-American princess in a Disney movie to date, we've compiled a list of Disney's less-than-honorable moments over the years. We may not have noticed them as innocent little kids, but now that we're adults (wait, what?), we're calling you out, Walt.
10. "Song of the South": There's a reason this 1946 movie has never been released in its entirety on video or DVD: It portrays Uncle Remus as a happy plantation worker in the South, which Disney thinks, just maybe, might be considered racially insensitive. Or even a flat-out bias incident.
9. "Sex" written in the sky in "The Lion King" (1994): A subliminal message to innocent, unsuspecting five-year-olds to stop being so innocent and just have sex already. Classy, Disney. Classy.
8. "Snow White" (1937): Considering their history of racist characters and images, it makes sense that for its first feature film, Disney would choose a pure, angelic white girl who can only be saved by her (white) Prince Charming.
7. "Alice in Wonderland" (1951): Basically, this film should be renamed "Kids, look at how much fun it can be to trip acid!" And just because something says "Drink Me" on it, doesn't mean you should. Kids, haven't you heard of roofies?
6. The priest in "The Little Mermaid" (1989): Some say it's just an unintentional fold of the robes, some say it's shoddy shadowing — but guys, let's call a spade a spade. The dude got a boner.
5. Deaths in Disney movies: How many of us were scarred by Bambi's mother getting shot or Simba's father being pushed off the ledge and trampled to death?
4. "Aladdin" (1992): Aladdin, the hero, looks like some white guy, while the villain, Jafar, is a gross caricature of an Arab man. And apparently cutting off people's arms for stealing is totally the norm in the Middle East.
3. Walt Disney: The godfather of animation, Walt Disney himself, was, in fact, a raging anti-Semite!
2. The crows in "Dumbo" (1941): They're black crows. Their leader is named Jim. You do the math.
1. The Siamese cats in "Lady and the Tramp" (1955): "Where we finding baby there are milk nearby?" Really? | <urn:uuid:297dca9a-cac2-4fa9-89d3-fcf726e3a1af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tuftsdaily.com/top-ten-disney-controversies-1.2111265 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953553 | 580 | 1.507813 | 2 |
On January 11, 2000, at 1215 mountain standard time, a Bell OH-58C, N31JA, registered to and operated by the Jicarilla Apache Police Department, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during an autorotation to landing near Lindrith, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured, and one passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the public use flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from a remote fueling site near Dulce, New Mexico, at 1000. Use your browsers 'back' function to return to synopsisReturn to Query Page
According to the pilot, he was conducting an annual game survey with three employees of the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department. He had been airborne for approximately 2 hours, and was planning to return for fuel. He was flying on an easterly heading at 35 knots and about 100 feet above ground level (agl), and the wind was calm. The pilot stated that he initiated a shallow right hand turn and the aircraft started an unanticipated right yaw. He applied left pedal to counteract the movement, but the right yaw continued and accelerated. Left pedal was applied to the stop "with no effect." He lowered collective to reduce the torque and the aircraft began to spin to the right. He closed the throttle to the flight idle position to reduce torque on the airframe. The aircraft continued to spin and as it was approaching the ground, he pulled the collective control back to cushion the landing. The helicopter impacted the top of a pinion tree and came to rest on its right side. After impact with the ground, the engine continued to run.
The day following the accident, an FAA maintenance inspector performed an inspection of the tail rotor system. According to him, he examined the integrity of the tail rotor system up to the point of where it was sheared from the transmission, and no discrepancies were found.
According to the pilot, the elevation at the accident site was 7,000 feet above mean sea level (msl). Using the temperature the pilot reported to be 4 degrees C. (40 degrees F.) and the reported altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of mercury at Farmington, located 70 nautical miles to the northwest, the density altitude was calculated to be 7,240 feet above msl. | <urn:uuid:348ed5ce-5987-4a64-8e0e-8d4a75c00d8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20001212X20354&ntsbno=DEN00TA042&akey=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974268 | 487 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Teachers, when spring fever hits your students, refresh them with a free, guided tour of the University of Delaware’s research facilities at the College of Marine Studies, Hugh R. Sharp Campus, in Lewes. At these world-class state-of-the-art facilities, students can get a first-hand look at science in action and learn about different careers in the marine sciences.
“The college began the guided tours several years ago as a way to bring the world of marine science to the public,” says Bob Carnahan, director of the tour program. “Students find out that marine science is not just about marine biology and dolphins. The tours give the students lots of good information about career choices in the marine sciences.”
Each tour typically begins with a 15-minute introductory video that highlights many of the college’s research activities. The video transports visitors from the beaches of Delaware Bay where scientists collect data to assess the status of the horseshoe crab population, to the remote sensing labs in Newark where satellite technology is being used to monitor and predict El Niño and other related phenomena.
Following the video presentation, trained guides take the students on a walking tour of Cannon and Smith laboratories where the majority of the research in the college’s Oceanography and Marine Biology-Biochemistry programs is conducted. This part of the tour can be tailored to the interests of the students.
“I thought the tour was fantastic, and my students really enjoyed it,” says Lisa Sloan, a seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher at Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville. “They were especially interested in the research being conducted on horseshoe crabs because we have been studying them in class. We also learned how dependent we are on the ocean and how we impact it.”
New to the walking tour this year are numerous exhibits and displays on how University of Delaware scientists are studying extreme marine environments such as the ice-covered seas of the Antarctic and hydrothermal vent sites over a mile deep at the bottom of the ocean. Students will learn that research in these areas can lead to exciting discoveries and new techniques for applications in science and industry. They will also get a chance to tour laboratories where genetic research on marine organisms such as oysters and fish is performed and greenhouses where new uses for salt-marsh plants are being investigated.
“I was impressed to say the least,” says Kristin Murray, a senior at Middletown High School who went on the tour this past year. “Before going, I thought it would be a good chance to catch up on my daydreaming. But I had no idea that there was so much to learn about the ocean and its role in our life.”
The free tours may be scheduled for classes of five or more people, Monday through Friday, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Requests should be made at least a week in advance by calling the College of Marine Studies at (302) 645-4346, by e-mailing Bob Carnahan at firstname.lastname@example.org, or by writing to the Sea Grant Marine Advisory Service, University of Delaware, College of Marine Studies, 700 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958-1298. The Hugh R. Sharp Campus is accessible to handicapped individuals. | <urn:uuid:1d68e967-7633-4679-b9f1-c81c11c336d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/news/article.aspx?142 | 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 | 0.951918 | 696 | 2.625 | 3 |
Stone County Becomes the 10th Member-County of Southeast Mississippi Air Ambulance District
Hattiesburg, MS - November 07, 2002 - The nation’s only community, tax-supported air ambulance district expanded during October with the addition of Stone County as its tenth member.
The now 10-member Southeast Mississippi Air Ambulance District (SEMAAD) claims distinction as the longest continuously running helicopter rescue operation in the United States. Founded in 1970, the District’s helicopter is named Rescue 7 for the Mississippi Highway Patrol District in which it operates. The aircraft responds to about 700 missions each year to afford life-saving health care and transport throughout Covington, Forrest, Greene, Jefferson Davis, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone, and Walthall Counties.
Rescue 7 is a 2002 custom-designed Agusta A119 Koala helicopter. The new Rescue 7 offers three major advantages: 70 cubic feet more space in the patient care area, giving two attendants fully-body access to two patients; 43.5% more lifting power, accommodating both equipment and people needs; and 34% faster speed than the former Rescue 7, a significant improvement in getting patients to the hospital at the right time.
“The District is an EMS pioneer,” declared Dr. Richard H. Clark, Jr., President and a founder of SEMAAD. “Rescue 7 stands out as a service that has provided its member counties with state-of-the-art emergency medical services for three decades – a responsibility we take very seriously and, I believe, carry out very well. The addition of Stone County exemplifies the faith our local leaders have in the outstanding health care and rapid transportation provided by Rescue 7 and staff.”
SEMAAD is managed by AAA Ambulance Service which provides ground advanced life support care in Stone County as well as seven other SEMAAD counties. Mr. Wade N. Spruill, Jr., who serves as the Chief Executive Officer for both SEMAAD and AAA Ambulance Service stated, “For some three decades, South Mississippians have relied on Rescue 7. Patients and families of Stone County can continue to expect and get highly skilled instrument-rated pilots, exceptionally experienced paramedics to address their trauma needs, and critical care at the highest level of service we can possibly deliver – both air and ground.
“SEMAAD remains the only locally owned and operated service of its kind in Mississippi,” Spruill said. “We own the aircraft and its related equipment. We employ rather than contract with the pilots and EMS crews. We are fully dedicated to meeting current and yet unforeseen emergency health care needs throughout our community. We shall continue to lead in Mississippi Trauma Care System’s critically important clinical services arena.”
About AAA Ambulance Service: AAA Ambulance Service, founded in 1965, created one of the first licensed emergency medical services providers in Mississippi. The community, tax-supported nonprofit organization’s mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce trauma-related personal anguish and health care costs. For more information, visit http://www.aaaambulance.net.
Contact: Christy M. Joy
PO Box 17889
Hattiesburg, MS 39404
207 South. 28th Ave.
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
(601) 264-0175 SND.Email | <urn:uuid:506b83c7-d0ec-45b9-900a-fe98e16a5d9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aaaambulance.net/newsdetail.asp?PRID=294 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945245 | 713 | 1.546875 | 2 |
David Cannadine. History In Our Time. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998. ix + 308 pp. $25.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-300-07702-5.
Reviewed by Stephen L. Keck (Department of History, National University of Singapore)
Published on H-Ideas (September, 2000)
Writing History in Our Time
Writing History in Our Time
History In Our Time is a collection of book reviews which David Cannadine wrote for many of the most significant publications in Britain and the United States. These essays, which were published between 1988-1998, appeared in publications such as the London Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement, the New York Review of Books and The New Republic. Because a good portion of what Cannadine writes is in reaction to various manifestations of Thatcherism, many of the individual reviews can already be read as historical documents. They are also inviting as vignettes of a major historian whose career is still ascending. Students of modern British history know that David Cannadine has been prolific, publishing both a range of articles and substantial works such as The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy and G. M. Trevelyan: A Life in History. His career has taken place within the walls of the university: he has held academic positions at Cambridge and Columbia University, and he is currently Director of the Institute for Historical Study at the University of London. Taken all together, these pieces reveal the way in which a distinguished historian analyzes books which leading transatlantic publications deem to be significant.
Many of Cannadine's reviews address that relatively rare range of historical matters which interest the general public. Since readers of History In Our Time will discover individual essays on topics such as the career of the Prince of Wales, the death of Princess Diana, the significance of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, the book could be understood as an example of the ways in which historians can contribute to public debate in democratic societies. However, Cannadine's reviews are important in their own terms: History In Our Time shows how a gifted historian understands many of the definitive issues (some of which engender only modest public interest) which have shaped and continue to shape modern Britain. Despite the fact that thirty different pieces on a great range of subjects comprise the volume, Cannadine's historical analysis is fairly well unified. In addressing the monarchy, recent history and biography, Cannadine works within relatively traditional boundaries of professional historical thought and practice.
In these essays Cannadine's treatment of the monarchy succeeds because he is able to write about the Royals with great command of detail and, more important, he then holds them up against the broader historical experience of the British people. For example, when Cannadine reviews Sarah Bradford's King George VI, he uses many of the definitive events of mid-century to assess not only the book's subject but also the way in which Sir John Wheeler-Bennett had written about the late king in his official biography which appeared in 1958. George VI came to power unexpectedly (as a result of the abdication of Edward VIII) in 1936 and he would reign through the Second World War until his death in 1952. His first biographer, Sir John Wheeler-Bennett, wrote a pious, uncritical account of his life which was "courtly and obsequious" and amounted to the history "of an icon rather than of an individual" (p. 60). In contrast, Bradford's work exhumes George VI from the "sanitised sarcophagus" (p. 61) by treating the monarch as a three-dimensional figure.
Cannadine welcomes Bradford's biography but uses the review to instruct his readers about George VI. Having met the demands of becoming King, George VI worked tirelessly at the job: Cannadine recounts that he traveled to London each day (from Windsor) to share the agonies of the Blitz; he also visited many parts of Britain to boost morale; he provided a haven for royal refugees who had been driven to Britain by Hitler's conquests; finally, the king provided strong public support for Churchill and his policies. However, George VI's limitations were quite real: he lived a life of great privilege and while the monarch acquired a reputation for understanding industrial conditions "he knew next to nothing about how most of his subjects lived, and his prescriptions for promoting industrial peace and ending the class war were naive in the extreme. . . .George VI was obsessed with medals and decorations, clothes and uniforms, precedent and protocol. He rebuked General Montgomery. . .for wearing a beret rather than a peaked cap, and one of the greatest solaces of his declining years was that he personally designed a new style of trousers to wear with the Order of the Garter. (pp. 64-65)"
More importantly, George VI, who held no desire to play a role in law-making, was in many ways the "ideal man to take on the emasculated job of being a constitutional monarch" in 20th century Britain (p. 65). Cannadine believes, furthermore, meeting the demands of king prematurely ended George VI's life. A popular king, nonetheless, he was the monarchy's "sacrificial victim" (p. 66); the combination of his dutifulness and fate meant that he had his "greatness thrust upon him, beneath the weight of which he eventually collapsed" (p. 67). In short, Cannadine's review is a tour de force because he deftly places Bradford's book into a scholarly context, while writing to instruct the wider public.
At the same time, these reviews also reveal an interest in trying to understand recent British history in its own terms. In "Victorians", which originally appeared in The New York Review of Books in 1990, Cannadine asserts that twentieth century Britain is "still haunted by its nineteenth-century past" (p. 129). To some extent, "Victorians" is representative of many of the individual pieces which make up History In Our Time in that they can be viewed as a series of protests against Mrs Thatcher's call to restore "Victorian values". Cannadine fires a number of broadsides against the type of facile image of Victorian Britain which might be useful to politicians -- especially Conservatives. In so doing, Cannadine exploits the richness of recent Victorian scholarship to show that the nineteenth century was more diverse and complex than Mrs. Thatcher might have wished her constituents to think.
Yet Cannadine's political agenda does not divert him from one of the missions of professional historical study: rigorous analysis of the past. The view of the nineteenth century which emerges from the review of Asa Briggs' Victorian Things, F. M. L. Thompson's The Rise of Respectable Society and Harold Perkin's The Rise of Professional Society: Britain Since 1880 is one that is both complex and informed. Cannadine's command of historical scholarship gives him the ability to review Perkin's work from a high and distinguished vantage point, claiming that The Rise of Professional Society is "that all-too-rare genre: social history so total that it is truly the history of society" (p. 139); in addition, it also allows him to recognize (as have many other scholars) the weaknesses of Briggs' Victorian Things: "it lacks the necessary framework of ideas" and it suffers from an "excess of miscellaneous detail" (p. 133).
Cannadine's commitment to rigorous and informed scholarship is evident when he reviews three books written by prominent historians about Winston Churchill. In reviewing the works of William Manchester (The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, vol 2: Alone 1932-1940), David Irving (Churchill's War, vol. 1: The Struggle For Power) and Martin Gilbert (Winston S. Churchill, vol. 8: Never Despair,1945-1965), Cannadine shows that he has command of both the biographer's craft and, more broadly, the historian's grasp of Churchill's significance for the 20th century, who he understands as a "statesmen in an age of decline" (232). For instance, William Manchester provides a new and spirited interpretation of Churchill's years out of power, but he does so, according to Cannadine, without properly understanding the historical context. The controversial David Irving, who blames Churchill for the loss of the British Empire, employs an unfair "evidential double standard" (224) which demands absolute documentary proofs to convict the Germans of war crimes and only circumstantial evidence to condemn British policy. Yet Cannadine finds some value in the book because Irving used the archives of Churchill's critics, which revealed, ironically, that Churchill's position in 1940 was much weaker than has been previously imagined, and, as a result, his achievements are even greater. Last, Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, provides a revealing glimpse at the Prime Minister's final years. The eighth and final volume, though, as Cannadine points out, refuses to engage the growing secondary literature on Churchill and leaves the reader with little understanding of its subject's broader significance. Out of these three books, Cannadine weaves together a review which skillfully manages to draw upon the results of detailed historical scholarship, remains sensitive to the obligations of the biographer, is unflinching in its assessment of the use of primary materials, while also interpreting the outlines of Churchill's career against the fate of the British Empire in the twentieth century.
The book's title, History In Our Time, also reflects Cannadine's approach of engaging historical scholarship with an eye on the present. Despite the commitment to the standards of professional historical study, the very vigor of these essays suggests that Cannadine does not write from a predictable vantage point. Nonetheless, it is clear that his aim is to use historical scholarship to engage a range of contemporary concerns--Mrs Thatcher's ideas, public understanding of "the Royals", contemporary social questions--in order to show that the study of history can be of service to the broader public. In essence, Cannadine's identity as a reviewer is that of a "mediating historian", relating aspects of history and contemporary life which otherwise might remain unconnected. As a reviewer of scholarship he fuses biographical details and specific historic circumstances, revisionism with traditional topics, miniature subjects with broad patterns of history; yet, more important is his ability to relate these discussions which might interest the academic specialist to the wider public. Cannadine, then, mediates historical scholarship itself with the contemporary world: past to present, private life to public affairs, academic analysis(often of the royalty) to the tabloid press, and the concerns of intellectuals to the realities of nationalism and patriotism.
The public's concern for History In Our Time, however, has not been primarily scholarly. Instead, as many commentators have noted "heritage" has become the vehicle for preservation and reconstruction of the past. If there has been a broad attempt to relate to the past through preservation, there has also been an assault under the banners of post-modernism to rethink the very presuppositions of scholarship. Academic theorists have in different ways attempted to rethink "objectivity", the nature of evidence, and emplotment of narrative -- all building blocks to the traditional study of history. To some disciplines, the writing of history has come to look first suspect and naive and, second, in consequence, to be a type of discourse which is valuable because it can be easily exploited for political or social ends. History is transparent not because it makes the past comprehensible, but instead, it reveals patterns of exploitation or domination.
During the same time, David Cannadine's star has arisen within the historical profession. The combination of his books, articles and book reviews have made him a "name" in every history department in Britain and North America. His mediating approach to the profession suggests that the role for the historian in our time is to be employed in scholarship which can be engaged to a public which does want to take the past seriously. The challenge for the mediating historian is to find the means to navigate professional scholarship successfully between the enthusiasm for heritage and the yield of postmodern work so that we can have history which is written with intellectual sophistication and serves a larger public than specialized university audiences. Therefore, those who would write "history in our time" have much to gain from studying David Cannadine's mediating approach to the subject.
Copyright (c) 2000 by H-Net, all rights reserved. This work may be copied for non-profit educational use if proper credit is given to the author and the list. For other permission, please contact H-Net@h-net.msu.edu.
Stephen L. Keck. Review of Cannadine, David, History In Our Time.
H-Ideas, H-Net Reviews.
Copyright © 2000 by H-Net, all rights reserved. H-Net permits the redistribution and reprinting of this work for nonprofit, educational purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the author, web location, date of publication, originating list, and H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online. For any other proposed use, contact the Reviews editorial staff at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:a9bef812-895f-4d2d-848c-06be42b27965> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=4560 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953956 | 2,717 | 2.078125 | 2 |
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Re: filter flow rates
On Wed, 29 Dec 1999, Tom Bates wrote:
> The filter flow rate as advertised by the manufacturer is a rating of
> maximum flow with no media installed. As restriction is applied (clean, new
> filter media) this flow rate is lowered. As the filter media becomes clogged
> to the point that the filter is in need of servicing, this flow is now
> severely compromised.
I wouldn't advise anyone to run a filter to the point where it's flow rate
is severly compromised. There is no point to the expense of a large
filter if you're just going to let it get clogged.
Beside, I was refering to the *actual* flow rate, not the manufacturer's
spec. You can use the specification as a standard, but if you need to
know the actual turnover rate for some odd reason, then you should measure
the flow rate under your operating conditions.
> The filter flow rate divided by the tank volume will only be a viable
> outcome if the filtered water was not returned to the unfiltered water. By
> mixing this water together, even if completely mixed, the filter is
> constantly taking in a combination of filtered and unfiltered water.
Actually, the ratio is accurate whether or not the filtered water is
returned and mixed with the original volume. The case where the water
isn't returned is pretty simple; the tank volume/flow rate ratio gives
the amount of time it takes to run all the water from the tank through the
filter. If the water is returned to the same volume then the ratio
measures the time it takes to run the average particle of water through
the filter once. In the same period of time, part of the water will not
have passed through the filter, part will have passed once, part will have
passed twice, and so on. On average, the water will have passed through
the filter once.
> The purity coefficient takes into effect the gradual decrease of the flow
> due to the filters increasing restriction as the media becomes clogged. By
> inserting this factor into the formula we can arrive at an average turnover
> time (throughout the media's lifespan). Granted the times will be shorter
> when the media is new and longer when the media needs replaced (or
> serviced). This purity coefficient also leads to the implication that 99% of
> the water is now in a filtered state.
Everyone's filters will clog differently, so the coefficient is arbitrary,
and the result is only of qualitative value. If it's going to be of
qualitative value, then just go ahead and use the flow rate/tank volume
ratio. It's simpler and just as meaningful.
Then James Watford wrote:
> The formula Tom gave:
> snip<T(ave) = 12.75 x G divided by F
> T(ave) is turnover average
> 12.75 is a purity coefficient (a constant factor [given])
> G is the net gallons of the aquarium
> F is the manufacturers rated flow of the filter>snip
> The formula is right on the money (The only difference in the one we used in
> testing in chemistry was the purity coefficient was rated at 12.755, but hey
> close enough)
What Tom's formula (due to Mr. Escobal) gives is an approximation to the
amount of time it takes for an ideal filter to remove an arbitrarily
selected proportion of some material added to the filtered water before
the filter is turned on. The formula is fine for that application (of
course, one might choke on using 5 significant digits, but that's
something else entirely). I have no problem with that. Why do you want
to know that? It's completely unlike an aquarium.
In an aquarium filters are used mostly to control the buildup of materials
that are generated within the aquarium on a more-or-less continuous basis.
Some of those material consists of solids that are mechanically removed by
the filter or settled in the tank itself. Some of the materials are
reactive chemicals that are acted on by bacteria in the filter, as well as
being used by plants and acted on by bacteria in the tank.
In either case, it's possible to build a formula that describes the
resulting concentration of the filtered material. Under simple conditions
(those that generally neglect reality) the concentration is going to be
proportional to the turnover rate (rate, not turnover time). But
different solutes, different particle size fractions and different
particle density fractions will all have different coefficients, and the
coefficients will depend on the rate at which the filterable material is
generated and consumed in the tank. So what is the point to using some
arbitrarily selected value?
In reality, some of us have retired filters completely and experienced no
measurable increase in the concentration of filtered components like
ammonia. What is the experimentally derived coefficient in that case?
Go back to the original context of this discussion; Daniel Greene
commented that his 1000 l/h (rated) pump was probably a little small for
his 400 l tank, based on it turning the water over only twice an hour.
Based on that turnover rate, I think Daniel's setup is fine, (particularly
in a planted tank) as long as the bioload isn't excessive and the filter
is cleaned regularly. There's no reason to throw an arbitrary coefficient
into some formula to get that qualitative conclusion. | <urn:uuid:4a438e4b-7267-48c0-8ec7-c552a2e91dbc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.9912/msg00507.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950263 | 1,189 | 1.992188 | 2 |
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- A battle cry can now be heard in small cities and towns across the U.S. Banners have been hoisted in a crusade vital to American success: Keeping America's businesses both small and large from leaving for bigger metropolitan areas, or even worse, heading for another country.
For some cities, not fighting is not an option. Between the soft economy, persistent unemployment and global competition, it's a matter of life or death for their local economies. The cities are even joining ranks to fight side by side.
"There's been this slow awakening in the country among cities and MSA's (metropolitan statistical areas) in particular. Cities that really used to fight tenaciously [over] city borders are much more open to regionalism," says Thom Ruhe, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Kauffman Foundation.
Ruhe says this trend is a byproduct of global competitive realities. "Kansas City can't look like they're competing against Des Moines when they're struggling to be economically relevant on a global stage," he says.Cities all across the U.S. must figure out ways to attract and retain big Fortune 500 companies, but equally as important, nurture and support the growth of their entrepreneurial ecosystem. When it comes to local government support as well as resources for growth, small businesses have historically been the under-served market. That's changing in cities from Cleveland to Louisville, Ky., and it's a movement being led by progressive city governments that are thinking outside the box when it comes to economic longevity, Ruhe says. The cities we've picked represent the first group we plan to highlight over the coming months for making their case to attract and retain entrepreneurs.
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Today, more and more people want to discover the reality of the creatures found in the faerie realm. Here, famed Pagan Kenny Klein reveals the amazing truth about faeries—you'll never think of them as sanitized Tinkerbells with trails of "fairy dust" again!
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Report: Intel shows Syria moving chemical weapons components
Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton weighs in
- Duration 7:36
- Date Dec 3, 2012
Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton weighs in
Also in this playlist...
This transcript is automatically generated
Fox News alerts if frightening developments out of Syria at this hour we are hearing reports that the regime has begun moving chemical weapons.
A senior defense official quoted as saying the activity started in just the last few days.
And seconds ago a strong warning directly from the White House welcome to America live everyone I'm Megyn Kelly.
Earlier today secretary of state Clinton publicly warned Bashar Assad's regime not to use chemical weapons on their own people.
Or the United States will be forced to act.
This comes after a week and terrible violence in Syria.
This is video we received on Saturday.
Small towns being bombarded by government mortars and missiles -- sending innocent families women and small children who once again.
Running for their lives.
A short time ago the United Nations announced it is withdrawing all nonessential personnel from that country as the possible threat of chemical warfare.
It stands for -- it's.
Along with an active chemical weapons program Syria has ballistic missiles to spread the deadly gas.
It is believed to be one of the world's largest programs.
According to the CIA the regime has vast amounts of mustard gas Sarin nerve agent and cyanide all designed to cause painful that.
This from the White House briefing moments ago.
As the opposition makes strategic advances and grows in strength.
The Assad regime has been unable to halt the opposition's progress through conventional means and we are concerned.
That in an increasingly beleaguered.
Regime having found its escalation of violence through conventional means inadequate might be considering the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people -- as the president has said.
Any use or proliferation.
Of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime would cross a red line for the United States.
Joining me now John Bolton former US ambassador to United Nations at a Fox News contributor ambassador welcome back.
This situation is used to be going from bad to worse in Syria and -- aside continues the massacre of his own people and now we are supposed to believe.
As things -- continue spiraling downward in that nation that we.
What we're supposed to trust and that he won't do it as as he feels his grip on power loosening.
Well it's entirely possible that aside would use chemical weapons especially if he thinks it's that or the collapse of his regime.
There there are other less threatening explanations he's just moving the weapons -- the agent out of range of the opposition -- -- Preparing for -- on -- strategy if the country itself falls apart.
But you know the United States and western options are kind of difficult here -- if if aside does begun begin to use the chemical agent.
Are people on the ground would be at risk and it's it's hard to see exactly what the administration is planning so whether it's threat.
And I actually moves aside the changes policy is it's hard to judge at this point.
Look at this look at these children running year running for their lives and we've seen this.
I mean I I'm.
I'm just disgusted by how many times you've seen this and that's important but it won't report about a child being tortured to death in Syria.
Children children are being tortured.
And and killed by this regime.
And -- and now we've had al-Qaeda ex exploiting the power vacuum and doing killing of its own.
Now you got reports that debt.
There are quote worrying signs of activity when it comes to these chemical weapons in the last few days.
And you tell me what the United States is gonna do it this lunatic is about to.
Unleash serin nerve gas on these kids.
That well of course.
We had seen regimes in the Middle East used chemical weapons against their own people Saddam Hussein used -- against the Kurds in Iraq Amnesty International has reported.
Years ago that Hafez Al Assad Bashar Al -- father.
Used chemical weapons in the Hamas massacre some decades ago so again it's not at all surprising and I have to say the administration.
Must have pretty concrete intelligence that side is doing things that make it possible for him.
To use these weapons but is as you also indicated the opposition's record on.
Human rights violations isn't exactly sterling and I would worry that if they get their hands on the chemical weapons.
At least some of -- the al-Qaeda sympathizers in particular might use them.
In Syria or might take them away for terrorist use elsewhere so it is a very very dangerous situation -- no doubt about.
Right there's fewer and fewer and fewer noble players over there it started as you know sort of real people who didn't want to be under this man's -- In every manner of their lives anymore but it's become something very different as as al-Qaeda and other terrorist -- -- sought to take advantage of the of the unrest there ambassador.
Could we do I mean if we really think he's about to use chemical weapons and maybe not today made it -- tomorrow.
But if we're getting this concerned about it and were saying that's a red line that was Hillary Clinton's term.
What does that mean.
Well four American options.
I think they're actually fairly limited and they're all dangerous that one is to destroy the chemical weapons in place.
Whether through aerial attack or were a special operations forces on the ground that obviously puts people at risk it's not easy to destroy this agent -- these weapons.
The other would be to try and capture supplies of the weapons and get them out of the country that's also very dangerous in the middle of the the civil war.
So it's a it's a very Dicey proposition for the United States and I believe other.
NATO countries in neighboring states like Turkey and Jordan that that may be involved as well very late to be worrying about this at this point what have.
NATO I mean this this -- to be something that would get the attention of the international community and not just America.
Well I think the Turks are already very worried the Jordanians and Israelis as well I think in cooperation with France and Britain and perhaps other NATO countries we have clearly been.
Planning for contingency operations and it may simply be that whatever it is that the administration is uncovered about what his side is doing.
With his chemical weapons stockpiles were at the point where a decision is gonna have to be made I mean if -- -- really that worried.
I don't think we should wait until -- start using them we have to consider doing something to prevent their use because.
If he unleash his chemical weapons against the opposition.
And he eventually follows the prospects of an opposition bloodbath which are already very high I think become overwhelming.
Before I -- out just it just to reiterate you don't think that the -- side is.
Incapable of this -- you believe he's capable of it because -- -- of the torture we've we've gotten reports on you know the bodies lined up one after the other people with their arms tied behind their back.
Just murdered in cold blood in and children nine year -- being shot ahead as it their parents watch and then.
Other children need to watch as their parents -- are murdered in front of them and babies I mean the reports -- an on air too gruesome for 1 PM eastern time ambassador but.
-- -- viewers know you believe this man is capable of unleashing chemical weaponry weaponry on his own people.
Oh absolutely I don't think he would hesitate if he thought it was that or the end of his regime in his end as well I think it would be second nature to on.
Ambassador Bolton thanks for being here. | <urn:uuid:db9fd0a8-4041-4771-8c60-57bf9f1ff5aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://video.foxnews.com/v/2008269377001/report-intel-shows-syria-moving-chemical-weapons-components?intcmp=related | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974082 | 1,633 | 1.789063 | 2 |
ABC Radio National’s Life Matters has a programme that’s full of fascinating snippets about the cutting edge of headache science.
It’s hardly the sort of material you’ll be charming your next date with, but there are so many ‘I never knew that’ moments that it’s definitely worth catching if you have an interest in the research or treatment of a pounding head.
For example, the programme reviews how Botox is being used to treat migraine, the introduction of a completely new class of headache drugs – the CGRP receptor antagonists, and how drug companies are marketing special body part specific medications for increased profit – despite the fact they all contain identical active ingredients.
It also covers how the added codeine in standard headache pills probably does nothing and why psychological treatment can be an effective way of treating even long-term persistent headache when drugs can seem to do no further good.
Lots more eye-opening facts and a plenty of discussion tightly packed into a 20 minute show.
Link to Life Matters on ‘Headaches: what’s new?’ | <urn:uuid:a34cb37e-87f2-488f-8771-9cf5929339b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mindhacks.com/2010/11/23/the-cutting-edge-of-a-splitting-headache/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906695 | 227 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Daily InspirationIs the fear of failure is stopping you from being all you can be? Is the fear that you can't do it stopping you from being a loving Adult and taking 100% responsibility for yourself? Today, make it okay to fail and see what happens to your resistance. By Dr. Margaret Paul
Parenting: Emotional IncestBy Dr. Margaret Paul
November 14, 2007
Emotional incest occurs when parents try to fill their inner emptiness by overly connecting with their child. Parents need to learn how to take responsibility for their own feelings so that their children do not feel this "yucky" pull.
"She used to sit me on the couch with her and grab my arms and look intently into my eyes, telling me how much she loved me and how important to her I was. I don't know exactly how to describe what I felt when she did that."
"Was it a yucky feeling?" asked Sarah, another participant.
"Yes, that's exactly the word! Yucky! So yucky! Why did it feel so yucky?"
"Because," Sarah said, "It was emotional incest. I know all about this yucky feeling. My father did the same thing with me."
Emotional incest occurs when a parent energetically uses a child to fill an inner emptiness that the parent is not taking responsibility for filling. When a parent emotionally abandons himself or herself, that parent might latch on to a child to fill the black hole that occurs from self-abandonment. While it might not be as traumatic as sexual incest, it occurs for the same reasons - a wounded parent using a child addictively to get love and avoid pain.
"Oh no!" said Phillip, another participant in the support group. "I think I might be doing that to my 15 year old daughter. No wonder she's been locking her bedroom door."
"What have you been doing Phillip?" I asked.
"Lots of times when I'm feeling badly or when Leitha (his wife) and I are having problems, I go into her room before she goes to sleep and tell her how upset I am. I complain to her about things that are going on in my life. I thought I was being a good dad - you know, spending time with her. But lately she has been asking me not to come into her room. Since I started this group, I've been realizing how much I am not taking care of my own feelings. When I feel bad, I often blame Leitha or complain to my daughter."
"Phillip, how wonderful that you are realizing this! How terrific that you are open to learning about this! What a huge difference it is going to make to your daughter for you to start to take responsibility for your own feelings."
"You know," said Phillip, "I'm excited about this. My daughter has been having some problems lately and I think this is why. I really do want to be a loving father, and I can see that I haven't understood that I have to be loving to myself before I can really love her in the way she needs to be loved. This is going to make a big difference in my relationship with Leitha too."
"Sarah and Phillip," said Jacob, "I am so grateful to both of you for putting a name to what I experienced as a child. It is really a relief to know that there was a good reason for the yucky feelings, and for not liking to be touched. I think that I have associated most touch with that yucky feeling of being pulled at to fill up my mother. I feel like knowing this, maybe I can start to give normal hugs to the people who are important to me."
A parent with a gaping inner hole that comes from inner abandonment cannot just stop the emotional incest. Certainly you can stop the overt actions, but to stop the energetic pull, you need to be doing your own Inner Bonding work so that you learn to fill your own inner emptiness.
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Luke wrote:I find that a recurring problem is when practicing Buddhists encounter people who aggressively believe that Buddhism is really about rejecting all dogma (including much of Buddhism!?) and about finding one's own truth. They generally like to hurl this quote by the Buddha around as their rallying cry:
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
While I applaud the enthusiasm of these people, I think that their distaste for many core Buddhist ideas is unwise. Reflecting on and analyzing Buddhist ideas is great and is necessary, but rejecting them just out of reflex ("Oh, that's just dogma! I don't need that! I'm a gloriously free-thinking, non-conformist, seeker of truth!") is foolish.
It's a bizarre situation when these "truth seekers" call themselves the "real Buddhists" (although they often know little about core Buddhist ideas) and call practicing Buddhists "mere conformists."
What are your thoughts about how to deal with such people? How can we show them what real Buddhism is without them distrusting us?
Its funny when people quote the Kalama Sutra for this purpose, The reality is you take Buddhas teachings as a whole and not a single sutra as the be all and end all of his teachings this one specifically, One should think logically and try to use what discerning wisdom they have but it doesnt contradict Buddhas teachings on reliance. | <urn:uuid:bdbed976-dfee-4ec3-b26b-4706894dcba4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?p=31897 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977775 | 394 | 1.765625 | 2 |
The silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii (which is synonymous with the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci B biotype) and the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, are major arthropod pests in greenhouses. Silverleaf whitefly and twospotted spider mite can cause extensive damage and economic loss if populations are not managed in a timely manner. Greenhouse producers typically use pesticides to control these pest species. However, to increase the activity of spray applications and manage the diversity of insect and mite pests, growers typically mix different insecticides and miticides.
Tank mixing involves combining two or more pesticides into a single spray solution, which reduces the number of applications and decreases labor costs. Mixing two or more pesticides may result in synergism or potentiation, which means there may be greater pest mortality than if either pesticide were applied individually. Pesticide mixtures may also be more effective on certain developmental stages of insect and mite pests. Previous research has demonstrated that mixing two insecticides increases efficacy against insect pests such as western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis and whiteflies compared to when each pesticide is applied separately.
Although there are benefits of pesticide mixtures, problems may occur when two or more pesticides are mixed together, such as plant injury (phytotoxicity) and pesticide incompatibility. However, a greater concern is antagonism, in which mixing two or more pesticides results in decreased pest mortality compared to efficacy when pesticides are applied separately.
Previous studies involving the control of insect pests using pesticide mixtures have been primarily conducted on lepidopteran larvae including the beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis), European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and tobacco budworm (Helicoverpa virescens). Relatively minimal, if any, information is available on the effect of pest-icide mixtures in controlling greenhouse insect and mite pests such as the silverleaf whitefly and twospotted spider mite.
Research conducted at the University of Illinois reported that combinations of Conserve (spinosad), an insecticide used by greenhouse producers to control western flower thrips, with other pesticides labeled for control of twospotted spider mite and whiteflies did not affect the efficacy of spinosad in controlling western flower thrips. However, there are no reported studies demonstrating the effects of the same pesticides in mixtures against two different insect or mite pests.
This study’s objective was to determine if mixtures of selected pesticides labeled for control of the silverleaf whitefly and twospotted spider mite result in reduced or enhanced efficacy or efficacy that remains the same against both pests.
Materials And Methods
Two experiments were conducted to determine whether tank mixing selected insecticides and miticides affects their ability to control silverleaf whitefly and twospotted spider mite. The four pesticides evaluated were Talus (buprofezin), TriStar (acetamiprid), Pylon (chlorfenapyr) and Floramite (bifenazate). Buprofezin and acetamiprid are labeled for control of silverleaf whitefly, whereas chlorfenapyr and bifenazate are labeled for control of twospotted spider mite.
Silverleaf Whitefly Experiment
Seventy-five Salvia x superba were transplanted into 0.94-liter containers in a growing medium (Metro-Mix 700) consisting of 50-60 percent composted pine bark, 20-30 percent Canadian sphagnum peat moss, 5-15 percent medium-grade horticultural vermiculite and 5-15 percent horticultural perlite. No pesticides were applied to test plants before conducting the experiment. Test plants were fertilized after planting with 5 grams of 14-11.6-6.1 (N-P-K) Osmocote granular fertilizer. The test plants were placed in a greenhouse-maintained silverleaf whitefly colony to initiate an infestation.
Silverleaf whitefly populations were sustained on poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) and speedwell (Veronica officinalis) plants enclosed in an infestation chamber. The silverleaf whiteflies were originally obtained from Bohn Nursery and AllTech Research and Development. The whiteflies in the colony were identified as silverleaf whitefly or sweet potato whitefly B biotype by Frank Byrne, Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside.
The enclosed chamber was 61⁄2 ft. wide and roughly 161⁄2 ft. long with an A-frame roofline measuring 56 inches at point with roughly 36-inch-tall sides. There was a single wire-mesh bench in the chamber. The bench height from the floor was roughly 36 inches.
The roof and ends were covered with clear 8-mm corrugated polycarbonate, and the sides and bottom were covered with antivirus insect screening 50x24 (0.2x0.8 mm) obtained from GreenTek. The sides were rolled up and secured with Velcro when closed. The poinsettia and speedwell plants, obtained from H. M. Buckley and Sons and AllTech Research and Development, were rotated and replaced with fresh plants approximately every two weeks to maintain the silverleaf whitefly colony which at the time the experiment was initiated was six months old.
Based on daily observations, we allowed the test plants to remain in the chamber for approximately 10 days to obtain a similar cohort of silverleaf whitefly nymphs. Once the test plants were infested, each plant was removed from the chamber and individual, 2-way and 3-way treatment combinations were applied. The pesticides and rates used are shown in Figure 1, page 32. There were 11 pesticide treatments, which included the individual, 2-way and 3-way treatments with five replications per treatment. There was also an untreated check and water control.
The test plants were about 5 inches tall, and the number of silverleaf whitefly nymphs was approximately 3 per sq.cm. of leaf tissue at the time of application. Each plant’s upper and lower leaf surfaces were thoroughly sprayed with a fine mist to ensure all whitefly nymphs present were in contact with the spray solution.
Applications were made using a carbon dioxide backpack sprayer. After the appropriate treatments had been applied, each replicate (plant) was individually placed into a wire-mesh cage (12x30 inches) covered with the same anti-virus insect screening as the infestation chamber. Test plants were then placed into a greenhouse on a wire-mesh raised bench and arranged in a completely randomized design. Environmental conditions in the greenhouse ranged from 72-88º F and 70-80 percent relative humidity (RH). Test plants received natural illumination during the experiment and were irrigated as needed with a handheld sprinkler; no overhead irrigation was used.
Plants were evaluated before application and seven and 14 days after treatment. Five leaves were randomly selected and harvested from each replicate. The numbers of live and dead whitefly nymphs were recorded. Based on previous observations, there were no escapes (live nymphs crawling or dead nymphs falling off plants).
Spider Mite Experiment
Seventy-five African marigold, Tagetes erecta, plugs were transplanted into 0.47-liter containers in a growing medium consisting of 35-percent peat, 45-percent aged pine bark, 15-percent aged rice hulls and 5-percent composted hardwood. No pesticides were applied to the test plants before conducting the experiment.
The plants were placed on a flood floor table in a greenhouse. The flood floor system was a Á Netafim flood mat programmed for two 10-minute cycles during a 24-hour period. This system was used to maintain our twospotted spider mite colonies on African marigold and butterfly bush (Buddleia spp.).
Leaves from marigold plants infested with twospotted spider mites (larvae, nymphs and adults) were removed and placed onto the test plants on two consecutive days to help ensure the nymphs and adults would be evenly distributed on the test plants.
Once the test plants were infested with twospotted spider mites, treatments were applied. The plants were approximately 4 inches tall at application time. We used the same application equipment as in the first experiment.
Following application of all treatments, the plants were placed in a greenhouse on a wire-mesh raised bench equipped with a flood floor system in a completely randomized design with one plant equivalent to one replicate. The flood floor system prevented the twospotted spider mites from migrating onto other test plants.
There were 11 treatments with five replications per treatment, which included the individual, 2-way and 3-way treatments. There was also an untreated check and water control. Environmental conditions inside the greenhouse during the experiment ranged from 72 to 86º F and 40-80 percent RH. Plants received natural illumination for the duration of the experiment and the same watering regime as the first experiment.
Plants were evaluated before application and seven and 14 days after treatment. Five leaves were randomly selected from each replicate. The numbers of live and dead twospotted spider mite nymphs were counted and recorded. As with the whitefly experiment, there were no escapes.
For both experiments, data were subject to an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with treatment as the main effect. Percent mortality for each treatment was calculated by dividing the number of dead silverleaf whitefly or twospotted spider mite nymphs by the total number of nymphs for each pest recovered per plant. Percent mortality values were normalized by arscine square-root transformation and subject to a 1-way analysis of variance with treatment as the main effect. Significant mean percent mortality values for the treatments were separated using a Tukey’s standardized range (HSD) test.
For the silverleaf whitefly experiment, there was no statistical difference among treatments before application. There was a significant difference in percent whitefly nymphal mortality seven and 14 days after treatment (see Figure 2, page 34).
For the twospotted spider mite experiment, there was no statistical difference among treatments before application. Percent nymphal mortality was significantly different seven and 14 days after treatment (see Figure 4, page 38).
The pesticide mixtures, in general, were not antagonistic based on the percent mortality values of silverleaf whitefly nymphs 14 days after treatment, with most of the mixtures resulting in greater than 75 percent mortality; however, the buprofezin and chlorfenapyr mixture and the acetamiprid, chlorfenapyr and bifenazate mixture provided insufficient control of silverleaf whitefly nymphs (37 and 35 percent mortality, respectively) (see Figure 2, page 34).
The individual applications of acetamiprid and bifenazate resulted in significantly lower percent mortality values of silverleaf whitefly nymphs seven days after treatment (18 and 44 percent, respectively) than the mixture (81 percent), which suggest potential synergistic or additive effects when these two pesticides were mixed together.
The buprofezin and chlorfenapyr mixture may have been antagonistic 14 days after treatment based on the difference in percent mortality values of silverleaf whitefly nymphs between the single buprofezin treatment (77 percent) and the mixture (37 percent). Both chlorfenapyr and bifenazate provided minimal control of silverleaf whitefly nymphs with percent mortality values less than or equal to 7 percent (see Figure 2, page 34), which was not surprising because neither pesticide is registered for use against the silverleaf whitefly.
None of the pesticide mixtures appeared to be antagonistic in controlling twospotted spider mite, with greater than or equal to 90 percent nymphal mortality seven days after treatment for four of the mixtures and 100-percent nymphal mortality for all of the mixtures 14 days after treatment (see Figure 4, page 38). Moreover, there were no live twospotted spider mite nymphs present on any of the plants treated with the mixtures as well as the plants that received the individual applications of chlorfenapyr and bifenazate. Both buprofezin and acetamiprid provided no control of twospotted spider mite nymphs with percent mortality values less than or equal to 6 percent and greater than or equal to 32 live twospotted spider mite nymphs per plant, which was not surprising because neither pesticide is registered for twospotted spider mite.
Many studies evaluating pesticide mixtures have been conducted under laboratory conditions. However, there are relatively very few studies that have evaluated pesticide mixtures under greenhouse conditions. We assessed pesticide mixtures in a greenhouse environment and detected minimal indications of antagonism occurring among the 2- and 3-way mixtures. This study has demonstrated that, in general, greenhouse producers may tank mix the evaluated pesticides without compromising control of either the silverleaf whitefly or the twospotted spider mite. | <urn:uuid:f6b3eec6-c18f-47c4-a9b4-9abe5ac4f92f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gpnmag.com/print/5233 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953101 | 2,738 | 3.203125 | 3 |
As a Stoughton historian I now feel more connected to the past realizing that my graduation from Stoughton High School in 1987 is nearly a quarter century ago.
The years do go by fast, and my own daughter, Brenda Lambert, will be graduating from SHS in the class of 2014.
This past week was the graduation of the Class of '11. This was not the first Class from SHS to bear the '11 year for its graduation.
I thought you might enjoy a little glimpse of the SHS Classes that graduated in 1886, 1911, 1936, 1961 and 1986. These are the classes that graduated 125, 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago, respectively. This will allow you to see some difference on location of the graduation and the classes sizes as far back as the late 1800s.
1886 – The graduation of the Senior class of Stoughton High School in June of 1886 was held in the auditorium of the Town Hall. During the 19th and early 20th century many of the school proms and graduations took place under the roof of this building.
In 1886 the town hall was a mere five years old, and a practically new facility. The following description from the Stoughton Sentinel on June 26, 1886 sets the stage for the graduation:
The exercises were held one week in advance of the usual time for the purpose of allowing the Stoughton Orchestra to be present. The hall was filled with the people of the town, friends of the graduates and persons interested in the work of the school. The hall presented a beautiful appearance, the stage being very nearly decorated for the occasion. On either side of the platform were arranged pyramids of flowers and pot plants [note: this is referring to potted plants not marijuana] in rich profusion. Over the arch was the class motto, worked in large gothic letters in field daises “Little by Little”. Under this was suspended a large floral horseshoe, and on either side were the class figures 1882, 1886, in daises.
The SHS class of 1886 entered into the hall at 8 o’clock. The first to enter the hall was not the graduates but the other members of Stoughton High. After that the graduates marched into the hall followed by the school committee, the teachers and invited guests.
You might think a graduation would have a hard time taking place comfortably in the Town Hall? Not really a problem in 1886 with only four graduates in the class, all females. Nellie Maud Hall, Minnie S. Hussey, Helen Clare Rogers and Edith G. Southworth made up the entire class of 1886.
1911 – Twenty five years later, and a century ago this month, the original class of '11 took the stage once again at the Town Hall. The following description from the Stoughton Sentinel on June 24, 1911 gives an idea of the evening:
Every seat in the large hall was taken and the audience was a very attractive one, the ladies in the their summer costumes, the children in their white dresses making an effective setting for the beautifully decorated stage and the bank of seats arranged on the platform for the graduates and the students of the School. It was one of the prettiest and best graduations we have attended for years in this town and when it was over the teachers and scholars were showered with congratulations on the success they had attained. The evening was most cool and delightful.
During the graduation ceremonies of 2011, the list of those receiving scholarships was a long. This was a bit shorter back in 1911 with the following awards: The Jabez Talbot Prize of $15 in gold to be given to the girl making the greatest improvement was awarded to Miss Stella Hart; the $10 Jabez Talbot 2nd prize was given to Miss Isabel Kennedy.
The total number of graduates was now twelve (three times the amount a quarter century before). Those who graduated in 1911 from Stoughton High were: Alice W. Toomey, Florence A. MacCombie, Fred E. Snell (all taking the Classical Course of study), Alice T. Murphy, Forrest E. Burnham, Annie Rodman, Frank E. Drake, and Lewis Stoyle (taking the Academic Course of study), Ruth G. Howard, Celia Greenwald, Grace W. McDermott, and John Dykeman (taking the Commercial course of Study).
In all seven girls and five boys. Must have been good odds for the boys at the prom that year to find a date.
1936 – The site of the graduation for the class of 1936 was a place of local entertainment, and seventy five years later is in the news as a place some hope to have restored.
A good amount of graduations for SHS actually occurred at the old State Theatre on Washington Street. The following description from the Stoughton News-Sentinel on June 25, 1936 gives a glimpse into the event that evening at the theatre:
The graduating exercise of the Stoughton High School class of 1936 took place in the State Theatre last Friday evening in a stage setting that won the admiration of about 900 parents and friends of the graduates. These boys and girls looked their best, the boys with their dark coats and light pants, and the girls in their white linen suits and green ties. The program opened with an overture, “Bridal Rose,” by Lavallee, played by the High School orchestra. The address was given by Warren B. Lyman, superintendent of schools. The High School orchestra played “On Wings of Song” by Mendelssohn.
The SHS class of 1936 graduated 83 Seniors that evening in June at the State Theatre. The class officers were Joseph Coppello (president); Dorothea MacDonald (vice president); Alice Dunkerly (secretary); and Walter Gorday (treasurer). The class gift to the High School was a large silk American flag and standard for the High School Assembly hall.
1961 – The ninety fifth commencement for Stoughton High took place June 9, 1961. Nearly double the size of the class of 1936, the class of 1961 saw 160 diplomas handed out to the Senior class. The following from the Stoughton Chronicle & News-Sentinel on June 15, 1961 sets the stage:
The program opened with the selection, “Prelude in G. Minor,” by the High School band. The processional was impressive with the boys in blue and the girls in white cap and gowns. The invocation was given by Rev. Robert C. Morgan, pastor of the Faith Baptist Church. Following the “Star Spangled Banner” and the pledge of allegiance to the flag, Principal Thomas J. Whalen welcomed parents and guests.
The SHS Class of 1961 class officers were: Raymond P. Beless (president); Cynthia A. Wales (vice president), Kathleen Williams (secretary), and John F. Kilroy (treasurer).
1986 – Now history comes into my realm of memory. I was a junior at SHS when many of my friends graduated in the Senior Class in June 1986. Reading through the list of 300-plus graduates now is a roll call of old familiar names for me.
The MTV generation, with our Sony cassette Walkman’s, guys and girls with feathered hair, were also a group of students with no idea what the Internet and DVD’s were and how they could be an aide with homework.
The Class officers of SHS 1986: Ronald DiMatteo (president); Shelia Jackson (vice president); Tina Doucette (secretary); and Jennifer Marotta (treasurer). The class advisor was Mr. Edward Weiner.
I would like to personally dedicate this article of historical facts and trivia to the Class of 2011, for they now are a part of Stoughton High School history. As an alumni and member of the Stoughton High School Academic Hall of Fame, I wish them all the success and happiness in the world.
Hope to all your dreams come true. | <urn:uuid:f14e4aef-e4a3-4f3b-b973-f6ee13aa1a35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stoughton.patch.com/articles/stoughton-high-graduations-of-years-past | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971233 | 1,666 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Types Of Links and FAQ
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Recommend A Link
Yes, I welcome all links to my website and I am generally happy to reciprocate. Just copy and paste the suggested link below on your links page. Please feel free to adjust the text as necessary. Thank you for your support.
I am happy to link to any site that I feel will benefit my audience. If you would like me to link to your website please setup a reciprocal link to my homepage and then contact me
Yes, this is the best way to reach your audience. Further details | <urn:uuid:839ce8d5-a4a8-4ff1-b856-9b5c4a1e6cab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.examsolutions.net/links.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925205 | 1,191 | 2.390625 | 2 |
HUNTSVILLE, AL (Team FREDNET PR) – The Open Space Society (http://teamfrednet.org/), the latest entry in small satellite access to Earth Orbital Space today announced the availability of its first Small Commercial Payload Launch Opportunity. The initial launch, which leverages The Open Space Society’s technology developed during its five-year history as well as its participation in the NASA Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data (NASA ILDD) program and Google Lunar X PRIZE (GLXP), will take place in January 2015. Expanded launch details will be made available in a subsequent announcement.
The Small Commercial Payload, also known as the Small Cubesat Payload (SCP), will consist of 50-100 Cubesat units, each 1U unit comprising a 1000cc cube volume with a total mass not exceeding 1kg. Experimenters may apply for 1U, 1x2U, 1x3U, 2x2U, or 2x3U slots within the SCP deployment module. A few additional reserved-size slots may be available within the SCP to support special access programs. The SCP module is designed to be carried in several configurations, including as an independent “top stage” aboard their first Lunar Spacecraft deployed while in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), as an independent launch payload module, or (in a version still in conceptual design) as a Lunar Orbital deployment module.
For those unfamiliar with Cubesats and the metric system, a Cubesat is an (approximately) 4x4x4 inch cube weighing less than 2.2 pounds. The Cubesat standard is widely used in programs of professional researchers, university engineering departments, high school science departments, and smaller national research institutes as an entry-level satellite form-factor allowing experimenters to fly orbital experiments at manageable costs. In the past, cubesats have sometimes launched within the spare capacity of a larger primary payload system. This launch by the Open Space Society is one of the first to provide a dedicated module for deploying a large constellation of Cubesats aboard a single spacecraft stage. The cost to launch a single Cubesat is typically less than $100,000, and in the industry rates currently average $85,000 per 1U cubesat unit.
Launch parameters and data are included in the formal SCP Call for Experiments and Participation, which is being distributed to key researchers concurrent with this press release. Applications and Letters of Intent are now being accepted, and an “Earlybird Discount” is being offered on the first units reserved by experimenters who file applications and letters-of-intent prior to March 29, 2013.
About Team FREDNET, The Open Space Society, Inc.
Team FREDNET, The Open Space Society, Inc. is a next generation Space technology, engineering, and exploration firm that specializes in small spacecraft and satellite development for cost-effective, innovative Space access. Designing commercial orbital and cislunar robotic spacecraft and missions at paradigm-shifting efficiencies allows the Open Space Society to create more “Accessible Space” for commercial, non-government, education, and entrepreneurial clients. Founded in 2007 as “Team FREDNET” by industry entrepreneur Fred Bourgeois, The Open Space Society evolved from an early Google Lunar X PRIZE competitor to a viable Space Access business by persistently pursuing innovative solutions. The company’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in and around the Huntsville, Alabama region, with personnel located in more than 60 countries around the globe. The Open Space Society was selected in 2010 as one of only four currently active contractors under the $30.06 million dollar NASA Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data program (NASA ILDD), and is currently eligible to receive up to an additional $9.4 million from NASA for data related to its development of commercial space programs. For more information, please visit http://teamfrednet.org/ or email email@example.com.
About The Google Lunar X PRIZE
The $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE is an unprecedented competition to challenge and inspire engineers and entrepreneurs from around the world to develop low-cost methods of robotic space exploration. In order to win the Google Lunar X PRIZE, a privately-funded team must successfully place a robot on the Moon’s surface that explores at least 500 meters and transmits high definition video and images back to Earth. The first team to do so will claim a $20 million Grand Prize, while the second team will earn a $5 million Prize. Teams are also eligible to win a $1 million award for stimulating diversity in the field of space exploration and as much as $4 million in bonus prizes for accomplishing additional technical tasks such as moving ten times as far, surviving the frigid lunar night, or visiting the site of a previous lunar mission. For more information, go to www.googlelunarxprize.org. | <urn:uuid:4bbbfa99-532e-4cce-9658-0f8e17a72542> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parabolicarc.com/2013/03/06/glxp-news-team-frednet-offers-cubesat-launch-opportunity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927511 | 1,016 | 2.078125 | 2 |
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft departed the asteroid Vesta three months ago, leaving behind an intriguing mystery: How did gullies form in some of its craters’ walls?
Pictures taken by Dawn show two types of narrow channels on Vesta. The
straight channels likely formed by falling dry material, similar to sand — a phenomenon also seen on the moon.
But the other channels curve and end in lobe-shaped deposits. On Earth,
similar features, seen in places such as Meteor Crater in Arizona, have been carved by flowing water.
Curving gullies also have been found on Mars, though scientists are still debating how those formed.
The discovery of sinuous gullies on Vesta was a surprise, say scientists who unveiled their find at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco this week.
“We need to analyze the Vesta gullies very carefully before definitively specifying their source,” Dawn lead scientist Christopher Russell, with the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a statement.
“The sinuous gullies are longer, narrower, and curvier than the short, wide, straight gullies. They tend to start from V-shaped, collapsed regions described as ‘alcoves’ and merge with other gullies,” NASA wrote in a
“Scientists think different processes formed the two types of gullies and have been looking at images of Earth, Mars and other small bodies for clues,” NASA said.
Dawn is now en route to the largest object in the asteroid belt, the dwarf planet Ceres.
Image: Dawn observation of the long, narrow, sinuous gullies that scientists have found in the crater walls on the giant asteroid Vesta. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA | <urn:uuid:838f6a42-e0b6-49f2-b4eb-4f679e83f8ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.discovery.com/space/probes-spots-channels-in-asteroids-crater-walls-121207.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951552 | 377 | 3.859375 | 4 |
Obama in the Oval Office.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- President Obama will propose a budget on Monday that forecasts a $901 billion deficit in 2013, and includes plans to make targeted investments in areas like infrastructure while hiking taxes on the rich.
The White House bills the document as a "blueprint for how we can rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded."
But given the intense acrimony in Washington, especially on budget issues, few provisions in the document are likely to ever become law.
The budget will project that the deficit for fiscal year 2012 will top $1.3 trillion, before falling in 2013 to $901 billion, or 5.5% of gross domestic product.
By 2022, the deficit is forecast to fall to $704 billion, or 2.8% of GDP, according to the White House.
Senior administration officials discussed details of the budget with reporters on Friday night. The full budget will be released Monday morning.
The administration officials said the budget is very much a continuation of two previous Obama keystones.
This first is a speech delivered last year in Kansas where he presented Americans with a choice: a "fair shot" with him, or a return to "you're on your own economics."
The second is last month's State of the Union address, which focused on the broad themes of income inequality.
The 2013 budget is somewhat limited in scope because the White House had to fit spending on discretionary accounts below the limits set in the Budget Control Act approved by Congress last summer.
Over a decade, the cuts enshrined in the Budget Control Act total in the neighborhood of $1 trillion in discretionary spending.
That means it's no easy feat to find room for additional spending on infrastructure, research and development and education -- investments Obama says are critical.
The White House said that in order to fit under the caps, it had to lower spending in certain areas. To that end, discretionary spending is projected to fall from 8.7% of GDP in 2011 to 5.0% in 2022.
The details on specific program cuts were not immediately available.
A few areas of reduction are known: Military spending will be reduced. The Pentagon plans to spend $487 billion less over ten years, a course that Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has already laid out in some detail.
For example, Panetta has said the Army will save money by pulling two of its four brigades out of permanent bases in Europe to bases in the United States.
And the Navy will be getting rid of older ships that don't have the latest ballistic missile defense.
Of course, the budget doesn't just cut spending -- it also raises taxes.
The White House included $1.5 trillion in tax hikes, including a provision that will allow the Bush tax cuts to expire for high-income earners, a long-held Obama position.
The budget also incorporates the Buffett Rule, a guideline to ensure that the wealthiest do not pay a lower overall tax rate than those who earn substantially less money.
Specifically, no household making more than $1 million will be a allowed to pay less than 30% of its income in taxes.
In addition, the White House wants to reform the individual tax code in a way that "eliminates inefficient and unfair tax breaks for millionaires while making all tax breaks at least as good for the middle class as for the wealthy."
Later this month, the president will unveil a plan to reform corporate taxes, including lowering rates, administration officials said.
The budget to be released Monday will include many of the job creation provisions laid out in the American Jobs Act, a piece of legislation Obama delivered last year with great fanfare but was almost totally ignored by Congress.
The administration is also proposing a series of investments focused on infrastructure, education and domestic manufacturing, including old favorites like $30 billion to modernize schools and an additional $30 billion to retain and hire teachers and first responders.
The budget will also offer details on what the White House calls a Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee. The tax will raise $61 billion over 10 years from large financial institutions to help offset the cost of the TARP bailout and Obama's mortgage refinance programs.
The release of Obama's budget comes just as both political parties are ramping up efforts to fundraise and compete in both the presidential contest and crucial down-ballot races that will shape the next Congress.
That spells dysfunction on Capitol Hill.
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|Retail sales||Sept 14| | <urn:uuid:e1e9471e-3e54-4952-a48a-2c9728204cbe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/10/news/economy/obama_budget/index.htm?iid=EL | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936553 | 1,117 | 1.703125 | 2 |
After 30 years and 135 missions, residents and visitors to Florida's Space Coast crowd the new A. Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville to see the rocket's red glare of NASA's Space Shuttle Program soar for the last time on July 8, 2011.
After 30 years and 135 missions, invited guests congregate along the NASA Causeway to see the rocket's red glare of NASA's Space Shuttle Program soar for the last time, on July 8, 2011
After 30 years and 135 missions, residents and visitors to Florida's Space Coast traverse the waters near Port Canaveral to see the rocket's red glare of NASA's Space Shuttle Program soar for the last time, July 8, 2011.
Shuttle Atlantis is seen a few moments into its final flight on July 8, 2011.
Dressed in their bright-orange launch-and-entry suits, the final four astronauts to launch aboard a space shuttle wave to media and employees cheering them on in front of the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 8, 2011. From left, are STS-135 Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Commander Chris Ferguson.
The space shuttle Atlantis' last launch on July 8, 2011 is seen from above through the window of a Shuttle Training Aircraft.
Atlantis just clears the tower in this closer view of the launch on July 8, 2011.
Shuttle Atlantis launched on mission STS-135 July 8, 2011.
Shuttle Atlantis clears the tower, July 8, 2011.
NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, left, and Sesame Street's Elmo speak at the STS-135 Tweetup on July 7, 2011 at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Elmo asked the astronauts questions about living and working in space.
Atlantis appears to fly past flags at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on July 8, 2011.
Spectators in the foreground watch as Atlantis launches on its final flight, July 8, 2011.
Shuttle Atlantis rolls into the heads-down position after launch, July 8, 2011.
Shuttle Atlantis climbs to space on a column of smoke, July 8, 2011.
With the International Space Station flying 220 miles high & east of Christchurch, New Zealand, space shuttle Atlantis launched at 11:29 a.m. EDT, July 8, 2011.
The camera mounted on Atlantis' external tank shows a unique view looking back towards the ground as Atlantis launches.
A member of the shuttle Atlantis' close-out crew shares a message before the shuttle's last launch.
One of Atlantis' solid rocket boosters can be seen at lower left falling back to Earth, July 8, 2011.
The space shuttle Atlantis stands poised for its final liftoff from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Space shuttle Atlantis is revealed at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A following retraction of the pad's Rotating Service Structure on July 7.
Space shuttle Atlantis, attached to its bright-orange external fuel tank and twin solid rocket boosters, is bathed in xenon lights and takes center stage on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in this aerial image taken from a NASA helicopter in the predawn hours just before launch on July 8, 2011.
A pair of lightning strikes occurred near the space shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on July 7. The first struck the water tower 515 feet from the pad and the second struck the beach area northeast of the pad. Early data indicate no issues with the shuttle or its systems. Credit: NASA
Threatening clouds hover over the shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A on July 7. | <urn:uuid:ac5e06b2-ddd8-4cca-b739-9e5482f49f15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.space.com/12208-nasa-final-space-shuttle-launch-photos.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910625 | 774 | 2.265625 | 2 |
More than a thousand took part in the Girls on the Run 5k charity run Saturday morning. The money raised goes to benefit the Girls on the Run scholarship fund.
Girls on the Run (GOTR) Sedgwick County is an organization that works with pre-teen girls. They meet twice a week the girls. Part of the training involves running as well as classroom work where they teach them about different subjects like bullying and how to deal with their emotions.
Organizers say the 5k run is a way to get the girls focused on a having a goal and going for that goal.
You can learn more about Girls on the Run by clicking here. | <urn:uuid:2bcf4413-09df-4b62-be88-bd0ec60d20c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kansascw.com/kscw/news/kwch-news-rmj-more-than-a-thousand-take-part-in-girls-on-the-run-5k-20120512,0,5863820.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978963 | 135 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Transcend-Ascend - Text by M. Alan Kazlev One who transcends to one toposophic, then ascends to the next. For example an intelligence may transcend to SI:1, leaving behind everything of itself that was of SI:<1. Then e may ascend to S2, retaining eir SI:1 nature but adding an S2 superstructure on top of the SI:1 nature. Contrast transcend-ascend. Often however the dividing lines are not this well defined
Transcendent Being - Text by M. Alan Kazlev An entity that is distinct from physical existence, whether considered ontologically, as a supernatural or supraphysical being, or soteriologically, as a being that is no longer a part of embodied existence or samsara. The existence of a transcendent being or beings (e.g. God, Buddhas, etc) is central to many religious memeticities, but denied by physicalist memeticities.
Transcension Prediction - Text by Anders Sandberg and M. Alan Kazlev Given the huge population of the civilized galaxy, and the fact that ascensions and transcensions are moderately common and have been going on for thousands of years, many polities and civilizations have developed some fairly reliable methods for predicting the onset of one of these events. Often this is comparable to pre- and post-singularity efforts at predicting the weather (and a large transcendence event does indeed share some conceptual characteristics with a force of nature to those watching from outside at a lower S level). | <urn:uuid:e73c4a26-ab71-4bd7-8342-07b9a39b5caa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/47a535a13b9b0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927309 | 316 | 1.992188 | 2 |
The average premium for employer-sponsored family health insurance rose 61 percent in Utah from 2003 to 2011, taking a bigger bite out of household incomes, according to a report from a nonprofit health care research group.
Annual premiums for family plans jumped from $8,349 to $13,455 during the nine-year period, the Commonwealth Fund said. Across the U.S., family premiums rose 62 percent, from $9,249 to $15,022.
Utah health insurance premiums spiked between 2003 and 2011
Average family premium in 2003: » $8,349
Average family premium in 2011 » $13,455
Median family income in 2003 » $61,200
Median family income in 2011 » $73,460
Family premium as a percent of family median income in 2003 » 13.6 percent
Family premium as a percent of family median income in 2011 » 18.3 percent
Source: Commonwealth Fund
Premiums for single Utahns rose 37 percent, from $3,352 in 2003 to $4,597 last year, the New York-based fund said. There was no comparable U.S. figure.
Health insurance as a percent of Utah’s median income increased from less than 14 percent in 2003 to between 17 percent and 19.9 percent.
Nationally, the report found that workers are also paying more out of pocket, as employee payments for their share of health insurance premiums rose an average of 74 percent. Deductibles more than doubled, up 117 percent from 2003 to 2011.
"Wherever you live in the United States, health insurance is expensive, and for many middle- as well as low-income families it is becoming ever less affordable," said Cathy Schoen, lead author of the report.
Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:4942f1a7-117b-4998-bca2-8af19e02f879> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55451435-79/health-percent-premiums-report.html.csp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961524 | 385 | 1.546875 | 2 |
After 11 days of survey and sampling using both the latest in technology and physical sampling, no oil remains were found on the sunken World War II tanker, SS Montebello.
An on-scene assessment conducted by the Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response of the tanker, which happens to be located just miles from gCaptain’s hometown of Morro Bay, California, has determined that there is no substantial oil threat from the Montebello to the surrounding waters and shorelines.
The S.S. Montebello sank after a Japanese submarine torpedoed the large oil tanker on December 23, 1941. The vessel broke apart landing upright with her bow separated from the majority of the wreckage. At the time of sinking no release of the 3.2 million gallon cargo was observed.
Over the past few days Global Diving & Salvage, working under the direction of the unified command , has assessed cargo and fuel tanks as well as collected ocean floor sediment samples. “Our number one objective for this mission was to determine what threat, if any, the Montebello poses to the waters and shorelines of California,” said Coast Guard Capt. Roger Laferriere. “After careful evaluation of the data, we have concluded with a high level of confidence that there is no oil threat from the S.S. Montebello.”
With the assistance of its Cougar XT ROV Global combined visual and sonar imaginary into 3D models of the vessel. These models where then combined with data from thickness gauging, backscatter tooling, samples of the tank contents and nearby sediment to determine the results.
“Knowing that this wreck does not pose a significant pollution threat is great news”, says Devon Grennan, President of Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. “The combination of the latest technology, sound planning and project management, excellent collaboration between Federal, State and private enterprise shows the possibilities in investigating these deep water wrecks and the ability to determine the pollution potential.
“This is a new era of prevention,” said DFG OSPR Capt. Chris Graff. “This has been a cooperative partnership using cutting-edge technology and surgical precision. The procedures and techniques used could help conduct threat assessments on other sunken vessels.” | <urn:uuid:ac0da280-a52a-4aba-9692-2c4d6e3617f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gcaptain.com/aboard-californias-sunken-ship?33033 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945059 | 486 | 2.84375 | 3 |
March 2, 2002, Iron
Cross Memorial Service at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, SC, for
Captain John Mitchel, an Irishman, 1st Reg., SC Art. CSA, who died
on the parapet of Fort Sumter during the bombardment, July 20, 1864.
"I willingly give my life for South Carolina; Oh! that I could
have died for Ireland."
Mitchel was the third CSA commander of Fort Sumter. The coping
around his grave is in the shape of the parapets at Fort Sumter.
John Mitchel’s brother, Sgt/Capt James Mitchel, 1st and 2nd SC
Infantry, Co., E., enlisted in Edgefield District April 15, 1862.
Wounded in Virginia 1864. Paroled Augusta, Georgia May 19, 1865. He
went north to NY and went into politics. He is buried in Woodland
Cemetery in the Bronx.)
of Mary Yates Snowden Chapter OCR were present as "Black Roses". | <urn:uuid:80843e3d-23e0-461e-be3b-a5effe644241> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scocr.org/Chapters/03/SnowdenPhotos.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961491 | 213 | 1.84375 | 2 |
On the eve of the US election, occasional commenter here at the Stubborn Mule, Michael Michael, sent me links to a couple of articles on Slate on the merits of voting. Of course, as an Australian citizen, I don’t have the option of voting in the US election, but the issues raised are relevant to democracies around the world.
In the first, Don’t vote, Steven E. Landsburg argued that the chances of your vote determining the result of the election are so slim that it would make more sense to play the lottery. In the second, Vote!, Jordan Ellenberg responds with a detailed mathematical analysis (including a dose of Bayesian inference) to argue that the odds of affecting the result, while long, are better than winning the lottery.
Landsburg gives passing comment to the most obvious counter to his argument:
The traditional reply begins with the phrase “But if everyone thought like that … .” To which the correct rejoinder is: So what? Everyone doesn’t think like that. They continue to vote by the millions and tens of millions.
This is rather peculiar logic. If you write a piece arguing against voting you would expect, if the argument was sound, that readers would heed the advice. So arguing essentially on the basis that no-one would heed the advice seems rather like admitting defeat from the outset.
That is as much as I am prepared to say on the argument Landsburg makes because as far as I am concerned, asking whether your vote will decide the outcome is simply too narrow a measure of value in voting. I say this as someone who has always lived in safe seats (I grew up in one of the most blue-ribbon Liberal seats in the country and now live in a solid Labor heartland), so I have had plenty of opportunity to reflect on the value of my vote. So rather than fall into Ellenberg’s trap of arguing on the ground Landsburg has marked out, I will instead give some thoughts on broader reasons for voting.
The first of these thoughts centres on the notion of “mandate”, a term much beloved of a former prime minister here in Australia. Of course whoever wins an election has the right to make any and all decisions conferred by their office. However, in practice, the margin of the victory is very significant. Any new leader winning by a landslide will, rightly, feel they have a mandate for sweeping change. A victor by a narrow margin is often more cautious, with an eye on the next term. So whether or not your vote is the deciding one, it can add or detract from the strength of the victor’s mandate. This idea is one understood very well by the many voters in my electorate who vote for the Greens not because they are very likely to win, but to send a message to the winning Labor candidate.
Another consideration is the effect of low voter participation. Australia has compulsory voting, which means that voter participation rates are very high by international standards. In the US, however, participation hovers around the 50% rate. This means that much can be gained by campaigns to “turn out the vote”, which often target the more extreme ends of the political spectrum and lead to posturing by candidates which has little bearing on what will happen after the election. The “socialism” tag used by the McCain campaign to attack Obama is a good example. It may sway some voters on the right, but the reality of an Obama presidency would have little to do with socialism just as a McCain presidency would have little to do with combatting socialism. If more people were to vote in the US, the effectiveness of pandering to extremes would be diminished and candidates may be forced to focus more on their actual policies.
The last argument I will offer in favour of voting is perhaps an old chestnut, but a worthwhile chestnut nevertheless. It is the notion of civic duty. For those of us living in democracies, the means of determining who will run our country (or State, or school board, etc) is central to our way of life. Stepping out of the house on the odd occasion to participate in that process should not be seen as an annoying waste of time, but as an essential part of ensuring the continuation of our way of life. That may seem an overly-dramatic way to put it, but when you come to vote, it is worth taking the time to reflect on the significance of the act. | <urn:uuid:f66c809d-adea-45e7-9054-fe6c574afe07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stubbornmule.net/2008/11/to-vote-or-not/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972748 | 918 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Element Uranium
[Click for Isotope Data]
Atomic Number: 92
Atomic Weight: 238.02891
Melting Point: 1408 K (1135°C or 2075°F)
Boiling Point: 4404 K (4131°C or 7468°F)
Density: 18.95 grams per cubic centimeter
Phase at Room Temperature: Solid
Element Classification: Metal
Period Number: 7 Group Number: none Group Name: Actinide
What's in a name? Named for the planet Uranus.
Say what? Uranium is pronounced as you-RAY-nee-em.
History and Uses:
Uranium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth, a German chemist, in the mineral pitchblende (primarily a mix of uranium oxides) in 1789. Although Klaproth, as well as the rest of the scientific community, believed that the substance he extracted from pitchblende was pure uranium, it was actually uranium dioxide (UO2). After noticing that 'pure' uranium reacted oddly with uranium tetrachloride (UCl4), Eugène-Melchoir Péligot, a French chemist isolated pure uranium by heating uranium dioxide with potassium in a platinum crucible. Radioactivity was first discovered in 1896 when Antoine Henri Becquerel, a French physicist, detected it from a sample of uranium. Today, uranium is obtained from uranium ores such as pitchblende, uraninite (UO2), carnotite (K2(UO2)2VO4·1-3H2O) and autunite (Ca(UO2)2(PO4)2·10H2O) as well as from phosphate rock (Ca3(PO4)2), lignite (brown coal) and monazite sand ((Ce, La, Th, Nd, Y)PO4). Since there is little demand for uranium metal, uranium is usually sold in the form of sodium diuranate (Na2U2O7·6H2O), also known as yellow cake, or triuranium octoxide (U3O8).
Since it is naturally radioactive, uranium, usually in the form of uranium dioxide (UO2), is most commonly used in the nuclear power industry to generate electricity. Naturally occurring uranium consists of three isotopes: uranium-234, uranium-235 and uranium-238. Although all three isotopes are radioactive, only uranium-235 is a fissionable material that can be used for nuclear power.
When a fissionable material is struck by a neutron, its nucleus can release energy by splitting into smaller fragments. If some of the fragments are other neutrons, they can strike other atoms and cause them to split as well. A fissionable material, such as uranium-235, is a material capable of producing enough free neutrons to sustain a nuclear chain reaction.
Only 0.7204% of naturally occurring uranium is uranium-235. This is too low a concentration to sustain a nuclear chain reaction without the help of a material known as a moderator. A moderator is a material that can slow down a neutron without absorbing it. Slow neutrons are more likely to react with uranium-235 and reactors using natural uranium can be made using graphite or heavy water as a moderator. Methods also exist for concentrating uranium-235. Once the levels of uranium-235 have been increased to about 3%, normal water can be used as a moderator.
Uranium-238, uranium's most common isotope, can be converted into plutonium-239, a fissionable material that can also be used as a fuel in nuclear reactors. To produce plutonium-239, atoms of uranium-238 are exposed to neutrons. Uranium-239 forms when uranium-238 absorbs a neutron. Uranium-239 has a half-life of about 23 minutes and decays into neptunium-239 through beta decay. Neptunium-239 has a half-life of about 2.4 days and decays into plutonium-239, also through beta decay.
Although it does not occur naturally, uranium-233 is also a fissionable material that can be used as a fuel in nuclear reactors. To produce uranium-233, atoms of thorium-232 are exposed to neutrons. Thorium-233 forms when thorium-232 absorbs a neutron. Thorium-233 has a half-life of about 22 minutes and decays into protactinium-233 through beta decay. Protactinium-233 has a half-life of about 27 days and decays into uranium-233, also through beta decay. If completely fissioned, one pound (0.45 kilograms) of uranium-233 will provide the same amount of energy as burning 1,500 tons (1,350,000 kilograms) of coal.
Uranium is a dense metal that has uses outside of the nuclear power industry. It is used as a target for X-ray production, as ammunition for some types of military weaponry, as a shield against radiation, as a counterweight for aircraft control surfaces and in the gyroscopes of inertial guidance systems.
Uranium compounds have been used for centuries to color glass. A 2,000 year old sample of yellow glass found near Naples, Italy contains uranium oxide. Uranium trioxide (UO3) is an orange powder and has been used in the manufacture of Fiestaware plates. Other uranium compounds have also been used to make vaseline glass and glazes. The uranium within these items is radioactive and should be treated with care.
Uranium's most stable isotope, uranium-238, has a half-life of about 4,468,000,000 years. It decays into thorium-234 through alpha decay or decays through spontaneous fission.
Estimated Crustal Abundance: 2.7 milligrams per kilogram
Estimated Oceanic Abundance: 3.2×10-3 milligrams per liter
Number of Stable Isotopes: 0 (View all isotope data)
Ionization Energy: 6.194 eV
Oxidation States: +6, +5, +4, +3
3s2 3p6 3d10
4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14
5s2 5p6 5d10 5f3
6s2 6p6 6d1 | <urn:uuid:e19f9e4d-7246-431b-ad26-96e07dedfcc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele092.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913157 | 1,350 | 3.875 | 4 |
National Alliance on Mental Illness
page printed from http://www.nami.org/
(800) 950-NAMI; firstname.lastname@example.org
Super Bowl Bound?
Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, now with Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, has teamed with the National Football League (NFL) to fight stigma.
Fighting stigma was one of Satcher's key recommendations in his landmark Report on Mental Health.
The initiative is called NFL Community Huddle: Taking a Goal Line Stand for Your Mind and Body. Forums will be held in several major cities to create game plans to reduce stigma. Mental illness does not discriminate; it affects athletes--including high school and college students--and can be related to sports injuries.
PBS Stations to Air Unlisted
The film was shown at the NAMI national convention this summer; some NAMI affiliates also are sponsoring local screenings in their communities.
By special arrangement, NAMI members can simply order the regular home use version of the DVD to use for educational events or fundraisers, rather than the more expensive educational use.
Vs. magazine is a Danish-owned "international high-end fashion and lifestyle magazine" that claims its "core editorial values [are] creativity, integrity and style" In its latest issue, integrity is put to the test-and fails. A photo spread "We Are All Crazy for Eva," features actress Eva Mendes as a patient in a psychiatric institution writhing on a bed to keep from being restrained and other poses.
One celebrity news story called the photo shoot "eccentric" and "quirky" and praised Mendes for her "sense of humor."
The insensitivity is as offensive--if not more so--as T-shirts Sears recently pulled from stores because they were branded "Gotcha" over the image of the Twin Towers. What's sad is that Mendes should know better. In 2008 she commendably sought professional help at a rehabilitation facility.
Tell Vs. magazine what you think: email@example.com You can also write Ms. Mendes through her manager:
Some SBers are wondering whether the animals might help overcome stigma because they are endearing, sympathetic characters that children might bond with. But what's crossed the line is an online game on the company's website set in a psychiatric hospital (click the British flag for English translation).
Both the website and game are labeled: "The Asylum: Psychiatric Clinic for Abused Cuddly Toys."
Don't help the company's marketing campaign by protesting too loudly at least at this time--the company would love the attention. Initial public reaction to the toys seems skeptical. In the search for a company contact, we've also found only one email address: Dr. Kindermann, which is also the name of the doctor in the asylum game.
Eyes and Ears
Have you seen stigma in the news, entertainment or advertising media? You are our eyes and ears! Send a report to firstname.lastname@example.org. Because of the large number of messages received, they cannot all be answered individually; however, we appreciate every one and review and prioritize them for action. Please also contact the source directly--you have more power than you know! We also appreciate getting copies of responses you receive to evaluate. Your help makes a difference! | <urn:uuid:ccec627a-8cd9-4baf-ad7c-0a364cc454ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nami.org/PrinterTemplate.cfm?Section=Stigma_Alerts_Archive&template=/contentmanagement/contentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=107268&title=StigmaBusters%3A%20September%2020%2C%202010 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949374 | 694 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Mei, aka Marcie Mom, is writing to us from Singapore where she created a blog for parents with children diagnosed with eczema called Eczema Blues. She has published a children’s book this year (2011) titled “A to Z Animals are not scratching!” In this book children will “learn what the animals do instead of scratching”. She enjoys designing and cartooning, as well as, weekend outings with the family.
What do parents do when we find out that our child has eczema? Take a moment to read how Mei and her family are answering this very question.
Q: At what point did you see signs that your child might have a skin problem outside of the seemingly normal “dry skin” that children face?
Actually, my baby Marcie didn’t have dry skin when she was born. She had beautiful skin and looked lovely. At about two weeks old, red rashes started appearing on her face followed by thick cradle cap. Even then, we didn’t know that it was a problem since rashes was listed on the hospital’s guide to parents as normal. At her one month old check-up, the paediatrician diagnosed her with eczema.
Q: How did you first handle your concerns?
I did what was told by the paediatrician, applying topical steroid cream and changing to hypoallergenic milk formula. It didn’t help much though, and when I started her on solids at about six month old, I got really paranoid second-guessing what food triggered her eczema. Finally, I brought her to the children clinic in hospital, where she got her skin prick test – the result was that my baby Marcie was not allergic to anything. That really reduced a lot of stress as we needn’t worry about what to feed her.
Q: What were some of the things you felt as a parent? Was there anxiety?
Lots of feelings – from confusion to blaming my spouse (and learning not to) for the ‘eczema gene’. Anxiety definitely, anxious about her scratching, about her diet, about her getting enough sleep. Anger as well, angry with God for letting this happen to Marcie.
Q: How did you cope with your feelings and emotions?
I was stay-at-home mom, alone most of the time, with Marcie. Obviously, I wouldn’t take it out on her, but to some extent, did take it out on my husband when he got back from work. Most of the time though, ensuring that my baby didn’t scratch already took all my energy.
Q: Did your spouse cope in a different way? If so, how did that effect the way you dealt with it?
I think my spouse put up a strong front as on so many days, he came back home seeing me holding my baby’s hands (to not let her scratch) and already tired out with taking care of her the whole day and cooking a warm dinner for him. It was a difficult period, particularly, as we relocated back to Singapore, moved homes a few times within the year and my husband started a new challenging job. Sometimes, he’d lose it too, but fortunately, we had our bible study group to offer support and prayed for us.
Q: What success or milestones have you experienced with baby Marcie?
Taking the one-time oral steroid course really helped to manage her eczema. Before that, it would be whole body red within a few minutes for no reason. After the course, we are able to treat specific areas of her skin and keep Marcie’s eczema manageable.
Q: What’s one piece of advice can you give to our readers regarding raising a child with eczema?
I think it is taking a skin prick test, finding out what’s triggering the child’s eczema and what is not. It reduces a lot of stress when a parent knows what to look out for, rather than being worried about every possible trigger out there.
I am sure many of us can relate to these same feelings of helplessness, exhaustion and googling non-stop in the wee hours. Yet, it’s so encouraging to read Mei’s and her spouse were able to be encouraged and confide in people that love them.
A big thank you to Marcie Mom for being on our blog and for being so transparent with our readers. I want to also refer anyone who might be looking for a support group to check out Eczema Blues. Marcie’s mom has created an environment where we can talk candidly about what we have learned or might be going through.
She loves to provide helpful information and suggestions on how to handle this eczema journey. Her cartoons even give us, stressed parents, some comic relief! Reminiscing about a day she gave a parent advise about baby eczema Mei writes: “…it really brought back memories of those nights that I googled incessantly and freaked myself out with all the info out there. That’s why I started my blog, to provide a light-hearted information source to stressed out parents. My friends have been asking me what’s the point of spending so much time to put blog posts out, but when I know my blog has brought some comfort to parents, it feels worthwhile.”
She’s very passionate about low-income families with eczema children, and setting up a fund to be administered by a non-profit to help these families. | <urn:uuid:ff86416b-372f-497f-a826-00387a1ca759> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.scratchmenot.com/marcie-mom-the-early-events-of-raising-a-child-with-eczema/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976119 | 1,174 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Integrated weed management (IWM) is the control of weeds through a long-term management approach, using several weed management techniques such as:
By using several techniques to control weeds you reduce the chance that weed species will adapt to the control techniques, which is likely if only one technique is used. For example, if a herbicide is used over a long period of time, a weed species can build up a resistance to the chemical.
A long-term integrated weed management plan, that considers all available management control techniques or tools to control weeds, can be developed for a particular area. Any integrated weed management plan or strategy should focus on the most economical and effective control of the weeds and include ecological considerations.
The long term approach to integrated weed management should reduce the extent of weeds and reduce the weed seed stock in the soil. It should consider how to achieve this goal without degrading the desirable qualities of the land, such as its native ecology or agricultural crops. | <urn:uuid:61d2ad29-6237-4978-b4b9-a27dc5c2ecf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/weeds/management/integrated.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923546 | 195 | 2.671875 | 3 |
We’ve seen in previous articles (notably in The Transhumanist and Police State Agenda in Pop Music) that the concept of transhumanism, which can be defined as the merging of humans and robots, is being abundantly promoted in music videos, movies and video games. On top of this “indirect” kind of promotion, transhumanism is being sold through more direct channels such as documentaries, television features and news reports. The main face of the movement is the American inventor Ray Kurzweil who has recently been on a massive PR campaign to promote what he calls “Singularity” (a term that is probably less threatening than “transhumanism”).
Kurzweil is however not a lone nut with a crazy futuristic dream. He works in collaboration with the world’s most powerful people in business and politics. For example, in February 2009, Kurzweil collaborated with Google and the NASA Ames Research Center, to create the Singularity University training center for corporate executives and government officials. The University’s self-described mission is to “assemble, educate and inspire a cadre of leaders who strive to understand and facilitate the development of exponentially advancing technologies and apply, focus and guide these tools to address humanity’s grand challenges”. It is safe to say that transhumanism is not only the goal of one man but of the entire global elite. For this reason, the merging of humans and robots is not only promoted as something “cool” and positive in mass media, it is announced, despite its potential pitfalls, as an inevitability.
Here’s an article from the Daily Mail about Singularity. It bares the typical “overwhelmingly-positive-but-with-a-hint-of-obligatory-criticism-to-appear-objective” tone most mainstream news sources use when covering the issue.
Hitler would have loved The Singularity: Mind-blowing benefits of merging human brains and computers
Laying his hands on the head of a human (or, in one of the films, a humpback whale), Mr Spock could, for a moment, dissolve the distance between two living things.
Each experienced everything the other felt, thought, knew and saw.
Now it seems scientists are about to make the Vulcan mind meld a reality – and go far beyond it.
Ten years ago, the US National Science Foundation predicted ‘network-enhanced telepathy’ – sending thoughts over the internet – would be practical by the 2020s.Man and machine: Computers could soon be hardwired into the human brain and unlock amazing powers
And thanks to neuroscientists at the University of California, we seem to be on schedule.
Last September, they asked volunteers to watch Hollywood film trailers and then reconstructed the clips by scanning their subjects’ brain activity.
‘We’re opening a window into the movies in our minds,’ Professor Jack Gallant announced.
Last week, the scientists boldly went further still. They charted the electrical activity in the brains of volunteers who were listening to human speech and then they fed the results into computers which translated the signals back into language.
The technique remains crude, and has so far made out only five distinct words, but humanity has crossed a threshold.
We can now read people’s minds. On Star Trek, the Vulcan mind meld had medical benefits, curing a nasty imaginary infection called Pa’nar syndrome.Science fact?: Harnessing the power of the mind was a favourite of science fiction, including Star Trek’s Vulcan mind meld
But the new breakthroughs promise to deliver much greater – and real – benefits.
No longer need strokes and neurodegenerative diseases rob people of speech because we can turn their brainwaves directly into words.
But this is only the beginning. Neuroscientists are going to make the mind meld look like child’s play. Mankind is merging with its machines.
The process began centuries ago with simple devices such as eyeglasses and ear trumpets that could dramatically improve human lives.
Then came better machines, such as hearing aids; and then machines that could save lives, including pacemakers and dialysis machines.
By the second decade of the 21st Century, we have become used to organs grown in laboratories, genetic surgery and designer babies.
In 2002, medical researchers used enzymes and DNA to build the first molecular computers, and in 2004 improved versions were being injected into people’s veins to fight cancer.
By 2020 we may be able to put even cleverer nanocomputers into our brains to speed up synaptic links, give ourselves perfect memory and perhaps cure dementia.
But inserting technology into human brains is not the only thing going on. Some scientists also want to insert human brains into technology.
Since the Sixties, computer chips have been doubling their speed and halving their cost every 18 months or so.
If the trend continues, the inventor and predictor Ray Kurzweil has pointed out that by 2029 we will have computers powerful enough to run programs reproducing the 10,000 trillion electrical signals that flash around your skull every second.
They will also have enough memory to store the ten trillion recollections that make you who you are.Dangerous technology: The huge potential unlocked by the technology raises frightening prospects if it were to be used by evil dictators like Adolf Hitler
And they will also be powerful enough to scan, neuron by neuron, every contour and wrinkle of your brain.
What this means is that if the trends of the past 50 years continue, in 17 years’ time we will be able to upload an electronic replica of your mind on to a machine.
There will be two of you – one a flesh-and-blood animal, the other inside a computer’s circuits.
And if the trends hold fast beyond that, Kurzweil adds, by 2045 we will have a computer that is powerful enough to host every one of the eight billion minds on Earth.
Carbon and silicon-based intelligence will merge to form a single global consciousness.
Kurzweil calls this ‘The Singularity’, a moment when ‘the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep . . . that technology appears to be expanding at infinite speed’.
At that point, we will have left the Vulcan mind meld far behind. But even this may not be the end of the story.
Much of the research behind last week’s breakthrough in brain science was funded not by universities but by DARPA, the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency.
It was DARPA that brought us the internet (then called the Arpanet) in the Seventies, and DARPA’s Brain Interface Project was a pioneer in molecular computing.
More recently, DARPA’s Silent Talk programme has been exploring mind-reading technology with devices that can pick up the electrical signals inside soldiers’ brains and send them over the internet.
With these implants, entire armies will be able to talk without radios. Orders will leap instantly into soldiers’ heads and commanders’ wishes will become the wishes of their men. Hitler would have loved it.Thing of the past: Advances in technology could revolutionise the way armies communicateCyborg-soldier: The defence industry could soon try implanting computer technology into the brain of soldiers
Some of the clearest thinking about the new technologies has been done in the world’s departments of defence, and the conclusions the soldiers draw are alarming.
For example, US Army Colonel Thomas Adams thinks that military technology is already moving beyond what he calls ‘human space’, as robotic weapons become ‘too fast, too small, too numerous, and . . . create an environment too complex for humans to direct’.
Technology, Col Adams suspects, is ‘rapidly taking us to a place where we may not want to go, but probably are unable to avoid’.
As goes war, so, perhaps, goes everything else. The merging of mankind and its machines that Kurzweil predicts for the mid-21st Century may, in fact, turn out just to be a lay-by on the way to a very different destination.
Later in the century, what we condescendingly call ‘artificial’ intelligence might replace us humans just as thoroughly as we humans once replaced all our evolutionary ancestors.
All this will come to pass . . . unless, of course, it doesn’t. Maybe the trends Kurzweil and Col Adams identify will slow down, or even stall altogether.
And maybe the critics who mockingly call the Singularity ‘the Rapture for Nerds’ will be proved right.
But on the other hand, maybe the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Richard Smalley is closer to the truth when he points out: ‘When a scientist says something is possible, they’re probably underestimating how long it will take.
But if they say it’s impossible, they’re probably wrong.’
The University of California’s neuroscientists have taken us one more step towards a final frontier far beyond anything dreamed of in Star Trek.
- Source: Daily Mail
- Kurzweil Featured In Superbowl Ad? Yes, It’s True! (singularityhub.com)
- Transcendent Man: Transhumanism and the Future of Human Identity (identityandtype.wordpress.com)
- Ray Kurzweil (bizgovsociii.wordpress.com)
- Merging Man and Machine: Singularity vs. Humanity (usapartisan.com)
- Godel, Turing and Church make the best criticism against Kurzweil’s singularity capabilities (gubatron.com)
- The Singularity Is Weird (battellemedia.com)
- Is nanotechnology going to send us all to hell? | Philip Ball (guardian.co.uk)
- Mobile Innovators: BestBuy Features Ray Kurzweil on Super Bowl Ad (singularityweblog.com)
- Transhumanism: A good or evil? (terasemian.wordpress.com)
- Transhuman Gods (gofishministries.wordpress.com) | <urn:uuid:5f408b66-1434-4451-b5a1-1abcc746cbf3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://revolutionizingawareness.com/2012/02/10/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930068 | 2,166 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Pakistan is mostly hot everywhere in the middle of the year and some places can get quite cold from December to February. Basically the months in between are the best. On the coast, pleasantly warm days between 25°C and 29°C (77°F and 85°F), cool nights and little rain make for delicious weather between November and February. One of the hottest places in the world, southern inland Pakistan is quite extreme, with a torturous period between April and September of frequent mid 40°C (104-114°F) days. The northern regions also cook in the middle of the year, but are pleasant either side of the months between May and September, while things can get quite cool between December and February.
Other Pakistan Maps
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- help: i'm caught in wife swapping hell. | <urn:uuid:bbe79094-1630-4b36-9443-d8d4f12f447a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news.com.au/travel/world/destination/weather/pakistan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927387 | 583 | 1.679688 | 2 |
How to banish acne
Click for full article
Parents in the past often lived in fear of losing a child to illness, but most parents today enjoy a world where they’ll never see these diseases, thanks to a silent hero: modern-day immunizations.
BY KARLEN E. LUTHY, DNP, FNP
Terea Giannetta, DPN, RN, CPNP, answers your questions
As a parent, you can and should help your teen make some solid decisions about dating and spending time with friends
10 Reasons to get your family moving
Helping kids of divorce cope | <urn:uuid:3719289f-326d-4946-9a3f-f78a9f0c561f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.readysetgrowmag.com/index.php/?page_ext=forgotten_password.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92379 | 130 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement - Dispute Resolution
Disputes under the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement are resolved through a dispute settlement process outlined in the agreement, Article XIV. Arbitrations are handled by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA).
Arbitration on BC Interior Timber Pricing
- NEW! London Court of International Arbitration released ruling on July 18, 2012
- On February 10, 2012 Canada filed its Rejoinder in response to the US Reply.
- On January 5, 2012 the United States filed its public Statement of Reply in the arbitration against BC forest policy.
- On November 16, 2011 Canada filed its public Statement of Defence in the arbitration against BC forest policy.
- Calendar of Timing of Proceedings
- On August 16, 2011 the United States filed its public Statement of Case in the arbitration against BC forest policy.
- On February 17, 2011 Canada formally responded to the United
States request for arbitration.
- On January 18, 2011 the United
States formally requested arbitration with Canada under the
Softwood Lumber Agreement 2006 related to British Columbia's
timber pricing policies.
- On October 8, 2010 the United States formally requested
consultations with Canada related to British Columbia timber pricing.
There have been two other arbitrations initiated by the United States to date:
- First Arbitration - Adjustment Factor (details)
- Second Arbitration - Ontario and Quebec Programs:
The arbitration was initiated on January 18, 2008, and involved certain grant and loan guarantee programs. The final ruling was published January 28, 2011.
Further information is available at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade website. | <urn:uuid:5dd3dc58-288a-4d0d-b002-18e3501bbef1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/softwood/2006_dispute_resolution.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935897 | 357 | 1.5625 | 2 |
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five American children suffers from a mental disorder. This number has been rising over the past decade. Males are more likely to have ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette syndrome, cigarette dependence, behavioral or conduct problems, and anxiety. Girls are more likely to have depression or an alcohol misuse disorder.
Yuck! Public swimming pools apparently are a breeding ground for bacteria, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The federal agency found that E. coli bacteria, associated with feces, were found in 58 percent of public pool samples.
Increasing the amount of time spent in the sun could be beneficial for asthma sufferers, concludes a study from King's College in London. When exposed to the sun, the body produces vitamin D, which appears to calm the over-active part of the immune system associated with asthma. Low levels of vitamin D, likewise, are tied to worsening symptoms of asthma.
INFOGRAPHIC OF THE WEEK
I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.
In recent years, fast food restaurants have responded to criticisms by offering "healthier" fare, including salads, fruit and skim milk, among other options. But a However, a new study suggests that, in reality, a lot of these restaurants haven’t really become that much healthier.
- SLICE OF HISTORY
Dental health takes a big leap forward when a Connecticut dentist named Washington Sheffield comes up with the idea of putting toothpaste in a collapsible metal tube. While daily tooth brushing was not common—particularly in the U.S.—those who did often shared a jar of toothpaste into which family members all dipped their brushes. Sheffield had always thought this was both wasteful and unhygienic and had followed up on a suggestion from his son, who, while studying in Paris, had watched artists squeezing paint from tubes. | <urn:uuid:398501bc-6970-4187-96da-4f765ebb5c5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthcentral.com/dailydose/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967896 | 402 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Yesterday's post about James Otis, Jr., put me in mind of his relationship with Samuel Adams, his successor as the principal voice of the Boston Whigs and the prime "incendiary" to friends of the royal government.
Among my peeved complaints about the way many historians have treated Adams is they paint him as the most extreme radical in Boston, a congenital troublemaker. In fact, Adams was often a moderating force; he kept his eye on the big goal in the distance, and kept his tongue while less temperate men like Otis and William Molineux said things they later regretted.
Otis and Adams served several terms alongside each other in the Massachusetts General Court, or provincial assembly. In 1860, Andrew H. Ward wrote that Otis once
declared from his seat, that he would not allow any member of the House to call him to order, save——SAMUEL ADAMS.Andrew stated, "The above anecdote was related to me some fifty years since by Joshua Henshaw, Esq., who was Registrar of Deeds for the country of Suffolk previous to the Revolution.” It appeared in volume 14 of the New England Historical & Genealogical Register.
Such was the compliment paid by the more eloquent to the more sagacious Patriot. Thereafter Mr. Adams took a seat behind Mr. Otis, which he continued to occupy; and whenever he thought him getting upon too high a key, privately and gently pulled his coat tail, by way of a friendly caution, which, like an electric rod, quietly disarmed the rising tempest of its fearful power.
Otis also trusted Adams as an editor. (And having been one myself, I take that as the highest praise.) About the General Court's Circular Letter of 1768 and other public correspondence, Otis reportedly told a friend, “I have written them all, and handed them over to Sam, to quieuvicue them.”
Another Patriot lawyer who trusted Adams the same way was Josiah Quincy, Jr.; on some manuscripts of his newspaper essays is this line to the printers: “Let Samuel Adams Esq. correct the press.”
Obviously, Otis and Quincy didn't fear that Adams would insert language that would get them in trouble. You wouldn't know that from the way some modern writers go on. | <urn:uuid:01f42233-b100-4ac5-9adb-8e7123c59596> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://boston1775.blogspot.com/2006/09/samuel-adams-voice-of-moderation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983586 | 484 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Now that I have your attention, what is a penis worm? Technically, they are invertebrate animals called priapulids which, if you know your Latin, has the word “penis” in there. What exactly are they? They are sausage-shaped, segmented worm-like animals with an extensible, toothy proboscis they use to capture prey. Here is what a priapulid looks like:
What do these weird-looking and rather unknown animals have to do with evolution? A whole lot, as it turns out.
The group of creatures we call Animals is incredibly diverse, and most of us have only a passing familiarity with a small fraction of these denizens. It turns out that once you get past sponges, jellyfish and their kin, and a weird band of animals called comb jellies, there is a great clade of animals called the Bilateria. Sounds formal, but basically the name means that this group of animals is bilaterally symmetrical – that is, these animals have symmetry about their midline and have right and left sides. Look in the mirror – congratulations, you, too, are a member of Bilateria!
You may not appreciate it, but one of the key developments of bilaterian animals is forming a distinct mouth and anus. This involves the formation of a gut tube, and like all tubes it has to start somewhere. That somewhere is a puckered indentation called a blastopore that forms early during their embryonic development. Yes, even we humans develop a blastopore as the beginning of our gut tract.
Among the bilaterian animals, there has traditionally been a split proposed that divides these organisms into two groups based on a fundamental difference in the way their digestive tracts develop. In one group called Protostomes, the blastopore becomes the mouth, and the gut tract develops until it “punctures” the other end of the animal, forming the anus. The word Protostome means “mouth first.” Protostomes include a huge variety of animals such as insects, crustaceans, earthworms, mollusks, and most other “creepy-crawlies” you are familiar with.
In the other group, called Deuterostomes (meaning “mouth second”), the blastopore becomes the anus and the digestive tract stretches from hind to fore, eventually “punching” through the head region to form the mouth. As I like to tell my students, Deuterstomes develop from the bottom up – you may now groan. Something that may make you groan all the more is the fact that we vertebrates are members of the Deuterostomes.
What does all this have to do with Priapulids? Everything. You see, the big evolutionary question is which came first, Protostome development or Deuterostome development? Which is the original condition in the common ancestor? Knowing this would inform our understanding of how other changes in development downstream from this evolutionary event were effected, and what we should predict to see in various animal lineages.
So, in a recent study by Martin-Duran and colleagues (2012) in which they followed the development of this engimatic worm, they found … drum roll … that priapulids develop as Deuterostomes, with the blastopore forming the anus. Why is this shocking? Because: priapulids share all the major DNA and anatomical characteristics with those of Protostomes! In fact, they are nested among the members of the Ecdysozoa, the exoskeleton-bearing animals that include insects, nematodes, and crustaceans. All of those animals have protostomic development … why would priapulids be any different in this regard?
Martin-Duran and colleagues (2012) suggest that we have it wrong when it comes to these evolutionary divisions of animals. It turns out that we may be too hung up on what the blastopore forms. Instead, Martin-Duran et al. (2012) suggest that it is the separation of the mouth from the anus that is the major adaptation to focus on in Bilaterian animals. Given that a number of Protostome animals are similar to priapulids in having all the protostome characteristics except that their blastopore forms the anus, it seems that the Deuterostome condition was the most primitive. In other words, the Protostome condition is derived, and probably developed independently several times.
What does all this mean? It means that we now need to re-explore animal relationships and the fossil record to re-test whether the way we understand the evolution of the major animal groups is in need of re-tooling. Who would have thought that a penis worm and the origin of its anus would have such an evolutionary significance?
- Freeman, S. 2011. Biological Science, 4th Edition. Pearson.
- Martin-Duran, J.M., Janssen, R., Wennberg, S., Budd, G.E., and Henjol, A. 2012. Deuterostomic development in the Protostome Priapulus caudatus. Current Biology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.037 | <urn:uuid:23986250-8ceb-459b-b7c6-e2e1047ea536> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://matthewbonnan.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/penis-worms-anuses-and-evolution/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946062 | 1,111 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Conditions of Use
I’d refer to you as your real name if I was there, but hey I’m not. This year you’ll be given and told to do things you’ve yet to learn. Some of it is difficult and some of it is just plain funny. You’ll do AIDS packets and watch someone get flour blown up in their face. Some of you will learn something from Civics, some. Trust me half the kids in there are asleep or just plain not paying attention. It’s a simple class, really it is. You’re going to have the fun of this here blog site. I mean this is just fantastic. Plus, you’ll get to read some barely comprehendible story about these two kids falling in love. Spoiler alert – they both die. Also, whoever you are lucky to have for math, pay some attention. That math stuff it’s really just not my thing. Pay attention and you won’t be taking Algebra twice.
Now we move on to discussing the actual teachers. Mr. Hein is just silly and awesome. If you actually show some sort of effort in his class, he’ll like you. If you don’t, well you’ll fail. Mr. Woolcock is the classic scientist. He likes to have experiments and make sweet stuff. The notes are helpful. Take them. Miss Transue is quite the character. You will have the joy of English and writing. Get to her class on time and make use of the point “English has more than one answer”. Also, Mrs. Farr is our lovely health teacher. She is a really awesome lady if you actually do something in her class. Mainly the best advice for all the teachers is to do their work. You will pass then. If you don’t, you’ll enjoy them in the year coming.
Love and Happiness,
Article posted May 23, 2012 at 10:25 AM •
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Natalie! First off, you're brilliant. I've always thought you gave great advice, and this proves me right yet again. You said some things that I thought wouldn't be true, but if you say these classes are as fun as you say then I believe you. Thanks Darling (:
Comment Posted on September 18, 2012 at 07:18 PM by
Latest 10 Comments: | <urn:uuid:7694fa16-7cd1-4488-8255-63479360c79a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=1455844&mode=comment&user_id=349775&blogger_id=349775 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959775 | 517 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Loneliness has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and even premature death. Moreover, loneliness is associated with increased activity of inflammation genes that can promote a variety of diseases. Previous treatment efforts have yielded little success.
But now researchers at UCLA have found that mindfulness meditation can help reduce the feelings of loneliness, and significantly reduce expression of the inflammatory genes.
The findings, featured in a recent online edition of the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, showed that the two-month program of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) helped decrease emotions related to loneliness. In the program, participants learned how to train their minds to be attentive to the present, and to limit thoughts of the past or the future.
“Our work presents the first evidence showing that a psychological intervention that decreases loneliness also reduces pro-inflammatory gene expression,” explained senior study author Steve Cole, UCLA professor of medicine and psychiatry, and member of the Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology. “If this is borne out by further research, MBSR could be a valuable tool to improve the quality of life for many elderly.”
The researchers also believe that MBSR can change the genes and protein markers of inflammation, like the genes regulated by the transcription factor NF-kB, and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP). In particular, CRP is a dangerous risk factor for heart disease, and NF-kB is a molecular signal that can cause inflammation. We know that inflammation is a natural part of the immune system that helps defend against infections and injuries. But chronic inflammation can lead to a variety of diseases and psychological disorders.
I found this point of particular interest. Fortunately, loneliness is not an issue for me. But my most troublesome health ailment now is the low back pain attributed to osteoarthritis, which is associated with inflammation.
In the project, 40 adults, aged 55 to 85, were randomly placed in a mindfulness mediation group or a control group that did not involve meditation. All the subjects were examined at the beginning and end of the study to create a loneliness scale. Researchers also collected blood samples both times to track gene expression and inflammation levels.
Based on the study, MBSR participants self-reported lowered feelings of loneliness, and their blood tests confirmed a reduction in the expression of genes associated with inflammation.
Tai Chi and Yoga Also Can Help
“While this was a small sample, the results were very encouraging,” remarked Dr. Michael Irwin, professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Brain Behavior, and director of the Cousins Center. “It adds to a growing body of research that is showing the positive benefits of a variety of meditative techniques, including tai chi and yoga."
Just last month, for example, Dr. Helen Lavretsky, a UCLA professor of psychiatry and Cousins Center member, published a study showing that a form of yogic meditation involving chanting also reduced inflammatory gene expression -- and stress levels -- among individuals who care for patients with Alzheimer's disease.
"These studies begin to move us beyond simply connecting the mind and genome, and identify simple practices that an individual can harness to improve human health," Irwin said. | <urn:uuid:c50e56e6-bc22-460a-a4db-7730aa63c4e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://parkinsonsand5htp.blogspot.com/2012/08/meditation-loneliness-remedy-for-elderly.html | 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 | 0.943317 | 663 | 2.96875 | 3 |
In 1911, Edward Kraemer, a twenty-one year old carpenter from a small village in Wisconsin, begins his own business with a tool box, four years experience as a carpenter, and six employees.
Edward Kraemer’s first project as a business owner was the construction of a new home for a friend. His business quickly grew to the construction of houses, barns, cheese factories, schools and churches in the Village of Plain, Wisconsin and the surrounding countryside.
In the early 1920′s, as automotive travel began to flourish, Sauk County, Wisconsin began seeking contractors to build county roads. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Edward Kraemer’s entrance into the road and bridge business began. The Maxwell and Fargan bridges were the earliest recorded bridges built by Kraemer in 1924 and the first recorded highway contract began on Highway 60 in August 1927.
By 1926 there were two distinct branches of the company; buildings and roads.
The WPA (Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal Agency) created jobs and invaluable infrastructure during the Great Depression. The WPA played a significant role in the rapid growth of the company. During this period, Edward Kraemer began acquiring quarry leases, heavy equipment and road contracts.
Significant Events 1930-1940:
- Edward Kraemer designs and receives a patent for a self-propelled double jawed crusher
- Completion of the largest building project of Edward Kraemer’s career, the St. Luke Catholic Church in Plain, Wisconsin
- Edward Kraemer’s son Rudy joins the firm after receiving an engineering degree and is followed by brother’s Fred and Victor.
- First bridge designed by Rudy Kraemer was built in 1936.
In the 1940′s, the advent of WWII resulted in numerous new contracts in preparation for the war. From 1940 to 1942 the company engaged in construction of ammunition plants, government trailer camps and airport runways.
- First out of state contracts were in the years of WWII
- 1942 – Construction of a government camp in Coffeyville, Kansas
- 1943 – Construction of Cincinnati Airport located in Erlanger, Kentucky
The company experienced rapid expansion in the 1950′s. These were the years the road building industry matured and the company expanded to construction contracts on a state and national level.
- First multi-million dollar contract – 170 day contract on Highway 51 between Mercer and Hurley County, Wisconsin
- Construction contract on the first Atomic Energy Plant located south of Detroit
- Ownership of 70 quarries including the Burnsville Quarry in Burnsville, Minnesota which is still in operation today
- In the late 1950′s construction of buildings was dropped from the Kraemer portfolio as the road and bridge business multiplied
President Eisenhower’s vision of an interstate system was in full movement by the 1960′s resulting in an explosion of contracts and a number of “first” for Kraemer. Over a 15 year period Kraemer was awarded numerous contracts on the interstate system in Madison, Milwaukee and the Green Bay area.
- 1960 – First out of state Bridge contract in Bettendorf, Iowa
- 1962 – First construction project in Minnesota – the 10th Avenue Bridge
- 1964 – First construction of a draw bridge in St Paul, Minnesota
- 1965 – First construction of a lift bridge in Milwaukee, Minnesota
- 1968 – Regional office opened in Burnsville, Minnesota
The 1970′s brought Kraemer’s vision of expansion into other states to fruition by frequently winning numerous contracts outside of Wisconsin.
- Founder Edward Kraemer’s death on October 23, 1973.
- Expansion into Arizona, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri
David Kraemer, third generation CEO, continues to move the company forward with a belief in aggressive bidding and maintaining a healthy backlog.
- First Joint Venture I-35E/I-94
- Largest dollar volume projects were the Missouri River Bridge ($23.7M) and Burlington, Iowa Cable Stayed Bridge ($35.5 M)
- First Dam construction on the Starved Rock Dam in LaSalle, Illinois
- First construction of MSE walls (and first in Wisconsin) on the Rose Street Viaduct
- Sell of Toledo, Ohio quarry in 1992, crushing business in 1996, and Burnsville landfill operations in 1997
- First true design-build project in Bettendorf, Iowa of a bridge over railroad access to Lady Luck Casino
- Page Avenue construction of twin 17-span bridges across the Missouri River
- Scott Peterson named President and CEO in 2006
- I-270/I-70 Interchange – construction of the highest volume interchange contract awarded to date (2001-2003) for the Missouri DOT
- Marquette Interchange – Demolition and replacement of an entire interchange involving construction of 21 bridges
- Woodrow Wilson Bridge – Kraemer designed and innovative falsework system to construct three bascule bridges spans across the Potomac River
- Troup Howell Bridge – Construction of the Troup Howell Bridge over the Genessee River was New York’s largest construction project to date (2004 – 2007)
- Lock & Dam Navigation Embankment Improvements – First contracts awarded by the St. Paul, Minnesota U.S. Army Corps of Engineers utilizing the design-build procurement method | <urn:uuid:1f6c84e6-e1ff-4bf0-af16-4d3071324289> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edkraemer.com/about-us/history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930451 | 1,091 | 2.59375 | 3 |
The Supreme Court of Virginia is the court of last resort in Virginia. The court is located in Richmond, Virginia.
The current justices of the court are:
Cynthia Kinser is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. She was preceded by Leroy Hassell.
The court's primary function is to review lower court decisions, and state law does not allow appeals to the court "as a matter of right" except where the State Corporation Commission, the disbarment of an attorney or a review of the death penalty is involved. The court has both original and appellate jurisdiction. Original jurisdiction is limited to matters filed by the Virginia Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission (on the topics of judicial censure, retirement, and the removal of judges) and to cases of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, and "writs of actual innocence pursuant to Virginia's Code § 19.2-327.2."
The General Assembly elects the Justices of the Supreme Court. Generally this occurs when a Justice announces his or her intention to retire at a date after the next meeting of the legislature. If a vacancy occurs while the legislature is not in session (by a death or unexpected retirement or resignation), Justices may be appointed to a pro tempore term by the Governor, however, they must be elected to a full term by the state legislature when it next meets, which must give the pro tempore justice an "up or down" vote. Four of the current seven Justices were selected in this way. The next likely vacancy that will occur, if Justice Keenan is confirmed as a Judge of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, will also be filled by the Governor. The vacancy created by the anticipated retirement of Justice Koontz (barring a change in the mandatory retirement law) in 2011, however, would be filled by the legislature directly (unless Justice Koontz were to retire prior to the mandatory date).
Justices are elected to 12 years terms, and subject to reappointment to additional terms by the legislature (the Governor has no formal role in reappointment). A Justice who reaches the age of 70 must retire on or before the 20th day after the General Assembly next meets in regular session (typically, late January of the year following the Justice's seventieth birthday). A bill is currently before the legislature that would advance the retirement age to 73. Up to five retired Justices may, at the Court's option, serve as Senior Justices for renewable one year terms. Senior Justices typically sit regularly on writ panels and will sit on merit cases, occasionally authoring opinions, when an active Justice is recused or otherwise unable to sit.
The Pre-Appointment Application to be filed with the Governor of Virginia is available here. Additionally, a nominating organization may fill out a nominating form, available here.
Removal of justices
|| Acted upon
|| Cases waiting to be heard
|| Appeals granted and refused
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia earns $195,000 annually, while associate justices earn $183,839, as of January 2010.
History of the court
The Supreme Court of Virginia Building in Richmond
The court has its roots in the 17th-century English legal system, owing to the state's original establishment as an English colony. In 1970, the court was renamed to its current title, and is the highest court in the state. It primarily hears appeals from the trial-level city and county Circuit Courts, but also hears family law and administrative cases that have come through the Court of Appeals of Virginia.
Before a case is heard by the Supreme Court, a petition is filed with the Clerk which is then assigned to a law clerk for research and further preparation. Oral arguments are heard before a panel of three justices. In rare cases, oral arguments may be heard by the Chief Staff Attorney who would then present the case to the panel for decision. The justices review the merits of each case and one justice may grant an appeal. All three justices must concur to deny an appeal. If denied, the appeal process ends and the judgment of the lower court is affirmed. If review is granted, the appeal proceeds and argument of the cases is scheduled before the Court. Opinions are published on the last day of each session of the Court in Virginia Reports.
- Cynthia Kinser was the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. | <urn:uuid:05af0813-51a0-4548-8df0-4416615a5033> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Supreme_Court_of_Virginia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94596 | 899 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Get All Of The Information You'll Need:
Welcome to Aspen. This Colorado town is known for its ski resort community. The city was first founded as a mining camp during the state's silver boom. Eventually, the Aspen Mountain Ski Resort was developed along a remote area of the Rocky Mountains in the Sawatch Range. Business travelers may find this town especially attractive for the impressive meeting with a client. Vacationers always enjoy this popular retreat. This area is known for its celebrity sightings. It boasts four ski areas.
Another attraction that Aspen offers is its three famous institutions. These institutions include the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Aspen Institute, and the Aspen Center for Physics. Any budding high school student who is interested in physics may find this city especially appropriate. Combining a family vacation of skiing along with a prospective student's campus tour may be the solution for a busy parent. The music school can provide information for the musicians in the family. Business travel can be combined with a vacation, also. | <urn:uuid:f071dda4-77a6-46cc-a2e4-4c4bf56e3ae8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aspen.coloradohotelservice.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969244 | 208 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Revision of the International Health Regulations
Published: 27.07.04 Updated: 27.07.2004 09:39:07
Kuulo Kutsar, Elena Ryabinina, Health Protection Inspectorate, Estonia
Contemporary International Health Regulations (IHR) origin dated back to the middle 19th century when cholera epidemics overran Europe. These epidemics started intensive infectious disease diplomacy and cooperation in public health, starting with the first International Sanitary Conference in Paris in 1851.
In 1951 WHO member states adopted the International Sanitary Regulations, which were published by WHO in 1969 as the International Health Regulations. These regulations were modified in 1973 and 1981. The IHR were originally intended to help monitor and control six serious infectious diseases: cholera, plaque, yellow fever, smallpox, relapsing fever and typhus; today it covers only cholera, plaque and yellow fever.
The IHR are a set code of practices and procedures designed to prevent the international spread of infectious diseases. They are binding international legal instrument that prescribes measures to WHO and member states of WHO for stopping infectious diseases crossing from one country to another. The procedures and practices they require at airports, seaports and ground crossings are intended to prevent the international spread of infectious diseases while at the same time not interfering unnecessarily with the international movements of people and goods.
Since the 1980s, a series of developments and events have made it apparent that IHR are inadequate as a legal response to global infectious disease outbreaks, emerging and re-emerging infections, and the rising incidence of particular infectious diseases.
WHO and its ruling body, the World Health Assembly (WHA), have been developing new regulations since 1995. Following a series of resolutions passed by WHA between 2001 and 2003, a draft set of improved IHR was issued on the 12 of January 2004. WHO regional consultations have been held in spring 2004 with a view to a final version to be approved by WHA in spring 2005. IHR should come into force in January 2006.
Much of the revised regulations reflect what has become good practice by WHO member states in the past decade in response to threats such as SARS, avian influenza and viral haemorrhagic fevers, and outbreaks of unknown etiology.
The major changes in the draft revised IHR include:
1. Notification – member states are required to notify WHO of events potentially constituting a public health emergency of international concern and to respond to requests for verification of information regarding urgent national risks.
The draft revised IHR define “a public health emergency of international concern” as an event which includes the following four criteria:
a) seriousness of the public health impact;
b) unusual or unexpected nature of the event;
c) potential for the event to spread internationally;
d) the risk that travel or trade restrictions may result from the event.
2. National IHR Focal Points – National IHR Focal Points are required to establish; these are the operation link from member states to WHO.
3. Definition of core capacities – a member state must have the basic public health capacities to detect, report and respond to public health risks and potential or actual public health emergencies of international concern. Specific capacities for the implementation of routine measures at points of entry are required.
4. Recommended measurements – WHO’s response may include temporary or standing recommendations for measures for application by the member state affected by a public health emergency of international concern, other states and operators of international transport.
5. External advice regarding the IHR – the draft revised IHR include the procedures for obtaining independent advice concerning IHR implementation from an Emergency Committee during public health emergencies or from an IHR Review Committee which will consider disputes, the development of standing recommendations and evaluate how the IHR are functioning.
The responsibility of implementing the IHR rests with WHO and member states. National health administrations are responsible for implementing the revised IHR and WHO will provide technical assistance to all member states.
Key obligations for member states include:
- to notify WHO of all events potentially constituting a public health emergency of international concern;
- to respond to request for verification of information regarding public health risks;
- to respond to public health risks that threaten to transmit infectious disease to other member states;
- to inform WHO of evidence of public health risks occurring in another territory that may result in international infectious disease spread;
- to provide routine inspection and control activities at international points of entry to prevent international infectious disease transmission;
- to make every effort to fully implement WHO-recommended measurements;
- to develop and maintain the capacity to detect, report and respond to certain events defined in IHR.
A second draft revised IHR will be distributed to WHO member states in summer - early autumn 2004 for the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Revised International Health Regulations scheduled to be held in Geneva in November 2004. | <urn:uuid:884d9d10-88bd-4c8e-8c75-9e2d384df849> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.epinorth.org/eway/default.aspx?pid=230&trg=Area_5268&MainArea_5260=5263:0:15,2946:1:0:0:::0:0&Area_5263=5268:44984::1:5264:1:::0:0&Area_5268=5273:44608::1:5266:3:::0:0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945592 | 1,001 | 3.265625 | 3 |
Placing responsibility for the Great Missouri River Flood of 2011 on God ignores all of the ways humans have contributed to the disaster. It also absolves those partially responsible for the flood. Even worse, it hinders us from learning from the flood so that we can prevent a similar scenario in the future. Off the top of my head, I can think of five ways humans brought on this flood.
First, the Missouri basin states have lost millions of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in the past five years. CRP lands had either slowed or halted runoff into streams and rivers. Encouraged by high commodity prices, plains and prairie farmers engaged in a Great Plow-up that converted sod to corn. Montana lost nearly 400,000 acres of CRP land between 2006 and 2010. That equals 625 square miles. The two Dakotas and Montana lost 960,000 CRP acres in 2007 and another 335,000 CRP acres in 2008. That land area is equivalent to 2,023 square miles. Even more conservation land went into corn in 2009, 2010, and during this year’s planting season. As a result of the Great Plow-up, drenching rains now hit cultivated cropland and quickly drain into the Missouri or one of its feeder streams. Farmers, and their desire to maximize production and profit, contributed mightily to this flood.
Second, the Army’s navigation channel south of Ponca, Nebraska, has worsened the flooding along the Lower Missouri. God did not build the navigation channel, the Army did. The navigation channel with its pile dikes, revetments, and chevrons has reduced the Lower Missouri’s carrying capacity. Consequently, the river cannot haul away the high flows discharged by Gavin’s Point Dam. Instead, when the high flows hit the navigation channel that begins at river mile 753, the water pushes out across the Missouri Valley lowlands. If you need confirmation of the navigation channel’s role in the flood, examine the Omaha District’s projected inundation area maps on its website. The maps clearly show the unchannelized river between Yankton, South Dakota, and Ponca absorbing the high flows and staying almost completely within its banks. But south of Ponca, the Missouri breaks out of its confined channel and flows out across the valley bottoms.
Third,the Army filled the Dakota reservoirs with water back in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Each of those reservoirs became silt traps. Through the years, muddy deltas formed at the head of every main-stem reservoir. When water pours into the reservoirs from upstream, it strikes the deltas, slows down, and backs up. These deltas are a leading cause of the high water at Niobrara, Nebraska, Pierre and Fort Pierre, South Dakota, and Fort Yates and Williston, North Dakota. The Army has repeatedly admitted that the delta which formed at the head of Lewis and Clark Lake behind Gavin’s Point Dam is a leading cause of flooding at Niobrara. As recently as last September, North Dakota officials noted that siltation at the head of Oahe reservoir exacerbated the flooding situation adjacent to the lake. In an ironic twist of fate, the Army’s flood control reservoirs actually foster flooding.
Fourth, God did not build McMansions mere feet from the river’s edge at Bismarck, Pierre, or Dakota Dunes. Rich folk, with political pull and economic clout, built those modern castles. Those houses are being flooded – or threatened with floodwater – because humans encroached on the river’s natural floodplain. Denied access to its floodplain, the Missouri can only go up during flood episodes. It cannot spread out to reduce its crest. Humans should not build in a floodplain - that is a simple rule that is too often ignored. Thus, some of the costly damages resulting from this flood could have been avoided had people chosen to live away from the river.
Fifth, the Army is required by law to provide water to the navigation channel south of Sioux City. Nearly a quarter of the total storage space in the main-stem reservoirs is set aside to ensure a nine-foot depth in the Lower Missouri during the navigation season from mid-March to mid-November. Had the Army not been required to store water for the navigation channel, more storage space would have been available for the approaching superflood. Oh, and then there is human-induced climate change, but that is a whole other article.
The Great Flood of 2011 is largely the result of human action. But if you need to place the flood on God’s shoulders in order to acquire federal crop or flood insurance payments, so be it. I think we would all be better served by leaving God out of it. By taking responsibility for our role in the flood, humanity can change its behavior in ways that prevent a similar flood from occurring in the future. | <urn:uuid:12539120-a226-47cc-b632-92c0fdc8f5f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ecointheknow.com/editorials/the-great-missouri-river-flood-of-2011-not-an-act-of-god/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952965 | 1,025 | 2.671875 | 3 |
The honorable George Sanderson founded and developed Green Ridge, appropriately named for a green forested ridge in the middle of the Lackawanna Valley. The small village was incorporated into Scranton in 1866 and became home to many of the city’s prominent doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and politicians, such as Edward Baker Sturges, the organizer of the first electric street railway, and US Vice President Joseph Biden.
Many large and beautiful mansions were built in Green Ridge, and some remain today as reminders of times gone by. Once only forest and farmland, Green Ridge has grown into one of the finest residential sections of Scranton.
Highlights of Green Ridge:
• Early prominent residents
• Charity Hill
• Faith and religion
• Industry and business
• Historical mansions
• Political road
Margo L. Azzarelli is a living historian and writer/researcher for Azzarelli Family Historical Productions. She serves as editor for the Taylor Historical Society and volunteers her time to the Lackawanna Historical Society, which provided many of the photographs that enhance the historical beauty shown in Images of America: Green Ridge.
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or
Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com. | <urn:uuid:6b0d9b0d-075d-4077-a172-f0be38e7abf8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prlog.org/11865057-history-of-green-ridge-told-through-photographs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933995 | 330 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Earlier, during the first year of King Belshazzar's reign in Babylon, Daniel had a dream and saw visions as he lay in his bed. He wrote the dream down, and this is what he saw.
In my vision that night, I, Daniel, saw a great storm churning the surface of a great sea, with strong winds blowing from every direction.
Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.
The first beast was like a lion with eagles' wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And a human mind was given to it.
Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying to it, "Get up! Devour many people!"
Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard. It had four wings like birds' wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.
Then in my vision that night, I saw a fourth beast, terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled what was left beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns.
As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were wrenched out, roots and all, to make room for it. This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One a sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like whitest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire,
and a river of fire flowed from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him, and a hundred million stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.
I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn's boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire.
As for the other three beasts, their authority was taken from them, but they were allowed to live for a while longer. b13
As my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man c coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.
He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal -- it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.
I, Daniel, was troubled by all I had seen, and my visions terrified me.
So I approached one of those standing beside the throne and asked him what it all meant. He explained it to me like this:
"These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth.
But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever."
Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, and it trampled what was left beneath its feet.
I also asked about the ten horns on the fourth beast's head and the little horn that came up afterward and destroyed three of the other horns. This was the horn that seemed greater than the others and had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly.
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and was defeating them,
until the Ancient One came and judged in favor of the holy people of the Most High. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.
Then he said to me, "This fourth beast is the fourth world power that will rule the earth. It will be different from all the others. It will devour the whole world, trampling everything in its path.
Its ten horns are ten kings that will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them.
He will defy the Most High and wear down the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.
"But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed.
Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. They will rule forever, and all rulers will serve and obey them."
That was the end of the vision. I, Daniel, was terrified by my thoughts and my face was pale with fear, but I kept these things to myself.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. (New Living Translation - The Bible Online) | <urn:uuid:2ce4aae1-6fb2-48f2-927a-dc07caa6b80e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/daniel/7.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98783 | 1,114 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Dave Brubeck was taking a horse ride with his father one day when he saw something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He was along on a cattle-buying trip with his father, Pete, a rancher in Northern California. Pete Brubeck asked an African-American cowboy who everyone called "Shine" to come over and greet his son.
Pete Brubeck then asked Shine to open his shirt. Brubeck, then only 6, watched as Shine unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a brand on his chest: He had been marked like cattle. Shine was the first black person Brubeck had ever seen. A furious Pete Brubeck told his son that "something like this never should happen again."
"It had an impact on me I'll never forget," Brubeck told journalist Hedrick Smith for a documentary called "Rediscovering Dave Brubeck."
"I thought, 'What can I do about this?' It's like my dad (was) telling me to do something about it."
Brubeck, the pioneering jazz pianist who died this month at 91, did more to help people like Shine than most people realize. The tributes that poured in after his death tended to focus on the same themes: He was the jazz legend whose "Dave Brubeck Quartet" gave the world the jazz standard "Take Five," he stretched the boundaries of jazz and was a champion for civil rights.
Brubeck, though, was bigger than all of that. His life and music say more about this country's future than its past. He and an entire generation of white, black and Latino jazz musicians helped create one of the nation's first multicultural communities. They offered a snapshot of what this nation is becoming, like it or not.
To make that world possible, Brubeck and other white jazz musicians did something remarkable. They joined a jazz community where white men were the minority -- and whiteness was seen as a liability, not the norm.
How did Brubeck do it, and how did he thrive? Delve into his interviews and his music, and the clues emerge.
Seeing genius in a 'servant'
He listened to the story of "the other."
Many fans know this story. Brubeck's breakout year came in 1954. He was touring with Duke Ellington, one of America's greatest composers and a jazz titan.
One day, Brubeck heard a knock on his hotel door. He opened it to find Ellington, smiling and holding several copies of Time magazine. Brubeck was on the cover. His heart sank. Ellington was his friend. He knew that Time had also been interviewing Ellington, and Brubeck thought the jazz composer deserved the honor over him.
"I wanted to be on the cover after Duke," Brubeck told the narrator in Ken Burns' epic documentary on jazz. "The worst thing that could have happened to me was that I was there before Duke, and he was delivering the news to me."
The black experience was initially foreign to Brubeck. He was born in Northern California and grew up on a cattle ranch near the Sierra Mountains. But even as his fame eclipsed many of his black musical mentors, he continually talked about the musical debt he owed to them.
The virtuosity of black artists like Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald sometimes did what a civil rights march or a court decision couldn't do -- force whites like Brubeck to see the humanity of black people.
One of the most famous jazz conversion stories comes from Ken Burns' "Jazz" documentary.
In 1931, Charles Black was a white teenager who decided to go hear Armstrong play in an Austin, Texas, hotel. He knew nothing about jazz, but something shifted in him as he watched a rapturous Armstrong perform.
"He was the first genius I'd ever seen," Black recalled. "It is impossible to underestimate the significance of a 16-year-old southern boy seeing genius for the first time in a black person. We literally never saw a black man in anything but a servant's capacity.
"Louis opened my eyes wide and put to me a choice: Blacks, the saying went, were 'all right in their place,' but what was the place of such a man, and of the people from which he sprung?"
Black would go on to join a team of lawyers that successfully convinced the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the segregation of students based on race in the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision.
An 'instinct for differences'
Brubeck was inspired by differences.
He didn't look like a jazz musician. When he led the quartet, he looked like a chemistry professor who accidentally found himself behind the piano. With his black horn-rimmed glasses, goofy grin and his square suits, the affable Brubeck looked like Mr. Normal.
Yet Brubeck was a wild man behind the keyboard. He was like a musical mad scientist -- combining unconventional time signatures and musical styles from other cultures that wouldn't appear to work but did. | <urn:uuid:750e5733-7794-436d-9970-1675c667ae42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.click2houston.com/news/What-the-tributes-to-Dave-Brubeck-missed/-/1735978/17875672/-/puko6wz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985933 | 1,065 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is an amazing city full of life and movement, and it is that way almost 24 hours every day, with the noisy honking of horns, children playing in the streets and merchants selling their wares and services. And here, the Egyptians are most at home in this powerful, modern and ancient city.
Alexandria and Cairo
some more of Cairo. We hit the famous Khan el Kalili souq - soft-toy singing camels for Africa (literally) and other interesting sights. Busy entrance to Khan el-Kalili souq ...
Posted in Jac & Chalky's Excellent Adventure by JacChalky | <urn:uuid:2db6a024-ae7e-480e-83e3-bd869462f0f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travellerspoint.com/apartments-es-ci-207.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930741 | 135 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Last reviewed by Faculty of Harvard Medical School on February 3, 2011
By Claire McCarthy, M.D.
Boston Children's Hospital
As a pediatrician and a mom raising five kids, I've had plenty of experience giving medications to children. Most children take their medicines. Some children may need cajoling or snuggling, or a dose of sternness or rewards (read: bribes). But the stuff usually gets where it needs to be.
But with some children, it's a different story. Medicines are met with firmly clenched teeth, or spill or spray out of the mouth because the child won't swallow. And that's assuming you can catch the child and get him to hold still. My daughter Elsa was the worst: after catching her and struggling to get the medication into her, she'd look at me angrily and vomit every last bit as if summoning it from her stomach.
So what do you do if you have one of those children? Here are my tried and true suggestions.
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At the Doctor's Office
Before you leave the doctor's office with a prescription, let your doctor know you have a problem child when it comes to taking medicine. There are actually several things your doctor can do to help, such as:
- Only give an antibiotic if truly necessary. Wait for the throat culture instead of taking antibiotics "just in case." Many ear infections go away without antibiotics. Talk to your doctor about delaying treatment for a few days. (Some researchers suggest parents be given a prescription to either fill or rip up, depending on the child's symptoms.) Many prescriptions are not completely necessary, so ask your doctor if there are other ways to treat the problem besides medication.
- Choose a medication that is given less frequently. Wouldn't you rather fight with your child once or twice a day instead of three or four times? Often, especially with antibiotics, your doctor has some choice of medications.
- Choose a medication that doesn't taste horrible. There are a few that are reminiscent of eating garbage, or worse. (The antibiotic clindamycin comes to mind.) Doctors don't always know how things taste, and there isn't always a choice of medications, but it's worth asking about this.
- Prescribe a more concentrated version so that you give a smaller amount. Many medications come in different concentrations. For example, if your child is being prescribed 200 milligrams of amoxicillin, that could either be a full teaspoon of the 200 milligram version, or a half-teaspoon of the 400 milligram version. Getting a half-teaspoon in is easier but chances are your doctor won't think of doing this unless you ask about it.
- Consider other forms of the same medication. With children, we tend to think liquids but sometimes crushing a tablet or opening a capsule and mixing the contents with a little bit of pudding or applesauce works better. Rectal suppositories obviously avoid the mouth entirely, but not many medications come that way.
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At the Pharmacy
When you get to the pharmacy, let the pharmacist know about your problem too, because he or she might be able to:
- Flavor the medication. Some pharmacies can add flavors (you get to pick) to make things taste a little better. Not all of them do it, and it doesn't always come out tasting exactly like bubble gum, for example, but it's worth a try if they offer it.
- Suggest a formulation your doctor didn't consider. Doctors know medications, but they don't always know all the different forms (capsules, pills, different concentrations of liquid) available, or whether the capsules can be opened or the pills easily crushed. Pharmacists have been tremendously helpful to me over the years. If the pharmacist has an idea that you think might work better, together you can call the doctor's office.
- Give you a medication syringe, if you didn't get one already at the doctor's office. It's the best way to give liquid medications in general, and especially important if you have a problem medicine-taker.
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Here are some tips for actually giving the medication.
- Use the right utensil. Using a regular spoon is asking for trouble. That's why a medication syringe is your best bet for giving liquid medication, especially for babies and small children. It gives the best control.
- If mixing a crushed tablet or capsule contents with food, use just a small amount of food. Chances are the food is going to taste at least a little bit (probably a lot) like the medicine, and you're not going to get more than one to two spoonfulls in your child. Aim for one.
- Take control of the situation. Exude calm and a no-nonsense attitude.
- Think chasers. Often it's the aftertaste that is the worst, so if you quickly follow the medication with a little bit of something really sweet chocolate syrup is one of my favorites it helps.
- When giving liquid medications to an infant or toddler, don't:
- Aim straight back. That increases the chance of gagging. Aim to the side instead.
- Give everything at once. Do a small amount at a time, waiting for swallows in between.
- Reward your child for taking her meds. I recommend hugs, hurrahs and extra nighttime stories, not necessarily toys.
If you have a baby or toddler who is a real struggler, here is a hold a nurse taught me. It's not pleasant, but it gets the job done:
- Sit down and hold the child across your lap with the head firmly in the crook of your left elbow. (Reverse all this if you are left-handed.)
- Put the child's right hand behind your back, and hold the left hand against his body with your left arm. Tuck his legs between your legs. You now have him immobilized.
- Squirt the medication into the mouth little by little in between screams, if necessary. Remember to wait for swallows. If teeth are clenched, work the syringe between the teeth to the side. If your child is particularly strong-willed, you may need to reach up with the left hand (still holding the child's left arm down) and "fish-face" the cheeks so they are less likely to spit it out.
- Speak in a calm, soft voice throughout. Give lots and lots of hugs and snuggles afterward. Let your child know that you only did it because he really needed the medication.
If nothing works, call your doctor. Never, ever stop a medication without letting your doctor know. And be patient with your child; with time, it will get better. (Elsa stopped the vomiting well before kindergarten.) Of course, by then you will be fighting about something else...but that, after all, is parenthood.
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Claire McCarthy, M.D. is an assistant professor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and medical director of the Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. She is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. | <urn:uuid:ef189723-6e32-4e94-aa04-22329c0764b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/35320/35325/806203.html?d=dmtHMSContent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947139 | 1,493 | 2.375 | 2 |
Advances in both guns and radar fire control toward the end of World War II, coupled with higher speed aircraft, led the Army to seek a more powerful medium range/medium caliber anti-aircraft weapon. Building on technology used in the Navy’s 3”/50 automatic anti-aircraft gun, the Army developed a high velocity 75mm automatic gun fed from a 10 round magazine. Coupled with a lightweight radar and a gunfire director, the result was the M51 Skysweeper.
For the first time, the Army had mounted the gun system, the director, and the fire control radar on one carriage .
Designed to counter low and medium altitude threats up to 700 miles per hour, the M51 was developed in the early 1950s, and eventually deployed to complement 90mm and 120mm anti-aircraft guns deployed by the Army’s Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command to defend major US cities.
Even rapid fire radar directed guns struggled to successfully engage fast flying jets, and were overtaken by surface-to-air missile systems such as the Nike Ajax, which was widely fielded throughout the country. By 1957, the Skysweeper had been relegated to strictly second line duties, though examples soldiered on until as late as the 1970s. | <urn:uuid:5e2b332b-9fea-4e0e-be75-6e7236ec2034> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://xbradtc.com/2011/09/16/skysweeper/ | 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 | 0.975676 | 264 | 2.984375 | 3 |
IQALUIT, Nunavut - Inuit hunters are falling through thinning ice and dying. Dolphins are being spotted for the first time. There's not enough snow to build igloos for shelter during hunts.
As scientists work to establish the impact of global warming, explorers and hunters slogging across northern Canada and the Arctic ice cap on sled and foot are describing the realities they see on the ground. Three of them recently spoke to The Associated Press.
"This is really ground zero for global warming," said Will Steger, a 62-year-old Minnesotan who has been traveling the region for 43 years and has witnessed the impact of warming on the 155,000 indigenous people of the Arctic.
"This is where a culture has lived for 5,000 years, relying on a very delicate, interconnected ecosystem and, one by one, small pegs of that ecosystem are being pulled out," Steger said by satellite phone from a small village outside Iqaluit, about 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Iqaluit is the provincial capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
More at link, including links to more stories about climate change. | <urn:uuid:a2669f80-57a3-4326-8789-a5e5a648a768> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tvnewslies.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=34592 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967259 | 243 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Judge Pickering’s Feb. 7, 2002 hearing brought to light the extraordinary lengths to which he had gone on behalf of one of the defendants in a cross-burning case, exposing inappropriate judicial conduct on his part. The case concerned the burning of an eight-foot cross by two men and a juvenile on the lawn of an interracial couple with a young child. The juvenile and one of the men, described as borderline mentally retarded, pleaded guilty and received reduced sentences. The third, described by the Justice Department as “the leader of the conspiracy,”12 refused to plead and was convicted after a trial. He faced a much more severe sentence, largely because of a mandatory minimum sentence for crimes involving arson that had been enacted by Congress. Defendants who cooperate with the prosecution and do not force the government to go to trial are routinely given reduced sentences, but Pickering took unusual and ethically questionable steps in getting the government to drop the charge with the mandatory minimum and acquiesce in a shorter sentence.
Specifically, as brought to light through court and Justice Department documents as well as questioning by Senator Edwards, Pickering had threatened to order a new trial in the case (even though the time for such an order had expired and Pickering had no authority to order it on his own motion), ordered Justice Department lawyers to take his complaints about the proposed sentence personally to the Attorney General, and initiated an ex parte communication with a high-ranking Justice Department official to complain about the case. A Justice Department letter released after the hearing revealed a series of “off-the-record” efforts by Pickering to pursue his complaints, including a direct phone call by him to the home of one prosecutor the day after New Year’s Day, 1995. Senator Edwards expressed serious concern that Judge Pickering had violated Rule 3.A.4 of the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges, which specifically forbids ex parte contacts between a judge and attorneys for one side of a case about that case.
At the hearing, Pickering tried to justify his actions, focusing on his concern about the disparity in sentencing among the three defendants, but Senators clearly remained troubled. Although Pickering had referred to the cross-burning as reprehensible, Senator Durbin was concerned about the extreme lengths to which Pickering had gone to assist the defendant to obtain reduced punishment for conduct –- the cross-burning –- that Pickering at one point called a “drunken prank.” Senator Schumer stated that Pickering’s explanation concerning the sentencing disparity “doesn’t wash,” particularly in light of other sentencing disparities when one defendant pleads guilty in a case, the invidious nature of the crime, and the fact that Congress had established a mandatory minimum sentence that Pickering was trying to avoid.
In written questions submitted to Judge Pickering after the hearing, Senator Biden asked Pickering in connection with the cross-burning case, “Would you today still characterize these activities as a ‘drunken prank’ Why or why not? If your view has changed, explain why.” Judge Pickering began his written answer by denying that he had so characterized this crime: “With all due respect, I do not think that the record supports the premise that I felt the cross-burning incident was merely a ‘drunken prank.’ I have not and do not today characterize these activities as a ‘drunken prank.’” Response of Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr. to written questions of Senator Biden, Ans. 1 (Mar. 1, 2002) (emphasis added). The record, however, is irrefutable on this point. At the sentencing hearing for one of the three defendants who had been convicted of the cross-burning, Judge Pickering stated:
Now, Mr. Thomas, I have taken in consideration, in being as lenient with you as I have been, the fact of your capacity and the fact that you obviously have been kind to members of other races, to blacks, and that you have not been a racist. . . And I feel that I have –- I’ve tried to be strong enough to send the message that this kind of conduct is not acceptable and will not be tolerated; at the same time, not to wreck your life; and to make the punishment commensurate with the drunken prank that I think it was, even though it did have racial overtones. It was a stupid thing to do, and it was something that was done –- folks just should not have to have the fear that somebody is going to be burning a cross in their front yard.
United States v. Thomas, Crim. Action No. 2:94cr3PR, Transcript of Sentencing Hearing, at 18-19 (Aug. 15, 1994) (emphasis added).
Following Judge Pickering’s Feb. 7, 2002 confirmation hearing, three independent ethics experts confirmed the serious impropriety of Pickering’s conduct in the cross-burning case. Professor Steven Lubet of Northwestern University Law School wrote that Pickering’s ex parte communication with a Department of Justice official was a “manifest violation” of the Code of Conduct. Letter of Professor Steven Lubet to Hon. John Edwards (Feb. 25, 2002), at 2. Professor John Leubsdorf of Rutgers Law School found that Pickering had “departed from his proper judicial role of impartiality,” that he had behaved “more like an usually adversarial attorney than like a judge,” and that his actions “were inappropriate and violated rules governing judicial conduct.” Letter of Professor John Leubsdorf to Senator John Edwards (Feb. 25, 2002) at 6. Professor Stephen Gillers of New York University Law School concluded that “Judge Pickering’s conduct was wrong.” Letter of Professor Stephen Gillers to Hon. John Edwards (Feb. 25, 2002), at 2. (See attached resource list for these letters on-line.)13
Judge Pickering’s supporters have attempted to defend his conduct in the cross-burning case by claiming that he was concerned about what he perceived to be a sentencing disparity among the three defendants. However, according to Professor Lubet, Judge Pickering “in more than 11 years on the bench . . . has never published any other opinion decrying disproportionate sentencing. According to the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary, he is best known for increasing sentences rather than lowering them.” S. Lubet, “The Judge and the Cross Burner,” Baltimore Sun (Feb. 28, 2002). Most important, apart from the fact that sentencing disparities routinely exist among defendants who accept responsibility, plead guilty, and spare the government the expense of trial and those who do not, it was improper for Judge Pickering to address whatever concerns he may have had through unethical conduct. As Professor Leubsdorf wrote, “Whatever Judge Pickering’s motives may have been, this was no way for a judge to behave.” Letter of Professor John Leubsdorf to Hon. John Edwards (Feb. 25, 2002), at 1.
Several weeks after Judge Pickering’s Feb. 7, 2002 hearing, Brenda Polkey, one of the victims in the cross-burning case, wrote to Senator Leahy to express her “profound disappointment in learning of Judge Pickering’s actions toward the defendant, Daniel Swan,” whose sentence Pickering had gone to such lengths to reduce. Mrs. Polkey described how her family had “suffered horribly” as a result of the cross-burning on their lawn. She explained that, as a native southerner who had grown up during the racial violence of the 1960s and lost a family member due to a racial killing, she “never imagined that violence based on racism would come my way again in the 1990s.” Prior to learning what Judge Pickering had done, she had been heartened that the individuals who had burned a cross on her lawn had been brought to justice, stating that “I experienced incredible feelings of relief and faith in the justice system when the predominantly white Mississippi jury convicted Daniel Swan for all three civil rights crimes.” She went on to state that “My faith in the justice system was destroyed, however, when I learned about Judge Pickering’s efforts to reduce the sentence of Mr. Swan. . . . I am astonished that the judge would have gone to such lengths to thwart the judgment of the jury and to reduce the sentence of a person who caused so much harm to me and my family. I am very much opposed to any effort to promote Judge Pickering to a higher court.” Letter from Brenda Polkey to Senator Patrick Leahy (Mar. 5, 2002).
Senator Cantwell referred specifically to Mrs. Polkey’s disillusionment with the justice system in explaining the reasons why Judge Pickering should not be confirmed, stating that “this committee should work very hard to protect the faith that the public has in our judicial system.”14 Indeed, virtually every Senator who voted not to confirm Judge Pickering specifically mentioned his conduct in the cross-burning case as one of the reasons why he should not be confirmed. Senator Kennedy, for example, explained that “Judge Pickering’s conduct in presiding over the cross-burning case in 1994 encapsulates all of my concerns about his temperament, his willingness to follow the law as opposed to his personal opinion, and his fairness in civil rights cases.”15 And Senator Durbin explained that Judge Pickering’s conduct was disturbing not only as a matter of judicial ethics but also as a matter of judicial activism, stating that “I can think of no clearer case of judicial activism than a judge who after a jury conviction refuses to impose a mandatory minimum sentence because he does not personally agree with the Justice Department’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion.”16
12 Department of Justice Memorandum from Brad Berry to Linda Davis, Chief, Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division (Nov. 29, 1994), at 2.
13 Law professor Michael I. Krauss of George Mason University Law School provided a post-hearing letter to Senator Hatch confined to Krauss’ examination of two documents signed by Judge Pickering related to the cross-burning case –- an order by Judge Pickering dated Jan. 4, 1995, and a Feb. 8, 2002 letter from Pickering to Senator Leahy concerning the case. Prof. Krauss opined that “neither of these documents provide any evidence of unethical behavior by Judge Pickering.” Letter from Michael I. Krauss to Senator Orrin Hatch (Feb. 11, 2002), at 1. In his confined view of the matter, Prof. Krauss did not mention or consider some of the facts, including, for example, Judge Pickering’s ex parte telephone call to the home of one of the prosecutors the day after New Year’s Day, 1995. Also, Prof. Krauss gave his view of the ethics of only three isolated instances of Judge Pickering’s conduct during the case, and did not evaluate the Judge’s conduct overall in determining whether, for example, Judge Pickering had impermissibly crossed the line from being a neutral magistrate to an advocate for one of the parties, as others had concluded he had.
14 United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Committee Business, Unofficial Transcript at 85 (Mar. 14, 2002).
15 Statement of Senator Edward M. Kennedy Regarding the Nomination of Judge Charles W. Pickering to the Fifth Circuit Court, at 2 (Mar. 14, 2002).
16 United States Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Committee Business, Unofficial Transcript at 75 (Mar. 14, 2002). | <urn:uuid:2431fb07-5149-4723-9d8e-2e63fd9fb18e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pfaw.org/media-center/publications/why-the-senate-judiciary-committee-was-right/pickerings-confirmation-hear-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973374 | 2,447 | 1.664063 | 2 |
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Joshua Shapiro has an understanding of the horror which has become of the PC industry. M$ gets its stuff put on OEM PCs and applications may or may not be installed by the OEM or the end user. OEMs make very little profit because to compete they only control the price, not the mix of applications and the OS. M$ has not done anything to address this yet most OEMs depend on M$ for software.
“The problem in the market is commoditization. There is generally a lack of innovation on the part of the vendors, who have left it to Intel, Microsoft and the ODMs to advance the industry. Once upon a time this didn’t matter because computers were slower and users always looked to the latest models for more horsepower, more storage capacity and more pixels in the display. However, the traditional focus on increased speed or better hardware specifications is no longer vital for users, and without differentiation, vendors increasingly compete on price, leaving them to face diminishing returns over the past 10 years.”
Joshua Shapiro hopes to sell OEMs on a new way of installing software on PCs in the factory, by giving buyers a menu and tweaking an installation image during the installation of the software. Basically, a huge image would be created but only the chosen software would be installed. Unfortunately, this would encumber OEMs with having to make deals with many ISVs. M$ is not going to do that because they have a monopoly on the desktop OS and don’t give a damn whether OEMs make money. Essentially, OEMs’ margins are just the margin on M$’s OS and OEMs are doing all the work of designing, building and shipping PCs for $0. They are M$’s slaves, given just enough bread and water to keep them alive.
The real solution is not to prop up M$’s monopoly further but to use GNU/Linux which already has huge repositories of applications ready to go. An OEM can add an application to a PC in seconds or custom build an image in minutes with a package manager application, and OEMs would not need to pay Joshua Shapiro for his patented technology. It would cost OEMs much less to contribute a little to FLOSS than to pay M$ per-seat licensing fees and be just another manufacturer in the crowd of M$’s
Joshua Shapiro is right about one thing. OEMs have to make the effort to change. ASUS changed in 2007 when it brought out the fabulous GNU/Linux netbooks which sold out globally. When M$ forced OEMs to install that other OS, that innovation was killed. 2012 may see the last netbook made. What OEMs fail to realize is that they can sell PCs with GNU/Linux and package managers getting all the flexibility Shapiro advocates with none of the burdens M$ insists upon. OEMs should run their business independently of M$. It’s the only way they will thrive. Let M$ make its own PCs. The rest of us can cooperate and make great IT. There is no difficulty for OEMs to differentiate their products on price and performance with FLOSS. see Distrowatch | <urn:uuid:7b956e6b-a024-4f33-883c-0195e1f18dc7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mrpogson.com/2012/09/05/problems-in-the-industry-of-making-and-selling-pcs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961225 | 642 | 1.851563 | 2 |
TRAVEL TALES : IT'S A PARTY AT THE ANIMAL HOUSE.Byline: Carol Bidwell Daily News Staff Writer
You belong in the zoo, the San Diego Zoo San Diego Zoo
One of the world's largest collections of mammals, birds, and reptiles, located in San Diego, Calif., and administered by the Zoological Society of San Diego. The 100-acre (40. - especially now, as the famed animal collection celebrates its 80th anniversary.
To mark the milestone, the U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) processes and delivers mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. The service seeks to improve its performance through the development of efficient mail-handling systems and operates its own planning and engineering programs. will unveil 15 endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. stamps in a first day of issue ceremony at the zoo Oct. 2, the founding date of the Zoological Society in 1916. The stamp series features North American North American
named after North America.
North American blastomycosis
see North American blastomycosis.
North American cattle tick
see boophilusannulatus. endangered species, including the California condor, Florida panther The Florida panther is a critically endangered representative of Cougar (Puma concolor) that lives in the low pinelands, palm forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States. , American crocodile The American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is one of the four species of New World crocodile and the most wide-spread in range. It occurs from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern Mexico through Central America and in South America as far as Peru and Venezuela. , thick-billed parrot The Thick-billed Parrot, Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha is a medium-sized, up to 38cm long, bright green parrot with a large black bill and a red forecrown, shoulder and thighs. Adult eyes are amber, while juveniles have brown eyes. The rest of the bird is bright green. and black-footed ferret black-footed ferret
see ferret. .
And the San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. Zoo's sister collection - the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, founded five days after the San Diego institution - will help celebrate.
``We're going to have an animal exchange and staff exchange over the next few years to share all we've learned,'' said Georgeanne Irvine, zoo spokeswoman.
But the real fun at the zoo is watching the animals, especially Shi Shi and Bai Yun, a male and a female giant panda on loan from China. The two arrived earlier this month and, after a settling-in period, will go on display in about two weeks in an expanded, $3 million exhibit area, zoo officials say.
The pandas are expected to be in San Diego 12 years for a breeding research project monitored by a Sino-American scientific research team.
The zoo is also still showing off its two newest exhibits: Polar Bear Plunge, a new polar bear habitat that premiered this summer, and Hippo Beach, which debuted last year. Both habitats allow zoogoers to see the animals in near-natural habitats - and to watch their underwater antics through thick sheets of glass that form one side of their swimming tanks.
``The animals can swim underwater or walk halfway in and halfway out of the water and act like submarines,'' Irvine said. ``They interact with the people watching them, and it's hilarious.''
After one of the zoo's polar bears died a few weeks ago, zoo officials worried that the animals' new habitat - where bears can catch their own fish to eat - may have contributed to the death, Irvine said.
But tests showed that the bear died of acute liver disease Liver Disease Definition
Liver disease is a general term for any damage that reduces the functioning of the liver.
The liver is a large, solid organ located in the upper right-hand side of the abdomen. and lung cancer lung cancer, cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States in both men and women. Like other cancers, lung cancer occurs after repeated insults to the genetic material of the cell. , both previously undetected and both complicated by the bear's old age, she said.
Both exhibits are among the most popular for zoo visitors, Irvine said.
For first-time visitors, the best way to see the zoo, which sprawls over more than 100 acres, is on a guided tour, zoo officials say. A 35-minute bus tour meanders through miles of winding roads, through canyons and up mesas, while driver guides relate interesting facts about the animals seen along the route. The open-sided, double-decker buses leave the zoo station every few minutes for the three-mile trip.
New at the zoo are Kangaroo bus tours, which follow the regular bus route, but allow visitors to hop on and off the bus all day long at eight different stops.
The zoo also offers Spanish-language bus tours at noon daily.
For an aerial perspective, visitors can take the Skyfari cable lifts from one side of the zoo to the other on a one-third-of-a-mile ride across the treetops from the Reptile House to Horn and Hoof hoof, horny epidermal casing at the end of the digits of an ungulate (hoofed) mammal. In the even-toed ungulates, such as swine, deer, and cattle, the hoof is cloven; in the odd-toed ungulates, such as the horse and the rhinoceros, it is solid. Mesa. From the air, zoogoers can get panoramic views of Balboa Park, downtown San Diego and its harbor, as well as zoo exhibits that include Hippo Beach and Monkey Mesa, with its Scripps Flight Aviary aviary
Structure for keeping captive birds, usually spacious enough for the aviculturist to enter. Aviaries range from small enclosures to large flight cages 100 ft (30 m) or more long and up to 50 ft (15 m) high. Enclosures for birds that fly only little or weakly (e.g. and Gorilla Tropics.
For the kids, the Children's Zoo features open-moated enclosures, walk-through bird aviaries, two baby animal nurseries and a petting paddock where kids can meet and pet sheep, goats and potbellied pigs. Zookeepers also do animal shows throughout the day featuring meerkats, anteaters, macaws, falcons and desert tortoises.
The zoo now has more than 4,000 animals from more than 800 species. But it originated with a handful of animals left in Balboa Park at the close of the 1915-16 Panama-California International Exposition. The zoo has been at its present site since 1922.
Lions, tigers, bears for free
The San Diego Zoo is off Park Boulevard in Balboa Park; visitors are admitted 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with the park closing at 6 p.m.
During October, all children age 11 and younger will be admitted to the zoo free. On Oct. 7, adults and children will be admitted free to mark the zoo's Founder's Day.
All other times, admission is $15 for adults, $6 for children ages 3-11; kids under 2 are free. Admission plus a bus tour costs $19 for adults, $9 for kids. Admission plus a 35-minute bus tour and a ride on the Skyfari tramway costs $21 for adults, $11 for kids. Thirty-five minute bus tours given in Spanish cost $4 for adults, $3 for kids.
Kangaroo tours, which let visitors hop off and on zoo bus tours throughout the day, cost $8 for adults, $5 for kids.
Zoogoers also can explore on self-guided tours with hand-held listening devices that provide more information about zoo animals. Rental is $4 per person.
For more information on the zoo, call (619) 231-1515. For updated tour and admission information, call (619) 685-3264.
2 Photos, Box
Photo: (1) Bears swim and catch their own fish in P olar Bear Plunge, one of the San Diego Zoo's newest attractions.
(2) Furry-faced Bai Yun is one of the zoo's most popular residents.
Box: Lions, tigers, bears for free (See Text) | <urn:uuid:aa13e7f8-c677-4428-a040-ea67e4819277> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thefreelibrary.com/TRAVEL+TALES+%3A+IT'S+A+PARTY+AT+THE+ANIMAL+HOUSE.-a083968902 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926936 | 1,908 | 2.828125 | 3 |
I remember when I was a young girl, my mother would always balance the family chequebook at the end of every month. She would stress that this was the secret to good financial planning and would warn me, "It doesn't matter how much money you earn, you will never have enough money to do and buy all the things you want to - so watch what you spend."
Proper budgeting has always kept households solvent, and in most families this responsibility usually falls to the woman. If we find we have spent too much, the next month we cut back. We don't keep spending because we know if we do, we will end up losing our home, most of our personal belongings and a life we hold dear. Balancing expenditures against income means not having sleepless nights worrying about how we are going to survive. Having enough money means both security and freedom.
But now that the recession is biting hard, there are growing numbers of economists and political advisors who believe the only way to get out of this recession is to spend our way out of it. The number of boarded-up shops on the high street and half-finished building sites are just the beginning signs of the double dip recession and the new austerity we face. There is a growing chorus of naysayers who believe that austerity is not the solution, and if we spend more, our assets can be rescued and revitalised. They want us to believe that we can "spend our way out of this recession" and return quickly to the 'good times'. The economy just needs to be infused with cash in order to increase liquidity; then lending will start to flow again and the good times will return.
The mantra of the Cameron administration has, from the start,been that, "Reducing the deficit is a necessary precondition to growth". But is he right? In the UK, we have now had 18 months of essentially no growth and the latest forecast is for no growth this year. It is predicted that the UK won't get back to pre-recession levels until sometime in 2014. Already, this is this is the slowest recovery on record, including what happened after the Great Depression.
Years of economic greed, having more and wanting more, caused the subprime mortgage crisis and the European debt crisis. Perhaps we can learn from Iceland, a country that was bankrupt but has improved its economic status dramatically.
Iceland is now run predominately by women. Women know that the only way to run a fiscally responsible home is to balance incoming revenue with outgoing expenses. You don't need to be master of the universe or head of a country to figure out that a balanced chequebook, no matter how big it is, is, quite simply, the 'financially responsible' way forward. So, my advice to Prime Minister David Cameron: stay close to your female ally, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, stick with the austerity plan and no u-turns on what will be a painful but necessary process to a balanced budget. | <urn:uuid:9eb9a174-f8aa-470b-b5ea-9c486b4074d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jill-shaw-ruddock/solution-not-more-debt_b_1550553.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966505 | 613 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Personal Trainer Schools
Find Personal Trainer School in the united states and Canada. Students who are keen on gaining an alternative education will discover that personal trainer universities will instruct individuals inside art and science of personal training and coaching.[ http://www.personaltrainers.ws/ Personal training] schools teach individuals the way to mentor and guide folks, and how to facilitate the most beneficial collaborative services to match short and long-term goals to overall health. Students of personal trainer schools may be able to use specific techniques, such as NLP (Neuro Linguistic Lisenced users), to help harmonize your client’s mind, body and spirit.
Additionally, personal trainer schools instruct students on tips on how to develop personal profiles, health and fitness evaluations, how to increase vigor, improve nutritional plans, rehabilitate and strengthen, and help to boost overall lifestyles. In addition, courses that are provided in earnings schools commonly include instruction in basic First Help and CPR.
A number of personal trainer education schools may offer coursework around legal guidelines, business management, client evaluations, program design, insurance operations, nutrition, anatomy and physiology, and other physical fitness education programs in addition. Several personal trainer schools offer certificate and/or diploma programs to students that successfully complete one of numerous personal trainer/life coaching lessons. Certified personal trainers can enjoy working in physical fitness centers, as aerobic instructors or personal fitness coaches; as well as existence coaching centers (subject to course of study).
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About this time of year, some infectious disease specalists dress up as Nostradamus and try to predict how bad the flu season will be.
“It’s tempting,” said Dr. John Treanor, chief of Infectious Disease at the University of Rochester Medical Center, who seems to think the seers are about as sure as a Magic 8 Ball. ”Those predictions tend to be very unreliable. It’s amazing that we’re able to figure out how bad the flu season is while it’s actually happening. It’s a very complicated and sophisticated reoprting system that allows peple to track the flu.”
The headline on a state police update reads: “Bicyclist LIfe Saved By Helmet” and the item went on to say that a bicyclist on the shoulder of Route 63 in Groveland, Livingston County, late on the afternoon of Sept. 27 turned for an unknown reason and struck the passenger side of a passing tractor trailer. The bicyclist, John Nelson of Dansville, was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital with a head injury and broken leg. He was in guarded condition as of Sept. 28. It’s evident that the man was seriously injured, and for that our sympathies go to his family and our wishes to him for a speedy recovery. The trooper at the scene reported that without his bike helmet, Nelson would have sustained more severe injuries.
As reported in the Sept. 17 print edition of the Democrat and Chronicle, neuroscientist Miriam Weber at the University of Rochester Medical Center is studying cognition in menopause. Women want to get in on that – according to an email I received, the voicemail for the study consultant was full at 9 a.m. the day the story ran.
But here’s something else that middle-aged women might want to consider if they find themselves stumbling to perform mental gymnastics: what they are eating.
A report in the October issue of Consumer Reports on Healthsaid women who ate a carb-free diet for a week experienced impaired memory compared to women who ate a balanced diet. When the carb-free women added carbohydrates to their eating plan in the next week, they reversed their impairment.
Loyal readers, here is the day you’ve been waiting for: I received the bill for the lab work.
It was anticlimactic, because a couple of weeks earlier I had received an email announcing the explanation of benefits. That’s the document that says what you had done, what the insurer will pay and what you will pay.
I held off writing this because I wanted to make sure the EOB and the bill had the same amount. They did.
For the newcomers: I needed some routine lab work. Because I have a high-deductible plan and hadn’t met the first $2,000, all the money was coming out of my pocket. Trying to be the good consumer these plans want us to be, I was determined to find out where I’d get the best price. Hours of phone calls later, two of the three large labs in Rochester told me what I’d pay, based on my insurance. But only one of them did it in with the most helpful attitude and with the fewest transfers to supervisors. That lab also quoted the least expensive price, so that’s where I went.
Newsgathering has been compared to sausage-making — you don’t want to know how it’s done, you just want to enjoy the result.
But it’s sometimes enlightening to know just where the ingredients come from because if you can’t get them anymore, your product isn’t going to be the same.
Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services removed online access to the Public Use Data File of the National Practitioners Data Bank (http://www.npdb-hipdb.hrsa.gov/). Reporters would use this database for information about sanctions against hospitals and doctors, and about malpractice payouts. Individual physicians were not named, instead they were given identifiers in order to protect confidentiality. The government claims that some reporters were able to put 2 and 2 together, and were able to name the practitioners who’d been disciplined.
So you’re thinking of moving to a warm, sunny climate to live out your golden years? Florida or Arizona, perhaps. Maybe the Carolinas.
Consider buying long underwear, mittens and a parka and heading to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado or Maine.
Those states ranked first, fifth, seventh and eights in the State Long-Term Services and Supports Scorecard , what’s billed as the first-of-its-kind multidimensional look at how states perform on a variety of measures of assistance to older people and adults with disabilities. The Scorecard examines state performance in affordability and access; choice of setting and provider; quality of life and quality of care; and support for family caregivers. The dimensions were developed by a team of experts in the long-term services field.
A loyal blog reader caught the reference to the Sept. 12 post, “A new use for a disco tune” and sent along a link to a CPR flash mob at the Marketplace Mall a few months ago.
The event was orchestrated (“organized” doesn’t seem appropriate when you’re talking social media and flash mob) by the local American Heart Association.
Catch the beat at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwc0KXJTuqg
The American Red Cross announced Citizen CPR, an initiative on Sept. 24 to get 1,000 people locally (5 million people across the country over the year) trained in hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Hands-only is the chest compression part of CPR and it eliminates the mouth-to-mouth that is the source of lots of jokes and may be a reason why some people avoid learning the skill in the first place.
Having people willing to step forward in an emergency is one thing. Getting them trained to feel confident to act is the first step. The American Heart Association backed a bill in the last session of the state legislature that would require CPR to be taught in health class. Students wouldn’t necessarily be certified in CPR, but requiring them to learn the basic skills before they graduate would increase the likelihood that if you had a heart attack, someone nearby would know what to do. Schools are, after all, a community resource. And while knowing the Pythagorean theorem is important, so is knowing that in order to be effective, chest compressions need to be done to the beat of the Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive.” Well, maybe that last bit will have to updated to something more high schoolers these days will sing. But now that I’ve put that tune in your head … .
Some things you can get so much information on, you want to cry.
Other things, you get so little so you want to scream.
Sometimes, this happens from the same agency.
I was looking for information about a hospital, so I went to the New York state Department of Health website and clicked on “Hospital Profile.” (http://hospitals.nyhealth.gov/)
I was looking for the statements of deficiencies — the little and not-so-little oopses that all hospitals have, and are chronicled by the state during inspections it conducts on a regular basis or when there is a complaint.
Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis is a federal plan to reduce Rx drug abuse by 15 percent over the next five years. Rx abuse apparently is the fastest-growing drug problem in the country. The plan includes: supporting prescription drug monitoring programs in the states, educating patients, educating prescribers and pharmacists about inappropropriate practices and recommending more convenient and environmentally responsible ways to get rid of the medications so that households don’t have a lot of the stuff lying around. | <urn:uuid:809083e7-8e4b-4d97-9cc8-170bc3c8ca61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/health/?m=201109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961558 | 1,690 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Phylo! The ecological, biology-based trading card game
Officially the NERDIEST GAME EVER!!!
Build ecosystems, food chains, webs of competition, parasitism, and coexistence. Learn more and print out your own cards (FREE) and your very own deck (FREE!) here.
The super awesome mollusc is the same number of points as the super massive mammal. Well… yes please.
Today is the official launch of the #sharkstanley children’s book by @sharkdefenders and @SAGEmagazine.
Excellent job guys - I think it’s impressive that you can communicate such a complex issue into a children’s book, and it will be such a useful tool for any future shark awareness campaigns with schools!
Now we know that shark-finning’s a terrible deed,
But don’t blame the fisher for trying to feed
His wife and his children, perhaps living in squalor.
So he sells the shark fins, and he makes a good dollar.
And the fins then get sent, in a single fell swoop
To be dried and shipped out and turned into soup
So that some pricey restaurants, from Hong Kong to New York,
Can sell bowls of shark soup with their chicken or pork.
But here’s the dirtiest secret: it doesn’t taste very good!
People just eat it ‘cause they think that they should.
So millions of sharks get de-finned every year
For the sake of becoming just a food souvenir.
Thank you, everyone.
I want to start by saying that, because without all of you reading, sharing and supporting this science blog over the past couple years, today’s announcement would never be happening.
Starting today, It’s Okay To Be Smart is also a YouTube series from PBS Digital Studios! I’ll be teaching you about science in fun, creative, unique and quirky ways, just like I always have, only now you get to watch and listen instead of just reading along. Here’s my first episode, “Life By The Numbers,” which looks at just how many things there are on Earth.
I can’t tell you how excited I am to be doing this, or that I get to work with PBS. I grew up with PBS and their programming is a large part of what made me realize the value of combining education with creativity. I feel like me and Big Bird are basically co-workers now. We’ll be posting a new episode every other week on our YouTube page, and I’ll still be maintaining this blog like always. You’ll even get added bonus material to go along with each episode and expand your knowledge that much more.
Here’s how you can help:
- Share this awesome science channel with your friends on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Reddit or wherever you like to hang around on the internet. If you could get Neil deGrasse Tyson to watch, that would be great.
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss any future episodes. Seriously, subscribe :)
- Speak up and leave us a comment telling us what you think of the show, any questions you have, and if there’s something you’d like to see in a future episode. You can also email me at itsokaytobesmart <at> gmail <dot> com.
- Sit back … enjoy the showand expand your knowledge and your curiosity!
Let’s go learn something amazing together! Stay curious, everyone.
Joe has been an amazing Tumblr teacher over the years. Now his lessons are formed in another (awesome) medium. Check it out!
Congratulations Joe, this is *really* cool.
ATTENTION folks, there is currently an astronaut posting to Tumblr from space. I repeat, there is a human being, that is currently in freakin’ SPACE, posting pictures (from said SPACE) to their Tumblr blog.
There are things, called words, that are failing me, about the other things, that I am feeling.
Expedition 35 Commander Chris Hadfield: You sir, are cooler than a polar bear’s toenails.
(He’s also on Twitter)
This is for all you guys worried the maths part of marine biology.
Start with the basics :)
These resources make sharpening your math skills fun and easy.
So my friend Jaime and I decided it would be a good idea to make a group for future and current marine biologists to connect and share information, stories and ideas. The world needs young, up and coming marine biologists!
So if you’re interested, please check out the facebook group below:
We welcome all ages, from anyone who is thinking about studying it, to those who have already finished their degrees.
Hope to see you there!
This is a really cool idea!
Marine Biology For Kids
Yesterday I put the marine biology programme that I’ve been working on for the past month to the test. Eight children and their mothers (who I think might have enjoyed it more than the kids) joined me in learning about local invertebrate and fish life before we did a little snorkel session to put our new knowledge to work.
We visited Talima, a site just off Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines. Tourists regularly snorkel there on day trips and island-hopping tours and feed the fish, despite it being a “marine sanctuary”. The shallow reef is barren, covered in algae with limited fish species, though we did see a Snowflake Moray swimming about and attempting to munch on the tail of a Moon Wrasse!
We used my awesome new laminated ID sheets to figure out which fish we saw, and which fish we want to see!
After the session the kids were playing on the boat (Bancas are the best for playing, even when you’re twenty-something!) and I was so encouraged by their enthusiasm to pick up rubbish. We had a co-ordinated effort to spot and take out cigarette butts and plastic bits as they floated past.
The message to protect the environment is starting with the youngest of the youth. This particular group have had a term at school on how to be “ocean heroes”! In a country like Philippines, where the people are bound to the sea, it’s a promising start!
Punctuation matters people!
I Am Science - Embracing Non-Traditional Paths to Science
Remember this series? What started as a collection of tweets is now assembled in an inspiring video. Life is a bumpy road that forks and loops and dead-ends, and the journey along it can be tough. If it doesn’t feel easy, you’re doing it right.
If it’s not easy to learn, you’re challenging yourself.
Everyone’s path is different, in science and in life. Remember these stories to inspire you in both.
(by Mindy Weisberger)
For all of you who worry that your grades aren’t good enough, or you suck at math/chemistry, or you’re just not sure what you want to do. Don’t panic! You aren’t the only ones. Take inspiration from this video, and these people who did it the long way round. | <urn:uuid:322e3c74-04ea-4f4d-b59d-9466ea3400fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://madasamarinebiologist.com/tagged/education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943095 | 1,572 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Minister Trond Giske (second from the left), President Atsushi Kamei (second from the right) of Ito-Yokado, and President Stefan Ranstrand (far right) of Tomra Systems, standing in front of an RVM.
At Ito-Yokado stores, two recycle points (equivalent to 0.2 yen) are awarded for each recycled plastic bottle.
Tomra Japan Co., Ltd. was established in 2008 by Sumitomo Corporation and Tomra Systems ASA to develop and market new collection and recycling systems for plastic bottles and other recyclable beverage containers. Tomra Systems ASA, which was founded in Norway, a country known for its natural beauty and eco-friendliness, currently commands a more than 80% share of the global Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) market.
In March 2012, Tomra Japan began installing RVMs at Seven & i Group stores, and has already placed them in 35 stores in the Kanto region, including Ito-Yokado stores. The company is planning to install these recycling machines at as many as 200 stores nationwide within this fiscal year.
Tomra's RVM is an eco-friendly bottle recycling machine capable of selecting and fragmenting or compressing plastic bottles that are placed inside them. The aim is to reducing waste volume, and thereby cutting necessary transport and storage costs for empty bottles. At the same time, the highest quality of material is ensured by the built-in material sensors. Collected bottles are recycled in Japan, and made into new plastic bottles. People who place the empty bottles into the machine earn "recycle points," which can be exchanged to nanaco points, electronic money that can be used for shopping at Seven & i Group stores as well as other designated stores. This recycle point system is encouraging customers to proactively participate in the Group's recycling efforts.
On May 11, Mr. Trond Giske, Norway's Minister for Trade and Industry, visited the Ito-Yokado Ario Kitasuna store and was shown how to use an RVM by depositing plastic bottles and for the first time using the Seven & i nanaco contact-less loyalty card to collect recycle points. "It is wonderful that Norway's Tomra Systems can contribute to environmental protection in Japan in cooperation with Japan's Seven & i Group," he said.
Tomra Japan, as a company that simultaneously achieves business goals and environmental protection while serving as a bridge between Norway and Japan, will continue to break new ground in the environmental business and further expand its business fields.
( Jun. 22, 2012 )
Top of page | <urn:uuid:3a90897f-fd3b-4fbb-8d27-1bf2db9ed9f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/english/topics/2012/20120622_103538.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951118 | 542 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Theses and Dissertations from UMD >
UMD Theses and Dissertations >
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Title: ||Target Alkylation of Single and Double Strand DNA by Peptide Nucleic Acids|
|Authors: ||Liu, Yang|
|Advisors: ||Rokita, Steven E|
|Sponsors: ||Digital Repository at the University of Maryland|
University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
DNA alkylation, peptide nucleic acid, quinone methide, target delivery
|Issue Date: ||2011|
|Abstract: ||Quinone methides (QMs) generated in vivo can alkylate DNA and function as anti-cancer drugs. Delivery of QMs to target DNA is necessary to reduce the side effects caused by indiscriminate reaction. Previous, DNA was conjugated with a QM and was successfully used to deliver this QM to complementary DNA sequences. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) conjugates of QM are now being developed for in vivo application since PNA binds to its complementary DNA or RNA and PNA resists degradation by nucleases and proteases.
The PNA1-QMP1 conjugate is capable of alkylating more than 60% of a complementary ssDNA when added at nearly stoichiometric quantities. No alkylation was observed if non-complementary DNA was treated with the conjugate. PNA1-QMP1 can alkylate a non-complementary DNA only when both the PNA and DNA target bind to a template strand. When no target sequences were present in solution, QM can react with nucleophiles from PNA1 and generate PNA1-QM1 self adduct. ssDNA can be alkylated by PNA1-QM1 self adduct with a 40% yield. The self adduct can survive after an incubation for 7 days in aqueous solution and preserve half of its original ability to alkylate complementary DNA. The reversibility and stability of the self adduct suggest that it can be used in cells. ssRNA can also be recognized and modified by PNA conjugates with a similar yield as earlier demonstrated with ssDNA. A PNA1-QM1 self adduct may also function as a telomerase inhibitor by alkylating RNA within telomerase.
Polypyrimidine PNAs were prepared to bind to the major groove of duplex DNA selectively and expand the potential targets from single to double strand DNA. A cytosine-rich PNA recognized dsDNA and delivered an electron-rich QMP2 to its target sequences. The polypurine strand within a target dsDNA was alkylated at 37°C with a yield of 26%. PAN-QMP2 also showed strong selectivity toward its fully matched dsDNA over one base mismatch in the triplex recognition site. Successful delivery of a QMP to target single and double strand DNA by PNAs confirms that the use of PNA in vivo to target pre-selected sequences is feasible.|
|Appears in Collections:||UMD Theses and Dissertations|
Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses and Dissertations
All items in DRUM are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:e94b3741-3fe2-43f2-b434-e498316284b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://drum.lib.umd.edu/handle/1903/12443 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918635 | 707 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Edmund Blair Leighton (1853-1922) was the son of famous artist Charles Blair Leighton. Edmund’s paintings focused on medieval scenes. Leighton was born in London and attended the University College School. He later went on to exhibit his works at the Royal Academy. Leighton’s was famous for displaying chivalrous and romantic scenes such as “The Accolade”, in which a Queen is honoring a knight by placing a sword over his shoulder. In medieval times this was called the ritual of knighthood. His legacy is that of an artist who had an appreciation for romance, morality and humanism. Many of Leighton’s designs are now made into tapestries.
These beautiful French Portiere tapestries are taken from the famous “Tentures Des Indes” series of 8 tapestries woven during the 17th and 18th centuries. The original artwork was designed by Albert Eckhout. LePoint D’Eau tapestries are just a few of the popular portiere style wall hangings available today.
Portiere style tapestries were used to cover doorways back in the middle ages. The narrow widths and long lengths were for practical use. Today, many home decorators choose portiere style wall hangings for decorative purposes such as foyer areas, large wall spaces with narrow widths, or for just a sectional wall area. Portiere tapestries come in singles or matching pairs.
Have you bought a new home? Just moved into a new apartment? Tired of the same old wall decor? You shopped around, checked online, then decided on something unique, wall decor your friends and guests will go home talking about….. a “Wall Tapestry”. Now the decision is what type or design to choose? With the vast selection of tapestries available it’s easy to find one that’s perfect for your decor.
1. First you must decide what style is your home decor: modern, traditional, a little of this and that?
2. Then you have to decide the size you need: Small wall space? Huge vaulted area? Or an average size wall space like over a couch size?
3. What colors do you need. Vibrant, muted, pastels etc etc.
4. What is your budget?
5. Now lets go shopping!
Lets start this post which what seems to be the most difficult to decorate. Huge open
areas like where vaulted ceilings . Foyers and stairwells seem to be where you’ll find these spaces.
Many tapestries come in super large sizes and either a horizontal or 2 matching vertical tapestries are your best bet.
Lets look at some that are great for large areas.
Budget is $150.00 to 200.00 range. Well there are a lot of American made tapestries that are great quality at a reasonable price. Here’s just a few to check out.
Budget is over $200.00
The tapestry decor industry offers many options for size, style, price and design.
Enjoy a 5% discount off our already low wholesale prices. Shop today at Touchof Tapestry.com
Have a Blessed Holiday.
J Pansu French-style tapestries are a fantastic addition to any home. When you think of French decor, tapestries may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but they happen to be one of the most stunning and popular forms of French decor. A French wall tapestry can bring elegance and luxury to your home. If you are interested in adding romance to your home as well, a French wall tapestry is the way to do this. Pansu tapestries all have different types of stitching such as Halluin, Loiselles, Meurins and Gobelins, each that make theses tapestries unique. These tapestries are of extremely high quality and made with the finest yarns. You will find artwork that will display many different scenes such as Camelot scenes, verdures, unicorns, pastorals, and elegant floral tapestries.
Art tapestries are based on designs of famous artists. These incredible tapestries are a woven wall hangings that are reproductions of famous artwork. Designs from distinguished artists such as Monet, Pejman, Mucha, and Leighton are just a few of the designs that the tapestry industry has to choose from. Scenes from Monet’s Gardens at Giverny have increasing popularity along with Pejman’s Italian scenes. Home owners who are searching for beautiful landscapes and village scenes choose these fabulous tapestries to grace their homes. If you are looking for Parisian Art Nouveau, then Mucha’s designs will definitely be a conversation piece. Leighton’s art is the epitome of medieval chivalry with his focus on knighthood and romance. Perfect for Old English or traditional decor.
The revival of medieval tapestries in the 19th century has a lot to do with the works of William Morris. Tapestries own their popularity and resurgence to the arts movement headed by William Morris in the late 1800’s throughout England. Morris was responsible for reviving many old art forms, but some of his most famous works were tapestries including the tapestry entitled The Tree of Life. Tapestries were of special inspiration to Morris who though modern production methods and designs were not nearly as creative and noble as the methods and designs of centuries past. He built a traditional high-warp loom and taught himself how to weave in the traditional French manner. He designed some of the most famous tapestries of the time including The Tree of Life and The Woodpecker with help from colleagues. He used medieval styles, techniques, and inspiration to create these famous hangings. The Quest for the Holy Grail (Camelot) series is also one of his most famous creations. | <urn:uuid:f4835f3c-29c3-441a-a255-2a26714fcd31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://classictapestries.wordpress.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963311 | 1,254 | 2.0625 | 2 |
It is a common experience in temperate zones that individuals feel happier and more energetic on bright and sunny days and many experience a decline in mood and energy during the dark winter season. Brain serotonin is involved in the regulation of physiologic functions, such as mating, feeding, energy balance, and sleep. Although these behaviors and serotonin-related conditions show a clear seasonal pattern in humans, the molecular background of seasonal changes in serotonin function is entirely unknown. The serotonin transporter is a key element in regulating intensity and spread of the serotonin signal.
To detect seasonal variations in serotonin transporter binding in the living human brain and to detect correlations between serotonin transporter binding and duration of daily sunshine.
Regional serotonin transporter binding potential values, an index of serotonin transporter density, were assessed from December 1, 1999, to December 9, 2003, in a consecutive sample of healthy volunteers. Binding potential values were related to meteorologic data.
Tertiary care psychiatric hospital.
Volunteer sample of 88 drug-naïve healthy individuals.
Carbon 11–labeled 3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethyl-phenylsulfanyl)-benzonitrile positron emission tomography.
Main Outcome Measure
Regional serotonin transporter binding potential values.
Serotonin transporter binding potential values were significantly higher in all investigated brain regions in individuals investigated in the fall and winter compared with those investigated in the spring and summer (P = .01 to .001). Moreover, binding potential values showed negative correlations with average duration of daily sunshine in all brain regions (ρ = −0.21 to −0.39; P = .05 to <.001), such that higher values occurred at times of lesser light.
Serotonin transporter binding potential values vary throughout the year with the seasons. Since higher serotonin transporter density is associated with lower synaptic serotonin levels, regulation of serotonin transporter density by season is a previously undescribed physiologic mechanism that has the potential to explain seasonal changes in normal and pathologic behaviors. | <urn:uuid:69618421-4fd5-45be-8929-a43e38e8bd1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=210137 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909064 | 409 | 2.53125 | 3 |
A is for Autism- April is National Autism Awareness Month
To kick off the A to Z blogging challenge, Gaia Fights Hunger has decided to tackle some tough subjects using the alphabet. The first subject on our list is Autism. According to the Autism Society, “Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a “spectrum disorder” that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.”
There are no known causes for Autism yet it is on the rise. In the U.S. alone, 1 baby out of every 110 is affected by a “spectrum disorder” and according to the CDC, 1 out of every 70 boys are considered autistic.
All kinds of Autism Awareness events will be taking place this month. The Autism Society has partnered with Academy Award®-winning director Gerardine Wurzburg for the feature length film “Wretches & Jabberers”, a film about two autistic men who set out on a global quest to change the attitudes and stigmas attached to the word “autism”. The film will be premiering in AMC movie theatres. Check here for where the film will be screened throughout the U.S. and Internationally.
If the “Movievent” isn’t on your agenda, you could check out the Autism Society Chapter Events Calendar to find out how you can support, raise awareness, and get involved. | <urn:uuid:6a8b26b4-c54b-4682-bfda-a906e5b15a5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gaiafightshunger.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/a-is-for-autism-april-is-national-autism-awareness-month/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936361 | 295 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Learn More About
Bird Feeders And Houses
Our decorative bird houses
are available in styles that mimic the look of a Cape Cod summer home, a New England church, or a French chateau. These decorative bird houses are attractive additions to your backyard and are suitable homes for cavity nesting birds such as wrens, sparrows and chickadees. Our collection of outdoor accessories also includes wood bird houses. A wood bird house provides a more natural environment for birds to nest. Match the decor of your own home with a bird house from our collection. Bellacor features a wide variety of different styles including contemporary bird houses
, traditional, country and victorian.
Placing these bird houses in your backyard encourages wild birds to make their homes close to yours, so you can enjoy their activities and songs year round. However, decorative bird houses
are only the first element to a bird friendly backyard. Adding bird baths
to your backyard decorations provides a source of clean water. Feeders are necessary, too. Hanging or free standing bird feeders ensure a steady source of food for birds, which makes your backyard bird houses prime real estate.
Many cavity nesting birds live in forests in the wild. They have a need for covering foliage in order to feel at home. Using outdoor planters
and arrangements of garden plants to simulate some of the elements of their forest homes makes your garden a sylvan playground for feathered visitors. | <urn:uuid:059c3a99-8c7b-4fb5-9f7b-2569dfbbd2f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellacor.com/bird-feeders-and-houses.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935064 | 293 | 1.632813 | 2 |
If you're a private tenant, local housing allowance through housing benefit can help towards the cost of your rent.
The rate of the allowance depends on the number of rooms you need and the area you live in, and it ensures that those who live in similar circumstances in the same area receive the same amount of support towards their housing costs.
Local housing allowance does not apply to council housing or homes managed by registered social landlords. Nor will it apply if:
- your rent has been registered as a 'fair rent';
- your tenancy started before 1989;
- you live somewhere where you are provided with care, support or supervision; and
- you live in a caravan, mobile home or houseboat.
How it is worked out
The weekly rate of local housing allowance depends on the area in which you are making your claim, called 'broad rental market areas'. Here are the current figures for each broad rental market area in Scotland. Although previously calculated monthly, since April 2012, the allowance has been updated annually. The local housing allowance figure is based on the 30th percentile of rents and NOT, as previously, on the mid point (50th percentile) of all rents.
The Scottish Government uses market evidence to set local housing allowances and to determine fair rents.
How much will you get?
If the rent is higher than the local housing allowance rate you will have to pay the difference or find alternative accommodation whose rent is within the allowance rates.
Note that entitlement to local housing allowance is means-tested and you will need to provide a valid tenancy agreement as proof.
How local housing allowance is paid
Local housing allowance is normally paid to the tenant, who will then pay the landlord. | <urn:uuid:f28a1004-a545-4959-90d4-ae94dc9d9873> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/privaterent/tenants/money/localhousingallowance | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953119 | 346 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Last mission to repair the Hubble telescope Hubble space telescope discoveries have enriched our understanding of the cosmos. In this special report, you will see facts about the Hubble space telescope, discoveries it has made and what the last mission's goals are.
For their own good
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
By CHRIS WAGENHEIM, Correspondent
Published July 26, 2007
Land O'Lakes senior baseball coach Scott Hilgenberg talks like he is playing chess and his game pieces are his pitchers.
With Little League pitch-count rules and his team playing three games in two days at the state all-star tournament in Winter Garden, Hilgenberg is crunching numbers.
"We told the kids today in practice, if you go 0-2 on a kid, you can waste one pitch, but you can't waste two and three pitches trying to get him to chase," Hilgenberg said. "If you have six hitters and you go nine or 10 pitches into the count, you are already up to 60 pitches."
As the rules stand, if a pitcher throws more than 45 pitches in a single game, he must sit two days. But if a pitcher stays at 20 or under he can go ahead and pitch the next day.
So with the rules understood, Hilgenberg planned his attack. His first starter, Austin Aubuchon, will leave his team Saturday to play in an AAU tournament and Hilgenberg said he will utilize him as much as he can Friday against East Boynton Beach.
"We are going to get him to throw as many as he can on Friday night," Hilgenberg said. "We are hoping for a complete game."
As for the double-header on Saturday (Golden Gate National and Section 8 opponent TBD), Hilgenberg said he will mimic the pros and use a starter, middle reliever and closer to keep his pitch count down. He also said he will rely on his defense.
"We had not one physical error last weekend; we had a few mental errors but no physical ones," Hilgenberg said. "Our defense can play defense, so if we get ahead 0-2 we will waste one pitch, but we're not wasting a second pitch or a third pitch; let's go right after them. If they hit the ball, they hit the ball and we get the out."
JUNIOR BASEBALL: After a successful but fluctuating sectional tournament, Land O'Lakes is ready to move on to state play at Port St. Lucie.
"The kids are excited; they just want to go, mostly because they want to play baseball but also because they are excited to be traveling away on a little mini-vacation," coach Harry Olsen said. "We have not been out of the area yet."
Olsen said the sectional tournament was a bit scary the first day. His team was looking at a two-run deficit in the top of the sixth, but a two-out rally in the bottom pushed them above Pinecrest. They won 6-3.
"We were down 2-0 going into the top of the sixth," Olsen said. "But none of the kids lost their cool."
And if the late comeback wasn't agonizing enough, Plant City beat Pinecrest earlier in the tournament 21-3. Land O'Lakes however, opened the game with two two-run home runs in the first inning. They went on to a mercy-rule 10-0 win over Plant City in five innings.
"I like to say that they snapped out of a coma in Game 1 to win a championship," Olsen said.
As for this weekend's state tournament, the team faces the same problems as the senior baseball team: pitch counts.
"We have to utilize more of our pitching staff, which we do have enough of," Olsen said. "Not a lot of them have had much opportunity to pitch."
With four out of their six all-star games going only five innings, not a lot of Olsen's staff has been on the mound. But Olsen is confident they can go as deep as necessary. As for the rest of the aspects of the game, Olsen is not going to be messing with a good thing.
"We are not going to change too much," Olsen said. "Same batting order, same positions; we are going to need a couple of catchers for the doubleheader on Saturday."
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The Security Council expresses its grave concern at the deteriorating situation in Syria, and expresses profound regret at the death of many hundreds of people.
The Security Council condemns the widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities.
The Security Council calls for an immediate end to all violence and urges all sides to act with utmost restraint, and to refrain from reprisals, including attacks against state institutions.
The Security Council calls on the Syrian authorities to fully respect human rights and to comply with their obligations under applicable international law. Those responsible for the violence should be held accountable.
The Security Council notes the announced commitments by the Syrian authorities to reform, and regrets the lack of progress in implementation, and calls upon the Syrian government to implement its commitments.
The Security Council reaffirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Syria.
It stresses that the only solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process, with the aim of effectively addressing the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the population which will allow the full exercise of fundamental freedoms for its entire population, including that of expression and peaceful assembly.
The Security Council calls on the Syrian authorities to alleviate the humanitarian situation in crisis areas by ceasing the use of force against affected towns, to allow expeditious and unhindered access for international humanitarian agencies and workers, and co-operate fully with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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Elon professor introduces students to the ‘Heart of the Maya’
Deep within the Petén Forest, which extends from the eastern Chiapas in Mexico through northern Guatemala and into northwestern Belize, are the ruins of the once powerful Maya. And though the pre-Columbian civilization collapsed centuries ago, the site of Dos Hombres, in Belize, still holds many secrets waiting to be unearthed by archaeologists, anthropologists and researchers, including Elon professor Rissa Trachman and her students.
Trachman, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, has been researching the Maya in Belize since 1997. In June, she and five Elon students spent one month in that country at the university’s first archaeological field school in the central Maya lowlands, a region considered by Trachman to be “the heart of the Maya, the birthplace of Maya civilization.”
Students participating in the program stayed in a research facility located on a 250,000-acre preserve that is used by several universities across the United States. Trachman says the field school is located in a conservation setting, adding that the area where the research is carried out is somewhat remote. Water is conserved and students, researchers and professors live minimally in semi-permanent cabins – or cabañas. Local Belizeans are hired to cook meals and students are expected to complete designated chores.
“One of my students described our living situation as ‘summer camp on steroids,’” says Trachman. “It’s an intensive learning experience. It’s not a hotel.”
“It’s a unique situation,” she explains. “It’s a little different from most study abroad programs because it is an actual field school. Rather than going to different places and seeing different archaeological sites and just looking at them and learning about them, students come to Belize with me to conduct research.”
Trachman became interested in the Maya as an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, when she visited several ancient sites in Mexico and the Yucatan peninsula and fell in love with the architecture and potential for research about the Maya culture. Though various Maya settlements extended thousands of miles throughout Central America, Trachman focused her research in Belize at the Dos Hombres site in the northwestern part of the country. Trachman completed her dissertation work for the University of Texas in this location and has returned for the past 14 summers.
“I was looking at households and looking at everyday life so it was sort of a bottom up perspective,” says Trachman. “I was looking at how households interacted not only with the community of Dos Hombres, but also with the larger Maya society.”
Trachman was also interested in discovering identity, gender, class and age construction of the Maya and how they viewed these particular distinctions. As she continues her research, she is still investigating the households in the hinterlands but has broadened her scope to include the site center, which was the focal point of the community’s architecture and political authority.
Trachman and her students are looking at the economic, social and political organization at Dos Hombres. She says these factors are expressed in material culture and architecture due to the succession of rulers. Rulers, she explains, often built new buildings after taking over a location, which enables archaeologists and researchers to date buildings and look for signs and changes in socio-political organization.
How did Dos Hombres fit into the regional organization? How is identity construction formulated and supported within the higher level of authority? These are some of the questions Trachman hopes to answer as part of her research.
Trachman says one of the unique characteristics of the field school, which is open to students of all majors, is that it provides students with learning opportunities 24/7 because it is in a remote area. “It’s not like they can just take off and go into the village for a while because we’re miles from the nearest village,” she adds.
Despite the primitive environment, Trachman says the students were not disappointed and several hope to return. Says Trachman, “They loved it, because what’s not to love? It’s beautiful.”
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